My family has a great number of interesting conversations at the dinner table. During a recent dinner, my mom brought up a show she had watched in the last day or so on spontaneous human combustion.
I had read articles about this phenomenon in the past and had always been startled by the comically gruesome photographs of remaining limbs of people who had just incinerated from the inside-out, leaving nearby articles of clothing and household items unburned.
As if living daily life wasn't filled enough with fears about accidents and being a general klutz (such as myself). Now we have to worry if our bodies are going through a nuclear chain reaction to reach an immediate heat level of 1600 degrees Fahrenheit (the heat of cremation) to just plain explode into flames.
On the other hand, it seems that SHC could almost be a psychological phenomena, even though this is actually disputed by scientists. It would seem like a simple metaphor to go through an instantaneous combustion, almost like the culmination of thoughts and ideas. And what of physicality?
There are so many things to ponder on this topic, such as the thought of lightning striking a forest, only for it to go a-blaze and cleanse the land.
Is Spontaneous Human Combustion related to natural phenomena seen in nature? Is it a manifestation of body and mind? Is it merely a freakish scientific accident?
Will it ever be resolved?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Metalhead
I flew to Lubbock this weekend on a whim after I found out not 4 days before that Texas Tech was holding a symposium on concept in metalsmithing. If you know me well, you could see that I could not be denied this chance; especially for a place reasonably close to where I live.
I ended up flying since the drive out either late at night or early in the morning terrified me because 1) there are too many deer crossing signs for comfort, 2) my night vision is not so good (years of looking at an open flame while working in metal is beginning to take its toll, I suspect or genetics is the culprit), and 3) flying would maximize my time in Lubbock.
The symposium was quite interesting and well worth it: four lectures by internationally known metalsmiths, a tour of the new art building just for the 3-D arts, and an opening reception for a metals/jewelry show in the old art building.
I was also able to see The Full Monty, the play put on by Tech's theatre department, which was both entertaining and hilarious. This included seeing my boyfriend's brother and his theatre friends in various states of undress, even some red thongs by the end (oh dear).
However, the best moment of the weekend: post-reception, Scott and I explored the campus, trying to find all the sculptures and site-specific art as the sun was setting. Absolutely stunning autumn sunset and evening.
I've decided some spontaneity is highly rewarding :)
I ended up flying since the drive out either late at night or early in the morning terrified me because 1) there are too many deer crossing signs for comfort, 2) my night vision is not so good (years of looking at an open flame while working in metal is beginning to take its toll, I suspect or genetics is the culprit), and 3) flying would maximize my time in Lubbock.
The symposium was quite interesting and well worth it: four lectures by internationally known metalsmiths, a tour of the new art building just for the 3-D arts, and an opening reception for a metals/jewelry show in the old art building.
I was also able to see The Full Monty, the play put on by Tech's theatre department, which was both entertaining and hilarious. This included seeing my boyfriend's brother and his theatre friends in various states of undress, even some red thongs by the end (oh dear).
However, the best moment of the weekend: post-reception, Scott and I explored the campus, trying to find all the sculptures and site-specific art as the sun was setting. Absolutely stunning autumn sunset and evening.
I've decided some spontaneity is highly rewarding :)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Noki
Noki is the cat that I adopted earlier this year. She was a cat that traipsed around the art building up at UNT found by my co-workers sister. I happened to be living in Denton at the time and decided to adopt the feline after my co-workers sister could not suffer from cat allergies any longer. I named her "Noki" which means "soot" in Finnish. This is entirely appropriate since she is an all-black cat.
Noki is perhaps the silliest creature I have ever come across.
She plays fetch with rubber balls that she drops at my feet anytime of the day and retrieves them like a puppy.
She grunts like Marge Simpson in response to almost anything, rather than full-out meowing (which she also does on occasion)
She can hear paper being wadded up from a mile away and will race from whatever she is doing to stare at you vulture-like until you finally drop it on the floor for her to bat around.
She loves to be loved (but not too much).
She makes so much mischief that I caught her red-handed in the photo below of her tossing my shoes out of my closet.
Noki meet world. World meet Noki.
Noki is perhaps the silliest creature I have ever come across.
She plays fetch with rubber balls that she drops at my feet anytime of the day and retrieves them like a puppy.
She grunts like Marge Simpson in response to almost anything, rather than full-out meowing (which she also does on occasion)
She can hear paper being wadded up from a mile away and will race from whatever she is doing to stare at you vulture-like until you finally drop it on the floor for her to bat around.
She loves to be loved (but not too much).
She makes so much mischief that I caught her red-handed in the photo below of her tossing my shoes out of my closet.
Noki meet world. World meet Noki.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
C'mon everybody! Let's get in our Sunday best and be grownups!
As of Saturday, I have been to three weddings this year. Of course, weddings are beautiful and emotional and enjoyable. Each time I go to these events, I'm reminded of the fact that this is only the beginning of the windfall of weddings. The wedding this weekend was for my boyfriend's best friend since childhood. She was marrying someone she had known in high school, even though they weren't high school sweethearts. It was a bit of a high school reunion for Scott because of all the guests there.
