Haven't posted in what seems ages. That's at least partly because I'm now immersed in three shows simultaneously. Their openings are fortunately spread months apart, but the major design phase on all of them is happening right now. On one show I'm about to enter the 'horse-trading' phase, the necessary negotiations to make the wildly overbudget production I've proposed somehow affordable … against all odds. Ha. Another one is in 'exploratory' phase… yeah there's a design, but it now needs refining to see where I can push it. The third one just began design meetings… we're all on the same page in the general direction, but there's a lot to discuss. I should be designing for the circus; I'm having to get adept at juggling.
I did manage to get out last night to a really swell concert performance put on by Perfect Harmony Mens Chorus, in which our own
bruinwi is a soloist performer. This time the chorus was augmented with extra voices from Milwaukee, bringing up their ranks to an even three dozen - and what a magnificent sound they made! Furthermore they were accompanied by a seventeen piece orchestral ensemble, and the acoustics of the venue (a local church) favored voices and musical instruments alike. The main item featured was a modern oratorio that had been commissioned by San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus back in 1995. It bears the provocative title "Naked Man" and is actually a series of musical pieces, each of which focuses on some particular aspect of gay life of that time. It was an era in which AIDS was not yet a manageable disease, yet the oratorio manages to be timely even now because it covers a lot of varied bases. One of the numbers, 'Marry Us' has become something of an anthem on its own and is possibly even more relevant now than it was back when the oratorio was written. Taken altogether, it was a moving event - and while it can be said that Madison audiences tend to favor bestowing standing ovations, the one at the end of this concert was truly spontaneous and well-earned. PHMC once again reaffirmed why I support this group.
I did manage to get out last night to a really swell concert performance put on by Perfect Harmony Mens Chorus, in which our own
bruinwi is a soloist performer. This time the chorus was augmented with extra voices from Milwaukee, bringing up their ranks to an even three dozen - and what a magnificent sound they made! Furthermore they were accompanied by a seventeen piece orchestral ensemble, and the acoustics of the venue (a local church) favored voices and musical instruments alike. The main item featured was a modern oratorio that had been commissioned by San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus back in 1995. It bears the provocative title "Naked Man" and is actually a series of musical pieces, each of which focuses on some particular aspect of gay life of that time. It was an era in which AIDS was not yet a manageable disease, yet the oratorio manages to be timely even now because it covers a lot of varied bases. One of the numbers, 'Marry Us' has become something of an anthem on its own and is possibly even more relevant now than it was back when the oratorio was written. Taken altogether, it was a moving event - and while it can be said that Madison audiences tend to favor bestowing standing ovations, the one at the end of this concert was truly spontaneous and well-earned. PHMC once again reaffirmed why I support this group.In my childhood I recall Easter Saturday dedicated to coloring Easter eggs, using those dye kits produced by PAAS since … since forever. My mother would have a series of empty jam jars lined up on the kitchen table, one jar for each of the color tablets supplied with the kit. She also taught me to place a flatware knife blade under each jar as the boiling water was poured in – to keep the glass from cracking.
I’m not sure I was particularly good at making pretty colored eggs, though I’ve always liked the pristine dimensional oval shape in combination with appealing pastel colors. It’s been a couple decades since last I tried to dye Easter eggs. Maybe these days I’d be more interested in taking a class in Pysanky – the remarkable and intricate holiday eggs produced traditionally by the people of the Ukraine. I understand the tradition of resist-dying eggs predates the introduction of Christianity in that part of the world. Originally the eggs were made as tribute to a pagan sun god – and the eggs themselves, traditionally given away to family and friends, were a means of keeping evil at bay in the world.
In recent years I’ve fallen under the spell of another, more contemporary Easter tradition: Peeps! – those marshmallow confections resembling chicks or bunnies. Being drawn to them is ridiculous …but a siren-call in my modern experience. Furthermore, what I do with them is something I learned from no less an authoritative source than National Public Radio. Here’s the deal: place a Peep on a plate; put plate in the microwave; hit the ON button for 15 to 25 seconds; watch the thing inflate …then pull it out and devour the sweet gooey mess. Delicious! (…with taste like that it’s a wonder they allow me into decent restaurants).
Happy Bunny Day, everyone !
p.s. ….we don’t have much in the way of flowers outdoors yet, though buds are beginning to show on trees. But birds are singing; rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks are cavorting … and this evening’s calm is punctuated by the happy horny clatter of “spring peepers”, the minute amphibians in the local drainage ditches eager to get it on with their nearest truelove.
