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The art world loves community. Well, the art world loves the word, "community.â€Â Or, at least, it might, if we could figure out what the "art world†is, anyway, which is by no means a new problem. The issues may in fact be quite closely related. The art world is one of those subcultures that, while in reality a fuzzy-edged cluster of individuals, is easily perceived both by those within and without its borders as being the hard-edged rounded rectangle of an Illuminati card (Liberal, Weird). "The CIA is going to attempt to control The Art World, and I'm going to put…50 Megabucks on that attack.â€Â (Which, by the way, actually happened.)
At least, we'd like to think that if the art world were an Illuminati card, it would be Liberal and Weird. (If you're not familiar with the game, just translate that as, "We'd like to think the art world is liberal and weird.â€) But that presumes a certain homogeneity that just isn't there, as in fact did my own presumption that we (me, and you who are reading this) both want the art world to be the same, certain thing. That is by no means a sure thing. If for sake of discussion we can continue to refer to the art world as a single entity, then along with "community,†it also praises "diversity.†  That value is tested when one learns that diversity means hanging out with a bunch of people with whom one doesn't agree, and whom one might not even like.
So what, then, does the concept of community really mean within the context of the art world? The answers that spring to mind come in the form of analogies: the art world as ecosystem, the art world as family, the art world as neighborhood. Any of these metaphors can provide insight into the nature and structure of a subculture, but they can also be misleading, as well as potentially offensive and therefore divisive: the vulture is an invaluable part of the ecosystems it inhabits, but few would want to be called the vultures of the art world. ("He only collects work by dead artists. Also, he's bald, and when it's hot out, he shits on his legs.â€)
So it's like Hannibal Lecter says in Silence of the Lambs: "First principles. Read Marcus Aurelius: 'Of each particular thing ask: What is it in itself? What is its nature?' What does he do, this man you seek?â€Â And as we try to piece together exactly what it is that we do, in this so-called art world of ours, to answer the question, I cringe, expecting any answer I give to be followed by Anthony Hopkins shouting, "No! That is incidental!â€
But nevertheless, the immediate answer, the "He kills women†answer that Lecter would have rejected as superficial, reveals part of the problem.  Mostly I paint, and draw, and I also teach, and write, and sometimes I curate, and perform, and basically do a whole bunch of different stuff. All of this is part of what it means to be a member of the "Artist†subset of the art world. There are also critics and curators and collectors and dealers, and while there is a lot of overlap, those who excel in one field tend to be specialists, if only in that the expenditure of time is a zero-sum game.
While each individual participant may bring something else to the equation, our individual efforts add up to a collaborative result, and that conglomerate of artwork and text and ephemera is the collective production of the art world. And to what end? I'd like to think, I think we'd all like to think, that our goal is to make the world a better place. Like the fictional Weyland-Yutani Corporation from Aliens, perhaps our motto is, "Building Better Worlds.â€Â But isn't that a bit vague? After all, isn't that how everybody, in any field, likes to see what they do? Doctors save lives , lawyers fight for justice, invading armies are delivering freedom, and timber harvesting companies are creating jobs. Any human activity can be rationalized in terms of making the world better in one way or another, and that includes a lot of things that are antithetical to the individual ethics to which many artists subscribe. How can we be sure that we're really making the world a better place, rather than merely producing luxury commodities ultimately no different from a BMW or a yacht?
One metric, and I'm not saying it's a perfect one, might be that, rather than ends justifying the means we use to reach them, the means we use to reach our ends might give an indication of the worthiness of those ends. In short: If you have to do shitty things to reach your goal, maybe it's a shitty goal.  Sometime around 1999 or 2000, Google informally adopted the corporate motto or slogan, "Don't be evil,†and while opinions are varied on how well they are living up to this, the principle is a good enough starting point. If it has a limitation it's that "evil†as a word carries connotations of such unmistakable atrocity that it may be hard to see how it applies in morally ambiguous situations: if we use the word "evil†to refer to something on the level of genocide, its hard to apply the same term to something like failing to credit the inspiration for an artwork. In its place, we might simply say, "Don't be a dick,†or in polite company, "Be cool.â€
The question of the ethics and etiquette of the art world has been on my mind a lot lately, for a few reasons. Last August I bought and reviewed "I like your work: art and etiquette†by Paper Monument; actually my "review†consisted of answering the same questions that they asked of those they interviewed for the book. More recently, though, I've been thinking about the idea of ethics and etiquette in the art world, and about art communities, and ultimately about what we're all doing and why, because I've got some smart, awesome friends who are putting in serious work to make Chicago's art scene a better place. Claire Molek, formerly of This Is Not The Studio, is behind those ads you've seen on the Brown Line for the "Brave New Art World.† The BNAW manifesto describes it as "an arts unification movement dedicated to the service of consciousness,†dedicated to the belief that "there is infinite, inherent value in the practice, product and distribution of art as a vehicle for consciousness.†What makes BNAW different is that, unlike a lot of the other (and also very worthwhile) alternative art organizations, it doesn't seek to colonize an up-and-coming neighborhood with for-now cheap rent and no history of art exhibitions (or collectors).
The Brave New Art World kicked off this past Thursday in River North, a neighborhood with a long history of art exhibitions, high rents, and a reputation (deserved or not) for conservatism and an aging base of collectors and patrons. It's the neighborhood the cool kids love to hate, characterizing it as a bastion of old money and boring art. By launching in this context, BNAW eschews the romantic appeal of the anti-establishment revolutionary ideology, and seeks instead to work within existing structures to renew and reform, rather than to destroy and replace. It's a smart move for everybody involved, if this mutualism proves sustainable, because it brings a new generation of innovative and experimental artists into contact with long-established galleries and collectors. The galleries need new artists to remain relevant in an evolving art market, collectors (we'd hope) are eager to see things they haven't seen before, and artists benefit by showing their work in established spaces where people actually buy art. Some River North galleries have a strong history of showing emerging artists, and several have dedicated space or programming to this end: David Weinberg has dedicated a portion of his space to The Coat Check, Catherine Edelman has a long history of supporting emerging photographers through The Chicago Project, and Jennifer Norback recently added The Project Room to her gallery. The Brave New Art World has the potential to build upon and expand these programs and others like them, to breath new life into this long-established gallery district.
The launch of a new endeavor raises again the question of ethics and ideology, of what means shall be used to achieve these ends. Another of my smart and awesome friends, Jake Myers, recently wrote a sort of opinion piece (published on the Brave New Art World site) on some of the dirty aspects of the art world, and opportunities to better, from an ethical perspective. Some of what he wrote is prone to misinterpretation, and one passage in particular bears closer examination:
Instead of backstabbing, manipulating or using people for short-term gain, some people like to maintain healthy, friendly, long-term working relationships. Reward people who support you and bring other thoughtful, like-minded people into your cohesive crew. This is how communities and art movements begin.
Preceded by the heading "Friends who curate friends, " and followed by a reference to a certain collaborative team, it would be easy to read this paragraph as a guilty plea to a charge of cliquish nepotism, but I read it differently.
We once bought a pair of feeder mice for our beloved ball python, Snake, but she was about to shed so she wouldn't eat. We kept the mice for a couple days in a small cage, fed them granola and made sure they had water, so they would be comfortable while they awaited their fate. One morning I awoke to find that one of the mice had killed the other and eaten its face (here we are back to Hannibal Lecter again). Apparently, I've since learned, mice kept in too close proximity will suffer stress, which can result in them killing each other and eating each other's faces. If you compare the number of graduates from art schools and MFA programs (to say nothing of the self-taught), and compare that to the number of available galleries, collectors, teaching positions, and other opportunities, we shouldn't be so surprised to see an unfortunate number of young and not-so-young, struggling and not-so-struggling artists kill each other and eat one another's faces, metaphorically speaking.
What I think Jake, and Claire, and a lot of other smart, awesome people, many of whom I am privileged to call friends, are saying right now, although maybe not in these terms, is that we need to stop being a bunch of mice, which are bitchy, murderous, face-eating piss and shit factories. (I know, I know, they're cute. But they're also really gross, and eat each other's faces.) Instead, we need to be more like vampire bats. Now, if you're familiar with Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, and with the discussion of biological altruism, you may have an idea of where I'm going with this, and may in fact already be mouthing the words to you rebuttal. But bear with me. Dawkins gave a good summary of the Vampire Bat model of Reciprocal Altruism on a radio interview with Tom Morton:
Well, vampire bats have a kind of blood donor scheme; vampire bats, as you know, eat blood, and it happens to be a case of reciprocal altruism that's been well worked out. These bats roost by day and then at night they go out and look for an animal to suck blood from, and then they come back and roost for the next day. Well if a bat is lucky, and manages to find an animal to suck blood from, it usually engorges itself and becomes very, very full, has much more blood than it actually needs. But that is quite a lot of luck that goes into that, and there are other nights when a bat will come home hungry, having not found any blood. And that can be fatal. These little animals need constant topping up in order not to die. So the situation is tailor-made for reciprocal altruism. When these bats come back into their cave after their night's work, so to speak, some of them will be almost overflowing with blood, and others will be near death from starvation, and so there's a lot to be gained from the ones who've got a lot of blood giving some to the ones who haven't got much, and they do it by regurgitating it, by sicking it up, and the others eat it. And they can expect to get paid back by those very same individuals on another night, when the luck has been reversed. And that actually happens, that's been demonstrated and it's a very good example of reciprocal altruism in nature.
