a Pictorialist blog

2010-01-05T14:11:00.005-05:00

Tiny Houses /\

Hey Ya'll,

Happy 2010!

Big Map \/

The long goodbye

2009-08-05T22:10:00.005-04:00

Hello Folks,

After much contemplation I've decided to take an indefinite sabbatical from blogging...

Cycling for 7 weeks, owning nothing but a few books and whatever can fit into my panniers, has given me a new look at life... actually reading the works of libertarian socialist authors, the biography of MLK among others, and digging deeper into History - a realization quietly emerged --- I... in fact...know nothing. (or at least very little of what I'd like to know).

This realization is quite beautiful, and makes for a very exciting future...just when graduating college seemed to be the end - of - all - fun. Thank god! A new lease! How wonderful!

Anyway, so I'm taking the next few months to listen and learn about the world I live in. A less-talking approach to understanding and loving my fellow human, allowing the world as it is to present itself to me, rather than influencing what I see with my myopic weighty opinion.

Not to say the fight is over, not at all ... I aim to understand the fight better, with more grace and accuracy.

Hope you know what I mean. I'm available by email at the usual place if you want to chat.

Much love and thank you for reading,

Lauren

"Though it is natural for doctrinal systems to seek to induce pessimism, hopelessness, and despair, reality is different. There has been substantial progress in the unending quest for justice and freedom in recent years, leaving a legacy that can be carried forward from a higher plane than before. Opportunities for education and organizing abound. As in the past, rights are not likely to be granted by benevolent authorities, or won by intermittent actions -- attending a few demonstrations or pushing a lever in the personalized quadrennial extravaganzas that are depicted as "democratic politics." As always in the past, the tasks require dedicated day - by -day engagement to create - in part re-create - the basis for a functioning democratic culture in which the public plays some role in determining policies, not only in the political arena, from which it is largely excluded, but also in the crucial economic arena, from which it is excluded in principle. There are many ways to promote democracy at home, carrying it to new dimensions. Opportunities are ample, and failure to grasp them is likely to have ominous repercussions: for the country, for the world, and for future generations."

-- Failed States by Noam Chomsky

2009-08-04T19:42:00.001-04:00

This site is under construction.

The best meal I've ever had

2009-07-28T13:08:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday there was a Korean lunch at the First United Methodist church in North Andover, where our group was staying for the weekend. We were late and sheepishly wandered into the dining hall/converted gym/worship space, to our delighted surprise an elderly Korean woman approached us matter-of-factly and said, “Welcome, you hungry!?”

Plates of steaming hot rice, bowls of kim-chee, hot marigold colored sprouts, blood red spicy noodles, boiled zucchini and seaweed soup soon surrounded us. We were pointed to a plate of tough leaves the size of a deck of cards, hard and hairy, the method of rolling the rice and other dishes into them was quickly demonstrated and we were left to our own devices.

I pinched table spoon size servings unto my empty plate, adventurously chopsticking dark red noodles on top of savory sprouts, marrying zucchini with the sticky rice and seaweed, I wanted to leaving nothing untasted. The leaves were rough, minty but nutty, and my fellow group members soon abandoned them for more traditional eating experiences. I scooped rice into the center of the leaf and added a few red-worm-like noodles on top. The sweet spicy redness burned the roof of my mouth but the cooling mint of the leaf quickly filled my nostrils calming any unpleasant sensations. Chewing and chewing my blood quickened and a prickly heat flushed my arms and face. “Not so hot,” my friend Kyle asserted, sweat accumulating on his brow. More. I took a pinch of the golden long sprouts that had been stir fried expecting a sort of - warm alfalfa like flavor. The heads of the sprouts turned out to be hard, with a flavor reminiscent of peanuts and the long tail of the sprout was airy, crunchy, and cool.

The zucchini, humbly boiled, had a life of its own, zucchini flavored zucchini. They were crudely chopped into large chunks without seasoning or spices, meant to be appreciated for their own subtly, juiciness, and texture. An operatic dance of chopsticks and criss-crossing arms filled the the long table top next to ours, about 20 people pinched their dishes of choice, while chatting amongst themselves: some were Korean, some not, the Ghanaian pastor sat in the center making wide gestures while he spoke reminding us good naturedly that we were late.

