A while since last posting.
Lots of culture in the meantime....
Kawasaki's Rose
Tous Les Matins du Monde
Pox: Genius, Madness, and Mysteries of Syphilis
...in the last few days...
A black cat appeared in my life, adopted me, and looks like I'm adopting her as well. What to name the lively creature.
Hadn't looked at this site in awhile and it looks pretty dreary to me now.
Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2011
Sonntag, 30. November 2008
Sonntag, 16. November 2008
Sonntag, 28. September 2008
orange pants day
Well, regarding the last post... it was so la la.
Yesterday, however, saw one called "The Secrets" which was the best I'd seen so far....
It involved religion, an all-female seminary school, sadomasochism, art, rituals, and the intellectual vs. emotional. One of those films that makes one want to try to become Jewish. Two girls. A seminary school. A murdereress. Disease and hospital scenes. Purification rituals. Girls in bed. A realistic ending. I'd endorse that film. After that was a spot of dancing. It's funny here, well it happens all the time but I still find it funny... how everyone knows everyone else somehow.
Today was orange pants day, for moving stuff and then sorting it out and hooking things up to other things. Then a six-mile walk in the woods on a multi-use trail... a peachy sunset through the trees.... I heard the trees are all red, orange, and gold in CO... aha, now I know what season it is. They're all green here. Green and lush and rainforesty... but in the pacific northwest, one notices the markings of changing seasons by the arrival of the pumpkin spice latte, I have come to believe. Every so often, there was a rustle in the underbrush as though a snake thought about venturing onto the multi-use trail, before its ancestral imprintings warned it away; I am quite certain that many snakes have been smashed by bike tires there. That's where all the nutsoid bicyclists go past in flashes of spandex, but taper off into the evening. It is, however, still possible to envision oneself in a different country at a different time while traipsing along.
My theory is that the new baby elephant, Samudra, has two moms. I looked it up, and supposedly a full 45% of sexual behavior among asian elephants in zoos is homosexual behavior... one part may be that the elephants of different genders are kept in different places. Well, okay, that's according to Wikipedia's "homosexuality in animals" article. Samudra's mother, Rose, spends most of her time with Chendra, and the three of them make such a sweet, protective family together. Chendra seems to have taken on many childcare tasks. They run around in a little pod together in which Samudra is completely esconced from the public eye. And there certianly is a public eye to be had: one must wait in a line filled with screaming, wandering, bumping-into, ceaselessly questioning, small children with their parents. Then one has about 10 minutes to see the elephants before the appointed elephant guards usher one away. The zoo here has some other good animals, I have not been to one in about 15 years and it was interesting to go. But I would never ever ever go again on a Saturday.
At times, I've had the sense that sometimes professors like to play shakespearean games... for example, the game of the witches who pass the eye around. So that when one goes other places, or other countries, they passed the eye from one to the next to keep an eye on one, before passing it over to the next one. Auge auf, gut aufgepasst. Samudra must sometimes feel like a watched pot with these three female elephants paying such close attention to him, but much better that than the media, I think.
Yesterday, however, saw one called "The Secrets" which was the best I'd seen so far....
It involved religion, an all-female seminary school, sadomasochism, art, rituals, and the intellectual vs. emotional. One of those films that makes one want to try to become Jewish. Two girls. A seminary school. A murdereress. Disease and hospital scenes. Purification rituals. Girls in bed. A realistic ending. I'd endorse that film. After that was a spot of dancing. It's funny here, well it happens all the time but I still find it funny... how everyone knows everyone else somehow.
Today was orange pants day, for moving stuff and then sorting it out and hooking things up to other things. Then a six-mile walk in the woods on a multi-use trail... a peachy sunset through the trees.... I heard the trees are all red, orange, and gold in CO... aha, now I know what season it is. They're all green here. Green and lush and rainforesty... but in the pacific northwest, one notices the markings of changing seasons by the arrival of the pumpkin spice latte, I have come to believe. Every so often, there was a rustle in the underbrush as though a snake thought about venturing onto the multi-use trail, before its ancestral imprintings warned it away; I am quite certain that many snakes have been smashed by bike tires there. That's where all the nutsoid bicyclists go past in flashes of spandex, but taper off into the evening. It is, however, still possible to envision oneself in a different country at a different time while traipsing along.
