8501. wonkers2 - 11/14/2007 7:37:08 AM
Only in San Francisco, home of Jexter. Shut Up Little Man Anybody else heard the CD? It's a riot.
8502. wonkers2 - 11/15/2007 9:01:18 AM
Jex's buddy Gavin didn't make Salon's 26 sexiest men alive list
8503. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/18/2007 3:51:49 PM
8504. wonkers2 - 11/18/2007 7:28:15 PM
The Wiz should try it. It has real possibilities!
8505. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/18/2007 10:19:56 PM
I will try it . . . with Viagra . . . so I can do murals!
8506. wonkers2 - 11/18/2007 10:48:44 PM
With Viagra, you'll be able to do more than paint!
8507. David Ehrenstein - 12/2/2007 9:41:48 AM
Oh Henry, you SLUT!:
"A theme of "The Young Master" is that James -- far from being passive and erotically neutral -- was an active homosexual and not a closeted one. He was, writes Novick in the new book's preface, "an active and engaged man, passionate and energetic, for whom relationships were the ground of life and the subject of his art." And much of "The Mature Master" describes those relationships with a series of "handsome" fellows -- an adjective Novick uses rather too often and rather too suggestively. Instead of the austere, solitary figure portrayed by Edel, we have this portrait of the artist as a flirtatious old man."
8508. wonkers2 - 12/3/2007 10:20:36 AM
500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art
8509. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/3/2007 10:29:50 AM
FAB!
8510. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/3/2007 10:39:27 AM
The review AND the women!
8511. wabbit - 12/3/2007 12:18:54 PM
This nice person went through and ID'd all the portraits.
8512. wonkers2 - 12/3/2007 1:27:49 PM
Tnx, wabbit!
8513. wonkers2 - 12/3/2007 8:42:15 PM
A bit of American artistic,political and economic history
8514. David Ehrenstein - 12/6/2007 2:28:13 PM
Bill goes ballistic over the Grammys
8515. wonkers2 - 12/6/2007 3:12:37 PM
8516. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2007 3:53:22 PM
For a wonderful read about Prince and the poseurs who infest the NY art scene, check out the latest issue of The New republic.
If you want a flavor of his work, try this:
How the Art World Lost Its Mind to Money - Laissez-Faire Aesthetics
8517. wonkers2 - 12/6/2007 4:45:32 PM
Interesting. Thanks. I guess art is whatever sells.
8518. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2007 5:37:32 PM
I guess art is whatever sells.
True and authentic art is a visual language with a long and complex history. The world is inundated now with a morass of commercial junk that passes for it because it takes genuine education to recognize it– most people don't have the time or the inclination to learn to see the difference between the two. The avant garde has become the derrière garde and rich fools want to be seen as cultured collectors.
Sorry–you got me started!
8519. concerned - 12/6/2007 5:55:04 PM
It seems to me that, with the exception of utilitarian art, artists appear to abhor repeating the modes and styles of expression previously used in art, and with modern day society's extensive means of documenting and categorizing art, not only is it becoming increasingly hard to come up with truly original art concepts but artists are very aware of that & I think it tends to inhibit them.
Just a non-artist's uninformed opinion.
8520. David Ehrenstein - 12/6/2007 6:27:35 PM
I think to a large degree you're right.
8521. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2007 7:06:38 PM
It's a valid conclusion connie, but any genuine artistic discipline, like painting, literature, film, music, dance, etc., has infinite possibilities for an the artist with original vision. And there's the rub, because it takes decades to develop and refine one's unique way of expressing their soul.
The problem is that most young "artists" today are undisciplined and lazy. It's easier to scheme about how to get maximum attention with a shocking gesture that short-circuits the thinking of the easily fooled general public, than to actually learn a discipline and compete with the masters of the particular medium--be they living or dead.
8522. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/7/2007 11:32:54 PM
Nobody care!
8523. wonkers2 - 12/9/2007 9:35:11 PM
Merle Hazard's "H-E-D-G-E" and "In the Hamptons"
8524. wonkers2 - 12/20/2007 11:45:35 AM
8525. judithathome - 12/20/2007 11:49:37 PM
What mall is that?
8526. wonkers2 - 12/21/2007 8:50:46 AM
The "Somerset Collection" in Troy, Michigan, incredibly a suburb of Detroit which, as you know, is in a major recession with unemployment the highest in the country. I wonder where all the money is coming from.
8527. jexster - 1/11/2008 1:59:26 PM
I saw one of the concerts on this tour back in 1970 or 71ish
Means I saw this...damn am I old...boy was I wasted!!!
8528. alistairConnor - 1/11/2008 5:03:15 PM
Re-post from politics thread, it will hang around longer here.
Hey Jex... also Arky, Robt, Con, Wonk... mzzNo... Judith! David!
I have a girlfriend who is a street theatre artist, she is planning a visit to the USA to coincide with the presidential elections. She is creating a new one-woman show, Madame Orange (she has previously done Rose, Madame Lejaune, etc...)
Her stuff is intensely, but not overtly, political. She is becoming something of a big shot in her milieu, lots of international festivals and stuff.
Anyway, I will be trying to herd her to this site, to get her up to speed, and perhaps a few useful contacts... she wants to visit "unlikely" locations. She has occasionally been arrested during performances, so good contact with the local authorities is a definite plus.
8529. wonkers2 - 1/11/2008 5:05:59 PM
If she comes to Detroit, The Cap'n'll take care of her every need.
8530. alistairConnor - 1/11/2008 6:59:26 PM
Thank you Wonk... I will warn her about the Cap'n.
8531. Ms. No - 1/12/2008 4:34:55 AM
I don't think I have any "ins" with the local authorities, but I've certainly got a futon she's welcome to crash on and I can show her the best coffee and bars in Sacramento as well as hook her up with some local artists.
8532. Ms. No - 1/12/2008 4:43:21 AM
I know you have to get busking liscenses for street venues in LA and probably for San Francisco as well. I don't know what the ordinances are for Sacramento, but I could probably find out. I tend to think they aren't very strict here.
I know that for Santa Monica and Venice Beach (in SoCal) they have a lot of regulars who apply, but I think it's on a first come first served basis. There are rules in Santa Monica about how far you must be from other performers and certain businesses as well as public facilities and you also have to move around every half hour or so. You don't have to move in Venice or on the Strip --- or at least I don't think so since there are people who've been performing in the exact same spots for 20 years.
