Category: Entertainment

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Philadelphia

The trip to Philadelphia has been great. We spent most of Friday at the Museum of Art. The museum is featuring a Cezanne exhibit highlighting his work and the works of the many artists influenced by Cezanne. Obviously I didn’t do my homework, I had no idea on the amazing works to experience including Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.

The Friday night highlight was the Art After 5 jazz in the main hall. Tonight featured Tim Ries playing music from his Rolling Stones project. He was joined by vocalists Bernard Fowler and Magos Herrera. While the music suffered struggles with acoustics, the music and this event were a nice close to our evening.

The walk to the museum and the views from the museum back to downtown Philadelphia were nice on this cool dry day.

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Lemony Snicket and Carson Ellis

Life is good! Checking email to close out the night and see a message from Powells.com Events. Lemony Snicket is coming to town for a book signing. Exciting, right. Lemony Snicket, a new book, a signing and Lemony is joined at the signing by illustrator Carson Ellis.

The book, The Composer is Dead, is to be released March 3, 2009, and sounds unique from the review and comes packaged with a CD narrated by Lemony Snicket and music from the San Francisco Symphony.

I wonder if Snicket’s handler will be there assisting at the signing? I hear he’s quite a guy.

I’m excited and there is going to be one excited little girl in this house tomorrow morning!

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Bettye Lavette performs Love Reign O’er Me

I know the rest of the world has commented on Bettye Lavette’s performance of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me” but I’ve finally seen a video worthy enough to actually make a post. I was fortunate to see it the evening the Kennedy Center Awards were on TV and was quite moved by the performance. If you haven’t seen it, I am sure you will be moved as well. It was humorous to learn that Barbara Streisand turned to Pete Townshend to ask if he had really written the song.

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Natural Cycles Art Installation

The Natural Cycles art installation (September 2008 – September 2009) featuring works from five artists offers yet another enticing reason to visit Tryon Creek State Park. Each artwork is unique and intriguing in this natural setting.

Fung-US is gorgeous, playful and thought provoking — are we the fungus? Nontrivial Pursuit amazes in scale and message. The Source Series offers a true perspective of where our material lives originate. Forevergreen Tuffet is, well, alien. Invader, just like its real-life counterpart, threatens.

Of course the natural beauty of the park surpasses each of these installations but the art does spark discussion regarding our impact on the natural cycles of our world.

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Frida Kahlo Scarecrow

Each year the Clark County Historical Museum encourages Vancouver, Washington, businesses to take part in the Extreme Scarecrow Makeover. Local businesses dress up a scarecrow. Tonight, two scarecrows and their creators were awarded as either the Mayor’s Choice Award or the People’s Choice Award. The scarecrows are then auctioned off as a fundraiser.

Pictured below is the Frida Kahlo scarecrow which we were honored to win. Frida didn’t win an award tonight but was our selection. She now graces our hallowed halls.

Frida had to part paths with her scarecrow friends which included Jimi Hendrix with Strat, Edward Scooperhands (from a local ice cream shop), robo-scarecrow and others.

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HighEdWeb 2008: Carillon

While at the HighEdWeb 2008 conference I enjoyed a personal tour of the beautiful carillon tower at Missouri State University. Not only did I get a tour, but was amongst the bells as the music rang out around me. The bells even rang out at my hands; I’m sure there are students wondering what happened just short of 1:00pm when the bells rang out a random set of notes. Quite an honor, quite an experience!

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Last of the Neanderthals

National Geographic is one of those magazines that I read, in general, cover to cover. In the most recent issue we learn more about the Last of the Neanderthals and, based upon the amazing synergy of science and art, get to view our best take of their appearance. Face to face with a Neanderthal female — Wilma.

Experts say that Neanderthals have been extinct for ages, but I am always wary of statements like this. I remember hearing long ago that dinosaurs were extinct. Now it seems that they are not quite extinct but live on via their chirping distant cousins.

Do I have any evidence to support the existence of Neanderthals or distant relations? Of course not, but I’d swear that I have met a few in my day. They are quite lovely people.

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Tyco Zero Gravity Cliffhangers

Memories of childhood excitement found me buying an old Tyco HO Slot Car set at a local garage sale. Five dollars later the Zero Gravity Cliffhangers with Nite-Glow set was mine!

This is one cool set. Zero gravity, cliffhangers, nite-glow. What is all this? We never had any of this fancy stuff growing up. Just oval track, cars, speed and excitement.

Anxiety was also mine waiting to see if a mostly complete set was to be found in the well-maintained box.

A few days later father and daughter had fun puzzling the track together. Piece by piece our anticipation grew. The track was complete (with a few overpass support pieces missing) and now together. Two complete cars are found in the box and look in workable order.

Cars go on the track. Feel the gritty motion of the controller, all seems well. Time to plug in.

We are off and racing. Spiral, cliff climb and descent, vertical loop and a straight-away in a tight layout.

Kids still love this stuff — girls and boys. Kids dropping by have to try it out. Of course the older, greener part of me worries that this is promoting gas guzzling muscle cars, but then I remember that I’m truly promoting re-use and that electric vehicles can be exciting. Here are a few pictures of our set.

Here is a similar set in action.

(Based on this video, I might need to adjust our track layout.)

Is all this silly? Of course, it is fun and can be therapeutic.

And when we’re done with it, I’m sure — after confirming on eBay — that there are others that would give this set more use in their home.

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Oregon Symphony

Our favorite end of summer concert happened this past Thursday on the waterfront in Portland. A beautiful night for great music and fireworks. Music lovingly presented by the Portland Youth Philharmonic and the Oregon Symphony.

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Personal Injury Warning System

I just recently learned of Jonathan Corum‘s Personal Injury Warning System. It is a fun trip through his historic record of personal injuries and the warning signs that might have prevented each incident. Despite the extensive injuries, Jonathan retains a highly detailed memory. Here is my first attempt at a PIWS sign.

Personal Injury Warning Sign1973 Texas

Hide-and-seek does not mean you are invisible or able to pass through immovable objects.

Permanent Damage: Small scar dead-center forehead.

Looking Back: Too bad I didn’t have Dan’s advice to get me through that lamp post.

Create your own historic record.