My theory is that the new baby elephant, Samudra, has two moms. I looked it up, and supposedly a full 45% of sexual behavior among asian elephants in zoos is homosexual behavior... one part may be that the elephants of different genders are kept in different places. Well, okay, that's according to Wikipedia's "homosexuality in animals" article. Samudra's mother, Rose, spends most of her time with Chendra, and the three of them make such a sweet, protective family together. Chendra seems to have taken on many childcare tasks. They run around in a little pod together in which Samudra is completely esconced from the public eye. And there certianly is a public eye to be had: one must wait in a line filled with screaming, wandering, bumping-into, ceaselessly questioning, small children with their parents. Then one has about 10 minutes to see the elephants before the appointed elephant guards usher one away. The zoo here has some other good animals, I have not been to one in about 15 years and it was interesting to go. But I would never ever ever go again on a Saturday.
At times, I've had the sense that sometimes professors like to play shakespearean games... for example, the game of the witches who pass the eye around. So that when one goes other places, or other countries, they passed the eye from one to the next to keep an eye on one, before passing it over to the next one. Auge auf, gut aufgepasst. Samudra must sometimes feel like a watched pot with these three female elephants paying such close attention to him, but much better that than the media, I think.
Sonntag, 14. September 2008
events
It could be good, it could be bad, and it could be.... ?
http://www.plgff.org/2008Festival/schedule.html
only one way to find out.
http://www.plgff.org/2008Festival/schedule.html
only one way to find out.
Samstag, 13. September 2008
more views from here: the birds
last weekend, after hiking, the beach and gulls.
the swifts flying into the chimney
the chimney, before the swifts descended
views from here
The above picture is one I took at an art event by Siren Nation. It was my favorite picture of the evening.
The interior of the main Portland downtown library.
On a hike I took.
Me, hiking.
Also along the path.....
Montag, 8. September 2008
the swifts
first, a correction: the national hurricane center has an arbirtrary list of names to assign the hurricanes, and Gustav's number was up when the hurricane formed.
Now, the better stuff:
tonight went to see the swifts. They looked like this:
This took place during sunset, it reminded me of Prague. The people I was with were nice and brought picnic food, some had attended the event for years.
As they were finally flying into the chimney, what the audubon society (who had a table set up) said was a peregrine (it was truly hard to tell) flew in twice to get an unsuspecting swift as it was trying to go to bed. There were still some swifts lingering outside of the chimney when all the others were safely esconced, and my theory is that they had experienced some sort of chimney trauma at some point... I can't imagine how so many can fit in that space without anyone getting hurt somehow. Miraculous.
Now, the better stuff:
tonight went to see the swifts. They looked like this:
This took place during sunset, it reminded me of Prague. The people I was with were nice and brought picnic food, some had attended the event for years.
As they were finally flying into the chimney, what the audubon society (who had a table set up) said was a peregrine (it was truly hard to tell) flew in twice to get an unsuspecting swift as it was trying to go to bed. There were still some swifts lingering outside of the chimney when all the others were safely esconced, and my theory is that they had experienced some sort of chimney trauma at some point... I can't imagine how so many can fit in that space without anyone getting hurt somehow. Miraculous.
Montag, 1. September 2008
current events
First of all, what's with naming a hurricane "Gustav"? Is that supposed to evoke Mahler's music? I think it's just another thing used to scare U.S.A. people of those destructive, stormy, foreign, complicated, educated influences. The connotation is almost, "those degenerate hurricanes and forces of nature will be our downfall as a nation."
Second of all. Palin. She doesn't even care about the endangered polar bears, she wants to drill oil and destroy national park/forest/refuge to do so, and the whole snowmobile and mooseburger thing. I find her completely and totally problematic, for any number of reasons and from pretty much every angle. A friend wondered why she gave all her kids dog names. Okay, sex education was in some ways useless to me, as it pretty much excluded the dental dam, so I may be biased about its usefulness or applicability. If she's elected after I vote, I'll have a good reason to leave the U.S. again.
Second of all. Palin. She doesn't even care about the endangered polar bears, she wants to drill oil and destroy national park/forest/refuge to do so, and the whole snowmobile and mooseburger thing. I find her completely and totally problematic, for any number of reasons and from pretty much every angle. A friend wondered why she gave all her kids dog names. Okay, sex education was in some ways useless to me, as it pretty much excluded the dental dam, so I may be biased about its usefulness or applicability. If she's elected after I vote, I'll have a good reason to leave the U.S. again.
