Flowers for Friday Afternoon

Placed in a Vase

Nobody knows this little rose

(Emily Dickinson)

Nobody knows this little Rose --
It might a pilgrim be
Did I not take it from the ways
And lift it up to thee.
Only a Bee will miss it --
Only a Butterfly,
Hastening from far journey --
On its breast to lie --
Only a Bird will wonder --
Only a Breeze will sigh --
Ah Little Rose -- how easy
For such as thee to die!

Dark Angel

Bettie Page

Bettie Page was born on April 22, 1923. In the 1950s, her iconic photos earned her the title of "Queen of Pinups." Many gorgeous women have since graced the centerfolds and pages of erotic magazines, but Bettie is still the Queen for me.

She wasn't the prettiest lady of her era. However, the combination of beauty and personality made for an enthralling and compelling effect. There is a sexy playfulness to her pose. Her facial expressions are inviting and vivacious. Most of all, she's bold, but without being brash. It all seems to come naturally to her. This spirit is expressed by the quote:

"I was not trying to be shocking, or to be a pioneer. I wasn't trying to change society, or to be ahead of my time. I didn't think of myself as liberated, and I don`t believe that I did anything important. I was just myself. I didn't know any other way to be, or any other way to live."

That's why Bettie was special. In erotic depictions, there were countless women who preceded her and there have been and will be countless women following, but Bettie Page remains as an unforgettable icon of female sexuality.

Here's a cute vid of her dancing. (Don't worry. There's no nudity.)

Here's a link to Bettie Page's Wikipedia page.

Here's a link to the Official Site of Bettie Page.

Enjoy!!!

Demons of the Wind

A marble sculpture of Pazuzu, fused with his double, by Roberto Cuoghi

While I was visiting the Hammer Museum, I had to opportunity to see their exhibit Hammer Projects: Roberto Cuoghi. It's a small but interesting show. The exhibition space is in a U-shaped room. Along the arms of the "U" are alternate-ego portraits of the artist, images of what might have been or what might be. Here's an example:

Untitled (2010) by Roberto Cuoghi

At the focal point of the curve of the "U", there is a large black marble statue of the Assyrian demon, Pazuzu, King of the demons of the Wind. It is actually a sculpture of two Pazuzus, merged together as though stepping through each other. It's a very disturbing sight.

Moreover, the exhibit space has the feel of a chapel. The portraits on the wall are like devotional paintings, while the double Pazuzu is the alter or idol to whom this space is dedicated. All in all, I felt a bit disturbed.
Nevertheless it is an interesting show.

Since we're on the topic of Pazuzu, here's some music:

Here's a link to the Hammer's Roberto Cuoghi page.

And here's a link to Pazuzu's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

Gratitude Is the Sign of Noble Souls

The Lion and the Mouse

I'm an enthusiast of well-crafted advertisements. They are like poetry. The ad writer has under thirty seconds to get a memorable point across to the viewer. There are all sorts of techniques and tricks. One of my favorite advertisement techniques is the short narrative.

Like a fable or parable, the short narrative tells a story. However, the moral of the tale is intended to persuade the viewer to purchase the advertised product. It's very difficult to pull this off without seeming totally banal. A message like "Buy this SUV and become a MAN" or "Buy these COSMETICS and become BEAUTIFUL" is totally crass. It's a tough task.

Take a look at this ad from Bridgestone:

I love it!!! Like a one of Aesop's Fables, it carries the moral that one good deed brings another. However, this moral hides the underlying "moral": buy Bridgestone Tires and be safe. Good stuff.

Here's a link for the Wikipedia page on Aesop's Fables.

Enjoy!!!

Full of Thy Glory

John Muir (1907)

John Muir was born on April 21, 1838. He is the grandfather of the American environmentalist movement. His tireless efforts to preserve the unspoiled western wilderness, including Yosemite Valley and Sequoia, earned him the designation of "Father of the National Parks." He was a prolific Nature writer, influencing many generations of naturalist artists, including the photographer Ansel Adams. His political legacy is still active, most specifically in the organization which he founded, the Sierra Club.

In contemporary times, ecological matters are shamefully politicized. Expressing even the slightest enthusiasm for Nature and Her transcendent majesty gets one labelled a "crazy leftist moonbat" by the American Right. This is a sad situation. Nature is beautiful and should be preserved for future generations, rather than paved over, dug into, or polluted. Certainly, modern human technology and ingenuity can handle the challenge of meeting our needs while respecting our ecology.

