Tune in at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, CBS or FOX tomorrow (Wednesday) to hear what the campaign is calling “The Closing Argument.” And don’t forget to vote next week. Or, better yet, find out where you can vote early and do it this week.
October 28, 2008
One Week - Hope over Fear
Tune in at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, CBS or FOX tomorrow (Wednesday) to hear what the campaign is calling “The Closing Argument.” And don’t forget to vote next week. Or, better yet, find out where you can vote early and do it this week.
October 24, 2008
Football and Fealty
I've figured out my football pool mojo -- I win on even-numbered weeks. This is week 8, so that badge is coming home again this week. This week I'm not going to try to pick a special color, just something that show up decently against all that purple.
Oakland @ Baltimore
Arizona @ Carolina
Tampa Bay @ Dallas
Washington @ Detroit
Buffalo @ Miami
St. Louis @ New England
San Diego @ New Orleans
Kansas City @ NY Jets
Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Cleveland @ Jacksonville
Cincinnati @ Houston
NY Giants @ Pittsburgh
Seattle @ San Francisco
Monday Night Football
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Total score tiebreaker: 40
Byes: Chicago, Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota
OK, so the picks part is out of the way and it's time for the links part. Last week I got slapped on the wrist from the Commish because I didn't link to her in my picks post. I was tired. I apologize. But I was really tired. This week, I'm not tired and even if I were, I'd still pay my way in the currency of blogs and show the appropriate link love.
So, please, if you are interested in participating, post your picks on your blog, then go visit the one, the only, the amazing INSTA-MOM and join our merry band of football freaks. But really, you should go visit her anyway -- now -- and read every word she has ever written...or at the very least check out her most recent post where she has hot guys from the NFL there for your viewing pleasure. One of the selections is mine. And she chose a HOT picture of him that made my knees sweat just a little. I'm not going to say which one, but if you go visit her to see for yourself -- NOW -- I bet you can figure it out. Ooh, just posting that link singed my fingers, he's that hot. (And, to paraphrase the words of the very fabulous Insta-mom herself, it was hard not to slap myself silly after writing that.)
Let me close by paying obeisance to her right here and now in such a way that she will never, ever again be able to doubt my devotion to her, links or no links.
I - is for the Inspiration, which she provides daily
N - is for Nurturing, a quality she shows even to a fish she didn't want
S - is for San Diego, a place she loves and the team she roots for
T - is for Tolerance, since it's an attitude she embodies
A - is for AllMediocre, because that's where we met
M - is for Males, as she is surrounded by them at home
O - is for Obama, whom we both strongly support
M - is for Mom because, duh, she's a great mom
What's that spell? A great friend whom I'm going to meet eventually. ☺
Oakland @ Baltimore
Arizona @ Carolina
Tampa Bay @ Dallas
Washington @ Detroit
Buffalo @ Miami
St. Louis @ New England
San Diego @ New Orleans
Kansas City @ NY Jets
Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Cleveland @ Jacksonville
Cincinnati @ Houston
NY Giants @ Pittsburgh
Seattle @ San Francisco
Monday Night Football
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Total score tiebreaker: 40
Byes: Chicago, Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota
OK, so the picks part is out of the way and it's time for the links part. Last week I got slapped on the wrist from the Commish because I didn't link to her in my picks post. I was tired. I apologize. But I was really tired. This week, I'm not tired and even if I were, I'd still pay my way in the currency of blogs and show the appropriate link love.
So, please, if you are interested in participating, post your picks on your blog, then go visit the one, the only, the amazing INSTA-MOM and join our merry band of football freaks. But really, you should go visit her anyway -- now -- and read every word she has ever written...or at the very least check out her most recent post where she has hot guys from the NFL there for your viewing pleasure. One of the selections is mine. And she chose a HOT picture of him that made my knees sweat just a little. I'm not going to say which one, but if you go visit her to see for yourself -- NOW -- I bet you can figure it out. Ooh, just posting that link singed my fingers, he's that hot. (And, to paraphrase the words of the very fabulous Insta-mom herself, it was hard not to slap myself silly after writing that.)
Let me close by paying obeisance to her right here and now in such a way that she will never, ever again be able to doubt my devotion to her, links or no links.
I - is for the Inspiration, which she provides daily
N - is for Nurturing, a quality she shows even to a fish she didn't want
S - is for San Diego, a place she loves and the team she roots for
T - is for Tolerance, since it's an attitude she embodies
A - is for AllMediocre, because that's where we met
M - is for Males, as she is surrounded by them at home
O - is for Obama, whom we both strongly support
M - is for Mom because, duh, she's a great mom
What's that spell? A great friend whom I'm going to meet eventually. ☺
October 23, 2008
I'm baaaaack!
It was an interesting experiment, being part of Alltop. It's a great idea, but the Ping just didn't belong there. How do I know this? Because in the three months since I was listed there, I haven't receive a single visitor from it. But during that same time, I became even better friends with the AllMediocre bunch and continued to have people visit me from AllMediocre even though I wasn't a member anymore.
So at the big dinner in DC (which was, by the way, a.k.a. AllMediocHer '08, and I hope there are many more to come), I announced my return to AllMediocre as a member. I've sent in my resignation, so to speak, to Alltop with my thanks for the experience (and literally just received an email from Guy confirming it) and I've come home to my AM peeps!
To celebrate, I created my own AM badge, which now graces my sidebar in spectacular fashion, if I do say so myself. (Because the other ones? Not enough purple.)
So I'm back, bitches. Let mediocrity reign once more!
So at the big dinner in DC (which was, by the way, a.k.a. AllMediocHer '08, and I hope there are many more to come), I announced my return to AllMediocre as a member. I've sent in my resignation, so to speak, to Alltop with my thanks for the experience (and literally just received an email from Guy confirming it) and I've come home to my AM peeps!
