I know lots of people involved in Digital Humanities. And several Librarians.

Do I know anyone looking for a position such as this?

If so, and if you want to talk to me about the BAC, drop me a line. I have lots to say about the school, and much of it very good. (not all, but much).

Systems and Distance Education Librarian

The position of Systems and Distance Education Librarian is a full-time, exempt position of 40 hours per week providing technical support and oversight of library systems. The Systems and Distance Education Librarian manages all technical service activities, including the Voyager integrated library system. This position also has primary responsibility for coordinating library services for BAC distance education students and faculty. This position reports to the Library Director.
Qualifications and Requirements: ALA accredited MLS or MLIS required; must have experience with an integrated library system, preferably Voyager; working knowledge of web development tools such as PHP, PERL preferred; experience with XSLT templates; website development experience including modifying aesthetics of Web Voyage.

SOS has come and gone! Long live SOS!

I have wanted to post all week about the incredible support imvfd and palmwiz, but I've been busy and it seemed disrespectful and silly to take the time they had helped make for me and use it to post about that instead of to keep working. But now SOS is done (long live SOS!) and I'm sitting on my sofa at my leisure.

Usually when I read acknowledgments in manuscripts and I see "...thank my partner for tireless support..." I mostly find myself assuming that it's something like having the very important, emotional support: the cheerleaders who help you believe you really *can* do it. They're great and important, and, in fact, palmwiz and imvfd do help me believe in the value of my own work by expressing their appreciation of the value in my work.

But. BUT.. You know what? cheerleaders don't usually climb ladders to drill into cement-board ceilings for you, which both imvfd and palmwiz did to install track lighting and hang art. And cheerleading alone won't keep you from calorie and nutrition crashing. At some point in the Week of All Busy, my body cried out no mas! on take-out food, and imvfd stepped in with big salads, multi-grain pasta, something awesome with scallops and grilled mango, and a few brilliant breakfasts after helping me shop for food. palmwiz spent the first night of SOS putting all my inventory into a SquareUp account I could access through his iPad, while imvfd finished the sweeping-up (while we ate the food he brought... just before leaving town for his own martial arts testing!). And palmwiz let me borrow his brand new work-furnished iPad for the whole weekend when he could have been using it as his SOS mobile-map. They did much more to help me than I can remember right now, all post-event-crashed as I am. But in case I didn't say it enough: thank you.

SOS itself was fun. It was almost like a cocktail party in some ways. I had a lot of fun introducing people I know from various parts and times of my life to each other and hearing where their conversations went. Primed in an environment of talking about art and ideas, some fascinating conversations came out. That whole thing just kept reminding me of what a lively community we live in. I especially enjoyed hearing kjc007 and veek and B.K. meet each other. Though also heliopsis and a few people seemed to be having a nice conversation, as did several other interesting folks in accidental meet-ups. And I believe my building landlord enjoyed chatting with idlewild_. bbbsg somehow managed to come by *twice* even though she was busy as Coordinator of the whole event. And gandalfgreyhame made it in between gigs on the opposite ends of town! I don't believe that inkedandkinked had ever seen my work and I'm thrilled the timing worked out for cathijosephine to bring him while he happened to be in town the right weekend. I think library_sexy and zzbottom were pretty surprised to run into them there.  :)   I got a long-overdue chance to catch up with tamidon, which I always enjoy when I get the chance. 

I want to say more about all of you, but seriously, I'd be up all night. So shout outs to so many! Just Thank you, all of you, for coming and visiting this weekend, or sending your well-wishes if you couldn't make it.

People kept saying to me "I love your work!" which is good to hear. Many, many people I didn't know at all said "You've moved since last year!" which tells me they have been paying attention. Several described seeing my old, empty studio and panicking before they were directed to my new one which tells me they care. And seriously, that's very, very nice to have re-affirmed. Every once in a while someone would even buy something! ;)

I had fewer sales than last year, but as I was quoted in the Mass Cultural Council blog as opining: it's good to think of SOS as Opening Day. Sure, it's nice to win your home opener, but that first game doesn't tell you what will happen the rest of the season. It's good to keep the long-game in mind.