Sonntag, 24. August 2008
blog renovation underway
I've gotten bored with my blog.
I feel it's time for a change of thema.
Perhaps that will also involve a change of color.
Maybe some entries will disappear.
Maybe I'll make a new one and link to it here, or perhaps not.
In any event, some of my moods have changed from when I first created it. So I'm doing another blog reconaissance to find out more of what I like and dislike in blogs, and rethinking theme. I am hoping to be able to use the renovaton as an opportunity to coalesce a few main themes and to prune it of some others, so that it feels more alive to me.
I feel it's time for a change of thema.
Perhaps that will also involve a change of color.
Maybe some entries will disappear.
Maybe I'll make a new one and link to it here, or perhaps not.
In any event, some of my moods have changed from when I first created it. So I'm doing another blog reconaissance to find out more of what I like and dislike in blogs, and rethinking theme. I am hoping to be able to use the renovaton as an opportunity to coalesce a few main themes and to prune it of some others, so that it feels more alive to me.
Sonntag, 13. Juli 2008
on professional incest
This document spells out the unwritten contract between at least one former professor of mine at Bryn Mawr and students, and professors at my former graduate school and their graduate and undergraduate students. I think they need to include it with admissions material and all the other things one signs at the beginning of enrollment in the endeavour of pursuing a degree. This is because, in my experience, sexual openness to professors who want to use one is often a prerequisite for an advanced degree. Whether at Bryn Mawr, or large Universities such as UW, if you aren't sexually open to the professors who invite you to their cars at night, or the male ones who want only to stare at your breasts when you meet about projects, then you aren't allowed to get through the system.
STATEMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT FOR A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AND A STUDENT
I, __________________, hereby consent to a sexual relationship with _____________________ (Professor), a licensed _________________, whose student I am or have been for the purpose of _________________.
In granting this consent, I understand that, although some such relationships are successful, all relationships between professors and students carry great risk. Such involvement may be accompanied by personal degradation by the professor, criticism of my relationship with-my current partner, and encouragement to isolate myself from other personal involvements. I understand also that the professor may not be in a monogamous relationship with me and that he/she is likely to suddenly terminate the relationship.
I understand that my entering this relationship may involve the forsaking of moral and intellectual values to which I have previously adhered with strong conviction. I understand that my feelings toward this professor may be based on a symbolic attraction, also known as transference, in that these feelings may be less related to my knowledge and understanding of him/her as a person than to his/her representation to me as a powerful, trustworthy, dependable, knowlegable figure who can provide for my intellectual and/or emotional needs. I understand also that the professor's feelings toward me may be based on a similar symbolic attraction, also known as countertransference. I understand that my dependence on this professor may compromise my ability to fully understand the basis of my feelings toward him/her or my ability to terminate the relationship even after I am no longer comfortable with it.
I understand that by engaging in this sexual relationship with me, this professor may be violating his/her code of professional and university ethics as well as certain laws of the state.
I understand that a sexual relationship with this professor may ultimately have extremely damaging consequences for me including, but not necessarily limited to, disruption and abandonment of degree plans, extreme discomfort and experience of a hostile environment in my degree program, feelings of betrayal, helplessness, anger, confusion, guilt, and depression, that these feelings could result in a need for psychiatric care, and that these feelings could possibly result in my suicide.
I understand that the anger and distrust that I may develop toward this professor may generalize to other academics or even to all people of the same gender or field as this professor.
In expressing these feelings to others, I may find that I derive little understanding or sympathy from present or future partners, members of my family, my friends, co-workers, other professors, or even helping professionals. I understand further that disclosure of my sexual involvement with this may result in my estrangement from some or all of these people, further increasing my feelings of loneliness, confusion, and guilt.
I understand that all of the aforementioned risks have been documented in previous sexual relationships between professors and their students.
I assert that these risks have been fully explained to me by a knowledgeable health or other professional other than the professor, that I am willing to accept these risks, and I freely and willfully give my informed consent to said sexual relationship.
Signed this _____ day of _____________, ____.
__________________________
(adapted from M. Plaut)
That's what the real price is for a degree.
STATEMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT FOR A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AND A STUDENT
I, __________________, hereby consent to a sexual relationship with _____________________ (Professor), a licensed _________________, whose student I am or have been for the purpose of _________________.