To celebrate, I created my own AM badge, which now graces my sidebar in spectacular fashion, if I do say so myself. (Because the other ones? Not enough purple.)
So I'm back, bitches. Let mediocrity reign once more!
October 20, 2008
In Which I Steer My Way Through a Sea of Glass
My poor blog. I've been neglecting it horribly and boy do the numbers reflect it. Well, we'll be football-less until Friday, since I didn't come close to winning the badge this week, I'm afraid. Congrats to Tom on his fantastic picks and great win!
So, where does that leave us? I suppose I'd better get on with the Chihuly pictures before too much time goes by and I forget what I'm talking about. When last we were at the exhibit we were in the Reeds, and now we move on, fittingly enough, to...
Boats
The first of the two old, wooden rowboats was filled with pieces known as Floats, like large marbles of every color and size. Not surprisingly, they resemble the glass marbles Chihuly was enamored of as a child. Having a boat filled with Floats has a bit of a double-meaning, since the pieces are actually based on Japanese fishing floats and they have been literally floated in other displays. I think I'd really like to see them in water sometime, as it would have a more organic feel.
The two boats were placed stern to stern, adrift in a big, black, endless shiny sea. The next boat was filled to bursting with pieces of Ikebana, also of every color and description, which made up for the lack of pictures back in the second room.
It was hard to get a bad shot, but equally hard to get a great one. The official shots of the exhibit had better lighting, if you want to check them out. It was a very static part of the exhibit in a way I can't really explain. Oh, and the room was packed with people, so it wasn't quite as enjoyable a part of the experience, though I loved the explosion of color.
So, where does that leave us? I suppose I'd better get on with the Chihuly pictures before too much time goes by and I forget what I'm talking about. When last we were at the exhibit we were in the Reeds, and now we move on, fittingly enough, to...
Boats
The first of the two old, wooden rowboats was filled with pieces known as Floats, like large marbles of every color and size. Not surprisingly, they resemble the glass marbles Chihuly was enamored of as a child. Having a boat filled with Floats has a bit of a double-meaning, since the pieces are actually based on Japanese fishing floats and they have been literally floated in other displays. I think I'd really like to see them in water sometime, as it would have a more organic feel.
The two boats were placed stern to stern, adrift in a big, black, endless shiny sea. The next boat was filled to bursting with pieces of Ikebana, also of every color and description, which made up for the lack of pictures back in the second room.
It was hard to get a bad shot, but equally hard to get a great one. The official shots of the exhibit had better lighting, if you want to check them out. It was a very static part of the exhibit in a way I can't really explain. Oh, and the room was packed with people, so it wasn't quite as enjoyable a part of the experience, though I loved the explosion of color.
October 16, 2008
Calling on the Luck o' the Irish
It seems as though I no sooner get my MVP badge up and it's time to make the next week's picks! It's just so unfair -- there's really no time to sit back and enjoy the glare of attention...as though there were any...
So, here we go again, in yet another color: a little lucky Irish green.
San Diego @ Buffalo
Minnesota @ Chicago
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Tennessee @ Kansas City
Dallas @ St. Louis
Baltimore @ Miami
San Francisco @ NY Giants
New Orleans @ Carolina
Detroit @ Houston
NY Jets @ Oakland
Indianapolis @ Green Bay
Cleveland @ Washington
Seattle @ Tampa Bay
Monday Night Football
Denver @ New England
Total score:38
If you want to know more about the BFL, please just scroll down to the last set of picks because, really, I'm tired and I'm not up for linking everyone up again! Please wish me luck, the competition gets a bit more intense every week.
P.S. I had to post this twice, because the first color green I picked was nearly impossible to see. Sorry if it showed up in your reader twice.
So, here we go again, in yet another color: a little lucky Irish green.
San Diego @ Buffalo
Minnesota @ Chicago
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Tennessee @ Kansas City
Dallas @ St. Louis
Baltimore @ Miami
San Francisco @ NY Giants
New Orleans @ Carolina
Detroit @ Houston
NY Jets @ Oakland
Indianapolis @ Green Bay
Cleveland @ Washington
Seattle @ Tampa Bay
Monday Night Football
Denver @ New England
Total score:38
If you want to know more about the BFL, please just scroll down to the last set of picks because, really, I'm tired and I'm not up for linking everyone up again! Please wish me luck, the competition gets a bit more intense every week.
P.S. I had to post this twice, because the first color green I picked was nearly impossible to see. Sorry if it showed up in your reader twice.
October 14, 2008
Bratty McBratty Pants Shares the Wealth
Woo-hoo! I had a good week in the BFL and I get to share this week's honors with RadioCarla -- we tied right down to our choice of score for the Monday night game. Ms. Carla is making a habit of tying for the top spot.
Next week? I'm shooting for being the sole winner. If you think you can best me or, you know, Carla, step on over to Insta-mom's and take on the BFL's finest. And Amy In Ohio. (I had to, she's the one who named me "Bratty McBratty Pants" after all.)
October 12, 2008
Memeing It Up to the Power of Six
This past week, I was tagged for two different memes by two of my mommy blogger friends. I believe in multitasking, and they're somewhat related, so I'm going to tackle them both at once here.
First was the always-entertaining and mysterious Marinka. If you aren't reading her yet, get started. I'm pretty sure she's Russian royalty in hiding in NYC, but she will neither confirm nor deny. She's a fan of my photography so she's pretty OK in my book, no matter what's behind that gauzy veil. She tagged me with the six odd things about me meme.We'll get to that one second...since that's kind of one of the odd things about me.
