busy busy

As you can see, I had a great time in London and Bath. Bath especially, and being the nerd I am, would constantly recognize places filmed in the movie Persuasion. It was great. Next trip to Europe though is going to be somewhere a bit cheeper. Jeez, was it expensive. It seems like the more I travel the more I want to see. Italy, Germany and perhaps Japan are still on my lists to go see.

I really have been busy lately so it's still going to be a while before I'm able to sit down and write a quality post. I've got a paper to write by Monday, projects and other assignments to do and on top of that I'm taking a weekend trip to North Carolina with my best friend, Nicole. I'm really excited about that. We haven't been able to hang out much at all since college so it will be awesome to go on a road trip together. Plus, I get to see the town where she grew up!

It's been wonderful to get back to Alfred. The work is really starting to build and will only get more intense as finals come but I really have been glad to be here lately.

Until Later,

Sondra

p.s I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie "Thank You For Smoking". I enjoyed the book by Jeff Buckley anyway, and It should be amusing at least. It's about Nick Naylor,

Nick Naylor: Cigarettes in space?
Jeff Megall: It's the final frontier, Nick.
Nick Naylor: But wouldn't they, you know, blow up in an all oxygen environment?
Jeff Megall: Probably... but you know, it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue... "Thank god we created the, ya know, whatever device."

London Calling

London Calling Part II

4 more days then:

No more posts until I'm back, lovelies. Mid-terms and packing to attend to. Then I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about.

Until Later,

Sondra

p.s. I'm pretty sure my mom and I won't be able to stop quoting Jane Austen and Monty Python the entire time there...

...and it will drive everyone crazy.

yesss. happy thoughts indeed.

johari window

found this on ruth's blog.

try it out yourself- clicky.

Until Later,

Sondra

What Would Dada Do?

In 1917, Marcel Duchamp became famous for submitting a urinal resting on it's side with "R. Mutt" scrawled on it and naming it "Fountain". It was his own way of making fun of all of those avant-garde artist peers of his. By placing a urinal in an art gallery, he challenged people's ideas of art and what actually 'is' art.

The movement is known as "Dada" and was mainly a reaction to modern society, especially WWI. He may have not been exactly understood then (or even now) but Duchamp was certainly a man ahead of his time. It was only until the 1960's when Andy Warhol became famous for the generally the same idea.

Now it seems someone else has the same idea, but it may not go over well with Paris's Pompidou Centre. Apparently, a 77 year old man named Pierre Pinoncelli 'attacked' the piece, chipping away at it with a small hammer and writing "Dada" on it.

The man was fined 214,000 euros (262,000 dollars) to pay to the Pompidou Centre.

In reaction, Pinoncelli was quoted as saying:

"I am not the cheap vandal that some would have me to be. A vandal does not sign his work. It was a wink to Dadaism. I wanted to pay homage to the spirit of Dadaism...which is disrespect"

Pinoncelli expects to appeal, arguing that he created a new original piece of art when he drew and scratched "Fountain".

I can certainly understand where Pinoncelli is coming from, however when Duchamp decided to deface the Mona Lisa, painting facial hair and re-naming it "LHQOOC"- sounding like "elle a chaud au cul" (she's hot in the ass), he at least used his own copy.

For More on Duchamp, go here.

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Until Later,

Sondra

p.s. please note my formidable restraint in not using 'urine trouble' for the title of this entry.

The Vagina Monologues

What better way to spend v-day with V-Day?

Last night I went to go see The Vagina Monologues. It started originally as Eve Ensler's one woman show, on campus it was performed by maybe 15 or so women.

Let me tell you, it was fantastic.

It made you laugh then cry, then cry then laugh again.

That sounds so cliche, but its true.

Unfortunately in the first 5 minutes of the play, the fire alarm went off. My friend Charity was on stage in mid-sentence when lights started to flash and the buzzer went off. Everyone was out in the cold for almost an hour. I was sure at least half the audience would leave but when we got back in I was pleasantly surprised a good majority of people stayed. It was definitely worth the wait.

So many issues were raised, spoke of things i'd never heard a conversation about, made me think in a different way. Some stories I could connect to instantly, some empowered, some I was in shock, others made me angry at injustices done.

I'm really glad I went. Not only do I insist you go if it's playing near you, I suggest you go out and find it yourself if it's not.

Until Later,

Sondra

stubborn? me?

You are Mohair.You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with
others, doing your share without being too
weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely
refuse to change your position once it is
set, but that's okay since you are good at
covering up your mistakes.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by

Until Later,

Sondra

malade

bleh bleh i want to not be sick.


it is blizzarding out, only reinforcing the idea of staying home and sleep.

The weather forecast says- "snow freezing fog". I'm not sure what that is.

Until Later,

Sondra

something to think about

If you could shrink the world's population to a village of 100 people, it would look like this-

There would be:

57 Asians

21 Europeans

14 North and South Americans

8 Africans

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70 of the 100 would be non-white.

30 would be white.

70 of the 100 would be non-christian.

30 would be christian.

50% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people- and all 6 would be residents of the United States.

70 would be unable to read.

2/3 of that 70 would be female (aprox. 47).

50 would suffer from malnutrition.

80 would live in substandard housing.

1 would have a university education.

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Until Later,

Sondra