Borderline Shy/Wild

Microsoft: The Retail Store

2009-02-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

MICROSOFT TO OPEN OWN RETAIL STORES

At Cornish, most of the design department uses Macs except for a few of us lowly interior design students who have PCs. So a lot of my time is spent in full-on Mactopia. But as pretty as Macs are to look at, I've never found them to offer any significant advantages to Windows PCs. They have some things that are nicer (sleek design, um... and I'm sure there is more) and some that aren't (I'm not a fan of their operating systems and they always feel slower to me). I also recently traded in my iPod for a Zune and I've been really happy with that decision so far.

Since my partner is a diehard Microsoft fan (and employee) I've got a slightly more inside perspective on the "software giant" and easy access to their products. Although I like a lot of their stuff (Zune, arc mouse, Office 2007, even Vista), on the advertising front Microsoft as a brand always appears to be clunky compared to Apple. So I'm curious to see what they do with this new foray into operating a retail store.

A lot of the comments on the article I linked to were negative, but I don't necessarily think it would be an automatic failure. My advice would be to really think about the overall concept for the look and feel of the stores and products that will be sold there. Apple's success comes as much from their products as their commitment to a consistent design aesthetic, whether in their iPod nano or their retail stores. Both of these things offer a similar experience. Microsoft has been all over the place and even though the company is around thirty years old at this point, it still doesn't have a strong brand identity in the public sector.

Will they orient it around the X-box? The software? The Zune? The keyboards and mice they offer? I'm curious to see how this will turn out.

Meatloaf Valentine

2009-02-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

Bryn made a Valentine's Day meatloaf with red food coloring so it would look "pink" and candy sprinkles on top. Although he makes really tasty meatloaf (and this one was no exception) it was still rather creepy. Like when Heinz made green ketchup.

I'd gotten him a book as his gift and decorated the bag for it at a friend's "Valentine's Craft Party" earlier this week. So that's what the second picture is.

Self Portrait Sick Day

2009-02-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to go to the State Capitol to lobby for the current interior design legislation but I've come down with something and thought it would smarter not to go. It is annoying because I'm not throwing up or have a high temperature, but I feel generally crummy and have no appetite (which is how I KNOW that I'm sick).

So in an attempt to still get something done today I was working on making a self-portrait. Originally I was only going to make one and use it for two things, but I did the watercolor one first and didn't like it so well, which prompted me to do another one with color pencil. Of course now I think I like the watercolor one better, but whatever.

One of them will be mailed to the Eiteljorg Museum for their Facing West exhibit. Anyone can make a self-portrait for this and I thought it would be fun to do. (If you want to participate, more info here. You should totally do it!) Or maybe I'll send them both efforts.

The other thing making me do self-portraits was more important. Had to come up with one for the Worldstudio/AIGA Scholarship I'm applying for. I'll probably use the watercolor one for that, even if I don't have long hair anymore.

They were pretty easy, and I totally cheated and based them on photographs of myself. But it was fun to do and a nice break from designing things to actually making things.

Whales

2009-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Haven't felt much like blogging lately. In the absence of anything to write about I figured I would throw up some thoughts and facts about whales. Because I can.

Wouldn't it be cool to go swimming with a whale?

Blue whales (pictured above) are the current largest living animals and quite possibly the largest animals to live on Earth ever! There also used to be an estimated 200,000 to 350,000 Blue Whales before they started to be hunted in the early 1900s. Now there are about 8,000 to 14,000 Blue Whales worldwide.

As much as whale songs have gotten a bad rap by being added to "new age" music, they are actually pretty interesting.

Whales have "spindle cells" which are a type of brain cell related to intelligence found only (also) in humans and certain primates. Hmmmm.

Beluga Whales are pretty! And the few I've seen in person (whaleson?) seemed very friendly too.

Personally, I think that a high degree of curiousity is a sign of intelligence. It makes sense then that dolphins and whales are considered likely candidates of high intelligence.

Whales rule!

Dolphins are cool too, as long as they aren't put on t-shirts in a cheesy way. Same goes for whales. *Shudder* at art by Wyland!

Enfoodle!!!

2009-01-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Saw this today at Kobo on Capitol Hill. (The title is "Enfoodle.") LOVED IT! It is by Bellevue artist Ken Taya.

A cool riff on Andy Warhol's soup cans with a Japanese flair.

The nice thing about prints is that they tend to be fairly affordable. This one was 11" x 14" and only $40 unframed (edition of 100).

MS built a better mouse(trap).

2009-01-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

Bryn surprised me today with a random gift. Of course, it also just happens to be a Microsoft product he picked up at the MS Company Store. But I really liked what he got!

Meet the "Arc Mouse." Compact, stylish, and portable. Has a tiny USB dongle that magnetically will attach to the bottom of the mouse when not in use. The curved shape is comfortable (so far) and folds for travel. I have it in red (shown above) but I guess it also comes in black.

I didn't need this at all, but I'm very happy to have it. It has a cool and sleek design that doesn't seem like a rip-off of an Apple product with the dark color and sharp edges (although it will work with Mac OS X v10.2-10.5 in addition to Vista/XP). Plus, the current travel mouse I use still has a retractable cord so this will be a little more convenient.

And did I mention that my current mouse I use with my laptop came with terrible glowing LED lights? I'm really thankful that the Arc won't distract me by changing colors every five seconds or make it look like I'm holding a rave when I work in a dark room.

The Harsher Side of Noguchi

2009-01-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

I really like Isamu Noguchi's work, from his iconic furniture (that really cool coffee table) to his artwork (like the "Black Hole Sun" sculpture at Volunteer Park in Seattle). But I was looking through a book in class today and ran across the above photo. It is a sculpture he made in 1934 and is called "Death (Lynched Figure)."

Definitely the most representational of his work that I've seen. And the most disturbing!

But pretty powerful too.

American Capitalism, Boo

2009-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Whenever Bryn and I get into a discussion about capitalism, we pretty much always end up on opposite sides. I know that he is very pro-capitalism and I tend to be more cynical about it. But I guess part of the problem seems to be that he is usually talking about how capitalism is intended to work and I'm talking about what is actually happening, which isn't really capitalism at all.

Anyhow, I just ran across a really good article by Eliot Spitzer (yes, THAT Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced ex-governor of New York) on Slate. He talks about GM for instance and how it specifically chose not to act competitively over the past 30+ years, resulting in the current mess that GM is in when it actually has a need to compete with foreign auto companies.

The real problem, according to Spitzer, is that we keep supplying protection from needed changes. And this is something that I would say can apply to a huge corporation or to a single individual.

Inaugurated

2009-01-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

When I got in the car this morning on my way to school I turned the radio on and realized that the inauguration was being broadcast live. After a few moments it became apparent that it was Pastor Rick Warren giving the invocation. I turned the radio off. But when I got to school our class ended up watching Obama be sworn in and his speech following that.

I'm not usually given to feeling very patriotic but I had to admit it was a powerful moment. Seeing the crowd that had assembled there to watch Obama being sworn in, hearing his (carefully crafted) speech, seeing how emotionally other people in the room I was in were reacting... well, I couldn't help but be aware that, like it or not, as an American citizen I am a part of something larger than myself. I can choose to participate and be responsible or I can choose to work against the system. But I do have the freedom to make those choices and that is something I've always taken for granted.

Today, I'm thankful to be American.

Bloggle.

2009-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Bryn surprised me the other day when he came home carrying a Boggle game. This evening we descended further into the depths of old age by staying home on a Friday night (as per usual) and playing many rousing rounds of Boggle. He spiced things up by brewing up some coffee and adding whipped cream and caramel on top like a poor man's version of a Caramel Machiatto. Although to be fair, he was using some fairly expensive caramel from Fran's Chocolates.

I was supposed to go to an interior design event tonight but after Snotty cancelled due to a home cleaning emergency and I'd had to walk a few blocks to get a copy of a reader for one of my classes from Perfect Copy I decided to stay in. It is freaking cold out there today! I figured I would be too cold to network by the time I parked at school and walked downtown.

At least I unexpectedly kicked Bryn's butt at Boggle. See? I knew all those hours of playing stupid word games at bars would come in handy someday!

Out of the BLUE!

2009-01-14T22:07:00.000-08:00

I got a phone message earlier this week from a half-sister I've never talked to before and finally got around to calling her back tonight. It was cool, but also... weird. She'd also tracked me down on MySpace which I don't check all that frequently anymore so after we'd had a nice conversation I checked out her page.

HOLY F*&@%ING SH*TBALLS! I've always wondered what my biological dad looked like, and there he was, escorting her down the (grassy) aisle in her wedding photos (see example above). It has been quite a night. Needless to say, I got none of my reading done that I needed to for class tomorrow so I have set my alarm to get up at 6am and will hopefully be able to bust through it then.

Semester 6 out of 8

2009-01-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

I was worried about starting school again since I still felt really burned-out after the last semester, but today went really well. My instructors for my "Interior Studio" and "Construction Documents" classes seem really knowledgeable and passionate so I'm sure that I'll learn a lot and have some fun in the process. Tomorrow is my art elective, "Print Art and Social Criticism," which I will be happy with as long as I have a chance to create some monotype prints at some point.

My other class (only taking four this semester!) is an H&S(Humanities and Sciences) elective. I was originally signed up for "Creating a Literary Arts Magazine" but after sitting through the first class last night I realized I had to bail. I could tell that the teacher, who I'm sure is a very nice person, is someone who would have driven me absolutely crazy. She's a hippie/goofy/earthy/PhD/lesbian. I couldn't handle it.

She stated at the beginning of the class that she had conscripted certain people she'd taught before so she knew that she'd be able to trust someone in the class, which seemed like an announcement of blatant favoritism. She also is an adjunct faculty member at Cornish AND at North Seattle Community College, which doesn't exactly inspire me with a great deal of confidence, PhD or not. (My experiences with our H&S department has not left me with a strong opinion of its academic merit.)

There were also a bunch of other design people in the class who seemed interested in running things and I didn't want to deal with any sort of a power struggle. My new class--that I don't even remember what it is called--will probably mean that I have more reading and writing assignments to finish, but at least it will be more structured. Plus this teacher also has a PhD and was a recent core faculty hire, so she isn't part-time at Cornish. (She spent the last six years teaching at a university in Israel.)

Goal for the semester: to become proficient with AutoCAD.

Freedom to speak our minds.

2009-01-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

Having a lot of time to spend reading online articles and their accompanying reader comments over the past few weeks has made me think a lot about personal freedom and the media.

Freedom is, of course, something that most Americans (myself included) take for granted. Bryn and I have been talking about it a lot lately, and often the discussions have become more heated than either he or I would like as we tackle the subject. No matter how free one is to express his or her viewpoint, there is always the freedom of a person at the opposite end of the spectrum, as well as those in between, to express their thoughts too.

This increase in the accesibility that people have to share their thoughts with the world has put us under heightened scrutiny. The importance of mass-media has emphasized the importance of mass-appeal to consumers of products and information. Information is a product nowadays in a way it never has been before.

I suppose my thoughts boiled down to wondering why we, as a society, are so focused in on defining character flaws in other people? There are the obvious examples such as tabloids that pick apart choices made by celebrities, from what they wear, to who they sleep with, to what they eat. Nothing they do is seen as too insignificant to report on. There are also examples like Alexandra Penney, an author who lost her life-savings recently with the arrest of Bernie Maddoff. She isn't exactly a non-public figure, but her series of articles for The Daily Beast titled The Bag Lady Papers sparked a frenzy of comments that offered messages of support or, more often, anger at the fact that she is so publicly lamenting her descent into a middle-class existence. She has every right to be afraid of what is happening in her life just as I have every right to feel jealous of the circumstances that previously allowed her to live a privileged lifestyle. But I see no need to let my jealousy eclipse my compassion as so many others do.

This freedom of being able to access or disseminate information has had some amazing results for humanity. It has allowed, among other things, for discussions to take place across time, distance, and social classes, such as a fascinating group of posts where Slate women were blogging about "sugar daddies" which I was reading this morning; but, it has also given us new forums in which to wallow in negativity and obsess over details that may have no direct impact on our lives. What I find most disturbing about these dissections is the vitriol that seems to be so common.

The saying that "we are our own worst critics" seems to ring true on a collective as well as personal level.