There was someone who came in dressed in an outfit that spoke of some money and privilege, who asked specifically for a card with my phone number on it. hmmm. There were two discussions of potential commissions. A slightly elderly couple gave me their business card with their names on it followed by "Art Aficionados." I have no idea what they might like in the future, but seriously if you print up "Art Aficionados" business cards and carry them with you to openings, I want to know you. There were some people I was really surprised to see, and many who I expected, who were a great comfort and joy. It turns out my sofa made a reasonable breast-feeding location for more than one mom-baby duo, which also made me happy. People asked interesting questions. And to some of them I gave interesting answers, even. ;-)

I'm always flattered when I work makes people think of the work of certain other artists whom I admire in town. Today I heard that when one of those artists was told that her work reminded that person of mine, she apparently squeed and swooned. That was fun to hear, too. Ah, joyous mutual admiration!

I sold two paintings from Ucross today. A woman bought one I painted the first working day I was there and one I painted the last working day. It was good to see them go together, but it's also hard to let them go. I'll miss them. especially for what they represent in growth between them.

My WTF-pseudo-theft OTD was that I *think* someone swiped a stack of 50 to 100 of my free postcards. I had some out with a sign that read "oversized postcards, $1" next to other ones with a sign that read "small postcards, FREE. Take One." The for-sale ones were sold now and again, and didn't go missing, near as I could tell. But I looked over at one point and suddenly had two of the small postcards left. I *think* I had had a inch- or two-inch-tall stack at that point. What does someone *want* with 100 of my postcards? My mind boggles. If they had asked, I would have given them 50 - 100 old show cards that I can't re-use as easily as these. Ah well, someday maybe I'll find out.

I try to be aware of and appreciative of the ridiculous level of privilege I have. But sometimes I just get hung up on the smallest things. Last night I wanted some water. There I was in bed, and not 20' away, I had a tap in the wall with clean, fresh, delicious water always available to me. I'm on the third floor--which keeps me safe from flooding, mud, most vermin, and casual n'er-do-wells--and I have fresh running water at my ready disposal whenever I want it, in pretty much any temperature I want.

Sometimes, honestly, I just can't get over that.

We say all the time how awesome "living in the future" is, but clean running water has been around--for some people--for a pretty long time now. And seriously, it's pretty freakin' awesome.

Today something very, very bad didn't happen.

What I mean to say is that there was an almost that was so very terrible that I really don't want to think about it, except every once in a while the young boy's face pops into my head with that look of abject fear, as he barely dodges on his bike around the hood of my van, just in the nick of time. Everyone is fine. Nothing actually happened. Still, it scared the jeebus out of me. Nothing good can come of a collision between a 1.5 ton hunk of steel and a 90 lb child wearing no helmet, even if the van isn't going more than 5 mph, and the child is pacing no more than 10 mph.

*Please*. Don't let your kids ride their bikes on the sidewalk in the city. Think about the sightlines, if a building is up to and abutting the sidewalk. A driver in an automobile can see a kid on a bike in the street who is 20 ft away still, but if the child is riding down the sidewalk, the kid has to be about to slam into the hood of a van just as it noses carefully out of a driveway, before either can see the other.

And if you know of a kid who wants to ride and cannot afford a helmet, please talk to me privately. I'll do what I can.

Dear Senator,

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, S. 2043, is a blatant attack on health care. I urge you to staunchly oppose this bill. I understand that birth control is a complicated issue for you both personally and professionally. I understand that you must weigh both the views of your constituents, and your own, personal spiritual beliefs.

I cannot speak for the latter, but as a constituent let me be perfectly clear about this:

The US government does not have any place protecting the views of any one religion over the individual freedoms of all women. You may debate whether you believe the government can or should mandate health care at all, but within the context and framework that we in Massachusetts especially, and we in the US in general have established, the government has a vested interest and obligation to protect employees and ensure they have proper renumeration and support in access to basic health care. Debate the question of health-care access as a whole separately. As long as we do have government regulations regarding health-care access, however, those regulations must not favor one religion or spiritual belief system over another.

You may or may not, personally, believe that a woman should have access to birth control or abortion services. Will all due respect, Senator, this is not your place. You do not have a uterus. There are no bills being debated that discuss my personal and spiritual views toward your prostates. If reproductive health services are outside of a person's religious believes than that individual will make appropriate choices regarding such care.

In as long as the government has ANY legislation regarding access to health care, it is absolutely inappropriate for the religious views of persons other than the receiver of that care to be considered. Employers do not get to decide if their taxes should support foreign wars. They do not get to decide if their health care provides services to which they are personally opposed.

