Out of Lascaux

My Son the Photographer

I am pleased to announce that my son has become a true amateur photographer. He is selling prints on Devianart. Two of the first four photographs are available for sale! Just click on them to check them out. And, hey, the kid's gonna' need money for college, so feel free to buy a couple. They are quite pretty.

Happy New Year!

No resolutions, as usual. I don't believe in them. However, there are some things I would like to accomplish this year, so let's see what they are:

1. Get a job in a library. While I like the kids at the high school, and I like being able to pay my bills, I find this whole teaching thing stressful. There is just too much to worry about, like whether I'm actually getting through to them, whether their SAT scores will actually improve, not wanting to fail anyone, and whether they even like me (!). Then there are the ridiculously constrictive rules set up by the public school system and the school administrators themselves that really irritate me. What difference should it make if I let my students out 2 minutes before the bell rings, for Pete's sake!?!

2. Start feeling better about myself. I probably wouldn't even have considered this had it not been for the trip to the shrink and better living through chemistry, but there you go. Now that I know it's possible, I want it. And it would be nice to be able to do it without having someone else validate my self-worth by loving me. We'll see.

3. Post more stuff on Lascaux, particularly about art. This may be even harder than finding a library job. However, I'm in the middle of writing this service about the painting of the Penitent Magdalen, and I'm REALLY enjoying it. Now I want to do a whole series. If the congregation likes this one, I'll go for it. Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa would be next.

OKCupid

The ex-DH told me about OKCupid.com, a free online dating site. Well, he seemed to be doing well, so I gave it a shot.

It's actually a lot of fun, especially if you like taking quizzes and answering questions about yourself. I have spent hours on the site. There are thousands of quizzes, created by the users. You have probably taken a few yourself without even realizing it. Some of the quizzes are very funny, like the Can You Speak Fake German test. Or you can prove something to yourself, like the Worthy Monty Python Fan test (on which I scored a very worthy 84, thank you). Then there are the ones which show how kinky you may or may not be - and no, I'm not telling you how I did.

So, now you want to know, how about that whole dating aspect? Well, after you've answered enough questions, a complex algorithm starts matching you up with other people who've answered in the same way. Then it's up to you what to do with the information.

I'll tell you, it's been a very nice ego-boost. Once I put my picture up, I started getting a few guys wanting to talk to me. It's very nice. However, I have to say that I am leery of any guys who score the same or lower as my husband does in compatibility. And I'm very leery if the "enemy" percentage is the same or higher. Been there and done that. And there are a lot of guys looking for the sweet young things, anyway. I will only attract the ones looking for someone my age, you know, someone with a brain in her head and the ability to carry on a conversation.

My advice to my friends - consider joining, even if it's just to look for penpals. They're on there, too.

UPDATE: Here's my OKCupid profile for those who are curious. I also keep a journal there, too.

Victory Over Math

Thanks for the kind words. I spent an entire week trying to re-learn 3 years of high school math. I did manage to learn a few things, and I feel better about the amount I know, but I have a long way to go before I could ever answer a math question that isn't in the book.

As to that, I aced the teachbacks for the math sections in training. I have every step of every problem written down, so I don't get lost. It even sounds like I know what I'm talking about. And I do, for that problem. But all will be fine. I realized that all I have to do is teach the concepts that TPR wants them to learn, and I can easily do that. The students should already know the math concepts, and if they don't, they need to see their math teacher. My mantra for this semester: "Mrs. Ceely is not your math teacher."

I Hate Math

I finished my training for Princeton Review's SAT Prep classes. Well, almost finished. Apparently, I suck at math. This is no surprise. In high school I barely squeaked by in Algebra with Cs and Ds. I did better in Geometry, but the theorems and proofs nearly did me in. And of course, after school, I never ever used this stuff again. So how long ago was that? We had our 25th high school reunion 2 years ago!

So now I have to attend a remedial math class on Friday to see if enough of this stuff will sink in for me to teach it. Don't misunderstand me, I won't be teaching Algebra, I'll be teaching the tricks to get around Algebra. I will make it clear from day one that I am not their math teacher and that they should not be using what they learn in my class in any of their math classes, not if they want a good grade. I'm just teaching them how to beat the SAT.

Still, I'm feeling a lot of anxiety over this. I sat in that class for 6 days, and I understood how to do every problem once it was explained, but I still cannot apply the knowledge to new problems. There is this huge mental block that makes me panic whenever I see variables in a fraction. I just automatically figure I don't know how to solve it. This bothers me because I'm not stupid, and I know I can learn this stuff, but how do I get around this mental handicap I've had for 30 years? I have seriously considered backing out, but a big part of me won't let me whimp out on such a great opportunity. But, it may be taken out of my hands. If I can't satisfy the trainers after this weekend, the decision will be made for me. Wish me luck.

I've Got A Job!!!

Woohoo! Ok, so it doesn't involve the use of the MLS I now owe $24,000 for, but it's doing something I like to do: teaching. The Princeton Review is placing teachers in the high schools here in El Paso to help students prepare for the SAT. And since I have experience teaching it, and I do like to teach, they have hired me to be one of those teachers. Full-time, no less. I start training the end of July and school starts the third week of August (I think).

So this is me doing a happy dance :-)

7 Wonders

I finally got to the New 7 Wonders of the World website. I've been meaning to do this for over a year now. Someone decided that since we had 7 wonders of the ancient world, we needed 7 wonders of the modern world, so they created a whole foundation and put up a website where anyone in the world can vote. I missed the initial voting, where you could nominate wonders, but there is still time to vote on the final candidates - voting ends July 6th.

Looking at the candidates - from the Acropolis in Athens to the mud skyscrapers in Timbuktu - I had to really think about what a "wonder" is. I didn't want to vote just because I liked something or because it symbolized something important. A wonder should be something that really inspires awe, either through technological engineering, such as at Stonehenge, or through overwhelming beauty such as at the Taj Mahal. Size can be awesome as well, as I have found at the Pyramids of Ghiza. I knew they were big, but it wasn't until I actually saw them rising above a city street outside Cairo that I realized just how impressive they were. BTW, the Pyramids are only an honorary wonder because they were part of the original 7 and are disqualified.

So here are the ones I voted for, and the reasons.

Acropolis, Athens - an awesome beauty created by monumental size and precise engineering. I have never seen them personally (I haven't seen any of the candidates in real life) but I can imagine how impressive it is.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia - this Hindu/Buddhist temple complex combines massive size with incredible amounts of detailed ornament.

Easter Island Statues - We are still unclear how these gigantic statues were made, or how they were moved, or how they were erected. It's a case of "how the heck did they do that," and "do you feel like those eyes are watching you?"

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (be sure to click on the interior photo towards the bottom). Built originally as an enormous Byzantine church and decorated with rich mosaics, even the Muslims could not destroy its beauty. They converted it, whitewashed the mosaics, and made it a mosque. Today, it's a tourist attraction, one that overwhelms the viewer with size and beauty. And it is an engineering marvel as well - it has withstood earthquakes for almost 1500 years.

The Kremlin, Moscow - This is another one of those massive complexes, but for me it's the beauty of the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral that makes this a wonder. Built in the 16th century of wood (!) with those onion domes you only see in Russia, and painted with brighter colors than any other Christian church would dare, it's yet another example of beauty, size, and engineering.

Stonehenge - Not much to say about this structure except it isn't beautiful, but it is awesome in it's technological achievement and its spiritual power.

Taj Mahal - I chose this one for its sheer beauty. That's all. Just beauty.

The choices were difficult, but I could only choose seven. So here are a few of runners up (without the commentary). The Colosseum in Rome, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Sydney Opera House. So, click on over to www.new7wonders.com and see which ones you would vote for.

Torchwood

I had been hearing about this TV show for a while, and had been dying to see it. Unfortunately, it has not been picked up by any of the American stations. What is it? Torchwood is a Dr.Who spin-off, but this is definitely NOT Dr.Who. Torchwood is very adult - seems the Brits like sexy TV even more than we do.