All of that information should be available online or via email inquiry once she figures out where exactly she's wanting to perform.
8533. judithathome - 1/12/2008 9:11:45 AM
Alistair, she would probably get more exposure in Dallas so I'll mention to Jen to read here...in my city, we rarely have street theatre, just bands at festivals. And the festivals are usuallly in summer. However, I think people do street theatre in Dallas in this one area, Deep Ellum...but Jen would know more about that than I.
One date that is huge here in Fort Worth is the Main Street festival...it's in April and they close down Main Street for 4 days. All of the downtown part, anyhow. As many as 600,000 people show up. It's a vetted art show, with artists from all over the country selling their wares from booths. She might be able to enter as a "strolling artist" or something. I can put her in touch with the committee but as to police, I only have influence with our little village force. ;-)
However, she could call on us if she ended up in the slammer...ha!
8534. judithathome - 1/12/2008 9:14:47 AM
Here's a link and it DOES mention street performers and performance art!
Main Street Fort Worth
8535. wonkers2 - 1/12/2008 10:20:09 AM
Seriously, Alistaire, Mr. & Mrs. W2 would be happy to host your friend at our home in Birmingham should she choose to come to Michigan. (We'll chain the Cap'n to the wall in the basement for the duration of her visit.)
8536. Jenerator - 1/12/2008 8:44:56 PM
Alastair,
"Deep Ellum" is one of the downtown areas that people hang out, eat and go to clubs and performances. "Uptown" (the upperscale part of downtown Dallas) also has a ton of areas where artists take their goods. There are many galleries, bistros, parks, etc. SMU is a good spot for politics and it's close to downtown (it's the average University in that all of the local business cater to the college crowd). SMU is an affluent institution and the community surrounding it is funky, ecclectic, college-y, and/or EXTREMELY rich. Not necessarily conservative, either.
Keep in my mind that all of the suburbs have successful performing arts centers with patrons!
Frisco
McKinney
Plano
Garland
Addison
Lewisville
Also the University of North Texas is in Denton (North of Dallas) and is a major liberal arts college with one of the top rated music programs in the world. Supposedly it's better than Julliard. It also has a very active political climate and the students are interested in all kinds of performances.
Good luck to your girlfriend. When you get more of a specific itinerary, let me know!
Here are just a few websites that I hope can help.
http://www.artsofcollincounty.org/
http://www.dallascityhall.com/community/community.html
http://www.deepellumtx.com/main.html
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/PlanoCentre/
http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/Home/Departments/Recreation+and+Cultural+Services/Garland+Arts/
8537. wonkers2 - 1/18/2008 1:11:56 PM
Irving Penn's Extraordinary Portrait Photographs
8538. wonkers2 - 1/19/2008 8:53:06 PM
A Stroll Around the Mall as We Enter a Recession
8539. wonkers2 - 1/25/2008 3:59:27 PM
Simone de Beauvoir, La Scandaleuse, tout ensemble, photo by Art Shay in Chicago
8540. wonkers2 - 1/25/2008 5:08:07 PM
The photo of Simone was taken in 1950 in Chicago where she was romancing Nelson Algren. Here's another photo of Simone which was used for a French postage stamp. The French apparently have great appreciation of beautiful and brainy women than we do in the U.S. And a greater tolerance for the extra-curricular activities of their politicians! Simone
8541. alistairConnor - 1/25/2008 5:26:45 PM
I heard Claude Lanzmann (the Shoah man) on the radio the other day, on the occasion of Beauvoir's centenary. Although he was her lover for several years, he claimed he was never aware of her lesbianism... hmmm...
8542. David Ehrenstein - 1/25/2008 6:41:23 PM
My favorite couple in the whole damned world are going to sing a duet!
8543. David Ehrenstein - 1/25/2008 6:42:41 PM
8544. judithathome - 2/6/2008 4:28:57 PM
Last night, we watched Stéphane Grappelli: A Life In The Jazz Century and it was so impressive, afterward I went to Amazon and ordered a copy of it.
If you are interested in the history of jazz in the least, you need to see ths movie. Grappelli was a "jazz violinist" and his career spanned the 20th century from the midteens to the late 90s. There are scenes of the jazz greats in Europe and America, at the inception of what was later called JAZZ..and interviews with various performers. Grappelli was amazing; he played with all the greats and this documentary is worth it if only for the clips of him playing with the great jazz guitarist Django Rheinhardt. (I think they may have been an "item".)
Fabulous music and the interviews are wonderful.
8545. David Ehrenstein - 2/10/2008 4:38:19 PM
8546. wonkers2 - 2/10/2008 5:32:50 PM
Alistaire, I have never heard that Simone de Beauvoir was a lesbian, an early feminist and women's libber, yes but not a lesbian. Wikipedia mentions her many lovers, Sartre and Nelson Algren and others, all men. No mention of her being a lesbian. Aparently she was masculine (as well as very beautiful)in the sense of her independence (I don't believe she was ever married) and her pursuit of mathematics and philosophy at a time when these were mostly the domain of men. (I'm no expert on de Beauvoir, and I will defer to you on the subject.)
8547. David Ehrenstein - 2/11/2008 8:59:46 PM
8548. SnowOwl - 2/12/2008 4:30:28 AM
Judith, Stefan Grappelli toured here some years ago. My daughters were avid fans, even though they were just schoolkids, so they went to see him. He must have been an old man then, but they came home absolutely entranced.
8549. thoughtful - 2/12/2008 8:54:14 AM
The only think I know about her is one of my favorite quotes: There are 2 kinds of people in the world. There are human beings and there are women. And when women start acting like human beings, they're often accused of acting like men.
8550. judithathome - 2/12/2008 9:51:25 AM
Snow, I'm certain they would love that DVD then...it's on Amazon and costs enough that shipping is free. Well, inside the USA so that might not apply for you.
But I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone who is a fan...and if you're not a fan at the beginning of it, you soon will be!
8551. wonkers2 - 2/12/2008 10:15:37 PM
Iris Dement Gets It On With John Prine
8552. David Ehrenstein - 2/14/2008 1:05:00 PM
More of the Lee Wiley documentary.
8553. David Ehrenstein - 2/15/2008 12:22:19 PM
Plan 9 From Motown! Y'all have simply GOT to download this.
8554. alistairConnor - 2/15/2008 5:17:48 PM
Lordy David she is special!