My List of Everything

2009-01-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Too much in my head right now to write a single cohesive blog. Instead, here are things I've been reading/thinking about lately:

1) The picture above is an "organicube" that fits a whole apartment into a 10' x 10' x 10' cube. It does looks pretty cool. But speaking as someone who shares a studio apartment with another adult and two cats, I don't forsee the average American being able to downsize into one of these puppies anytime soon. Really cool concept though. It would be a great "getaway cabin."

2) Just got my grades for last semester which were about what I'd expected. One A- and the rest As. Is it too much to hope for just one semester with a 4.0 GPA? I keep getting thwarted by that stupid "-"!!! I've got three more semesters to try. Really though, I have nothing serious here to complain about. The lowest grade I've gotten since I've been at Cornish was a B+ and I'm on the honor roll. I'm being whiny, I know it.

3) I've been getting more and more fed up with living in the city the past few years. I keep finding myself dreaming of living somewhere very rural. It could be a passing fancy or it might be a sign of a more profound internal change. Either way, this article, How the city hurts your brain... and what you can do about it, in the Boston Globe brought up more issues with city living. Found it via Monica Guzman's Big Blog at the Seattle PI. Oh, and the PI was just put up for sale today. Looks like we're going to have only one daily newspaper in Seattle pretty soon.

4) An article in the NY Times called The Lure of Opulent Desolation was thought provoking in how we tend to view the recent past. Specifically how the 1950s era (late 40s to early 60s) is portrayed in books, television, and movies nowadays.

5) And last a mid-December article in Newsweek by Anna Quindlen titled Stuff is Not Salvation echoes my current personal feelings about consumerism.

Butter Cutter!?!?!?!

2009-01-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of butter, but even I have my limits. Found this "One Click Butter Cutter" via Treehugger. Yikes.

Video Art at the Henry

2009-01-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

Went to the Henry Art Gallery yesterday to check out the current exhibits. There was a cool, small photography exhibit that had been curated by one of my art history teachers, a larger exhibit focusing on the photography of Richard Misrach, and an exhibit featuring four separate video installations.

The Richard Misrach work was pretty fascinating since the show mainly looked at his large scale photographs of people on the beach. But the video installations were what have really stayed on my mind. Guy Ben-Ner's Wild Boy seemed kind of crudely made (it was shot entirely in his home), yet managed to touch on powerful ideas of family and domesticity.

What really blew my mind was the portion of The Rape of the Sabine Women made by Eve Sussman and the Rufus Corporation. The photo above is a view of the installation. I didn't see the whole thing, but what I did see was pretty compelling. I plan on making a trip back to specifically watch the whole thing. It was filmed in Berlin and Greece and is full of richly disturbing visual imagery.

Note: The Henry Art Gallery offers free admission to college students with ID at all times, and free admission to everybody on Thursdays!

Reaping What They Sowed

2009-01-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

In case you think that I've spent too much time recently berating Starbucks for diluting its brand, I'll throw in another example. Yesterday it was announced that the British manufacturer of crystal and china, Waterford Wedgwood, was filing for bankruptcy. Sounds like another case of a company overexpanding in the neverending chase for financial success, only to hit a wall when the market becomes oversaturated and demand falls.

In fact, I'll use another example, that of Krispy Kreme. As an article by Kate Sullivan in CFO Magazine states:

"In its quest for growth, Krispy Kreme also squandered some of its mystique. "They became ubiquitous," says Jonathan Waite, an analyst for KeyBanc Capital Markets in Los Angeles. "Not just in sheer numbers of restaurant units, but also roughly half of their sales started going to grocery stores, gas stations, kiosks. Anywhere that consumers could be found, you could find a Krispy Kreme."

I'd brought up a quote by Issy Sharpe of "trust being a company's emotional capital" previously. This trust needs to be extended to both employees and customers. If a customer chooses a brand based on how it is promoted, only to find out that these claims no longer hold true, then where is the trust? If Wedgwood and Waterford are steeped with British and Irish history, but most of the porcelain is produced in Jakarta and crystal in eastern Europe, then the brand isn't living up to what it has been promising.

On Religious Fundamentalism

2009-01-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

I'm a great collector of books, but when I'm in school I usually don't have as much time to read them as I'd like. Hence, I've built up a backlog of books that I've been meaning to read. One such book is Vine Deloria Jr.'s God is Red: A Native View of Religion. It was originally released in 1973 and the edition I'm reading is one that was updated and released in 1994. So far I'm only about 60 pages into it, and I'm starting to see why it is often referred to as a seminal work on Native religious views. Although interestingly enough, it is much broader than just Native religion and looks at politics, the American Indian Movement, Christianity and Western societies, and more. He's got some really interesting things to say, including this paragraph discussing the rise of the "religious right." His take still feels relevant considering such recent controversial public figures in the news as Sarah Palin, Pastor Rick Warren, and Bernie Maddoff.

An increasing number of Americans have become members of the religious right, the fundamentalists. As mainline churches lose members rapidly through their constant efforts to pander to the unchurched and make themselves relevant, mindless fundamentalism makes amazing strides, even among the educated people in society. When the fundamentalists seized on abortion as an issue, they found the key to political power. Thus was created the irony of modern American life. The fundamentalists could care less about human life after birth. They unquestioningly accept American military ventures around the world and cry for more blood with each invasion or carpet-bombing of small countries. They steadfastly support the death penalty and see nothing wrong with its one-sided application to racial minorities. They close their eyes to blatant theft of American assets by government officials, savings and loan executives, and bankers, and oppose every social program that is proposed. Yet on the abortion issue they wax eloquent about the sanctity of life as if their salvation depends on it.

Rather timely? I think so.

Movie: The Women (2008)

2009-01-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

After ACT Theater put on a really good production of The Women here in Seattle recently I was kind of excited to see the updated movie version by Diane English (creator of Murphy Brown). Rented it tonight. Was vaguely amused but underwhelmed. The best moment was watching Meg Ryan eat a stick of butter dipped in cocoa and sugar while talking about how she could suck the nails out of a board. And as much as I disliked how the character of Sylvie had been changed, I thought Annette Bening did a good job with what she'd been given.

Read some reviews on IMDB and otherwise after watching the movie and nobody has much good to say about this movie. I concur. After reading comments I was glad I wasn't a diehard fan of the 1939 George Cukor-directed version or I probably would have been really pissed off too! The newer film has moments, but the whole thing is rather unwieldy. (And poor Meg Ryan. I don't know what she did to her face, but her mouth isn't quite right anymore. Also her hair was pretty intense.) I watched the featurette and learned that English had been working on this project since 1995 and had gone through many, many versions of the script. Since she also served as the director and producer, perhaps it was a case of being too close to a project. Sometimes that can work for you and other times you don't see things objectively enough. I appreciated what she was trying to do, but perhaps it would have worked better in a different setting. The New York backdrop made it feel too much like it was trying to be Sex and the City. Actually, another movie that came to mind was Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women. It may have been a muddled mess too, but it had more pertinent observations about women of a certain social caliber than this remake of The Women.

Commerce Secretary Gregoire?!?

2009-01-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

The following post is reprinted from an entry on Progressive Alaska's blog...

From a Friend in Washington State

From my interview just now with Gregoire spokesperson Laura Lockard:

Q: Is Governor Gregoire going to be Obama's nominee for Commerce
Secretary?

A: “We’re not able to speak to that so we’ll do a release in the
morning.”

Q: Where is she?

A: “She’s out of state.”

Q: Is she in the country?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Q: Is she going to continue as Governor of Washington State?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Like everyone, I await tomorrow's announcement. But I will say—and
again this is just tea leaves—that Lockard didn't sound like a staffer
who was mourning some sort of personal tragedy in her boss's life.

And, not to get too far ahead of things, but: Governor Brad Owen?

UPDATE: It looks like the blog entry I reprinted was actually originally from a Stranger Slog entry by Eli Sanders.

FINAL WORD: Turns out that she is going to visit WA State troops in Iraq. Phew! Because Brad Owen scares me.

Internship Interview

2009-01-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the snow didn't keep me away from my internship interview this morning. It was still a little slushy on side roads in Capitol Hill and in Greenwood where the office was, but I made it. And I'd say the interview went well, aside from the fact that they were looking for someone with more strength in typography. So no dice. I had figured it might be long shot since I'm not a Visual Communications major, but at least I got to practice showing my work to an Art Director. And her assistant told me on the way out that they had really liked my work.

I was also kind of excited to find out about the publication. The internship was for a magazine called City Arts that publishes three editions (Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma) every month. Considering that the Seattle Times laid off their art critic--Sheila Farr--last month, it is good to know that there are some forms of art coverage still trying to start up around here.

Honest Scrap

2009-01-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

Snotty tagged me for this viral MySpace-seeming survey masquerading as a "blog award." But seeing as how I'll do most anything to put off doing laundry for a few more minutes, I was more than happy to accept. Apparently all I have to do is list ten honest and interesting things about myself and then tag seven other bloggers. I'm going to skip the tagging part because that just feels so very high school. Tell you what... if you read this and want to take part, then consider yourself tagged. The rules are so general that I doubt I'll get in any sort of trouble for flouting them.

Ten Honest Things About Me

1. I attended eight separate elementary schools in three different school districts. Only one was a private school.

2. In the seventh grade I read all 1000+ pages of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind, mainly because it was the longest book I knew of at the time. I also started War and Peace soon after, but never made much progress.

3. One of the things that helped finalize my decision to pursue a BFA in interior design at Cornish was a tarot card reading at a Halloween party I attended in 2005.

4. Interestingly enough, I recently found a copy of the results from a "Kuder Occupational Interest Survey" I had to take in the 11th grade. The second highest occupational group for men with interest patterns similar to mine was "Interior Decorator." (First was "Film/TV Producer/Director.")

5. Although I think it is a comforting idea to believe in it, I remain highly skeptical that there is any sort of life after death.

6. The biggest regret of my life is that I didn't stay with my mom in the hospital until she died. She was in a coma and we had her taken off of life support. My dad can't handle hospitals and I had to take the signed copy of her living will by myself up to the ICU. I was 14.

7. I really wish I knew how to play a musical instrument or speak another language.

8. Even though I tend to be more quiet and serious as an adult, when I was in the third grade I talked so much that I was the kid who had to put their desk next to the teacher's.

9. After my divorce I spent several years drinking really heavily. I still drink socially at times, but it hasn't been a problem so I don't know whether I'm a "recovered alcoholic" or what. Either way, I'm so glad I turned my life around from where it was headed at that point.

10. I'm adopted and found my biological mother when I was 12. When I was 26 she told me she had run into my biological father and they were dating again. He hadn't known I existed at all. They broke up a few months later.

Museum of Glass

2009-01-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

Bryn and I went to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma last week. I'd gotten free passes for volunteering this fall at Pilchuck Glass School's annual auction and figured I should go and check out the museum now that I actually knew a little something about art glass. We had a fun time, although not because we were particularly wowed by the museum. From what (little) I had heard about it, I was expecting to be wowed. Instead I was underwhelmed, and it was equal parts the art I saw and the museum itself.

Of the exhibits on view my favorite was the one featuring work by Dante Marioni. His pieces are so precise in their craftsmanship that one can't help but be taken in by them. I especially liked his cases of goblets that invoked collectorly feelings and the large patterned acorns. Also on display was Contrasts: A Glass Primer which had some really cool pieces. Too bad it featured cheesy words stenciled on most of the display cases that labeled objects with words like "translucent" or "vessel."

A collection of opaque white glass objects by Daniel Clayman was starkly contemporary. The better ones reminded me a little of Richard Serra's work, although smaller in scale and in a much more fragile media. The weaker ones just seemed like the results of a foundation design course--really cool and interesting, but not pushing the envelope. Of course there was a Chihuly piece on display for a limited time, The Laguna Murano Chandelier. It is a beautiful piece of work; but, like most of his work, there doesn't seem to be much of a deeper meaning.

I was glad I had free passes. The ten dollar admission seems kind of steep for the smallness of the museum. My limited experience with glass at Pilchuck this summer left me with the impression that making objects in glass can be very seductive. Unfortunately, viewing glass objects doesn't always elicit the same type of emotion. And don't get me started on the "Chihuly Bridge of Glass" that connects the waterfront with the rest of downtown Tacoma. *shudder*

To be honest, I was more impressed by what we saw in the Traver Gallery located next to the museum. They had a selection of Chihuly objects that were all hideous in varying degrees, a room of Preston Singletary's work--that I loved, and most of the largest display area was taken up with work by Catherine Grisez that was fascinating. Her works combined glass, metal, and gemstones in intriguing ways to achieve a complexity that was lacking from most of the glass objects we'd seen that day.