Next, the marvelous and magnanimous Mama Ginger Tree sent me a candy-gram from the Candy Cane Forest and tagged me with the Sixth Photo meme. The rules are to choose the sixth photo from your sixth album and post it along with a description or the story behind it. I don't really have any photo albums, so I took the CDs I've burned my photos onto -- which I spent a great deal of the weekend working on -- and picked the sixth one in the stack, then went to the sixth photo on it. Here it is:
It was taken in January 2005 in Hope Valley, near Tahoe. As you're probably not familiar with it: Hope Valley is a gem of a spot about a half hour from the south shore that's a popular area for cross-country skiing and sled dog training. I found a nice article about it that can tell you more if you're interested. You can see the tracks on the snow from people skiing and traipsing around, but you can also see that it's uncrowded and unspoiled.
It was a beautiful, clear day and this was taken during a break from snowshoeing. I like cross-country skiing, too, but I've found that snowshoeing is just as good a workout but a lot more enjoyable (i.e., less falling over). One of the photos that came after the one above is a favorite of mine, and it's related, so I thought I'd share that one, too.
On to the six odd things about myself.
1. I'm not a fan of doing the expected. I've mentioned here before that the more popular a book is, the less inclined I am to read it. Or if everyone else is turning right, I'm probably going to turn left. I'm not a non-conformist, really, because I do like following the rules, but if you have something with choices, I'm probably not going to take the one everyone else does.
2. The way I know I'm sick, like with this cold that's still dogging me, is when the roof of my mouth starts to itch.
3. I have an irrational fear of skunks. I can't explain it, I can't figure out why, and there's no good reason for it; I've never been sprayed. Spiders? No problem. Snakes? I think they're pretty cool, actually. Mice? No squealing here. But a black and white striped bit of vermin? I completely freeze up and my mind goes blank.
4. I pretty much won't answer the door or the phone if I don't have to. If I'm not expecting you to come by my house -- or you don't have a warrant to search the premises -- I will probably not even open the door. When I lived alone, I almost never answered the phone because no one who called it was someone I wanted to talk to; everyone else had my cell number.
5. I can flip my tongue over both ways in my mouth. Try it, it's not easy. It comes in handy for my one and only bar trick: quickly tying maraschino cherry stems with my tongue.
6. I am fond, really fond...really, really fond of ice in my beverages. "Ice is nice" is pretty much the motto I live by. Friends and family have become accustomed to my ordering extra glasses of ice, repeatedly, pretty much everywhere I go.
So, there you have it. And because I don't like to do the expected, I'm not going to tag anyone in particular for either of these memes (I'm supposed to pick, you guessed it, six people for each of them). If you want to do either or both of them, just let us know in the comments so we can come by and see; self-tagging, if you will.
First was the always-entertaining and mysterious Marinka. If you aren't reading her yet, get started. I'm pretty sure she's Russian royalty in hiding in NYC, but she will neither confirm nor deny. She's a fan of my photography so she's pretty OK in my book, no matter what's behind that gauzy veil. She tagged me with the six odd things about me meme.We'll get to that one second...since that's kind of one of the odd things about me.
Next, the marvelous and magnanimous Mama Ginger Tree sent me a candy-gram from the Candy Cane Forest and tagged me with the Sixth Photo meme. The rules are to choose the sixth photo from your sixth album and post it along with a description or the story behind it. I don't really have any photo albums, so I took the CDs I've burned my photos onto -- which I spent a great deal of the weekend working on -- and picked the sixth one in the stack, then went to the sixth photo on it. Here it is:
It was taken in January 2005 in Hope Valley, near Tahoe. As you're probably not familiar with it: Hope Valley is a gem of a spot about a half hour from the south shore that's a popular area for cross-country skiing and sled dog training. I found a nice article about it that can tell you more if you're interested. You can see the tracks on the snow from people skiing and traipsing around, but you can also see that it's uncrowded and unspoiled.
It was a beautiful, clear day and this was taken during a break from snowshoeing. I like cross-country skiing, too, but I've found that snowshoeing is just as good a workout but a lot more enjoyable (i.e., less falling over). One of the photos that came after the one above is a favorite of mine, and it's related, so I thought I'd share that one, too.
On to the six odd things about myself.
1. I'm not a fan of doing the expected. I've mentioned here before that the more popular a book is, the less inclined I am to read it. Or if everyone else is turning right, I'm probably going to turn left. I'm not a non-conformist, really, because I do like following the rules, but if you have something with choices, I'm probably not going to take the one everyone else does.
2. The way I know I'm sick, like with this cold that's still dogging me, is when the roof of my mouth starts to itch.
3. I have an irrational fear of skunks. I can't explain it, I can't figure out why, and there's no good reason for it; I've never been sprayed. Spiders? No problem. Snakes? I think they're pretty cool, actually. Mice? No squealing here. But a black and white striped bit of vermin? I completely freeze up and my mind goes blank.
4. I pretty much won't answer the door or the phone if I don't have to. If I'm not expecting you to come by my house -- or you don't have a warrant to search the premises -- I will probably not even open the door. When I lived alone, I almost never answered the phone because no one who called it was someone I wanted to talk to; everyone else had my cell number.
5. I can flip my tongue over both ways in my mouth. Try it, it's not easy. It comes in handy for my one and only bar trick: quickly tying maraschino cherry stems with my tongue.
6. I am fond, really fond...really, really fond of ice in my beverages. "Ice is nice" is pretty much the motto I live by. Friends and family have become accustomed to my ordering extra glasses of ice, repeatedly, pretty much everywhere I go.
So, there you have it. And because I don't like to do the expected, I'm not going to tag anyone in particular for either of these memes (I'm supposed to pick, you guessed it, six people for each of them). If you want to do either or both of them, just let us know in the comments so we can come by and see; self-tagging, if you will.
October 10, 2008
Picks and a Plea
So, I've been a slacker in the posting department lately. Sorry about that. I was off partying in DC from Thursday through Monday, and I came back with such a special gift from that trip: a cold. Tonight is the first night that I've felt capable of posting and I've got to post my picks for the BFL today so that's what you get.