This is not an appropriate place for your own, or for an employer's own feelings or convictions. It would only ever become an issue is an employer held one set of religious beliefs and the employee held an alternate one. In that case it is not up to the employer or Congress to over-step their bounds into the actions of the individuals.


I strongly urge you to reject the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, S. 2043.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

This weekend one of the painters in my studio building died.

She was just passed 70 years old—coincidentally nearly exactly the same age my mother was back when she died, although in much better health and mobility. My artist colleague died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack while vacationing in Vieques with a friend. As sad as this is, I do find myself thinking that dying while vacationing on the beach is not a bad way to go (except in how, for as awesome as it is to go that way, it sucks that much to be the friend left behind that way.) Just this past Christmas another painter from my building died, also suddenly and unexpectedly, having only recently moved to a new and larger space in the building.

I find myself returning to thinking on a meta-level about my work, what I'm doing and what I'm slacking on and not getting done. The year after my mother died was one of my most active and productive in realms that I care about, as I realized on a visceral level: I don't have forever.

What matters? Am I doing it Right Now?

www.plannedparenthood.org

If you're riding your bicycle toward a hostile llama, Beware! It *will* charge and attempt to trample you.

But if you ride straight toward it, and only steer out of the way at the very last minute, you can dodge it. Your only chance is to stay in close then make a break for it. Llamas can run as fast as you can cycle, but cannot maneuver as quickly and won't pursue after you've passed them.


This safety message brought to you by last night's sub-conscious dream mind.

You're welcome.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP5e092806a3284e70ba82c657191d69ea.html

I got a call from the Somerville Arts Council today.

This year the Illuminations Tour has a loop through West Somerville, and our house will be on it. They wanted some info about "Why Palm Trees?" "What's behind your theme?" to put in the Illuminations tour script.



*GRIN*

I've talked with some of you about this or that level or type of gallery I'm trying to get my work into, and recently I posted about being approached by a predatory gallery, asking me to pay them to exhibit.

If you're curious about how all this works, I found a decent article comparing gallery types on the website of one I'm considering sending work to. It's written from one particular perspective, but if you keep that in mind, it's a decent piece.

The Gallery Scene

Thank you all for your feedback! I will now proceed to do what I want to do.

The purpose of the poll was like that of flipping a coin: to figure out what it is I want to do. If I had known that, I wouldn't have needed the poll.

I had this idea of a project I want to do next (where "project" = series or collection of pieces, in this case). But then, while sketching out some beginning plans for it, I had this other idea jump in-- totally different, couldn't be part of the same project in any meaningful way. Now I'd like to think that anything I do that's complex and layered with meaning will also bring a smile to look at, and anything I do that brings a smile also has some interesting metaphoric layers of meaning. But the main difference between the two projects I had in mind is the degree to which one of those characterizations dominates what I think the impact of the finished piece would be.

The votes are currently sitting at exactly 50/50, but what was useful was that as each vote came in I felt either pleased at the idea of doing the piece I had pegged that option to in my mind, or disappointed. The absolute clarity with which these feelings linked to the two answers was what I needed to know.

So, yes, sincerely THANK YOU for your feedback... now I know what I want to do in a way that I wouldn't have if you hadn't taken the time to tell me how you felt about it. :)

Poll #1793788
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 25

?

View Answers

complex concept; metaphorically rich imagery; lots of layers of meaning

13 (54.2%)

simple thing that brings a smile to look at

11 (45.8%)

All in all a useful exercise drill in emergency preparedness.

Also a much needed day at home with palmwiz.

Do any of the myriad of people who are trying to get rid of excess stuff right now, happen to have a small microwave oven you're wanting to get rid of?

The one I have in studio is starting to make odd grumbling sounds when in use. It's really old-- it has clunky mechanical buttons to set time and start, and has no little rotating feature. Mostly I'm just a little worried about what all is going on in there that has it making a new and not exactly mechanically-harmonious sounding noise.

I'm not in a huge hurry on this, since I'm about to leave town for six weeks, but I thought I'd ask now while people are moving and jettisoning stuff.

thanks!

[p.s. I think it only makes sense if you happen to be in the Greater Metro S'ville Area. For the cost of transport from elsewhere I can get one from Goodwill.]

I did not go ass over tea-kettle in traffic today.
No thanks to my fucking Ortlieb panniers. Cyclists: do you have Ortliebs? Does this shit happen to you?

