Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Art Criticism with Antonio D
Some time ago at the recycling center I found a bunch of student artwork & notebooks in the magazines/junk mail bin. It was at the end of the school year and I imagine the teacher dropped off the papers that students failed to pick up. The one I kept (after reading through them all) is a notebook by Antonio D. I would guess he's a junior high student.
The notebook has drawings & thoughts on a number of significant 20th century artworks. I enjoyed going through the notebook and thought y'all might too.
The first is Roy Lichtenstein's "Look Mickey" from 1961. I read that his young son showed him a Donald Duck comic book and asked if he could paint something as pretty as the comic.
Unlike many of Antonio's other entries, he has no comment other than a sketch of the painting. I don't think Antonio has ever gone fishing because he didn't do a good job with the fishing poles. Interestingly, his reaction to the painting closely mirrors interpretations of Lichtenstein's work. The website for the National Gallery of Art (where the painting is located) has a page on the painting and says:
Some time ago at the recycling center I found a bunch of student artwork & notebooks in the magazines/junk mail bin. It was at the end of the school year and I imagine the teacher dropped off the papers that students failed to pick up. The one I kept (after reading through them all) is a notebook by Antonio D. I would guess he's a junior high student.
The notebook has drawings & thoughts on a number of significant 20th century artworks. I enjoyed going through the notebook and thought y'all might too.
The first is Roy Lichtenstein's "Look Mickey" from 1961. I read that his young son showed him a Donald Duck comic book and asked if he could paint something as pretty as the comic.
Unlike many of Antonio's other entries, he has no comment other than a sketch of the painting. I don't think Antonio has ever gone fishing because he didn't do a good job with the fishing poles. Interestingly, his reaction to the painting closely mirrors interpretations of Lichtenstein's work. The website for the National Gallery of Art (where the painting is located) has a page on the painting and says:
At the time the simplistic narratives and boldly graphic visual mannerisms of comics and advertising were understood to resist the powerful postwar legacy of abstract expressionist painting—the highly subjective processes and grand claims for psychic content that characterized the work of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and other New York School artists whose achievement had recently placed American art at the center of a world stage.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Remember the picture last week of all those old 1.44 mb discs? I went through all of them to make sure I had all the files on them before throwing them out & found some pictures from Peru, all from the excavations at Conchopata in 2001.
This action shot is of Juan Carlos & myself collecting samples for radiocarbon dating from the floor of a room (or patio, I can't remember). If I remember correctly, the dates we have from those buildings suggest they were built after 800 AD.
We did not find any child/juvenile burials during the field seasons of 1999 & 2000. Over the course of a 2 week span in 2001 we found a bunch of child/juvenile burials like the one above. Most were found underneath the floors of rooms, most were single individuals in a flexed position, and I think most or all had pots on their heads like this little fella.
Here's JC malking on the un-excavated bulk from EA-143, a sunken circular building. I directed the excavation of the building and it ended up being pretty cool.
The picture above is of the steps down into the building, and in the center of the building was a small, stone lined cist (about 1m wide and 1m deep. The building was some sort of ritual space - we found no evidence that people cooked, processed foo, made pots, or any of the other kind of daily activities people may have done. The floor was covered in about 4=6 inches of ash, suggesting that the last thing people did in the building before it was abandoned was to burn a bunch of stuff inside it. In the back of the building, opposite of the steps, we found 22 human skulls on the floor and a few human hands (can't remember how many). Most of the skulls have small holes drilled into them that were likely used to put them on strings, and most have cut marks indicative of de-fleshing, meaning these weren't old skulls they had lying around but were taken from living people.
This is one of the smaller Conchopata style urns (and an empty bottle of rum).
This action shot is of Juan Carlos & myself collecting samples for radiocarbon dating from the floor of a room (or patio, I can't remember). If I remember correctly, the dates we have from those buildings suggest they were built after 800 AD.
We did not find any child/juvenile burials during the field seasons of 1999 & 2000. Over the course of a 2 week span in 2001 we found a bunch of child/juvenile burials like the one above. Most were found underneath the floors of rooms, most were single individuals in a flexed position, and I think most or all had pots on their heads like this little fella.
