Continue reading “Bloom County in Contexts « The Hooded Utilitarian”
Category: Personal
Pantone Color of the Year 2018 | Ultra Violet 18-3838
Can I just say, I love the idea of a “Color of the Year.” Anything “of the Year” really. The idea that someone gets to decide what gets to be lionized for the coming 12 months is awesome. And if it doesn’t work out, you get to pick a new one next year. And if you like more turbulent times, there are plenty of “of the Month” items to choose from as well.
But anyway… Happy 2018. For those of us who love purple, it’s gonna be a good year! Pantone Color of the Year 2018 | Ultra Violet 18-3838
2017 in Review
2017… what a year it’s been.
It’s certainly been a year of firsts. During the summer we took Monki on her first big trip, where she met most of her father’s side of the family for the first time. She was a trooper when it came to flying extended distances and experiencing new things! I even got the chance to write it up for the magazine, which was cool. Continue reading “2017 in Review”
Photo and Art Archives
I’ve said it before. I love that on the Internet, people are making available all sorts of amazing, historical things which can be used for fun or for research or anything else. Continue reading “Photo and Art Archives”
He kept his Star Wars legacy a secret in Boulder for decades. At 85, the sci-fi pioneer is ready to step out. — The Know from The Denver Post
This is an amazing story! Holy crap the things this guy has done and how much he’s been an invisible part of my life, childhood and overall creative development!
My takeaway though, is this line:
“Colin told me one time that this is the way he went through life, that he liked to create things that people couldn’t un-think,” Dall said. “That’s how he got into a lot of things: he would come up with such original, creative and intelligent ideas that people would look at it and then they couldn’t go back.”
And if you want a piece of signed artwork, check out Colin Cantwell’s own website.
A Virtuoso Graphic Novel, Painted While in Hiding From the Nazis | Literary Hub
Charlotte Salomon (1917-1943) was the last Jewish student at the Berlin Fine Arts Academy. The danger for her had become so great by late 1938 that her family decided to get her out of Germany.
This is an amazing, and sad and angering, story. What sucks is we’re STILL learning the extent of the damage done to the arts and sciences some 70 years after the fact.
What a different world we might have had.
Source: A Virtuoso Graphic Novel, Painted While in Hiding From the Nazis | Literary Hub
A Real Stinker | David Magazine
It’s the Thought that Counts, Right?
This month I take a look at some gift giving etiquette – and some of the really bad gifts people have gotten over the years.
Source: A Real Stinker | David Magazine
Clicks or Bricks | David Magazine
With what the cover and several of the inside pieces of this month’s issue are about, it seems rather frivolous to be writing about virtual shopping, but nonetheless, that’s what this month’s piece, Clicks or Bricks, is about. Continue reading “Clicks or Bricks | David Magazine”
Nevermore
On a midnight, dark and dreary
As my eyes had gone all bleary
revising my c.v., so weary,
Then I heard a knocking knocking,
knocking on my chamber door
Lightning flash and peals of thunder
tore my peace of mind assunder
I stood and toward my door I blundered
toward the knocking at my door
shadows cast upon my floor
The door I opened, there to see
A Raven, in his finery
an ebon tenure committee
Come a’calling at my door
Knocking, cawing at my door
His eyes were black, my mood was blue
For his dark post-tenure review
Turned all my horses into glue
with sticky student eval scores
(It seems that they expected smores)
I told the Raven of my vigor
Maintaining academic rigor
and trying hard not to trigger
memories that open sores
and make the kids wander the moors
The Raven gave a caustic laugh
and showed me all his charts and graphs
with cuts in faculty and staff
The victory in culture wars
going to the well-paid whores
Who make the budgeting decisions.
My mind grew dark with tangled visions
“What of the education mission?”
I heard my quaking voice implore.
Quoth the raven: Nevermore.
— Orson Welk
Aga-Boom in Tenerife – The Fun (October 19-24)
While the shows were the reason we were in Tenerife, part of the fun of traveling to these places is to actually see the sites. Our first two days were pretty much shot as far as that went, since we were putting in 15-18 hour days with only lunch breaks for getting out of the theatre (well… for me getting out of the theatre. The clowns had time while we were doing the lights and such to go back to the hotel and rest before show time). Continue reading “Aga-Boom in Tenerife – The Fun (October 19-24)”
Aga-Boom in Tenerife – The Shows (October 20-23)
Once again, leaving Lithuania requires me getting up ridiculously early. This time it was the need to get to Vilnius airport by a little past 6am for an 8:10 flight, which, after changing planes twice, would ultimately land me in Tenerife later that day where I would meet up with the rest of the Aga-Boom gang for a series of shows in the FIC clown festival. The nice thing, though, was that I had a ride this time. Simas, Monika’s brother, kindly offered to give me a lift, so he was at our place at 5. So, while Rasa and Monki slept, I headed out the door for a 6 day trip. Continue reading “Aga-Boom in Tenerife – The Shows (October 20-23)”
Toxic fan culture
Really interesting piece here about toxic fan culture. The writer references Rick and Morty, a show I’ve never seen (and to be honest, I’m getting mixed reports and have such limited time I don’t know if I ever will) but the idea of the Revenge of the Nerds seems so odd to me. Continue reading “Toxic fan culture”
Travels with Monki | David Magazine
My latest piece for David Magazine. Here, I kind of distill the essence of our recent summer trip into one, relatively short essay about taking Monki to theme parks.
I Made A Harry Potter Monopoly Board For My Best Friend’s Birthday | Bored Panda
I just love the creativity here, seeing a girl make her friend a Harry Potter themed Monopoly set.
I know I’m asking for trouble, but I’m hoping at some point that Monki will want something like this and then either Rasa and I can do it as a surprise (Rasa is an amazing artist when the mood strikes her) or, even better, she’ll want to help and we can do it as a project together.
The EU Suppressed a 300-Page Study That Found Piracy Doesn’t Harm Sales
The European Commission paid €360,000 (about $428,000) for a study on how piracy impacts the sales of copyrighted music, books, video games, and movies. But the EU never shared the report—possibly because it determined that there is no evidence that piracy is a major problem.
Source: The EU Suppressed a 300-Page Study That Found Piracy Doesn’t Harm Sales
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 