Use your clever sleuthing and acute mechanical mind: Can you see what's wrong with this picture?



Ortlieb panniers are one of the most coveted, most expensive panniers on the market. They're far lighter and more waterproof than the top-of-the-line Arkels, but I didn't like the idea of palmwiz taking them on his tour because I feel like the connection to the rack is not very sturdy.

yeah. about that.

There are these weird little plastic tabs that should hold it to the bottom of the rack-- but they bend and flex so much that on Boston area roads the bag can pop out and start flopping around. They snapped out of the bottom of the rack several times on me, so I even went so far as to buy a second pair of clips to add to the bottom to hold it more securely.

The top clips should hold it on the rack anyway, another great thing about Ortliebs is the locking top-latch, but if the bottom swings into the wheel, then the top clips are no match for the force of a bike in motion. Or maybe hitting potholes is sufficient to unlock the top clips? I'm not sure. I'm sure I check and make sure they're latched every time, and I'm sure this is not the first time they've popped off, though it was the most dramatic. Also not a heal-strike, since another thing that Ortlieb does right is let you adjust the angle of the bag so it's out of the way of your foot. I mean I really loved these panniers--- until they tried to kill me.

I was lucky. This happened when I was going slowly up a hill, not standing on my pedals cranking hard as I like to do. And I wasn't screaming down hill at 30 miles per hour. But I could have been.

So. Do you own Ortliebs? Do they suck at staying on the bike? What the F.?

Pardon the ALL CAPS, I'm cut-n-pasting from National Weather Service, which always shouts.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
218 PM EDT WED JUN 1 2011

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARTFORD...WINDSOR LOCKS...UNION...
VERNON...PUTNAM...WILLIMANTIC...BARRE...FITCHBURG...FRAMINGHAM...
LOWELL...LAWRENCE...GLOUCESTER...BLANDFORD...SPRINGFIELD...
MILFORD...WORCESTER...FOXBORO...NORWOOD...CAMBRIDGE...BOSTON...(emphasis mine)
QUINCY...AYER...MANCHESTER...NASHUA...FOSTER...SMITHFIELD...
PROVIDENCE...WEST GREENWICH...WARWICK
218 PM EDT WED JUN 1 2011

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE APPROACHING SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON...AND SHOULD ARRIVE BETWEEN 3 AND 5 PM
ACROSS THE MERRIMACK VALLEY IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT. THESE STRONG
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD IMPACT EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND
RHODE ISLAND PRIMARILY BETWEEN 4 AND 7 PM EDT.

THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
FROM LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS. ISOLATED
TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
THROUGH 8 PM EDT.

I just finished a book. I picked it up from the library on Friday and read it in two marathon late-night reading sessions. I hold it in the class of "Best Books I've Ever Read."

To any of you who care about how the language flows when you read; who crave complex explorations into making art; who want characters so whole and full they step out of the pages and into your life; and especially anyone who cares about music--especially jazz... let me recommend:

Shackling Water, by Adam Mansbach ( Long excerpt behind cut, thanks to the minuteman library system which posts the first chapter of books on their website. )

Ahhh... So *that*'s what this "day off" thing I've heard spoken of so highly feels like. I like it. It's nice.

I might just do it again sometime soon.

This one's for you, muffyjo, and others, too, I'm sure!

I have a lot of important (to me) work that needs to get done on a very short deadline. Which means that I just spent half an hour cutting old t-shirts down into rags.

If it weren't for procrastination, I would never get anything done.

On the Donations Page for Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, the Billing Information section requires that you select a "Title."

The Title Options are:
Dr.
Dr. & Dr.
Dr. & Mr.
Dr. & Mrs.
Dr. & Ms.
Father
Judge
Judge & Mr.
Judge & Mrs.
Miss.
Mr.
Mr. & Dr.
Mr. & Mr.
Mr. & Mrs.
Mrs.
Ms.
Ms. & Ms.
Rabbi
Rabbi & Mr.
Rabbi & Mrs.
Reverend
Reverend & Mr.
Reverend & Mrs.
Sister

I find myself wanting more options. How about Reverend & Rabbi, or Sister & Judge, or Mr. & Mr. & Miss?