Torchwood is a shadowy government agency set up by Queen Victoria after a particularly nasty encounter with werewolves and the Doctor. The group collects aliens and alien artifacts, and deals with all things supernatural. They are headed by Captain Jack Harkness, an American with a shadowy past of his own, who was introduced in a few episodes of Dr. Who (the first season of the most recent incarnations). Jack Harkness is VERY hot, which is not so unusual considering that the sexual tension amongst the 5 members of Torchwood is so thick you could cut it with a knife. These people will sleep with anything. This last season had woman-on-woman, man-on-man, lots of hetero sex, and a good deal of sex with aliens. Like I said, NOT you mother's Dr.Who. The writing is really good. You know how some shows are so formulaic that you know what's going to happen next because it's just like last week's show? (I'm thinking of House in particular right now). Well, you don't see that here. Each show is different from the last.

So, where did I get to see this wonderful TV series? Not on DVD, because it hasn't been released in the states yet (only in PAL format - whatever that is). Nope, saw all 13 episodes here, a site which seems to have quite a lot of bootleg TV shows. Normally, I won't watch TV on my computer - I prefer my big-screen TV and a comfy couch. But I have no idea when - if ever - this show will come to the US. It's just too different. I suppose BBC America might show it at some point, but who wants to wait that long when you can see it now? It's certainly worth watching, if you have a high-speed connection, that is.

Post Script: one thing I find amusing and even fascinating is that the show is set in Cardiff, Wales. How many shows can you name set in Cardiff?!?! Don't get me wrong, Cardiff is a stunningly beautiful city from what we have seen of it. A brand new city center that I imagine they are very proud of, and a gentrified waterfront. Still, you have to admit that it's unusual. Cardiff isn't exactly the center of anything. Maybe this is the start of their bid for a shot at the big time - London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Cardiff. Oh, yeah.

Afterworld

There is a new animated video series on the web called "Afterworld." It consists of 2-3 minute installments of a sci-fi story set in a post-apocalyptic world. So far there are 10 installments on YouTube, and they promise to make more soon. Russell Shoemaker, a Seattle tech salesman, is caught in NYC when 99% of the population vanishes and all technology stops working. These first 10 episodes are basically the prologue, as we will follow him on his 3000 mile journey back to Seattle to see if his family survived.

I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic stories. Here are the ones I can name off the top of my head: "The Omega Man," "The Last Warrior," "The World, The Flesh and the Devil," "A Boy and His Dog," several episodes of "Twilight Zone," "A Canticle for Liebowitz." There are lots others, but that's just what I can come up with now. And no, I have not read the Left Behind series. It's a ridiculous idea fabricated in the 19th century with no real basis in scripture. The Daily Kos published a good look at this last year.

As for "Afterworld," I'll reserve judgement until I've seen more than 20 minutes worth. Apparently, there are 150 episodes planned. Sounds interesting.

Looking Wistfully Towards NYC

So, I just put in an application for a library position at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art.)

What!??! Do I seriously think I could get something as prestigious as that? Well, I figure I have as much chance as the next art historian with a an MLS. And since I mentioned my blog in my resume and cover letter, I would point my possible future employers to the article I wrote about the MoMA after having visited it back on '05. I just re-read it, and I am sorry I didn't add it specifically to my resume. It's pretty good.

Movie Review: The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

I do so enjoy Netflix. Yesterday I watched The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (1999). Sidney Poitier plays Noah Dearborn, a local legend in Twin Pines, GA. He's a carpenter with a single-minded dedication to his work that is almost uncanny. He lives a simple life without electricity or running water, on a farm outside of town. But, land developers want to build a shopping center there, and do all sorts of sordid tricks to try and get him off the land that he has no desire to sell. In the process, a big-city therapist comes to know him and is amazed and fascinated by him.

As always, Sidney Poitier was great in this. He's never been in a bad movie that I know of. In my old age, I find quiet, heartwarming movies easier to take than blockbuster action flicks or intense drama. This one was just right. Nothing you wouldn't want the kids to see - though they would probably pronounce it "boring" and head off to play video games.

Stone Bowl

I was out walking my dog the other day and I found this:

I'm no geologist, but it looks to be made of very heavy volcanic stone. It's very round and smooth, like it had been in water for a long time. The curious thing is the bowl cut into it. I've seen naturally occurring hollows carved from rocks before, but this seems too convenient to be natural. Also, the rock was found lying by the side of a shopping center driveway in a busy city. It looks like it has been subjected to fire at some point, with that uneven black discoloration fire gives to rocks. The edges of the hollow show that at least part of the bowl was formed long ago, though there are now chips in the rim that are obviously more recent.

It's a very cool rock. The little dog liked the taste of it, and the others just sniffed at it. It looks like it could be one of those rocks for hiding your key under. Other than that, I am at a loss to explain how it turned up on a busy city street. Any ideas?

Dr. Who Scarf

Belive it or not, I actually have one of these. Though I don't really knit, I do know enough to be able to knit a 12 foot long scarf. I used it all the time in the Chicago winters. I just find it unusual to find a website devoted entirely to Dr. Who's scarf. (Via SF Signal.)

Gotta Love the Brits

Lady Bracknell, who is a Brit herself (I hope the term 'Brit' isn't considered derogatory??) points to the e-petitions section at 10 Downing St website. This is where citizens of the UK are allowed, even encouraged, to create petitions to be signed online and presented to parliament. For those, like myself, who sometimes find themselves watching Prime Ministers Questions time on C-Span (yes, I am a bit odd), you will find this illuminating, particularly if you look at the list of petitions starting backwards with the smallest (fewest signatures.) Someone wants to give Jamie Oliver a Knighthood. And another wants to make eggs a mandatory part of the diet. Not all are facetious, of course, but I have a feeling that if something like that were tried by the White House, MOST of them would be facetious.

Those wacky Brits! What will they think of next?

Tiny Houses

While Googling Craftsman Bungalow floor plans (I'm not buying one - I just really like them), I ran across Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. These are the cutest little portable houses. And I mean little. The smallest is only 40 sq ft. I have a playhouse in the back yard about that size. Maybe I could replace it with one of these!

Hokusai and Van Gogh

I found a very interesting site for artworks via Plep this morning. The German website Vispix is a website whose mission is to publish a world-class gallery of fine art reproductions, and other digital images, completely free to the public. No copyright restrictions. While there are many museum-type websites out there (see my sidebar), this one strives to be different. Right now, they have all The 1000 Mangas of Hokusai available for viewing and downloading. These are some of the most stunning woodblock prints created anywhere, let alone in Japan. Vispix also has all of the works of Van Gogh, The Medieval Book of Kells, rock paintings from the Sahara, fractal art, and a lot of other things. The website has an ambitious vision, and I hope they are able to build towards that in the future. Right now, I suggest you click on over and take a gander at The 1000 Mangas of Hokusai.

New York on My Table

Santa brought me New York City. Manhattan, to be more precise. I had three 3D puzzles, each has one tall building, and one smaller classic. Why is it that three of the buildings were missing at least one piece? That's just annoying. Below is the finished product (don't look too close - I messed up the Empire State Building.)

I set them up to be approximately where they are in Manhattan, with south being at the front part of the table. I had a heck of a time finding the American Radiator Building (the small brown one) on my maps. The internet tells me it's at 40 W. 40th St. The other two smaller buildings are the old Met Life Tower, and the Flatiron - one of my personal favorites. The tall ones are the Empire State, The Chrysler (my favorite), and the CitiCorp (or Citigroup depending on what year we're talking about).

The question now is, what do I do with them?

Let it Snow

It snowed in El Paso yesterday. I didn't get pictures, but Gambling Gringo did. He took some rather nice pictures for The Times.

Literature Abuse

America's Hidden Problem: Literature Abuse I read this and nearly spit out my tea laughing. If you are a book person, check this out.

(Thanks BookBitchBlog).

Movie Review: Art School Confidential

I have indulged myself by starting a Netflix account. Normally I don't rent many movies, but that's because Hollywood Video has such a poor selection. You can't get old movies or obscure movies from them, and returning them is a pain in the butt anyway. So, when I tested Netflix by searching for my favorite obscure movies, they passed, and I am hooked.