Is she dead? (Otherwise I would feel guilty about having downloaded it)
(but why not put it on a bit torrent like anyone else?)
8555. David Ehrenstein - 2/18/2008 1:44:08 PM
8556. David Ehrenstein - 2/18/2008 5:16:13 PM
Paula Greer is still with us and occasionally makes live appearances in Detroit. Mostly for charity fund-raising events.
8557. David Ehrenstein - 2/26/2008 12:40:08 PM
8558. wonkers2 - 4/2/2008 4:49:28 PM
8559. David Ehrenstein - 4/7/2008 9:38:25 PM
8560. alistairconnor - 4/13/2008 12:38:43 PM
My friend the street theatre artist is in the middle of a cultural shitstorm...
She arrives to do her show "Kristin" in the small town of Cuers... this is in the Deep South, near Toulon. The town had an active avant-garde arts program... then came the municipal elections, and the new mayor, hard-right, is determined to put a stop to all this nonsense.
But he didn't cancel the show, which had been programmed by the former mayor. The artist spray-paints half a dozen sentences on the street, using temporary paint. This is a regular part of her shows. She demonstrates that the paint is indeed removable...
... but during the show, the municipal services turn up and cover up her texts with tar. Then afterwards, the mayor sends the cops to her dressing room, to charge her with vandalism... And insult to the flag too (during the show, dressed as a marching girl, she dances on the French flag)
8561. anomie - 4/14/2008 10:03:42 AM
I like to think of Europe as being more liberal and enlightened than this. I mean the artist went so far as to use washable paint. That's more than fair.
8562. alistairconnor - 4/14/2008 10:12:16 AM
Just remember, folks, if you want to see this sort of mayhem in a town near you... The artist is planning a US tour for later this year!
8563. anomie - 4/14/2008 11:52:15 AM
Tell her to put Vegas on the itinerary. If she gets arrested, she might rub elbows with OJ.
8564. wabbit - 5/8/2008 5:14:26 PM
I don't know about everyone else, but I get asked "what kind of music do you like" a lot. My standard answer is boring...I like just about everything, with a couple exceptions. I cannot abide country music from the late 1960's-early 1970's. It's just way too whiny and all that "Stand By Your Man" crap makes my skin crawl. And believe me when I tell you I know whereof I speak; whenever my father was around it was all I heard as a kid.
Not that he had no musical taste - he still adores anything Benny Goodman, and I learned of Ben Colder (think country music's Weird Al a decade or more earlier - Fifteen Beers Ago is pure genius) because of an album he bought in one of the Dakota's. But pretty much anything not big band or country escaped him entirely.
This morning, one of his favorites died. Eddy Arnold, just days shy of 90 years old, died at a care facility near Nashville. His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died in March, and in the same month, Arnold fell outside his home, injuring his hip. He had many hit songs, but one of my favorites was Come Live with Me and Be My Love.
RIP Eddy Arnold.
8565. wabbit - 5/8/2008 5:57:01 PM
Not meaning to be a tease, let me tell you a bit about Ben Colder. He is Sheb Wooley's alter ego...yes, that Sheb Wooley, of Purple People Eater fame. Sheb was in many movies as well.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Ben Colder. It helps to know the original country hits he parodized (if that isn't a real word, it should be). Fifteen Years Ago was a #1 hit in 1970 for Conway Twitty, and then Ben got hold of it and recorded Fifteen Beers Ago - an improvement, imho. Fifteen Beers Ago is the only song anyone could ever get me to sing in a karaoke bar. Trust me when I say that is a blessing to all.
8566. David Ehrenstein - 5/10/2008 1:49:42 PM
8567. concerned - 5/12/2008 9:34:04 PM
Recently, when I practice on drums, my cat hangs around to listen. Hey, I guess that must be progress.
Btw, I've starting to be able to drum Motorhead's 'Overkill' kick line with a single kick drum. Of course, I'm not hitting it too loudly, but I'm keeping up:) I'm thinking about graduating to a double kick drum set to really kick some ass.
8568. concerned - 5/12/2008 9:35:51 PM
Ooops. 'I'm starting...'
8569. concerned - 5/12/2008 9:39:00 PM
If I get a double kick set, I can work on some awesome double kick 'blasts'.
8570. concerned - 5/12/2008 10:14:51 PM
Re. 8560 -
Well, don't keep us in the dark. What are the content and context of these 'sentences'?
8571. alistairconnor - 5/13/2008 3:14:52 AM
Here is a sample of the scandalous satanic texts :
Kristin, age 52, seeks work.
To live without worrying about one's origins, perhaps it's best to keep dancing.
I revolt, therefore we are.
I'm a redskin, but I'll never march in single file.
Being a marginal means you are subjected to laws that are edicted by someone else who is not subjected to those laws.
Pologies for the poor translation.
8572. David Ehrenstein - 5/13/2008 10:29:24 AM
Robert Rauschenberg is dead. (Though why the AP chooses to call him a "Pop Artist" I'll never know.)
8573. David Ehrenstein - 5/19/2008 8:43:29 AM
8574. anomie - 6/6/2008 3:50:07 PM
Nonfiction Book Recommendation: Down the Nile by Rosemary Mahoney. I checked it out to browse through and ended up reading every word. Mahoney wants to rent a row boat and row down the Nile alone, but must overcome cultural obstacles because of her gender. Along the way she observes aspects of daily life in Egypt and recounts some interesting tidbits related to Egyption travel through the 19th and 20th centuries. (I never knew Egyptions did so much pot smoking and beer drinking.) Reads like butter.
8575. concerned - 6/7/2008 12:05:14 AM
Btw, 'A Hot Day in Harlem' by the Rimshots has the funkiest drums I've heard on any recording. I've been doing variations of it as a practice drum track for years.
8576. concerned - 6/19/2008 9:55:48 PM
Speaking of drumming, when I practiced this evening, my cat came up to me five times to be petted or to rub up against my leg - while I was drumming or during breaks while I was seated at the drum set. She also actually listened to me drum from a distance of less than 15 feet right in front of the drums for at least a third of the time.
This is fairly typical when I practice. Considering how loud drums are, I'm a bit surprised. Maybe my cat just likes rock and roll drumming:)
8577. Wombat - 6/20/2008 9:00:25 AM
I am reminded of a lecture my professor was giving on the calming influence of music on animals. He noted that cats responded better to jazz than to classical music. Someone in the back piped up: "they were probably black cats!"