Last week my results were pretty middle-of-the-road and Amy In Ohio, my DC roomie, took the MVP badge away from me right in front of my nose. Let's see if we can't bring that baby back home with some picks in hot orange!
Baltimore @ Indianapolis
Detroit @ Minnesota
Oakland @ New Orleans
Cincinnati @ NY Jets
Chicago @ Atlanta
Carolina @ Tampa Bay
St. Louis @ Washington
Miami @ Houston
Jacksonville @ Denver
Philadelphia @ San Francisco
Green Bay @ Seattle
Dallas @ Arizona
New England @ San Diego
Monday Night Football
NY Giants @ Cleveland
Points Total: 37
Please go see my good friend, Insta-mom, to see what picks the other BFL members have made or if you want to join in. Feel free to trash talk them on my behalf while you're there; they can take it.
I've got about a million pictures from DC to look through, and I'm planning to post some of those, plus I'm not done with my tour through the Chihuly exhibit. It looks like I've got a lot of resting ahead of me this weekend so that I can kick this cold, and I plan to spend some of that time here getting those posts ready and doing some site cleanup.
In the meantime, a small plea from me: Are you an American Express cardmember? If you are, please go here and vote for Kiva to win the Members Project competition. They've made it to the Top 5 organizations vying for the $1.5 million award to further their mission. There are just three days left to vote in this final round and I'd really love to see Kiva be able to expand its worthwhile operations. I've been a member with them for over a year and, as you may have noticed from a couple of their things in my sidebar, I'm a pretty big supporter of their cause. If you've voted in the prior rounds, all those are wiped clean and you get to vote again for one of just these five organizations. It's a super-easy way to do a good thing. Thanks!
Last week my results were pretty middle-of-the-road and Amy In Ohio, my DC roomie, took the MVP badge away from me right in front of my nose. Let's see if we can't bring that baby back home with some picks in hot orange!
Baltimore @ Indianapolis
Detroit @ Minnesota
Oakland @ New Orleans
Cincinnati @ NY Jets
Chicago @ Atlanta
Carolina @ Tampa Bay
St. Louis @ Washington
Miami @ Houston
Jacksonville @ Denver
Philadelphia @ San Francisco
Green Bay @ Seattle
Dallas @ Arizona
New England @ San Diego
Monday Night Football
NY Giants @ Cleveland
Points Total: 37
Please go see my good friend, Insta-mom, to see what picks the other BFL members have made or if you want to join in. Feel free to trash talk them on my behalf while you're there; they can take it.
I've got about a million pictures from DC to look through, and I'm planning to post some of those, plus I'm not done with my tour through the Chihuly exhibit. It looks like I've got a lot of resting ahead of me this weekend so that I can kick this cold, and I plan to spend some of that time here getting those posts ready and doing some site cleanup.
In the meantime, a small plea from me: Are you an American Express cardmember? If you are, please go here and vote for Kiva to win the Members Project competition. They've made it to the Top 5 organizations vying for the $1.5 million award to further their mission. There are just three days left to vote in this final round and I'd really love to see Kiva be able to expand its worthwhile operations. I've been a member with them for over a year and, as you may have noticed from a couple of their things in my sidebar, I'm a pretty big supporter of their cause. If you've voted in the prior rounds, all those are wiped clean and you get to vote again for one of just these five organizations. It's a super-easy way to do a good thing. Thanks!
October 02, 2008
The MVP Weighs In On Week 5
Here we go again, kids! I feel like my beautiful badge down there just got here, and already they're trying to take it away from me. Well, I'm not going down without a fight. I'm still MVP until the end of the day on Monday and I'm going to enjoy it.
I'll be going away for the weekend, to kick up my heels with a kick-ass group of ladies, and I don't know if I'll have reliable Internet access. So, here are my picks for this weeks match-ups, a little early.
I'll be going away for the weekend, to kick up my heels with a kick-ass group of ladies, and I don't know if I'll have reliable Internet access. So, here are my picks for this weeks match-ups, a little early.
Buffalo @ Arizona
Tennessee @ Baltimore
Kansas City @ Carolina
Indianapolis @ Houston
San Diego @ Miami
Chicago @ Detroit
Atlanta @ Green Bay
Seattle @ NY Giants
Washington @ Philadelphia
Tampa Bay @ Denver
Cincinnati @ Dallas
New England @ San Francisco
Pittsburgh @ Jacksonville
Monday Night Football
Minnesota @ New Orleans
Points total: 44
Tennessee @ Baltimore
Kansas City @ Carolina
Indianapolis @ Houston
San Diego @ Miami
Chicago @ Detroit
Atlanta @ Green Bay
Seattle @ NY Giants
Washington @ Philadelphia
Tampa Bay @ Denver
Cincinnati @ Dallas
New England @ San Francisco
Pittsburgh @ Jacksonville
Monday Night Football
Minnesota @ New Orleans
Points total: 44
My picks are in that rather lurid shade of aqua. If it looks crappy against the purple, I'll change it. Maybe. Doesn't really matter, because regardless of what color they're in, my picks are going to make the others cry.
You know the drill: You can join us at Instamom's site. (And while you're there, read about feeling your boobies.) Post your picks, grab a badge, link up with us and talk some smack on Sunday.
You know the drill: You can join us at Instamom's site. (And while you're there, read about feeling your boobies.) Post your picks, grab a badge, link up with us and talk some smack on Sunday.
September 30, 2008
Pigskin Pool Pride
The title is a nod to the Commish, as I know she is a fan of alliteration -- I have to stay on her good side this week while I enjoy
MVP of the BFL STATUS!
Yeah, baby! Amy in Ohio is bawling her eyes out right about now, but there can be only one winner and this week it is ME! I would like to acknowledge the support of Mama Ginger Tree who so kindly said that if it couldn't be her -- and it almost was as those experts of hers made some mean picks -- she would live to see another day if it were me. (I takes my inspiration where I finds it!) I'd also like to congratulate the other 10-3 players for the week; it was fun to have it go right down to the wire and not be settled until the final play.