I’m not sure I was particularly good at making pretty colored eggs, though I’ve always liked the pristine dimensional oval shape in combination with appealing pastel colors. It’s been a couple decades since last I tried to dye Easter eggs. Maybe these days I’d be more interested in taking a class in Pysanky – the remarkable and intricate holiday eggs produced traditionally by the people of the Ukraine. I understand the tradition of resist-dying eggs predates the introduction of Christianity in that part of the world. Originally the eggs were made as tribute to a pagan sun god – and the eggs themselves, traditionally given away to family and friends, were a means of keeping evil at bay in the world.
In recent years I’ve fallen under the spell of another, more contemporary Easter tradition: Peeps! – those marshmallow confections resembling chicks or bunnies. Being drawn to them is ridiculous …but a siren-call in my modern experience. Furthermore, what I do with them is something I learned from no less an authoritative source than National Public Radio. Here’s the deal: place a Peep on a plate; put plate in the microwave; hit the ON button for 15 to 25 seconds; watch the thing inflate …then pull it out and devour the sweet gooey mess. Delicious! (…with taste like that it’s a wonder they allow me into decent restaurants).
Happy Bunny Day, everyone !
p.s. ….we don’t have much in the way of flowers outdoors yet, though buds are beginning to show on trees. But birds are singing; rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks are cavorting … and this evening’s calm is punctuated by the happy horny clatter of “spring peepers”, the minute amphibians in the local drainage ditches eager to get it on with their nearest truelove.
Suddenly it's April 8 and I almost forgot there's a birthday happening today. Here's sending birthday wishes to that master of the baking kitchen icejohn2 !
Hope your day has been fun and has included a few special treats!
icejohn2 !Hope your day has been fun and has included a few special treats!
Recently mrdreamjeans posted about how we've become accustomed to speed-dialing on our phones, rather than memorizing or looking up numbers in a printed phonebook. That made me think about Pass Words … I've got dozens of them active (for amazon.com, for union business, for any number of internet transactions, etc), and wonder how people manage to remember all of theirs. By nature I'm a practitioner of 'the old ways', i.e. I'm such a natural Luddite that I use old methods mostly because I don't know any better. Creeping senioritis means I cannot possibly remember all my passwords - and I don't do an amazon transaction every week to keep me in practice. My solution?… I've got passwords recorded by hand in a notebook, so even if the computer should go on the blink, I have a means of retrieving the data that gets me into certain sites. So, I wonder what other people do, the non-Luddite majority that swirls around me.
What I like about being weird is that it requires so little effort [smirk].
mrdreamjeans posted about how we've become accustomed to speed-dialing on our phones, rather than memorizing or looking up numbers in a printed phonebook. That made me think about Pass Words … I've got dozens of them active (for amazon.com, for union business, for any number of internet transactions, etc), and wonder how people manage to remember all of theirs. By nature I'm a practitioner of 'the old ways', i.e. I'm such a natural Luddite that I use old methods mostly because I don't know any better. Creeping senioritis means I cannot possibly remember all my passwords - and I don't do an amazon transaction every week to keep me in practice. My solution?… I've got passwords recorded by hand in a notebook, so even if the computer should go on the blink, I have a means of retrieving the data that gets me into certain sites. So, I wonder what other people do, the non-Luddite majority that swirls around me.What I like about being weird is that it requires so little effort [smirk].
Why the silence…
I’d be happy to be corrected on this, but in the current general controversy about civil rights for gay people and the objections raised by Christian fundamentalists, I’m continually amazed by the relative silence coming from mainstream Christian churches. I know there are churches out there that welcome gay people and indeed practice a Christ-like attitude. But… it seems nothing gets into the media. Is this the media’s fault? When I look at newspapers and online news, the only religious voices in evidence seem to come from the fundies. From the media evidence one would think that ALL Christians are opposed to gay people [notice I didn’t use “gay civil rights” ….for in their heart of hearts what fundies object to is our existence, and they’d really prefer that God came up with a “Final Solution” for us].
Of course I do come across articles and editorials that argue for our cause from a secular viewpoint, with arguments that are cogent and rational. All well and good. Ironically perhaps, I’m bugged by liberal churches’ silence because I’m an ex-Christian myself, and now regard all religions as nothing more than elaborate superstition, totally human-made. But I do not discount the very real effect this form of superstition has on our lives on this planet. And being a (relative) realist, I could see religion in a benign role concerning gay people, rather than as a major source of oppression.
