Impossible is nothing

Wind Piece I

Take a Maple Leaf.

Release it to the wind.

Take your body. 

Release it in the wind

Go find the leaf.

2008 Fall

Coffee

Random thought of the day: coffee doesn't affect me. I drank a tripple Americano the other day and then went home and took a nap. Now, I don't know how many of you are affected by coffee. But, for those of you who are, I'm green with envy. If only, if only the beverage some call "the elixir of life" would pick me up, spin me around, and send me flying towards productivity. Alas, tired I shall remain. 

I suppose, then, I could move on to more potent forms of energy solvents. Rockstar? Redbull?The "Ten Hour Pick Me Up" one? Which is best?

And, isn't it interesting that today's times brings on this wave of drink which negates sleeping. It's interesting to see the changing times. I wonder if in ten years from now we'll be reading academic journals full of data stating the misjudgment of the FDA to make said energy beverages legal. Perhaps they haven't found out anything wrong with them for now...but down the road, when we're walking zombies barely able to raise the cans to our mouths for lack of sleep, I guarantee a recall. Until then, bring on the high!

Much Can Be Said In Three Lines

Novel #1: No Place for Palin

"Alaskans saw a meaner Sarah Palin." "She can sort of redeem herself by going back to where she was." "To many Alaskans, that's not what they wanted." 

The Seattle Times, "A changed Palin returns to a changed Alaska A7

Novel #2: Changing Times: Get on Board Already, America

New ban on gay marriage. Turmoil and legal confusion over who should have the right to wed. I just don't know. 

The Seattle Times "Hundreds Protest Gay-Marriage Ban" A4

Novel #3: Say What, P.I.?

Illegal sex for hire. Provide a working phone number and pay a fee using a valid credit card. pimps and prostitutes. 

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer "Craigslist Sex Ads Reined In" A13

And one more for good measure (and because it's fun!)

Novel #4: The Over-dramatization of Football

Shadows crept across the field. They knew too well the task ahead of them. "There's nothing else right now that matters"

The New York Times "A Record Rout, But Little Time To Enjoy It"

Hands down the most fun I've had blogging this quarter. I would attribute this to the fact that I didn't have to actually come up with any of my own ideas, or original thought. I was able to just simply arrange the sentence structure of others' musings, in hopes of creating a satirical look at the news. 

My novels are definitely shorter in length. All news should be done in three lines. It would save time. "Palin heads home. Gay Marriage Made Illegal...again. Predators on Craigslist. Jets Won." That's basically the gyst of it. Now you don't have to read the Newspaper this Sunday. You're welcome. 

Good Ol' Andy

After reading Andy Warhol's The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again), I began pondering his section on beauty. It struck a chord - and not only because I had just been in the bathroom diagnosing my pores. 

I find his stories on beauty and self-evaluation to be genuine and real - as well as highly entertaining. Throughout his text, and specifically in this section, I find his writing style and insights mirror his art: real, simple, and yet philosophical in their own right. 

I find this line to be an extremely honest approach to how human naturally behave: In regards to temporary beauty flaws which, according to Warhol, we should air - saying that we're working on them, and things wont, in essence, always be this bad - he writes, "If they really do like you for yourself, they'll be willing to use their imagination of what you must look like without your temporary beauty problems" (65). He doesn't mention them accepting you for who you are and that beauty isn't the most important thing, as some authors do. But, rather, he says if you're liked, they'll be willing to look past your temporary flaw until you're able to fix it. Hilarious. 

And, very true. Beauty DOES matter. A person, by looking good, will find individual's around them respond better. They'll be more receptive. This can be true when flashing a smile, smelling nice, or putting on a pair of earrings. It's humanistic. We, as humans, are naturally attracted to beautiful things. It would defy nature to say everyone has equal opportunity in this regard. Although, having a beautiful mind can set an individual apart from the rest - in a different, more distinct way - beauty is something we're born with - there's no rhyme and no reason, and it certainly isn't far - but, there it is. 

What I find most interesting about beauty, however, he doesn't touch on: how and why people define beauty. Everyone's definition will be slightly different. And, is there anything or anyone that is universally beautiful? 

Since I'm in the IAS program, and its emphasis is on interdisciplinary studies, I think I ought to reference a text I'm reading in BIS 380: Art and Its Context - which touches on beauty as well. Alberti, in his text entitled On Painting, discusses beauty's definition as dealing with proper shading - thus nothing with dark or very light angles. As well as having proper symmetry. Thus, beautiful people will be those who have proportional features, as well as no jutting lines of point on their faces or bodies. It is ironic that Warhol, who embodies unfortunate, unsymmetrical features riddled throughout his face, has decided to dedicate his life to art - and the beauty he finds within it. 

What I do find most beautiful about Andy Warhol is his ability to relay interesting tid-bits of knowledge in a genuine manner. It seems, just like Breton did, that he is writing as random thoughts flow into his head about any given subject. It feels natural. And yet, he is conveying a deeper message. Taking what had been intellectual, deep, researched, and heavy concepts and fitting them into the everyday thoughts that we, as rational humans, ponder as well. He is thus, allowing for philosophical thoughts to fit into his everyday musings. He is the ultimate, natural, everyday thinker. And, that is, in itself, beautiful. 

Speaking of beauty: check out my transformation into Oprah below :)

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

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