yay for good tunes.

So the European classical pianist Christopher O’Riley paired up with Shostakovich to jet out some radiohead – inspired tunes at the Miller Theatre on Friday – news that is exciting to me, since the three components are all amazing musicians. They say that the physical attractions were a bit overbearing at best, and took away from the music. Disappointing, in my opinion nothing more is needed in such a well selected tri-style from these guys. Bringing a serious and intense to Shostakovich’s melodies, O’Riley also paired his radiohead do-overs with his art-rock band inspirations to create, I am sure, a profound presentation. Radio head covers such as of “Motion Picture Soundtrack” and “Paranoid Android” were among the hits the two musicians arranged in an new fashion, while still bringing the classical twist to the scene. *sigh* wish I could’a been there…

CT Scan Art - does this have a 'soul' mode?

Talk about an over achiever – The once art professor at the Visual School of Arts in Manhattan, Satre Stuelke is now a third year medical student. (This about as ambitious as my goal to learn fifty million languages before my the end of my existence - particulary Latin...) While up to his elbows in his med school responsibilities (no pun intended, *snicker*) Stuelke has developed a new and seemingly interesting strategy (and recently questionable) art form using a CT scanner. Stuelk scans items rarely thought of as ineresting or beuatiful, and color codes the different densities of each object. His most noted work thus far has involved toys, food, and electronics. He inclines his viewers to “diagnose cultural objects, finding ominous or surprising details within them.” (Love that!)

What was it that my Mother always cited to me when I came home upset about a jerk, "beauty is only skin deep, dear." How cool would it be if there were a magic tool such as this, that scans a person and ultimately reveals their “inner beauty” – Shallow Hal style. The cruel eye candy across the globe wouldn’t be able to hide behind all that jazz. (Not that beautiful correlates with malice, nor does cruelty require attractiveness… but for some reason it is this vain type that irks me more than the other varities) What would “ass hole” or “vindictive” look like, anyway? Thinking outside of the Hollywood idea of pretty+cruel= indisputable ugliness with the Hal-vision set to ‘on’… but maybe really crazy creepy visuals, like death and gross and bleh and… yyeeeaa. Yea that would be interesting, eh? This is where I put down my 3rd cup of coffee, refrain from even trying to proof read this, and attempt to return to the sea of “study” I was drowning in before my article break.


Direct Article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/science/24scan.html?_r=1&hp

takin' care of our best...

If you go to the homepage for the Veteran Affairs, you will see in bold writing:

MISSION
The mission of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is to provide assistance to Nebraska’s veterans and their dependents in acquiring county, state, and federal benefits to which they are entitled by virtue of their service to this country.


The New York Times recently announced:

"Under withering criticism from veterans and Congress, Obama Wednesday abandoned a proposal that would have required veterans to use their private health insurance to pay for the treatment of combat-related injuries."

Well that sure is nice of him. Especially since most of them rely 100% on the VA for their medical needs, and have no private health insurance. The only reason this particular subject gets me edgy is because I’ve watched my Dad go through the ringer with his health issues and injuries he sustained from the Vietnam War. Agent orange, Shrapnel, and PTSD are only three of the grounds for treatment my Dad seeks after fighting as an army ranger in Vietnam for 19 months.

In a recent letter to the president, the American Legion and 10 other veterans organizations denounced the proposal as “a total abrogation of our government’s moral and legal responsibility” to treat service-connected injuries and illnesses.

Lawmakers of both parties said the proposal would have made it more difficult for some veterans to get affordable private health insurance for themselves and their families.
“Pushing combat injuries onto personal insurance plans could make service to our nation a pre-existing condition,” which could then be used to validate the denial of private coverage.
After reiterating the importance of generating universal and feasible health insurance for all Americans as a top priority, Obama denied the proposal.

Veterans groups thanked the president on Wednesday.

Thanked him, eh? I am sure they were completely diplomatic, but I wonder what the veterans were really thinking. I know what my Dad would have said…

“Thanks for not takin’ away my right to free and full health care for fightin’ for this country when you were still shittin’ yer britches, Obie!” (In fact, I am pretty sure he yelled something along those lines at the T.V from his recliner about 2 hours ago.)