The game theorists point out that because these bats know they're going to see each other again, it's not true altruism, but rather an investment in a community. This may be an argument for the evolution of true altruism, but it's an argument for, rather than against, its use as a model for behavior within a community. Be cool to your friends, because they might be cool to you in the future. Don't try go game it, to only hook up your friends whom you expect to be able to do you a favor in the future. Just do everything you can, to help anybody you can, because in the long term, it is in your self-interest to do so, as long as we're all doing it. So, let's all help each other out, whenever and however we can, and everybody profits.
In other words, you barf blood into my mouth, and I'll barf blood into yours. That's community.
The Butterfly Wing And The MFA
April 1, 2013 · Print This Article
It's the time of year when, as the frost giants finally abdicate their annual reign over Chicago, applicants the world over are getting their responses from Master of Fine Arts graduate programs. Since mid-February they've been braving the slings and arrows of "We are sorry to inform you,†"It is with regret,†and "We wish you every success,†occasionally tempered with the cold comfort of some statistic or mention of the unexpected number of applicants and their impressive collective quality. Some are still dangling, hanging to the desperate hope of a waiting list. Many, though, have been receiving their notifications of acceptance, and with those come choices, sometimes difficult. At least three people I know personally are in this situation this year, and it got me to reminiscing, second-guessing, and Monday-morning quarterbacking the choices I made in my education, and also thinking about the choices facing my friends.
Some applicants are accepted only into a single program, at which point the decision pretty much makes itself, especially if that program was one of the applicant's top choices. In other cases, if accepted by a "safety,†the choice is between accepting admission into a program that wasn't one's first, second, or even third choice, or licking one's wounds, getting back to work, and applying again the next year, in hopes of getting into a more competitive program.
I actually found myself in this situation ten years ago, in 2003, just after graduating from my undergraduate program at Humboldt State University (my degree was conferred in December 2002). I had applied, rather casually, to a few graduate schools, not really taking the process particularly seriously. Mass Art, Pratt, RISD, and Tulane University all wisely concluded that I wasn't quite ready, while SAIC informed me that yes, their application deadline was a firm one, and that I'd have to apply again next year.
After receiving all this bad news, I finally received an offer of admission from the University of New Orleans. I had applied to UNO, along with Tulane, primarily out of an interest in its role in the Gothic subculture; even as late as 2003, I was thinking it'd be a good place to meet girls in black lipstick. I had visited New Orleans on a road trip with a friend in summer 2001, and it seemed like an interesting place: I found a porcelain doll's arm and some fragments of what I'm pretty sure were human bone in the topsoil of a cemetery, and at the New Orleans Art Museum I saw Odd Nerdrum's "Five Persons Around A Waterhole,†which let me tell you, when I was 21, seemed to me to be the paragon of contemporary art. I know, I know.
So I had applied out of a sort of schoolboy's crush on the city, and I'd been accepted. By that time, though, the end of March, I'd had a sort of awakening, and had realized that despite having just received my degree, I still had a lot to learn about the actual techniques of painting. My interest was in figurative representation, but I had been pushed away from it by my instructors and classmates, probably in large part because I wasn't very good at it. Instead, I had been making paintings that were a sort of workaround, essentially drawings on toned canvas, and these were pretty well received. My classmates and faculty were supportive, I showed some in local coffee shops and restaurants, even sold a few (albeit at undergrad-in-a-small-town-coffee-shop prices). But ultimately I knew the work was shit. Or, at least, I thought I did; in hindsight, it might have actually been an interesting direction to go in, but it wasn't what I wanted to be doing. At any rate, by the time the schools I'd heard were good had all rejected me, and UNO had accepted me, I had decided that the work I'd applied with was terrible, and concluded that I "wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member.â€
The point of all this masturbatory, navel-gazing, canker sore-licking reminiscence is that whatever choice you make, you'll have the rest of your life to second-guess it. And, if you're anything like me, you will. If I'd accepted that offer of admission, I would have moved to New Orleans in summer of 2003, having just started a series of large self-portraits dressed up as other people (friends, famous artists, and artist stereotypes), which was kind of clever and funny in an undergrad sort of way. A military saying is "No plan survives contact with the enemy,†and how this body of work would have gone over at UNO's grad program will remain forever unknown. Would I have been pushed in a more interesting direction with it? Encouraged? Sidetracked? Challenged? Coddled? There's no way to know, but thus relocated, my influences and peers all rearranged, it's impossible to imagine that I would have gone on to make the same work as I ended up making after deciding to decline their offer and spend another year working on my portfolio to reapply.
As it turned out, I didn't accept the offer, instead electing to spend another year working on what I thought of at the time as my first real body of work, that dozen or so self portraits. I felt pretty good about them at the time, thought I had a decent shot at getting into a more competitive graduate program the following year. I busted my ass, pulled some crazy all-nighters. I was an animal. I was a machine. All summer, I worked. Some friends and I, all in the same boat, spent Thanksgiving break in the painting studio; we knew how to shimmy across a roof and in through a window so we could paint even when campus was closed. On Thanksgiving, three of us had a little potluck dinner, using the model stand as a table. And then we got back to work. I bought Rock Star (or was in Monster?) at Costco by the case. December came, and with it, the deadlines. I applied to nineteen schools. I was rejected from every single one.
If I'd accepted that offer from UNO, I would have been finishing up my first year, instead of collecting a massive stack of rejection letters. As it was, I started a new body of work, better than the last (I actually still like a few of those paintings), and tried again, and that third year was accepted into three of my top choices: Mass Art, Cranbrook, and MICA. They were all basically good programs, and I had to choose between them. None had offered me a full fellowship, the proverbial "free ride†that MFA students sometimes get, which would have made the choice easier. (Some programs are free for anyone who's accepted, but none of these three were.) I had a friend at Cranbrook, which was tempting, but ultimately I decided that the Hoffberger School of Painting at MICA was the best fit for me, due to its director Grace Hartigan's emphasis on figurative representation. I started at MICA in August of 2005. A month later, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, leaving me to wonder what would have happened to me if I'd gone to UNO. Would I have found a teaching position in the area and been hit by the hurricane, or would I have found work elsewhere and dodged the bullet? If I'd been affected, how? Would I have stubbornly refused to evacuate? Might I even have been killed? More likely, I would have survived, and it's almost impossible to conceive that I wouldn't have made work about it, but would it have been any good?
Like Maximus said in Gladiator: "The choices we make in life echo in eternity.â€Â The problem is that we can't always know how our choices will echo. Whether or not the wingbeat of a butterfly can really effect weather systems a continent away, unexpected outcomes are certainly the rule rather than the exception. So maybe, as you're mulling over your options for MFA programs, you should picture Jeff Goldbloom playing with droplets of water on the back of your hand, explaining that there is no way you can know what consequences your choice will have.
I never could have known that Hurricane Katrina was headed for the city I would have moved to if I'd accepted UNO's offer, nor could I have known that by staying in Humboldt for another two years, I would meet the woman who would become my wife. There's a certain hippie, New Age kind of mindset that may be more prevalent on the West Coast than in Chicago, that the universe has some sort of plan, that everything happens for a reason, and looking in hindsight at some of these consequences leads some to say, "Well, see? There you go! It all worked out.â€Â But of course, if it hadn't , something else would have worked out. If I'd never met my wife, I would probably have met somebody else. (Tim Minchin's got a great song about this.) If I can draw any lesson from my experience, it's that the most important outcomes of any decision tend to be the ones you can't predict, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it anyway.
In the interests of concluding with something a little more actionable, I'll share two pieces of advice I received while looking at graduate programs. The first was "Follow the money,†that is, go to the school that will result in the least student loan debt. This is great if you are offered a full scholarship to your top choice, or even one of your top choices. But it's difficult if you're facing the choice between taking on a major debt load to attend a program that really feels right for you, versus getting a free ride at a school that feels slightly less right to you. Add to this the fact that some programs (Northwestern, for example, and also UIUC I believe) are free for anyone accepted, and at others you can teach in exchange for a tuition waver and sometimes a stipend to live on. It's a tough choice, not one I ever had to face, but one that some of my friends are facing right now. One mitigating factor in favor of getting to the school that's best for you, debt be damned, is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. This says that, in effect, if you work full time for a non-profit public service institution for ten years, while making your scheduled student loan payments on time, at the end of that period they'll forgive the rest of your loan debt. Considering that a.) a primary reason a lot of people pursue an MFA degree is in order to teach, and b.) that most colleges count, and that c.) you can make fairly low student loan payments on the income-based repayment plan, this means that you can go to the fancy MFA program, teach for ten years (if you can find the work, and that's a big "ifâ€), make modest loan payments of as little as eighty bucks a month, and then you're free and clear. This takes some of the hurt and fear out of going to a more costly school that might offer the kind of program you're looking for.