Here's JC malking on the un-excavated bulk from EA-143, a sunken circular building. I directed the excavation of the building and it ended up being pretty cool.
The picture above is of the steps down into the building, and in the center of the building was a small, stone lined cist (about 1m wide and 1m deep. The building was some sort of ritual space - we found no evidence that people cooked, processed foo, made pots, or any of the other kind of daily activities people may have done. The floor was covered in about 4=6 inches of ash, suggesting that the last thing people did in the building before it was abandoned was to burn a bunch of stuff inside it. In the back of the building, opposite of the steps, we found 22 human skulls on the floor and a few human hands (can't remember how many). Most of the skulls have small holes drilled into them that were likely used to put them on strings, and most have cut marks indicative of de-fleshing, meaning these weren't old skulls they had lying around but were taken from living people.
This is one of the smaller Conchopata style urns (and an empty bottle of rum).
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
In preparation for our move we've been weeding through our stuff and trying to make some hard choices about what we really want to bring to Philly. This moght come as a surprise to some but I have a lot of clothes, maybe twice as much as Adale. Our new place does not have many closets so I am thinning out my clothes to the bare bones, keeping just the cream of the crop.
Sadly, the jacket above did not make the cut. I've had this jacket for years (10? 15? I can't remember). It's been good to me. For most of the time I had the jacket it was my favorite - warm enough but not too warm, stylish, brown. But it's seen better days and I'm at a point in my life where it's time to let it go. You've been a good jacket to me, Mr. Archie Bunker jacket, and I wish you well on your travels.
Monday, June 23, 2008
I found these awesome little books while rooting around at Hub’s Place in Ithaca last fall. I've scanned in parts of two of them - Patter Parade (published in 1947) and Flip Lines (published in 1952). The books have page after page of jokes, gags, and come-backs for professional comedians speakers, and magicians. I bought them thinking of Sara and her love of corny jokes but have never got around to sending them out to her. I just re-discovered them as we’re sifting through our junk for the move.
The author, Robert Orben, wrote them, and dozens of other books like them. Mr. Orben is a long-time professional comedy writer who has written for all sorts of famous comedians. These are genuine, old-school jokes and gags from a guy who must have created hundreds of thousands of jokes in his lifetime. He wrote Jack Paar’s monologues for the old Tonight Show and helped write speeches for Nixon & Ford. If you can believe it, in1963 or 1964, every day he was sending a page of jokes to Dick Gregory (social activist/comedian) – AND a page jokes to Barry Goldwater (arch-conservative). Here's a great interview with him from 2004 where he talks about his carer, writing jokes and speeches, and comedy.
I've put some of my favorite lines below, but my favorite overall is the entire routine titled "My second impression of an evening with a push button radio."
Dancer:
- She claims she has talent in her blood. She must have lousy circulation because it hasn’t reached her feet yet.
No Laughs:
- You keep acting like this and I won’t tell you the funny stuff.
Beautiful Girls:
- One day she so got drunk she found herself in a strange apartment – hers.
- The story of her success can be told in one word – yes.
Restaurant:
- I won’t say what the food was like but even the mice ate out.
Hospital Daze:
- One day I was feeling so bad I sent my wife out to get for something for my liver…and she came back with a pound of onions!
Crime doesn’t pay but the hours sure are good!
- He was so crooked that even that wool he pulled over your eyes was 50% cotton.
- He finally passed away during a poker game. Died of a rare disease called five aces. Left a wife, three kids, and six cops without support.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: We have a place!!!
We drove out to Philly on Thursday and the next morning put a deposit down on a row house. We saw several places Thursday evening but had our eyes on one that we toured Friday morning - and we ended up getting the one we wanted. It's a little shabbier than the pictures below make it seem (they're from the craigslist ad) but, except for the tiny tiny bathroom, I think it'll be great. We'll have a front porch & small backyard and it's just steps from a main drag with coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc etc. The un-official move date is July 10th. Yeah!!!!!!!!