In granting this consent, I understand that, although some such relationships are successful, all relationships between professors and students carry great risk. Such involvement may be accompanied by personal degradation by the professor, criticism of my relationship with-my current partner, and encouragement to isolate myself from other personal involvements. I understand also that the professor may not be in a monogamous relationship with me and that he/she is likely to suddenly terminate the relationship.
I understand that my entering this relationship may involve the forsaking of moral and intellectual values to which I have previously adhered with strong conviction. I understand that my feelings toward this professor may be based on a symbolic attraction, also known as transference, in that these feelings may be less related to my knowledge and understanding of him/her as a person than to his/her representation to me as a powerful, trustworthy, dependable, knowlegable figure who can provide for my intellectual and/or emotional needs. I understand also that the professor's feelings toward me may be based on a similar symbolic attraction, also known as countertransference. I understand that my dependence on this professor may compromise my ability to fully understand the basis of my feelings toward him/her or my ability to terminate the relationship even after I am no longer comfortable with it.
I understand that by engaging in this sexual relationship with me, this professor may be violating his/her code of professional and university ethics as well as certain laws of the state.
I understand that a sexual relationship with this professor may ultimately have extremely damaging consequences for me including, but not necessarily limited to, disruption and abandonment of degree plans, extreme discomfort and experience of a hostile environment in my degree program, feelings of betrayal, helplessness, anger, confusion, guilt, and depression, that these feelings could result in a need for psychiatric care, and that these feelings could possibly result in my suicide.
I understand that the anger and distrust that I may develop toward this professor may generalize to other academics or even to all people of the same gender or field as this professor.
In expressing these feelings to others, I may find that I derive little understanding or sympathy from present or future partners, members of my family, my friends, co-workers, other professors, or even helping professionals. I understand further that disclosure of my sexual involvement with this may result in my estrangement from some or all of these people, further increasing my feelings of loneliness, confusion, and guilt.
I understand that all of the aforementioned risks have been documented in previous sexual relationships between professors and their students.
I assert that these risks have been fully explained to me by a knowledgeable health or other professional other than the professor, that I am willing to accept these risks, and I freely and willfully give my informed consent to said sexual relationship.
Signed this _____ day of _____________, ____.
__________________________
(adapted from M. Plaut)
That's what the real price is for a degree.
Sonntag, 29. Juni 2008
royal (pain) geography
Today I took a hike up King's Mountain:
http://www.cooltrails.com/kingsmtn.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/519465/oregon_hiking_kings_mountain.html
It was steep... though very short. I realized how out of shape I am and how my feet have changed since I last wore my hiking boots, and am already a little sore, but it was in fact spectacular. On a day when an earlier start is desired (today was not one of those days, being hot and my having things to do) and the peak bagged early in the day, it is possible to then visit the ocean for the rest of the afternoon. It's only about 45 minutes away from PDX.
Most of the trail is hip-high ferns beneath a canopy of moss-covered trees, which is enchanting to trek within. Then as it usually does, the scenery changed into typical alpine-region terrain as one ascends. There were also a number of flowers in season, including indian paintbrush, harebells (which had a lovely blue tinge), strawberry flowers (but no berries to be found). I did take two pictures of the moss and ferns, but too exhausted to think about uploading them now. I saw 6 other hikers during this jaunt, and no animals. I had to begin to wonder what sorts of animals there are here, for example, if there are snakes. It was a carbon-rich experience given the ferns and moss and trees.
I wonder if there is a Queen's mountain as well.
I had sort of missed being in Seattle during pride day, or at least the opportunity to boycott it, but had a (Drag of a) King of my own with some pretty interesting contours and natural features to sweat over, and so am happy. And in an earlier part of the day, interesting thoughts to be had about statuary.
http://www.cooltrails.com/kingsmtn.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/519465/oregon_hiking_kings_mountain.html
It was steep... though very short. I realized how out of shape I am and how my feet have changed since I last wore my hiking boots, and am already a little sore, but it was in fact spectacular. On a day when an earlier start is desired (today was not one of those days, being hot and my having things to do) and the peak bagged early in the day, it is possible to then visit the ocean for the rest of the afternoon. It's only about 45 minutes away from PDX.