I guess I left with the feeling that there are a lot of skilled people working in glass. But in many cases, without a deep level of thoughtfulness and strong concepts to ground the work, there isn't really much there besides pretty things to look at. Chihuly helped bring a lot of attention to glass art in general, and in the Pacific Northwest in particular. That this museum celebrates that growth is great. Where the opportunity lies is in being more critical and serious about the field. I'd say the curators could really do a lot more work to help people understand why the objects being shown are museum-quality. I wasn't always convinced.

Seattle Snow: Round Two

2009-01-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

After our week of snow that left us with a white Christmas, I was (un)pleasantly surprised tonight when I left work and discovered huge snowflakes falling from the sky. What was worse is that they were starting to stick, and if they were sticking down by the waterfront, that meant that there was definitely going to be a coat of snow on the ground on the way home. My car isn't really made for snow driving, although I'm generally okay with it when forced. I don't mind driving in snow if I have to, but I prefer not to. It just seems like the possibility of an accident happening is enhanced, even if it isn't my fault.

Anyhow, I have an internship interview in the morning so I'm hoping that it does turn to rain and wash away like the weather forecasters claim will happen. This interview has already been rescheduled about three times, once of which was because of the snow. I've got my fingers crossed!

The snow is really pretty though. I took a few pictures out the window with the flash off, so they turned out mostly blurry. A few are above. My favorite is the one in the middle with the construction cranes against the sky. The longer exposure gave the sky a weird tone. Creepy, but cool.

Bristol Palin and Teen Marriage/Pregnancy/Sex

2009-01-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

There's just something about almost every photo of Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin I see that makes me easily imagine how unhappily married they might be in twenty years. Obviously there was an unplanned pregnancy, but I don't think ANY 17 and 19 year-olds should be getting married (as it is rumored they are going to do this summer), whether they have a baby together and are conservative Christians or not. And I'm saying this as someone who did get married at a young age (I was17!!!!) and in retrospect thinks it was a mistake. In this day and age of "finding yourself" I don't really think many people are fit to get married at 25, let alone before they are of legal drinking age. My marriage wasn't because of a pregnancy and I don't regret having done it in the sense that I learned a lot and it made me who I am today. But it ended in divorce (for various reasons) and as an adult I think I was pretty naive to be making such a major decision at such a young age.

I wish I could remember where I read it, but I know I was reading something within the past few weeks that quoted some figures on teens who had taken some sort of vows of chastity until marriage (normally due to religious beliefs) and those who hadn't. Again, I don't remember the details, but the gist of the article was that Bush's goals of pouring money into abstinence-only education wasn't working out. Kids were still having sex. Those who took vows of abstinence were more likely to indulge in oral or anal sex since those activities were often viewed as ways to still save their virginity. And their understanding of condoms had been so distorted by the fact that they don't necessarily protect against some STDs like herpes, that they were less likely to use them, even though they are still effective against fluid-based STDs.

The one article I CAN remember where I read was in Newsweek. The article's title is The Abortion Wars Get Technical, but I think the subtitle really sums it up: "Women have few rights at all when doctors can legally misinform them or deny service entirely."

UPDATE: Guess what I found when I was reading the Seattle Times this morning? An article titled "Abstinence-only sex education has totally failed the nations teens."

UPDATE #2: I also just found this New Yorker article about "why so many evangelical teenagers get pregnant."

What Friends Are For

2009-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

My old roommate has been in town this week. I'd thought we would be spending more time together than we have, although to be honest, I'm not very upset that we haven't.

It has been disappointing to realize that she doesn't place the same value on our relationship as I have. I don't take it personally, I just think it is where she's at. And I'll freely admit that it used to be enough for me too. It was easier to emulate being friends than to really be there for one another. It seemed safer somehow. We were able to use each other when it was convenient and pretend it didn't matter when we felt taken advantage of. At least seeing her this week offered me an opportunity to reevaluate things in person and to practice not worrying about her needs over my own.

I'd say our relationship initially grew less out of an honest personal connection than from a mutual recognition in each other of similar fear-based tendencies. Plus we were both working at a really crappy place that offered us a shared experience to commiserate about (it has since closed). We also appreciated each other's cynical outlook on life and shared similar twisted senses of humor.

I see a lot of similarities between my friendship with her compared to a former best friend of mine. He and I haven't spoken in almost two years. While I don't harbor any ill will towards him, I doubt we would ever be able to be friends again. More to the point, I doubt we ever really were friends, at least not in any meaningful way.

This realization doesn't mean that I feel an immediate need to cut her completely out of my life. But I think I'm going to have to downgrade my current level of involvement with her to "acquaintance" status. I'll always hope for the best for her and am more than happy to keep in touch. But I'll only be willing to commit to a more involved friendship when she's going to participate equally. Call it a resolution or a priority or spring cleaning or whatever; I'm just not willing to keep putting effort into something that's an illusion. There are other people in my life, both friends and family, where that energy would be better spent.

Happy Friggin' New Year

2009-01-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

I really hate New Year's Resolutions. More often than not they are focused on physical or financial self-improvement. The idea of a fresh start is always romantic and I do agree that it is nice to have a time of year when it seems appropriate to do it, but I also feel like it engenders and results in false/failed expectations. Not that I couldn't afford to put some more energy towards those areas of self-improvement! But I'd rather do it out of an actual sense that I'm wanting to work on things than because it is the "fashionable" time of year to do so.

It has been really good to time off from school and work (although I had thought I'd be working more right now). It has given me the time and space to give attention to people that I've been too preoccupied to focus on (Bryn, thanks for hanging in there). I've also had time to spend on evaluating my priorities and thinking about the future. Perhaps I'm kidding myself and happen to be forming resolutions after all. But I promise they have nothing to do with the new year or with any sort of superficial self-improvement program.

Marley... and We

2008-12-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

This morning seemed so dreary to me that I figured I had better get out of the house and do something today before I let it all slip by. I was feeling like seeing something funny and ended up walking downtown and finally trying a Starbucks Piadini (bland and passable) and seeing Marley and Me. Silly on me for thinking that a movie with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston would be some vapid romantic comedy! I probably should have read about it first.

But it was still a decent movie. Almost everything I've read about it since I got home calls it a "tearjerker," which is a description I wholeheartedly agree with. I agreed most of all with the New York Times movie review on what was a little "off" about the movie. It was odd to watch Owen and Jennifer look exactly the same after spending probably about 15 years together as they did when they first got married, especially after seeing "Benjamin Button" on Monday in which watching the characters age is such an integral part of the movie.

I don't recommend seeing this movie in an attempt to cheer yourself up. And although it does lightly touch upon some more serious aspects of marriage and having children, I wouldn't look for any deep meaning here either. But it was sweet enough and kind of nice to be able to escape for two hours into a modernized version of the 1950s nuclear family ideal. I'm sure the book has a little more to offer.

Venti Vidi Vici

2008-12-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

Its been a while.

Yesterday I hung out with my friend Andy and we saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Definitely worth seeing. Even if the heartwarming story leaves you cold, the makeup and special effects in watching Brad Pitt go from an old man to a baby and Cate Blanchett from a young girl to an old woman are worthwhile.

We also went to Starbucks where I discovered that I was still able to order a "short" drink, even though they haven't been listed on the menu for years. You know, because "tall" is the new "small." We were also talking about "venti" and wondering what it really means. According to an online tranlsation site I found, in Italian it means "twenty" which probably refers to the size of the cup which holds twenty fluid ounces. Does anyone actually need twenty ounces of a Starbucks coffee beverage? I'm sure that, at the very least, sixteen of those ounces are steamed milk. But really, I'm a hypocrite. Starbucks pisses me off, and yet I still patronize them from time to time.

I'd hoped that something positive might happen after Howard Schultz's internal memo criticizing the company's massive expansion was leaked. (Daniel Gross wrote a really great article discussing the issue for the LA Times in 2007.) However, no such luck. The move to stop selling breakfast sandwiches was cancelled and now there is also oatmeal and piadinis to be had in addition to the other breakfast sandwiches. I don't know what the hell a "piadini" is, but I'm guessing it is some sort of Americanized pseudo-Italian made-up word. I could be wrong, but I'm too depressed by the fact that they are selling them to bother looking it up.

Meowy Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

Cheesy title, I know. The cats were zonked out last night so there are some shots of them looking all passed out and puffy. And of course we are having a white Christmas this year, as evidenced by the photos taken this morning out the window.

The last one is a monster Bryn made by turning his stocking into a sock puppet and adding a spare googly-eye he had laying around along with a curly ribbon. Good times!

Origami Box Lights

2008-12-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite Xmas decoration this year. We saw them at the Top Pot on Capitol Hill and Bryn recreated them for our windows at home with 100 LED lights and a package of origami paper. Actually, he's still folding as we speak. But at least he's over halfway through.

Snow Day Continued....

2008-12-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

Taking pictures is easier than thinking of something to write.

1) The snow piled up on a bench outside on the public deck in our building. Space Needle is visible in the background.

2) Despite the cold weather and snow, there are still leaves clinging desperately to the trees at the picturesque apartment building across the street.

3 & 4) Since we live at the far end of the building I usually take the stairs (quicker) instead of the elevator. Someone was nice enough to shovel half of them this morning!

Bus-ted.

2008-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Glad I didn't need to go anywhere important today! The above crash took place not too far away from where I live. Bryn was thinking of heading out for some errands but decided--with no external prodding--that he would just go downstairs to QFC and make do with what he could get nearby. Photo is from the Seattle Times article.

Campbell Brown let me down.

2008-12-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

Recently I had written about the custody case of Talon Larson. (Yesterday?) But I need to bring it up again for two reasons.

First was that I had run across a Newsweek article about Obama and the reaction to his multiracial background. It offered some good points about race and social identity.

But the main thing was what I'm seeing as a double-standard by CNN's Campbell Brown. The first thing I read about Talon Larson was a CNN commentary by Brown published on Tuesday. And then today I read another Brown commentary published on Wednesday that deals with a custody case where a Chinese girl was raised in the U.S. by an American couple for years before the final rulings sent her back to her biological parents in China. What struck me the most was that when discussing the difficult custody situation of the second story she wrote about how, "[Not] every story has a hero and a villain and that right and wrong are always easy to tell apart."

It is great that she realizes this, but I think she realized it a little too late. She seems more than willing to overlook some of the hurt caused to an American couple who raised the Chinese girl for over eight years due to what I assume are the more culturally legitimate seeming issues of non-mixed race, relations with a foreign country (on foreign soil), and the fact that the girl's biological mother is now raising her (as a single mother of three). Yet the day previously, she seemed to have no problem villainizing the Ojibwe Tribe for attempting to carry out its own cultural practices. The main difference? The Talon Larson case is more convoluted for reasons of race, the generally unrecognizable/unrecognized sovereign status of the Tribe, and the fact that the Tribe is acting in an effort to maintain its own cultural sustainability.

I still don't really know whether I would side with the Larsons or the Ojibwe Tribe as to who should have custody of Talon. But I do strongly disagree with the bias shown against the Tribe by Campbell Brown and others. They may not understand or agree with the Tribe's actions and reasoning, but they could certainly show a little more respect instead of implicitly stating that the best possible future for Talon Larson involves being raised in a white family. I'm a little saddened that the prospect of moving a six month-old infant into tribal foster care is such a monstrous prospect compared to the Chinese girl who found herself, at age eight, living with virtual strangers in a foreign country. Oh, and did I mention that she doesn't even speak Chinese?

(As a sidenote, I just read that the Larson's attorney was contacted by the tribe regarding an emergency hearing taking place tomorrow.)

Snow Day: Part Deux

2008-12-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Bryn and I ended up going on an amazing adventure to celebrate the snow. We wandered on a walk around Capitol Hill for a while and then ended up catching a bus downtown and rode the ferry to Bremerton (pics above). It snowed nonstop on the way over, but cleared up when we arrived. We had lunch and read magazines while we waited for the next ferry and then walked back home once the ferry arrived, which was smart after all since we passed the bus we had thought about catching on the way up the hill. It was stuck in the snow and ice.