But really, you should just go give them some money. Whatever you can. It's all the good you want Red Cross to be doing, with none of the racism.

today in miss_chance landia:

http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/index.php?comicID=368

Groupon has four television commercial out right now that are the focus of a lot of discussion and controversy. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can watch them on Groupon's site, but before you do it's worth noting that these commercials aired *without* the key piece of information you get when you watch them there. Notably, while each commercial makes gross mocking light of a serious social issue, glibly cutting off a presentation of that issue to point to an only tangentially related Groupon deal, what visitors to Groupon's website learn is that in fact the company is offering matching donations up to $100,000 to each of the four organizations mocked.

Here are the ads, presented with their "donate now" buttons on Groupon's website.

http://savethemoney.groupon.com/

Personally I was shocked and horrified by the one we watched as a household last night while discussing the ads (and before we knew about the charitable side of the campaign). Reading a little deeper I learned the back story.

So my question is, does knowing that Groupon is also raising money for the issues being mocked make the ads more okay? Do they still cross the line in a way that's unacceptable (if they did initially for you?) Are they cleverly, slyly mocking our own tendencies toward shallow consumption to shock us into action, as has been suggested by supporters? Are they making intelligent commentary on how we spend our energy and money, and saying that, yes, even I who purport to support all of these causes, do, in fact, get psyched by a good deal at a local restaurant... and that that's actually fine as long as I'm *also* helping to support those causes? Or are they just too cynical, too glib, too mean? Do they miss the mark entirely? And, again, does their matching funds campaigns mitigate or alter your feelings about this? Does the apparent strategy of "shocking the blogosphere into discovering for them/our selves the charitable drive" read as a brilliant move to focus more on the charity? or as a "too clever by half" maneuver that deflects too much of the the attention from the causes to the company?

Did you know about these ads before now? Did you also know about the matching funds campaign? How likely are you to contribute to these causes through Groupon's "deals" (thus compelling Groupon to contribute more in matching funds)?

My friend Yani Batteau is playing tonight at Johnny D's from 8 to 9pm. Then her twin brother, Brook Batteau goes on after her. It should make for a pretty awesome night.

If you're in the Davis area you could go out to a rockin' show without having to drive anywhere in the snow!

The City of Boston's awesome Roll It Forward program has gotten even sweeter!

It starts off pretty great in that they collect neglected used bikes, repair them, and then pass them on—along with a helmet and bicycle safety instruction from Bikes Not Bombs—to Boston residents of all ages (not just kids, so they need any size bikes).

If you donate a bike you get a free jersey, and now they've just added a raffle: one lucky donor will get a free powdercoat package from Geekhouse bikes. I wish I had a spare bike to donate!

If you have a bike (or bikes) you're not using, check out their description of what they want/do not want.

And spread the word...

       o__
      _.>/ _
____(_)_\(_)____________

( And it's going like this: )

Hey People Who Know Stuff About Stuff,

You know that stuff they make mouse-pads out of? The black foam rubber stuff? What is it? I need to buy a sheet of it, maybe two, about 30" x 60" x 1/4" thick. I googled for "mouse pad foam rubber" and followed some various leads, and realized that Amazon sells industrial materials in short quantities... but there sure are a lot of variations on the theme. I don't need it to be an *exact* match, but pretty close, and I don't really know what I'm looking at when I read the descriptions.

Anyone actually know stuff about that stuff?

I want to use it instead of the very heavy and very expensive thick felt pads used in printmaking.


thanks!

ETA: If it's neoprene, that's just too expensive for what I want to use it for. What's like that in flexibility, strength, resiliency, (and maybe also non-marking?), but lacking some other important quality, so therefore not so expensive? More thanks!

I'll be down at Arisia for Friday only. What awesome thing should I not miss?

I'll definitely be going to the Art Show. I hope to make it down to the con to hear infinitehotel's reading.

I'd like to make the Josh Simpson talk.
Any films, music, parties, etc. on Friday I shouldn't miss?

Lashed together two 8' PVC pipes, with a t-fitting "handle" on the end, then went outside and knocked snow off the branches threatening to take out the household internetz &c. Having spend 30 minutes wiping, knocking, and pushing branches around to clear our own wires, figured "what the heck" and went up my street looking for cables my neighbors seemed in imminent danger of losing and cleared those, too.

Some serious pruning needs to happen in my neighborhood, but hopefully this will get us through the week.


Things I haven't done yet today: any of my work.

ps. I am now incredibly impressed with urban cable-system engineers. I mean, those things are strong and are strung in such a way to take incredible amounts of expansion and contraction across seasons, and a huge amount of snow-loads. If we do lose power or connectivity, I will still be impressed that so many communities haven't.

pps. Have you notice that there's a fuck of a lot of snow out there?