There is, so far, one voice I’ve come across who does come from a distinctly religious background, and that’s Gene Robinson. Because he’s now retired from the post that made him noteworthy, he no longer uses the byline “Bishop Gene Robinson” – he was New England’s Episcopal bishop around whom considerable controversy used to swirl simply because of his sexual orientation.
Here’s a recent online article of his. I admire his even-handedness and rational thinking.
http://news.yahoo.com/christians-not-victims-040000977--politics.html
I’d be happy to be corrected on this, but in the current general controversy about civil rights for gay people and the objections raised by Christian fundamentalists, I’m continually amazed by the relative silence coming from mainstream Christian churches. I know there are churches out there that welcome gay people and indeed practice a Christ-like attitude. But… it seems nothing gets into the media. Is this the media’s fault? When I look at newspapers and online news, the only religious voices in evidence seem to come from the fundies. From the media evidence one would think that ALL Christians are opposed to gay people [notice I didn’t use “gay civil rights” ….for in their heart of hearts what fundies object to is our existence, and they’d really prefer that God came up with a “Final Solution” for us].
Of course I do come across articles and editorials that argue for our cause from a secular viewpoint, with arguments that are cogent and rational. All well and good. Ironically perhaps, I’m bugged by liberal churches’ silence because I’m an ex-Christian myself, and now regard all religions as nothing more than elaborate superstition, totally human-made. But I do not discount the very real effect this form of superstition has on our lives on this planet. And being a (relative) realist, I could see religion in a benign role concerning gay people, rather than as a major source of oppression.
There is, so far, one voice I’ve come across who does come from a distinctly religious background, and that’s Gene Robinson. Because he’s now retired from the post that made him noteworthy, he no longer uses the byline “Bishop Gene Robinson” – he was New England’s Episcopal bishop around whom considerable controversy used to swirl simply because of his sexual orientation.
Here’s a recent online article of his. I admire his even-handedness and rational thinking.
http://news.yahoo.com/christians-not-victims-040000977--politics.html
OK, last year I somehow forgot today's birthday-bear's birthday …. a mistake that Artful Otter has attempted to rectify herewith.
So, here's sending celebratory good wishes to the hunkiest clergyman I've ever encountered (and possessor of a furry decolletage worthy of worship), the one and onlydewittar !
Hope your day is full of treats, not to mention a satisfying workout !
So, here's sending celebratory good wishes to the hunkiest clergyman I've ever encountered (and possessor of a furry decolletage worthy of worship), the one and only
dewittar !Hope your day is full of treats, not to mention a satisfying workout !
It seems the Otter was out with his blue corgi Azure and suddenly realized it was the 26th already… time to do a bit of conjuring (somewhat difficult to do without a blue dog in hand), so here's pulling out of thin air some birthday wishes to one of my newer Lj buds, huxbear ! Hope wherever this finds you, you 're having an especially good day celebrating :0)
huxbear ! Hope wherever this finds you, you 're having an especially good day celebrating :0)Though I've been admittedly lax about posting on LJ of late, it's hard to ignore a rare triple birthday - so here's sending birthday wishes to three of my Lj friends: mrdreamjeans, texwriterbear, and pbehr - each of whom are having a special day today. For the occasion the Artful Otter was inspired to head for the kitchen and whip up some celebratory cakes. All three are chocolate, but with different frostings…
- peach butter cream topped with crystallized violets
- vanilla mousse with chocolate ganache and strawberries
- orange sugar frost with pineapple stars
I'll let you guys duke it out as to who gets which cake - though of course each may sample the other two … and remember, every bite is zero calories ;0)
mrdreamjeans, texwriterbear, and pbehr - each of whom are having a special day today. For the occasion the Artful Otter was inspired to head for the kitchen and whip up some celebratory cakes. All three are chocolate, but with different frostings… - peach butter cream topped with crystallized violets
- vanilla mousse with chocolate ganache and strawberries
- orange sugar frost with pineapple stars
I'll let you guys duke it out as to who gets which cake - though of course each may sample the other two … and remember, every bite is zero calories ;0)
That's the title of an amazing documentary I just saw - it's been at the top of my movie list lately. It's about this inventor/entrepreneur in San Antonio who, around 2009 became obsessed with re-creating a painting by Vermeer - from scratch. He actually did it - a labor that took him around ten months just to execute the brushwork. His object was to re-discover exactly how it is that Johannes Vermeer (17th century Dutch painter, he of "The Girl With the Pearl Earring") actually painted his works …which has long mystified admirers and art historians alike. There's a true-to-life optical accuracy to Vermeer's paintings that seems uncanny, almost photographic.