I wonder if that would have made the session in writing…

The plan was initially deemed “necessary” as it was proposed to save the United States more than $500 million a year. Putting it in such a simple expression does make it sound quite appealing, but not so much after taking a look at a few statistics.
* There are currently 24.3 million veterans alive in the united states that are eligible for VA benefits, and only 11% of them receive disability.
* 48% of veterans currently covered by the Dept of VA are ACTIVE DUTY… what are the chances of re-enlisting if they are unable to provide health care for them or their families?
* Average annual amount paid to veterans or survivors under disability compensation benefits: $9,811 – Now, I will be the first admit I am not very educated on this subject, but I know for darn sure that $9,811 annually isn’t alone enough to keep a disabled person above water. How much more could you take away?

Best quote from the entire article:
“Our budget cannot be balanced on the backs of our nation’s combat-wounded heroes.” Damn straight Bob Filner

--------
Something interesting I found while digging up on some statistics. Not relevant to the insurance proposal dropped, but fascinating none the less:
Wounded-to-killed ratio*
* Global War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan and surrounding areas) 16:1
* Desert Storm/Desert Shield: 1.2
* Vietnam: 2.6
* Korea: 2.8
* World War II: 1.6
* World War I: 1.8

Notice out of the 6 wars listed here, the ‘Global War on Terror’ is the first that the killed soldier ratio is not greater than wounded.

the list of randomness

In no order... (and probably no sense)