Anniston Nation

2008-12-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

In case you were one of the three people in the United States who hasn't heard yet, Jennifer Anniston posed nude (aside from a tie) for the cover of the January issue of GQ magazine (see above).

This in itself isn't really blog-worthy since it has already been covered quite extensively. But I found an article by Ken Levine discussing Jen's bona-fide movie star status in the wake of any actual box office hits interesting. Especially when one also looks at Bonnie Fuller's take that Jen's naked cover is the best way to put her divorce from Brad Pitt behind her (including an estimated $400,000 spent since they separated to achieve her amazing body).

What I like about Jennifer Anniston is that she has radiates some sort of down-to-earth quality. Even if it happens to be an illusion, there's something likeable about her. Levine touches on this when he recalls sitting behind her and Pitt in a theater years ago, Brad looking scruffy and Jen in need of a shampoo. Under all her goldenness and rockin' bodiness, she still manages to seem like the girl-next-door.

Hopefully someday she might be able to translate that into a successful mainstream movie.

Snow Day!

2008-12-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

So much for my internship interview I was supposed to go on today. I'm assuming that we'll reschedule for next week. But I don't mind, I love the snow as long as I can hole up at home! After the whole city shut down yesterday in anticipation (schools were closed, etc) I never saw a single flake. But this morning I woke up before 6am when I heard a big rumble of thunder, and lo and behold! It was snowing!

I also got a text message at 6:15am telling me that the Cornish campus would be opening today at 10am, and then another one at 7:45 saying that they were going to be closed today completely. It was nice of them to tell me, but seeing as how the semester ended last week it wasn't really necessary.

(The photo was ganked from the Komo news website and was taken this morning by Ryan Goeden.)

The Ultimate in Underwire

2008-12-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

I ran across the photo above in a BBC article about Syrian lingerie. One of the more imaginative bras I've seen, although I wonder how comfortable it would be.

Adoption and the ICWA

2008-12-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

I just found out about the Talon Larson adoption controversy going on in Utah where a six month-old baby was ordered to be returned to tribal custody from the parents who had adopted him at birth. Most of the press coverage, both national and local, seems to favor the adoptive parents. Sounds like a difficult situation for all involved and I do feel badly for the adoptive parents. There is certainly a lot of anger right now towards the Ojibwe tribe because of their actions, but I don't share that view at all.

I'm 7/32 Native American and was adopted at birth 30 years ago by white parents. I've definitely had financial and social advantages compared to my half-siblings that were raised by my birth mother; but do they make up for the cultural loss? Hard to say. Although I've probably received a better education and more "stuff," I also dealt with a lot of emotional abuse/trauma from my adoptive parents (who I do consider to be my "real" parents since they raised me). This doesn't mean that all white adoptive parents are bad, or that mine were evil (everyone is human and I do love my parents). But it does mean that seemingly wholesome appearances can be deceiving and that there are also benefits for a child from being raised in his or her own culture. (Granted, Talon is half Mexican, 3/16 Ojibwe, and 5/16 white, which complicates matters further.)

I've been formally enrolled as a member of my tribe for ten years, but still feel separated by distance and mindset. I don't necessarily believe that my life would have been better overall had I been raised by my birth mother or my tribe, but I can say from experience that it has been a struggle to deal with my mixed-race ethnicity and mainstream American upbringing in figuring out my own identity. Even though I was raised knowing about my Karuk heritage, I still had no real connection to that culture. As a young adult it was confusing trying to reconcile the fact that I wasn't entirely white with societal implications that my caucasian background and upbringing were what made me socially acceptable and worthy of praise.

Even now, I face mixed responses from people regarding my legitimacy as a Native person; for instance I've had people tell me that I must "choose" between one or the other (white versus native). But the reality is much more complicated and I don't believe that any sort of "choice" is necessary. I'm not willing to act as a personal battlground in any sort of war between Euro-American and indigenous cultures.

For the Larsons, I feel sadness that their family has been broken. The legal implications of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in this case has created an unfortunate situation. But I don't believe that the Larson's emotional distress should overturn any of the legal protections that the ICWA affords.

I read the Larson's blog about the events and they were aware of the child's ethnicity before the birth. They also knew within a week (and before taking Talon home from the hospital) that the Ojibwe Tribe had requested they deliver the baby to them and intended to fight for custody. As heartbreaking as the situation is to have to give up a child after raising it from infancy for six months, they were aware that the situation might not turn out in their favor and still chose to take him home.

The Larson's and their attorneys raised some really good points about about the ICWA and the Ojibwe's claim to Talon based on his percentage of Indian blood. And yet, the Ojibwe Tribe is a sovereign nation and not always subject to the same laws, rules, and regulations as the rest of the United States. Whether one believes it is right or wrong, that is the legality of the situation.

Snow & Dynastic Politics

2008-12-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

I got up early this morning in anticipation of the snow storm that was supposed to arrive. However, it seems that there is snow all over the Puget Sound except in Seattle. It has been cold though, we're not used to staying below freezing for so long (see picture above of a frozen waterfall at Tulalip Casino). Supposedly this afternoon we might see some snow here in the city though. My fingers are crossed.

Since I was up, I made a pot of coffee and read some news online. What particularly caught my eye this morning were some discussions on Slate's XX Factor blog about Caroline Kennedy's possible bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, especially what Emily Yoffe had to say:

This country is ever more becoming a nation of haves and have-nots. By "haves" I don't just mean the rich. If you are lucky to have caring parents who are good role models and nurture good habits in you, you have an advantage in life—but you still have to work to make something of yourself. But there are many kids who have nothing—some of them go to the New York public schools Caroline Kennedy raised money for—who think there's no point making an effort because everything is already wired for the haves. They think that when the haves want something, all they have to do is pick up the phone and life's opportunities are handed to them. So Caroline Kennedy picks up the phone and announces that for her first full-time job, she'd like to be senator from New York, and thus is annointed. That's a bad message to send.

Caroline Kennedy is certainly qualified according to the three rules laid out by the U.S. Constitution, and I don't doubt that she would do an adequate job. But I think Emily has a really good point when she brings up the message that Caroline's appointment would send. Is it enough of a reason to prevent her from being appointed? Not really. But it is definitely a subject worth talking about further.

(Note: I also should mention that I was rather disturbed by the "Live Developing Story" tagline on CNN's website this morning saying that Ben Affleck was addressing the United Nations. And then it was suddenly replaced by Robert Redford speaking out against Bush's plans for public lands. WHAT DID BEN AFFLECK TELL THE U.N.? DON'T TEASE ME AND THEN NOT TELL ME!!!)

Alien Clouds!

2008-12-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

I ran across the above picture on a local news station's website. Fascinating cloud formations! I've never seen those before, but I'll be sure to keep a closer eye on Mt. Ranier from now on. Follow this link for more cool photos of this unusual phenomenon.

I'm old.

2008-12-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

I must be getting old. While gathering strength today to work on cleaning the apartment a little I was reading some 2008 review thing about celebrity quotes and ran across the picture above with the following quote:

"It's kind of hilarious! I've never fit into an E-cup before. I look at my husband and go, 'Guess what size this bra is?' And when I tell him, he's just amazed. We keep the tags that prove it, to look back for memory's sake!" — Christina Aguilera, on the benefits of her post-pregnancy body (Source: Us Weekly; image: Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.)

I'm sure that when I was younger I would have thought something like, "Wow, she's so fabulous and cool!" But now, I just think she looks like she's trying way too hard. I mean, she's an amazingly talented singer. Why is it that she seems determined to continually look like a porn star?

Movie: Man on Wire

2008-12-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

This morning sucked. I've been running low on sleep, fighting a cold and mental exhaustion, frantically trying to either get my final projects done or find justifications to procrastinate. Last night I was up til 3am finishing a presentation for today and it was really difficult to get out of bed this morning. I've been tired, cranky, and probably no fun to be around (sorry Bryn).

And yet.

My morning at school started out how I expected. Fighting to find a computer in the lab to use for printing out an assignment that was due ten minutes ago. Rushing up and down the stairs. But then in Construction Technology, instead of presenting our projects and running out of the room, the teacher had brought in a movie. Man on Wire is the name of the film. It was, as the cover promised, "exhilarating."

I'd seen the trailers and figured it would be a decent movie. But it also wasn't something I figured that I would watch anytime soon. Maybe in a few years if I happened upon in the library or something like that. I'm so glad I didn't wait. Phillippe Petit's passion and single-minded drive was inspiring and the whole movie was very well crafted with old footage, recreations, and contemporary interviews. No wonder it has been so well received and won so many awards. It was also nice to get a sense of the World Trade Center without dwelling on 9/11. In fact, 9/11 isn't mentioned at all in this movie, which is as it should be. The beauty of Petit's daring act is more than enough.

Oh Xmas Tree

2008-12-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

I'm here at home studying before heading to school, listening to Christmas music and enjoying our tree. Did I mention we have a tree? We weren't planning on getting one this year, but then Bryn arrived at home on Sunday while I was slogging through homework with a tree and assorted trimmings. I'll admit that I was frightened by the selection of things he got. Mainly the lights. There are four different types of lights on this thing, white LEDs, colored LEDs, other colored LEDs that twinkle, and a strand of crazy starburst lotus light with glitter.

But we put it all together and it looks just fine. It may not be a designer tree, but it's the first time I've had a real tree in years and the house smells nice! Plus he bought some weird gadget for it so we have a Christmas tree with a remote control to turn the lights on and off. It looks like a keyless entry fob for a car. The only thing that would make it better is if it would "chirp" when I hit the button!

Snack Update: Belltown

2008-12-08T23:59:00.001-08:00

Went out earlier tonight for a few drinks with a fellow interior design student (Jasmine). Even though we probably should have been studying for our History of Interior Design final tomorrow or frantically working on our final project presentations for our studio class on Wednesday, we were technically doing homework since our studio teacher had mentioned we should check out a couple of places in Belltown for our projects we are working on. Since it was the most snack-related thing I've done in a while, I figured I would report as follows:

1) Viceroy is gone. In its place is Rob Roy, which is exactly the same aside from the name. We stopped here first because Jasmine had never been and I hadn't been in years. I do adore that place. Where else can you find a padded black leather wall, velvet painting of a topless woman, and a lamp made out of some animal's hoof all in one bar? And you know what? Somehow it works. (Linda Derschang knows what she's doing.) We had a quick happy hour drink and avoided the goldfish crackers that were sitting on the coffee table nearby.

2) I really need to go back to Spur Gastropub. I had a "Gentleman's Lemonade" (Gentleman's Jack, lemons, honey) and Jasmine had a draft beer. We split the pork belly sliders. They were AMAZING. There is a really cool thing on the wall with a giant black and white picture that keeps changing images. It was upscale and casual at the same time. It was also not cheap, but they do have a promising happy hour Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 that I will have to investigate further.

3) Now I can cross Black Bottle off of the list of places I need to go. I guess it is a "gastro-tavern" which sounds awkward. Whatever. I'd noticed this place a few years ago when I lived a few blocks away and never made it in. Then I forgot about it. Tonight we finished our evening with some sort of raspberry champagne cocktails and split the most amazing lemon dessert. It was a soft and fluffy cheesecakey type of affair covered with lemon curd and sitting atop a lavender crust. Perfection!

My Very First Movie

2008-12-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

Warning: It may take a few minutes for the video to load completely.

I've been working on it ALLLL day. In fact, class ends at 4pm and here I am still sitting in class alone at 6:30! It is for my final in Environmental Design where we have to create a "digital landscape." My very first attempt at using Flash and also Windows Movie Maker. Bryn will be very proud of me for turning to a Microsoft product in my time of need.

The quality of the images isn't the best, but I was going more for mood with the combination of imagery and sound anyhow. Took the shapes from the prints I've made this past year. I'll be projecting it on a wall or fabric or something next Friday when we all present our projects. And then I will be free, free, FREE from classes for a whole month!!! I'm so ready.

McCafe Taste Test

2008-12-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

After writing about the coffee wars the other day, I couldn't get McCafe out of my head. Is it really a better, cheaper version of Starbucks? I had to know.