Over the holiday the boy and I watched "Art School Confidential." Boy has ideas about going to art school, and I actually went, so we were both interested in the premise. Jerome Platz is this scrawny kid from the suburbs who has always wanted to be a great artist, so he goes to Strathmore, an art school in the city. Now, it seems to me that Mr. Daniel Clowes, the writer, either went to art school or knew someone who went, because he tagged the art school types - both teachers and students - to a T. I laughed out loud at the outrageously effeminate roommate studying fashion who "misses his girlfriend." I could name 4 guys from my school who were just like that. And just like the character, they all came out by the end of the school year. I also think the writer based the school on Parsons to some extent because it was supposedly set in New York City (though obviously not filmed there) and the school was in a bad neighborhood. Parsons isn't in an especially poor neighborhood, but our dorms were on Union Square, which was notorious for drug deals and shootouts back in the day.

So the beginning of the movie is quite funny and true to life, but it quickly becomes dark and cynical. I had to point out to boy that not everyone gets an "A" because of some "feel-good" scam. I never made it past my first year because I frankly sucked and was not cut out to be an artist. As for the whole "do whatever it takes to make it," I guess there will always be these types in any profession, but I doubt there are so many in art school. The movie is ultimately about how far someone will go to achieve their dreams and avoid the disillusionment so palpable in the story.

For all its darkness and cynicism, it was a pretty good movie, certainly worth renting from Netflix if you have a mind to do so.

Here Comes Santa Claus

I offer further proof that my mother-in-law is loosing her marbles, and that I am not far behind. She sent us this, and I put it up in th living room.

Mind you, I love Christmas decorations. For a few years, i even did the whole lights thing outside the house. But it's just so much work, and I haven't been motivated enough to do it for a while now. However, even if I did decorate, THIS is not the kind of thing I would have in my front yard. The boys think it's cool though. I told them to go ahead and put it out there themselves, if they really want to. I ain't doin' it. Oh, and to put it in perspective, Santa is about 7 feet tall.

The Home Stretch

So I finished my practicum at the El Paso Public Library this week. I am very sad to see it end. It was great being back at work again and feeling useful. The hours at the main reference desk could be rather dull, but there were a few questions that kept me busy. The real treat was working in the Border Heritage Center. They have a collection so large that it has two different storage areas as well as the main shelving area open to the public. The collection is actually larger than the circulating collection and the reference collection put together. And it is sorely neglected. When they did the renovation and new construction, all the resources were put into the computer lab (47 terminals!) and the children's section. The BHC reference collection is packed into a room with telescoping shelves in the center and stationary shelves all around the walls. But the bad thing is that this room leaks! A room for special collections that is prone to water damage. And there's "no money in the budget" to do more than patch it up.

The genealogy collection was what I was most interested in. I was impressed by the number of people who utilize it daily. And though I have nothing to compare it to in terms of size, a genealogist friend of mine visited the other day and was very impressed by the collection.

Now I am almost through with school. My portfolio passed the second time around (woo-hoo!) and I only have to finish up the two classes I am taking now, both of which are fairly easy and fun.

So what's next? Damned if I know. I want the genealogy position at the El Paso Public Library so bad I can taste it, but the position doesn't officially exist until the city approves its inclusion in the budget. And they haven't done it in the last three years the library has proposed it. Even if they do get it approved, it won't be posted for employment until late next summer. I just can't wait that long.

So I'm sad about not being able to stay at EPPL. I'm also worried about having to move to find a job. Moving is expensive, and I don't know how I'll manage it. And frankly, I don't want to move - moving is a pain in the ass! So it's all up in the air. We'll see.

First Parish Church

I just found out something that makes me proud to be a Unitarian Universalist. The first church the pilgrims founded in 1620 in Plymouth, MA is now a Unitarian Universalist congregation, the oldest continuous church in New England.

Now that's food for thought. The UU's are now the most liberal of the Judeo-Christian religions, welcoming Christians, Pagans, Buddhists, Jews and everyone in between into their congregations. And yet the church in Plymouth was founded by people we have always considered to be one of the most straight-laced, narrow-minded and rigid sects in Christianity. How did this happen?

It's actually not so far-fetched. The Seperatists came over here because they wanted the freedom to worship in their own way. In that is the seed of liberal religion. Yes, they believed their way was the only way, but over the years, they grew and their ideas on religion expanded. It may have started with letting a Methodist join, and then perhaps a Baptist, then learning that the Unitarians had some good ideas, so they officially became Unitarians (believing in unity of a singular God, as opposed to Trinitarians, who believe God appears in three forms). Universalists believe that everyone will receive God's grace, that there are no "chosen ones." Unitarian Universalism in its present state was not born until 1961, when the Unitarians officially merged with the Universalists.

I guess we are still considered a Christian denomination. That's fine with me, although I know a lot of UU's who would be appalled at being called "Christian." Last week at our quarterly congregational meeting, we were each asked to write down on an index card what we wanted from a minister (we are currently minister-less). Most people wrote that they didn't want an authoritarian, but did want someone to pull us together. One singular and anonymous card said that the minister should read the Lord's Prayer every Sunday and preach the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a stunned silence.

As a congregation, we agree that that person has the right to his opinion. He won't get what he wants, but he can ask with no repercussions. Seriously, if he wants that much religion, he is in the wrong place. Perhaps he thought he was in the original First Parish Church.

Aunt Stella

I've been pretty busy lately with the resurgence of an old hobby - genealogy. It's all good, though, because it "resurged" as the result of a class I'm taking in Genealogy Sources and Resources for Librarians. This is a very cool class. When I saw they were giving it, I knew I had to sign up, even though it's actually an extra credit. And I also realized that this is what I want to do - genealogy librarianship. Unfortunately, it's harder to get a position in a genealogy library than it is to get one in an art library, so I guess I'm kind of screwed. Still, as library careers go, this would be my dream job. I'll go anywhere for it.

Anyway, I was looking through this little book "Our Marriage Vow" that my father's Aunt Stella had given him. It's chock full of genealogical clues and leads. It also had some pictures, and a very nice one of Aunt Stella as a young girl. I saw this one and knew I had to share it.

This is just so Gibson Girl, don't you think? The family lived in Fort Wayne, IN during the last half of the 19th century, and into the 20th. Stella was probably in her teens when this was taken. She married Raymond Hillary in 1906, when she was 29 (marrying late seems to run in this family). She was a concert pianist and moved to Maryland. She was also the family genealogist, and much of the information I have came from her. I'm sorry I never got to know her.

On an unrelated note, I'm also taking a class on web design for libraries - they call it "The Internet," which is a complete misnomer. But I am learning how to hand code my websites. Woohoo! The picture above is even coded better, though I'm sure you won't notice the difference.

Talking Like Pirates

This is too good to be true. Some of you know my fascination with Wife Swap, and that little niggling desire to actually do it. Well, a like-minded woman with a blog has beat me to it. It's those people who started "Talk Like a Pirate Day" and they switched with - what else - a family who are neat, organized, and superficial. That's about all we can learn from her blog entry. She says she can't give details about the experience until after it airs, but I will certainly head back over there to see what she really has to say after Monday. I can't wait to see "Wench Swap" on Monday night, on ABC. Now I'm wondering if I could get the quilting group to watch it with me.

Library Thing

I discovered Library Thing a while back. I know I blogged it already, but I've been playing with it since then. I started adding more books for a class asignment this summer, and now I've decide to add lots more books.

What I find really interesting is to see what other people have. People who may have the same tastes or interests that you do - or not. You can jump from title to title just by clicking on other books owned by the people who own your books. For example, Turabian's Manual Of Style brings up a lot of high school classics, like 1984 and To Kill a Mockingbird. And Lord of the Rings is always linked to Harry Potter.

It's free to catalog 200 books. I went ahead and paid for a year because I am going to use it for a class this semester. We are building a website for a library, and since I am most intimately acquainted with my own, that's what the website will be for. Perhaps I'll post it here when I'm done.

**Update: I just added a Tag Cloud to the sidebar. I'm assuming it will change as I add more books (it's a Java Script). And I certainly didn't have enough stuff over there, did I?

