Don't You Love Connecting The Dots?

Intimate activity intricately entwines the auric energies between two people. Sex creates a powerful exchange of auric energy between those involved. These connections and debris are left upon the aura for a long time because they are not easily cleansed or balanced. ‘Casual sex’ with a lot of people can entwine the energies of a lot of people into your own aura if they are not severed and cleansed. This type of cluttered aura can be felt by other people aware of the subtle energies.

The longer and more intimate the contact with another person, the more powerful the interactions of the auric fields become and the harder it is for these connections to untangle and leave.

Darkness and Light

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.
 - Charles Dickens

(from my recent trip to Seattle)

Depression Era Photography

I do love Libertarians

The Rest Will Be Fine

Advice Too Good Not To Share

Freelance Whales - Generator^ Second Floor

Take the road we take, then we improvise...

Drugs On Tap

The new push to give Americans lithium-laced water in order to create more “serene” citizens.

Go back to sleep (its what they want).

To Know One's Self Through Art

Artist Statement for my senior show, and a few works:

I have loved creating art all my life. I almost compulsively take my abilities in different directions, having an extremely difficult time settling on just one. I try to create and change ordinary things into something more interesting using any tools I have available. Due to a strong fascination with Surrealism my objects are implemented not as things but as metaphors for a certain concept.
This series is highly cathartic. Through my assemblages I have endeavored to reconcile some aspects of my life. I want to expose a part of what composes my thought process and personal history, but at the same time evoke contemplation on some major themes of the human experience. I use my objects to create a world that doesn‘t have to make sense at first glance, yet is still tethered to actual events and emotions.
Most of the things I talk about through my art have been ghosts in my life, following me around into adulthood. When I allow them to sit on my studio table I can talk to these memories. I can make peace with them. I give them the attention they need and deserve, along with a physical manifestation which someone else may be able to relate to. In turn, they no longer need to follow me. When they have been realized, in many ways I can let them go.
The fuel for any artist is inspiration. Consciously creating meaningful art requires a spark from which artistic thought can be generated. Most individuals who have a desire to make art are continually seeking new sources of creative awakening. The ideal circumstance would propel you into a poetic sort of madness, where everything comes together and creation is automatic.
This igniting force has been elusive for me at times. However in my relationship with art, nothing has been more inspiring than my own experience, or seeing in other’s art something that speaks to my perception. Socrates claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. I can think of nothing that puts you more face-to-face with your existence than making it the focus of your creative process. I am constantly grappling with this idea of one’s true self. It is a situation I think most people have to face at least once in their life. I continually seek understanding of the world and myself by trying to outwardly make sense of it. This self-inspiration makes the product of my efforts so much more meaningful, to me, than if I worked any other way.

Sunny Sound Waves

We just had a week of tornadoes, followed by a week of floods - resulting in many deaths and bookoodles of destruction across the state.
Sun: Thank you for returning today.

May this mix persuade you to stay with us a bit longer this time.

This is the highway that leads to my sister's house.
You can see why I'm praying for more of this nice weather.

Website Overhaul Coming, and MOAR MUZIK

I need a fresh page - among other things.
Building a website has made me itch for improvements over here.
I'm hoping by making it more appealing I'll want to come
here more and bore you all with my "fascinating" insights. : P
But seriously, I've been alllll over the place lately.
Traveling, photographing, loving, working, and
attempting to de-clutter and re-organize my home and life.
I need to document more of all these changes if for no other reason
than to see how far I've come and what amazing things
I've seen and done along the way.

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In other news, I made a totally ridiculous playlist based on Greco-Roman Mythology.

AKA: I NEED A FUCKING LIFE...but even if I had one I'm so nerdy I'd probably still do this.

Covered in Beatles - a playlist

You can't really beat most of the originals, but sometimes its fun to see what other artists can do with them.

A majority are songs written while they were a group, but a few are from their solo projects.

Vermonting

These are the images, and there is a song in the form of the video that goes along with them.

The Bad Boys of Abridgement

* WARNING: High-speed hilarity. Not for people with weak hearts or English degrees!