On my way down to class yesterday (we were meeting at the art museum downtown), I stopped at McDonald's for dinner. I confess that the McRib is sleazy and disgusting, but I still love it. I also grabbed a "medium mocha" since that is one of my usual coffee drinks. The verdict? Well the price was better, $2.79 compared to $3.40 at a Starbucks a block away. It also didn't have that burnt taste that Starbucks coffee drinks frequently have. But it was cloyingly sweet and tasted like it was made from corn syrup. Which it probably was.

I still don't mind their regular coffee, but perhaps next time I should just try a $1.99 latte. On the mocha front, I'd have to say they failed.

Xmas Shopping Made Easier

2008-12-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Are you finding it difficult to find the "perfect" gift for that "hard-to-shop-for" friend or family member? Here are a few suggestions:

If they live in Indiana you can always get them a nice gift voucher for Planned Parenthood. Now you can rest easy, knowing that their insolvency won't keep them from having access to sound family planning care.

Not living in Indiana? Well how about a lovely fetus cookie cutter? Don't worry about touching off political arguments, because it can be used for pro-life OR pro-choice purposes and is sure to provide hours of delight and indignance!

For the person who has everything, there's always a fully-loaded Four Seasons gift card? They'll have $100,000 to use toward luxury hotel stays, and you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you've probably given them the their most expensive gifts ever.

Do you know somebody who desperately needs a daily coffee fix? How about buying them a Starbucks Gold membership? (Note: this gift is perfect for "people who really love Starbucks.") It'll save them 10% off most of their drink purchases, includes a free birthday drink, and 2 hours of WiFi a day in selected locations. So it is your standard exclusive-seeming membership rewards program. No curbside valet parking. But you get the cache of carrying another "gold" card in your wallet. And if $25 is still too high for your budget, consider a grocery store rewards card as the gift that keeps on giving.

Lastly, are you tired of the big red bow that Lexus slaps on all of its cars in commercials every holiday season? Do you prefer German engineering to Japanese precision? Then consider giving a BMW this year instead. The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has the perfect option on page 81, a NM Limited-Edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series Sedan. Only $160,000! And that price includes a trip to the BMW plant in Germany to "meet your new BMW and the engineers and designers who helped create it." In fact, I think that one of the fully-loaded Four Seasons gift cards would be a perfect stocking stuffer accent to go along with this gift!

Unsnobby Coffee?

2008-12-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

So I got home and had to run to the library across the street to do some stuff online really quick. Hence, another post!

On the way home I noticed a billboard for McCafe stating: "Large is the new grande." I was unaware that this billboard was actually part of the McDonald's/Starbucks coffee wars that apparently took place this past spring until I went online to look for an image of it. This search led me to many things, among them the McDonald's site for Unsnobby Coffee that, although amusing, is highly unlikely to convert diehard Starbucks fans. Among its features is a MadLibs-style letter that you can send to friends (see picture above) to help convince them to kick their snooty coffee addictions in favor of a less-expensive coffee addiction.

Whether or not the billboard I saw was a new attack or a remnant, I thought it seemed timely considering the current economic climate. For instance, right before I came to the library, Bryn asked me if I would go pick him up a coffee (quad-vanilla-latte). I declined, citing the state of both of our bank accounts and the availability of decent coffee beans and a french press in our kitchen. If we're on a tighter budget this December, spending almost five bucks--after tax and tip--for a latte doesn't seem like the best idea. And this applies to Vivace (our personal favorite where espresso is a hand-crafted culinary art) as well as Starbucks (consistent but mediocre espresso made by automated machines).

I don't know that I'll ever find myself seeking out a McDonald's for an espresso fix, but I must admit that in my few experiences their regular coffee is inexpensive and of decent quality. (And it came out on top in Consumer Reports taste tests.) If there was a convenient McDonald's and I was a daily latte junkie, I would probably consider switching.

The Wisdom of Issy Sharp

2008-12-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

My internet connection at home has been (I assume temporarily) interrupted, meaning that I am suffering from chronic internet withdrawal syndrome. Bryn has fixed it enough that his computer is connected, but so far the network remains down and he is crafty enough that he types on a Dvorak keyboard so I can't even use his computer either.

While I am posting at school though, I thought I would put up a quote that I heard in a video at a training I attended this week. I should also mention that this saying wasn't just from some blandly corporate training video, but from an award-acceptance speech given by the founder and CEO of a highly-respected international corporation.

Trust is the emotional capital of a company.

I found this significant because I can apply it to places of work I've been in previously, to situations I find myself in currently, and to where I see myself in the future professionally. It speaks to a disparity I see in many current business models where there is a lack of follow-through between what is presented to its target audience (public consumers) and what is actually carried out behind closed doors.

What I liked about it most was that it focuses the attention on what is really important. The people. A business generally has both employees and clients; both of these groups are integral to its success. And this idea of trust as emotional capital extends beyond the client/business relationship to the employer/employee relationship as well. In a corporation, having trust flow from the top down seems like a natural way to encourage a healthy and enjoyable work environment, which results in higher profits and the flow of trust back up the corporate ladder. It creates a stronger company that can more easily work in unison toward a common goal.

When it comes down to it, a business is really about transactions between people. The transaction can be for goods or for services, it can be based in the physical world or in the realm of abstract ideas, but it still is carried out through human interactions. I repeat, human interactions. Not money. And not things.

I don't believe there is any business out there that is perfect all of the time. But I do believe that there are businesses that strive for higher levels of integrity than most. This is what Isadore Sharp was talking about with trust as a business's "emotional capital," and also when he deflects comments about him being a "self-made" man as not telling the whole story. This is the direction I want to head in professionally. Knowing that I'm not willing to compromise my integrity or the quality of work I produce just to save a buck or close a sale.

(And for the record, since my blog may still be under some sort of surveillance, I'm also going to state that this post is not any sort of thinly-veiled attack on Julep Nail Parlor. While what I'm talking about here can certainly be applied to my experiences there--and my experiences there certainly have influenced the way I see and interpret issues like this--I'm more interested in looking at what business ethics mean on a much larger scale. And then to use these types of ideological explorations to formulate my own set of business principles.)

Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-11-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

I just finished packing the trunk of our car to the brim with leftovers and kitchen supplies. Since Bryn never does anything by half-measures, he had brought almost the contents of our entire kitchen with us to Yakima on Wednesday. After our early morning multi-hour drive out here, he baked bread and brined the turkeys and did other things while I spent the day working on a school paper. Then, yesterday he and I spent the entire day in the kitchen (with assistants at various times for prepwork and cleaning) and finally got dinner served at 7pm. I got to play sous chef all afternoon/evening. I'm not even going to try and list the menu except to say that Bryn planned it all out based on flavors, everything was made from scratch, and there was a TON of food. And since most of the people we were serving had gone off of weight-loss plans for the holiday, they didn't want all of the leftovers sitting around. So I think I'm going to be eating leftovers for a week unless we can convince some friends to come over and help us!

This morning, I woke up already exhausted from the day before. Now that the car is mostly packed, all we have to do is gather our last things and drive home and unload the car and reorganize our kitchen. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get called in to work this weekend, but having said that, I know it will be inevitable.

Still, it was a nice holiday spent with family and friends. Next year though, I am all for having Thanksgiving dinner made from prepackaged ingredients (stovetop stuffing, canned pumpkin, etc)!

Fielding Calls

2008-11-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

So far, I'm not impressed with the new WaMu. I don't know how much of it is the takeover by Chase, or how much is the whole credit crunch, but I had missed my payment date on a WaMu credit card I have at the beginning of the month and it was hit with a bunch of fees and a higher interest rate that sent it overbalance resulting in more fees. This was extremely annoying; but, I also recognized that it was my own fault for not paying attention and missing the payment deadline. What with all of the added fees, I figured I would just wait until a little later in the month and catch it up all at once.

Well, that was before I got a call from WaMu's collections department about a few days later. It wasn't just a reminder call either, it was a high-pressure, "make a payment now, or else..." type of call. Which is something I've never experienced from WaMu before, and I admit that my occasional forgetfulness has resulted in my paying a credit card bill late one or two times before. Now, I'm not proud of it, but I'll also freely admit that I've gone through a bankruptcy (after a divorce) so I've had some experience with collection agents before. The tone of this phone conversation was one I would have expected after missing two or more payments, not as a follow-up reminder less than two weeks after a single missed payment!

I was concerned that it was out of character for WaMu, plus it seemed weird that they wanted me to make a payment by phone, but then I still had to have my checkbook handy and also authorize my address. I declined that option and instead called the bank directly to see if it was a real call or not. They confirmed that it was most likely made because the account had been referred to their collections department. I responded by asking that the credit card account be closed immediately.

The drama has unfortunately continued since there was apparently some trouble with the check I mailed in that I don't understand and I've just fielded calls from them again last night and this morning. Nothing big, but I'll have to figure out what happened when I get back to town in a few days and I'm really tired of the whole thing. (Note to self: Please pay more attention to when payments are due!)

I'd moved to WaMu after Bank of America got overly corporate for me and now I'm feeling like it is time to switch banks again. Maybe I'll move my bank account from WaMu over to FirstTech Credit Union like Bryn is always trying to get me to do. I'd like to think this new direction in their collection department is Chase's influence? I mean, I understand if they are worried about their finances and such and are trying to be more aggressive with collecting outstanding debts; but exercising poor customer relations in situations like this won't help them out any in the long run.

Not that customer service really seems to mean much at most places lately anyhow.

Palin Caricature Thread!

2008-11-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

Saw a post on Progressive Alaska's blog about this and had, had, HAD to spread it further. They were linking to a thread on Democratic Underground's site collecting people's favorite Palin-related anecdotes and Photoshopped images. Great and funny stuff!

Doris Eaton Travis

2008-11-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

The nice thing about going to the library is the opportunity for chance finds like the one I ran across today: Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis. The book came out in 2006 and is a fun photo-collage biography on the inside. Don't know Doris Eaton Travis? She's had quite a life! In fact, here's a video of her dancing on her 101st birthday in 2005!

Fiction Mirror!?!?!

2008-11-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud, these are images of "fiction mirrors" that are made in extralight glass with degraded silver shading. Just ran across them today while looking up stuff to use in my last studio project and I think they are really fascinating! Kind of mysterious what with the reflective qualities of the silvered portion while the transparent glass sections reveal what is underneath.

Microsoft® Tinker™

2008-11-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know exactly where this game comes from other than the fact that Microsoft makes it and it appears to be included with Windows Vista (at least the Ultimate edition). But one thing I know for sure is that it is ADDICTING! And fun. A great time-waster, and it even includes a cool robot!

Update: Yes, it seems to be exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate.

Breathless

2008-11-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Just watched Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless" (À bout de souffle). The reason I watched it is that it was on a list of things that are supposed to represent my client for our next studio project. Not sure how to translate that movie into a space yet, but I'll mull it over.

Annie Leibovitz = Photography Goddess

2008-11-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a reading and slide presentation by Annie Leibovitz from her new book. I've loved her work ever since I was a kid and she was great in person; funny and charming. Is she a public speaker? No, not really, but for me it didn't matter at all.

LOVE HER!

Sacred Path Project

2008-11-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

Too tired to write anything of any merit today so instead I'm just posting images of the project that was due last Friday. My design was for a "Sacred Path" for the meadow at Luther Burbank Park. It was inspired by local Native American legends surrounding supernatural beings associated with geological events (like earthquakes), and also the idea of the labyrinth.

Homework Update

2008-11-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Studio presentation went well yesterday, as did the Art History test. We got to watch Casablanca and then write about that. Since I hadn't seen Casablanca, but have been meaning to, it was perfect.

Right now I'm on break checking email. Just finished my interior design history test which I certainly didn't ace, but also didn't bomb. Considering I missed the last class and only studied for 30 minutes before class, I'll take it. Now I have to go back and turn in my hastily written research paper and give my last presentation of the week (about my research topic).

If I liked Art Deco when I decided to write about it, I'm sure ready to move on to something else at this point.

Forty-Hate Hours of Homework

2008-11-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

It has been a WEEKEND! Spent all day Thursday finishing my Environmental Design project/presentation and did that on Friday. I was totally wiped out afterwards, but wait, there was more! We got out of class at 4pm and then I had to quickly come up with a 5-8 minute presentation about Georgia O'Keeffe (luckily, I had already gathered some research materials a few days ago) and get to the Seattle Art Museum by 5pm where our class gave individual presentations about specific works that were hanging there. That lasted until 8 and then I came home and crashed.