Most of the diners were in their 50s or 60s and observing all of this I was overwhelmed by the balance. The balance of the meal, sweetness with mintiness, savory earthy flavors with the fiery heat. The old school New Englanders eating with new school Korean immigrants. Our youth group driven by environmentalism and the collection older generations driven and united by their Methodist faith. Gastronomical transformation - the stomach and the eyes aligned in a new experience to tell the brain the “what is” of “what is going on?”. Good things: balance prevails: wow filled my head. Just then a woman came around with a hand full of lychee fruits the size of tennis balls. I bit into the hard skin and peeled one for Kyle and myself. Life is good.

On Freedom

2009-07-19T14:50:00.011-04:00

Announcement: I have re-opened commenting capabilities on this blog! I so much look forward to hearing your thoughts - sharing ideas, strategies, and exigencies with each other will hopefully inspire us to deepen our thinking and become more effective in our actions towards a just and sustainable future. To ensure constructive commenting, each post you create will go through a screening process before I publish it. I welcome dissonance, but not disrespect. Sadly, "pre-approving" is a measure I must take given some of the comments left in the past. I can't wait to share in new and challenging conversations with all of you. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you!

In 1969 there was a documentary called Nina Simone, a series of interviews and early footage of the artist's performances as she transforms into the inspirational musical visionary she became. In this documentary she is asked what Freedom is...She ponders this and says "No fear!" with an electricity felt when you just discover a previously unreachable idea: When the puzzle pieces of existence fit a little more logically, and suddenly you are reinvented and from that point on you see from a deeper lens, a wider vantage point, and your brain finds a better way to calculate and understand the utter unease of existence. Oprah calls this an ''Ah ha'' moment, and we watch Nina experience this on screen.

I've returned to this segment of the documentary whenever I feel un-free, constricted, confined, or unmovable. And then...something happened today. I spent the morning looking over the bay in Gloucester, MA, and realized I felt totally and utterly free. Nina Simone says Freedom is no fear!, and within that insight there are other aspects too. Watching boats drift in the current, while thinking about the wide ranges of wealth and poverty in the world, the environment, and this utter unease of existence, I came upon another piece of the What is Freedom? puzzle. Freedom is the knowing that you have the ability to change that which confines you, and then transforming this knowledge into action. Freedom is knowing that you can work towards disembodying the oppressive force - be it slavery, a group of people, money whatever.

I suppose another word for this would be Hope, but not passive hope, but hope in action. Freedom is knowing that you have the ability to change that which confines you, and not for personal recognition, or careerist or individualist ends -- But for empowerment, well being, and community. Knowing ones personal ability to work towards changing what encloses you is important, but doing something about it is crucial to feeling truly Free. Knowing that you can do something, but not doing anything is bound to only temporary contentment, because you still remain a victim without resources. By volunteering with others, talking to others, and doing things for others we become victors: Individually we win small battles, together we win wars.

The doing is Freedom, let it ring!

Watch the 30min Nina Simone documentary here.

I've decided, I want the world...or at least the U.S.

2009-07-15T18:06:00.007-04:00

Next summer, next May 18 the date of my birth, I will be 23 and hopping on my bad (as in good) bicycle and riding across the country.

Wicked awesome.

I plan to do this with one other person as we travel from coast to coast over the course of 2 months. We will be camping along the way, and I will be taking photographs.

I've been motivated to have an adventure of grand scale after reading Give Me the World by Leila Hadley a few years ago about her trip around the world aboard a schooner. And then I met the bicycle. We flew free of charge through NYC, creaking over the bridges and the one time I even carried him over the Path turnstile to New Jersey. Hoboken was uncharted territory, and we explored this together.