8578. arkymalarky - 6/20/2008 10:20:13 AM
Maybe she thought you were purring. Were you playing the snare a lot?
8579. concerned - 6/24/2008 10:32:38 PM
Re. 8578 -
A fair amount. Of course, she may be coming up to me to try to get me to pay attention to her instead of drumming:)
8580. wonkers2 - 6/29/2008 3:01:26 PM
Jacques Brel, Shirley Bassey, Nina Simone
8581. jexster - 7/1/2008 3:58:15 PM
My sister in law's sister
All Honor and Glory to the Bird of Tejas
AUSTIN, Texas — The First Lady whose beautification work in the nation's capital is in bloom today will be honored at the United States Botanic Garden in a free summer exhibit created by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
"A Clear Vision" will run May 24 through Oct. 13, and is the first exhibit at the Washington D.C. garden's recently completed First Ladies Water Garden. The Lady Bird Johnson exhibit will be part of the Botanic Garden's Summer 2008 exhibit, "One Planet — Ours!," focused on sustainable approaches to living. This exhibit near the U.S. Capitol grounds is expected to draw 300,000 visitors.
...
"A Clear Vision," designed by Leslie Ernst of The University of Texas at Austin Office of Public Affairs, is funded partly by a grant from university President William Powers Jr. The regional native plant displays were developed by horticultural staff led by Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the Wildflower Center's horticulture director.
This video from DC's NBC4 on One Planet, One Earth exhibit
8582. jexster - 7/1/2008 4:16:08 PM
Water Disk, Bird of Tejas Fountain
8583. jexster - 7/1/2008 4:17:50 PM
Leslie said "I did my best to channel Mrs. J.."
I tole her, if she's around me and feels that channel opening up, she'd best slam it shut with beta blockers
I ain't no fan of the Birds of Tejas
8584. wonkers2 - 7/2/2008 3:13:11 PM
Nina Simone or Shirley Bassey?
8585. jexster - 7/2/2008 3:35:31 PM
Huh?
They gonna take away your health plan too when GM goes belly up?
I'd have a doctor check you out there wonkers
8586. David Ehrenstein - 7/3/2008 12:09:15 PM
8587. David Ehrenstein - 7/7/2008 7:03:17 AM
8588. wabbit - 7/7/2008 4:11:47 PM
From NY Magazine: Artist Joshua Allen Harris Turns Garbage Bags Into World's Greatest Balloon Animals
I miss NYC.
8589. concerned - 7/9/2008 8:44:05 PM
I was practicing drums again this evening and starting to work on some kick drum modulation and tightening up some bridge passages when my biggest fankitty, after coming by about four times for some petting while I was playing, actually parked herself under my floor tom right next to the kick while I was playing full blast.
I had to quit after that, because:
a) It's got to be fucking loud where she was sitting (I wear hearing protection when I practice on the drums).
b) she might get bored and move away. I'd prefer to quit while I'm ahead under the circumstances:)
c) she might do something dumb and get pinched by the kick pedal if the stuck her paw there, or something else unexpected, since this was the first time she ever tried listening effectively from the middle of the drum kit itself.
Guess she's just liking the shit I play. Btw, I checked how fast I was drumming. I am still using a single kick, and drum occasional eighth notes in groups of two to four at speeds of up to 600-700 beats per minute at that speed. However, I can't maintain full volume at that speed with eighth notes like I can get with quarter notes or slower.
Not too slow for some 6' 6" 53 year old white bread who wears size 13s.
8590. wabbit - 7/10/2008 7:36:50 AM
concerned, your drum session posts are a great read. If you have a video camera, you and your fankitty could be stars on YouTube.
8591. Ms. No - 7/10/2008 10:55:13 AM
Wonk,
I'm a Nina fan all the way. She didn't have a pretty voice and had a hard time holding long notes true, but I can feel every word she sings. There's just so much soul in what she sings.
8592. wonkers2 - 7/10/2008 2:11:57 PM
Agreed. I haven't heard her recently except on the video, but I remember well when she appeared on the scene.
8593. David Ehrenstein - 7/17/2008 10:03:30 AM
Jo Stafford died. She was 90.
Her renditions of "You Belong To Me" and "Daydream" are engraved on my soul.
Here she is with Rosemary Clooney
She and her husband, musician Paul Weston, are also famous as "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards."
8594. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/19/2008 8:08:13 PM
Well my work has made it on to another book cover . . . for the afflicted!
8595. wabbit - 7/20/2008 4:36:12 PM
How cool is that?!!
8596. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/20/2008 6:26:02 PM
Thanks wabb–I'm excited because it's published by the Oxford University Press, which will mean extensive distribution and big media reviews.
8597. wonkers2 - 7/21/2008 7:33:34 AM
Congrats, Wiz! Way to go!
8598. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/21/2008 9:47:38 AM
Thanks wonk, serendipity is king!
8599. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/21/2008 10:55:13 AM
I forgot this one for James Salter . . . did I post this before? Brain cells are dyin' by the minute!
8600. alistairconnor - 7/23/2008 9:04:49 AM
So, my friend Caroline (Princesses Peluches) is planning her US tour for October. The month preceding the election, to be precise.
The plan is to take her situationist/feminist/leftist street theatre on the campaign trail. Her husband is a press photographer, and should be able to get a press card. They need to plan to be in the right places at the right time... to catch the essence of the campaign, and to get close to Obama, if they can.
Who can explain how the campaign works over the final months? Are there any set pieces that can be planned for? They really need to decide on 3 or 4 places to go to.
8601. Ms. No - 7/23/2008 11:59:22 AM
There's probably an itinerary of sorts at the Obama website, but I don't know how far out it will go or how specific it will be.
Seems to me that D.C. is a must-do, but after that I'm out of ideas unless she wants to stake out campaign headquarters or something.
8602. David Ehrenstein - 7/23/2008 5:35:05 PM
NPH will be chatting online at the Washington Post tomorrow. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS NOW!
8603. anomie - 8/5/2008 5:57:27 PM
Ms No. Do you know of Imogen Heap? Another amazing talent I recently learned about. I'm wearing out here CD in the car, and she has some fascinating vids on Youtube.
8604. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/5/2008 6:51:01 PM
Charming--utterly charming-TAA!
8605. wonkers2 - 8/6/2008 4:56:49 AM
Nice! And The Cap'n sez, "And she's a looker, too!"