We drove out to Philly on Thursday and the next morning put a deposit down on a row house. We saw several places Thursday evening but had our eyes on one that we toured Friday morning - and we ended up getting the one we wanted. It's a little shabbier than the pictures below make it seem (they're from the craigslist ad) but, except for the tiny tiny bathroom, I think it'll be great. We'll have a front porch & small backyard and it's just steps from a main drag with coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc etc. The un-official move date is July 10th. Yeah!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: I GOTZ A JOB!!!
I got the official word a few hours ago that I have the job. We're driving out to Philly tomorrow to look for a place.
I'm also selling two fiberglass chairs on craigslist & someone in Philly wants them, so we're bringing them along too. I really think we can make big bucks selling junk on craigslist.
I got the official word a few hours ago that I have the job. We're driving out to Philly tomorrow to look for a place.
I'm also selling two fiberglass chairs on craigslist & someone in Philly wants them, so we're bringing them along too. I really think we can make big bucks selling junk on craigslist.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: I love making $$
Below is the stat sheet from my various sales over the past 2 weeks. I think we could make some real money if we focused on rounding up goodies from out around Adale's parents place and selling it to fools here in the big city.
Total paid for items: < $153
Total sales for items: $428.99
Total minimum profit: $275.99
Below is the stat sheet from my various sales over the past 2 weeks. I think we could make some real money if we focused on rounding up goodies from out around Adale's parents place and selling it to fools here in the big city.
| Wardrobe | Free (basement of | $60 |
| Ikea chair | Free (from Rhonda) | $45 |
| Green chair | < $15 | $35 |
| Ikea bar stools | Free (from Rhonda) | $20 |
| Corner shelf | < $50 | $60 |
| Record player | Free (from Juan Carlos) | $45 |
| Porch glider | $35 | $150 |
| Wardrobe | Free (basement of | $60 |
| Vintage linen | < $3 | $6.99 |
| Ikea sofa | $50 (sofa was free from Rhonda, cover $50) | $45 |
Total paid for items: < $153
Total sales for items: $428.99
Total minimum profit: $275.99
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
DATELINE: My Couch
Hey Hey Hey, what's shakin' people? We're drinking a little coffee, I'm checking on my ebay auctions, and Adale is coordinating our Kennywood trip today. We're planning out our outfits, perhaps the most crucial facet of a Kennywood trip, because matching outfits are critical to the full Kennywood experience.
I've been making big $$$ on Craigslist and will post a list of all my sales in the next few days. Adale & I decided to sell one of our gliders because 1) we have too many 2) the one we want to sell is a sliding one and not the hanging ones we like better 3) the one we want to sell is in perfect condition. So I listed it on Craigslist for $150, thinking that while it's painful to get rid of such a nice glider I wouldn't mind drowning my sorrows in a fistful of ca$h. Guess what - someone wrote me just hours after I posted it saying that they were really excited & want to see on Monday.
We've been laying low so far this weekend & trying to drink up our liquor so we won't have to move with it. Because of the heat I have been working on a frozen margarita recipe but still have some calibrating to do. This is what I'm doing:
2 oz tequila
2oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz triple sec
Fill ice in blender so ice & liquid are about the same height, blend.
The problem I hit is that to get the nice slushy consistency I end up adding so much extra ice that it substantially waters down the drink. Am I blending the ice too much? Any suggestions (Carrie?) would be greatly appreciated.
Have a Super Sunday & I'll ride the Jackrabbit 2X for all of you
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Damn!!! I don't what I did or how I did it, but something amazing is going on here at Business n'at. Can you feel it? I can feel it! Wait, I don't know...maybe I'm feeling it...I think the wall just moved...yeah, I'm feeling it.
Moments ago I checked the value of Business n'at and look at what came up
$2000!! If I can get the blog to continue increasing in value at the same rate it's grown in it's first few years, 20 years from know I'll be filthy rich. All of this because of you, my dear & loyal readers. I will remember your support during these early days whilst sipping champagne on my yacht.
Moments ago I checked the value of Business n'at and look at what came up
My blog is worth $2,258.16.
How much is your blog worth?