But like all first loves, we eventually out grew each other. The Boy Named Sue, the name I donned him for his girlish color but boyish physique, could no longer match my ambition. I wanted hour after hour long bike rides. He was happier shuffling around the block. Refusing to shift gears, slow and plodding, I was happy to take my leave... although I did gaze longingly after the Craigslister who threw him into the back of her trunk. Good bye Sue, a tear.

And then came bicycle #2. He was up for the challenge, but maybe a little too up for it. A bro - bicycle. Eyelets for panniers in the back AND front, pumped for massive migration at any time...thick tires to take on road, dirt paths, and anything else that came his way... Was this for me? I wondered. I've never been an ''athletic'' type and I couldn't imagine me, a little lady steering such a beefy machine. It took some time, but his better qualities began to emerge. He came with spokes, he was sturdy, reliable, not the flashiest thing ever but he had charming little shifters and a cute little frame that no lady -cyclist could resist.

So the US is next for Bicycle and me. I don't expect to "find myself" or "realize some great truth" I just want to ride. Wish me luck!

-- Inigo, my dear friend from high school, has come back to life and is blogging (whoa) about his first teaching gig in Spain. Happy to see you're back on the interwebs Inigo.

Check it out at Vale! Vale! Vale!

Le tour!

2009-07-10T16:07:00.003-04:00

Robert Capa 1936

Click here to view Magnum photos of Le Tour de France - beautiful!

Happy 4th of July...from the road

2009-07-04T21:48:00.009-04:00

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm supposed to love everyone, everything, every town, every lifestyle. I think that idea was programmed in somewhere between the ABC's, America the Beautiful, and stupid mnemonic sentences that remind you of whatever is currently being considered a planet. So today I felt a little guilty when concluding that last week's town of choice ... was crap. Crap. crap. crap. Crap because googlemaps drew a cute yellow line from our sleeping quarters to the nearest conglomeration bookstore, a mere 4 miles away without noting it was a limited access SUPER HIGHWAY and the only way to get to said bookstore...was to careen down this SUPER HIGHWAY at 80mph, an impossible speed even for the most athletic cyclists (unless you are falling down a decline, something we're not encountering in the greater Boston area).

So when I gently, sweetly asked officer..so and so ...former Gulf war vet, who didn't care to see a double pedestrian homicide on 4th of July, what the back roads were to get to said conglomeration bookstore and he said "There ain't no way, just the highway." I concluded there was no justice for all, only justice for those who had cars and were inclined to use them, and what kind of place was this where the closest thing to knowledge could only be accessed by riding in tens of thousands of dollar cages made of steel and plastic. "Really?" I said to him with a scrunched up screwy face. I must have looked strange.

Some things you just can't love. Riding through neighborhoods with backyards full of grimy broken plastic children's toys, not lovable. Seeing a little boy take his toy gun, eye his dog and shoot with an unforgiving ''bang bang,'' not lovable. I don't know how these towns came to be, or how so much was left undone. I'm excited to be cruisin' through Salem, Massachusetts next though - witches, persecution, and the occult...now that's a town I can relax in.

Happy 4th,

Lauren

From two wheels...

2009-07-03T11:20:00.005-04:00

Hi,

I'm a month out on the road, and have reclaimed my computer (thank you Rachel) for the purpose of doing work while I learn of new organizations, modes of thinking about sustainability, and that human rights activism is directly related to environmental activism. You may witness some restructuring of this website...don't worry, its all good.

Here are some new resources

News & Information:

Yale Environment 360

One of my favorite new websites...serious to - the - point environmental debate and discussion. Aimed at anyone with a curious mind on climate issues.

"Yale's online magazine offer(s) opinion, analysis, reporting, and debate on global environmental issues...featuring original articles by scientists, journalists, environmentalists, academics, policy makers, and business people, as well as multimedia content and a daily digest of major environmental news."

Organizations & Action:

Green For All

(National)

Van Jones, my new hero (I never was into heroes, but now I see its useful to have some), writer of New York Times bestseller Green Collar Economy and special advisor to the Obama administration on green jobs. Van and his organization Green for All promote green jobs and economic opportunities for all people, especially to low - income communities who suffer disproportionally from the pollution created by our current economic structure. Journey to this website to learn more about community activism, green jobs, and equity.

