One of my favorite blogs that I stumbled across accidentally is A Daily Dose of Architecture. For reasons that I do not entirely understand, I like to read it before going to bed at night. It's always fabulous, but I particularly enjoyed this filmette, Mr. Glasses.
Mister Glasses
A blog about thinking about stuff---big, clumsy, strange, heavy stuff. And making stuff--big, clumsy, strange, heavy stuff. And weird stuff, too. And maybe other stuff that I haven't thought much about at all but that might be important in a not so obvious way.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Marvelously Marveling
I didn't work on this most of my holiday break, but I have been working lately and here is the current state of play:
The Hulk is done, purple pants and green face and all. I also started working on The Thing. I put off beginning this because I thought it would be hell on Earth but it turns out that it isn't. The internal debates were Debate 1: Should I fragment the orange sections (easier, but may look choppy) or try to cut each piece surrounded by black as a single piece (almost inconceivably difficult but more "rock like" in appearance). I struggled with this until I convinced myself that fragmented bits of glass can, too, look rock like or so I told myself so that I would begin working on it. Debate 2: Should I use the marbling side of the glass which has half a dozen or so shades of orange swirled within it (prettier colors but not very true to the original picture) or should I go with the other side which is a solid, dark orange (which is more like the original comic but would look very "flat" and not as interesting. I went with the swirls and, I tell myself, it also looks more "rock like" because it looks variegated and more shaped. I also just started The Thing's speech bubble. I have done the circle around it, and a bit of white in the bubble stem just to see what working with white would be like. I finished the black outlines on the right arm. Working on this went particularly easily, perhaps because I was listening to Atom Heart Mother (I've always wanted to take photographs of cows--what's that about?) which I haven't listened to in many, many years (two decades?!? Eek!). And, if all goes well this evening (which even typing that makes me think I have doomed my chances), I will start filling in the wrist and lower arm.
And here is the whole thing so far. Hmmm. I doesn't look like I have done all that much. How could I possibly think I would get this done by Christmas? Perhaps Summer Solstice is more likely.
Debate 3, as of yet not settled: And what for the background color? In the comic, it is a rather drab faded soft yellowly newspaper color. Not appealing. I want it to looks like they are bursting through a broken windscreen, so I am thinking either tightly fragmented clear glass or (fearing that may reveal a bit too much of the machinery behind the piece) lightly frosted glass. Hmmm.
The Hulk is done, purple pants and green face and all. I also started working on The Thing. I put off beginning this because I thought it would be hell on Earth but it turns out that it isn't. The internal debates were Debate 1: Should I fragment the orange sections (easier, but may look choppy) or try to cut each piece surrounded by black as a single piece (almost inconceivably difficult but more "rock like" in appearance). I struggled with this until I convinced myself that fragmented bits of glass can, too, look rock like or so I told myself so that I would begin working on it. Debate 2: Should I use the marbling side of the glass which has half a dozen or so shades of orange swirled within it (prettier colors but not very true to the original picture) or should I go with the other side which is a solid, dark orange (which is more like the original comic but would look very "flat" and not as interesting. I went with the swirls and, I tell myself, it also looks more "rock like" because it looks variegated and more shaped. I also just started The Thing's speech bubble. I have done the circle around it, and a bit of white in the bubble stem just to see what working with white would be like. I finished the black outlines on the right arm. Working on this went particularly easily, perhaps because I was listening to Atom Heart Mother (I've always wanted to take photographs of cows--what's that about?) which I haven't listened to in many, many years (two decades?!? Eek!). And, if all goes well this evening (which even typing that makes me think I have doomed my chances), I will start filling in the wrist and lower arm.
And here is the whole thing so far. Hmmm. I doesn't look like I have done all that much. How could I possibly think I would get this done by Christmas? Perhaps Summer Solstice is more likely.
Debate 3, as of yet not settled: And what for the background color? In the comic, it is a rather drab faded soft yellowly newspaper color. Not appealing. I want it to looks like they are bursting through a broken windscreen, so I am thinking either tightly fragmented clear glass or (fearing that may reveal a bit too much of the machinery behind the piece) lightly frosted glass. Hmmm. New Year, New Look
I thought of a long list of New Year's Resolutions and was determined to commit myself to accomplishing them, but I never got around to writing them down. So although it is already January 21, it still is early days in this year. So I will write them down now and commit myself to accomplishing them...some time before the next January 21 comes along.
1. Give the blog a face lift. (done!)
2. Exercise 60 minutes on five days a week. Ok, this one stems from a meeting I had with my physician several years ago who then informed me that (a) given my family history and (b) given my high cholesterol levels dating back to when I was 21, I should do serious aerobic exercise for 60 minutes five days a week. I mulled these words over for about three years and then, this past December, decided that maybe she was on to something. So on January 1, 2009 I dutifully got on my free exercise bike (nabbed from my mom's basement just after her foot surgery when she couldn't stop me), put on my new Ipod and my awesome Bose headset--with REAL ear muffs and not those ridiculous ear buds that cause dizziness and headaches--turned on my newly acquired book on tape, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, and set to it. And then about 5 minutes later I realized that 60 minutes just was not going to happen on that first day. I managed 20 minutes at level 5 and was amazed I lived to tell the tale. I am now up to 30 minutes at level 8.5. I have kept my promise of 5 days out of 7 (and am now into my next book on tape, Master and Commander) so so far I am in compliance with this one.