I've got to tell you guys about something cool I got into whilst hanging around the East coast in January. If you have even the most basic understanding of Shakespeare, appreciate improv, or simply enjoy laughing I think there is something here for you.  Its a comedy troupe called the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

           You do not have to know Shakespeare to understand this show. The three actors (Reed, Austin, and Adam) take you on a rip-roaring, side-tickling, laugh-out-loud adventure into Shakespeare's work in only 90 minutes, and it doesn't even seem that long while watching the show, because you are so easily distracted by the slapstick humor and complete and utter lunacy of this show. From a condensed version of "Romeo and Juliet", to "Othello" performed as a rap, to all of the histories in one fell swoop as a football game, these men keep you on your toes and laughing the entire way. During their rendition of "Hamlet" there is an interpretive performance art sequence with a volunteer from the crowd on stage and entire audience involvement. Which they then reduce, re-reduce and re-re-reduce, and perform once backwards as an encore. (That may not appear to make sense, but trust me, it works!) All of this done in their interesting style of pseudo-serious Elizabethan garb and signature Chucks. I showed this to my nephew in his early teens and he actually wants to read the plays now, thats pretty impressive to me. 

              Since its start in 1981 as a pass-the-hat act in California, RSC has created six stage shows, several TV programs, and numerous radio pieces—all of which have been performed, seen, and heard the world over. The actors change over the years, which serves to keep the comedy fresh and different over time. They take the idea of brevity being the soul of wit to a new level, and they didn't stop with Shakespeare. The group has also produced shows like The Complete History of America (abridged). They followed this up with The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged). For the turn of the century they wrote The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged). All the Great Books (abridged) was next in the early 2000s. Completely Hollywood (abridged) is the troupe's sixth show, and a seventh show, The Complete World of Sports (abridged), began touring in Autumn of 2010. 

           If you like Shakespeare already, you'll like the witty satire going on here. If you like the Three Stooges, the slapstick is right up your alley. If you have a short attention span, don't worry. One can view this performance as a whole, or pick out bits one finds amusing. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvPdWcCHkxM Hamlet (1 of 4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC-f0drvdmM&feature=related The Othello Rap

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I Probably Think This Song Is About Me

           When I realized I hadn't changed my profile picture in years I decided to take some photos of myself for um....posterity? I hardly ever indulge myself so much as to try and capture an image to represent who I am online, so this is rather special I suppose. If you like one over the others let me know and I'll use it as my main image.I also need a platform from which to update my avatars on other sites I've let go without updating and this seems like a good place to host them. So just for today, I will subject you all to my complete and unabashed vanity. The last one has become my homage to Miss Piggy...even down to the purple eyelids. It just tickles me.

And in the spring I shed my skin

And it blows away with the changing wind

The waters turn from blue to red

As towards the sky I offer it

Wow Its Been A While

Okay, so I kind of dropped off the face of the Earth. My bad. I've been on somewhat of a quest for myself of late. I haven't quite caught up with her, but I feel I'm getting close. Currently I'm living in Vermont (yea, for reals) and will begin my journey down the Eastern Coast next month.

Anyone have any recommendations for interesting places to see/go along the way? I'm open to just about anything....especially the weird, unique or unusual. I know its cold and all but I've been hanging in sub-zero for a while and places I can get out, walk around and explore even in these colder months are preferable. I'll try to post more when I get home, I've now got quite a few stories racked up and ripe for the telling.

Conway Arbor Day 2010

 For a small festival, it went off pretty well. We weren't really prepared for the turnout. We were expecting about 400 and 700 or 800 showed. It was a little overwhelming but all of the 500 trees we had were adopted so quickly. The mayor handed out awards to a few local eco-enthusiasts, elementary school art contestants, and the City of Conway was recognized for its urban forestry initiatives. Many of the booths educated people about how to increase their local tree canopy, the different tree species that grow well in Arkansas, proper composting techniques, and caring for young trees.

