- 12 November 2003
- No. 4,340 (cartoon)
- This isn’t happening.
All data suggest the contrary.
- 13 November 2003
- Why I’m Extraordinarily Wealthy
- I sent Constance a poorly-written note that concluded with, “You know what I mean.” I’m extraordinarily fortunate to have a number of very dear friends who do know what I mean.
- 14 November 2003
- Brian Eno(tes)
- I went to Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno’s presentation about his work with the Long Now Foundation tonight. In order to get the audience in the mood, he made us wait in line for over an hour, which struck me as quite a long now.
He gave an interesting, but not brilliant, lecture. You’ll read a different review from an Eno worshipper as opposed to someone who merely appreciates his work (that would be me). The evening had two highlights. First, he admitted that he put a piece of dog shit in an envelope and slipped it through the door of the Mary Boone Gallery with a note, “Why don’t you show the real thing?” (He claimed that was the first time he’d told anyone he’d done that.)
Later, someone one from the audience asked, “Will we hear a vocal album anytime soon?”
“Yes,” he replied, then asked the sound guy to play a track from Music for Airports. A few minutes later, after said music was playing in the background, he turned to said sound guy and said, “You can turn that crap off now.”
Eno said a lot of other things, but I neglected to note what they were.
Brian Eno(ugh).
- 15 November 2003
- Back at the Lab
- Erin responded immediately to tonight’s email by pointing out what she alleged was a typo.
“You don’t want a semicolon in the sentence, ‘Back at the lab; I had a delightful time,’” she advised.
Everything I write is so full of typographical errors that I can’t believe anyone still bothers to point them out. I suppose the urge to edit really is just that strong.
Ironically, in this case Erin was wrong. But since I didn’t want to go into all the reasons the sentence in question didn’t want a comma in it, I simply decided not to reply.
Erin is happy, and so am I.
- 16 November 2003
- Creativity and Caffeination
- I think the musician Pete Shelley raised an important point when he wrote, “I’ll be remembered by some for my songs, by others because I make a good cup of tea.”
Too many people take this art stuff too seriously; one should never forget the social graces in general and the importance of caffeination in particular.
- 17 November 2003
- How Many Summers?
- Alan asked me about last summer’s backpacking experiences, and I didn’t have anything to report except for a brief, pleasant hike at the base of Mount Rainier. I added that I anticipated many more adventures next summer.
Alan listened patiently, than asked, “How many next summers do you have?”
Alan looked through me at some point far away from me when he asked a question I couldn’t answer.
- 18 November 2003
- Freudian Cycle Slips
- A woman sent me heels over head tonight. It wasn’t an amorous encounter; she used her car to inadvertently knock me off my bicycle. Although three of my four major limbs were bleeding, I wasn’t really hurt, and, more importantly, my bike was fine.
I arrived back at my lab during the traditional afternoon libations. After I introduced everyone in the bar to my bloody knee and two bleeding arms, Evelyn asked, “That time of the month, isn’t it?”
Within pints, my learned friends were vigorously debating whether or not cycling accidents were the manifestation of menstruation envy.
“Doctor Rinehart, what do you think?” someone finally asked.
“I think Freud’s one of those dead, white guys,” I began, “who’s responsible for a lot of misery and misunderstandings. One should never confuse the physics of gravity with the biology of menstrual cycles.”
And that was that.
- 19 November 2003
- The Lunar Seas
- A current project involves documenting the lunar seas. I’ve come up with the titles and rough sequencing (below), but have problems with the imagery. I was originally thinking about photographing cheeses, but then couldn’t find any with sufficient texture. The roof of the laboratory has the right texture, but insufficient craters. Oatmeal? Hummus?
It’s time for a visit to the textural world.
The Lunar Seas (draft)
Mare Vaporum (Sea of Vapors)
Palus Somnii (Marsh of Sleep)
Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds)
Mare Humorum (Sea of Moisture)
Mare Spumans (Sea of Foam)
Mare Undarum (Sea of Waves)
Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold)
Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains)
Sinus Aestuum (Bay of Seething)
Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms)
Mare Anguis (Sea of Snakes)
Sinus Medii (Bay of the Center)
Mare Cognitum (Known Sea)
Mare Nectaris (Sea of Nectar)
Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fecundity)
Palus Epidemiarum (Marsh of Diseases)
Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises)
Sinus Roris (Bay of Dew)
Sinus Iridum (Bay of Rainbows)
Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquillity)
Lacus Somniorum (Lake of Sleep)
Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity)