You're all welcome to come back and visit the badge this week, since it could be yours next week...or it might not! I'm hopeful that I've found my groove on picks, so I'll be doing my damnedest to give you a run for your money.
September 28, 2008
In Which I Get My Behind Back in Gear
There are still so many more rooms and pictures yet to go, so I'd best get on with it.
The next room of the Chihuly exhibit contained only one piece. Simple, right? Yeah, not so much. It was so big and so dramatically lit that it was hard to get a good picture of the whole thing. But the glass was a fantastic shade of purple so I loved it and ended up spending more time just looking at it than taking pictures.
Reeds
The concept is, as you can see, fairly simple and reflective of nature while not being an actual representation of nature. Reed-like tubes of glass are placed in a base of "fallen" birch logs.
For some reason, even though I never changed any settings on my camera, certain of the shots made the reeds appear in different shades. Not accurate, but still pretty! For some other perspectives that keep one color throughout, see the official pictures of the piece here. But, really, who wants to be that dull and predictable, right?
Over the years, Chihuly and his team have done Reeds, sometimes also called Spears, in different colors, some of which can be seen here. Most of them are displayed out in nature, and I especially like this one. The simultaneous strength and fragility of the glass is amazing.
I want to dedicate this section of the exhibit pictures to my friend, Anymommy, a.k.a. Stacey. To me, she and her family are the Reeds. The reeds themselves are her children; gorgeous, colorful, unique and rising from a strong base. The birch tree base is Stacey; steady, bountiful, supportive and beautiful in her own right, but even more beautiful together.
The next room of the Chihuly exhibit contained only one piece. Simple, right? Yeah, not so much. It was so big and so dramatically lit that it was hard to get a good picture of the whole thing. But the glass was a fantastic shade of purple so I loved it and ended up spending more time just looking at it than taking pictures.
Reeds
The concept is, as you can see, fairly simple and reflective of nature while not being an actual representation of nature. Reed-like tubes of glass are placed in a base of "fallen" birch logs.
For some reason, even though I never changed any settings on my camera, certain of the shots made the reeds appear in different shades. Not accurate, but still pretty! For some other perspectives that keep one color throughout, see the official pictures of the piece here. But, really, who wants to be that dull and predictable, right?
Over the years, Chihuly and his team have done Reeds, sometimes also called Spears, in different colors, some of which can be seen here. Most of them are displayed out in nature, and I especially like this one. The simultaneous strength and fragility of the glass is amazing.
I want to dedicate this section of the exhibit pictures to my friend, Anymommy, a.k.a. Stacey. To me, she and her family are the Reeds. The reeds themselves are her children; gorgeous, colorful, unique and rising from a strong base. The birch tree base is Stacey; steady, bountiful, supportive and beautiful in her own right, but even more beautiful together.
September 26, 2008
Batting .500 - Looking to Improve
Ahh, nothing like a mixed sports metaphor to start things off right. Last week I ended up even on my picks, and the win went to Amy In Ohio. But she's getting a little cocky. So it's my mission to take her down at least one peg.
Any bloggers who want to participate are welcome, so if you're interested, please go visit the Commissioner's site and add your picks, as posted on your site, to the Mr. Linky thingamabob and pick yourself up a badge.
Here are my picks for this weekend's action, slightly more clearly delineated this week, since last week's didn't show up as much as I would have liked. (And, yeah, it's done in pink. You got a problem with that?)
Atlanta @ Carolina
Cleveland @ Cincinnati
Houston @ Jacksonville
Denver @ Kansas City
San Francisco @ New Orleans
Arizona @ NY Jets
Green Bay @ Tampa Bay
Minnesota @ Tennessee
San Diego @ Oakland
Buffalo @ St. Louis
Washington @ Dallas
Philadelphia @ Chicago
Monday Night Football
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Combined final score: 39
This is going to be a fairly busy weekend, so it will probably be Sunday before I can pick back up with the photo tour. There has been so much going on in the news late this week that I just haven't been able to concentrate enough on posting them yet. Even I can't believe that I'm actually this caught up in the news and the election this time around, but it's just too compelling to ignore.
Any bloggers who want to participate are welcome, so if you're interested, please go visit the Commissioner's site and add your picks, as posted on your site, to the Mr. Linky thingamabob and pick yourself up a badge.
Here are my picks for this weekend's action, slightly more clearly delineated this week, since last week's didn't show up as much as I would have liked. (And, yeah, it's done in pink. You got a problem with that?)
Atlanta @ Carolina
Cleveland @ Cincinnati
Houston @ Jacksonville
Denver @ Kansas City
San Francisco @ New Orleans
Arizona @ NY Jets
Green Bay @ Tampa Bay
Minnesota @ Tennessee
San Diego @ Oakland
Buffalo @ St. Louis
Washington @ Dallas
Philadelphia @ Chicago
Monday Night Football
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Combined final score: 39
This is going to be a fairly busy weekend, so it will probably be Sunday before I can pick back up with the photo tour. There has been so much going on in the news late this week that I just haven't been able to concentrate enough on posting them yet. Even I can't believe that I'm actually this caught up in the news and the election this time around, but it's just too compelling to ignore.
September 21, 2008
In Which I See Spots Before My Eyes
Now that the Sunday games have begun, it's time to resume the tour of the Chihuly exhibition. Again, many thanks to all of you who have been coming by to view it and the encouraging comments -- it means a lot to me.
When I left off, I was through the Tabac Baskets exhibit and the battery in my big camera had died. Once I averted a panic attack by fishing out my little camera, it was on to a series that is among Chihuly's most recognized and is a favorite of mine.