Meniere's Disease

So it looks like I may have meniere's disease, one of those quirky conditions that nobody is quite sure about. There isn't even a test for it, just a process of elmination. My MRI came back negative, and I have a hearing test next month and a follow up with the Ear/Nose/Throat specialist. While I really like my doctor, this ENT guy did not impress me much. He saw me for 3 minutes, said I was probably just losing my hearing, and scheduled this hearing test on the other side of town.

I have actually considered the possibility of meniere's for a long time. But, I'm something of a hypochondriac, and tend to distrust my own diagnoses. Still, when the tinnitus started, I came back to it in the sypmtom book. Then, two weeks ago, I had such a vicious attack of vertigo that it scared me (I had never felt like that before). I was asleep, for pete's sake! I woke up and the bed was spinning to hard I thought I would fall off. I continued to be dizzy into the morning, to the point where I made my husband come home from work so he could take me to the hospital. Fortunately, he was thinking more clearly than I was, and took me to our clinic instead. The nurse was very cool, and told me exactly what it was - vertigo. But, when I explained about the tinnitus, she remained comvinced that one had nothing to do with the other. I remained skeptical, but took the meclizine which helped a lot. Then last Saturday, I was speaking to a doctor friend of mine who's daughter has meniere's, and she was convinced that's what it was (she actually mentioned it a few months ago in relation to the tinnitus). So, I spoke with my doctor, and he agreed that I probably have the disease (or syndrome, depending on who you talk to.)

Meniere's is incurable, and there aren't any effective treatments, aside from disabling surgery. The symptoms can be treated with meclizine or other drugs. My biggest hope is that this doesn't turn into something completely debilitating. Many people manage to live with it because the symptoms are intermittent. So far, I have had no more dizzy spells, but I have felt that near dizzyness when I spend a lot of time at the computer. I don't hold out any hope that the ENT doctor will have any new or effective ways to treat this. In fact, I don't feel like he'll be of any use at all (I could be wrong, of course.) We'll just have to wait and see.

Holiday

I'm going away this afternoon. My yearly retreat to the Gila National Forest in NM. So, the blog will stay rather sparse. Getting ready for that, and doing all my classwork early has made it impossible to blog, but I'll be back next week. Comments are closed so I don't have a million spams to delete when I get back.

Ta!

$135 Million

The painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt (1907) sold for $135 Million (that's dollars!!!) to a man who will put it in a gallery devoted to Austrian art. Very nice. Still, that's a LOT of money. But it's 30M more than the Picasso that broke the previous record went for.

I know, most of us just shake our heads in bewilderment at the obscene amounts of money that some paintings go for. And people ask me why, and I don't know. However, Jon Stewart over at The Daily show knows. I thought his take was hilarious. He broke it down so that we can all understand the numbers. Before you click the link, be aware that a) it shrinks my browser screen (and could possibly do the same to yours), and b) it plays a commercial first. But it's worth it if you have broadband. Go for it.

Hurray for Bollywood

If you like Jane Austen, musicals and Bend it Like Beckham, you must see Bride and Prejudice. It's a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's novel with a Punjabi twist. People will start singing and dancing at the drop of a hat. The musical numbers are colorful, energetic, and most definitely Indian. There's not as much of that high, nasally female singing that you get in true Bollywood vehicles (fortunately) but it still feels like one. And this movie is truly "multi-cultural." Along with the Inidan numbers, there are Mariachis, a black gospel choir, and - wait for it - Morris dancers. This is a fun movie.

Books in the Wild

A friend of mine recently inroduced me to BookCrossing.com. It's a very cool idea: members release books "into the wild" and track them using numbers written on the inside of the books. The website is free and the books are free. But it isn't the free books that I find attractive (I've got wazoo books), it's the thrill of the hunt. I looked at the list of books currently released in El Paso, and there are actualy more than two! Very nice. I will be testing this out soon.

Librarian in Training

Next week I start semester #3 for my rigorous MLS degree. Last semester I got 2 A's and a B. "You got a B?!?!?" you ask, "in what?" Well, cataloging. I have decided that cataloging was invented by bored anal retentive types who wanted to punish those of us able to view a broader picture of things. I hate cataloging, and, God willing, will never have to deal with it again. A reference librarian told me a few months ago that there are two types of librarians - catalogers and reference librarians. Considering that I got an almost perfect A in the Reference class, I think we know where this leaves me.

The problem now becomes that all those wonderful library jobs out there - and there are so many, many, jobs - are for experienced librarians. I had orginally thought that my 4 years of library experience would count for something, but I was sadly mistaken. It looks like I will have to find something entry-level here before I can do anything I really want to do. Such is life.

On that note, I would like to introduce you to The Annoyed Librarian. She writes the kind of thing I would if I were witty and urbane. And if I were presently employed in a library.

Dracorex Hogwartsia

A newly discovered dinosaur species has been named after Harry Potter dragons., Dracorex Hogwartsia is a relatively late dinosaur that looks very much like the dragons we are familiar with from myth and movies. Check out the skull - it really makes you think that the dragon legends were based on this dinosaur (or the bones of one).

(Via Science Fiction Book Club.)

Oh, Sinful Me

UU's and Stuff

Found this interesting list, Unitarian Universalists in Science Fiction. It's not a very long list. The only people who write about them tend to know them - and know that they have a great sense of humor. We tell the best UU jokes. Of course, you only get them if you are a UU. Lyda Morehouse is a contemporary author who uses them a lot in her books because she is (or was) one herself (see my review).

I just went looking for a few jokes. Here are some (from this site.)

The four UU sacraments are:

* Dedication
* Marriage
* Memorial Service
* and Argument

Once upon a time, there was a man who had no religion, but was a very good and honest fellow. At death, he found himself in heaven. A kindly looking gentleman was waiting for him. Said the gatekeeper of heaven, "What religion are you sir?".
The man said, "I have no religion."
The gatekeeper said, "Well, where would you like to spend eternity, then?"
The man shrugged. "What are some options?"
Together, they strolled through the halls of heaven, looking in different rooms. In the first, a great congregation knelt before a great glowing figure, their faces to the ground and their hands outstretched. The man didn't think that looked too good.
Next, they stood outside a large sanctuary where a preacher was preaching loudly, to many "Amens" and "Hallelujahs." St. Peter put a finger to his lips and said, "And at this door, we need to be ver-r-r-r-r-r-y quiet."
"Why?" asked the newcomer.
"Because," St. Peter replied, "Those are the Southern Baptists, and they think they're the only ones here."
In another, a great congegration knelt before a fellow hanging from a big cross. The man didn't think much of that either. And indeed, in every room, the man found less than satisfactory situations in which to spend eternity. So, finally the gatekeeper said, "Okay, there's one last option."
The walked down the hall, and the gatekeeper opened the final door, behind which were a great congregation dancing in a big ring around a huge coffeepot singing "Coffee, coffee, coffee!".

How many Unitarian Univeralists does it take to change a light bulb?
Three - one to write a solemn statement which will affirm the following:
* This light bulb is natural, a part of the universe, and evolved over many years by small steps.
* There must be no discrimination against dark bulbs in any form, and means must be found for all "dark" bulbs to take their place alongside light bulbs on a basis of equality.
* We affirm the right of all bulbs to screw into the sockets of their choice regardless of the bulb's illumination preference.
* UUs seek for each light bulb the fullest opportunity to develop itself to its full electrical potential.
A second UU who will read this statement, even if s/he is the only human being to do so, and then to write the obligatory criticism and dissent.
A third UU to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.

A convict on Death Row, the night before his scheduled execution, was visited by the warden. The warden, in talking with the condemned man, said,
"Usually at this point, persons in your situation find great comfort in talking to a member of the clergy. With that in mind, would you like us to send the prison chaplin over for a visit?"
The convict replied, "Well, warden, I have to tell you - I was raised a Unitarian Universalist."
The warden then said, "Well, then, would you like to talk to a math professor?"

One of 6 Wives

Sounds right, but I don't know about that "secret passion" thing.

