Art Attack Central
Fixing stuff, myself included…
Tuesday Too # 17
1.) What’s your favorite browser? Why do you hate “the other one”?
These days I mostly use IE 5. I used to swear by Netscape that IE sucked, but after blogging for a while I’ve found that most blogs look better in IE. You might ask why, and you may have noticed that some of blogger.com’s pages won’t even come up in Netscape 4.7. In fact, this is not the fault of Netscape. It’s because the pages were not designed in such a way as to be browser compatible. The same thing holds true for blogs which look different/better in one than in the other. BTW, if you don’t care how it looks across browsers (Opera, AOL, Mozilla, etc.) you’re likely to lose some of your audience. One of the hardest things about designing web sites is making the site look the same in all/most browsers. The Testzone does a fairly good job of it, with two exceptions: (a) there is a thin red line that extends across the top in Netscape, but not IE, and (b) the archives are listed on the main blog page in IE, but I had to make a separate listing of archives page for Netscape 4.7 which I manually update via ftp every week. Netscape is more sluggish to load than IE, although both are way too fat. As of June 5th Mozilla build 1 is available for download. It’s light and getting good reviews; I’m going to check it out, and I’ll post on what I think of it.
2.) Are you fascinated by technology and the internet, or is it just a handy tool for you? How did you get involved in blogging?
In a word, yes. Yes meaning I’m fascinated, and have been since 98′. I’ve known about blogging for about 2 years; I stumbled across it while surfing for design/web development information. I bookmarked (Netscape holdover), forgot about it, and didn’t start blogging until late November of last year. No, getting into blogging had nothing to do with 9/11, but rather to do with taking a closer look at myself and others.
3.) What do you think about the alliance of conservative U.S. Christian organizations with Islamic governments (Iran, Libya, Iraq) “to halt the expansion of sexual political protections and rights of gays, women and children at United Nations conferences” (Washington Post article by Colum Lynch, June 17, 2002)?
I’m appalled by this for several reasons, but will hold my tongue and see what others have to say about it.
Post your URL in the comment
Whatever
I think I finished another painting; so it’s on to number 4. The one I just finished is two fairly large cowrie shells (same ones I used in the red pepper painting) on a gold reflective surface. I need to put it in the sun to dry, and look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes to see if I’m really finished. I’ll post one of the two latest on the web on Monday.
Hmmm… sounds like you’re behind schedule.
Yeah, quite a bit behind actually, but I’ve got some other things going on at the same time. I’ve heard from one of my two other readers on the thesis = “well done” and slight change to references format. One more reader to hear from, and then it’s really over! I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought it’s almost over, but this is really it, unless of course I’ve made some horrendous analyltical mistake that is chewed over at the last moment. Seem like the boat trip up north is slipping away = more and more I’m hearing, “well let’s just play it by ear”; however, will make it to Boston somehow this summer.
Link
Tuesday Too # 16
1.) The New York Times recently had an article by David Gallagher on the war bloggers (after 9/11 and mostly right-wingers) vs. techie bloggers or so called veteran bloggers. Do you think the very nature of blogging is revolutionary? NOTE: you need to create a user name and password to access the NYTs.
2.) Are labels (i.e. feminist, left or right) really important? What if the meanings change over time? Is there some particular label you’re proud to wear and why?
3.) Would you be willing to give up, or reassess something you strongly believe in because hard evidence suggests that you are totally wrong?
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
–Mark Twain
Oath Update
But, you never finished telling us about Mr. Potatoehead’s eyes?
The fact that Mr. Potatoehead had too many eye’s is “linked” to not always accomplishing what one sets out to do.
Huh?
He had so many eyes that just crossing the room made him very dizzy, but after rolling on the therapists rug some of his eyes were permanently closed, and he found it much easier to maneuver. In other words, it’s much easier to focus on one thing, if you only have two eyes.
Haven’t you heard of the third eye?
