[regarding my previous post]
I'm going to be the bigger person here. I just don't have time for the bullshit. I've decided that I will compromise. The note sent with "I told you, Michelle -- take the blog posting down, I take the pictures down" is going to be her steel-clad word that the photos will be removed. I asked that they be pulled before midnight tonight. I've already pulled the previous post to neighbourhood only until I hear from her personally that she's done this. Then I'll remove it completely. If you have a post in kind, please delete it as well.
Thanks for your help, everyone! :) I've battled copyright theft and infringement in the past, and this is the only way to do it -- get the people of your community involved. I appreciate all of your help and kindnesses! ~hugs~
Not that my proclivity towards nigh-arrogant ranting and circuitous introspection demands any apologies*, but I realized this weekend there are some significant though well-concealed advantages to being a self-absorbed navel-gazer.
You’re going to need me to back that one up, aren’t you?
OK, let’s start with this brilliantly clever circle graph that received its fifteen minutes of fame when it landed on the front page of HuffPo last Friday.
To some, this may seem like an outright insult to Christians on a national level. To others, it comes off… well, it comes off exactly the same way; it’s just that this group of people delights in the insult instead of taking offense to it. It’s why we have wars, you know.
But what if the philosophical implications of this graphic are deeper than either of those cramped assumptions? Isn’t it possible the obvious joke is only there as an appetizer for your brain? Could there be something beyond the glib comparison of three movie monsters to the Messiah?
And if I can get you to see what I’m pointing at, can I then use the same similes and metaphors to confuse things and diminish the entire thing back down to a trite GraphJam entry?
Only one way to find out, I guess.
So anyway, being an artist by profession, I have an appreciation for color that perhaps my non-creative friends lack. Nevertheless, most people who see the above image would take note, albeit to varying degrees, of what could potentially be the most significant aspect of the illustration: that the hues change tint as they overlap. Oh sure, it’s done primarily to distinguish the individual circles while avoiding the clutter of each circle having a black stroke around it. But if we’re willing to assume a respectable level of intelligence for the graphic artist, we can very easily contrive some other, more important symbolism in this design.
For example, considering the person’s artistic nature, we can decide that the three circles are a subliminal color-mixing palette. Voila! Instant Philosophical Proposition! We are now conveniently positioned to make the symbol represent whatever we want simply by piously stating, “The final question is this: do you see God as additive or subtractive?”
The beautiful cleverness of this is that we’ve now opened up the argument for what defines something as additive and what makes something subtractive. Further applying these parameters to an omnipotent being keeps the idea immortal by giving rise to mutually exclusive factions, each with its own specialized and unequivocal interpretation of the image.
The Three-Circle Purists say the underlying message merely reinforces the graphic’s original idea that God is the culmination of all monstrosities to the point of becoming the blackest monster of them all. They refer to the very manner in which the tints darken as they progress towards Jesus Christ as their evidence. Declaring him to be a subtractive deity, they give God the name “Simmik” (spelled cmyk) and dub him the Bringer of Blackness.
The Paradoxicals, however, insist that the diagram represents Jesus’ tendency to spend the majority of his ministry in the presence of the most misguided, baleful sinners and that the choice of colors is intended as a subtle testament to that necessary irony. They claim repeatedly – almost to the point of recitation – that it is light from which God and all good things are born and thus, just like light, God must be additive, To them, the completeness of God results in a clean, perfect whiteness. He is given the title “Regrebloo the Pure”. Countless hymns are composed rejoicing in the promise of that glorious day when all colors will come together to form the most perfect White.
Of course, the cynical 3-CPs are all over that with shouts of racism and accusations of a religiously driven eugenic agenda. Science fiction novels begin to be regularly presented as oracular tomes. PK Dick and Isaac Asimov become revered as great prophets.
The Doxies then issue a collective sardonic snort by taking out full-page ads and erecting billboards likening fundamentalist 3-C doctrine to that of the Church of Scientology, citing as fact the very arguable notion that L. Ron Hubbard was also a science fiction author. This campaign fails miserably, however, as does their droll attempt to humiliate their adversaries by referring to them as “C-3POs”.
The battle rages for decades. Nonsensical self-help books emerge with titles like I, Robot. U Can’t Subtract! and Paradoxicals Do It With Guile. Passion becomes petulance and devotion turns into duress. A purist menacingly holds a 2x4 like a baseball bat and a doxie pulls his handgun…
Then, only after countless lives have been lost to the argument, does the illustration’s creator (by now aged 106) finally issue a public statement declaring that he is, in point of fact, completely colorblind.
And just like that, the sum of time and energy dedicated to either side of the debate is fully devalued. All the stock placed in both ideals is instantly obliterated. Every measure of strength and motivation imbued by the conflict is just as effectively depleted.
There was really never anything more to the illustration than an insensitive jape…
…right?
*In fact, some people actually like that sort of thing. I simply provide a service – an abrasive but oddly arousing service. So do hookers, but unlike a prostitute, I service you free of charge.
- Ben and I rode our motorcycles south and east through a bit of Amish country. Hills and curves OH MY!
- Finished painting front door "wild currant" - but still to tacky to hang back up.