Macchia Forest
Macchia means "spotted" in Italian -- in case you haven't noticed, a huge part of his work is influenced by Italian glass mastery, and he gives a big nod to that tradition in many of his series -- and this close-up shows why it earned that moniker.
I vividly remember watching a TV show featuring Chihuly and his team studio approach to glassmaking, and they were making Macchia pieces. The way they swung the rod back and forth with enormous globs of glass on them, to get the wavy-edged effect, had me spellbound and I was hooked.
I wish I'd had a wide-angle lens (oh, and, you know, a "live" big camera) to get this kind of picture of the room, because it's the only way you get the forest sense of it. I was forced to focus mainly on individual pieces, except for this one.
1 In looking up information to be sure that I'm not talking out of my ass in these posts (the devil is in the details, folks), I found a great resource from The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, where they have Fireworks of Glass, the largest permanent Chihuly sculpture of blown glass. I see a trip to Indy in my future.
Next up: Reeds.
When I left off, I was through the Tabac Baskets exhibit and the battery in my big camera had died. Once I averted a panic attack by fishing out my little camera, it was on to a series that is among Chihuly's most recognized and is a favorite of mine.
Macchia Forest
Macchia means "spotted" in Italian -- in case you haven't noticed, a huge part of his work is influenced by Italian glass mastery, and he gives a big nod to that tradition in many of his series -- and this close-up shows why it earned that moniker.
"Macchias represent Chihuly’s boldest combinations of color. He chooses one intense solid color for the interior and another for the exterior. The lip of the Macchia is a contrasting color. In between the layers of color, a layer of white glass forms “clouds.” This layer of white glass keeps the interior and exterior colors separated. While it is still hot, the Macchia is rolled in bits of colored glass called frits or jimmies. These tiny pieces melt into the outer layers of glass and form bright speckles or spots. Chihuly has more than 300 colors in his hot shop. Macchias provide a way to use them all in infinite variations."1
I vividly remember watching a TV show featuring Chihuly and his team studio approach to glassmaking, and they were making Macchia pieces. The way they swung the rod back and forth with enormous globs of glass on them, to get the wavy-edged effect, had me spellbound and I was hooked.
I wish I'd had a wide-angle lens (oh, and, you know, a "live" big camera) to get this kind of picture of the room, because it's the only way you get the forest sense of it. I was forced to focus mainly on individual pieces, except for this one.
1 In looking up information to be sure that I'm not talking out of my ass in these posts (the devil is in the details, folks), I found a great resource from The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, where they have Fireworks of Glass, the largest permanent Chihuly sculpture of blown glass. I see a trip to Indy in my future.
Next up: Reeds.
September 17, 2008
Taking a Break from Pictures to Kick a Little Ass
So, it's official, my mommy bloggers have lost their ever-lovin' minds. Some of them think they have mad football-picking skillz and that they have a chance against me! Please.
The lovely and wonderful Amy in Ohio and Instamom got inspired and concocted the BFL, our own Blogger Football League. Look! I'm an official member. (After this week, this badge will be moved over to the right, and you can come back and see my MVP Player of the Week award!)
We may have gotten a late start on the season, but what we lack in timeliness we more than make up for in trash talk and enthusiasm. Sundays may never be the same.
Here are my picks, clearly delineated by bold and italics. Let's show them how it's done, shall we?
henchman lovely assistant quickly to check out the competition and get everything you need. But be warned, these women are vicious. I've seen them drop a deer at 50 feet with a soiled diaper.
The lovely and wonderful Amy in Ohio and Instamom got inspired and concocted the BFL, our own Blogger Football League. Look! I'm an official member. (After this week, this badge will be moved over to the right, and you can come back and see my MVP Player of the Week award!)
We may have gotten a late start on the season, but what we lack in timeliness we more than make up for in trash talk and enthusiasm. Sundays may never be the same.
Here are my picks, clearly delineated by bold and italics. Let's show them how it's done, shall we?
Arizona @ Washington
Carolina @ Minnesota
Houston @ Tennessee
Miami @ New England
Oakland @ Buffalo
Cincinnati @ NY Giants
Kansas City @ Atlanta
Tampa Bay @ Chicago
St. Louis @ Seattle
Detroit @ San Francisco
New Orleans @ Denver
Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia
Cleveland @ Baltimore
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis
Dallas @ Green Bay
NY Jets @ San Diego
Combined Final Score: 48
In Which I Become a Basket Case
Thank you all so much for your kind comments. It has been great getting your feedback and I love having you along on my tour. And we're walking, we're walking...
Tabac Baskets
Following the color splash that was the Persians room, I turned the corner not knowing what to expect next. Beige was not it. I'm not a big fan of shades of brown and beige, so initially I was a little let down until I read the text on the wall and understood where these were coming from, aesthetically speaking.
These are all inspired by the shape of Native American baskets stacked upon each other for storage, and the way they naturally slump and find a different, but distinguishable, form in that state. There are the very neutral shades of the materials used to make the real baskets, especially as they fade and mellow with age, but on each one is the hint of artistic patterns, in abstract ways, that make the baskets special.
These were displayed in a large room with just four elements: the glass pieces; a huge, wooden 700-year-old table cut in one piece from a single tree; authentic native baskets; and a wall full of Pendleton blankets from Chihuly's personal collection. A good view of the entire room can be seen here.
We came into the room and had to go left or right past the enormous table. To the right were the blankets, to the left were the baskets (both kinds) and the explanatory text; I went left and made my way down, swiveling around and whacking people with my purse as I tried to take it all in while taking pictures.
There were just so many of them, and they each had something to recommend them, that it was hard to not take pictures of every single one. So I tried to focus on the ones that had the most interesting light. It was weird though; it was like there was light everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
This next one blew me away when I took the camera away from my face to see the seconds-long preview. There is no light within the vessel and, to the eye, it doesn't glow like that. I kept looking at it to see how it did that but I still have no idea.