Urban Agenda

(NYC)

Connecting environmental justice advocates, businesses, labor unions, community organizers, and educators in creating and developing positive economic, societal, and political gains. Through alliances and collaborations, Urban Agenda works to transform New York City into a just and sustainable dwelling for its inhabitants. This organization works with the NYC Apollo Alliance, and through the Mayor's office PlaNYC 2030, in improving the working and living conditions for New Yorkers.

Sustainable South Bronx

(NYC)

Majora Carter (another hero of mine) a Bronx resident "Greens the Ghetto" with environmentally just solutions to economic and environmental problems directed by community needs. Building green roofs, creating waterway access to Bronx residents, providing training for green jobs, what doesn't this organization do? Check it out.

I'm out!

2009-06-07T13:56:00.002-04:00

See ya'll on the flip-side! Call me!

Tosititos Salsa and Terminology continued...

2009-06-03T11:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I wrote a nonsensical rant about terminology used on food labels...and my strange experience with two month old Tostitos Salsa ...

Well, I have a program on my blog that tells me what companies are contacting my website -- due to a 50/50 paranoia/curiosity split.

Among our honorable guests have been various spy networks from the US Gov't -- when I rant about policy -- The Dairy Farmers of America -- when I wrote this (http://www.laurenturnbull.com/2009/02/milk.html) last February on the treatment of dairy cows and my goal to stop drinking milk.

And now - who has joined our ranks as creepy infiltrators of the blogsphere? Why - PepsiCo.
PepsiCo. owns FritoLay which owns Tostitos! I invite whoever from PepsiCo is reading this website to write to me, and clear my paranoia/curiosity about why your Tostitos "All Natural" Salsa does not turn moldy after being open and unrefrigerated after two months in the grimy conditions of springtime in New York City.

If you respond I will surely post your answer for my readers to see. You might even gain some customers! I look forward to hearing from you!

- Lauren

Terminology and Tostitos Salsa

2009-06-02T15:28:00.004-04:00

...Apparently I do have reliable internet until I leave for the bicycle adventure...so why not blog?

A few weeks ago I was cleaning the household's recycling area, when I spotted a jar lodged in the back of one of our cupboards. It was a Tostitos salsa jar with about two table spoons of salsa still in it. It had not been washed out and placed in its proper receptacle. This name -brand salsa is an odd thing for our household to have, and I realized that jar must have been there for a minimum of two months. Aside from the repulsion one might feel, what really struck me was that the salsa in the jar emitted no odor, contained no mold, no discoloration, and its texture – I daresay looked as edible as it would have upon being first purchased.

So today my grandpa was describing the leeching that had occurred in his old place of work - an aerosol plant. "In the old days " they dumped the toxins, black, and grey water into one single septic tank until the EPA got a hold of them and the plant must now filter the aquifer's contaminants 'round the clock. So I was thinking about this, water, chemicals, decomposition and the body in general -And was struck with a vision of the ever-so-delicious Tostitos salsa.

I investigated and apparently Tostitos salsa has no preservatives in their “All Natural” line and are flashed with high heat to kill off any standing bacteria -making them suitable for grocery shelves. If this is true, and the only method of preserving without preservatives (verb vs. plural noun), then the salsa should quickly turn after it is opened, and certainly not have lasted for months in the back of a cupboard. Another possibility is that the tomatoes and other vegetables are stewed in vinegar before “heat preserved” which would extend its shelf life once its opened…such as with pickles.

Doing this research lead me to discover a process called Food Irradiation. Wikipedia – “Food irradiation [1]is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of re-hydration.”

Basically manufacturers zap your food to kill and delay the “bad stuff.” My questions are: Does Tostitos use this technique? But more importantly: Are preservation processes separate and apart from claims of “no preservatives”? – The verb vs. the noun. Can a potentially harmful or at least scientifically inconclusively not-harmful (according to wiki) methodology be masked by our terminology? Common sense tells me “yes.” I have no idea if Tostitos uses the food irradiation technique or not. (Data on this is dificlut to find online). I think we can all agree that a mixture of tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, salt and yes…vinegar and “natural flavor” see here natural vs artifical flavors – (my hyperlink key is dead due to Gram’s JavaScript sorry for the unclean URLs gang http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=130) – ought to go bad after two months unrefridgerated. Having made my own salsa, not that much vinegar is used…certainly not compared to pickling.