Space Operas

Joquandor has decided to become and expert on the SF genre of space operas. I consider myself something of an expert as well, though the authors I am faithful to have one thing in common - they're all female. My favorites: Elizabeth Moon, Lois McMaster Bujold, Catherine Asaro, CJ Cherryh, and the grand dame of them all, Andre Norton (who introduced me to SF as a kid). Sure, I've read David Weber, who is OK, and Timothy Zahn and David Brin, but the only male author who has come close to earning my devotion was Frank Herbert and the original Dune. Still, I love the genre, and wait impatiently for the next book by my favorite authors, and tentatively explore the waters in search of new ones, but rarely find them.

Lynn over at Sweet Familiar Dissonance points to this list of space operas. It's a very long list, starting in 1942, but I have a major problem with it - where is Andre Norton? How can you possibly have such a list and not include The Stars Are Ours! or Star Rangers or Sioux Spaceman? As far as I'm concerned, it's a terrible list, even though it does manage to cover Asaro, Bujold, and Moon. They have a huge number of books for the most recent years, so that's where its weakness lies. It's only good for people interested in what's being written today, and not in any way historically accurate.

The Lost Gospel of Judas

When I was working on that last post, I forgot all about The Lost Gospel of Judas that was on Sunday on the National Geographic channel (it's on again tonight). It deserves its own post anyway.

So this Gnostic manuscript surfaces in Egypt in 1978. The dealer has a hard time getting the oodles of money he wants, so he locks it in a safe deposit box in NY for 16 years (!) As someone who works with old books, that was just horrifying. This dealer managed to do more damage to the codex in 16 years than the desert had done in 1600 years. Jerk. Anyway, it was bought and its authenticity verfied and then painstakingly restored.

I liked the explanation of how the different gospels were chosen for what is now the New Testament. By the time The Gospel of Judas was copied down, there were over 30 different gospels, stemming from varying oral stories and teachings. The reason Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John made the cut was that they told a more straighforward story of Jesus and his life and teachings. The others were more philosophical in tone and emphasis, and were perhaps too cerebral for the "common man." I wonder if these weren't the stories they told the children, while the other gospels were for the adults. That's the feel I get from them, anyway.

What it tells is not such a surprise if you know anything about the Gnostics. They were a very spiritual sect of Christians who believed the body was corrupt and the soul was pure. To them Judas was a hero, doing as Jesus asked him to do in order to throw off his mortal body and become pure spirit. I don't think this is so far from what actually Christians believe. After all, if Christ hadn't died for "our sins," he would not have accomplished his mission on earth. So why wouldn't Judas be a hero in that sense? And why wouldn't the Jews be more appreciated? Christianity has a lot of mixed messages.

And poor Judas has been so reviled that no one will even name their dog Judas. He has been portrayed as this evil man, when even the gospels tell of his remorse. He did kill himself over it, after all. I'd say he was pretty damned sorry. The National Geographic show made connections between Judas and the Jews. As in Jewish=Juden in Germany. I had never made that connection, but I'm sure the Christians did. It seems Judas was definitely a Jew, but Christ was not. Figure that one out.

I am doing some research - as time permits - on the representation of Judas in art. It's not something I've really looked at before, but I think it will be a fascinating subject. School ends May 5th, and I have a whole month before summer classes start. Maybe I can do that Judas post AND re-design my blog. We'll see.

Everyone Knows It's Windy

Many of you know I'm not much of a housekeeper. Ok, I'm not a housekeeper at all. But the other day(s) I scrubbed, vacuumed, rearranged and dusted my TV room so I could hold a meeting there. I cleaned out the bookshelves and arranged pictures on them, as well as my Egytpian cat/Buddha statue collection. It was looking nice, spotless even. This is an amazingly rare occurrence.

Then the March winds picked up. They come every year in El Paso. They are a nuisance. The worst part is all the dirt and dust being flung into the air. And if you have old casement windows from the 50's, closing them is only marginally helpful. I had barely finished admiring my handy work in the TV room when I saw the dirt coating my freshly vacuumed bookcases (sigh). Sometimes, you just can't win.

Father and Son

The Connecticut liberal democrat in me is cringing, hands over her eyes, screaming, "No! No! Oh my god, no!"

But the mother of a Texan is just happy he's spending time with his dad.

Friday Catblogging

I already thought machine quilting was more difficult than it should be...

But then it got really hard to do.

Holy Moly

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, is in court for allegedly stealing ideas from Holy Blood, Holy Grail. I have a few problems with this. First, you can't "steal" ideas in literature. "There's nothing new under the sun," after all. You can plagarize by stealing someone's words and phrases, but you can't steal ideas, no matter how original they may seem. Second, if every person who wrote historical fiction based on research they had done were sued for stealing the information they used, there would be no historical fiction published. I don't see how this case could be considered anything more than a nuisance.

Coyotes

This month's Smthsonian Magazine has a short article about coyotes (you'll have to find a hard copy to read it). When we first moved to El Paso, we lived in an apartment complex on Franklin Mountain. On summer nights, you could hear the coyotes yipping it up out there. Since then, I've moved away from the mountain, and there has been a lot of developing going on. A lot of what my son and I used to call the "desert" is now apartments. It's very sad.

I had thought the coyotes would be displaced, but it seems that coyotes are a much heartier species than everyone thought. They have been seen in downtown Chicago and New York! They have learned how to survive in the city and their population is growing by leaps and bounds. On one hand, this is good, because they keep the rodent population down. On the other hand, it's a lot like having bands of wild dogs roaming your neighborhood. So far, they have fatally injured one small child, and they have bitten people trying to defend their pets.

So I guess I'll keep my eye out for them. Maybe they'll adapt down here, too, and I'll see them (or hear them) some night.

It's Easy When You Know the Answers

You scored as SG-1 (Stargate). You are versatile and diverse in your thinking. You have an open mind to that which seems highly unlikely and accept it with a bit of humor. Now if only aliens would stop trying to take over your body. SG-1 (Stargate) 100% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 88% Serenity (Firefly) 81% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 75% Moya (Farscape) 69% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 69% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 69% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 50% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 50% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 38% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 38% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 25% Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

So, the first time I did this and actually put down answers I thought about, I got a tie between Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and wound up on Farscape. That just didn't work for me. So, I went back and put in the answers that would get me on SG1.

(Hat tip to Craig, who also knew which answers would get him in the right crew, I think!)

Harper Lee

I have a confession to make. I had not read To Kill a Mockingbird until last year when I assigned it to my son to read. We both thought it was just as good as it was hyped to be. And the movie was, as well.

I saw this in the New York Times today. What an amazing lady. She never wrote another book - really, how could she top that one? - and she's been very reclusive. But she comes out to meet the Alabama high school students who write winning essays about her book at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

I probably would not have blogged this at all, except for this quote:

She is not a judge in the essay contest, nor does she make any formal statement at the ceremony. Her one stipulation for the contest was that children who were home-schooled be eligible to compete.

Very cool lady.

Jargon

I have had it up to here with jargon and scientific double-speak. Why is it that when you get your PhD you suddenly can't write in plain English anymore? I'll tell you why: it's because people with doctorates have to develop their own code that no one else will understand. It puts them on a higher plane than the rest of us peons. I say "us," but I got closer to getting a doctorate then most people do, so I'm in on their little secret. I learned a lot of the jargon that art historians use. But I have this problem: whenever I come across it, I am so disguted by it that I tend to throw the book across the room.

And now I am trying to get an advanced degree in Library Science, and you better believe they like to put the "science" into their jargon. It's far worse than anything I encountered in art history. The other day, it took me three reads to figure out something that was actually quite simple. And this isn't the first time.

So what do I mean by "jargon?" Well, I want to try an experiment. I will write a sentence in art history jargon, and see if you can figure out what it's saying on the first read.

When examining the image for the intrinsic value inherent in its purpose, we find that in order to conceptualize its true meaning, the image must be experienced in the visual realm.

Ok, that's a terrible sentence, but I think I got my point across. Here it is in English:

The image is valuable not only for its importance as a religious object, but we must see its beauty as well.