The other piece of advice I got, though, was that the most important aspect of graduate program was the city you'd be living in while attending. It makes some sense; certainly we see players in Chicago's art scene who represent students and alumni from not just SAIC but also Columbia, UIUC, UIC, and more; attending graduate school in Chicago can be an entry point into Chicago's art scene regardless of which school one attends. On the other hand, Yale's MFA program pretty obviously has influence outside New Haven, Connecticut. Cranbrook is located in an almost monastic retreat in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, not particularly close to Detroit or anywhere else, and yet its graduates show up, doing well, all over.
I only ended up in Chicago out of sheer, dumb luck. I stuck around Humboldt for another year because I wanted to go to a school that was ranked highly by U.S. News and World Report, and then another because none of them would have me. On a whim, I went to crash Freshman Orientation to pick up on freshman girls and scam free pizza. Three years later, I married one of those girls, Stephanie Burke. She's quick to point out that she was a transfer student, not a freshman, and also there for the free pizza. After she spent a year with me in Baltimore while I finished up at MICA, she applied to her own round of MFA programs. It was her first year applying, and she got into three excellent programs: Virginia Commonwealth, MICA, and SAIC. SAIC had been her top choice, and Baltimore hadn't really set any hooks into either of us compelling us to say, so we pulled up our stakes and headed for Chicago. Five and a half years later, we're rocking and rolling in an incredibly vibrant art scene, and while it's hard for me to imagine doing so well anywhere else, the road that led here is one I couldn't see at all from where it started.
The CAA conference is pretty much the industry standard place to go for those seeking teaching jobs with colleges, as well as administrative or other jobs with colleges or museums. Unfortunately, it's a big investment of time and, more importantly for those seeking rather than holding full-time teaching jobs, money. There's the cost of your CAA membership, the conference registration fee, airfare, hotel, and all of those fancy meals with friends and trips to the bar with more successful colleagues whom you passively aggressively resent, which you rationalize as "networking expenses.â€Â All that shit adds up, and frankly, that kind of travel and fun in the name of business are some of the perks that make the shallow horror of the art world bearable. ("Art world†being here distinctly separate from "art,†the making of which is so a separate from the culture that surrounds it that the common language is misleading, in the same way that a "carpet†isn't a pet that rides in the car with you. That's a little Ramona Quimbey reference for the Beverly Cleary fans out there.)
Fortunately for my Chicago-based readers, the College Art Association conference is coming to Chicago in February 2014. It's a lot easier when you don't have to travel to get there, and a lot cheaper too. In fact, if you can, you should probably see if any of your fellow alums or old friends from school are coming into town and want to sleep on your couch to save on the cost of a hotel. This can be a great way to turn a competitive frenemy into a collaborator and confidant, as they seek to avoid cognitive dissonance, preserving their positive self-image by attempting to repay the favor by, for example, telling you about an opportunity. (If you're reading this, and we know each other, even rather distantly, like you saw me naked at a party one time, call or email or hit me up on Facebook, and you're welcome to the couch or at least some floor space. Even if I kind of hate you.)
There are some tricks to cut the cost and get smart about attending CAA, particularly if your primary motive for attending is as part of a job search. Here's the dirty little secret most people don't know about the CAA conference before their first time attending: You don't need to register for the conference to attend the professional development stuff or go into the Interview Hall. That just requires a current CAA membership, which you've probably already gotten, since the friend whose membership number you were using to look at the jobs on the website either got their job or gave up, and either way let their membership expire.
There are good reasons to register for the conference; the price of a badge is well worth it if you're going to attend a bunch of the panel sessions. These are a great way to keep current in your field, particularly if your field is something like "The Post-Gender Significance of Nipples on Ancient Sumerian Bronze Armor.â€Â It's also probably a good idea to go if anyone you know is presenting. Just try not to glare at them from the back row, resenting their success. Plaster on a fake smile, fight your way to the front at the end of the presentation, and try to put a positive spin on whatever you've been up to for the last couple of years. See if you can call your babysitting gig a performance piece.
I'm talking shit, but I actually really enjoy the panel sessions. I've seen some great ones, on "The Opposite of Snake†(spoiler alert, it's "birdâ€), and on Nazi curatorial practices at the Exhibition of Degenerate Art. These sorts of art historical things are half professional research (I'm sure they're good for my making, teaching, and writing, somehow, even if the connections are neither direct nor immediately clear) and half guilty pleasure. For a contemporary artist, writer, or educator, a panel session on a given art historical topic may be neither more nor less relevant to their practice than watching a History Channel special on sea monsters.
The thing is, if you're on the job hunt, there are far better uses of your time than showing up for the conference because a bunch of jobs you applied for said they'd be interviewing, then scowling your way through a bunch of panel sessions because nobody wanted to interview you. You can prowl the Interview Hall; again, no conference registration required, you just need a current membership ID. During the conference, there's a career services subsection of the conference section of the website, where they tell you who's interviewing (useless if you don't have an interview lined up), but more importantly, who's accepting drop-off packets. In my experience, at a given conference, an average of 2-3 places have been hiring in my medium (studio art focusing on drawing, painting, or foundations), and accepting drop-off packets.
So rather than bringing 50 copies of your CV, bring 5 full packets, including a generic cover letter, CV, references, sample syllabi, a CD containing 20 images of your work and 20 images of student work (if need be, this can be student work from your graduate assistantship, if that's all you've got), and image lists for those. Copies of your transcripts (unofficial okay) and copies of your generic letters of recommendation aren't usually necessary, but couldn't hurt. Obviously you'll want to bring a USB drive with these documents on it, in both print-ready PDF format as well as editable docx and jpeg files. That way if you discover a typo, you can rush to a computer to fix it (there are computers in the candidate center, or you can use your laptop). You can also go see who's accepting drop-off packets in your medium, then go bang out a custom cover letter real quick, print it off, sign it, and swap it out for the generic letter in your packet.
It's also a good idea to bring your images in multiple formats: at a mock interview I signed up for, the mock interviewer's laptop was newly-issued to him, and he didn't realize until our interview that it didn't have a CD drive! Fortunately, I had my images available on my website, as 8 ½†x 11†prints in an Itoya folder, and on my USB drive, so this wasn't a major problem. On a related note, one tip I received was that if you're offered an interview, bring new copies of all the materials you submitted with you to the interview, because it's entirely possible that the interviewers didn't bring them, lost them, forgot them, or dropped them on the subway. So bring new ones, just in case. Some other helpful tips I received at the various professional development workshops I attended were:
1. On your CV's exhibition list, don't separate solo shows from group shows until later in your career. It's confusing to the search committee to have to jump around. Keep 'em together, in reverse chronological order.
2. Separate solo shows from group shows, to highlight them. Your solo shows, particularly if they're at a reputable gallery, are the heart of your exhibition record, so they should go at the top.
3. Remove from your exhibition history any shows at coffee shops, bars, restaurants, banks, or other businesses.
4. Omit nothing from your CV. Include everything. The definition of a CV is a complete record of ALL of your professional activity.
5. Use printed CD labels. Writing your information on the cd in marker looks unprofessional.
6. Don't use printed CD labels. They can get stuck in the CD drive. Write your information directly on the CD in marker.
Literally, I received all six of those tips at one time or another while at the conference this year. Like Ned Flanders, I've tried to follow all of these commandments, "even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff.â€Â The annual CAA conference takes place in February, more the middle of the "search season†than the end, so even if, like me, you don't score any interviews at CAA, it's not too late to put these tips into practice. Full time teaching positions for the Fall often have deadlines as late as the preceding March or April, so if you're looking now, there are still a few postings open for Fall 2013 positions. If none of them pan out, well, I'll see you there, February 12–15, 2014, somewhere in Chicago (probably the Hyatt Regency on Wacker, where they held it in 2010). May the odds be ever in your favor.
Abstract Painting: The Turd That Won't Flush?
February 4, 2013 · Print This Article
Today seems like a good day to talk about abstract painting. It's an issue that bobs to the surface from time to time ("…like a turd that won't flush,†to quote Deacon, Dennis Hopper's character in Waterworld), a sort of ghost or dark secret that can't stay hidden forever. Abstract painting is often seen that way today, as a turd, the digested remains of something that used to be relevant, new, and beautiful, but let's not forget, when Hopper uttered those timeless words, he was referring to the hero of the picture. It's not an easy issue, and like everybody else this time of year, I'm a bit under the weather, so rather than force you to suffer through my foggy-headed musings, I'm going to approach this topic by serving up some hot plates of copy-pasta, written my minds less addled than my own.
The issue of abstract painting surfaced for me recently at Co-Prosperity School, the artist-run discussion circle that I've been coordinating, along with Stephanie Burke, ever since the school's founders, Aaron Delehanty and Ed Marszewski, each became busy with the joys of fatherhood. Each week, in addition to a visiting artist's presentation, one of the participants presents his or her work for critique and discussion. A couple of weeks back, it was Chicago-based abstract painter Erin McGuire's turn to present her work. Erin's a vocal advocate of abstraint painting's continued relevance today, and after her critique, I asked her to summarize her thoughts in a brief "manifesto.†Here's what she sent me:
Why Abstract Art You Say!
1. Representational and abstract are both valid art subjects.
2. I like to draw, paint, combine forms, colors, and relationships without being constrained to one specific literal object.
3. Not being tied down to one specific object opens the piece up to everyone to understand, even if they haven't learned art history.