Most of the trail is hip-high ferns beneath a canopy of moss-covered trees, which is enchanting to trek within. Then as it usually does, the scenery changed into typical alpine-region terrain as one ascends. There were also a number of flowers in season, including indian paintbrush, harebells (which had a lovely blue tinge), strawberry flowers (but no berries to be found). I did take two pictures of the moss and ferns, but too exhausted to think about uploading them now. I saw 6 other hikers during this jaunt, and no animals. I had to begin to wonder what sorts of animals there are here, for example, if there are snakes. It was a carbon-rich experience given the ferns and moss and trees.
I wonder if there is a Queen's mountain as well.
I had sort of missed being in Seattle during pride day, or at least the opportunity to boycott it, but had a (Drag of a) King of my own with some pretty interesting contours and natural features to sweat over, and so am happy. And in an earlier part of the day, interesting thoughts to be had about statuary.
Sonntag, 1. Juni 2008
Houston, TX
Houston is hot. I had not realized there was so much culture here. It's my first time in Texas at all, and it's ok so far, there don't seem to be any mountains in sight, however. Here for a conference, but I'm not presenting this time... or rather, a trade show, my job is to be mobbed by job applicants and to REpresent. If time, may try to see the Holocaust Museum or the big park or other things... shaping up into a fun experience so far, have learned a ton on the job so far, and I'm sure will learn more in the next days. In retrospect, had I gone further into the groves of academia, I think I would have supported the cause of providing work cell phones and laptops to the professoriate. That I feel so technologically provided for at my job has been yet another perk; I never knew life could be like this.
Montag, 26. Mai 2008
the monday which was not a monday
My previous post now seems too harsh. I've begun to see more differences, the article below has been thought-provoking:
http://www.crosscurrents.org/miles.htm
Maybe some part also was the consistent feeling that like sand as one walks in the ocean, things kept eroding under my feet. The system is one way, I learned to understand, but when I return, it's completely different, and the entire structure of a degree has changed, so that it's a whole different experience for the new people, and I'm left feeling that what I did for it was no longer relevant, and that I needed to master other things retrospectively, but most of it I'd already mastered some in my free time, but the grist of it has changed too, and that's not something I had, either. Or maybe the feeling of always falling between the cracks of changes which were beyond my control, so something I felt I'd been led to believe was solid, continued to shift about and change hands, and I was told entirely different things about the very basics at different points, often, after I'd proceeded along a path which was in keeping with the earlier thing I'd been told. Transitions can often ultimately be good for people and organizations, but I think they also need to be discussed as such and not simply implemented without warning. Anyhow...
In other news, over the course of the weekend as my mom visited, we visited together 5 different wineries all over the place here, and now I have a more fine-tuned appreciation of wine components, though I have not picked a favorite. It was easy to imagine being in the Cinqueterra or Tuscany-- my memory of Grinzingen is far too clouded to evoke anything aside from a view over Vienna. This "wine tour" thing would be fun to do again at some point, I think; before, I had been a bit scared to venture too far afield, but now I think it looks more manageable. We also visited restaurants, which in my grad school days I would have not looked at as I walked down the street, given the unattainability of the prices. Now, however, I find I'm able to enjoy the food more, thinking that I might in fact now be able to engineer dinner for two there. The other worthwhile visit of the day was to the Japanese garden. My mom thinks I still have residual stress from academia and bought me a yearly pass to the Japanese garden, so that I can go and chill out among the zen artifacts and plants and tourists when I feel distraught.
Next week, back to the Oko-Haie, coffee, and reading resumes, with forseeably some new twists.
http://www.crosscurrents.org/miles.htm
Maybe some part also was the consistent feeling that like sand as one walks in the ocean, things kept eroding under my feet. The system is one way, I learned to understand, but when I return, it's completely different, and the entire structure of a degree has changed, so that it's a whole different experience for the new people, and I'm left feeling that what I did for it was no longer relevant, and that I needed to master other things retrospectively, but most of it I'd already mastered some in my free time, but the grist of it has changed too, and that's not something I had, either. Or maybe the feeling of always falling between the cracks of changes which were beyond my control, so something I felt I'd been led to believe was solid, continued to shift about and change hands, and I was told entirely different things about the very basics at different points, often, after I'd proceeded along a path which was in keeping with the earlier thing I'd been told. Transitions can often ultimately be good for people and organizations, but I think they also need to be discussed as such and not simply implemented without warning. Anyhow...