David Hockney, one of the pre-eminent (English, though for years he worked in LA) artists of the late twentieth century has written on Vermeer postulating the use of a 'camera obscura' (basically a pin-hole box camera) used by the Dutch artist to create his remarkable paintings. Tim Jenison, the main character in this film and incidentally a nice-looking bear, is the first to have actually applied a plausible technique to explain how Vermeer did it. Tim is not an artist himself, but taught himself to handle a paint brush and even to grind and mix his own oil paints. He built his own setup, re-creating the room that most often appears in Vermeer's paintings, and uses only optical technology, i.e. basic lens and mirrors that would have been available in Holland 350 years ago.
The film is produced by Penn & Teller - Teller directs while Penn appears occasionally to comment and do voiceovers. At the end Penn (he's the taller one with the pony-tail) says something like " 'Unfathomable genius' seems to have lost its meaning - this is now 'fathomable genius' ….which I think is pithy and funny and also rather accurate.
A side note the film does not mention. As far as I know, there are only about two dozen genuine Vermeer paintings in existence (maybe less)…. as the film demonstrates, if the artist really did paint this way, the process is profoundly painstaking and requires the patience of Job - which might also explain why there are not more paintings from a major career artist of this period.
I think the movie would be of wide general interest to a lot of us - Tim explains that in Vermeer's time they did not have the sharp division we now have between the arts and sciences & technology - so indeed there was a blur between the art and the 'technology' that was very likely employed by Vermeer to create his masterpieces.
Here's the lURL link for the movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94pCNUu6qFY
David Hockney, one of the pre-eminent (English, though for years he worked in LA) artists of the late twentieth century has written on Vermeer postulating the use of a 'camera obscura' (basically a pin-hole box camera) used by the Dutch artist to create his remarkable paintings. Tim Jenison, the main character in this film and incidentally a nice-looking bear, is the first to have actually applied a plausible technique to explain how Vermeer did it. Tim is not an artist himself, but taught himself to handle a paint brush and even to grind and mix his own oil paints. He built his own setup, re-creating the room that most often appears in Vermeer's paintings, and uses only optical technology, i.e. basic lens and mirrors that would have been available in Holland 350 years ago.
The film is produced by Penn & Teller - Teller directs while Penn appears occasionally to comment and do voiceovers. At the end Penn (he's the taller one with the pony-tail) says something like " 'Unfathomable genius' seems to have lost its meaning - this is now 'fathomable genius' ….which I think is pithy and funny and also rather accurate.
A side note the film does not mention. As far as I know, there are only about two dozen genuine Vermeer paintings in existence (maybe less)…. as the film demonstrates, if the artist really did paint this way, the process is profoundly painstaking and requires the patience of Job - which might also explain why there are not more paintings from a major career artist of this period.
I think the movie would be of wide general interest to a lot of us - Tim explains that in Vermeer's time they did not have the sharp division we now have between the arts and sciences & technology - so indeed there was a blur between the art and the 'technology' that was very likely employed by Vermeer to create his masterpieces.
Here's the lURL link for the movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94pCNUu6qFY
My desktop Mac was bought in June 2011, so by now it is probably considered antediluvian in age. At present it's in the campus computer repair lab. I just got word that several of the hard drive sectors are kaput, and my iPhoto app is sitting on one of them (translation: f*cked!). So now I'll have to take my Mac 'Time Capsule' backup in to see if files can be restored. I may also have to buy a new hard drive, probably bigger than one-terabyte. Meanwhile, the TC also controls my home network, so I may be off-line for the duration. [Incidentally, I may sound like I actually know what I'm talking about. Don't be fooled.]
Fortunately my computer is still on warranty 'til June, so I'm saving labor costs. I have no idea what people do who aren't connected with a university computer lab ... so I guess I'm lucky in some respects.
Fortunately my computer is still on warranty 'til June, so I'm saving labor costs. I have no idea what people do who aren't connected with a university computer lab ... so I guess I'm lucky in some respects.
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