4. You don't have to "get†abstract to enjoy it.
5. It gives a lot of room for imagination.
6. Yes, there is shitty abstract art, just like there is shitty realistic art.
7. Silly, bizarre, casual, colorful, sexy, poetic abstract paintings exist that might make you cry, remind you of certain music, or a powerful little moment that no one else noticed.
8. Give abstract a chance; don't be intimidated by its history.
9. Just (fucking) enjoy the painting, whether it's abstract or realistic – there's nothing wrong with just liking something without having to explain yourself.
10. There's room in your mind for abstract if you allow it.
You can read more of Erin's thoughts, and see some images of her work, here:Â http://erinmcguirestudio.com/home.html
One of our fellow participants, Kelsey Greene, took the time to write a response to Erin's presentation. In it she uses McGuire's work as an entry point to begin discussing abstract painting more generally.
The next leap is abstraction. But how does a person tell a good abstract from a drunken scribble? It has to do with intent, and artistic intent is very difficult to parse out without education or training. Without knowledge of proportion, composition, color systems etc., all the deliberate choices of the artist appear random or accidental. Education is essential because people want to know that their opinion has a valid basis. They don't want to be the person with the wool pulled over their eyes, imagining that a child's drawing is the next great masterpiece. They want to know they are not being fooled into discussing something as higher than it is. The only way to give that assurance is to discuss process and technique (artist's choices) with the viewer…
A painting is "finished" when there is nothing left to do. There should be nothing "wrong" (out of place, unbalanced) with the painting, but it should still be interesting enough to keep the viewer (in this case, the artist herself is the viewer) visually engaged. This is perhaps one of the most important distinctions between [representational] painting and abstract paintings. A [representational] painting is done when it looks like what it is, and in sufficient detail. An abstract painting is done when the artist decides that it looks like itself. A representational painting is done when it can't look any more like the thing, or when changes start to lessen the likeness of the painting to its subject, or when additional work doesn't seem to be adding anything to the perception of the subject, but an abstract work doesn't have an objective guide. The point of completion is entirely the artist's prerogative, and is a very deliberate choice, perhaps more so than in a process when the work is being compared to an outside standard.
The full entry is available on Kelsey's art blog: http://ixonia.livejournal.com/2131.html
All of this manifesto-grade discussion may feel as dated as abstract painting itself, but as with Sol Lewitt's Sentences on Conceptual Art, painting, and specifically abstract painting, may be rendered a littler clearer with some choice words, particularly if it is going to continue to endure alongside performance, digital art, and all the newfangled whatzits that have become part of the contemporary definition of art.
The best theory or manifesto of painting I've read, seen, or heard in a while has been painter Molly Zuckerman-Hartung's 95 Theses on Painting, shown as part of her exhibition at the MCA Chicago and now available online: http://fromawhispertoascream.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-95-theses-on-paining.html The whole list is well worth reading, several times over, but this morning, grey and snowy outside, and stuffy and congested inside, this one feels just right:
73. The dream of abstract painting in the 20th century was a dream of whole people, whose senses weren't fragmented, whose vision was complete, who made paintings with their hearts and minds and bodies in harmony.
Postscript: It was my great pleasure to perform my graduate work under the guidance of painter Grace Hartigan, who first became well known as a second generation abstract painter in New York, before returning to figurative painting later in life. It was through conversations with her that I learned to appreciate abstract painting, particularly the work of Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, and Lee Krasner, as well as Grace herself. Although my own work is figurative, representational, and realist in a very traditional sense, I nevertheless drew much inspiration from these abstract painters, who incidentally happen to be women. So Georg Baselitz can suck it.
January 7, 2013 · Print This Article
I've always liked Dave Hickey. This was initially because his Air Guitar was the one book of art theory or criticism I could read without feeling like I was choking down something unpleasant because it was supposed to be good for me. So, last October, when Hickey famously "resigned†from the art world (the exact meaning and consequences of which only time will tell), I was eager to hear his reasoning, which, I figured, had to be pretty good.
Hickey's complaints, first reported in The Guardian and immediately quoted basically everywhere, carry an echo of a quotation (often misquoted) from Hunter S. Thompson's Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80s: "The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason…Which is more or less true. For the most part, they are dirty little animals with huge brains and no pulse.â€
Last night over after-dinner drinks, a friend told me about Damien Hirst's collaboration with the Olsen twins: the twins' signature black patent leather Nile crocodile backpack (which, apparently, is a thing), released as 12 limited-edition designs embellished by Hirst. The Nile originally sold for $35,000; the Hirst edition goes for $55,000, with the proceeds going to Unicef. Nobody's going to hate on Unicef, but Hirst's spot paintings already had an air of an artist who'd become too big to fail just phoning it in to make a buck. Repeating the spot imagery on a luxury backpack starts to feel like the art world's version of the Portlandia "Put A Bird On It†sketch.
Big shots make big targets, and any museum-vetted multimillionaire artist is going to draw some flak. Jeff Koons has attracted criticism ever since his public relationship-as-performance with an Italian porn star-politician (a pretty special combination in itself) was widely written off as an obvious publicity stunt. Hirst has always attracted skepticism, mostly of the "but is it art?†variety, for his dead-thing-in-a-vitrine work, but they were at least monumental. His spot paintings look lazy by comparison, and stamping them on a bag reinforces the idea that he's become not just a brand, but nothing but a brand. Warhol would approve, maybe, but a lot of us, I think, are tired of it.
What makes us uncomfortable, I think, is the implication that this collaboration may actually be between equals. We dread that there may be some hypocrisy in our criticism of the balls-out consumerism that allows a pair of twins who got famous getting their diapers changed on television to sell handbags for five figures. Are art world celebrities so different from the garden variety? More to the point, are art world celebrities any different from ourselves, and our friends, if we got the success we pretend to disdain but secretly covet? We want to see ourselves as the kid who points out that the emperor's new clothes are nothing at all, and when one of our darlings pairs with one of theirs, we start to feel the tickle of the breeze on our own naked back.
The truth, I think, is that there is no difference. These art world titans fill our need to have something to worship, and to hate. Like soccer moms flipping through tabloids in the checkout line of the grocery store, we need these gods and demons, to love and to fear, to envy and mock. In the end, the fact that they happen to be artists is entirely incidental. Like everybody else, we're drawn to epic personalities, and like everybody else, we've been eating a mile of their shit just to see where it comes from. That we happen to prefer the flavor of artist shit over actor shit, or musician shit, or athlete shit, is an incidental consequence of subculture, class, and education, and has no bearing whatsoever on the essential nature of cults of personality.
This at least would seem to explain Hickey's "fuck this shit†decision to opt out of the whole thing. And Hickey is one for whom the system worked: I'm sure the man's received his share of rejection letters, but I'm also pretty sure that it's been a while. His criticism can hardly be called a case of sour grapes, but it must resonate with anyone who's doing good work, not getting the recognition it deserves, and seeing what look like heaps of laurels being stacked on the heads of lazy hacks. The temptation to sweep the chessboard onto the floor and walk away is certainly understandable.
Here's the thing: gods you don't believe in can't touch you. It doesn't matter what million-dollar deals are being done between people you'll never meet. It may be interesting, and sure, we may wish for a slice of that action, but it can only suffocate you if you bury your face in it. Art is like Calvinball: if you don't like the rules, you can change 'em. I'm not going to second-guess how Hickey wants to live his life; it sounds like he's got some book projects he's into, which look interesting, and while they're not directly about art, I was never entirely sure that Air Guitar was, either. But opting out isn't the only option on the table for anyone else who feels that way. Nothing the big shots are doing, however frustrating, however misguided, need stop you from making that work, writing that blog post, or running that apartment gallery.
Bumper stickers make for lousy arguments, but there's one out there that slings a butchered quote spuriously attributed to Mahamta Ghandi: "Be the change you wish to see in the world.†The actual quotation isn't quite as pat, but it's a decent thought for anyone who's frustrated with the way things are, whether in the art world or anywhere else:
"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.â€
P.S. Fuck you, Olsen Twins: This is how to use a crocodilian as a fashion accessory: The author's wife Stephanie Burke with one of Jim Nesci's reptiles, at Big Run Wolf Ranch.


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Editors' Review
+Free Studio bundles DVDVideoSoft's numerous free video, audio, and image tools into a versatile suite. Despite its many choices, a well-designed control panel makes it extremely easy to access just what you need.
Free Studio requires at least 278MB of free disk space, quite a substantial package for freeware. The check boxes that set the developer's Web site and search engine as defaults were already selected by the installation wizard (can't blame them for trying); we unchecked them, of course. Free Studio's unique interface is one of the most sensibly designed we've seen. Aside from its attractive 3D graphics, it's laid out in eight large buttons accessing important features: YouTube, for Web video; MP3 & Audio, for your tunes; CD, BD, DVD, for ripping, burning, dubbing, and converting; DVD & Video, for playback; Photos & Images, for your pictures; Mobiles, for cell phone vids and apps; Apple Devices; and 3D, for making 3D videos and images. A slider button on top of Free Studio's interface toggles the animated intro on and off.
