Wednesday, August 19, 2009

New Radiohead!

Radiohead recently released a new song, These are my twisted words (thanks Matt!). You can download it here for free. 

AND, when you do download it, and you know you will, because it's Radiohead (and free), you also get a PDF containing 15 tree designs, with the suggestion to print on tracing paper. I would love to see some simple, haunting animation done with these. The way they are drawn makes you feel like you're under the tree, looking up. For some reason, I assumed lying down. (Get ready to see some new Halloween decor this year, Liz!)

In honor of the release, I decided to write down my own words, as they came to me, while listening to the new track. I typed whatever little story started growing in my mind and stopped writing when the song ended. Please forgive spelling and grammar mistakes, I wasn't really paying attention. It's kind of a fun way to experience a new song, and I suggest giving it a try. Anyway, so here's what These are my twisted words made happen in my head: 

"there is man in a room, an old dusty bar with few patrons and wood for walls. It’s dark, and he’s tapping his foot really fast. Another man enters, no, he was there all along. He’s playing his guitar. He might be in the man’s head. There’s a window with mountains outside, but the view is obscured by slivers of trees; black streaks against the sunset. He’s tapping his foot, faster and faster. He stops and walks over to the window, taking his hand and running it through his thick, greasy hair. It’s white, but yellowed with age. The other man is completely in shadow, but his guitar is vibrating the glasses on the table. The man begins pacing the room again, hands flying in foreign gestures. The window expands until it is the forefront. Grass and trees spin back, dipped, and pop up to see inside the bar; the man pacing, now through the window. He’s obscured by the shado-guitar man. The tree streaks quiver and stop. Repeat and stand still. The sun goes down."

 

Monday, August 10, 2009

A different shade of grey


The temperature hit 107 in Portland a few weeks ago and there was only one thing for me and my roommates to do: put the air conditioner in the living room window, block the doorways with blankets, and wear as little clothing as possible.

As the heat wave persisted and the hours spent in our homespun fortress mounted, minds began to melt alongside ice cubes, sense and custom evaporated, and we soon found ourselves echoing the hum and frenzy of those perpetual residents, the ladies of Grey Gardens.

Thankfully, the temperate Oregon summer returned, as did our clothes and sanity.

Friday, July 17, 2009

A sentiment I can understand




Just saw this wonderful wall sticker on anything goes.


"I love you more than sleep" by Robert Ryan.

If I ever say this to someone, you'll know it's serious.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What are the mice in my head drinking...

As I walked to the bathroom today, I looked down at my freshly doubled-knotted shoelaces and instantly thought: "Oh no! I've tied my shoes too tight—now how will I go to the bathroom?" 

My second thought was: "Why did I just think that?"  Was I planning on taking off my pants? Did I get confused and think that one went to the bathroom with their feet? Was I channeling Britney Spears right before she walks into a gas station restroom? 

 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Why mom, why?

Just writing that title leads me to believe this could be a recurring installment. Anywho, shortly after my last post, I went home to Sandy to visit the family. Upon walking into my house, I noticed that all my mother's porcelain dolls were naked, laying side-by-side on the couch. My first thought was: "Oh my god, the dolls have retaliated, eaten my family, and are now enjoying a post-bloodbath-orgy-nap." Before I had time to smother the dolls with a pillow (my second thought) or light the entire house on fire thus cleansing the area of such demonic possession, my mom informed me that she was washing their clothes. How dolls sitting on shelves for 20 years get "dirty" is beyond me, but I'm pretty sure she had something to do with it.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dear god no

From the people who brought you my worst nightmare, and a childhood of terror-laden dreams, comes Doll Reader magazine.

A preview of an article from their current issue: "Ginny the Paper Doll 1951—Ginny enjoys a July 4th picnic with all the trimmings."  How much do you want to bet those "trimmings" Ginny's eating are human hearts and deep-fried kitten legs? 

Just knowing that this exists makes me feel like I'm wearing sweat-soaked pajamas.


Saturday, June 27, 2009

I've always been fascinated by the similarities between mathematics and art. (Although, anyone that knows me will agree that I am staggeringly inept at anything involving numbers.) It's the way mathematics expresses itself symbolically that intrigues me—numerical prose used in an attempt to describe the indescribable. Math and art often share the same goal: to make the seemingly unquantifiable become more lucid through using a series of symbols and analogies. 

Through mathematics and the various arts, elusive beauty can be discovered and shared via a representative. Sometimes this representative is a symphony, an oil painting, a poem, and sometimes it is a sculpture depicting the three-dimensional "shadow" of a four-dimensional object. I won't try to describe the Octacube any further at this point, but will strongly suggest that you take a look at this article describing its design and significance. I recently came across this page (though the sculpture was unveiled in 2005) while searching for something else, and was immediately struck by the piece's beauty, both as a work of art, and as a tool of mathematical representation.