And you know what I had to do to get there? I had to write it in English first and then translate it into jargon. It ain't easy. My point is that when scholars are writing, they should always be thinking about their audience. Most scholars who write this way are merely trying to impress their peers, because no one else will ever read it or ever want to read it. If they have any hope of breaking out into the mainstream in any form, they had better learn to write in English. Myself, I am a firm believer in communication - I write so that people can understand what I'm trying to say. I don't always succeed, but at least it isn't because I am obfuscating the issue.

Kung Fu: Season 3

I have been watching this for several days now, and after being suspicious about the order in which they were being shown, I finally realized it was completely wrong! The shows are listed by "air date" on the DVD package, but after having pulled out my trusty Kung Fu: Book of Caine I discovered that the air dates they have on these discs are completely bogus. I think even someone who had not seen them in '74/'75 would have realized that he had hair in one episode, none in the next, and hair again afterwards. I also knew that I would have remembered it being this screwed up if they had actually shown them in this order. I was a fanatic at 12. I was one of those kids who draw portraits of their idols and hang them on the wall. Yes, I had one of Kwai Chang Caine.

It's funny how forgiving and uncritical children can be of TV shows. I watch it now and realize:
a) how bizarre this stilted acting style is
b) how forgiving I was of this whole "Chinaman" thing - the only way you knew people thought he was Chinese was 'cause they kept calling him "Chinaman." Otherwise, David Carradine looks as Chinese as I do.
c) What's with that pouch of his? It must be magic, because over the years he has pulled out enough stuff to fill a sea chest. And every time a bad guy looks through it, he doesn't find "anything of value."

So last night, Kill Bill: Vol 2 was on while I was watching my DVD's. I dislike Tarantino's movies because they are just too violent, and lack story. But, I had to check out David Carradine, who is about 70 now. He has aged well, I have to say. He didn't look so great in that hokey '90's Canadian TV Show "The Legend Continues." NOT a show I would watch ever again. But I liked him in this - at least, the last scene he's in where she finally kills him. I haven't seen any other parts of the movie.

Anyway, I numbered the episode guide so that I will finish watching them in order. I will have to get up and change discs a few extra times, but at least I'll have peace of mind.

Pope Joan

Last night ABC had a special on Pope Joan, the mysterious female Pope. It wasn't the mystery that I found so mystifying - I've heard the story before - but the fact that ABC would send Diane Sawyer to Rome to research a papal legend. I guess it's the whole Da Vinci Code influence.

The story itself is pretty straight forward. Supposedly, a woman dressed as a man, who had acquired all sorts of church-learning, became pope in about 855. She was only found out 2 years later when she gave birth in a public street.

OK, I believe a woman could have become pope this way; many women have successfully dressed as men throughout history. You would be suprised how many we know about, and I bet we would all be really surprised at how many we don't know about. There's the stage coach driver Charlie Parker, and the the female pirates Ann Bonney and Mary Read, and lots lots more. And then there are the women who wrote about their adventures, like Loretta Velazquez a.k.a Harry Buford of the Confederate Army, and my personal favorite (and little known) Nadezhda Durova, author of The Cavalry Maiden set in the Napoleonic Wars. Now, one has to take these adventures with a grain of salt, because they were written to sell books, but I have little doubt that at least some of their exploits were true.

But, a woman who was as knowledgable and clever as Pope Joan just dropping a kid in the middle of the street one day? I have serious problems with that. And so do many people, who believe the whole thing is purely legend. However, there are clues that something happened in which a woman was accidentally made pope; the street's name of Via Papessa; many different chroniclers telling the story; the weird things we do accept, like the 12-year-old pope, and the corpse pope. But to me, the strongest evidence is the marble coronation chair which looks like a potty chair. Supposedly, the new pope would sit in this chair, and a deacon would reach underneath to make sure the new pope had all the right equipment. Now, this is not the kind of thing someone thinks up out of the blue. This is the kind of thing that only grows from actual events. Like the Mongolian tribes who love to wrestle. They wear these jackets that have sleeves and a back, but they leave their chests bare. It stems from an incident in which a woman disguised as a man kicked the asses of a bunch of wrestlers before they found out. Then they made sure it would never happen again.

I was watching a History Channel show on giants, and they talked about John Henry, the steel-driving man. Did you know he was based on a real person? Neither did I, but they have found all sorts of evidence about him. It just goes to show that any legend can have some basis in fact.

As for Pope Joan, go read the article and you can judge for yourself.

Art vs Porn

An interesting discussion developed in my Information Professions class a couple of weeks ago. In discussing censorship, the internet and filtering, the question "What is the difference between art and pornography?" came up.

I, personally, have a very definitive stance on this. Like most American courts, I believe it's a matter of context and common sense. What was that nude image created for? To be gazed upon for purely lascivious reasons, or is it an image telling a story? What story?

The question of whether Artemesia Gentileschi's paintings might be considered pornography because of the nude women in them came up. (I discuss her work here briefly) In no way could her works ever be considered prurient in nature. First, they are usually bible stories. Second, Artemesia would probably never have been approached to paint anything of a lascivious nature, at least, not by a male patron. She was just the wrong choice for this debate.

So, let me present others. Images of nude women have been around since the cave paintings at Lascaux. The Venus of Willendorf comes immediately to mind. What was that used for? We can guess, but we really don't know. Is it pornography? Honestly, we couldn't say if we are talking about context. But, looking at it with a little common sense behind us, we say it isn't.

It is known that certain patrons of various eras commissioned "private" paintings from artists, paintings that may have been hidden behind curtains or in cupboards, and that may never have shown up on inventories for one reason or another. But few - if any - of these paintings exist today. If they did, we may or may not call them porn. I guess it depends on what the people in the images are doing. There are many "erotic" engravings in existance, though, so many that it was obviously a booming trade. Were these considered pornography? You betcha. While looking for the engravings of one Marcantonio Raimondi, I came across Pornokrates, a website which labels itself as "Historic Smut for the Discerning Viewer." Very interesting site which proves that just because a picture is old and may wind up in an art history book does not mean that it isn't smut. I suppose we can split the difference and say it's art AND porn.

Now, look at the image below. Is it art or pornography?

Well, it's by the Rococco painter Fragonard, and it's called "La Gimblette" or "Undressing the shirt." I have to say I would feel uncomfortable showing it to a class of teenagers, even without knowing its title. It seems obvious that it was painted for prurient reasons. What do you think?

Well...

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't had anything to talk about. Nothing in the art world has struck my fancy lately. Also, I've been very busy with school work. This is the first - and last - semester where I'll be taking 4 courses. Even online, that's a lot of work.

I have also been working on my new eBay store project. I see a real need for scanned 19th century readers - particularly ones where I have created worksheets for 21st century students. It's a homeschoooling thing. I 'll probably mention it again when I get closer to opening the store.

Also, Christmas is looming - for me, at least - and I still have two more quilts to finish. One will definitely be finished, but the handquilting on the other is taking waaaay too long. Feh!

And of course, all of this is on top of crushing headaches which incapacitate me from mid-afternoon 'til bed time most days. Yes, I've been to the doctor. He keeps giving me different drugs. Lots of drugs. But I never know which ones will work when, even though we kind of know what's causing them. I'm just falling apart.

Saw Serenity. Loved it. Go see it. Plenty of other people reviewing it, so you won't see a review here. Bought the Firefly DVD's for the DH. He loves it, too.

Later.

Green Day

I realize I'm no expert on music, but, as they say, "I know what I like." I like Green Day's American Idiot, especially "Holiday". Got it home and took a look at the lyrics. Lyrics? What lyrics? I expected something deep or profound, but all I read was "oh, life sucks, everyone hates me, and I hate them, and life in America sucks, and isn't life grim, etc., etc." Aside from these sentiments, their lyrics didn't say much of anything. I just think the members of Green Day are a little old for the whole "disaffected youth" thing. Still, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Holiday" both sound great and I'll continue to listen to them - when I can get the CD away from my son.

Now, R.E.M., "Losing my Religion." That's a great song, especially since the phrase "losing my religion" was explained to me by my husband. Yeah, that describes me - open mouth, insert foot, feel stupid forever afterwards. That's a song that speaks to me.