Saturday I started working on my Interior Studio project/presentation and ended up missing out on a bday party I'd planned on going to (heartfelt apologies to the Esquire and Snotty) and was up working until 6am. Slept for five hours and then was at it again today all day. Finally got my presentation ready and then spent a couple hours building a model and I'm done before midnight!

Now I just need to find time to write my research paper, put together a presentation on my research subject, and study for the essay test that are all due on Tuesday afternoon in my History of Interior Design class. And did I mention that I have classes all day tomorrow from 9am until 8:20pm? I'm sensing another all-nighter coming up. Feels like this should be finals... Oh well.

I posted some of the stuff I was working on today. Not sure how I feel about the interior renderings, I may have gone a little overboard with the Gaussian Blur in Photoshop! I was trying for a less stiff approach than my usual digital work. You wouldn't necessarily think so, but I did ALL of that stuff on the computer, the renderings, stair drawing, and floorplan diagrams.

Even though I'm exhausted and still have a ton of work to do, I feel really good for having gotten so much done. And it didn't hurt that Bryn was cooking up a test turkey with dressing tonight in anticipation for Thanksgiving next week (he's cooking). I'd never had a brine-soaked turkey before and it was seriously, hands-down the best turkey I've ever tasted. He also baked his own bread for the dressing/stuffing. Snacktacular!

gay marriage musings

2008-11-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Snotty had a couple posts recently talking about California's Proposition 8 and Connecticut's gay marriage laws. I was certainly disappointed that Prop 8 passed, and today I ran across an article by William Saletan that discussed how black voters likely had a large role in the proposition being approved.

According to Saletan:

They [blacks] think sexual orientation is different from race. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a nation in which individuals would be judged not "by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Whites, on balance, have come to believe that sexual orientation, like color, is immutable. Blacks, on balance, haven't. They see homosexuality as a matter of character. "I was born black. I can't change that," one California man explained after voting for Proposition 8. "They weren't born gay; they chose it."

He eventually sums up the article with:

From prenatal hormones to genetics to birth order, scientists have been sifting data to nail down homosexuality's biological origins. As they advance, it will become easier and easier to persuade African-Americans that being gay is a lot like being black. The lesson of Proposition 8 isn't that blacks have stopped the march of gay rights. The lesson is that when they turn, the fight in blue America will essentially be over.

And while I'm on the subject, I had left a silly comment on one of Snotty's posts apologizing for being gay and ruining marriage for anybody. Of course then I realized that it did have a hand in ruining my marriage with my ex-wife. Woops! Maybe I'm part of the gay agenda to destroy the sanctity of marriage after all?

Oh, and Bryn has a better idea than gay marriage. Civil unions for all, gay or straight. Then you can get "married" through whatever type of religious/spiritual ceremony you want in addition. Move back to the whole "separation of church and state" thing.

Dog Sweater Drama

2008-11-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging to avoid working on my piles of schoolwork that needs to be done. Went to school this morning to register for spring classes, which conveniently was school-related and also allowed me to procrastinate. But I swear that as soon as I'm done with this post I'll get cracking.

Anyhow, I got the following text from my ex-roommate who now lives in NYC last night:

"Hey. Got an obscure and expensive gift in the mail today anonymously sent. Trying to figure out who sent it. Feeling a little creeped out. Any ideas?"

I called her and she said how she was freaking out from getting this $60 dog sweater (shown above) in the mail randomly and how she thought it was from her lame ex-boyfriend trying to get back together with her. She'd called her mom and her sister and they agreed and told her it was most likely from him. And she also had two drinks because she was freaking out so much.

Then I told her that I had actually had it sent to her as a holiday gift for her and Kozo (Kozo is a pug) and that it was supposed to come with a gift message saying it was from me. I remembered how Kozo had a Burberry sweater and know how she and I both like Cole Haan a lot, so when I saw the dog sweater on clearance I figured it would be a cute present for both of them!

Amusingly enough, this did little to calm her down (neurotic much?). But I don't think she's going to return it like she was planning (she had filled out the return slip that was enclosed). Personally, I am all in favor of any expensive gifts I receive in the mail, anonymous or otherwise.

Still, maybe I should let Cole Haan know that the gift message wasn't enclosed and that my nice gesture actually ended up driving the recipient to drink. And on the bright side, once she settles down, she'll have something to talk to her therapist about.

New Throw Pillows for the White House?

2008-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

I found an interesting blurb about the White House in a "Design Daily" news briefing email I receive from ASID. It is interesting because another article I read talked about how there probably wouldn't be any extensive White House renovations due to the economy, and yet this article says that there is a $100,000 budget every four years! Which makes sense considering the size, function, and historical value of the property. Text below is copied from the email:

Barack and Michelle Obama have many design choices to make as part of their transition into the White House.

In the second installment of a series titled "Obama Chic: The Changing Face of the White House," FOX News (11/12, Corbin) reported on its website that, as part of the transition to the new President-elect, Barack and Michelle Obama will "transform the 208-year-old White House into the place they call home -- all while considering the historical preservation of times past. As have all the First Families before them, the President-elect and future first lady will supervise the refurbishing and redecorating of the White House residence -- working closely with a team of interior designers." They can redesign their personal space, and "have the authority to restore...public spaces, like the State Dining Room," as well as the White House grounds. The budget, appropriated by Congress "for the furniture and decor of the residence... was set at $100,000 for President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush," and is "allocated every four years."

Pilchuck Auction Photos

2008-11-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Got an email that the photos taken by "Team Photogenic" had been posted online for folks to look at and purchase. I browsed through them (there are a LOT of photos) and it suddenly brought back a flood of memories. Of course, those memories were only about two weeks old, so it isn't surprising.

I threw a few images up so you can see that A) yes, Dale Chihuly was there; and B) no, my volunteer duties did not consist of hanging out near the buffet in the volunteer lounge. But that would have been nice.

Also I really liked the glass billiard ball set I got to carry--with wooden triangle carried by another art handler, of course. And that gigantic clown jar I am hugging desperately was valued at $23,000 so I'm really, really glad I didn't drop it.

Six Months

2008-11-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Got my hair cut even shorter last week for a new job (they're conservative) and it almost feels like it was never long. Since I haven't really seen anyone but Bryn for the past week, I figured I would throw this side-by-side comparison of my hair in June with my hair today. Thought that I would miss my long hair more than I do. Maybe it was just something I had to do to get the whole "art school" experience and make up for some sort of lost adolescence? Or perhaps I've sold out in favor of corporate interests? Either way, I'm okay with it.

Mist-Covered Mountains

2008-11-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Took Bryn to work this morning and on the way back across the bridge (520) I was struck by how shrouded in clouds the Olympic Mountains looked. When I got home I went up on the roof deck and took a few pictures, but the view from there wasn't nearly as dramatic. Plus my camera doesn't zoom in as close as I'd like. Still, it was a good way to start the morning.

Luther Burbank Park Revisited

2008-11-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

I have this "sacred space" design proposal I have to create for a class. We are presenting them to a panel on Friday and since I was working on homework today I realized that it would be helpful to go back to the site and get a sense of the space again. It turned out to be really helpful. Figured I would throw up a few of the pictures I took. Included is a view of an earth sculpture by John Hoge and a view of some of the ritzy homes with private yachts on Mercer Island that you can see from the docks. *sigh* I need a friend with a yacht.

(Note: Sorry for the poor picture quality, I just realized I had the camera on the wrong setting. Still, you get the idea.)

New Pyramid Discovered

2008-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

In non-Palin-related news, it was announced today that a new pyramid had been discovered in Egypt. Located in Saqqara, the team lead by Zahi Hawass believes that the 4300 year old pyramid may have been the burial tomb of Queen Sesheshet, although there is no direct evidence to link it to her yet. The base of the pyramid is all that remains and is about 16 feet high. It was buried under about 65 feet of sand and was initially discovered about two months ago. In two weeks they should reach the burial chamber itself, which may provide further clues about who it was built for. This is the 118th pyramid discovered in Egypt so far.

Cabbage Patch Palin

2008-11-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

There's really no escaping Sarah Palin right now, is there? For instance there is the Sarah Palin Cabbage Patch Doll that will be auctioned off on Ebay along with Obama, McCain, and Biden dolls.

And then I was also reading one of the main articles this morning linked to MSN's home page about Matt Lauer's interview with Palin that aired today. She seemed a lot more likeable now that the election is over and she wasn't giving such divisive speeches. And I'm sure that having Lauer interview her in her kitchen with her family while she prepared a meal was meant to convey her "down-home" qualities. However, reading about it did make me feel like it could have been a little overly Martha Stewart to have the Governor of Alaska making a salmon and halibut casserole on national television. Not that she shouldn't be cooking, but isn't it a little contrived? Is she playing up the whole "supermom/governor" angle or is that really who she is? And does that mean that Matt Lauer is also going to do an interview with Joe Biden while he fires up the grill? I don't know how to feel about the obvious gender stereotyping that Palin seems to represent.

Defining "Palin"

2008-11-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

No, I don't think Sarah Palin looks anything like Megan Fox. But I used that picture because for some reason, I'm now receiving a subscription to Maxim magazine. When one arrived in the mail a few weeks ago I didn't think anything of it. Today I checked the mail and there was another one! In fact, the very same issue as shown above. Although I do agree that Megan Fox is certainly quite hot, the fact that I'm gay and not really interested in objectifying women as sex objects means that I don't really need to receive this magazine every month. It strikes me as a little too misogynistic for light reading. Any ideas? Should I leave it randomly in a classroom at school? Abandon it in a restroom stall? Offer it to the next person who asks me for spare change? Either I got on some random mailing list, or somebody punk'd me.

But back to Sarah Palin (and perhaps she might end up on a future Maxim cover with the amount of attention she got), I read a really funny blog from Progressive Alaska about how "Palin" has made it into the Urban Dictionary. I'll leave you the joy and mystery of following the links to read the definitions yourself. (I can already think of some people I've encountered professionally who fit some of those definitions.) But I HAVE to share some of the user comments from the original post:

Here in the Northeast (described as the "great Northwest" by Palin when she last visited), we are already weeks into common usage of the term "Palin moment" to describe a floundering and utterly inept act or response. (from SMG)

Here in Queensland we've taken to calling small annoyances "a Palin the arse" (from Lynn-in-Australia)

My English teacher actually redlined something on a paper and made a nasty comment about a "Palinesque" sentence. It was a run-on, but that was uncalled-for. (from Anonymous)

UPDATE: I also just found a great ode to Sarah Palin on Huffington Post. Wordy, but funny!

Jackpot!

2008-11-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

Is it terrible that my afternoon was made when I found out that I can get 20% off any regularly-priced item at Club Monaco simply by showing my college ID card? I haven't used it yet, but just knowing that EVERYTHING in one of my favorite clothing stores is on sale for me (for the next 18 months) is pretty exciting.

If that makes me shallow, then so be it.

Relief

2008-11-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Having had a few days to reflect on the election results, I have to say I've got such a strong sense of relief at how things turned out. My only real disappointment was the passing of Proposition 8 in California.

The scariest thing about this election for me was Sarah Palin and all of the right-wing nutjobs who came out of the woodwork in support of her. (For the record, let me say that I'm not really fond of left-wing nutjobs either.) She was interesting to watch, but I'm going to cross my fingers that we've seen the last of her on the national stage.

Even if I'm not a raving Obamaniac, it was still heartening to have gone and voted for him and to discover that us Americans finally had a collective "Network" moment where the majority of us shouted, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

I guess its best you feel that way.

2008-11-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

If the following post ends up seeming petty, ridiculous, high-schoolish, and overdramatic to you, well, don't worry. It feels that way to me too and I haven't even written it yet. Here goes.

Apparently there are some ruffled feathers regarding my and Snotty's blog posts about Julep. Nobody has yet to contact either of us directly about it but somebody did send her an anonymous email warning her about a "cease and desist" letter. Oh yeah, and I've heard that management is bothering a friend (I'll call her Sally) and former coworker of mine who still works there about how much information she may be sharing with me. I'm not sure what is going on, or who is flipping out, but in the meantime I'll just write this entry and assume that whoever it pertains to will read it.