(like a Roll-Call only different...)

Who all is going to shake their booties at The Bohemian Bacchanalia tonight and/or tomorrow night?

I was planning to go tonight, but I've been sick the last couple days and need at least one more night of crazy amounts of sleep before I feel up for the OMG-Awesome Awesomeness that this show will be. I'm hoping to be up for it tomorrow night, though.

So! Are you going to be there? The last show at Oberon with ENSMB and assorted circus guild, burlesque, and other outrageousness was one of the high-points of my entertainment year. Seriously. I left feeling so lightened of spirit that I rather feel like this show should be covered under any decent mental-health insurance policy.

By all means you should go tonight if you can, but if you go to both nights, or you can't make tonight but can make tomorrow, I hope to see you there!

Who's in?

Buy tickets in advance for only $15! https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/8628065

Yay Warshak v US!
[copied from inkedandkinked to spread the good news]

In a landmark decision issued today in the criminal appeal of U.S. v. Warshak, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the government must have a search warrant before it can secretly seize and search emails stored by email service providers. Closely tracking arguments made by EFF in its amicus brief, the court found that email users have the same reasonable expectation of privacy in their stored email as they do in their phone calls and postal mail.


Given the fundamental similarities between email and traditional forms of communication [like postal mail and telephone calls], it would defy common sense to afford emails lesser Fourth Amendment protection.... It follows that email requires strong protection under the Fourth Amendment; otherwise the Fourth Amendment would prove an ineffective guardian of private communication, an essential purpose it has long been recognized to serve.... [T]he police may not storm the post office and intercept a letter, and they are likewise forbidden from using the phone system to make a clandestine recording of a telephone call--unless they get a warrant, that is. It only stands to reason that, if government agents compel an ISP to surrender the contents of a subscriber's emails, those agents have thereby conducted a Fourth Amendment search, which necessitates compliance with the warrant requirement....





See https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/breaking-news-eff-victory-appeals-court-holds

I am intrigued by an idea of "false flow" that was raised in a friend's LJ today. No, not as in menstrual issues, but as in mental issues around work and productivity.
( mental flow and the semblance there-of )

Which brings me full-circle to the internet having provided me with an incredibly useful idea about how the internet is not always useful. All things in moderation... especially moderation! :)

I'm delighted to read all the commentary on my previous post regarding the "Shop Local" proclamations that are being made this holiday season. The many voices are teasing out some of the complicated issues that have been swirling around in my head, and in many cases voicing them better than I've been able to, or such that I can think about them in a new light. Thank you. If you are interested in the questions and issues raised, that post is the place to comment.

This post is more tongue-in-cheek, and mostly just for fun, though you have the potential the win the Whole Wide Internet if you succeed:

OK! New Challenge: Summarize a sophisticated approach for nuanced and sensitive navigation of the local and global economies. Your sound-bite should educate and elucidate as well as provide a clear mandate.

It should also fit on a bumper sticker using 40 characters or fewer. Ready... set... Speak!

Shop Local? It sounds good to me, but, wait?

I live in a community where there is nearly universal access to health care, schools, clean water (though many of my neighbors choose to spurn it for bottled water anyway), and numerous public assistance programs. Though clearly there are still those in dire need in my community, I still find myself wondering: if I focus my dollars primarily on my local economy, am I turning my back on the global community? Am I playing in to nationalistic, provincial biases of caring for "us" and ignoring "them," when "they," the workers in developing nations, rely on exports to wealthier countries for their very survival? Do I perpetuate a system of global economic injustice by ignoring those whom we exploit for our raw materials for our "local" economy? Is my local community any more deserving than the global community? Are we the ones in most need?

I'm feeling a little queasy about the current fervor for plaid-washing that keeps my first-world prosperity close at hand, keeps me focused on the difficulties of my local economic conditions and hides from me the bigger picture. What about supporting and developing the markets and distribution conduits for independent artists and craftspeople from Haiti, Guatemala, Zimbabwe and around the world whom I can't see?

Discuss?

(Contradictory opinions and ideas welcome! Just keep it civil, please; trolls and flames deleted and banned)

palmwiz: (looking at some kids across the street) That's a whole pack of what looks to be Storm Troopers.

me: Aren't they a little short to be Storm Troopers?