1. People watching is one of my things
2. I am addicted to lip gloss and chap stick
3. 4 siblings in my family, and each of them is one of my by very best friends
4. I got an associates in theatre, then started all the way over
5. I am equipped with a sewing machine, and know how to use it
6. My hair is naturally curly
7. I work from home doing medical forms – for now. It is repetitious and dull, but pays the bills.
8. I was born in Grand Junction, Colorado and miss it quiet often.
9. My mom has webbed feet, and I think it freaking rocks.
10. I was a fashion design major for a while, but quickly grew thin of the ridiculous expectations in the field.
11. My Dad (step father who has raised me, and is in every sense of the word, my Dad) has emphysema, and has been tough to swallow
12. I was raised around horses, and learned they can be the best of companions.
13. I lived in Kearny Nebraska for a while
14. When I was in Philadelphia I got to write for a local music/fashion magazine. Some of the best times of my life.
15. When I’m stressed, a bubble bath and a slushy margarita calm me down
16. I love tranquil, rainy days the best
17. When I lived in Marysville, Kansas I rode a hot pink bicycle absolutely everywhere
18. Embarrassingly, in the 8th grade I was the Delta County Rodeo Queen. (But I got a free saddle out of the deal, so it wasn’t so bad. Except for the terrible sequence blouses I was forced to wear.)
19. I posses the terrible habit of cracking my knuckles – fingers and toes.
20. I can drink milk with any meal. Yes – any.
21. I hate, hate, hate hand washing dishes. I’d rather fold a mound of laundry.
22. I like the smell of a car’s air conditioner when it is first turned on – weird, eh?
23. My Favorite treat is ripe, sweet Clementine orange. Mmmm.
24. I read to much
25. I have a dog named Nikko (from the velvet underground J) She is a mixture between a miniature dachshund and chihuahua. She keeps out the bad folks.
26. My favorite flowers are tulips
27. I am the second oldest out of the four kiddos
28. My older brother just got deployed to Iraq, and I spend a better part of my day thinking about him.
29. If I had to live my life doing an office job, I’d croak.
30. My main two outlets are running and writing.
31. When I was 7 I rolled off of my bunk bed in the middle of the night and cracked my right collar bone in two. It still pops if I move it just right…
32. Coffee fuels my soul
33. I am allergic to jalapenos, major.
34. Sage green is my favorite color in almost any situation.
35. I always wanted to learn to play the violin…
36. When I was a kid, I just knew for sure I wanted to be a zoologist. Then I had my first algebra and physics classes…
37. I was the maid of honor is a wedding once, and fell down the stairs during the ceremony walking to the front. Hands down, most embarrassing moment of my life. Made a GREAT video though J
38. I have a particular twitch when I get too nervous – I will let you figure out what it is on your own.
39. At times, my passionate nature gets me in trouble.
40. I started collecting comic cards with my two brothers when I was a kid, and then was the only one of the three to continue the hobby past the age of 12. I have a few that are probably worth enough to pay for the rest of my college….
41. I worked as the alterations manager at David’s Bridal for a while. Talk about experience.. if you can deal with bride-zillas and their even more rampaging mothers, then you can handle just about anything.
42. My biological father and Mom split up when I was about 6 – he is what some of you would call, a “douche bag.”
43. I do not have satellite or any kind of cable hooked up at my place, for no other reason than I just don’t enjoy it as much as the much more affordable and mind stimulating act of reading a book.
44. Nothing has forced me to see and find myself, like becoming a parent has done.
45. I absolutely love the sound of leaves crunching and crackling under my feet, particularly in fall when the leaves are extra crisp.
46. If I believed in reincarnation, and got to pick the animal I returned as (aside from being a human again, of course) it would be a coin toss between an eagle, or horse.
47. I don’t exercise as much as I feel I should.
48. I had an Uncle Ronnie who, when I was about 8, died after eating himself into a diabetic coma. When they found him, he had candy wrappers all over his bedroom floor. That was a pivotal moment in my life, forcing the realization that death is, in fact, not brought on by God (whatever name you may know him by) slapping you with his magic time wand because “he wants you hanging out in the clouds with him.”
49. I was, as I said in class Monday, raised by a hard core conservative Catholic mother, and the issues concerning that upbringing has been a monumental inspiration for many of my writings, art pieces, ideologies… (the list continues but here is where I stop typing)
50. I have only been stung by a bee one time in my entire life, though stinging insects freak me out more than other scary creatures, like snakes or rodents.
51. I have extremely vivid, abstract dreams almost every night, and I love it.
52. I am open to all kinds of music, though the only one I just can’t make myself sit down and listen to is rap.
53. Before I die, I am going to have attended the Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado at least once.
54. My ancestry is almost equally divided between a German and Jewish heritage… peculiar, eh?
55. The smell of cig smoke that sticks to a person after they smoke in a confided area really makes my tum tum quiver.
56. My weakness when it comes to food – mozzarella sticks dipped in ranch. Mmmm.
57. I hate the way my hands smell after shopping and handling metal clothes hangers.
58. I have dry eye disease. Egk. Pretty much, my eyes don’t create enough moisture on their own. Hence me hardly ever wearing contacts.
59. I was a dental assistant for about a year. I worked for a great doc, but staring down mouths all day wasn’t my thing, so it was back to school I go. (again…)
60. I have a tattoo… sshhhhh
61. I have a horse named Zeus , he’s a flea bitten grey (white with little speckles) and he is getting old. The day he dies will be a sad sad day. He rocks.