3. Get more art in my life. I have slowly come to the conclusion that the life of the mind, while often very satisfying, is not in an of itself good enough for the good life. As stated in earlier posts, I started taking art classes when I was 10, shelved that interest for years and then during the past four years have been taking art classes as often as I can. But I always viewed the art class as therapy (an escape from a stressful life) and/or education in the mechanics of ceramics/weaving/or whatever. But what I never really embraced was the possibility of ME making ART. Probably because I assumed that because I am not a professional artist, that I would have no right to make anything and call it art. So, very uncomfortably, I am trying to reconceptualize my efforts as ART, not mere activity.
4. Start finding pleasure in my job. I see myself heading for a serious mid-life crisis prompted by profound disappointment in my profession--both as practiced by others and myself. If I am to avoid that fate I have to start finding pleasure in what I do for 5-6 hours every day at the office and for 2-4 hours every day at home. But, as every well-trained philosopher knows, the pleasure paradox prevents us from pursuing pleasure simply for the sake of it. So what to do? Not sure about how to go about realizing this goal yet...Can professional philosophy be pleasurable?
5. Get rid of a lot of crap. I've said if before and I will say it again, but this time I mean it. Is 30% feasible? Let's go for it: 30% by volume, not weight. Starting sometime very soon. But not today.
6. Get out of debt. Same deal as 5--said it before but this time I mean it. (Ok, this one probably won't happen but I have to keep saying it.)
7. See more movies. Let's say one a week during the school year and 3 a week between semesters.
8. Have more naps. I propose at least 2 a week. But they don't have to be REAL naps (I don't actually have to fall into a deep sleep because then I get sweaty and have scary dreams) but I do have to "doze" peacefully for more than 10 minutes.
9. Eat more homemade ice cream. This one needs no explanation.
1. Give the blog a face lift. (done!)
2. Exercise 60 minutes on five days a week. Ok, this one stems from a meeting I had with my physician several years ago who then informed me that (a) given my family history and (b) given my high cholesterol levels dating back to when I was 21, I should do serious aerobic exercise for 60 minutes five days a week. I mulled these words over for about three years and then, this past December, decided that maybe she was on to something. So on January 1, 2009 I dutifully got on my free exercise bike (nabbed from my mom's basement just after her foot surgery when she couldn't stop me), put on my new Ipod and my awesome Bose headset--with REAL ear muffs and not those ridiculous ear buds that cause dizziness and headaches--turned on my newly acquired book on tape, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, and set to it. And then about 5 minutes later I realized that 60 minutes just was not going to happen on that first day. I managed 20 minutes at level 5 and was amazed I lived to tell the tale. I am now up to 30 minutes at level 8.5. I have kept my promise of 5 days out of 7 (and am now into my next book on tape, Master and Commander) so so far I am in compliance with this one.
3. Get more art in my life. I have slowly come to the conclusion that the life of the mind, while often very satisfying, is not in an of itself good enough for the good life. As stated in earlier posts, I started taking art classes when I was 10, shelved that interest for years and then during the past four years have been taking art classes as often as I can. But I always viewed the art class as therapy (an escape from a stressful life) and/or education in the mechanics of ceramics/weaving/or whatever. But what I never really embraced was the possibility of ME making ART. Probably because I assumed that because I am not a professional artist, that I would have no right to make anything and call it art. So, very uncomfortably, I am trying to reconceptualize my efforts as ART, not mere activity.
4. Start finding pleasure in my job. I see myself heading for a serious mid-life crisis prompted by profound disappointment in my profession--both as practiced by others and myself. If I am to avoid that fate I have to start finding pleasure in what I do for 5-6 hours every day at the office and for 2-4 hours every day at home. But, as every well-trained philosopher knows, the pleasure paradox prevents us from pursuing pleasure simply for the sake of it. So what to do? Not sure about how to go about realizing this goal yet...Can professional philosophy be pleasurable?
5. Get rid of a lot of crap. I've said if before and I will say it again, but this time I mean it. Is 30% feasible? Let's go for it: 30% by volume, not weight. Starting sometime very soon. But not today.
6. Get out of debt. Same deal as 5--said it before but this time I mean it. (Ok, this one probably won't happen but I have to keep saying it.)
7. See more movies. Let's say one a week during the school year and 3 a week between semesters.
8. Have more naps. I propose at least 2 a week. But they don't have to be REAL naps (I don't actually have to fall into a deep sleep because then I get sweaty and have scary dreams) but I do have to "doze" peacefully for more than 10 minutes.
9. Eat more homemade ice cream. This one needs no explanation.
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