Anyway, email me if you have any thoughts or theories on this – and good eats . :)

Out of the Office

2009-05-31T10:26:00.006-04:00

Hi Ya'll

I will be away from the wonderful worldwide web until August 1st. Give me a call at the usual number if you want to reach me. I'll be biking across Massachusetts starting in Western Mass. - Deerfield specifically -and working my way east. We will be in teams of 8 camping and promoting sustainable practices. The specifics of the trip are still shrouded in much mystery, but that's half the fun!

I was thinking the other day that the last time I haven't had internet for two months was probably when I was twelve years old. Think of it. What could be comparable to the electronic age pre-internet? Books, perhaps, had the informative power of the internet though most people were illiterate so even books did not necessarily have the communicative power.

I am wondering how this has shaped my thinking in subtle ways, and also how the use of the computer has influenced our house pets evolutionarily. I use the computer quite a bit and often my house kitty will crawl up to it like a person or its mother, purring at the screen and is often captivated by the little movements of the mouse or sound of my typing. If through breeding of house pets we've influenced their evolutionary path, meaning we choose friendlier, more loving dogs and cats over aloof and hostile ones ... then how might our changing relationship with technology mold our thinking and inter-species relationship with our house pets (and even wild animals)?

Cats and dogs of the recent past are being exposed to our computers as well as us humans. If my cat can show affection to the computer screen because of its hum or look, how might computers, animal, and human relationships change as the givers and receivers of love and affection are not limited to biological organisms? Can we find a mathematical formula for house pets and maybe eventually humans to develop relationships with machines? Can emotions be replicated and used by technology for its own end? and Will computers have the ability to formulate these tactics alone, or will man 's "dominion" over technology and animals remain ... holding us accountable for how the use of new emotive bits of technology are used? Anyway, I would love to continue talking about this, but I'm at my grandma's and little Sebastian calls.

Check out this website http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ journals, articles, photos, and equipment lists from people who have toured all over the world on their bicycles. I really enjoyed this one - http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=1&v=2l - from Neil Gunton, a daily journal of his trans-america trip in 1998.

Give me a ring this summer, be well friends and family!

On Two Wheels

2009-05-25T12:47:00.007-04:00

Hey Guys,

Sorry its been a while... moving, biking, and planning for moving and biking take time and attention. Great news I've subleased my apt so everything is all set for my bicycle adventure!

I've gotten a new KICK ASS SICK touring bicycle which is making riding all the more pleasurable. I've been doing some research on "Adventure Touring" long distance, multiple day bicycle tours - and have set a goal to do the Adirondack Loop or possibly the Green Mountain Loop by the end of this year if my school schedule allows.

Here are some great new websites check 'em out!

Bike Reader -- short stories with cycling themes

Josie Dew - a personal inspiration of mine - cook, solo cyclist, and writer

Adventure Cycling Association - cross country routes and more

Until I pick up a snazzy bicycle computer, I'll be uploading mileage to the brand new widget on the right. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

This day in general...

2009-05-18T01:28:00.006-04:00

The plan is to take my camera for a walk and think about strategies for stopping time. I haven't taken photos for fun since Vancouver...and that seems like a pretty good gift to myself on an otherwise unimportant unspecial - special day.

click here for fun

Photographer Robert Adams and Sculptor Mark Dion on Trees

2009-05-14T00:16:00.003-04:00

oh my god, so beautiful

A/V

2009-05-13T01:50:00.003-04:00

awesome via this website - sure to bring a blush to the catholic cheek...

The Medical Industrial Complex

2009-05-11T16:13:00.006-04:00

Ok so, the talk on the interwebs today has been all about health care reform - basically there are two points:

A. The White House announced its goal to reduce medical costs by taking the following measures:

(paraphrased)

- Expand information reporting that will help the IRS catch tax cheats... raising $10 billion over the next 10 years.