$2000!! If I can get the blog to continue increasing in value at the same rate it's grown in it's first few years, 20 years from know I'll be filthy rich. All of this because of you, my dear & loyal readers. I will remember your support during these early days whilst sipping champagne on my yacht.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
All Praise Cthulu that the weekend is over. I spent much of Friday night & early Saturday morning in the Emergency Room. Friday we went out to Aunt Barb's to swim and had a relaxing afternoon in her pool. However, my hives started acting up & after we had delicious pizza at Armando's Pizza I had to go to CVS for some drugs. After downing 2X the recommended dose of Benadryl along with other antihistamines Adale drove us home. Unfortunately the hives continued to get worse and around 10pm my throat started to tighten up (it's closed twice before during an attack) so I had Adale drive me to the hospital.
I should mention that I was kind of loopy from all the Benadryl so when the ER people started to shoot me up with drugs I stared at the needle. Because have a weak stomach I got woozy from seeing the needle enter my vein and had to ask for a bucket to puke in. Luckily I didn't puke, but the drop in blood pressure associated with my wooziness created a rather unpleasant sensation that continued through to the next day.
The first dose of injections slowed down the hives & throat closing but didn't completely reverse the symptoms. I was, however, pretty high and felt great considering the circumstances. Eventually the doctor gave me more shots & the hives went down enough so I could go home (4 hours after we got there).
Needless to say Saturday was a wash for me. I felt crummy most of the day, especially since one of the ER nurses may have predicted that I'm allergic to wheat gluten. He asked whether I had several symptoms - which I do have - and then said that I might be allergic to wheat. Talk about a downer - no beer, no hamburgers, no pizza, no cookies. Make a list of every food you like to eat and I'll bet that every one has some form of wheat gluten in it. Life would totally suck. I don't have to mention that I can't smoke weed because of my new job.
Anyhooters, I guess I should be grateful that I didn't die and that someone bid on one of my Ebay auctions. That sentence was too dramatic - I was never worried that anything serious would happen. Because of all the Benadryl coursing through my veins I honestly felt pretty good throughout the evening.
Not eating wheat gluten, however, is driving me crazy and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do it. In February I had a blood test that did say I was slightly allergic to Wheat, but it also said I was allergic to tomatoes, onions, and lots of other things that I like to eat. My only comfort is that I read that chronic hives (which I apparently have) often cannot be attributed to any cause, particularly in people with psoriasis (which I have) and other immune deficiency diseases. That would be great because it would mean that I could eat whatever I wanted to eat, but it would also mean that I could come down with a deadly hive attack no matter what I do.
I've got to go to sleep - fortunately there are no wheat glutens in vodka tonics - but don't worry, I'm pretty certain that I'll be around to write more tomorrow.
I should mention that I was kind of loopy from all the Benadryl so when the ER people started to shoot me up with drugs I stared at the needle. Because have a weak stomach I got woozy from seeing the needle enter my vein and had to ask for a bucket to puke in. Luckily I didn't puke, but the drop in blood pressure associated with my wooziness created a rather unpleasant sensation that continued through to the next day.
The first dose of injections slowed down the hives & throat closing but didn't completely reverse the symptoms. I was, however, pretty high and felt great considering the circumstances. Eventually the doctor gave me more shots & the hives went down enough so I could go home (4 hours after we got there).
Needless to say Saturday was a wash for me. I felt crummy most of the day, especially since one of the ER nurses may have predicted that I'm allergic to wheat gluten. He asked whether I had several symptoms - which I do have - and then said that I might be allergic to wheat. Talk about a downer - no beer, no hamburgers, no pizza, no cookies. Make a list of every food you like to eat and I'll bet that every one has some form of wheat gluten in it. Life would totally suck. I don't have to mention that I can't smoke weed because of my new job.
Anyhooters, I guess I should be grateful that I didn't die and that someone bid on one of my Ebay auctions. That sentence was too dramatic - I was never worried that anything serious would happen. Because of all the Benadryl coursing through my veins I honestly felt pretty good throughout the evening.
Not eating wheat gluten, however, is driving me crazy and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do it. In February I had a blood test that did say I was slightly allergic to Wheat, but it also said I was allergic to tomatoes, onions, and lots of other things that I like to eat. My only comfort is that I read that chronic hives (which I apparently have) often cannot be attributed to any cause, particularly in people with psoriasis (which I have) and other immune deficiency diseases. That would be great because it would mean that I could eat whatever I wanted to eat, but it would also mean that I could come down with a deadly hive attack no matter what I do.