- Finished painting the halls, the guest bedrooms, the offices, the kitchen, the sun room and entry. (thanks to Pat, Carol and Pete)
- Ordered new office furniture for Ben - I'll be pulling pieces from his office to make mine work better.
- Wired more of the house for TV cable and internet (thanks to Andy and Steve).
- Tomorrow I pick up the last of the family room furniture and talk to the carpet folks about new carpet for Ben's office and all the bedrooms (Ben gets brown, bedrooms get beige)
- Put together one of two side tables for our bedroom (they match patty's lights) and have another for living room
- Have an order holding on Overstock for the "couples" guest bedroom - holding out for the bed frame I want.
- Cleaned up the kitchen from the 4 days of painting and home projects
- Fixed the lighting in the entry, sun room
And when all done, I was able to cook dinner and eat with Benny! I have decided to "master" the electric cooktop before pulling it out and replacing it! I did not burn dinner! Hurray!
So you know, I miss
- My kids
- My girlfriends
- Whole Foods (especially the soaps and salad bar)
- Sushi
- Trader Joes (especially the frozen foods)
- San Francisco (in general)
- The beach (even through I did not get there often)
- My kids (again, because I really really wish they could come visit my new home!)
- And all our CA friends - Too many to list y'all - but you know who you are.
Boy, for a couple of teetotaling vegetarians, CarrieNation and Dabysan throw one hell of a party. I mean, I knew it was going to be a good time, but yesterday went above and beyond my highest expectations. I'm so unbelievably happy for the both of them, and even though it's been said plenty, I'd like to offer them my public congratulations one last time. I am deeply honored that two people I care about so much asked me to be a part of their special day. I'm just thankful that I only flubbed my toast in small ways that nobody seemed to notice. I was so sure I was going to screw it up.
What's the oldest article of clothing you own? Bonus points if you show us a photo!
If by this you mean the oldest piece of clothing that is mine and worn by me (not antique clothing), then it would have to be my giant blue sweatshirt from high school - it's a Coconut Joe sweatshirt.
It's the only piece I have left. I would have had more but I had a zen-like purging of my closet not long ago, getting rid of cheating boyfriend's concert shirts and other assorted items from decades ago. Never mind that it's all just crap taking up space, who needs to look at stuff and be reminded of how shitty people can be?
Considering I was wearing maternity clothes right up until a few years ago (and my kids are no longer babies) then it's pretty embarrassing to even admit having saved this ancient stuff in the first place. I have new clothes now, I've lost a huge amount of weight, and I'm happy to rid my house of bad juju from people who do not wish you well. And in this new house my closet is a walk-in and HUUUUGE, so no need to have anything bouncing around in there that I don't want to see. Even my storage areas are happy places :)
Good morning! Getting ready to run 9 miles with Miss K. Blades is off at her mom's so she's not joining us today. I would rather be curled up in bed because (1) it's still dark out (2) it's freezing out there and (3) I'm still sleepy!
So, in order to wake up, I thought I'd listen to this ridiculous Narwhal Song. I don't even know what cartoon it's for..all I know is it's cracking me up.
Another plus for this morning..the House passes a health reform bill!!!
All right..off to torture my body! Happy Sunday Folks!
Yes, I am taking time to enjoy the new house.
Right now I am in the family room, on the new leather sectional with Abby on my feet watching TV - drinking a fine chardonnay (from CA) and enjoying the peace and quite this space brings me. Ben is with his friend John in his office (next to the family room) but with the doors shut I can't hear them.
It snowed a bit 2 days ago - Ben and I ran into this room and watched the flakes fall. We hugged and kissed and wished for a bit more to fall, but then it warmed up. It's been sunny and warm since. We would go riding, but too much to do to the house.
Today I brought home carpet samples - we picked and they come to measure on Monday.
Ben and his buddy's spent hours under the house rewiring for TV and interent. I hear the crawl spaces are carpeted and well lit!
I think the most amazing part of our being here is having people come to help us . Ben's family was here for 3 days helping us paint. His friends came today to help wire. We are going to an early thanksgiving at Ben's uncle's home. My mom drops in to see what's new and I stop in to her home and take her with for shopping and lunch. My sis and her husband have helped us set up the washer dryer, moved the freezer down stairs etc
We are nesting and I love it.
No, it's not the name of a new Disney after-school TV series. Sorry to disappoint.
The title of this post is actually referring to a couple of super-awesome photos from Amanda's recent trip to Colorado, where she enjoyed the rare and thrilling experience of having her face tasted by a full-grown wolf. Not many can say they've done that, you know, because usually they are dead or unable to form words through all the scar tissue...
etc etc etc
Saturday night I experienced the awesomeness that is Zombieland. This
movie was hilarious. The guest cameo was perfect for the movie. The
main character was channeling Michael Sera, and doing a good job of it.
It makes me wonder if they actually wanted him for the role but he
turned it down. Woody Harrelson pulled off the role perfectly. Great
movie. Not for young audiences due to sci-fi/horror violence and
language.
Before Zombieland we were graced with the preview for 2012. At ten
seconds into the preview I broke out into uncontrollable laughter. A
few seconds later someone else shouted out "oh, come on!" The preview
is completely silly and does nothing to make me want to see the movie.
It actually had the opposite effect. Who approved this preview? Who
approved the scenes from the preview in the movie? This one is going to
bomb badly in the theatres.