I got to the end of the table and started to make the turn back to the blankets...and that's when my camera battery died. I knew there were still a lot of rooms to go and so much more glass to see, with an unknown amount of battery power on my little camera, so the blankets had to be sacrificed. I couldn't have done any better than this, though, so I feel okay with that call.
Tabac Baskets
Following the color splash that was the Persians room, I turned the corner not knowing what to expect next. Beige was not it. I'm not a big fan of shades of brown and beige, so initially I was a little let down until I read the text on the wall and understood where these were coming from, aesthetically speaking.
These are all inspired by the shape of Native American baskets stacked upon each other for storage, and the way they naturally slump and find a different, but distinguishable, form in that state. There are the very neutral shades of the materials used to make the real baskets, especially as they fade and mellow with age, but on each one is the hint of artistic patterns, in abstract ways, that make the baskets special.
These were displayed in a large room with just four elements: the glass pieces; a huge, wooden 700-year-old table cut in one piece from a single tree; authentic native baskets; and a wall full of Pendleton blankets from Chihuly's personal collection. A good view of the entire room can be seen here.
We came into the room and had to go left or right past the enormous table. To the right were the blankets, to the left were the baskets (both kinds) and the explanatory text; I went left and made my way down, swiveling around and whacking people with my purse as I tried to take it all in while taking pictures.
There were just so many of them, and they each had something to recommend them, that it was hard to not take pictures of every single one. So I tried to focus on the ones that had the most interesting light. It was weird though; it was like there was light everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
This next one blew me away when I took the camera away from my face to see the seconds-long preview. There is no light within the vessel and, to the eye, it doesn't glow like that. I kept looking at it to see how it did that but I still have no idea.
I got to the end of the table and started to make the turn back to the blankets...and that's when my camera battery died. I knew there were still a lot of rooms to go and so much more glass to see, with an unknown amount of battery power on my little camera, so the blankets had to be sacrificed. I couldn't have done any better than this, though, so I feel okay with that call.
September 16, 2008
In Which I Let the Pictures Speak for Themselves
Next up, as promised, is the Persians room. These babies are huge, gravity-defying, awe-inspiring and all sorts of other hyphen-worthy adjectives. The only way I can think of to help you see how big they really are is to point you here to look at the first photo, with people in it for comparison.
Butterflies aren't particularly Persian, but these make me think of butterflies, for their color, their deceptive fragility and the ribbons of color. Next time, the color palette changes quite a lot and we visit another culture altogether.
David Bourbon - the Persian installations are flamboyant corsages, "commanding attention for both the sheer gorgeousness of their undulating forms and for the spectacular manner in which they spill into the room, [their] ornate edges all but alive with potential movement."
Butterflies aren't particularly Persian, but these make me think of butterflies, for their color, their deceptive fragility and the ribbons of color. Next time, the color palette changes quite a lot and we visit another culture altogether.
September 15, 2008
In Which I Admit that I'm a Color Whore
Thanks to all of you who commented on the first set of photos. As was pointed out, you really do need to see these first-hand to get the full effect, mostly because of their scope. But if I can offer a taste that makes you hungry for more in person, I've done my job. Let's move on to the next room, shall we?
This is the room where I had the most trouble getting good shots. I just couldn't hold still long enough to avoid blur on the Ikebana pieces in such low light. I'm going to look into the monopod that was mentioned, because that would have been ideal!
Venetians + Ikebana
This is the only Ikebana picture I took that didn't blur.
It's not from a color palette I particularly like, but it's very evocative of nature (it has a mushroom-like feel to me) and appropriate for the style.
It got easier after that, once I moved on to the Venetians.
The colors! The detail! The cherubim! I was in love. One part of the text on the wall really summed it up:
Tomorrow we move on to the Persians, which are truly spectacular.
This is the room where I had the most trouble getting good shots. I just couldn't hold still long enough to avoid blur on the Ikebana pieces in such low light. I'm going to look into the monopod that was mentioned, because that would have been ideal!
Venetians + Ikebana
This is the only Ikebana picture I took that didn't blur.
It's not from a color palette I particularly like, but it's very evocative of nature (it has a mushroom-like feel to me) and appropriate for the style.
It got easier after that, once I moved on to the Venetians.
The colors! The detail! The cherubim! I was in love. One part of the text on the wall really summed it up:
The Venetians are defined by a baroque aesthetic of exuberance - even excess - that is deeply rooted in the Venetian tradition. This is especially true of the colors, which owe as much to the extraordinary color combination in the Renaissance paintings of Titian, Veronese, and other Venetian masters as they do to the glass produced in the factories of Murano. Chihuly's expressionist use of form and color for their own sake, so foreign to American sensibilities, is one of the liberating characteristics of the Venetians.Yeah, I'm a color whore (Did you know there's a Flickr group just for people like me?), so these were right up my alley. I should point out that if you click on any of these photos, you can see them larger. I scaled these so they're not huge, which I neglected to do yesterday.
Tomorrow we move on to the Persians, which are truly spectacular.
September 14, 2008
In Which I Learn a Lesson I Should Have Already Known
Yesterday I was thrilled to go see the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. I've been a Chihuly fan for years and years, but I've never had an opportunity to see a full installation, apart from the display at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. While the Bellagio installation is great, and has given him so much exposure and name recognition, I can only wander around looking up for so long before I start to feel like an idiot and get dizzy.
I've been looking forward to it ever since I learned the exhibit was coming, but I wanted to wait until I had some experience using my new camera and found a good time to go. Time flies, as it always does, and since the exhibit ends this month, I knew I'd better get my behind in gear.
Taking the pictures was more of a challenge than I expected, for two reasons: 1. The size and scope of the pieces; and 2. The pieces are set mostly in dark or even black environments, and you can't use a flash. Ideally, I should have brought a tripod but it was way too crowded on a weekend to make that feasible. One more odd thing was how the light sometimes reacted with the glass in unexpected ways, so what I saw and what the camera saw was at times different.