UPDATE>: So maybe the song speaks to me, but it's speaking in tongues 'cause I didn't quite understand it. See comments.

Katrina in Pictures

I saw this on this person's blog. It is a photo document of New Orleans pre-flood, post-flood and up to the time the author managed to get out. All I can say is WOW.

Greatest Painting Winner

Oh, I am so good! The painting I voted for is the WINNER! Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord Turner. Yeah, baby!

Appalled

I am so naive. I tend to believe the best about people, give them the benefit of the doubt, you know, innocent until proven guilty. I would not have imagined that law enforcement officials could have been responsible for the death and horror that followed immediately after Katrina's wake. But, the horror stories are starting to come out. Refugees threatened with guns, safe encampments dispersed by being fired upon. People told to fend for themselves, then told they could not leave, and then left to find food and water on their own. No wonder people were looting. They had to just to survive. OK, they didn't need the plasma TV, but the food and water in the grocery stores, yes, they were entirely justified.

And where was Lousiana's National Guard? In Iraq. I thought it was the National, not the International Guard. They should have been here, protecting Americans, not in Iraq getting blown up.

I am just completely disgusted with FEMA, with New Orleans' law enforcement, with everyone. But especially with the president.

Bush has a lot of explaining to do. But you know, I bet he doesn't care. He's not up for re-election, so why should it matter to him? But, we have to do something to make sure all his cronies leave when he does. Otherwise, we won't be any safer at home than we were before.

And I'm sorry, Oprah, but it's not the nation that needs to apologize, it's the government. The nation is the people, and everyone is willing, even eager to do all they can to help. The goivernment fucked up. The government should be held accountable.

Greatest Painting Poll

The short list is up for the Greatest Painting in Britain poll. Go vote.

Things Metaphysical

I messed up. I talked about art the other day. Well, don't get used to it. It probably won't happen again for a while.

Instead, I have been thinking about the soul. OK, so it started with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that doesn't mean my thoughts weren't deep. In Buffy, we have 2 vampires with souls. Now, according to Joss Whedon, having a soul gives you a conscience, so now these vampires regret everything they've done and causes them great anguish. But how can we accept this premise when there are so many people who supposedly have souls running around doing really terrible things? It doesn't follow.

However, being a firm believer in reincarnation, the premise gave me pause. There are old souls and there are new souls. You can tell the old souls - they are rich personalities, warm and giving people, who seem to know things intuitively, and can learn and pick things up easily. I'm sure you've met some, or are one yourself. New souls could be shallow or cold people, or childlike and innocent, or even the ones who just seem to be not altogether there, though they may not necessarily be all of those things at once. Souls learn in fits and starts just like we do.

It occurs to me that maybe not everyone has a soul. It would be rare, like that disease that ages children before they even finish growing. Lack of a soul may be a birth defect. A birth defect could cause sociopathy. I'm sure someone has thought of this, though not in terms of the soul. I know that it's ingrained in human nature to believe everyone must have a soul, but think about it. Does every living creature have one? If you are a true believer in reincarnation, you say of course they do, but I'm not so sure. Sociopaths look and act like normal human beings, but they lack the basic human emotions that we attribute to good people.

So does Osama bin Laden have a soul? Yes, he probably does, though not an old one. He justifies the killing of innocents with religious extremism, as do all of Al Qaeda. Most of them probably have new souls, too. I'm just thinking they'll all be reborn as stink beetles. It would serve them right as well as make them start all over again.

OK, so now that I have established myself as a card-carrying kook who believes in ghosts and reincarnation, I have to point out that I never said I was a rationalist, or an atheist, or an objectivist. I'm just married to one. And you can bet it drives him crazy!

Greatest Painting Poll

Great news! From now until August 8th you can vote for the greatest painting in Britain. The National Gallery's web site is well-organized. You can either get a glimpse of some of their greatest works with the Collection Explorer, or look through the extensive collection using the index. I found it difficult to chose just one, although The Arnolfini Portrait and this Turner are certainly on my short list. The Portrait for it's rich symbolism and status as an icon of northern European painting of the period, and the Turner for it's sheer beauty and presence. I have a personal fondness for Wright of Derby, but I don't think I could vote for it as one of the greatest paintings.

There are other museums and galleries to check out. None are as user-friendly as The National Gallery, but if you want to make an informed selection, you need to at least take a look.

There are Worse Ways to Die

You scored as Eaten. Your death will be death by wild animals. You will probably get eaten by a bear or something because you don't know the natural safety precautions and are ignorant. Eaten 100% Natural Causes 93% Suicide 73% Disease 67% Bomb 53% Posion 40% Stabbed 33% Suffocated 33% Gunshot 13% Accident 13% Drowning 13% Disappear 7% Cut Throat 7% How Will You Die?? created with QuizFarm.com

I take exception to being called "ignorant". I prefer "Foolhardy when it comes to cute, furry creatures with big nasty claws and fangs." (via The Cheese Stands Alone.

Brains

Michael over at 2Blowhards is discussing an article by Steve Sailor. I'm not going to get into it here. I just wanted to pass along a quote by Michal that should be framed on my office wall - when I get an office.

"As far as I can tell, what this basically means is that, if people were computers, women would be Macs and men would be PC's."

If that doesn't make you want to at least take a look at the post, then there's little hope for you.

Feminine Beauty

Craig over at Anger of Compassion has a post about a certain magazine cover. When he showed it to me I was just stunned. It's both incredibly suggestive and incredibly intimidating at the same time.

Have you seen the GE commercial with the beautiful young men and women working in a coal mine? There's another bit of imagery that left me speechless. It's the combination of femine beauty and raw muscle that makes it so erotic. My photographer brother-in-law took a picture of my sister many years ago when she was working construction as a carpenter. It was a view from the back, muscles flexed. It's my favorite picture of my sister. I'm not sure how she would feel about that, seeing as she suffers from Lupus and can't even excercise anymore. But there's just something about women with muscles. Don't get me wrong, the men in the GE commercial are beautiful, too.,

Stuff

I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is: what has she been up to? Well, quilting, of course. I finished another top, but I'll post it later (maybe).

Update on tea from Paper Street Teas. The Belgian Chocolate tea - actually a red tea - is truly wonderful. It's got a light chocolate bouquet with a minty background. Chocolate chip mint tea! And the Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose Festival smells like cherry bubblegum when you first get a whiff of it, but the cherry flavor is natural. Very nice.

Finished registering for my library classes at Texas Women's University. Classes start August 29th. Needless to say, I won't be blogging much by then - oh, wait, I'm not blogging much now. So who needs an excuse?

TEA!!!!!

If you are a tea afficionado, you must click on over to Paper Street Teas. They have a remarkable selection of exotic loose leaf tea. I ordered a bunch of trial sizes. I'll let you know how I like them.

Requiescat in pace

My son was mystified that I watched the Pope's funeral yesterday. But I couldn't explain the fascination to someone who thinks playing Final Fantasy on the Gamecube is the very best use of his time. I love the minutia, the detail, and the pomp and circumstance of the whole thing. I'm no Catholic, but I had great respect for John Paul II. I think he did a lot for Roman Catholicism and people in general. He just seemed like a cool - albeit conservative - Pope.

One of the things that fascinated me was the number of people who attended the ceremony. The way they were cordoned off in the St.Peter's Square made interesting patterns of black, white, pink and multi-colored. So I spent some time wondering who the guys in white and who the guys in pink were. I figured the very black mass of people was made up of priest and nuns. And there was a mass of really important people in the front. 3 US Presidents and Condi Rice were there, as well as a bunch of Kings, Queens, Princes and Prime Ministers. They took up a lot of space.

Then there were the vestments. The FOX news channel commentary on the ceremony was horribly lacking until I found it on the Catholic cable channel EWTN. Finally, an archbishop confirmed my theory that the guys in pinks vestments were archbishops. And he explained that the cardinals wearing the extra fancy vestments were Eastern Rite Catholics.