In any case, take a moment to appreciate the natural world around you. Listen to the birds. Admire the trees and flowers. Be grateful for the food that grants you sustenance each day.

Here's a vid about Muir's meeting with Teddy Roosevelt:

Here's a link to John Muir's Wikipedia page.

Here's a link to the Sierra Club's website.

The National Park Service website for Yosemite can be found here and, for Sequoia, here.

Enjoy!!!

Mascherari

Entry Procession

I had the good luck to be able to attend the performance of a new work by Luigi Ontani, AmenHammerAmeno, at the Hammer Museum. It's a site-specific tableau vivant featuring a procession of performers in Balinese masks accompanied by gamelan music. The performance is part of an exhibition entitled "When in Rome."

The performance was held primarily in the courtyard of the Hammer. When the event began, the performers marched alongside the courtyard and left the building. It was an amusing twist on our expectation. However, they soon returned to the courtyard and situated themselves upon a floor space delineated by rose petals, seemingly arranged in the shape of a painter's palette.

Standing Upon the Palette

The performers were initially carrying their masks, but, with a change in the music, they put on the masks. Again, the music changed and the masks were removed. Eventually, the performers marched of the "palette" and left the courtyard.

The masks were definitely interesting viewing. Here are a few:

Bugiardocchio

Animazione Anni

Mascherarya

The music was engaging. I'm a long-time enthusiast of gamelan music. Here's a cool vid:

Although the performance was enjoyable, I must confess. I didn't really understand it. Certainly, any allusions to Balinese culture went right over my head. I'll have to give it some thought, let my mind process the imagery and presentation.

Luigi Ontani

Anyways, here's a link to the Hammer Museum.

Here's a link to Luigi Ontani's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!

Scent of Magnolias, Sweet and Fresh

On this date in 1939, Billie Holiday recorded the song "Strange Fruit." It is a song about the lynching of African-Americans in the American South. The lyrics are from a poem by Abel Meeropol, expressing his horror at the vile practice that was a common feature of the "Jim Crow" era.

It's hard to believe such barbarism was until relatively recently a part of US history. But it is also hard to believe that a lady as troubled as Billie Holiday would have the courage to speak out, publicly and loudly, against it in an era where racism was a pervasive part of society, even outside the South.

I'm grateful that she did. Sometimes, I get annoyed at entertainers who get political or drive an agenda. Sometimes, I want to say "Shut up and Sing!" But when this pops into my mind, I think back to Billie and wonder what I would think about somebody who would say that to her.

Then I swallow my irritation and listen to the message with an open mind.

Here's a link to Billie Holiday's Wikipedia page.

Thank you, Lady Day.

That They Were Fair

Memory by Daniel Chester French (Photo by Douglas Yeo)

Daniel Chest French was born on April 20, 1850. He was a classic American sculptor. His most famous work is of Abraham Lincoln at at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

I have mixed feelings about his work. On a technical level, it's manifestly exquisite. The forms are beautiful. The compositions are balanced with classical harmony and stability. The craftsmanship is without flaw. Yet, as gorgeous as these works are, they seem diminished their very Neoclassical style. By being so obviously dependant upon a derivative and emulationist image vocabulary, the end result is a stale aesthetic statement.

Let me offer an analogy to explain this criticism. Consider the sonnets of Shakespeare. There are literary masterpieces. Moreover, the literary form of the sonnet is a viable platform for poetic expression, even in the contemporary era. However, if a poet were to write a sonnet utilizing Shakespearean imagery and language, we would probably be dismissive of the result. That's not because we think Shakespearean poetry is irrelevant or "so four centuries ago" but rather because we don't consider emulationist techniques to be conducive to Authenticity. The stylistics and mannerisms of Shakespeare's poetry were authentic within his historical context. For the contemporary poet, they feel unoriginal and, inauthentic.

And so it is with the works of Daniel Chester French. They are wonderful sculptures embodying classical Beauty. However, by utilizing such a comprehensively emulationist style, his works feel inauthentic and superficial.

Here's a link to Daniel Chester French's Wikipedia page.

And check out Douglas Yeo's page dedicated to French's work. It has a wonderful collection of photographs showing various works from multiple vantage points and distances. Good stuff!!!

Enjoy!!!

Heat in Freezing

Lonely Places

Loneliness, isolation, and alienation are states of being that capture my fascination. They are always on my mind. They are an essential part of my daily life. Even when among friends or at a party, I'm capable of feeling alone. It's weird. I can be fully engaged in social activity, but be experiencing a sense of disengagement.