Once I realized that I just wasn't going to be able to get the pictures I really would have liked, I tried to focus on some unique angles and capturing colors and certain elements. I also had to remember to stop and enjoy the art and not just take pictures. But I did take a lot of pictures...so many that, even without using the flash, the battery in my camera died after only four rooms (out of eleven) in the exhibit! Therein lies the lesson: MAKE SURE YOUR BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED BEFORE GOING ON A PICTURE-TAKING ADVENTURE. Duh, right? At this point I might have thrown myself to the ground and pitched a fit worthy of a two-year-old if I hadn't made a last-minute decision to throw my little camera in my purse. Day saved!
There are far too many pictures to include even a decent sampling in one post (and that's just the non-blurry ones!), so I'll put up some of my favorites from each room over a series of posts, in the order they were displayed in the exhibit.
Glass Forest #3
If you're at all intrigued by any of the photos, I suggest clicking on the first link up there and looking at the professional photos of the exhibit to get a better sense of the size and layout of them.
I've been looking forward to it ever since I learned the exhibit was coming, but I wanted to wait until I had some experience using my new camera and found a good time to go. Time flies, as it always does, and since the exhibit ends this month, I knew I'd better get my behind in gear.
Taking the pictures was more of a challenge than I expected, for two reasons: 1. The size and scope of the pieces; and 2. The pieces are set mostly in dark or even black environments, and you can't use a flash. Ideally, I should have brought a tripod but it was way too crowded on a weekend to make that feasible. One more odd thing was how the light sometimes reacted with the glass in unexpected ways, so what I saw and what the camera saw was at times different.
Once I realized that I just wasn't going to be able to get the pictures I really would have liked, I tried to focus on some unique angles and capturing colors and certain elements. I also had to remember to stop and enjoy the art and not just take pictures. But I did take a lot of pictures...so many that, even without using the flash, the battery in my camera died after only four rooms (out of eleven) in the exhibit! Therein lies the lesson: MAKE SURE YOUR BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED BEFORE GOING ON A PICTURE-TAKING ADVENTURE. Duh, right? At this point I might have thrown myself to the ground and pitched a fit worthy of a two-year-old if I hadn't made a last-minute decision to throw my little camera in my purse. Day saved!
There are far too many pictures to include even a decent sampling in one post (and that's just the non-blurry ones!), so I'll put up some of my favorites from each room over a series of posts, in the order they were displayed in the exhibit.
Glass Forest #3
If you're at all intrigued by any of the photos, I suggest clicking on the first link up there and looking at the professional photos of the exhibit to get a better sense of the size and layout of them.
September 08, 2008
Food Network Haiku
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Fan of all things pork
Guy Fieri cruises on
It might be true love.
Fan of all things pork
Guy Fieri cruises on
It might be true love.
September 02, 2008
Does Anybody Do It Better?
So, of course, when I finally come across something I feel like talking about, it's on a night when my hand is bugging me and I really should just get off the computer and give it a rest. But then, I have a finely honed sense of poor timing, so why should it be any different for this?
Let's see if I can just write this quickly and without obsessing about perfection, m'kay?
On the drive home from work, I heard a "new" song on the radio, Free Fallin' as done by John Mayer. You may recognize the title as a song by Tom Petty. I enjoyed the Mayer rendition, even though I'm a Tom Petty fan, and it brought to mind a ongoing and eternal debate between me and a friend: Is the original always better?
He says yes, I say no, and I'd like to get your opinion. The Mayer song isn't one I would necessarily use as an example of better than the original, but I also don't think it's not worthy simply because it's a remake. It's interesting on its own merits because we hear the lyrics in a way other than how our minds are, more or less, "trained" to hear them after years of radio play.
There are some songs that are remakes that I like better than the originals, such as Van Halen's version of the Kinks' song, You Really Got Me, Sting's version of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing, and the Fleetwood Mac song Black Magic Woman as done by Santana, to name a few. I think Mad World by Tears for Fears, as recorded by Gary Jules for the movie Donnie Darko is the best example, since even Roland Orzabal said that it showed him how the song should be played, and Tears For Fears changed their performance of it when they reunited not long ago.
Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of really, really crappy remakes, and we could spend about a week listing all the ones that we hate -- I'm not saying that all of them are better, not even most of them, just that SOME of them are actually better than the original.
Are there any remakes that you like better than the original? Make your case in the comments.
Let's see if I can just write this quickly and without obsessing about perfection, m'kay?
On the drive home from work, I heard a "new" song on the radio, Free Fallin' as done by John Mayer. You may recognize the title as a song by Tom Petty. I enjoyed the Mayer rendition, even though I'm a Tom Petty fan, and it brought to mind a ongoing and eternal debate between me and a friend: Is the original always better?
He says yes, I say no, and I'd like to get your opinion. The Mayer song isn't one I would necessarily use as an example of better than the original, but I also don't think it's not worthy simply because it's a remake. It's interesting on its own merits because we hear the lyrics in a way other than how our minds are, more or less, "trained" to hear them after years of radio play.
There are some songs that are remakes that I like better than the originals, such as Van Halen's version of the Kinks' song, You Really Got Me, Sting's version of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing, and the Fleetwood Mac song Black Magic Woman as done by Santana, to name a few. I think Mad World by Tears for Fears, as recorded by Gary Jules for the movie Donnie Darko is the best example, since even Roland Orzabal said that it showed him how the song should be played, and Tears For Fears changed their performance of it when they reunited not long ago.
Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of really, really crappy remakes, and we could spend about a week listing all the ones that we hate -- I'm not saying that all of them are better, not even most of them, just that SOME of them are actually better than the original.
Are there any remakes that you like better than the original? Make your case in the comments.
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