Author: onajide

Mon., 19 May :: Being an artist is something that needs to be reassessed more often than the average person may think. The ground beneath the artist moves as often as the tides. Sometimes one attempts to shift the ground upon which one stands on purpose. Sometimes it shifts right at the moment one thinks it is safe to step into a new spot. Groundrules change. Contexts change. Philosophies change. Other times movement is imperceptable. One feels at a moment between tides. That moment when there is a haunting stillness and all is at rest. It seems not meditative but constricting and confining. As the tidewaters move up the canals there are eddys and ripples on the water’s surface but that’s not always a reflection of what’s going on below the surface where the density is different. This is also a moment of transition. Transition holds hidden so much. It is frustrating yet fills one with importunity. And this too shall pass…

LeBlanc (chief of the Tour de France) told French sports daily L’Equipe “There is a lot of regret to eliminate (team) Domina (Vacanze). But Cipollini (current world cycling champion) had an early season that was less good than last year. He’s a great sprinter, but at 36 years old, he doesn’t totally deserve to ride the Tour de France because of the mountains. Effectively, there is a risk that Mario will abandon at the end of the first week. We have not forgotten that he’s never finished one Tour de France. I have enormous admiration for Cipo, but the course of the 2003 Tour (7 mountain stages) isn’t the kind of stage that will be useful to (Domina Vacanze). Besides that, in the last weeks, he didn’t reassure us with his form.”

Cipollini is SO popular it seems more than a slap in the face not to have the world champ. He broke the record for the number of stage wins in the Giro d’Italia today. He is the only person to have won 4 stages in a row in the Tour de France. LeBlanc has always done something that causes controversy but he is the Tour boss and he has the last word. This time, the world is against him.

Reconsidering the Souls of Black Folk co-author, Stanley Crouch made some interesting observations on Tavis Smiley’s radio program tonight. I had planned to post this book for next month but it’s available now.

Sun., 11 May

The opening of HAITI THROUGH DOCUMENTS opened last night. I didn’t get there until I got off work but it was well received. The show looked really good. The person I was supposed to be working with didn’t show up. I figured she wouldn’t. She was supposed to get me some plexiglass frames used for photographs although they were being used to show historical letters. They were sent to the gallery in such an inept state that I had to take them apart and resposition almost half of them. Of course, it was another waste of time. And, it was time we didn’t have much of at this point. These were letters written by Toussaint l’Overture. Links below are to the month’s activities and the Haitian leader.

ArtMediaHaiti.com

The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the Negro Patriot of Hayti: Comprising an Account of the Struggle for Liberty in the Island, and a Sketch of Its History to the Present Period. By Rev. John Relly Beard, 1800-1876

Toussaint l’Overture

Obviously, this past week has been a busy one with the exhibition but, I need to plan for a trip to St. Lucie River by next weekend. I need to be focused about what I want to do while there, which should be 2-3 days if I can afford to. I’ll figure that out in the next few days.

posted on artlab33.org @ 19:08

Because of Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong almost everybody in the US knows about Le Tour de France but, the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain are the next largest annual cycling events. Cyclists from the US rarely ride La Vuelta España but Andy Hampsten won the Giro some years ago. At any rate, il Giro comes in May, le Tour in July, and la Vuelta in September. That means the racing is on! Last year Tyler Hamilton (Armstrong’s former teammate) garnered 2nd place in il Giro (with a fractured shoulder, lots of pain, but some true grit).

See live coverage daily

Hear live coverage daily

Unfortunately the German site that used to carry integrated audio/video has changed formats so, I use two different sites to get live daily coverage. The German site used to update images about every 10 secs. the CZ and FR sites I’ve found only update once every 2 mins. That’s better than not at all. I don’t have cable or satelite TV and, can’t afford it anyway.

I miss racing. Not so much the getting up before dawn so I could be on the road by 7am but, my fitness level has dropped so low. Training rides used to be very calming or every invigorating (depending on what type of training I was doing).

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale has the top 4 worse bicycle-to-car accident rates in the US. You know damn well the cyclist is the one getting hurt or killed. Hit-and-run drivers are really bad down here, too.

I got hit by a car back in the 80s but thank gawd the elderly driver had good insurance. I woke up in the hospital but my concussion wasn’t too bad. I got physical therapy at the office of Dr. Carmichael, father of Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong’s coach). That therapy got me going again and I was flying soon and went on to do some motorpacing before the racing season ended.

Anyway… il Giro d’Italia will pass close to the locale where I spent 6 months in Italy, Treviso province. I was in a village at the Dolomite foothills and had a great time. I miss it there. That’s where I gained my real appreciation for wine. Wine of Conegliano e Valdobbiadene region

Current Music: The Best of Ornette Coleman

I spoke with my botanist friend and got the down low on the ginger plants he gave me. He says they won’t likely blossom potted indoors but they have beautiful leaves anyway.

http://www.botany.com/hedychium.html
http://www.oasisdesigns.co.uk/hedychium_pics.htm
http://www.hear.org/pier/hecor.htm

I’ve used my favorite pianist/composer, Herbie Hancock.