62. I know what I am going to school for… but I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. There isn’t enough time in one lifetime to do all the things I feel like I am supposed to do.
63. I am usually pretty mellow and laid back, with a sarcastic twist
64. I do all I can to surround myself with vibrant, open-minded, optimistic people who challenge and shape my ways of thinking in what I consider, the right direction.
65. My weapon of choice – words.
66. I have dark black bob tail cat named Alexander the Great. I call him Zander for short, and ironically got him this past Halloween. When he meows, he sounds like he is whispering. He’s a sweetie.
67. Sometimes I speak before I sort out the “appropriate” phrasing or edit ideas in my mind, and my bluntness gives the impression that I am rude. *shrug*
68. I have a total soft spot for kiddos in rough situations. I bend in ways I didn’t know I could in order to help them, fully aware that being taken advantage of is a possibility.
69. Cheesy zombie flicks are super fun
70. I absolutely love to use a single, genuine smile to transform a total strangers entire day or attitude. Try it, it’s fun.
71. Willow trees, to me, are absolutely beautiful. When I eventually find that one place I want to grow old, I will plant one there.
72. The smell in the air right before it rains, aahhh how I wish I could capture that in a little bottle and keep it for whenever I wanted it.
73. I would rather be outside.
74. Geology intrigues me, and I wish there was a living to still be made in fossil digging. I’d so be that chick.
75. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a mermaid so damn bad. Not because Walt Disney made them look hot, or because they are glued to all of the little girl fantasy stories along with fairies and princesses, but because I wanted so bad to be a part of a different world without being a martian. Or maybe a Jupiterian. *second shrug*
76. I have the compulsive need to touch things – in stores, outside, books, textures, everything. Well, almost everything. I don’t fondle the public toilet or anything...
77. It’s been said that the most beautiful form is a naked woman’s body. I always thought it was a naked a tree… leafless with every curved and twisted branch revealed, reaching upward. I don’t know if it is the eerie feel or the appreciation for the natural order and catching a glimpse of them without their skivvies on, but I love it.
78. I wouldn’t say I am terrified of many things. I am open to try just about anything once, within my moral boundaries.
79. I am not a picky/squeamish eater, not even a little. I don’t eat Jalapenos because they close up my throat and causes anaphylactic shock... but with that aside I will try it at least once.
80. I have been known to enjoy a sip or two of good wine…
81. Favorite town on earth (so far) is Boulder Colorado
82. My most anticipated traveling ambition is to voyage all over Ireland. I want to visit every pub, every church, and all the castles during the country’s greenest months. I always thought the most ideal year of all time would be to have the money and the time do spend 12 months going throughout this country, with no responsibility other than writing whatever it is I will be working on at the time and meeting as many new people that would take the time to talk.
83. I get embarrassed for people entirely to easy, and I tend to get wrapped up in what they may be feeling that at times I have a hard time differentiating the feeling as the viewer from the experiencer.
84. I sing oh so loud in my car when I don’t think you can see me. Or more importantly, hear me.
85. I am super ticklish.
86. Dusting, swiftering, and windexing are the three therapeutic cleaning tasks I don’t mind. (Unlike the daunting dish washing.. *shudder*)
87. The most horrifying experience I’ve had up to date happened on a Wednesday morning along I95 on my way to the University of DE for class. A truck and school bus had a nasty collision, and I had arrived a few seconds before the ambulance with their tarps. The visuals still haunt me sometimes.
88. For someone who loves to read and write as much as I do, I am a horrible speller.
89. Historically speaking, ancient Rome, Medieval Ireland, WWII (around the globe), and America’s roaring 20’s all very much intrigue me.
90. One of these days I am going to cover an entire wall of my house in clustered, collaged art pieces – paint, charcoal, color pencils, deco posh, photos, writing – then seal it to keep it safe. I have had this plan for a while… now for those kahoonies…
91. The smell of burp totally grosses me out
92. I have been wearing glasses since kindergarten, and am deemed legally blind without them.
93. I worry the most at night, right before I fall asleep. Then dream about the crap.
94. The movie Braveheart still gets me every time.
95. I am taking my son to Scottish Rite tomorrow. They are going to investigate and try to diagnose an unusual auto immune disease... talk about a nightmare.
96. I wouldn’t physically fight for a lot of things, but I would a million times over for my family.
97. I have only been to jail once, and it was, speak of the devil, due to a fight in high school. A big ‘ole gal started to raise her hand back to hit me (I am still confused as to why to this day) and I beat her to it – with my biology book. I slammed her upward in the nose. I had to sit that one out while she took care of the injury…
98. I was a vegetarian for a long time, then I got pregnant. No time is better for a steak than when you’re prego. I still only eat white meat for the most part now, though. For no other reason than attempting to stay healthy. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the animals and all that jazz… but PETA is a little over the top in my book. )
99. I get super duper car sick if I read while riding in a car. Bleh.
100. Last but not least… the only live thing I have ever shot was an armadillo with my dad’s shot gun. He was ruining my mom’s garden, and when I was visiting from college and about to embark on a little run, I caught 'em! yehaw. I was damned proud at the time. Cheve would have been for sure. I even have a picture I am going to hunt down and attach to this...
mmmm - morning hair and pitch fork for effect. That morning rocked.