8606. wonkers2 - 8/13/2008 5:59:16 AM
8607. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/13/2008 7:56:15 AM
8608. wonkers2 - 8/13/2008 8:14:33 AM
Thanks, wiz. I enjoyed the clever if treacly video. I've got to learn how to post images and videos instead of just links. I guess I'm too dumb to follow the Mote's HTML image instructions.
8609. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/13/2008 8:28:37 AM
Compassion always trumps technology, wonk--thank YOU for sharing the beauty.
8610. anomie - 8/15/2008 10:03:03 PM
Wonks, I had no idea how to post a youtube vid. I copied the youtube link and pasted it here, thinking it would show up as text, but lo and behold, the video box showed up - see above post # 8603.
8611. marjoribanks - 8/16/2008 3:18:08 AM
Wonk,
Just go to the page with the youtube video you want to link, and cut out the HTML string that's in the box marked "embed".
Altered so I can post it, the string looks a lot like this:
TESTobject width="425" height="344"param name="movie" value="htt://www.youtube.com/v/k_QAPjtO2cA&hl=en&fs=1">
8612. marjoribanks - 8/16/2008 3:31:18 AM
I like the painting in that book cover, Wiz. So subtle, and rich. It's interesting (and oddly, the first time that I'm properly considering it) to think that this extremely painterly artist also makes blunt, brutal, totally (and effectively) in-your-face editorial images.
8613. wonkers2 - 8/16/2008 8:50:45 AM
Thanks, 'banks, I'll give it a try when I have a bit more time.
8614. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/16/2008 8:55:41 AM
Kind of you marj--thanks!
I've been dancing with a watercolor brush of late and trying to conjure up the solace of the Tuscan sun . . .
8615. wabbit - 8/16/2008 9:09:52 AM
wow, those are beautiful! I love that cloudy day thing you do with the light.
8616. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/16/2008 9:10:47 AM
Castello di Montarrenti
8617. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/16/2008 9:17:29 AM
Thanks wabb--the water stains bring it all back somehow and it's like being in a trance. You can see the ridge behind the castle that shows where the watercolor's view was.
8618. wonkers2 - 8/17/2008 3:38:33 PM
Beautiful water colors, Wiz.
8619. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/17/2008 4:57:01 PM
Thanks wonk!
They seem to be painting themselves. They're just water stains on a piece of paper and so much fun to do when you don't take them seriously.
I remember reading somewhere a quote about artists. Something to the effect of: To be a painter at twenty is to be twenty; to be a painter at fifty is to be a painter.
8620. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/19/2008 3:41:53 PM
8621. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/19/2008 4:00:33 PM
Batman!
8622. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/19/2008 4:43:03 PM
8623. anomie - 8/20/2008 6:34:41 PM
Wiz, I love your work. You've said they are not watercolors I believe, but whatever they are, I like em.
8624. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 9:33:05 AM
Thanks anomie, I appreciate the response and these last few are watercolors . . . on various type papers.
8625. wabbit - 8/21/2008 10:19:53 AM
Love the cat!
8626. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 2:58:20 PM
Thanks! Miss Hiss/Squeakypuss is gettin' on. Of late, she may have a bladder or kidney problem . . . or hopefully, just a UTI.
Wabb- FYI Department: A big Morandi show at The Met (NYC) in September.
8627. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 3:17:15 PM
Did you hear??? --- Morandi!!!
I'm still waiting for a definitive essay on his work. No one with words( IMO) has ever done justice to his humble and cryptic vision.
8628. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 4:04:26 PM
Works on paper -- the process . . .
. . . 
. . . From doddle sketch to watercolor . . .
. . . 
. . . to monoprint . . .
. . . 
8629. judithathome - 8/21/2008 4:08:13 PM
They're all wonderful but my fave is the monoprint. Of this batch, anyhow...and the cat!
In this last one, I adore the reflective quality of the water.
8630. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 4:16:02 PM
Oh thanks, Judith. I couldn't part with that print for the very same reasons. I was most grateful that it didn't sell in the show.
I'm trying to expand my "oeuvre," as they say, and trying to make the commonplace uncommon is one of the last hurdles of an artist--a representational artist, I should probably say.
8631. judithathome - 8/21/2008 4:40:42 PM
Well, you accomplish that with every stroke of the brush, in my opinion.
8632. wabbit - 8/21/2008 5:06:27 PM
Oooh, Morandi, one of my faves, I'll come to NYC for that. I'll want to see the African Textile exhibit as well. And I cannot miss the horse exhibit at AMNH. Maybe we can hook up for lunch on one of these trips? I'm working on getting to the Met to see Turner before it closes, but have to work around my mother's impending ankle surgery, round deux.
That monoprint is wonderful — JaH is right about the water, and that small bit of red… well, it's lovely.
8633. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 6:49:39 PM
How sweet, thank you both.
Every good wish wrt Mom's surgery.
I made a pilgrimage to London to see as many Turners, Constables and Auerbachs as I could, but the one object that blew me away was Turner's death mask at The Tate.
This is one from the National Portrait Gallery, but the Tate's was better. It was a lot funkier and maybe made by a different person.
8634. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 6:59:45 PM
I just checked and the image of Turner is the cast I saw at the Tate so I guess it's the lighting that tames it somewhat.
My latest obcession is to go to Scotland on a pilgrimage to se the Scotish Colorists--especially S. J Peploe and F.C Cadell
8635. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/21/2008 8:00:56 PM
More Peploes . . .
8636. judithathome - 8/22/2008 8:11:29 AM
Wow...not exactly what I think of when I imagine Scots colorists!
8637. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/22/2008 8:45:33 AM
They all studied in France and were influenced by the Impressionists and the Fauves, Judith.
I love the way they condense so much into a few colored strokes ala Van Gogh and Matisse--believe me, it's not as simple as it looks.
If you're interested in seeing more, you'll need to Google "Scottish Colourists" with a "u."
8638. judithathome - 8/22/2008 1:20:31 PM
Thanks...I'll certainly do that!
8639. anomie - 8/23/2008 9:38:08 AM
Using this big screen computer I can say it's worth looking at your work on something other than a small laptop screen, Wiz. The colors are spectacular on this screen.
8640. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/23/2008 11:10:57 AM
Thanks again anomie, I actually did more work on the two larger Montarrenti WC's so they no longer look like that. I'll replace them when I can to show the (hopefully) improvements. It really helps to see anything on a large color-calibrated screen.