In other news, over the course of the weekend as my mom visited, we visited together 5 different wineries all over the place here, and now I have a more fine-tuned appreciation of wine components, though I have not picked a favorite. It was easy to imagine being in the Cinqueterra or Tuscany-- my memory of Grinzingen is far too clouded to evoke anything aside from a view over Vienna. This "wine tour" thing would be fun to do again at some point, I think; before, I had been a bit scared to venture too far afield, but now I think it looks more manageable. We also visited restaurants, which in my grad school days I would have not looked at as I walked down the street, given the unattainability of the prices. Now, however, I find I'm able to enjoy the food more, thinking that I might in fact now be able to engineer dinner for two there. The other worthwhile visit of the day was to the Japanese garden. My mom thinks I still have residual stress from academia and bought me a yearly pass to the Japanese garden, so that I can go and chill out among the zen artifacts and plants and tourists when I feel distraught.
Next week, back to the Oko-Haie, coffee, and reading resumes, with forseeably some new twists.
distance, new focus
with distance, I have learned to have compassion for a group I was formerly involved with-- or, perhaps, better not to call it compassion, but rather pity.
Such a desparate world, that calls for people to mutilate one another, to lie on a daily basis, to put on such extraordinary facades, to lie retrospectively, to complain about one another to their students on a daily basis, to show that their friendships are more important than the safety of their charges. I simply feel pity for the people in this world at this point. I guess I've gotten my taste of the whole academic shebang and have decided it's not worth the self-deception it would involve to think of it as something worthwhile, after 99% of my experiences.
In the meantime, more pictures:
Such a desparate world, that calls for people to mutilate one another, to lie on a daily basis, to put on such extraordinary facades, to lie retrospectively, to complain about one another to their students on a daily basis, to show that their friendships are more important than the safety of their charges. I simply feel pity for the people in this world at this point. I guess I've gotten my taste of the whole academic shebang and have decided it's not worth the self-deception it would involve to think of it as something worthwhile, after 99% of my experiences.
In the meantime, more pictures:
Sonntag, 18. Mai 2008
Grizzly Man
Yesterday, viewed Herzog's Grizzly Man.
It was somewhat depressing-- again Herzog featured many of his own ideas about nature in examining the deaths, I think I'd call this film of his one of his most acerbic. I think it's very likely that he saw himself in Tim Treadwell, including in terms of Treadwell's views of humanity and more-- Herzog seems to view himself as a sort of mentor to a dead person, who may or may not have wanted it-- another in the string of Herzog's conflicted relationships with other filmmakers. As seen in Walking to Werner, it seems that Herzog has little interest in mentoring other filmmakers, unless he can use them for his own stardom. I think he was quite invasive in Grizzly Man, also as he styled himself as a sort of god figure who warned Treadwell's former girlfriend to destroy the sound recording of the death in her own best interests. Maybe he could have done more with the Thoreau/Walden ideas. I don't think it's my favorite film of Herzog's; Encounters has still been my favorite of late.
Also saw Aida last week, but may or may not blog about it. It was excellent, in a word.
In other news, have been missing the libraries etc. in seattle these days.
It was somewhat depressing-- again Herzog featured many of his own ideas about nature in examining the deaths, I think I'd call this film of his one of his most acerbic. I think it's very likely that he saw himself in Tim Treadwell, including in terms of Treadwell's views of humanity and more-- Herzog seems to view himself as a sort of mentor to a dead person, who may or may not have wanted it-- another in the string of Herzog's conflicted relationships with other filmmakers. As seen in Walking to Werner, it seems that Herzog has little interest in mentoring other filmmakers, unless he can use them for his own stardom. I think he was quite invasive in Grizzly Man, also as he styled himself as a sort of god figure who warned Treadwell's former girlfriend to destroy the sound recording of the death in her own best interests. Maybe he could have done more with the Thoreau/Walden ideas. I don't think it's my favorite film of Herzog's; Encounters has still been my favorite of late.
Also saw Aida last week, but may or may not blog about it. It was excellent, in a word.
In other news, have been missing the libraries etc. in seattle these days.
Sonntag, 11. Mai 2008
The Counterfeiters
Yesterday saw the film The Counterfeiters, I guess in terms of concentration camp films there are others I'd prefer, such as Jakob der Luegner, and there are also other Austrian films I find better, but I'll still write some about this one. It dealt with the question of betraying one's friends vs. survival; the group stuck together, but the leader still took action to create the money demanded in a small quantity so that they weren't all killed. Also issues of criminality, privelege, etc. The end when the other camp inmates arrived and broke down the barriers between sections of the camp was also a well-done scene. I thought the very end was pretty lame, however.