It felt like I painted 1,000 kids faces. My booth was hoppin'. I still had a line at my table an hour after the festival had ended. Towards the end I knew I was in trouble because my hands were crazy-shaking and my horses were looking more like retarded ant-eaters. Seriously, I sat down, started painting on kids (and WAY too many adults) and looked up 3 hours later, having missed the whole thing, and it was time to go. I hear it was good time though!  Haha, and all I have to show for it is a cameo appearance made by part of my hand and a close-up of the messy bun-creature living on my head...which that other girl is clearly allergic to.... Hopefully they'll have enough sense to crop that mess, unlike myself, lol...in so many ways.

A few school choirs, some family string quartets, and many a Petit Jean hot dog later things were coming to a close. A tree was planted in Laurel Park in honor of this year's festival. I keep thinking about how many trees we distributed this year...I'm excited for them to grow and do their part improving our landscape and environment - social and physical.

Happy Trees - Friends of the Conway Tree Board

                        Hey there guys! I know I have been gone for a long ass time…but I’m back (mostly). I stopped posting around the time Bodhi disappeared because honestly I just didn’t care about anything else right at that moment. He never returned, but I’ve accepted that he’s gone, though I’ll undoubtedly miss him for years to come. After that things just got busy real quick. I’m graduating next month, got a business up and running, and I’ve started volunteering with the Conway Tree Board. Pictures from around the City of Conway. (excluding famous individuals)

Mission of the Conway Tree Board

• Increase public awareness of urban forestry issues in the City of Conway
• Develop comprehensive urban forestry policies for the City of Conway
• Develop educational workshops and materials on proper tree management
• Seek public and private funding for community forestry management
• Integrate natural resource issues into local and regional planning efforts
• Coordinate constructively with other natural resource organizations
• Increase the tree canopy of the City of Conway

Advantages of Urban Trees

Environmental

                 Trees benefit our urban environment by moderating climate, absorbing storm water, reducing erosion, improving water and air quality, and providing wildlife habitat. Temperature in the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. The larger a tree is, the greater it’s potential for cooling. Urban trees moderate the heat-island effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial and residential areas. Trees and other woody vegetation absorb rainwater, thereby reducing storm water runoff and soil erosion. Storm water filtered by trees is less contaminated with pollutants and silt. Trees also absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and other air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone. Oxygen is released by trees, further enhancing the air we breathe. Wildlife such as birds and squirrels utilize urban tree habitats. By planting urban trees, a more natural, less artificial environment is created within the city.

Social

                We like trees around us because they make life more pleasant. Most of us respond to the presence of trees beyond simply observing their beauty. We feel peaceful, restful, and tranquil in a grove of trees. Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees. Children and parents prefer playgrounds with trees, which offer shade and protection from harmful UV rays. City trees often serve several architectural and engineering functions. They provide privacy, emphasize views, or screen out objectionable views. They reduce glare and reflection. They direct pedestrian traffic. They provide background to and soften, complement, or enhance architecture. The stature, strength, and endurance of trees give them a cathedral-like quality. Because of their potential for long life, trees frequently are planted as living memorials.

Economic Benefits

                 The economic benefits of trees can be both direct and indirect. Direct economic benefits include lower air-conditioning costs in a tree-shaded building. Heating costs are also reduced when a home has a windbreak. Landscaped homes are more valuable than non-landscaped homes. The savings in energy costs and increase in property value directly benefit each home owner. The indirect economic benefits of trees are even greater. These benefits are available to the community or region. Lowered electricity bills are paid by customers when power companies are able to use less water in their cooling towers, build fewer new facilities to meet peak demands, use reduced amounts of fossil fuel in their furnaces, and use fewer measures to control air pollution. Communities also can save money if fewer facilities must be built to control storm water in the region. To the individual, these savings are small, but to the community, reductions in these expenses are often in the thousands of dollars.

Some famous tree enthusiasts.

                While living in a dry county for the entire college experience sucks something fierce, I'm proud to live in a city that values and aims to protect the beautiful foliage the Natural State is known for. Tree City USA status granted to the City of Conway in March 2007. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. It provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs.

                Each year the Conway Tree Board hosts the Conway Arbor Day Festival on November 6. I know it is traditionally held in the spring but many people here like to plant their trees in the fall and thus a tradition was born. My next post will cover Conway Arbor Day 2010, at which I took part in a marathon face-painting session.

For more information about urban trees visit the links below:

What's keeping you from planting a tree?