8641. anomie - 8/24/2008 9:51:32 AM
Wiz, how can I view, select, and purchase your prints?
8642. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/24/2008 10:54:15 AM
Anomie- Thanks for the ultimate compliment. You can find available "Prints" here. Pass your cursor over each thumbnail to give you a larger version and the print info. The watercolors aren't available yet because they are for a museum show next year. But if you'd like to contact me to discuss what you're particularly interested in as well as your budget considerations, I'm sure that I could accommodate you most satisfactorily.
wizardofwhimsy@Yahoo.com [I'll give you my private email from there.]
8643. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 8/25/2008 10:10:45 AM
8644. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/6/2008 10:21:06 AM
This video is such a treat . . .
Nick Miller - Truckscapes
8645. wonkers2 - 9/7/2008 8:30:00 PM
Nice. Some of your pictures remind me of Hopper, one of my favorite American artists.
8646. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/7/2008 9:37:48 PM
Thanks wonk, I love Hopper's watercolors.
8647. Jenerator - 9/8/2008 7:07:00 AM
Keira Knightley this weekend in Toronto.
8648. judithathome - 9/8/2008 7:37:54 AM
Very 1920s, when flappers would bind their breasts so their chests would look flat.
8649. wabbit - 9/8/2008 7:04:03 PM
Saw JMW Turner at the Met this past Friday. I'm a big fan of Turner, so I enjoyed the show immensely. I'd seen many of the paintings in the UK, but to see them all together was quite something. I especially love his watercolors and late paintings, and they had a few "unfinished" pieces which allow you to see the process. Very interesting and informative.
Will have to make the trip again to see Morandi, and I also want to see The Horse exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Yes, I was one of those girls. Still am.
The other good news (for me, anyway) was the Bolt Bus. I can get from Boston to NYC for the day and not spend more than about $70 RT including a cheap lunch. Not that I'm a huge fan of buses, but if I don't have to drive down, pay for gas, tolls and parking, then drive home, I'm there! If I wanted to drag my laptop along, I could plug it in to the back of the seat in front of me, which several passengers were doing. What was most interesting was that there doesn't seem to be a set route for the driver. The trip down was completely different from the trip back. Near as I can tell, the driver is free to go however he/she knows, and as long as the departure and arrival times work, nobody cares what the route details are.
8650. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/8/2008 10:28:34 PM
Nutz--I wish Bolt Bus would stop in Hartford.
There are three Morandi lectures associated with the show. I've read the Wilkin book and wasn't impressed, but the other two seem promising to me.
8651. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/8/2008 10:33:11 PM
Thanks for The Horse heads up. My niece is one of them too.
8652. judithathome - 9/8/2008 11:30:45 PM
So am I!
8653. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/9/2008 3:59:38 PM
Nuttin's prettier that a nice butt on a nicely butted horse! [ Well, maybe a sunset on a mountain top or a sunny day at the beach or . . . or a brilliant painting . . . or . . .]
8654. thoughtful - 9/12/2008 1:57:44 PM
A sample of my cousin's work.
He used to do a lot of portraiture with the surreal bent, but he had trouble getting people to buy his art. He has since found success and happiness in a new medium....tats:
8655. anomie - 9/12/2008 6:58:37 PM
Very cool "tats" too. It took me a minute...
8656. anomie - 9/12/2008 6:59:30 PM
File under crafts, or the cousin with a camera:
8657. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:00:56 PM
Great location: 
8658. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:02:32 PM
Prettier than the picture: 
8659. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:04:04 PM
Enough Photoshop skills to be dangerous: 
8660. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:05:12 PM
8661. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:06:47 PM
Kiss and pose: 
8662. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:08:22 PM
8663. anomie - 9/12/2008 7:09:25 PM
8664. David Ehrenstein - 9/13/2008 7:17:40 AM
8665. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/13/2008 8:16:05 AM
Charming! [Photos & Link]
8666. thoughtful - 9/15/2008 4:10:41 PM
Nice pics...i esp like 8660...
8667. anomie - 9/16/2008 12:23:04 PM
Thanks!
8668. wonkers2 - 9/16/2008 12:30:59 PM
Great pictures, Anomie. One of these days I'm going to get the amateur version of Photoshop.
8669. anomie - 9/16/2008 2:48:18 PM
Wonks, I stopped upgrading at Version 6. I just use "Elements" now, and it does more than I need. Best 75 bucks you'll spend.
8670. David Ehrenstein - 9/20/2008 10:58:19 PM
8671. wonkers2 - 9/21/2008 6:39:22 AM
She looks pretty good for 87.
8672. wonkers2 - 9/21/2008 6:42:11 AM
Thanks, Anomie. You aren't the first person who's told me to get "Elements." I use Google' "Picasa" which does nearly everything I want, but perhaps not as well as "Elements," and I'm sure I could do a lot more with "Elements" than with Picasa.
8673. Jenerator - 9/21/2008 6:47:55 AM
Adobe will let you try CS3 for a month.
8674. wonkers2 - 9/22/2008 7:49:37 PM
Faces in the Crowd at the Peoples' Art Festival
8675. anomie - 9/22/2008 7:55:16 PM
Looks like a nice place to walk around. Artistic ability and talent always amazes me. I can't imagine being able to draw or paint anything.
8676. judithathome - 9/22/2008 8:40:31 PM
Anomie, love the wedding pics...of course, you had two wonderful models to work with! ;-)
8677. anomie - 9/22/2008 9:10:39 PM
Thanks, Judith. And yes, I was very lucky. Plus they obeyed instantly. Ha!
8678. David Ehrenstein - 10/10/2008 3:51:12 PM
8679. alistairConnor - 10/12/2008 2:48:30 PM
The Great O! cultural tour is on...
My friends Caroline, the street theatre artist and Raphael, photographer, will be spending the last couple of weeks of the election campaign shadowing the candidates. Obama in particular.
So, here's the project as it stands. I'm hoping you people can provide advice and criticism.
I am a bit worried that we will have difficulty getting in touch with people who are sympathetic to the project. People who are actively involved with campaigning for Obama are likely to find the thing frivolous at best, and we are also aware that the immense popularity of Obama outside the US is more of a handicap than an advantage for him. I'm hoping that things may relax a bit as a big Obama victory becomes more and more likely; and that people may be more open to the project as a result.