Of course, palmwiz points out that they're also probably too young to get the joke.

What follows is a rant.

This is not a rant about fatist remarks and fatism, but rather a rant about well meaning, but horribly mistaken defenders and apologists of fat people purportedly against those prejudices.

The catalyst was an article written by some irrelevant bigot in some worthless rag of a magazine. I didn't read the article and I don't care what the author has to say, except in how it was quoted. What I care about is how certain responses to this kind of writing will always perpetuate the behaviors and attitudes they are intending to stop.

( what's wrong with talking about fitness levels, medical conditions, and genetic predispositions: )

For the last two months I have been deeply, although quietly, obsessed with following news of the Chilean Miners at Copiapó.

And now I, like dbang (and, in fact thanks to her pointer) am completely RAPT with watching the live coverage of the rescue operation.

Kitties: , more kitties: , and all about the (a). crazy, (b). awesome, or (c). all of the above ? cat man himself: on the Caboodle Ranch website.

In brief:
I was renting a two bedroom condo by the beach with my son. It had all the comforts and conveniences of home. Nice furniture, a short walk to the beach and close to work. Then my son moved out on his own for the first time. He left his cat, Pepper, with me ... I didn't like cats but I agreed to keep him. I wasn't used to being alone and I guess Pepper wasn't either. We slowly began to get along. A couple months went by and I found out Pepper was pregnant. Oh great, now what? She had five kittens. I wanted to give them away because I didn't want my beautiful home destroyed, but my son told me they had to stay with their mother for 8 weeks. ... it wasn't long before the kittens were swinging from my curtains. I didn't care. Something had changed... I didn't want to give them up.

[25 acres and hundreds of cats later...]

...I no longer have any of my old furniture; material items aren't important to me any more. My cats have made me happier than I've ever been. They truly are the best friends I've ever had.

Caboodle Ranch is now a permanent sanctuary for cats who have been kicked around by heartless people... Cats should be able to roam free, and at Caboodle Ranch, that's what they do. We are in the middle of 100 acres of wildlife. The cats follow me through the nature trails that I put in and maintain, they climb in tree forts that I've built and hide in underground dens I've dug for them.
All cats have been spayed or neutered, all shots are kept up to date and I keep regular visits to the vet for each of them. ...

Start with an incredibly complicated OMG! The Sky Will Come Crashing Down Upon My Professional Career! Problem.

Add two nights of decent sleep.
Let rest; Do not shake, stir, or agitate.

Yield: One incredibly simple, Oh. Right, duh. Solution.

719.57 miles by bicycle.

346.36 miles across six days from Boston to Montreal, with an average rolling speed of 12.5mph. Four full days of riding, two half days.

Three days and four nights in Montreal (including 16.65 miles of random riding around while there).

356.56 miles across six days from Montreal to Boston, with an average rolling speed of 13.1mph. Three full days of riding, three half days.

Countless breath-taking scenes of river valleys, waterfalls, mountain vistas, covered bridges, villages, plains, farms, cows, sheep, horses, hawks, herons, chipmunks, and one very out-of-place catfish. Thousands of feet of slow, difficult climbing, and about the same amount of screaming down the other side of the mountain at un-recommended speeds. Some social-visits with folks we don't get to see enough. A lot of time just the two of us on deserted rural roads.

Some sore parts, some chafed bits, but mostly a whole lot of feeling really, really awesome.

Fifteen full days of what might very likely be the best vacation palmwiz and I have ever taken together.

And now, we're home. Yay!!

Fixed the dns-thingie. [$REALNAME].com is back up and fine again.

Dear World.

Apparently sometime in the last 24 hours, my domain, [$REALNAME].com disappeared from the world. I have not received any email there and won't until it's fixed (hopefully soon!). If you have my gmail address use that in the mean time.

ETA: dns thingie fixed. should propagate quickly and then work again. longer-term fix to the problem sometime next week when I get back to Boston.

Inman Oasis has drop the temp of their fiberglass tub to a 86deg "Cool Tub" today.

Cool Tub Days
On some of those sweltering summer days, we will be turning our fiberglass tub down to an 86 degree cool tub. (While that may still seem warm, any prolonged soak in a body of water that's lower in temperature than your own body will cool it down slightly. Plus we want you to be comfortable, not freezing!) It will work just like the community tub and you can go back and forth between the 104 degree hot tub and the 86 degree cool tub. Want to know when the tub will be turned down? Then you have to follow us on Twitter or Facebook and we'll let you know that day!