We were curious about the 3D items, so we started there. The 3D button accesses two tools, Free 3D Photo Maker and Free 3D Video Maker. The photo tool seemed very easy to use, but it requires 3D glasses to view images, which we didn't have handy, so we moved on to the Mobile selection, which offered a page full of small apps designed for specific brands, formats, and devices, such as Android, Nokia, Samsung, Sony PSP, XBox, and Nintendo. Each shared a simple, wizard-based interface, as did most of the other tools bundled in Free Studio; for instance, the disc-burning section contained not only audio and video disc burners but also video and audio conversion tools like Free Audio CD to MP3. The DVD & Video section offers 10 tools for recording, converting, dubbing, and sharing video. Some tools, such as the 3D video and photo apps, show up in more than one section, which we think is fine since it makes them more accessible.
DVDVideoSoft's multimedia tools are easy to use and good performers. We'd like to see links to a Help file or other assistance for the individual tools, though we encountered nothing confusing or unclear. We think Free Studio is a great idea, bundling together a full suite of competent, straightforward video and audio freeware.
Publisher's Description
+Free Studio Manager is a completely redesigned all-in-one package for more than 45 programs. It contains eight sections to bundle all free multimedia applications which have been developed by DVDVideoSoft. These sections the following: YouTube, MP3 and Audio, CD-DVD-BD, DVD and Video, Photo and Images, Mobiles, Apple Devices, 3D. Thus all the programs are included in the new interface for easy access to any of them.
With this free software you can convert video and audio files between different formats and to iPod, PSP, iPhone, BlackBerry, and all popular mobile phones and devices burn and rip DVDs and audio CDs upload and download YouTube videos and music to your computer, iPod, PSP, iPhone, and BlackBerry perform basic editing of audio and video files as well as record videos and make snapshots.

subset: commoncrawl


text: cost-benefit Missouri Among Top States Using Cost-Benefit Data By Jennifer Davidson • Aug 1, 2013 A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts shows that Missouri is in the top ten states when it comes to using cost-benefit analysis of taxpayer money. Cost-benefit programs analyze the cost of public programs and the benefits they provide taxpayers. In short, it's the study of how much bang taxpayers are getting for their buck. And it can be a very effective tool when drafting new laws or policy. The "States' Use of Cost-Benefit Analysis" report released this week finds that Missouri is one of ten states leading the way in using cost-benefit studies to shape its policy-making.


text:
"Seemed to be going no where"
Move it faster in the school setting.
It did keep me listening to find out where it was going. I am not a real patient person
Unfortunately I downloaded this to disc and the end of the story was not there! I don't want to print the whoe thing again. Am having some issues with Audible library since I installed a new disc drive which could be this user. Will contact audible.
"maybe i just don't get it"
The reader
that is questionable
never before
The same subject keeps getting rehashed...I found it fairly boring. The reader colin firth is the reason I chose this book


text:
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Virgin Island Water Perfume by Creed, Representing different scents carried by the caribbean trade winds . It has top notes of copra, lime from the antilles, white bergamont and mandarin orange; middle notes of hibiscus, ginger, ylang-ylang and indian jasmine, and base notes of musk and sugar cane and white rum. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations.
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History and background of Creed. In 1760, in London, James Henry Creed founded the House of Creed. It rapidly grew a favourite with the English Court and Queen Victoria appointed Creed an official supplier. Soon, the House of Creed was chosen by all the courts of Europe : from Napoléon III, Empress Eugénie, Francis-Joseph, Elizabeth of Austro-Hungaria to Chritina of Spain Read more about Creed
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Comments about Virgin Island Water Perfume:
This is a wonderful fragrance! Virgin Island Water by Creed is a great value on FragranceX.
Hints of lime and coconut immediatly conjure thoughts of summer and the ocean.
It is slightly overpowering at first, but then settles into a lovely fresh scent. It doesn't last throughout the day, I need to reapply at night before going out. But I would prefer that any day than something that was overpowering..
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This IS my signature fragrance....the one scent I can wear every single day and never get tired of it. The scent reminds me of sunshine, surf and tropical drinks in the classiest possible way. It's amazing balance of tart limes, creamy coconut, ginger, sugar cane,rum and the ocean. It's my Caribbean vacation in a bottle. I generally hate any perfume containing coconut, and I certainly never expected to fall so in love with this one, but the balance is absolutely perfect and not over done. My only complaint is that for the exceedingly high price of Creed perfumes, it's not long lasting at all. The scent lasts a maximum of 3 hours...if you're lucky. That being said, I still adore this scent and will probably wear it as long as Creed keeps producing it and I can afford to buy it.
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It is fine aroma. Fresh, citron-coconut. Now the summer also is high time for this aroma.
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A "happy pill" in a bottle! This is my sixth Creed. Virgin Island Water deviates from the standard Creed signature. It's a deliciously light, summery fragrance. The opening notes are limes, limes and more limes. Beautiful, natural lime essences. The coconut rapidly makes its presence known and it smells like real coconut that's remarkably evocative of tropical islands and exotic cocktails. There are also some subtle floral notes in the heart (jasmine?). The only downside is its longevity, particularly the limes which disappear too quickly. But that's the nature of natural citrus oils unfortunately. The upside of that is: you have the perfect excuse to re-spray as often as you like!
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Itchy 3 years, 3 months ago |
Anyone following SOPA? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act If this passes, it will give the government the ability to regulate pretty much everything on the internet. |
crossofcrimson 3 years, 3 months ago |
I've been following it (loosely speaking). I believe SOPA itself, as of yesterday, has been shelved until further consensus can be reached in the future. It's congressional counterpart (PIPA) is still floating at the moment though - I believe. In either case, the blackouts are still going on to raise awareness it seems. |
Itchy 3 years, 3 months ago |
Glenn Beck was speaking out against it earlier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ox1V5VkR7k |
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Screening Operations in Mantoloking, NJ
AAll Sandy-related waterway debris efforts coordinated through the DEP have ended. For more information on on-going efforts to remove debris from the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, contact Virginia Rettig at 609-652-1665 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Additional info about the Refuge is available from these sites:
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Scott Stephens, Acting Director Community and Constituent Relations NJ Department of Transportation Office: 609-530-2110 Fax: 609-530-2010 Email: email@example.com.
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As always, if you know of an environmental concern, please report it directly to the DEP Hotline @ 1-877-WARNDEP (1-877-927-6337). Navigational concerns should be reported to the local station of the State Police's Marine Services Bureau (www.njsp.org/maritime/).
archived waterway debris info
Department: NJDEP Home | About DEP | Index by Topic | Programs/Units | DEP Online Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey, 1996-2013 Last Updated: November 10, 2014


text: SpaceX launch aborted half a second before launch Technology 21 May 12 by Jason Paur SpaceX UPDATE 9:35 pm EDT -- Inspections of the number five engine found a check valve that allows a nitrogen purge of the engine prior to ignition had stuck open. This stuck valve was the root cause of the high pressure in engine five detected moments before launch. The valve will be replaced and the SpaceX team will make further evaluations of the data on Sunday. If further inspections look good, the next launch attempt will be at 3:44 am EDT on Tuesday.CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- The 19 May scheduled launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scrubbed with less than a second remaining on the countdown clock due to unusually high pressure in one of the engines.In the pre-dawn darkness at Cape Canaveral in Florida, everything was looking good for a 4:55 am EDT liftoff with all eyes focused on SpaceX's Launch Complex 40. About 15 minutes before launch, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced via Twitter the software used for liftoff had "initiated master countdown script 'Auto Sequence: Yoda'".Excitement was building as the countdown made its classic downward progression from 10 seconds and veteran NASA announcer George Diller made it all the way to "T-0 seconds". With a flash of light emanating from the bottom of the rocket Diller continued with "liftoahhhhffff…." before his voice trailed off as it was clear the rocket was going nowhere. "We've had a cutoff, liftoff did not occur," Diller added.The ignition sequence for the nine Merlin rocket engines had started, but the pressure in engine five was trending high. Once the limit was hit, launch software took over and aborted the liftoff. In a post abort press conference, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the problem looked like an actual issue with the engine and was not one of the sensor or software issues that had led to delays in the schedule earlier this year during simulations."We can not blame the software guys for this one," Shotwell noted.The abort actually happened at T-0.5 seconds after all engines had "started nominally" and only engine five was trending high. The problematic engine is located in the center of the engine layout pictured above in the hangar before the launch attempt.One of launch procedures SpaceX uses is to hold the rocket on the launch pad for a few seconds after ignition to make sure everything is working properly. Shotwell said today's abort is a perfect example of why the procedure is used. She said it is analogous to an airline pilot lining up on the runway and holding the brakes as the power levers are pushed forward, "we were revving the engines, we were looking at the gauges, we decided not to fly."Aborts are nothing new to the rocket launching world. The decision not to launch is considered critical to the safety and capabilities of any launch vehicle. Shotwell emphasised the upstart space company did not suffer a setback other than a few days on the schedule. She says the cause of the problem is not known other than it was likely due to a lack of sufficient fuel in the combustion chamber."This is not a failure, we aborted, with purpose," Shotwell told reporters. "It would be a failure if we had lifted off with an engine trending in this direction."Because of orbital mechanics and the path of the International Space Station, the next opportunity for a liftoff will be on 22 May at 3:44 am EDT. The SpaceX team must wait until ISS is in a proper orbital path to minimize the amount of propellant needed to chase down and get in phase with the station. The team wants to preserve as much fuel as possible for the complex maneouvering that will be needed for the demonstrations required by NASA.This isn't the first time engine five on a Falcon 9 has caused a problem. On the first launch of the Falcon 9 in June 2010, engine five experienced a higher pressure as well leading to an initial abort.Shotwell said initial inspection of the engine this morning showed the necessary valves appeared to be working properly and technicians must now make a more detailed inspection of the engine before determining the root cause of the high pressure.SpaceX makes its own rocket engines at its Hawthorne, California factory. The company is investigating the possibility of fixing the engine on the rocket, or if needed, swapping out engine five from the Falcon 9 rocket in the adjacent hangar that is slated for the next flight later this year.Source: Wired.com Edited by Ian Steadman Comments Latest on wired.co.uk


text:
Forums → Forum Games
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:36pm
301 posts
This is a game where a player states 3 facts about a famous person and the player below them has to answer. Here's an example:I am an inventor. I invented something everybody uses today. I also made the first motion pictures with sound in them. I am...Here's mine:I am a native american woman. I was great at leading the two other men I went with... and their dog. I carried a baby on my back across all of North America. I am...
