Happy My Birthday!
| Listening to: | public radio |
| Reading: | labels |
| Weather: | 35, partly sunny |
I've reached the mystical 42.
Got to enjoy seeing Arianna Huffington at the WVU Fest of Ideas friday night afer Beer Nacht. The rest of the FOI lineup this year is Cirque du So Lame. Arianna is so smart and quick and humorous, it was a delightful show.
Last weekend I had a lovely little getaway to see Bodies: The Exhibition, and the Ron Mueck show at the Warhol Museum. Both fairly spectactular, and an interesting juxtaposition. I have to say, though, the Bodies had been a little overhyped for me, and though it pretty much rocked, I actually dug the Ron Mueck show more. The Bodies is a show of actual human bodies and parts which have been polymerized (the fluids replaced by polymers to prevent decay). The Bodies had a little controversy surrounding it, apparently there was some question about the degree to which the actual humans, who are Chinese people who donated their bodies to science, actually consented to this kind of exhibiting of their innards. The Catholic diocese published a .pdf statement about how they had researched and investigated the issues and believe that respectful viewing of the exhibit would be OK for Catholics, that the people appeared to have given adequate consent in the Catholic view. Bla bla.
It was cool to see actual musculature and organs and nerves and whatnot. They also had a fetal exhibit that was pretty rad. You looked like a little alien when you were about 4 weeks into this flesh odyssey, amigos, for real. Big head and eye sockets.
And on the other hand Ron Mueck's hyperrealistic body sculptures had no consent issues whatsoever. And they totally rocked. He sculpts skin so real if you stare long enough you'll see it twitch, or see a chest fall a little with breath. It was crazy cool. Super realistic, as far as every little hair and faint blue vein under the skin, and very average joe models, but not super realistic in that they were mostly either giants or really tiny. I just loved these sculptures. I wanted to see more, whereas getting to the end of the Bodies was kind of a relief. The Bodies was ubercrowded and in a warehouse, and the Muecks were in the lovely Warhol Museum and though there were people around but not enough to be in the way. Just enough to enjoy some other people's reactions to the show.
We stayed in a relatively cheap hotel out near the airport that night and went shopping at IKEA and Half Priced Books and whatnot the following day. Liv and her buds went to a show in Southside P'burgh at Diesel, a psychobilly band called the Horrorpops. Larry and I split a Cheese Combo sandwich and a Yeungling at Primanti's. This is damn good living.
Then Monday night we went to the Coliseum to see the Mounties beat the crap out of Pitt. It was basically an asswhooping from about minute 3. We christened a new Mountaineer, too. The place was more packed than I've seen yet this year. Most of the games have been sold out, but there are usually plenty of empty season ticket seats, not for this game. I actually got evicted from my usual section (I buy cheap nosebleeders from the scalpers, then grab a seat behind the band where about 1/3 of the section is usually empty). Twice.
And it's friday again! All good in worldo'cat, hopefully in your world, too. Ciao for now.
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posted by cat 7:35 AM