questions questions questions

1. Name, phone #, and e-mail:
oooh, I'm sure my number is written in a stall somewhere...
email is audrey_c_w@hotmail.com

2. What’s your major? What year will you graduate?
I am a Literature major, and the tunnel has no light yet. I will have my bach this time next year, and if it all goes to plan, I should have my PhD in 2012. Damn... that seems like forever put in those terms...

3. Why did you choose a photography class (or photography as a major), and what do you hope to learn from school in general and this class specifically?
I have taken just about every other form of "art" at other universities, and have not attempted photography yet. Thought it seemed like something challenging to try, and that I would enjoy it.

4. What are your goals after graduation? Please list your goals in reverse order, starting five years out, then three, two, one, and six months.
5 years after graduation - Maybe working on my first book... half way to a tenure? Who knows. As long as I'm living and loving what I'm doing, I'm going where it takes me.
3 years after graduation - have a stable job at a University somewhere, with a house being built on an amazing plot of land full of trees and miles away from any highway. Maybe another tot or two? *shrug*
1 year after graduation - Hopfully staying afloat while paying back crazy student loans. I hope to have a job doing what I love, the time to read more from my list. Compiling ideas for books...

5. What artists, musicians, photographers, writers, movies, books have influenced you/your work?
Twain,
6. Where do you get information about current national and international events?
nytimes, msn

7. Are there any important websites that you are referencing for art/photo competitions and/or information?
just google and the nytimes

8. What museums and/or galleries have you been to in the past year? I got to see the Body Preservation Exibit at the Museum of History in dallas a year and a half ago, that was amazing.

9. Have you had any photo projects and/ or training in the past?
not in photography, no

10. What is the value of art for the artist?
Depends what kind of value you are talking about. Personal value, I would say is whether or not it expresses whatever they are trying to convey in a style all their own. Then of course there is career/achievment value, whether or not it is "good enough" to be bought, sold, and displayed.

11. What is the value of art for the audience?
Once again, depends on the audience. Over all, though, I would hope it (an audience) consideres originality, execution, emotional impact, a new approach at controversy... etc

12. Is photography a vocation or an avocation?
Well, for me it is an avocation. Hopfully for the many photo majors in the class it will be their vocation.

13. What is your passion?
add an -s and I can answer acurately. My son, reading/writing, using my hands to create (in all of its many forms). all of which are better if I can be outside while doing/enjoying them.

14. What are you afraid of? What makes you uncomfortable?
an uninvited person in my "bubble", mistakes from the past, and worrying whether or not I've "got it in me".

aged vs dumb dumbs - the procreation recipie for the unintelligent

So, some scientists decided to get together and research whether or not children's cognitive developments and levels are in any way correlated to their father's age. Turns out that the older the father was at the time of conception, the worse the children scored on the test scores. (Thank you doc's, one more reason men will be found readily unavailable during their child-seeking mate's procreation peaks...) The researchers analyzed the scores of 33,437 children who, as part of the project, had been tested at regular intervals in a variety of cognitive skills, including thinking and reasoning, concentration, memory, understanding, speaking and reading, as well as motor skills. Now, the most astonishing part of this article was, to me, the fact that they nonchalantly recorded the following information:
Fathers in the study were age 14 to 66, while mothers were 12 to 48.
14 and 12? How many 14 and 12 year old parents were they able to conjure up? Aiy yai yai.
Anyway - Here's to you dudes, nothing wrong with making little minie-yous past the age of 40, just don't go hoping for a little rocket scientist. :)
kidding. kind of.
here's the entire article:

Classy Trash, or Trashy Class?

A few I did myself.

immediate family

Sally Mann. <3

"Mother and Child"

Elliot Erwitt is the man behind the camera of this amazing photograph, titled "Mother and Child." This inspired me to attempt to capture some up close Mommy and son time.

Levey, hooo!

Patti Levey is a nude self portrait artist who uses edgy props and positions to ask questions, particularly focusing on politics and womens self image. She's balsy, more so than me. So I used to trash heap props she uses throughout an entire collection to emulate...

phobia zone

Larafiarie chooses to portray her claustrophobia (and other fears) within her pictures. Trying to capture fear and phobia in a portrait has proven to be quite difficult.

Here's a few of my best attempts...

my "must read" list continues to expand...

Aahh, the sweet news. Elaine Showalter has single handedly created yet another work that has been added to my “list.” She has constructed an enormous novel titled “A Jury of Her Peers: American Women Writers From Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx.” In an upbeat and energetic fashion, Showalter describes the work of our many past influential (and sadly some long-forgotten) female writers and poets that together created the foundation for a vast amount of our American Literature. Showalter was a professor at Princeton for over two decades, and actually taught the author of the NYTIMES article I have gained this information from.

The part that excites me the most is the fact that, though she refers to this book as a literary history, she is more focused on the impact each writer had on the development of women’s rights or feminist themes. (I know, you read “feminist” and you think of butchy women and picket signs, though that is not at all what the original idea set out to portray. It the most vague explanation, it is the belief that women should have equal political, social, sexual, intellectual and economic rights to men in a time when they were bound to child bearing and floor scrubbing while holding zero jurisdictions concerning their own futures.) She does not dwell on whether or not fame or fortune their works brought them, but if it posed a question – begged for change. (Thank you Betty FriedanJ)

Anyhoo, sounds like a kick ass read. Here is the link to the article if any of you are just about to explode from all of this literary excitement…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/books/review/Roiphe-t.html?_r=1&ref=books