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:43pm
5,331 posts
Sacajawea? (I hope I spelled that right). I watched Night at the Museum again last night!I am a man. I am the highest payed athlete in the world. I have some wicked tats.
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:51pm
You were right Asherlee!Is yours Tiger Woods?I am a woman. I flew with my partner around the world. No one knows wher I died, and they probobally never will. I am...
Nope! Wrong-o Invis
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:55pm
What is a tat?
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:56pm
445 posts
If I was to guess I would say David Beckham!
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 12:57pm
KoS got it!
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 1:01pm
I got it because you and Carlie love him ha ha!Okay so I play for Liverpool,I am a great forward for them and my number is 5-10!
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 1:28pm
2,064 posts
Haha, KoS, is it......Fernando Torres?I was a political leader in the US, I am not really, "liked," and men are afraid of me. Who am I????
Posted Jun 21, '08 at 2:28pm
George Bush or Dick Cheyney? I am a young actor. I have starred in many movies, including Transformers and Holes. I played in a show for Disney too. I am...
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text:
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+39 06 5600 0298
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Neighborhood: Ostia Lido
Wienerhaus is a little brewery/pub situated in the heart of Ostia. The menu offers a variety of beers from all over the world, from Belgium to the United States. Moreover, the interior of this place is decorated in a way that it makes you feel as if you were having a drink in a wooden German house. Besides beer, their menu also offers a variety of snacks. There are special meals for children too. All major credit cards accepted here, and there are no reservations necessary.
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Desert Isle Keeper Review
This Time Forever
Kathleen Eagle 1992, Contemporary Romance Avon, $4.99, 400 pages, Amazon ASIN 0380766884Part of a series
Cleveland Black Horse, or "Cleve" as he is informally known, is a down-on-his-luck rodeo star who is wrongly accused and convicted of murder. He is sentenced to life plus thirty for his alleged crime, and one of the jurors responsible for his conviction is Susan Ellison. Susan actually believes Cleve is innocent but allows herself to be railroaded into going along with all the other jurors who believe Cleve is guilty. However, Susan and Cleve have had some significant eye contact across the crowded courtroom and, even though the handsome hero is off to jail, the romance has only just begun.
Susan, a nurse, falls in love with baby Sam who was born at the hospital where she works and whose mother dies in a car crash. Sam was born with severe birth defects and, as a result, is unable to leave the hospital for a long time. Susan becomes emotionally involved with little Sam and wants to adopt him, but runs into major stumbling blocks because she is not Native American and as such is not considered a suitable parent for little Sam who is. As Cleve languishes in prison, Susan does some research and discovers that there is a good possibility that Cleve Black Horse, the man she helped send down the pike and a Native American, is probably Sams father. She begins visiting Cleve in prison in order to get him to sign away parental rights for Sam so she can adopt him. In the process, two lonely people are inexplicably drawn to each other, and soon Sams adoption is only an excuse for Susans continued regular visits to Cleve in prison. Cleves conviction is eventually overturned on some technicalities and, when he walks out of jail a free man, Susan drives him to town and reluctantly leaves him at a dump of an apartment he plans to call home.
An attraction born during a murder trial and nurtured, ironically, during prison visits is too strong to deny. The very next day, Cleve shows up at Susans apartment wondering if its okay if he stops by for just a little bit. Its more than okay with Susan.
Its not all hunky-dory from this point on either, because both Susan and Cleve have some major relationship roadblocks to work through. Both Susan and Cleve need to come to terms with her "betrayal" of Cleve for her part in sending him to jail, and Cleve must get past his initial abhorrence of Sams appearance and demeanor. Although it is never actually stated in the book, Sam was most likely born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Cleve also has to learn to live with the shadow of guilt that will quite possibly always hang over his head. Since the real murderer is never found, Cleve has to learn to accept and live with the fact that some people will always think he is a murderer even though he is a free man.
Susan and Cleve deal with these issues, learn to accept each other and what they cannot change about the past, and weave all of this into the fabric of their relationship. In the process, a gripping, beautiful and heartfelt love story emerges.
What else can I say about a book I have read two times and could easily read a million more? I could say a lot more. Instead, I encourage all of you out there to find a copy of this book and experience the subtle magic of this unpretentious love story for yourselves. This book became so real for me that when I finished reading it, even the second time around, I closed the book and expected to see Cleve, Susan, and little Sam standing right there in my very own bedroom. In my heart of hearts, I just know theyre out there somewhere. This Time Forever is another one of those books with the word "forever" in the title, and, ironically, the book really is forever. Its a keeper.
-- Anne Ritter


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News . Feature Stories
News Highlight
April 15, 2015
CIA has been recognized by the Greater Cleveland Partnership as one of the 50 Northeast Ohio organizations making the most progress toward cultivating diversity and inclusion.
In acknowledgment of CIA's efforts to improve inclusion in the make-up of its board, senior management, workforce, and suppliers, Greater Cleveland Partnership named CIA to its 2015 Commission 50.
According to Greater Cleveland Partnership, "Members of the Commission 50 are recognized annually for progress in creating, enhancing and sustaining their diversity and inclusion strategies. This recognition is based on their responses to the Commission on Economic Inclusion's annual Employers Survey on Diversity."
continue readingApril 09, 2015
Design students create solutions for disabled drivers
Students participated in national Design For America challenge more
April 01, 2015
CIA senior is the new face of car design
Jenn Baugher hopes to ignite change in the auto industry more
March 30, 2015
Nine decades of creativity: Shirley Koller '42 remains focused on her art
Grad is taking classes, making artwork in her senior community more
March 27, 2015
Visiting designer impressed with students, campus
Five questions for Scott Stropkay '85 more
March 19, 2015
Biomedical Art major is finalist for Award for Excellence in Visual Arts
Catherine Stanley's portfolio recognized in art competition. more
March 19, 2015
CIA grad is right at home at Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Maria Burke develops exhibition on biomedical art field more
For more information about this or other CIA news, contact us here.


text:
2nd February 2008, 05:31 AM | #101 |
Posts: n/a
Boredom is not something that exists in the physical universe. Boredom is only a perception it exists in peoples minds, it is a stateof mind. Maybe you have a mind that is boring. Light Wind Windsurfing is not boring, only some people will perceive it as boring because of the way they perceive the world, it is what they tell themselves about the world.
2nd February 2008, 05:38 AM | #102 |
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 459
Oh Bill !
No Bill ; think we were trying to accept that all sides are entitled to an opinion yet still contribute their own ; without insuling others.
I haven`t agreed with a lot of what P18 has said but its a pity not all sailors are as enthusiastic and as well informed. Come on Bill give us a break and make a worthwhile contribution. You know ; one about the topic. |
2nd February 2008, 10:29 AM | #103 |
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 639
When I witnessed high wind windsurfing in 1984, I was sold on a commitment to investing in the sport. Although it took me probably almost a year to pull it off (nobody was leading me in this, as it was solely a personal decision in a void of support), my first kit was an 11'10" F2 Strato with a 5.7 high aspect RAF sail.