But the most fascinating thing to me, who spent a lot of time studying high church art and the Council of Trent, was that so much of what they were doing - and will do come April 18 - is steeped in traditions going back almost 2000 years. That is just very cool.

So....

Ok, ok, I haven't been posting regularly. I really want to post about art, but there's just nothing tickling my fancy right now. As soon a I get back in gear, I'll put something worthwhile, here, I promise.

I do have some good news on the presonal front, though. Starting in September I will be taking courses online at Texas Women's University leading to a Master of Library Science. When I grow up, I'm going to be an Art Librarian!

Claim to Fame

Aside from being a distant cousin to George Burns - as Nathan Birnbaum he was my grandmother's first cousin - I also went to high school with someone who would become sort of famous. You might have heard of him by now: Giamatti. Not the former president of Yale/baseball commissioner, that was his dad. And not Paul, either. I graduated from high school with Marcus Giamatti. I had quite the crush on him when we were in The Crucible together. I played Goody Nurse. Hung, you know.

I've been watching Marcus on reruns of Judging Amy, just sort of catching up. I never knew Paul because he didn't go to the same high school. Apparently, he went to another preppy school with a more famous name. But there was that crush on Marcus. As with most high school crushes, he never knew.

So I thought, gosh, Tyne Daly reminds me a little bit of Marcus' mother, Toni Giamatti. I was in an after school drama group she taught when I was a kid. I had more fun than should be legal. She was just wonderful. Then Mrs. Giamatti came to teach at our school and the Giamattis became a fixture.

I remembered I had pictures taken one day after the last workshop, and went digging. Lo and behold, I DID know Paul (don't remember him, though). Below is a picture of me, Mrs.Giamatti, and her younger son Paul.

We were supposed to look goofy, OK? Costumes were the most fun part of the drama workshop. Oh, for the days of childhood!

Sniper Tower

Some things just irk me, like this article in the Art Newspaper. I really think we should get out of Iraq, but that doesn't mean this is right.

US army snipers have been positioned at the top of the great spiral minaret of the 9th century al-Mutawakkil mosque in Samarra. Armed with 50 calibre rifles and working in 24-hour two-man shifts, the soldiers watch over this turbulent city in the Sunni triangle north of Baghdad, which continues to be a hotbed of resistance against the Coalition.

It's not the fact that they are doing it, but the fact that they are being criticized for doing it.

...their presence has raised concerns for the safety of one of the most important buildings in the history of Islamic architecture, of such significance for Iraqis that it is depicted on the new 250 dinar banknote.

Apparently, this national treasure "was wrested from the control of insurgents who were using it to mount attacks against US troops". Now, what I want to know is why we are the bad guys here? If the darn thing is so important, why were the Iraqis so willing to endanger it? It just chaps my ass when the US military is played as the bad guy when they are just doing what they are paid to do. They aren't damaging that minaret any more than the insurgents were - probably less. Our military is taught to respect other religions, other cultures and other people, even when those people are shooting at them. I'm glad they hold that minaret.

On the other hand, I'm not so sure I believe these "insurgents" are actually Iraqi natives. I have to wonder how many of them are imported from other middle-eastern countries? That would explain the lack of consideration for a national monument, I suppose.

Iceman Comments

For some reason, my Iceman's Curse post is getting a lot of attention from Googlers. And a few interesting comments from strangers. Otzi has been around for 10 years, and got plenty of attention during that time, but I guess it takes rumours of a curse for people to really sit up and take notice.

Side Note: I habitually close my comments once the post falls from the front page in order to avoid huge amounts of spam, so get those comments in now before it's too late!

Anglophile

The other day, my boy pointed out that my music collection is almost entirely made up of UK bands. It hadn't occurred to me before, but he's right: Steeleye Span, Jethro Tull, Big Audio Dynamite, Chumbawumba, The Pogues (ok, I do have some R.E.M in there). And I drink English teas - ordered from Goodwoods British Market. My favorite comedy shows - aside from Red Green, which is Canadian so it's almost the same - are Monty Python, Black Adder, The Vicar of Dibley, Absolutely Fabulous and a few others. So it's no wonder that I got this result on a quiz (via EGO):

You Belong in the UK

Blimey! A little proper, a little saucy. You're so witty and charming... No one notices your curry breath

The Iceman's Curse

This article (via Mirabilis) looks at first to be just another note on Otzi, the stone age mummy found in the Alps about ten years ago. But apparently, there is now a curse surrounding it.

A curse? After ten years? Shouldn't it have shown up earlier? Maybe so, but it's only been ten years, and look what's happened to so many of the several hundred people who have been involved in the study of Otzi:

Forensic medic Rainer Henn, one of the first to touch the mummy, died in a car crash on his way to a lecture about Oetzi.

A mountain guide who helped with the find plunged to his death.

A journalist who filmed the excavation died from cancer.

Last October, Helmut Simon fell to his death in the Alps after a sudden onset of bad weather near the spot where he had discovered Oetzi.

Walter Leitner was close to the scene the night Mr Simon died.

At the time, he was explaining his iceman theory to a team of American journalists when they too were suddenly engulfed by the storm and had to be rescued by helicopter.

Mountaineers dying in mountaineering accidents? Who would've thought. And cancer, whoa, that's rare. Ok, so I'm not convinced. I wouldn't even have blogged the article but for this last bit:

The archaeologist explained Mr Simon had been profoundly moved by his discovery, seeing it as a religious signal to convert to Christianity.

"But why should the mummy punish him for that?" Mr Leitner said.

"It doesn't make sense."

Hello!?! The mummy was not a Christian. It makes perfect sense. If someone were to convert to something to appease him, I believe it would a Pagan religion, would it not? Let's see, 5,300 years ago... yup! Pagan.

Patsy Cline

Do you like to put on Patsy Cline when you're depressed and sing along at the top of your lungs? Or is that just me? Something about her voice just moves me. And even though I can't sing for sh*t, I find I can sing along with her no problem. Ok, back to falling to pieces for me.

Egyptian TV

I was thinking about watching TV in Egypt. We lived in Alexandria from February to September of 2000 - my husband was working with the Egyptian military at the time. Anyway, I watched a lot of TV. There was a time slot for Egyptian produced mini-series that were subtitled in English. I got hooked on a mini-series about the famous singer Om Kolthoum. I had never heard of her, and I'll bet most of you have never heard of her either, but she was a superstar in Egypt from the 40's until her death in 1975 - check out these websites, one in arabic and one in English.

She starred in movies and tv specials, she ran organizations, she wrote and produced songs. She was a megastar. She never married because she wouldn't leave her public for a husband. She was a classic Egyptian beauty. I caught one of her old movies from the 40's and she was quite stunning, a beauty right off the walls of an Egyptian tomb. She was considered the Voice of Egypt. She told the Russians back in '67 that she would be happy to sing for them if they would help them fight Isreal. She was so well-loved, that Egypt claimed they actually won the October War in '73 because Om was in the hospital and they didn't want to upset her with the real news. Ok, maybe that last part was an exaggeration, but they sure put that spin on it in the mini-series.

I attempted to listen to her music several times, but I could never get into it. It just didn't appeal to me no matter how many songs I listened to. Hey, at least I tried.

I also tried to learn Arabic, so I had another excuse to watch TV - subtitled, of course. I watched a lot of ST:NG and DS:9, only they were in English with Arabic subtitles. That was cool. But I think I learned more from the mini-series' with the English subtitles. The last one I got involved in was about this woman and her grown sons. One was rich and was trying to screw her out of her money and her home. The other got married and the daughter-in-law tried to screw her out of her money and her home. Quite the soap opera, but I never saw how it ended. One thing I liked about watching these was seeing how Egyptians decorate their houses - the rich ones, at least. At first I thought they just showed all these marble floors, Persian rugs, Louis XV furniture and baroque clocks because it was how "the middle-class lived." But I got a few glimpses into other apartments every now and then, through balcony doors and unshuttered windows. They really do decorate that way. Of course, we lived in a huge apartment with marble floors and Egyptian rugs, too. No French furniture, though, thank goodness.

Geez, have I rambled enough? Sorry, just what was on my mind today.