I'm aware of my First Amendment rights. I never signed anything stating I wouldn't talk about Julep or my experiences working there. Please keep in mind that if I really wanted, I've got plenty of information about Julep that I could divulge. Be glad that at this point, I'm pretty much over it and have better things to do with my time (school, school, and school). I try to avoid thinking or writing about Julep nowadays if I can help it. The only reason I wrote that last post was because I had read the article about Starbucks a couple days before I ended up hearing about the compensation switch from an hourly rate to commission, and I found Julep's sudden change in compensation amusing since there are plenty of ex-Starbucks folks working in upper management there.

You may be wondering, did I get my information about the compensation switch to commission from "Sally?" The answer is a firm, "No." In fact, I wrote that blog post before I ever talked to her about it. Meaning that bothering "Sally" about her loyalty to Julep is a total waste of your time (and hers). Do we ever talk about Julep? Well sure, sometimes. But we also have lives outside of work, so we like to talk about that stuff too. Just so we're clear, any posts about Julep (including this one) have been written without "Sally's" input, consent, or knowledge. And I'm rather disturbed that you are going to such lengths as to question her about our friendship or ask other employees about her loyalty to Julep behind her back. Seems like a witch hunt where you've already assumed she is guilty by association.

If you must know, I got the information indirectly from another ex-employee. So I can assure you that I'm not actively trying to get any super-secret-insider-information in order to plot Julep's downfall. Although I do hear some news from time to time about things going on, I tend to have plenty of other things to put my energy towards at the moment (did I mention school?). People in the spa industry (actually in most industries) like to talk. In spite of your best efforts, people will continue to talk. Normally, if people are allowed to talk to one another it makes for a better workplace. Using fear-based tactics to keep everyone silent only ends up making you look mean and petty.

As an experiment, I tried Googling "Julep Nail Parlor" and neither my nor Snotty's blogs showed up within the first ten pages of results. In fact, there wasn't any negative press at all, although I saw a few blog posts from people who had written nice things when Julep first opened. I can't imagine that more than ten people tops actually read my blog on a regular basis, and that figure may well include whoever from Julep is so up-in-arms about it. And really, if someone is so upset about people writing negative things on the internet about Julep, then they may want to do something about the user comments on Yelp and Citysearch, which I'm guessing are WAAAAY more likely to have an impact on potential Julep customers than anything I have to say here.

In case you are unsure about what steps to take to get us to quit writing posts like, oh, say this one, I offer the following suggestions:

1) Check out some free advice from a lawyer here. Keep in mind that I'm ready and willing to post any "cease and desist letters" I get in the mail online. And I'm sure you've already adjusted the hiring paperwork to address this topic, but on the off chance you haven't, you may want to get employees to sign some sort of confidentiality agreement. But don't overlook the advice about trying to "deal with the person human-to-human." Don't you think if would have been much more effective to have talked to me directly instead of conducting covert operations to see who's been talking to who which only results in me airing all of this in a public forum?

2) Please realize that this is a service-based industry. Your employees are your products. If you don't have Vernisseurs, you don't have any services to offer; meaning that you don't have any business to run. Instead of worrying about the activities of ex-employees, it would be much more constructive to focus on the happiness of the employees you still have. As an added bonus, it would also be less likely to result in negative blog entries (again, like this one).

3) Don't just say you believe in starting as you mean to go on. Do it. Also, it is never too late to make a fresh start.

So, to whatever you have to say about my blogging my immediate reply is:

I guess its best you feel that way.

Now get over it and move on.

Help me Wolf Blitzer! You're my only hope!

2008-11-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

Not having a television, I had missed out on the hologram correspondents on CNN. This mashup of Wolf Blitzer talking to Jessica Yellin combined with Star Wars is pretty funny though! (Video from Slate.)

Kubota Garden

2008-11-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures I took at Kubota Japanese Garden in Renton last week when Bryn and I went to check out the fall colors. I've got a ton of homework, so I'm going for a more visual post today. Enjoy!

President Obama

2008-11-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

The excitement was palpable outside our apartment tonight. I was neither glued to the internets or the television when I discovered Obama had won. And it wasn't from a phone call or text message either. I was alerted to it by the whooping of voices and honking of car horns that I could hear through the window. I figured it meant Obama had won, and when I checked CNN, my suspicions were confirmed.

My experience at the voting booth today didn't offer any heartwarming or community-building stories to share, like those I've been reading about online. But hearing all of the excitement outside, celebrating as if it were New Year's Eve is kind of nice!

In Bed with Architects

2008-11-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes getting sick isn't entirely bad. I've been fighting some sort of bug since Friday when I went home from school early, and it still has a hold on me today seeing as how I only made to one out of three classes. On one hand, I've been panicking about how many projects I have to work on. But being forced against my will to slow down and lay in bed for a while was a good idea. Why? It gave me time to watch some DVDs that I checked out from the library (you know you're getting old when you start borrowing movies from the library).

First up was Architectures-Vol. 5 (2005). It offered a look at six vastly different buildings including: The Alhambra in Grenada, The House of Sugimoto in Tokyo, Zaha Hadid's Phaeno in Germany, and Palladio's Villa Barbaro. I really liked getting a more in depth look at some individual buildings compared to the usual fly-by in my art/design history classes. It set the perfect tone for what was to come. That was on Saturday.

The next day I ended up watching Sydney Pollack's Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005). I'll admit that my only in-person experiences with Gehry's buildings has been with the Experience Music Project(EMP) in Seattle and a view from afar of his building for Barry Diller in New York. But I haven't been impressed. (I also questioned the line of jewelery he designed for Tiffany & Co.) Yet, after watching this movie I have a better understanding of where he is coming from and what he is trying to do. Does it always turn out well? Not at all! However, when it does work, it definitely bridges the ever-widening gap between art and architecture. It was nice to be able to gain a better appreciation for the man and his work, even if I still rather hate EMP.

Lastly, since I didn't make it to my art history class tonight I figured that I would at the very least make myself watch the other architectural movie I had borrowed. It was My Architect (2003) in which Nathaniel Kahn made a documentary about his search to find his father, architectural icon Louis Kahn, through visiting his buildings and interviewing people who knew him. This was the movie out of the three that I least wanted to watch. I had picked it up more out of a sense of obligation to watch it than because I really wanted to--I looked forward to learning more about Louis Kahn, but was wary of the family component to the movie. Would it take over the movie? Well, yes and no. It didn't take over the movie, it WAS the movie. But not in a bad way. In fact, I ended up liking this one the best out of the three for the way it brought the human element into the architecture. There are awkward moments, funny moments, sappy moments, intriguing moments; all of which may seem strange or disjointed by themselves. But they blended together and by the end of the movie I was won over. Good architecture isn't about something aloof and self-important, it is inspirational and becomes the backdrop on which we play out our lives.

It makes me sad that I'm out of movies now. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have an interview scheduled at 9am and I also need to vote! Can't stay in bed forever (sadly).

Starbucks vs. Julep Nail Parlor

2008-11-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

To start out, yes, I do recall a blog posted in September when I said, "So. No more ranting about Julep." Not that I'm excusing myself for going back on my word, but this post is less of a rant and more of a commentary about two things.

1) There is an article I just read a couple days ago called Starbucks Blues that reminded me a lot of Julep. Why? Well, aside from the owner having been a former Starbucks executive, the issues that the article was bringing up about the way Starbucks was dealing with both the recession and their employees sounded rather familiar. For example, take the following sentence from the article referring to the general Starbucks store experience:

"The store atmosphere remains suffused with NPR-style high-mindedness."

Now, read a quote directly from the Parlor Games blog written by Julep's owner:

"I LOVE our earth-friendly ribbon - Recycled and Recyclable, with our elegant-but-cute-as-a-button leaf cluster printed with soy-based ink."

Sound a little high-minded? (To say nothing of greenwashing, but that's another post.)

2) The other thing actually fits right in with the article too. The main point that author Liza Featherstone had was that Starbucks was indirectly taking measures to thin out their employees by implementing a new human resources strategy:

"This new "philosophy" is called "Optimal Scheduling," and it requires that "partners" (Starbucks-speak for employees) must dramatically increase their own flexibility. If they'd like to work full time, they must be available to work 70 percent of open store hours. (For a Starbucks open 16 hours a day, as is typical, this means 80.5 hours per week.)"

After hearing about a mandatory employee meeting that took place tonight where Vernisseurs were informed of a sudden change in compensation structure (which involves moving from a guaranteed hourly rate to a commission percentage off of services done), I realized that this sounded oddly familiar. Moreso because some people were offered commission rates at ridiculously low percentages (low-to-mid twenty percentile) in what I can only assume was an attempt to get them to quit. (If not, then it was a blatant attempt to take advantage of them.) It also seemed like a fairly desperate move, especially considering that I've heard business is rather stagnant at the two new locations that opened this year. (With another store opening planned for the spring perhaps?)

When I finally found the Starbucks Blues article and read it again, I was able to put all the pieces together. I don't think of Starbucks as the epitome of evil, but they also certainly aren't as socially responsible as they'd have one believe. Nor are their espresso drinks particularly good, although I admit to being spoiled by living on a block directly between two Vivace storefronts. And as for Julep, it seems to me like a case where you can take the executive out of Starbucks, but you can't take the Starbucks out of the executive.

Mindless Celebrity Musings

2008-11-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

I've been sick this weekend, alternating between headachey tiredness and stuffed-up sniffles. In an attempt to liven up my afternoon today, I was browsing some of the celebrity photos in MSN's 'Undressed' fashion section. There were definitely some doozies. My two favorites are above.

Although I don't think many people could pull it off, I have to give Grace Jones mad props for not only putting on that outfit, but actually wearing it out in public. It certainly is something! Like, maybe she is going to an upscale pagan ritual? Whatever the reason, I love that she wore it.

I also chose Heidi Montag because she is SO completely ridiculous, and SUCH a shameless self-promoter, that I can't believe she still gets press. (And if I was going to pose for a fundraising effort in a Taco Bell kitchen, I would probably avoid wearing those boots.) Browsing the tabloid covers at the grocery store is made much more annoying by her and Spencer Pratt's shenanigans. I've never seen The Hills, and if she's on it, I never want to. Yech!

There was one other photo that I was captivated by, but didn't have the heart to post. Mainly because it was less about the outfit and more about the person. I'd rather keep the flawless image of Catherine Zeta-Jones in my mind than associate her with the poorly blended makeup job I just saw where the top half of her face was bronze and the bottom half was pale. Poor thing.

Monothon 2008

2008-11-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of the prints I made at Monothon 2008 at Crow's Shadow Institute, plus some photos I took on the drive down to Pendleton, OR. All of this went down last weekend and I had a lot of fun! (Even though I drove over 500 miles just to spend three hours in a print studio. It was worth it.)

Don't Drop the Art

2008-10-31T08:46:00.001-07:00

Volunteered last night for the Pilchuck Glass School's annual auction held at the Westin downtown. I'd found out the day before that I had been switched from the packing room to being an art handler. They told me to wear dark clothing and no jewelry, so I figured I'd be in the background toting artwork here and there. Imagine my surprise when I was handed a packet and told that I would be carrying about seven pieces from the display area up to the stage during the live auction. Did I mention that it was a stage-in-the-round? In the middle of the packed grand ballroom? And if the piece couldn't be set on the pedestal that I had to stay up there, walking it around and around the stage until it sold?

I was absolutely frightened at first that I would end up tripping or dropping something. Some of them weren't too bad, but there was one huge clown-shaped vase that I worried about carrying. (Especially since it was valued at $23,000.) There was also the challenge of dodging waiters and guests while carrying pieces down the aisle as the night progressed. One piece did get broken, but luckily it wasn't by me. Overall though, I had a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. And it was good practice for getting over stage fright!

The Case of the Missing Dry Cleaning

2008-10-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Brief Rant:

I just got back from the dry cleaners where I dropped some things off about two weeks ago. According to them, I picked my stuff up a few days later. Yet, not only do I NOT have my clothes, but the last four digits of the credit card used to pick them up doesn't match either VISA card I carry in my wallet. Just to be safe, I checked my closet one more time and also asked Bryn if he'd picked anything up. No luck.

I'm going to be really extra super amazingly pissed off if my clothes never surface, seeing as how it included two of my favorite sweaters and some much loved wool pants. Grrrrrrr!