However, I must emphasize that I didn't start in the old "Windsurfer" days (that focus wouldn't have ever caught my attention and eventual dedication). While I sailed a longboard to learn and grow in the sport (I was smart enough to know, I had to start that way), the ultimate goal was always moving towards a smaller board and a more technical/planing outcome. Believe or not, some have been attracted to windsurfing because of the more interesting planing side of the sport. Some like me gravitated to windsurfing because of the short board opportunities, because the earlier non-planing side to the windsurfing concept really had no foothold on my interests. I came from surfing, so the sailing (racing) or true lightwind orientation was never a turning or starting point. While I've hung tough on the planing side of the sport for over 22 years, I'm now wanting to augment my outlook and focus to include the high performance/low wind opportunities offered by the Serenity concept. While I can't say yet that the low wind game will capture my soul, I'm now quite willing to open the door. Still, no racing here, but a bit of adventure and awesome exploration potential is at hand. Quite frankly, I'm enthusiastic about the option, and I don't think that I will be bored. Although I will never veer from the high energy side of windsurfing, I'm thinking that there are other inviting options to increase my days on the water. Imagination and new opportunities are interesting doors to explore. |
2nd February 2008, 01:41 PM | #104 |
Posts: n/a
Try and tell my 11 yo old son light wind windsurfing is boring, he wouldn't know what you were talking about, he's too enthralled by it all, you can't wipe the smile off his face.............. "Light wind windsurfing is Boring By Bill the Dill", It's just your thick head mate, it's not open enough
2nd February 2008, 03:42 PM | #105 | |
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 433
On the other hand, I can't imagine how would it all go with the official bodies/organizations. We witnessed the mess over Olympic board choice, won by RSX (although it doesn't displace well (compared to Div2), and it doesn't plane well either (compared to wide shortboards), it covers a huge range of wind conditions so there we have it). There would be a zillion questions to answer/choices to make within both hypothetical classes: pure displacement class or one with some planing performance (which we have now)? Which shortboard class would be Olympic (course racing/slalom/waves/freestyle)? All of them? Class equipment is locked (like sailing) or developed (alpine skiing)? Etc..... With all the "street" sports gaining Olympic status over the past 10-20 years, I sometimes wonder why does it have to be so complicated with windsurfing? I don't have the answer. Fair winds PS C249/poster18, shoot me a mail: screamer_bgd at yahoo dot com |
2nd February 2008, 03:44 PM | #106 |
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 433
A new catchphrase born in this thread:
BOREDOM IS IN THE EYE OF A BEHOLDER T-shirts, anyone? |
2nd February 2008, 06:18 PM | #107 |
Posts: n/a
I'll email you the day after tomorrow, Screamer; sorry I didn't get to you earlier but I'm running a regatta. The strongest wind was about 5 knots, the dinghies didn't race, but we had some great sailing and the juniors and sub-juniors (under 13 years) had a ball.
PS I totally agree that many longboards, especially raceboards, flick between "windsurfing" and "sailboarding". And the original Windsurfer, handled properly, can record 25+ knots and is quite nice to flick through a full-planing duck gybe (a duck is actually the best way to keep it planing fast throughout the gybe) and isn't much worse than a modern SUP in the waves, which sort of underlines that the "division" between the two types is very blurred. PPS - to reiterate to others, the term "sailboarding" only came about because the owners of the Windsurfer trademark wanted to keep the term out of common use as that destroys the trademark. The term "Windsurfer" definitely belongs to the original style of the sport. |
2nd February 2008, 10:18 PM | #108 |
Posts: n/a
Dont think the names are terribly important its the disticntion in usage;skills and capabilities which are.On that score Floyd has a very good point.
Perhaps it is time to accept we are involved in 2 sports. How can you say a Serenity (which never planes BTW) is same sport as Evo 80 ??? They just arent the same sport. They need promoting in completely different ways. |
3rd February 2008, 03:34 AM | #109 |
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 9
I have both a Serenity and a Evo 80. I consider them both windsurfing. Just different tools for the conditions. I enjoy them both. I assume just like golf clubs.
3rd February 2008, 04:18 AM | #110 |
Posts: n/a
Living on the edge
It�s great that people can get excited windsurfing in 4 to 8 knots of wind.
Of course some people probably get excited cutting the lawn and painting the house and that�s great too. |
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The MGB is the biggest
selling MG ever built. Arguably, it is the best.
Having said that, the MGB owes much to, and arguably would not have
been possible without, the MGA (not only because of its position
in the alphabet).
The MGA was a dramatic change in direction for the MG marque. Many
traditionalists were shocked when the MGA was released. With its sweeping
bonnet and low driving position the square shape of the T series was clearly a
thing of the past. The MGA was the first truly modern MG, both in design
and style and soon had an enthusiastic following, particularly in the United
By the time the MGA went out of production in July 1962, it was the
best selling sports car of its time (a total of 101,081 were produced).
However, as great as it was, the MGA had reached its "sell by date
well before 1962 when production ceased. The problem was that the
development of its successor kept being delayed.
The B had a relatively long gestation period. It was
originally conceived as a closed car, which was eventually to appear in
the form of the GT in 1965. John
Thornley, one of the B's creators, was inspired by the Aston Martin
Although originally conceived as a closed car, it soon developed into a roadster. The Italian stylist,
Frua was commissioned to style the new car in 1957. However, the result
was proof that the Italians do not always succeed when it comes to design.
It looked heavy, bulky and rather ugly.
Around this time Syd
Enever, MG's chief engineer, decided to do away with the chassis, opting for
a monocoque construction. This means that the body of the car itself
provides the rigidity needed to stop the car from twisting and bending,
resulting in a lighter car (although the B cannot be described as a light
car, it is lighter than it would be if it had a chassis).
One of the reasons for the B's appeal is that it incorporated motoring
comforts not previously seen in MG sports cars. These "luxuries"
included wind up windows and a glove compartment!
A V4 two litre engine was initially proposed. However, high
development costs saw it replaced by a production engine that had powered
the ZA Magnette since 1953 and the MGA 1600 since 1959. Some
excitement was added by increasing the capacity of the engine to 1798cc.
The MGB was modified on hundreds of occasions during its
production. Most of the modifications were minor and some were limited to
specific markets (particularly the United States).
There were 3 "types" of B's:
There are many ways to break down the production years into meaningful
periods of development. For example, the MGB's development can be divided
into four major phases:
The Mark I was never an official designation.
The Mark II was the only official mark.
The main features which distinquish a Mark II from a Mark I
Not an official designation. Often referred to as the British
Leyland years.
Some of the main features during this period included:
Again, not an official designation.
The bumpers were not, in fact, made of rubber. Rather they were
constructed from polyurethane with steel inside.
The MGB was in production from 1962 until 1980 (when it was designed
the expected production life was approximately 5 years!). During those 18
years 386,961 roadsters and 125,282 GTs were produced - a total of 512,243
The MGB in
For almost a hundred years the Australian government has
protected the domestic car industry by applying some form of duty or
tariff on imports. As early on 1907, there was duty on bodywork.
Consequently, many cars exported to Australia before the Second World War
arrived without bodies - the body work being done locally.
The MGB was delivered to Australia in "Completely Knocked
Down" form to be assembled by BMC Australia at a plant in Zetland,
New South Wales. MGB production commenced in Australia on 4 April 1963 and
ceased on 6 November 1972. One reason why local production ceased is that
legislation that came into effect in 1972 required that cars have 85%
local content in order to avoid duty, and the MGB had less than 50% local
When they arrived in Australia, the cars were not painted and had no
trim or hoods. Until 1969 the heater was an optional extra. However, many
other items that were optional extras in other markets were included as standard
in Australia.
Local content is reported to have been as high as 45% in some years and
included locally produced hoods, trim, glass, tyres and seats. The seats
were supposed to be an improvement on the English seats but were made of
vinyl instead of leather.
Sales of MGB roadsters (GTs were imported in complete form and are not
included in these figures as they are not included as local production) in
Australia from 1963 to 1972 were as follows:
*These figures come from more than one source and may not be exact.
They also exclude private imports.
As one of the greatest cars ever produced, the
MGB could arguably have remained in production indefinitely. The fact that
it didn't can be blamed on a large number of factors. The most significant
reasons for the demise of the MGB include:
Sadly, the last two MGBs were completed on 22 October 1980.
The best book for a clear and concise history of the
MGB and an extensive list of modifications during production is
"Original MGB" by Anders Ditlev Clausager (published by Bay View
Books, 1994).
Highly recommended is "MGB The Illustrated History" by
Jonathan Wood and Lionel Burrell (published by Haynes, published in 1988
and 1993).
Other recommended books are:
MGB Restoration Manual by Lindsay Porter (published by Haynes,
MG by McComb (published by Osprey, 1978)
The MGA, MGB and MGC, a Collector's Guide, by Graham Robson (published
by Motor Racing Publications, 1978)


text:
It would appear that calling for George Bush's assassination, far from being a terrible breach of etiquette, is entirely legitimate under international law.
"The prohibition on assassinating heads of state comes from the Geneva Convention. Now I seem to recall that Mr Bush ordered explicit attempts on Saddam Hussein's life, both allegedly using assassins and more directly using – er – "precision" bombing of the odd palace. And Saddam was at the time a serving head of state – even Bush acknowledged that.
"So since Mr Bush has chosen to opt out of this particular protection, surely it follows that it's quite legal for him to be assassinated? So what's the fuss about?" (from here, with some reference to this.)
However, as previously discussed, I'd still counsel against such a move for pragmatic reasons. And moral ones, although for obvious reasons, I try and keep my personal morality out of discussions on assassination wherever feasible.
Relatedly, Nathan Barley really is rather excellent. The Monday night repeats are strongly recommended, since on a Friday and Saturday night one really ought to be attending videomedia installations with vacuous VJs and/or playing cock, muff and bumhole in gastrified clubpubs.
Author Archives: John B
Freedom at work
The Adam Smith Institute has an atypically incoherent article on France. It notes that blacksmithery has taken off in France over the last 20 years, in line with increased horse ownership, and quotes a blacksmith pointing out that French people's 35-hour weeks give them more time to ride horses.