Peculiar.

That doesn't mean that I'm unhappy. No, I can derive joy from companionship at the SAME time as feeling as if I watching as though I'm watching my life from the far end of a tunnel. I can experience the warmth of friendship while being in an icy isolation. Deep down, I am detached from the passions of the world around me. I can perceive it and feel it, but the chaos of human passion doesn't move me.

It is very strange.

Nevertheless, here's a fun vid extolling the virtues of loneliness.

Enjoy!!!

Something Unstoppable

Over at PC Magazine, Peter Pachal is celebrating Skynet Day with an article entitled "Five Real Computer Systems That Could Become Skynet." What's Skynet Day?

"Today is the day, according to the Terminator franchise, that the world-dominating arificial intelligence Skynet becomes self-aware. Shortly after realizing its own existence on April 19, 2011, it decides to liberate humans from theirs, launching an attack that wipes out a good chunk of humanity."

It occurs at 8:11 pm. Here's some music for the End Times. ;-)

The Wikipedia page for the Terminator franchise is here.

Enjoy!!!

Great and Wondrous Deeds

Parthenon

As resident of Los Angeles can attest, we spend a lot of time commuting around the city. Over the past few months, this has been especially true for me. To pass the time, I usually listen to music on the radio. However, I decided to change it up and listen to recordings of lectures on Ancient Greek civilization. I've always been a student of Classical Civ, but I've mostly been focused on the Romans. Well, I decided it was finally time to give Greece a bit of my time.

Sure. I've read the standard repertoire, Homer and Hesiod, Sophocles and Euripides, Plato and Aristotle. However, it was always in passing, part of a literature or philosophy class. Just another primary text to grind through. So, although I could claim to be widely read in the Greek classics, it was a really shallow claim.

Anyways, I got a few courses from the Teaching Company and was surprised at their overall quality. Each course was an excellent basic survey of the topic. They actually make feel good about the long and frequent drives that I make around town. The 405 is no longer a detestable waste of my time. ;-)

I've listened to a few courses by Jeremy McInerney, Chair of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a very good lecturer and his courses have good organization with broad focus, including cultural, economic, military, and political elements. I've listened to "Ancient Greek Civilization", "Age of Pericles" and "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age."

Another fine lecturer is Elizabeth Vandiver of Whitman College. Her courses focus on literary topics. She's very good at explaining the basics of a work, as well as both the broader context and the specific nuances. However, I think the listener will get more from these lectures if they have previously read the work under study. For instance, I've only read Herodotus in bits and pieces, never "cover to cover." Therefore, in her course "Herodotus: The Father of History," I got more out of the areas in which I was familiar. I also listened to her course on "Greek Tragedy" and "The Odyssey of Homer." All three of these courses were excellent.

Finally, you can't study Ancient Greece without doing some philosophy. I listened to a couple of course by David Roochnik of Boston University, "Introduction to Greek Philosophy" and "Plato's Republic." Both of these courses were well organized and with very accessible lectures. I was especially impressed by the course of the Republic. Given my previous unhappy experiences with this work, I was doubtful that any lecturer could keep my interest on the subject. He did. Bravo!

Euphronios Krater

Anyways, I highly recommend these courses. Moreover, I'm interested in actually reading some Ancient Greek studies.

Here's a link to the Teaching Company's website.

Prof. Jeremy McInerney's webpage is here.

Prof. Elizabeth Vandiver's Wikipedia page is here.

Here's a link to Prof. David Roochnik's webpage.

Enjoy!!!

Crunch to Munch???

Image from Cheezburger.com

Wow! I just found out about the horrific Doritos Locos Tacos, a test menu item from Taco Bell. As implied by the name, the taco shell is made out of a Dorito-like material. It's hard to believe but the evil geniuses over at Yum! Brands found a way to make their tacos even more vile.

And you get a hideous orange stain on your hands and lips for the extra sign of culinary degradation. Truly, Taco Bell must want to give their brethren over at KFC a challenge for the title of most loathsome fast food idea. It's like an arms race of repulsion. What's next Cheetos toppings at Pizza Hut? Funyun breaded fish at Long John Silver's?!!

The end goal: Mutually Assured Disgust!!!

On the other hand, Doritos is in my good graces for producing this ad:

Here's a link to the article at Foodbeast.

Here's a link to the Yum! Brands Wikipedia page.

And here's a link to Frito-Lay's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!