-Target those who undervalue estate property and gifts, raising another $24 billion over the next 10 years.

-End a tax loophole that gives a multibillion windfall to paper companies, saving more than $1 billion...

B. Six leading insurance companies have sent a letter to Obama (I'd like to send a letter to Obama) promising their assistance in helping him shed 1.5 percentage points off the growth rate of health care spending.

Why does this matter? Well, as Paul Krugman points out in yesterday's NYT article, health insurance companies are generally not inclined to take on causes that reduce spending. Let's analyze this approach in light of the insurance company's subtler goals: "reducing over-use and under-use of health care by aligning quality and efficiency incentives" by a theoretical adherence to "evidence-based best practices and therapies."

Analysis of this evidence cannot be at the discretion of these companies, for again our health will always be reduced to the bottom line = profit. Also, is this evidence part and parcel of existing or on going research? OR by "evidence" do they mean, established results of research efforts that allow a company to avoid alternative therapies that may not have substantial scientific backing and/or avoid risky or radical treatments that may prove effective in some but not without significant expense on the part of the insurance company?

Reducing health care costs is a nice goal...but perhaps does not rightly channel our energies. As citizens we should be extremely weary of any health insurance company's effort to reduce spending, as their entire premise is not to help any of us, but to make money while spending the bare-minimum necessary to maintain our socially accepted quality of life. This system itself is unjust by nature, and the only way I see we can escape the profiteering, its to eliminate profit entirely within it.

Anyway, like I mentioned a couple of days ago, I'll look into the history of American health care, and I'll post what I find. I'm curious as to why our system is fundamentally different from the systems in other industrialized nations.

Until then, eat an apple.

Comments on Comments

2009-05-08T19:14:00.008-04:00

Hi Folks --

Regretfully I have temporarily disabled 'commenting' capabilities...my initial hope for allowing anonymous comments gave anyone inclined the opportunity to leave thoughts - as it does not exclude those w/o a google ID. This experiment in ''self regulation'' has failed to some degree, as people are leaving inciting comments and not signing their names, which does not allow me to properly address whatever it is they say in an effective manor. I'm sure there is some code to remedy this... and over the next few days I'll investigate it -- please feel free to email me until then -- hopefully we can work together as a community to maintain a constructive and respectful tone in the elusiveness of that which is The Internet.

:)

Letter to the Editor

2009-05-08T18:16:00.000-04:00

as per request...

Letter to the Editor from Lauren Turnbull on Vimeo.

Learning from the 1918 pandemic (and some articles)

2009-05-07T17:00:00.005-04:00

Laurie Garrett on last night's Colbert Report talks on TED (2007) about U.S. and worldwide pandemic preparedness, specifically with H5N1 -- or the Avian Flu. This talk is more fact based then standard TED talks...and emphasizes community responsiveness - Are we going to close schools? How does the government invest in preventing biological threats? Etc. Its relevant in that it relates to the Swine Flu, but moreover ... looking at her analysis of the "artificial ecology" of factory farms on Colbert -- we can see that the demand for meat within the current conditions is not only harmful to our individual health (in great doses) but also our community's health as we face rapidly mutating viruses. Garrett's right in that we need to bolster our state and country-wide preparedness, also we ought to abstain from purchasing such meat products. Population growth and the insatiable hunger for meat - everyday, for every member of our families facilitates the artificial ecology of factory farms, where virus mutate, thrive, and as we see - kill people.

Perhaps we can rethink an abstinence from meat eating if we were to regulate the conditions of these animal farms...but as with Swine Flu these regulations would have to meet international approval. As long as we are to value monetary gain over public health, I do not foresee any improvement any time soon. Anyway - take a look at the TED talk..enjoy!

Some articles:

A "like duh" article from Sciencitifc American called "What's Your Story? The Psychological Science of Life History Research
How we "spin" our self-narratives can reveal our hidden personalities" - worth a gander...