Sonntag, 4. Mai 2008
meeting interesting plants
Today a long, five-mile sort of walk in the arboreteum. Mental note to go further from the city next time, others had the same idea today. But the arboreteum had an overlook and variety, and too many other things to do today to go much further. The highlight was the sunshine and the deep dark forest. Contemplation of the action of coming and going at once, which maybe works out into hereness.
tying, untying
One thing I've missed about Europe in May is the Tanz in den Mai, where in some places everyone dances in masks... or, other may day scenarios with poles to tie and untie, flower petals, strawberries, young Puritan girls singing "Son vergin vezzosa." Yesterday, after a so-la-la event at which I met some interesting people, I dreamt of masked balls.
Samstag, 3. Mai 2008
Encounters at the End of the World
Yesterday after work went to see Encounters at the End of the World, by Werner Herzog. They're having an enormous Herzog thing-- had had no idea that the Northwest Film Forum extends to here, but it does. I've seen pretty much all the rest of the ones being shown, except for a couple, and that was one of them.
This film takes place in Antarctica.
I loved it. Many gems... from the penguin conversations to the echoes of Bells from the Deep (another favorite of mine) as the scientists prostrate themselves on the ice to listen to the seals below, to the spiritual experiences of diving beneath the ice and collecting creatures, to the linguistics ex-PhD who had to end his research because the last speaker of the dying language he was studying died. Herzog focuses a little on global warming, but then turns it into a focus on the death of humans, dying languages and dying cultures. Also echoes of White Diamond. He does in fact show some cultural awareness when he discusses these things, such as the aztec indian guy, but pretty much everyone is a curiosity object to him as Herzog tries to show how McMurdo is filled with oddballs, and constantly striving oddballs with extreme worldviews. He also gets bored with his subjects and their tales, often interrupting them while filming them to do a voice over "to make a long story short... this, this and this happened." Cut. Next. I pretty much laughed my ass off through the entire thing. The humor is not coming off very well here as I tell about it. I did in fact inspire me briefly to want to go to Antarctica, but I think there are many good reasons to stay in this hemisphere now.
The theater was packed and then when I stood up at the end (I had come about 5 minutes late and sat down in the dark), it was very strange because I found I was surrounded by people speaking German. At first I thought I was hallucinating, but then I asked them in German who they were, it's some group affiliated with the German-American preeschool here. That encounter reminded me of wine and wisdom events, especially when I then went home and had a glass of wine, but it was fun and totally unstressful and I didn't feel any pressure to pimp the field.
Today is one of those times I wish to have a cat curl up on my lap and rest there for awhile. Meow.
This film takes place in Antarctica.
I loved it. Many gems... from the penguin conversations to the echoes of Bells from the Deep (another favorite of mine) as the scientists prostrate themselves on the ice to listen to the seals below, to the spiritual experiences of diving beneath the ice and collecting creatures, to the linguistics ex-PhD who had to end his research because the last speaker of the dying language he was studying died. Herzog focuses a little on global warming, but then turns it into a focus on the death of humans, dying languages and dying cultures. Also echoes of White Diamond. He does in fact show some cultural awareness when he discusses these things, such as the aztec indian guy, but pretty much everyone is a curiosity object to him as Herzog tries to show how McMurdo is filled with oddballs, and constantly striving oddballs with extreme worldviews. He also gets bored with his subjects and their tales, often interrupting them while filming them to do a voice over "to make a long story short... this, this and this happened." Cut. Next. I pretty much laughed my ass off through the entire thing. The humor is not coming off very well here as I tell about it. I did in fact inspire me briefly to want to go to Antarctica, but I think there are many good reasons to stay in this hemisphere now.
The theater was packed and then when I stood up at the end (I had come about 5 minutes late and sat down in the dark), it was very strange because I found I was surrounded by people speaking German. At first I thought I was hallucinating, but then I asked them in German who they were, it's some group affiliated with the German-American preeschool here. That encounter reminded me of wine and wisdom events, especially when I then went home and had a glass of wine, but it was fun and totally unstressful and I didn't feel any pressure to pimp the field.
Today is one of those times I wish to have a cat curl up on my lap and rest there for awhile. Meow.
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