Yes, and you have a point, but what is it? Never mind, I’ll tell you what I think about third eyes. If I have one, it’s not open. It’s one of those things on the shelf that I’d like to believe in, but don’t. Maybe I should take that back, because on reflection the theory may be similar to what I mean when I refer to being lucid in waking life.
I thought lucidity had to do with dreaming.
Well it does, but consider the fact that much of the time we spend awake, we are not present, or not aware. Many moments pass “mindlessly” by. To be “caught in the act” means more than what first comes to mind.
Such as?
Try trapped or ensnared, and think of the act as anything you happen to be doing. If you are a lucid dreamer think of it this way: are you aware of the doing while doing, in the same way that within the dream you realize you are dreaming? Perhaps “ordinary life” is like “ordinary dreaming”.
Why are you always talking about awareness?
Why bother to live without it? Awareness can sometimes be scary; although putting my finger on why is difficult. Maybe what’s more scary is the idea of how much of life slips by when I’m not completely present.
What’s this got to do with the oath?
According to my calculations, I should be finishing 4 paintings a week in order to have twelve new ones by the 23rd. This week I’ve only managed to do two. How does awareness fit into this process? It’s in the doing, it’s in the eyes of the potato, it’s in the way I go about it, or get diverted from it.
I’m not sure I’m following you.
It might be better, if you didn’t. However, if you must know, I’ve been distracted by other concerns (too many eyes) this week. I would just like to make sure that whatever it is I’m doing, I’m fully/lucidly doing it. I’m present rather that caught in the act.
“Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin.”
—Hermann Hesse
The World on Fire
Continued from yesterday:
Did I say smoking gun?
No, you said smoking rug.
Right, smoking rug. Well, yes the fat was in the fire so to speak. Mr. Potatoehead’s quick response to the emergency had smothered the possibility of danger in the therapy room quite sufficiently. Transference however, began almost immediately; the freudian retrieved his pipe (Michel Foucault. This is Not a Pipe) as Mr. Potatoehead brushed cinders from his rumbled and ruined suit. “Shocking, absolutely shocking”, said the freudian through chattering teeth, “and to think, only moments ago we were chatting unaware of the danger that lie before us”. “I’d best be on my way”, replied Mr. Potatoehead “now that I’ve most effectively used the remaining time within the hour.” “Aha”, said the therapist, “but what is real, is it you, or my pipe (Jason Leary. Pipe Dreams & Pipe Realities)?” Mr. Potatoehead was somewhat taken aback, “why we both are as real as I’m standing here”, he responded.
“The best way out is always through.”
–Robert Frost
Getting There
Getting from here to there is not always easy; sometimes the route is less direct than you anticipated. Many things can happen along the way to distract you from reaching your destination in a timely manner. In fact you may not even reach your destination at all. Suppose somewhere a long the way you encounter an unexpected request for assistance and you feel obligated, or some other situation presents itself that must be addressed before you can proceed. That’s what happened to Mr. Potatoehead on the day he was scheduled for eye surgery.
What was wrong with Mr. Potatoehead’s eyes?
It wasn’t so much what was wrong, but rather the number of eyes Mr. Potatoehead had. He had always been a firm believer in “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” It was that strong belief that kept him passed the usual time on the Freudian’s couch. Therapy had progressed very nicely up to a point, but as you know there are many things about teeth that Freudians feel compelled to [lie] upon. What I mean, is that teeth have a very sexual connotation to Freudian therapists. Having revealed his staunch conviction pertaining to the eye and tooth equation very near the end of his hour, Mr. Potatoehead was feeling a sense (not common) of catharsis. Emotionally drained, but charged at the same time he leapt from the couch, and hurried towards the door. Just as he was about to slip through the door, the quite overwrought therapist jumped up from his chair, knocking over his glowing pipe onto floor, and shouted out, “but, Potatoehead ole boy we’ve not yet finished the hour.” Mr. Potatoehead turned back as the red tobacco embers were adding rug fibers to their list of carcinogens; without hesitation he threw himself onto the floor and rolled vigorously back and forth over the smoking rug.
But what about his eyes?
Later, I’ve got to get offline now.