The interest for the election in Europe is huge : as an indication, Raphael has been unable to find any commissions as a press photographer to follow Obama, because the US is already crawling with French photographers. On the positive side, C& R have funding from both Foreign Affairs and the city of Paris; Raphael's photos will be projected on walls in Paris during their trip. BUT he will not have actual press credentials.
Getting tickets for campaign events : as far as I can tell, these are handed out by the local campaign offices to their best activists. I'm guessing that they will need to contact local offices and get lucky?
They are planning to head for the US on Wednesday 22nd October, and stay until a couple of days after the election.
In the event that, as I suspect, the campaigns set up their schedules on very short notice, I'm thinking that the following strategy might be best :
Fly to somewhere in the midwest (Ohio?) and get ready to drive. My rationale is that the candidates will be spending the most time in the "tipping point states" (I've been following this concept on fivethirtyeight.com for a while).
With 24 or 48 hours' notice, they could cover a pretty wide radius : Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, will necessarily get some close attention from the candidates in the last two weeks of the campaign.
They intend to end up on election day in Chicago, on the principle that Obama will go there to vote and that it will be a big event (are we right on that?)
8680. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/13/2008 1:01:11 PM
David, you may find this photography resource link
interesting.
[And I'll bet wonkers will feel the same way, fwiw!]
8681. wabbit - 10/14/2008 12:45:52 PM
I thought I'd take a stab at embedding a flash video that didn't have an embed tag. It seems to be ok, but just in case, the direct link is http://www.sonnyradio.com/swanlake_0001.swf
What wonderful choreography! Makes me wish Cirque du Soleil would do Swan Lake.
8682. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/14/2008 1:23:03 PM
WOW!
8683. anomie - 10/14/2008 2:19:24 PM
Wow, yes. Amazing and beautiful.
8684. David Ehrenstein - 10/14/2008 5:18:29 PM
Wow that photo link is great! Thanks.
8685. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/14/2008 5:19:44 PM
Thought you'd like it.
8686. wonkers2 - 10/14/2008 8:06:45 PM
Yeah, thanks for the link to the Louvre photos.
8687. wonkers2 - 10/14/2008 8:11:07 PM
And to Wabbit for the dance video. Nice. Those are the biggest frogs I've ever seen!
8688. anomie - 10/19/2008 5:43:59 PM
I'm gonna attempt to link a couple of the youtube wedding videos I did. Watch if you like. I'm proud of some of the editing although I'm well aware of the flaws and amateur nature of the whole enterprise. (For you copyright lawyers, I'm not making any money on these and I already got an okay to use the "Groovy" song.)
8689. anomie - 10/19/2008 5:46:56 PM
Intro:
8690. anomie - 10/19/2008 5:49:19 PM
Day before the wedding:
8691. anomie - 10/19/2008 5:51:18 PM
Bride getting ready:
8692. anomie - 10/19/2008 5:59:54 PM
I won't bore you with ten minutes of straight ceremony, so we'll skip to the after shots with video inserts. In any case, the video portions were done by two novice volunteers I forced into it. And I know it's very hard to hold a camera steady, but we made the best of it.
8693. anomie - 10/19/2008 6:33:05 PM
After party...
8694. wonkers2 - 10/19/2008 6:46:48 PM
Nice job! Are they relatives? Children? Friends?
8695. anomie - 10/19/2008 7:03:09 PM
Thanks, Wonk. The bride is my first cousin once removed. Daughter of my first cousin who was at times like a sister when we were kids.
8696. alistairconnor - 10/24/2008 8:02:42 AM
My girlfriend Caroline was seen with Barack Obama, yesterday in Indianapolis.
Photos to follow...
8697. David Ehrenstein - 10/27/2008 1:30:12 PM
8698. David Ehrenstein - 11/4/2008 1:07:51 PM
8699. wabbit - 11/5/2008 8:26:32 PM
R.I.P. Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton, the author of the blockbuster science-fiction novels “Jurassic Park,” “The Andromeda Strain” and “State of Fear,” has died. He was 66.
I remember reading “The Andromeda Strain” when I was ten years old. I still have the first edition stored somewhere. It was my introduction to the Rand Corporation (memories of pseudoerasmus being traded for a halibut), the Odd Man Hypothesis (which, though fictional, made a certain amount of sense to me), classified government science, the idea of first contact, and the problems and possibilities of genetic mutation. All its flaws aside, it was still exciting and fascinating. The 1971 film, currently running on Comcast cable, gave me a certain confidence as an awkward pre-teen geek girl. You don't see women who look like Kate Reid in starring roles anymore.
Bon voyage, Michael Crichton.
8700. wonkers2 - 11/7/2008 9:37:53 AM
R.I.P. John Leonard. Obits are one of the NYT's strong suits. John Leonard
8701. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/7/2008 5:05:48 PM
This is finally in stock at Amazon--for those of you with a penchant for melancholy, madness & addiction . . .
8702. wabbit - 11/7/2008 6:54:30 PM
A Mind Apart: Poems of Melancholy, Madness, and Addiction
8703. judithathome - 11/13/2008 10:28:50 AM
Tonight we're going to a cello performance by a Japanese cellist and to see Japanese dancing and have Japanese "snacks"...it's taking place at this gorgeous chapel built by E. Fay Jones which can be seen HERE.
The chapel was built on the grounds of the Lena Pope Home, the orphanage that was the basis for the Greer Garson movie Blossoms In The Dust. A local philanthrophist, Marty Leonard, paid to have Jones build this chapel...it's beautiful and very much influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The event is being sponsored by the Sister Cities program, of which Keoni is a member...a sort of cultural exchange organization. Lord knows what Fort Worth is sending to our sister city in Japan! Probably a country western band with line dancing and TexMex fajitas....
8704. wonkers2 - 11/14/2008 2:32:33 PM
R.I.P. Tuba Man, Edward Scott McMichael
8705. judithathome - 11/15/2008 11:41:29 AM
The evening of the Japanese Sister City event was wonderful...it wasn't a cello, it was a viola and violin and Keoni and I were both moved to tears when the young lady played "Sakura", the Japanese national anthem...I had only ever heard orchestral renditions of that piece and to hear it so exquisitely played on a single violin was too, too beautiful for words.
Afterward, we went to compliment the dancers and musicians and they were astonished to hear an American speaking their language so fluently. The 10 year old girl who danced the first dance was speechless...you could see in her face that she knew she was understanding Keoni but couldn't quite figure out how...ha! In Japan, you speak in a different way to different age groups and Keoni spoke to her as an adult Japanese would speak. It was so cute to see her reaction...