Today is sort of a holiday, and I'm taking it as a sort of day off. I'm spending it doing ax sharpening of the non-glamorous, and also non-strenuous variety.

Which means I'm working at my computer, but don't need to be in an environment where I can color-calibrate or use my stylus and tablet. Which, today, means I'm sitting on the back porch with my laptop, wearing shorts and my bathing suit top. Every once in a while I look up from the screen and see the gorgeous colors of the sun filtering through the summer leaves, and the perfect, perfect blue sky. It's quiet today; I hear the light breeze rustling through the branches. the world outside of the shiny screen in front of me has infinite depth and beauty.

So this is my reminder, to myself and to my friends:

Look up!

both literally and figuratively. There is so much more to the world than what we're looking at right now.

A friend of mine recently pointed me toward Rebecca Puhl, and recommended I google her; so I did.

I found "Stigma and Discrimination in Weight Management and Obesity," Brownell, Pohl, 2003 to be particularly interesting reading, and thought some of you might share my interest. I believe I read a NYT article about their work not long after it initially came out, but had never gone back and found the source.

We have been studying bias and discrimination in obesity for four years and have found striking results. Clear discrimination against overweight people has been documented in three areas: education, health care, and employment. The reason for this appears to be very strong anti-fat attitudes. For example, 28% of teachers in one study1 said that becoming obese is the worst thing that can happen to a person; 24% of nurses said they are 'repulsed' by obese persons; and, controlling for income and grades, parents provide less college support for their overweight children than for their thin children. [emphasis mine]

...
It is important to note that the stigma of obesity is somewhat unique from that of other marginalized groups, in that obese people internalize societal anti-fat and pro-thin biases. Obese people agree with society's assessment that an imperfect body represents an imperfect person.

I feel as if I would be remiss as a friend if I were to fail to recommend Exit Through the Gift Shop, a Banksy film. I'd hate for someone to see it years from now and reproach me with "Why didn't you tell me?!"

I mean, I know it might be a bit of a hard sell for some people: "Oh you have to see this documentary about what accidentally happened to and in the art world when this guy kind of starts to make a documentary about street art!" For some folks that's it—you're hooked and all I need to do it point you toward the Kendall or your local art-house cinema, and you're there. For others... well, I wouldn't expect everyone to even keep reading this LJ-entry this long; it's just not their thing.

But for that ever-desired undecided group out there, if your interest is a little piqued, but you're not sure... ? I recommend this film to anyone who likes to poke around mentally around the edges of ideas and to many who are finding their way through a life in the arts, and to anyone who sometimes thinks about art as an abstract idea.

What is art? What isn't? What does it take to make a person "an artist?" What's necessary? what's sufficient? What does commercial success mean in the art world? Or popular success? And in street-art specificially, Who the hell is Banksy, and how does he pay for his huge space and all his projects?!?! Don't expect that last one to be answered, but for me it made an interesting background question in considering all the rest of the film.

The movie begins with Banksy (back lit, face hidden in a hoodie, voice digitally altered) saying "The film's a story of what happens when this guy tried to make a documentary about me; but he was actually a lot more interesting than I am so uh, now the film is kinda about him."

It's not true that the guy is more interesting than Banksy, in my opinion, but it is true that the dynamic between Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and the film-maker makes far more of a thoughful movie than I think would have happened with a straight-up documentary. I've heard a rule that a documentary film-maker should not interfere with or alter the course of the subjects... but that says nothing about how the subjects might alter the documenter.

For me it has passed into the eschelon of favorite documentaries about artists, and possibly of favorite documentaries at all. If you see go see Exit Through the Gift Shop, I would be very interested to hear or read what you think.

It looks nice and sunny out and I'm out commuting on my bike today. But I just checked the weather and think I'll go home and swap it for the car. Here, let me share:

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of

northern Connecticut
much of Massachusetts
southern and western Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
coastal waters

Effective this Thursday afternoon and evening from 105 PM until
800 PM EDT.

Hail to 1.5 inches in diameter... thunderstorm wind gusts to 70
mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas.

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch area is approximately along and 100
statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles northeast of
Mount Washington New Hampshire to 25 miles south southwest of New
Bedford Massachusetts. For a complete depiction of the watch see
the associated watch outline update (wous64 kwns wou7).

Remember... a Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally
do produce tornadoes.