NYT Gene Test for Dosage of Warfarin Is Rebuffed -- This story is important because we are getting closer to genetic screenings in understanding common medical conditions and behavioral tendencies... if you are interested in the health industry - be sure to keep an eye out for similar articles.

It will surely be exciting to see how Obama's and later president's health plans balance genetic testing with the information doctor's collect ... we certainly ought not to rely on private health insurance companies to determine what is and what is not stragetic in assessing our health. There is a law that protects people against genetic discrimination now, will we see something similar as health insurance companies decide what is/what is not covered?

After school ends, I will be looking into the history of health insurance companies .. perhaps knowing their initial motivates might shed some light on their positions (however evil) and how we can best work with them .. if not ideally nationalize them... to be for the people, by the people. There must be more we can do as citizens than complain about this system, I'll focus on this in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Rest In Pieces

2009-05-04T00:26:00.005-04:00

Hi Folks,

To the delight of many of you, my cell phone has finally bitten the dust...water clogged and rendered useless by today's rainstorm. This will force me to get a NEW cell phone, one that will properly record call back numbers and display texts.. eliminating any excuses not to be available at a moments notice. BUT! that being said ... my cell phone habits will not change! In fact, I am thinking of leaving my cell in NY when venturing on this summer's bike tour. Since there is little wilderness left, I'll take my chances in a world without a cell phone...thrilling! Death defying!

Anyway, I'm sort of half joking...sort of...
Enjoy the week!

You have no new voice messages, ever...the end of voicemail.

Pigs and Electric Pencils

2009-04-30T22:45:00.008-04:00

(photo via Tim)
My five favorite stories on the Swine Flu PANDEMIC

Grist/New Scientist: Swine flu epidemic stems from virus that evolved in the U.S.

Grist: Jumping to conclusion in health matters may have adverse side effects

McClatchy: Company warned officials of flu 18 days before alert was issued

NYT: Media Drumbeat Amplifies Coverage of Flu Outbreak

HuffPost: Our Hunger for Cheap Meat Has Created Swine Flu

Also,

I'm working on ideas for my final thesis film and posting the production sketches, images, and writings on a new site of mine called I <3 Trees -- www.iheartrees.com. (It may take a few days for the CNAME to register). My ideas are based on the news story I posted a few weeks ago about a tree growing inside of a man. My final will be a mixture of rotoscope technique (drawing over media frame by frame) and live action.

It will have something to do with trees growing from the middle, leaves out roots out and human existence. As my ideas mature, I will update the new blog, please feel free to leave feedback as always. Blogging about it will give me better insight into the film's progression and allow me to promote it easily.

I find the special features commentary on DVDs probably more interesting than the movies themselves, and after having recently watched the work print of a certain movie that has yet to be released... I figured making public the process of creating my piece might be just as valuable and interesting to others as work prints and commentary tracks are to me -- This production will take me into next year, so hopefully you'll find its development over the next 12 months informative.

:)

Procrastinating

2009-04-28T22:43:00.005-04:00

New Adobe App is launched -- it allows you to search through videos, outside of the metadata...take a look here.

Sleep Patterns

2009-04-28T01:01:00.006-04:00

Walking home today I looked up at the sky and it was burnt an ochre red. Smoke was wafting from some burning apartment building somewhere and the absolute blue sky began to tarnish. Perhaps it was the pressure of finals, the pig flu, New York City, money, and "my future", but the smoke and the flock of silvery birds spinning themselves against it was almost perfect - like there was some kind of pen up there basking in our misfortune, Schadenfreude.

How complicated existence is... when beautiful birds can dance in the sun set while Brooklyn burns? Wow, life really is getting worse, isn't it? I thought. Not my life, but life in general. And maybe not even actually but perceptually, in the way that technologically makes stories unreal with all their spectacle but more real in the fear they create. Technologically like breaking news stories on internet, and text messages with all the urgency a formal letter but none of the thought. Maybe I just need some sleep... What do you think?

Here's an article from the NYT called the "End of the University as We Know It" pretty interesting read on higher-ed.