We had expected the "refreshments" to be Japanese but intead, it was a catered affair with poached salmon and grilled asparagus and a wonderful fruit salad...I asked the caterer if the punch contained pineapple juice and she said "Yes....oh my God...Judith!! and Keoni!!" and she hugged us and we realized it was a lady we'd met years ago at a party so we had a little mini-reunion on the spot.
Then, after the event, we went by our favorite Italian restaurant and ran into a couple we haven't seen in months and they had a gallon jug of red wine and asked us to join them...we spent two hours talking and drinking.
Absolutely fantastic evening!
8706. wonkers2 - 11/16/2008 11:44:27 AM
8707. wonkers2 - 11/16/2008 9:11:42 PM
Just finished watching MSNBC's show on the Jonestown suicide/massacre. Quite well done. Fascinating and horrible story.
8708. judithathome - 11/18/2008 7:01:32 PM
We're about to leave for the Big Band concert at TCU tonight...Keoni just told me I look "classy and beautiful" tonight.
Must be the Cote Du Rhone we had with dinner...
;-)
8709. David Ehrenstein - 11/30/2008 11:02:59 AM
Latest FaBlog: Fait Diver -- Hutch
8710. wonkers2 - 11/30/2008 12:28:37 PM
Fascinating story, David.
8711. David Ehrenstein - 11/30/2008 5:12:46 PM
Isn't it the living end?
8712. wonkers2 - 11/30/2008 7:02:24 PM
Afghan Girl with Green Eyes and w2's new granddaughter, Nora
8713. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/30/2008 8:43:39 PM
Congrats & Kudos, Grandpa!!!
8714. David Ehrenstein - 12/5/2008 9:01:39 AM
The NYT Loves Liza -- even though she can no longer sing.
8715. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/5/2008 6:24:42 PM
. . . -- even though she can no longer sing.
No matter, she has given birth to countless female impersonators who can sing!
8716. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:28:05 AM
Wonkers, how old is Nora...who's a cutie, by the way. I spent some quality time with my great-granddaughter Dakota on Thanksgiving Day. She will be 4 months old on Monday.
They look remarkabley alike!
8717. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:29:45 AM
Here she is with her granddaddy, my son...who looks better without that "chaw" of dip in his cheek.
8718. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:32:34 AM
I wish I'd moved the camera a bit to include all of the picture of her other great-granny...who unfortunately died four years ago. She would have outshone me as doting great-grandma, I'm sure...she was a beautiful soul.
8719. wonkers2 - 12/6/2008 11:14:46 AM
Judith, Nora is nearly 2 months old. She's quite alert and smiles occasionally but she's a calm and not a fussy baby. A good combination. Your great-granddaughter is a beautiful baby.
8720. judithathome - 12/6/2008 11:44:47 AM
Thanks! She's doing that loud gibberish right now...where they imitate talking and seem so pleased with what they're "saying". ;-)
8721. magoseph - 12/9/2008 4:57:24 AM
Stolen from RI: 21 accents.
8722. wonkers2 - 12/9/2008 5:32:35 PM
Nice teeth!
8723. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/9/2008 8:35:26 PM
An optical illusion. Squares A and B are the same color.
8724. JJBiener - 12/9/2008 10:41:01 PM
Wiz - Please explain how A and B are the same color. B is in shadow and appears lighter in color than A which is not in shadow. What kind of optical illusion can do this?
8725. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/10/2008 9:50:55 AM
The optical illusion comes about through what is called simultaneous contrast of light and dark. (The light or dark, some times termed brightness, is called "value.") So you need to see it in terms of "value" not "color." The cast shadow from the green cylinder darkens all of the squares and the darker squares adjacent to "B" make it seem lighter--however it is the exact same value as "A" but because "A" is adjacent to lighter squares and the white background, "A" seems much lighter by contrast.
Here is a less confusing example that uses the same contrast principle. Note how the values change on the dots when you look at it directly and indirectly. The cones in you eyes are fooled because they work by means of contrasting light.
This one uses color and both center squares are the exact same value, but note how they appear darker or lighter because of the adjacent color field that surrounds them.
8727. anomie - 12/17/2008 10:40:15 AM
Wiz, I did not believe they were the same shade. I would have bet 10 dollars against it. Just for kicks, I copied and pasted a bit of each square in PS and compared the shades. I would have lost 10 dollars.
8728. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/17/2008 11:51:20 AM
It makes you wonder about the many illusions in existence that we never question.
As a wise man once said, anomie:
Life is a journey from the illusions of certainty to the certainty of illusions.
8729. anomie - 12/17/2008 12:04:43 PM
Indeed, the older I get, the less I know, and the wiser I am for it. For instance, ten dollars wasn't much to wager. Ha!
8730. David Ehrenstein - 12/25/2008 2:16:35 PM
Latest FaBlog: A Jewish Tailor's Son
8731. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/25/2008 3:43:50 PM
A good ethical man!
8732. David Ehrenstein - 12/25/2008 4:01:38 PM
Indeed. I'm sorry there aren't more clips from The Servant on You Tube. Pinter appears in the famous restaurant scene and his line deliver is the epitome of razor-sharp elegant wit.
8733. wonkers2 - 12/25/2008 5:12:43 PM
8734. wonkers2 - 12/25/2008 5:14:09 PM
8735. David Ehrenstein - 12/25/2008 5:58:35 PM
Orson Welles called her "The most xciting woman in the world."
8736. David Ehrenstein - 12/25/2008 8:41:57 PM
8737. alistairconnor - 12/26/2008 3:11:11 AM
Harold Pinter is dead
A presence who had accompanied me throughout my adult life.
His Nobel acceptance speech from 2005 bears re-reading.
8738. David Ehrenstein - 12/26/2008 4:54:40 PM
Lates tFaBlog: Fait Diver -- Darkness at the Edge of Bruce.
8739. wonkers2 - 12/30/2008 11:26:00 PM
8740. David Ehrenstein - 1/1/2009 9:45:16 AM
8741. wonkers2 - 1/1/2009 11:21:14 AM
Nice video. Interesting story. Jero Wiki
8742. David Ehrenstein - 1/1/2009 1:57:17 PM
8743. wonkers2 - 1/2/2009 10:40:23 AM
The country would benefit if there were more "blended families."