The hilarity of the situation comes from the following:
Scott introducing me to the people he knows:
"Oh, (insert name here), this is my girlfriend Diana"
The differing dialogues that followed:
"Nice to meet you, this is (insert name here), we're getting married next week"
"What a lovely dress, this is (insert name here), we just got engaged!"
"Hi, I'm (insert name here), this is my husband/wife"
I am not kidding. What was slightly more paralyzing was the realization that this amount of people our age had become adults. Here are people that have real jobs and make real money or are pursuing higher education. They have dogs and cats in houses they have bought. They might be having kids soon or have some already.
At each statement, Scott and I make side glances to each other spelling out: "when did everyone our age become grownups?"
We left the wedding after goodbyes to the bride and groom, not waiting for the cutting of the cake or the tossing of the bouquet. We decided to find a bar and made our way to The Londoner, where it was crowded with dressed-down people. We sat at the bar in our Sunday best and had a couple of beers each and talked about the future: about the adventures that we'd go on, the places we'd see, and the imaginations that we refused to crush in the other.
And I realized, what could possibly be more adult than that?
The hilarity of the situation comes from the following:
Scott introducing me to the people he knows:
"Oh, (insert name here), this is my girlfriend Diana"
The differing dialogues that followed:
"Nice to meet you, this is (insert name here), we're getting married next week"
"What a lovely dress, this is (insert name here), we just got engaged!"
"Hi, I'm (insert name here), this is my husband/wife"
I am not kidding. What was slightly more paralyzing was the realization that this amount of people our age had become adults. Here are people that have real jobs and make real money or are pursuing higher education. They have dogs and cats in houses they have bought. They might be having kids soon or have some already.
At each statement, Scott and I make side glances to each other spelling out: "when did everyone our age become grownups?"
We left the wedding after goodbyes to the bride and groom, not waiting for the cutting of the cake or the tossing of the bouquet. We decided to find a bar and made our way to The Londoner, where it was crowded with dressed-down people. We sat at the bar in our Sunday best and had a couple of beers each and talked about the future: about the adventures that we'd go on, the places we'd see, and the imaginations that we refused to crush in the other.
And I realized, what could possibly be more adult than that?
Friday, October 10, 2008
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
I just read an article about Manic Pixie Dream Girls on NPR. The term was coined by film critic Nathan Rabin to describe Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown a couple of years ago. Essentially the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is the joyful girl, with amazing quirks and sensibilities, that changes the men she meets into better people. Now, this is all supposed to happening in the realm of cinema. Think Natalie Portman in Garden State.
It has occurred to me that the MPDG (yes, it has an abbreviation that sounds like a disorder) has become so commonplace that I wonder if 1) girls want to become MPDGs and 2) people want to have MPDGs in their lives, especially in a relationship. However, anyone who truly observes the MPDGs in movies realizes that these girls are perfectly imperfect. They have vaguely interesting quirks and irrelevant pasts that never, ever seem to come up.
Different websites cite some MPDGs over the years: Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Penny Lane in Almost Famous, Annie Hall in Annie Hall, Judy Maxwell in What's Up Doc?, and Susan Vance in Bringing Up Baby.
The startling thing to me is that I love these movies and especially the characters listed above. It appears to be a true question of reality versus cinema. I know these are merely characters and if girls were anything like the people above, they wouldn't be multi-faceted individuals. Is there an unresolved inclination to be these girls in society?
Any thoughts?
Here is the article for reference, which has all the appropriate and interesting links:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95507953&ft=1&f=1008
It has occurred to me that the MPDG (yes, it has an abbreviation that sounds like a disorder) has become so commonplace that I wonder if 1) girls want to become MPDGs and 2) people want to have MPDGs in their lives, especially in a relationship. However, anyone who truly observes the MPDGs in movies realizes that these girls are perfectly imperfect. They have vaguely interesting quirks and irrelevant pasts that never, ever seem to come up.
Different websites cite some MPDGs over the years: Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Penny Lane in Almost Famous, Annie Hall in Annie Hall, Judy Maxwell in What's Up Doc?, and Susan Vance in Bringing Up Baby.
The startling thing to me is that I love these movies and especially the characters listed above. It appears to be a true question of reality versus cinema. I know these are merely characters and if girls were anything like the people above, they wouldn't be multi-faceted individuals. Is there an unresolved inclination to be these girls in society?
Any thoughts?
Here is the article for reference, which has all the appropriate and interesting links:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95507953&ft=1&f=1008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School
On Saturday, I participated in Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. We had the lovely Ginger Valentine, from the local burlesque group The Velvet Kittens, model for us while we did art school-like figure drawings. With newsprint, drawing paper, and some drawing media with me, I got the following drawings completed in the longer poses.
Enjoy.
Here's some more information for those who might be interested:
http://www.myspace.com/dallassketchy
Enjoy.
Here's some more information for those who might be interested:
http://www.myspace.com/dallassketchy
Sunday, October 5, 2008
New computer = more mischief
My iBook G4 had provided me with the tools to maintain my life for the last 3+ years. Hell, it was my life. Sadly, the hard drive was injured and it appeared time to invest (I think that's the more polite term for going even more broke) in a new laptop. My new computer is a lovely silver MacBook Pro 15 inch. It will maintain my life (hopefully) for many years to come.
It sure is purdy.
It sure is purdy.
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