Spruce Street School

2008-10-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our Studio class went on a construction site visit today (I swear to God, this year has been field trip after field trip--not that I'm complaining) and from the 10th floor of the building we were able to look down on kids playing on a playground built on a roof. The place is Spruce Street School and is only a block or two from my school (which is visible in the background to the right). Seems like a perfect example of the potential for adaptive urban re-use. I've walked by the building before and you can tell they have something up there, but it was fun to be able to look down on it and actually see it!

And the heights don't end there. A volunteer orientation meeting I attended tonight was held in the Presidential Suite at the Westin. I can tell you that the view of downtown and Elliot Bay and the sunset is spectacular from the 47th floor. I should have taken a picture, although I didn't think about it until after I'd left. Oh well. Tomorrow night I get to be an "Art Handler" and help carry pieces on and off the stage at the big Pilchuck auction/gala. Wheee!

Seattle Center

2008-10-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Some photos from a class field trip to the Seattle Center last week. I sure think that the Experience Music Project is ugly! But someone said it wasn't entirely Frank Gehry's fault, that he was given the insides and had to create only the exterior. Still...

If 900 Kids Came to Your Door

2008-10-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in Yakima this weekend and the folks I'm staying with showed me an article in the local paper talking about the traffic problems with trick-or-treaters. It talked about how, "Some neighbors are overwhelmed by the number of kids--as many as 900--in the area on Halloween night..."

NINE HUNDRED TRICK-OR-TREATERS?!?!?!? That's a lot of candy. We stopped at Rite-Aid this afternoon to pick up some more treats since the one bag they'd bought with 90 pieces of candy didn't seem like it would go very far. Yikes.

Can I Get Credit For This?

2008-10-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

TV Reviews

Hmmm, since my blog came in at College Level (Undergrad), I'm wondering if I can somehow parlay this into credit applied toward my degree I'm working on right now.

*schemes quietly in the corner*

In the Land of the Slot-Machine Song

2008-10-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Bryn and I took a brief trip up to the Tulalip Casino yesterday (we were bonding). Although they have the best buffet I've been to in the Pacific Northwest, we skipped it in favor of one of their less filling restaurants. I had a salmon burger, because haaaaay, I'm from a salmon tribe! Well, and I wanted one. And it came with authentic Native American french fries.

The casino boasts a recently opened resort hotel. The pictures above are from A) the big hallway outside their meeting rooms for conventions and such, and B) the glamoxurious swimming pool area. The whole place is done well in that "new money" kind of way. And for a casino, it seems fitting. Lots of slick materials combined with abstract representation of water or trees to make it more "authentic" and of course there is the ubiquitous swarm of metal salmon swimming on the ceiling in the first picture I posted. If I had a dollar for every time I've seen some artist throw a few cutout metal salmon in a space and call it, "Pacific Northwest," I'd have my school loans paid off. Ugh. And I won't say anything about the swimming pool area except to say that since it was in a casino and there weren't any humans using the facilities, I kept expecting some white tigers to stroll in at any minute. I mean, it could be worse, but if I'm at a hotel I'd sort of not want to feel like I'm in an exhibit at the zoo while swimming in the pool.

The good news though? We put $40 into some slot machines and walked out with $72. At least we know when to stop, right? No matter, the Seattle Premium Outlets next door gobbled up our money anyhow. But now I have an umbrella and a decent winter scarf. And they were on sale! I love sales!!!

The Fifty-First State

2008-10-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where the star would go, but there has been the recent resurrection of a 1941 movement to create a new state. The bombing of Pearl Harbor effectively killed off the movement the first time. Who knows what might happen nowadays? There is a State of Jefferson website, a State of Jefferson blog, or as an introduction, you might want to read this October 5th article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Sounds reminiscient of the Cascadia independence movement. Except slightly more likely since it is the creation of a new state as opposed to the secession of states/provinces from the U.S./Canada and formation of a new country. But I still have my doubts--unless we fall into a period of complete chaos or something.

Japanese Garden

2008-10-18T10:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday our Environmental Design class took a field trip to the Japanese Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum. Above are some of the pictures I took, but of course there were hordes of people there with cameras. I used to go here a lot and feed the fish in the pond during the spring and summer when you can buy a bag of fish food for $1. Hadn't been in a while, and it was good to return. I also discovered that the koi, ducks, and turtles aren't the only things living in the pond when I happened to catch sight of a couple crayfish scuttling about under one of the bridges.

Dwelling #199

2008-10-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

I feel like an art collector right now. Why? Because just this week, I paid more than twenty-five bucks for a piece of art. And it isn't merely a framed poster, no! It is a real, bona-fide, original painting. It was't planned. I took Snotty to Madrona for lunch at the Hi-Spot and we were wandering around the neighborhood checking out cool places afterwards. I had no plans on buying anything, I was just looking. And yet, when we walked by a store called Jaywalk, I clutched Snotty's arm and said, "We have to go in there." And we did. And I saw Dwelling #199 by local artist Graham Fracha hanging on the wall and suddenly I knew, knew, KNEW that I had to own it. So much for quitting my job though. Now I have to pay myself back the money in savings for next semester. But it was worth it.

"Pioneer Lounge" Concept

2008-10-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Above are some images I used in my Interior Studio project that I just presented/turned in on Moday. The concept was a small private space in Pioneer Square owned by a pair of DJs. I wanted to create a place that was intimate for them to hang out in and listen to music, either alone or with friends--sort of the antithesis of a huge club or super-trendy bar. More like a basement den. These are the images I was working on this weekend when I wasn't doing laundry or loading the dishwasher. And I'm happy that it all came together well enough, although I wish I hadn't been so behind on it and had been able to spend more time focusing on the materials.

Picasso and Boob Jobs

2008-10-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just a random thought: did Picasso help influence the contemporary trend towards breast augmentation?

Think about it. Suddenly Victoria Beckham makes sense. She's thin enough that you can see her in her entirety from any angle, plus she has the "pasted-on" geometric boobs. Posh Spice is a Cubistic piece of performance art!

I was actually going to watch the next part of a documentary about Picasso I got from the library in a few minutes, but it seems that the disc has gone missing. I'm sure it is around here somewhere, but I don't feel like digging it out. Perhaps I'll watch Le Divorce instead. I've got a French theme going with my dinner tonight. Found a frozen goat cheese tart--from France!-- on sale at the grocery store and also picked up a bottle of wine--also from France!-- that has a label I can't read. All I know is that it is dry and fruity and crisp and tastes damn good. Plus it was under ten bucks, so I can't complain at all.

Maybe its better if I don't watch the documentary tonight anyhow. Bryn is working late and I can enjoy Le Divorce without any distractions since it does delve into "chick-flick" territory. Besides, Picasso may have mostly worked in Paris, but he was so very Spanish; I should get a bottle of rioja to finish out those discs.

"Sarah Palin: So Far Right She's Wrong"

2008-10-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

I admit that I was rather fascinated by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his VP pick initially. She was so new to the national political stage that it seemed like a potentially hopeful moment for women in politics, even if I could tell that I didn't agree with her point of view. Well, what a difference a month or two makes! Any optimism I had about her has vanished now that she has been exposed as a figure who has about as much background (and interest) in foreign policy as I do. Plus, her extremely divisive speeches on the campaign trail seem calculated to whip their intended targets into a frenzy of righteousness.

She's still a fascinating character to watch, but I would be scared to have her anywhere near the White House because I strongly disagree with her political agenda and also believe she would be too easy for others to control--which is probably why she was picked in the first place.

Anyhow, I ran across a bulletin on MySpace (I know, MySpace is SO 2005) that was talking about an anti-Palin rally in Anchorage, Alaska. I guess it took place in mid-September and was quite possibly the largest political rally in Alaska's history. There were about 1400 anti-Palin demonstrators and perhaps 100 pro-Palin folks as well. Looking at the pictures in the article on Huffington Post or reading the article in the Washington Post, I really got a sense of community from this grass roots effort.

My favorite homemade sign?
"Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was
a governor."

Silence That Lamb!

2008-10-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Are you at all familiar with Brooks Brothers? If not, it is a fancy schmancy clothing store geared towards people who use 'summer' as a verb. They do have cool suits and things, but they're clothing is definitely on the stuffier side for both business and casual wear. I was looking at their logo when I walked by the store downtown the other day though, and I became thoroughly confused. A sheep hanging from a ribbon? What does that MEAN!?!?!

Are they trying to say they only use the finest wools (and perhaps leathers)? It probably made more sense back in 1818, when the company was founded. I also noticed that an older logo had a skinnier looking sheep. The current sheep (above) is a little more puffy and cute. And it doesn't look as sad. But its still kind of weird.

Underground Tour

2008-10-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Normally I find doing the usual touristy things (in my home city or elsewhere) to be gauche and annoying. But I'll admit, they are usually pretty fun once you (I) get down off your (my) high horse and DO them. Bryn and I spent the morning doing some roaming in Pioneer Square to celebrate the third anniversary of the day we met. Since he's so very proper and also slightly crazy, he made sure to let me know that it was our leather anniversary and to plan accordingly. He kept threatening me with strange bondage gear outfits from The Crypt, but I knew he was only (mostly?) kidding. Our gifts to each other? We ended up with a lovely matching set of anniversary gloves. Mine are tasteful black, to be picked up later this month when a new shipment arrives with my size. His are garish yellow, like a cross between a school bus and a bottle of mustard. Of course, his size was in stock. I don't know anyone else who would actually buy that color.

Anyhow, we ended up going on the Underground Tour also, which was super fun. There were only maybe two other people on the tour from Seattle, with people from across the country and also some from Thailand and London. The guides made corny jokes. The underground parts were cool and creepy. And I learned some more interesting details about this city I grew up in. We also wanted to go to the observation deck at Smith Tower, but alas, it was closed today. It is kind of cool to think though, that when it was built in 1914 it was the tallest building in the world outside of New York City. And it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi for a really long time (almost fifty years). The photos above are from the tour and also a shot of Smith Tower.

Kengo Kuma

2008-10-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Monday night I went and saw a presentation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma at the Seattle Central Library. (Space.City has cool lectures like this throughout the year.) Above are some images of his work. He really does some fascinating things and what I especially liked about the projects he shared with us was how focused he was on finding connections between the location and materials. For instance there was a house using rice paper and he ended up going with a guy who plants his own rice to make the paper instead of importing rice from Thailand. He also really tries to keep a sense of lightness, even with materials like stone. Yay, fun!

Monothon is ON!

2008-10-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've been craving some print studio time ever since I was at Pilchuck this summer. Well, it turns out I will get a chance to do some printing before the end of the month after all! Where? At MONOTHON 2008!

The second annual Monothon at Crow's Shadow Institute in Pendleton, Oregon takes place October 24-26th, and I have a time slot to participate on Sunday the 26th. All prints created are available for sale with the proceeds going to benefit Crow's Shadow. This means I will have to get the weekend off (note: I might be leaving my job anyhow, and not because it is terrible but so that I have more time to focus on taking care of things at home and school), and then Bryn and I will drive to Yakima on Saturday, spend the night with family, and I can do my thing on Sunday and we'll head back to Seattle that night.

The only thing I will get out of this is the joy of printing and contributing to a Native American focused arts organization. I'm in. Gosh, but I'm an art nerd!

Field Trips can be Dangerous

2008-10-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

We had a very eventful field trip today. After a couple of hours in class talking about the next assignment, we split up and met at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. We ate lunch and commenced our exploration of the site. Unfortunately, not too long after we started wandering, one of the students slipped on a steep path while taking a photograph and ended up damaging his knee somehow. Seemed like it was dislocated most likely. After the fire department, police, and ambulance eventually came and left we continued on with our wanderings. Hopefully he's doing okay, they did take him to the hospital. The rest of us had a good time after the initial excitement, it was a really nice park.

The Next Bushism: Palin's Poetry

2008-10-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just read an awesome article on Slate that took answers from Sarah Palin's interviews and turned them into poetry. Strangely enough, I think that they work really well in that form. Or at least, they make more sense in writing than watching her fumble and panic. Just as Slate figured that in order to make lemons out of lemonade that they could look forward to four more years of "Bushisms" after he won the election in '04, at least if for some terrible reason Sarah Palin becomes VP we could enjoy more of her lovely political musings.

Here's an example:

"Small Mayors"

You know,
Small mayors,
Mayors of small towns--
Quote, unquote--
They're on the front lines.

(To S. Hannity, Fox News, Sept. 19, 2008)