I've got to go to sleep - fortunately there are no wheat glutens in vodka tonics - but don't worry, I'm pretty certain that I'll be around to write more tomorrow.
Friday, June 06, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: The $$$ is rolling in!
Craigslist came through again and we sold a wardrobe yesterday for $60. It was one that Adale found in the basement of our place in Ithaca & repainted white. We have a bookshelf on there now but so far no one has written in about it. Do you think $120 is too much? I also haven't received any bids on my ebay stuff yet but maybe people are waiting until the last minute to snatch things up.
We're rolling out to Aunt Barb's to go swimming. It's finally turned hot & humid here.
Craigslist came through again and we sold a wardrobe yesterday for $60. It was one that Adale found in the basement of our place in Ithaca & repainted white. We have a bookshelf on there now but so far no one has written in about it. Do you think $120 is too much? I also haven't received any bids on my ebay stuff yet but maybe people are waiting until the last minute to snatch things up.
We're rolling out to Aunt Barb's to go swimming. It's finally turned hot & humid here.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: WE'RE MOVING TO PHILLY! (probably)
I heard from University X (don't want to write their name here) and the department wants to hire me & said I should I be hearing form HR with a formal offer this week. It feels very strange but that's what's happening. We're thinking abut the Mt. Airy neighborhood in NW Philly - supposedly it's where lots of lesbians live & love so I shouldn't have any troubles making friends. University X wants me there on 7/1 so things will be moving pretty quickly.
We're beginning to weed through our treasures & I am selling some goodies on craigslist & ebay. I listed the chair yesterday afternoon and already 5 people have written to ask about it. I couldn't believe how many people wrote in and I'm kicking myself that we haven't been making big $$$ bringing up treasuries from out near Adale's parents. I just put the magazines on ebay last night and so far no bids, but I think usually people don't bid until the last few days.
I heard from University X (don't want to write their name here) and the department wants to hire me & said I should I be hearing form HR with a formal offer this week. It feels very strange but that's what's happening. We're thinking abut the Mt. Airy neighborhood in NW Philly - supposedly it's where lots of lesbians live & love so I shouldn't have any troubles making friends. University X wants me there on 7/1 so things will be moving pretty quickly.
We're beginning to weed through our treasures & I am selling some goodies on craigslist & ebay. I listed the chair yesterday afternoon and already 5 people have written to ask about it. I couldn't believe how many people wrote in and I'm kicking myself that we haven't been making big $$$ bringing up treasuries from out near Adale's parents. I just put the magazines on ebay last night and so far no bids, but I think usually people don't bid until the last few days.
Does this ring a bell for any of my dear readers? Below is the abstract for a PhD dissertation from Erik Ottoson, an Anthro/Ethnology student at Uppsala University in Sweden - his research "brings into focus how individuals search for objects" in flea markets, refuse skips, shopping streets and malls From the abstract:
The aim of the thesis is to study the search for things and how it influences individuals and their relations to objects and the places in which they search.The thesis focuses on what is termed serendipitous searching – i.e. an activity of open browsing for anything that awakens the person’s interest. That means that the people in the study are not just looking for certain things – they are also seeking to come to terms with what they are actually looking for. Ideals of what is beautiful, useful and reasonable materialise in conjunction with the experience of what is available and what is absent or out of reach. It is suggested that this mode of looking for goods is not only about purchase deliberations, but more importantly is a specific way of interacting with the world and making places meaningful. It can be viewed as a way of creating and moderating anticipation, and thereby cultivating affect. Searching for things thus becomes an experiential horizon.
Part I: “Searching and Space” deals with how searching for something becomes a specific way of engaging with the physical surroundings. The landscape becomes a taskscape, i.e. an array of physical structures linked together by a set of related activities. Part II, “Discoveries and Rubbish” explores how the activities of searching charges objects with qualities. Through two different environments, searching is analysed as a way of elevating things from the status of rubbish to one of discovery. Part III: “From the Horizon of Finding” focuses on how the searchers’ aims are transformed when they encounter the objects that really exist.
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