1. Are you male or female? “Watermelon Man”
2. Describe yourself – “Ostinato”
3. How do some people feel about you? “Riot”
4. How do you feel about yourself? “Speak Like a Child”
5. Describe your girlfriend/boyfriend/interest – “Maiden Voyage”
6. Where would you rather be? “The Eye of the Hurricane”
7. Describe what you want to be – “A Jump Ahead”
8. Describe how you live – “Survival of the Fittest”
9. Describe how you love – “You’ll Know When You Get There”
10. Share a few words of wisdom – “Promise of the Sun”

Current music: Herbie Hancock – Jazz Pianist & Composer

The following tests were developed by Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge.

Take the interactive empathy quotient test.

Take the interactive systemising quotient test

.

Baron-Cohen’s theory is that the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, and that the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems. He calls it the empathising-systemising (E-S) theory.

My results: EQ=53 – SQ=63
(You need Flash to take the test. 93% of computers have Flash installed)

I was disappointed yesterday with the finals between Portland and Dallas. Portland lost even though history was against them winning. If the Lakers had be matched up against the Mavs, LA probably would have won. Sacto Kings should beat Dallas Mavs… let’s just get it done. Lakers vs. Spurs sounds more of a challenge. Last year I remember Kobe grabbing a rebound, one-handed, with a put-back slam over Tim Duncan. Amazing it was. This is a different year and both teams are different. I’ve liked the Lakers since living in LA back many yrs. Shaq, I’ve liked since I first saw him. Let the game begin (tonight 9:30pm EDT US).

Current Music:
The Best of Miriam Makeba

Now that I’ve finished my contract I have a chance to do some reading. This summer should be the perfect opportunity to do it. If you’re interested in any of the books I just found out about, check the links. They’re new publications.

“Africa since 1940 : The Past of the Present”
“Myth and the Creative Process: Michael Ayrton and the Myth of Daedalus, the Maze Maker”
“Changing Men and Masculinities in Latin America”
(all with book descriptions)
http://www.art3st.com/associates/booksmay2003.html

Books of Paul Farmer
“Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor”
“Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues, Updated Edition With a New Preface”
“AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame”
“Uses of Haiti”
http://www.art3st.com/anyblackman/associates/paulfarmer.html

Current Music:
Boulez: Sonates 1, 2 & 3 For Piano

Heading off to a birthday party in 5 min. However, I can’t remember on whose blog I saw this but here are my answers:

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
1. Being confronted by somebody pointing a gun at me.
2. Extremely rough airplane flights.
3. Free swimming in the deep ocean.

THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
1. My niece.
2. A co-worker (because he’s pathetic)
3. Miguel (long time cycling buddy)

THREE THINGS I LOVE:
1. My own cooking.
2. My niece.
3. Myself (it might sound egotistic but it’s not).

THREE THINGS I HATE:
1. Dishonesty.
2. Backstabbers.
3. Driving in rush hour traffic.

THREE THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND:
1. Automobile engine mechanics.
2. Web server administration.
3. Why some people get pleasure from the pain of others.

THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
1. Computer.
2. Scanner.
3. Phone.

THREE THINGS I’M DOING RIGHT NOW:
1. Typing this!
2. Writing an essay/commentary.
3. Thinking about moving my car to the back of the bldg.

THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
1. Publish a book (in progress).
2. Museum solo exhibition.
3. Buy a house/studio in the woods or some rural place.

THREE THINGS I CAN DO:
1. Write reasonably well.
2. Create art in a variety of media.
3. Cook well enough to make yo momma holla’.

THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
1. Not excitable.
2. Intense.
3. Deliberate and methodical.

THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY LOOKS:
1. Slim
2. Lean.
3. Young.

THREE THINGS I CAN’T DO:
1. Be dishonest with myself.
2. Become somebody other than myself.
3. Stop loving somebody that I told, “I love you.”

THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST:
1. “Chile puhleeze.”
2. “Humph!”
3. “I bet you do!”

THREE OF YOUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS:
1. My grandmother’s sweet potatoe pie. (deceased)
2. My mom’s apple pie. (deceased)
3. My grandmother’s pound cake. (deceased)

THREE THINGS YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN:
1. Highest level of music composition.
2. To speak Spanish, Italian, French, Portugese, Yoruba, Ewe, and (Haitian) Kreole, all fluently.
3. Web server administration.

THREE BEVERAGES YOU DRINK REGULARLY:
1. Water.
2. Cranberry juice.
3. Latté.

THREE SHOWS YOU WATCHED WHEN YOU WERE A KID:
1. “Ed Sullivan”
2. “Soupy Sales”
3. “Saturday Night movies”

NPR’s Tavis Smiley talks to contributor Michael Eric Dyson about jazz great Nina Simone. Tavis Smiley talks to singer and pianist Shirley Horn about the life and legacy of the great songwriter, singer and pianist, Nina Simone. Simone passed away April 21.

Join Talk of the Nation for a remembrance of jazz legend Nina Simone, who died Monday at age 70. Guests: Chandra Brown *Childhood friend of Nina Simone’s daughter W.S. Tkweme *Doctoral Student in African-American Studies at University of Massachus…

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Another women of note: Before Watson and Crick, Brenda Maddox, author of Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, describes the discoveries that lead scientists to focus on DNA as the secret behind life. The Secret of Photo 51