It then, on the basis of pretty much nothing, assumes this is a bad thing. The evil State must be compelling people to spend their time riding horses and getting them shod, for surely nobody would *choose* to work fewer hours in order to do fun things outside of work…
I'm agnostic over the enforced limiting of working hours. Obviously, if you want to work ridiculous hours for ridiculous cash, it seems silly for the state to intervene. However, the outcome of a US-style system with few limitations is that everyone ends up working longer hours than they'd optimally choose, so they don't appear weak and lazy compared to their colleagues, who are all doing exactly the same thing. Society needs to strike a balance between the two; the ASI just assumes that the first outcome is Bad and the second is Good.
Meanwhile in the US, not only do you have to work 100 hours a week with 10 days' holiday, you can't even sleep with your colleages to make up for the fact you never have time to meet anybody else. I don't have much sympathy for Boeing chief Harry Stonecipher, given that he drew up the code of conduct under which he was sacked, but the concept that such a code of conduct would exist is, well, fucking insane. Were I to work for a firm with HR policies like Boeing's, I'd have been sacked several times for a wide range of reasons, none of which would have had any impact whatsoever on my ability to perform effectively at my job.
Would you rather have the freedom to work a 100-hour week, or the freedom to go out with your colleagues?
Things worth dying for, and other top quotes
"For a Social Europe, maybe. Peace, Justice and the American Way the way Superman intended? Quite possibly. To make the world like it is in Star Trek, I'd consider it. For the introduction by the UN of World Naked Chicks Day, almost certainly." – a colleague, on worthy causes for which to give up one's life. Can we start a campaign for the introduction of World Naked Chicks Day?
"Having Melanie Phillips lecture you about dhimmitude is like having a madwoman pour a bucket of someone else's cold sick over your head." – New York Times. Crack-addled-baboon-tastic…
"Yank: If it wasn't for us you'd be speaking German, etc. Brit: And if it wasn't for the French during your Revolutionary War, you'd be drinking tea at 4:00 pm every day and playing *real* football, laddie." – apocryphal encounter recounted here.
Victory, kinda
The Lords have demonstrated their worth, despite being a bizarre anachronism. Charlie The Safety Elephant's antiterror laws should now vaguely resemble laws, instead of things that a mad dictator might impose. This is a Major Improvement.
Survey summarised
If you're not a religious loon, vote Liberal.
(via Harry)
Do you remember the Muslim-hating vitriol outpoured by right-wing commentators after Egyptian Christian Hossam Armanious and his family were murdered in New Jersey?
The police have now arrested and charged two people for this horrible crime – an Edward McDonald and a Hamilton Sanchez, who are accused of murdering Mr Armonious and family to steal his money. Apologies from the right-wing loons are, as one might have expected from previous experience, not forthcoming (with the occasional classy exception).
Relatedly, Third Avenue makes a good point by analogy with a very different set of extremists.
(Armanious article via MemeFirst, which seems to have a strange mix of LGFites and sane people among its contributors. Worse, one of them appears to find The Vicar of Dibley funny).
Death, populism and panic
Is the shooting of Nicola Calipari by US troops another example of Eason Jordan's thesis? Giuliana Sgrena, the journalist whose life Mr Calipari sacrificed himself to save, opposed the occupation and was freed after paying a ransom (not things of which the Americans approve).
Probably not. The most likely explanation, as Jamie Kenny explains in more detail, is that US soldiers no longer care about outcomes in Iraq. If you immediately open fire on all cars you suspect may be dubious, rather than giving them a warning or the benefit of the doubt, your personal chances of death are reduced. If you don't care about the wider success of the mission, this is your optimal strategy.
Jamie has another good article comparing Ken Livingstone and Tony Blair. Taster: "The odd thing about Livingston is that he's the fully realized version of what Blair tries to present himself as: a tough minded, pragmatic leader capable of transcending his political roots to be seen as someone working for the population as a whole".
Right now, Tony is trying to re-establish his populist credentials with the public. One such recent move has been to denounce the 'meaningless panic' about risk, health and safety legislation and compensation. Oddly, he neglected to denounce one particular form of meaningless panic.
Andrew Rawnsley has a great article on the latter (top quote: "There is only one thing worse than making complex, sensitive and unprecedented law in a rush of fear. That is doing it in a pre-election panic as well". Found via Harry, who also has a good post on the jilbab case – it summarises as 'unless we do the sane thing and declare all state institutions officially secular, there are no grounds whatsoever to object to the case's outcome'.
Since you've all been such good readers, I'll let you have some mad Euroweenie-bashing rantage. Erik at No Pasaran seems to think that Europeans oppose the death penalty in America, but do not do so in China, and are therefore hypocritical. This might be a vaguely credible position, if he provided any evidence that Europeans did not oppose the death penalty in China.
His 'argument' is based around the claim that Europeans complain more frequently about the death penalty in America than about the death penalty in China, even though the latter is much more cruelly and unjustly applied. This is true – but it's true simply because most Europeans are significantly more interested by what goes on in America than by what goes on in China. You don't need to bring in conspiracy nonsense about wanting to trade with the Chinese – and if you did, you'd run into the small logical problem that the US buys more goods from and sells more arms to China than the EU does… (link via Mark Holland).
Finally, what on earth should I do with my new Armstrong Williams? Suggestions in the comments…
Don't consult with idiots
Mark Lawson says it all on the recent outbreak of philistinism and pandering to religious loons. If you disagree with him, you're a cunt.
"Sex is overrated, but it's the most important thing that there is" – someone, recently.
It's a good quote. Drunk nonsense was once featured underneath it; this is no longer the case. Some of the comments below may make limited sense as a result.
Finding fanatics the SBBS way
As you may have noticed, I enjoy trawling the darkest corners of the Internet for outbreaks of lunacy and fanaticism. I thought I'd share some of my secrets.
A Technorati search is one of your best friends here. If you need need a Muslim-hating terror hawk, go for dhimmitude. If you want to ensure they hate Europeans too, try EUrabia. Alternatively, if you're in more of a 'misogynist wanker' frame of mind, you can go for pussification. For an unimaginative rightwing bigot, moonbat is ideal. Amusingly, Bushitler is also only used by lazy right-wingers who need a strawman…
Searching for cunt, pigfucker, and related phrases can also produce interesting results. This is how I found this article on Hunter S Thompson by Stephen Schwartz, who is both a cunt and a pigfucker. Digressionally, you should read this article, in which Jamie Kenny persuades a Chinese magazine to publish his obit for Dr Gonzo.
Also, follow any random link that might be interesting. Except the ones that appear to point at gay porn (which has been a problem when following the Jeff Gannon ridiculousness).


text:
General Info
wats gd. i am harlem wanderor, and i love sex. i jerk off when i get horny, but i love to fore play sometimes. ladies holla at me and you wont be disappointed
Turn Ons
women(it doesnt matter)
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transgender & crossdresser
martail arts, music, reading, writin poetry and music, and havin a gd time
2pac, biggie, usher, nickelback, 3 doors down, linkin park, jay sean
About myself
About my Partner
Physical Profile
Entertainment, Sports and Hobbies
Work & Living Environment
Sexual Interests
All Comments
Hey sexy! Thanks for the friend request! Wanna see me at my dirtiest?! Fingering myself? Toying my pussy? Playing with my big tits? Check out my hard core profile - wickedlyambiguous and I promise you won't be disappointed! Let me know what you think and be sure to rate me hun!
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text:
Reach tens of thousands of people instantly by advertising with Ekklesia. Find out more
The Serbian government must introduce legislation to prohibit forced evictions, Amnesty International says in a briefing published yesterday.
Speakers from the English Gypsy and Irish Traveller Movement have addressed a National Union of Journalists' conference meeting about Leveson.
The nationalisms represented in the Eurovision Song Contest the European Football Championships and the Queen's Jubilee are of different shapes and levels of intensity, observes Graeme Smith, editor of the international journal Political Theology. What Christianity at its best offers is a vision of how we hold local commitments in a wider, plural context: because of Pentecost, in fact.
Sayeeda Warsi, co-chair of the Conservative Party, was last night (3 May 2012) brave enough to note a link between the BNP and UKIP. She pointed out that UKIP candidates are standing in areas where the BNP had previously stood, implying that they can draw on the same sort of support.
The LGB&T Anglican Coalition has spoken strongly against racist abuse directed to Dr John Sentamu, while disagreeing with his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Hundreds of events to mark Holocaust Memorial Day took place as part of the worldwide commemoration on Friday 27 January, with more this weekend.
The elementary school in the Slovak village of Sarisske Michalny in the Presov region must desegregate Roma classes, a court decision has ordered.
Some 80 million Reformed Christians across the world have been marking the 25th anniversary of a historic declaration that racism is a sin.
The Church of England is responding to accusations of a "pale, male and stale" leadership with renewed efforts towards achieving greater diversity.
Dr Jorge Ramirez Reyna, president of Asociación Negra de Defensa y Promoción de Derechos Humanos (Black Association for Human Rights Defence and Promotion, ASONEDH) in Peru, reflects on the issue of racism in his country and the role of the conference on the Violence of Racism in Latin America, backed by the churches regionally and internationally, which took place in June 2011 in Managua, Nicaragua.