October 2003 Archives

Freecycling--something to think about it, because you still can't take it with you. A little revolutionary fun that could possibly put Wal-Mart out of business...who is game?

`Freecycling' Devotees Are Saving the World, One Item at a Time

BY MARGIE BOULE
c.2003 Newhouse News Service

Imagine being able to get free stuff, reform your inner pack rat, help someone in need, protect the environment and perhaps even participate in a revolution.

Sound radical? Not if you take it one free thing at a time.

That's the concept of "freecycling."

For more information go to the extended entry...

This entitles you to a raincheck for dinner (and whatever else you desire). In the location of your choice. Sometime in the near future. For it is your birthday and you are under-the-lovely weather and I am over-the-weather because you are my northern, southern, eastern, and western winds. Rain or shine. Night or day. You move me everyday, in everyway.

I love you. Have a happy birthday! And say hi to kitty for me. Be home soon.

I need to upgrade Moveable Type so I can install this; which will help me post more photos, easier. Well, ideally. We'll see.

I have been thinking and semi-researching becoming a teacher. Coincidentally, Tracie and I went to see this movie yesterday.

Well, perhaps not coincidentally, we've both been talking about teaching for a number of months. Tracie had picked the film and I knew nothing about it, besides that it was set in rural France and had to do with a teacher.

Tracie's deciding on whether or not she is going to go to a workshop for teaching this summer, and I am pondering whether I am cut from the right cloth to teach. Or more importantly if that is my next step in life. I am looking into the NYC Teaching Fellows. I have an email sitting in my inbox from about a month and a half ago that I need to formulate a response and send in with my application (which may in fact be too late for next summer). I am afraid of screwing some kids up, and afraid of not knowing enough to teach anyone. I'm feeling lame in other words.

I've been working at this organization for over 3 years, as an IT professional (whatever that means) and it seems it's time to have more direct daily contact with people, and people I can benefit for that matter.

The movie was poignant for me in that it reminded that I can do this, and should do this, not because it's time to move on, but it is time to make the change I seek.

Perhaps it is time to plan a little and... do, do, do?

I recommend this movie to all of you out there. If not, for the appreciation of teaching, then simply for the appreciation of life and more importantly childhood.

"Hey!..It's not a performance place it's a subway!"

I almost stopped this ass and asked him why he yelled this to the woman who was singing at the bottom of the Back Bay stairway in the station this evening, but I didn't.

He was an average looking white guy, mid-fifties, grey hair, stern look, and a chip on his shoulder.

He said this in passing to the woman. Bent down as he was coming down the stairs (as if he was gonna compliment on her singing, or perhaps throw some money in her guitar case. But no, he yelled this to her. I watched as her face went from smiling to confused and irritated.

Why did you do that you ass? Why are you such an ass?

Why didn't I say something. I stopped at the bench that he sat down at, I thought about that scene in Magnolia, when Tom Cruise's character says in response to the interviewer "...I am quietly judging you...". I was also, so I left. I'd like to think that is why I didn't say anything, perhaps ultimately, it's because I'm jaded, I've seen this type of behavior from asses like this, time and again. I surely have done this to someone myself somewhere along the way.

Why is it that we feel the need to bash on people's good will, and willingness to take the chance, and risk in living a different life than we?

In response to...Is it Art? and this article.

Interesting indeed and timely. I've been thinking about this on and off for the last two or three years.

However, Reed's notion of Primary Wealth and Secondary wealth seem a bit of a stretch at the very least. You have to take this idea of Primary and Secondary wealth and assume it's true early on to agree with what Reed says.

While I understand these conception of production, those who create to fulfill basic needs vs. those who consume the basic needs and create accessories or human culture. I don't agree with them fully. Reed's depiction of the "Artist" as this Secondary Wealth producing entity, strikes me as half-mad.

It's out. I've had it for several weeks. I finished reading it and now I hear it comes in many colors.

The binding and design appeals to my bibliophile side.

Please get it, read it, and comment. All I can say is..."The Specialist" by Alison Smith.

I recommend this article to all artists visiting this site, which, of course, includes every one of us. The article's original date is apparently 1984, funny that the American art world of today continues to be more exclusive, a professant of band-aid status quo whose products remain systemically relegated to secondary wealth orientation.

http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC05/Reed.htm

I often wonder if paintings were ever meant to travel? Changing my landscape informs my processes and subject-matter, but I remain a Texan artist.

Think of all of the promotional materials and efforts pumped out for an exceptionally noteworthy museum exhibit by our given premier institutions. Measure the levels of toxicity of inks, papers, plastics, energy expediture, transport, etc. to create a "successful" exhibition.

visitor guides
educational materials
headsets
billboards
advertising
member brochures
mailers
computer-aided internet interactivity
crating
shipping
insurance
experience-oriented status paraphenalia