The Turntables Go 'Wiki Wiki'...

At least that's what a picture I found on the Backgrounds App for the iPod touch/iPhone says.  And it's true.

Ok, you got me, I'm still tripping on music.  I got the entire album of Go-The Best of Moby, even though it came out before some of his other albums, and I've been listening to Lift Me Up all day.  Really ALL DAY.  Woke up, played it.  Sung it in the shower. Listened to it on the way to class. Listened to it back from class. Hummed it in chapel. And I'm listening to it right now.  I truly love this song.

But I'm not going into a huge rant about music this time...I hope.  I think I'm getting a cold.  Or maybe it's just allergies.  I usually get either once or twice a semester, so it sort of makes sense, I've already had a bad cold once, so maybe this is just a weak version.  I'm taking care of it though - vitamin C, healthy food, and tea and water.  Speaking of water: Sobe has water out called Life Water, perhaps you've heard of it.  Anyways, I saw the bottles in the store and LOVED how cool they looked, and the flavors sounded awesome, so I picked up a bottle of Fuji Apple Pear.  It's fantastic.  If you like pears and fuji apples, you'll love this flavor.  I'm impressed, usually flavored water is, well, watered down - no real flavor.  Sobe was smart in picking things that are supposed to have subtle, crisp flavors, and it WORKS.  Definitely what you want to bring when you go to a club while dancing and singing "Lift me up. Lift me up. Higher now, up now."

Right now I'm waiting to see if there are any rides available to get to the museum I need to go to tomorrow.  I hope so.  It's not super critical that I go tomorrow, but if I don't I will have to go sometime this weekend, and I'd really rather not.  What sucks is I'm not really in the mood to go to a museum at the moment, which means if I get a random ride I'd prefer to go in, get what I need, and book it; but if I'm at someone else's mercy I will have to WAIT...I don't mind not being in control, I just know I have lots to do still.  *sigh*

Ok, so I just realized I'm not super quick on the uptake - just posted that request on Facebook, so MAYBE someone will either have time or want to get out of a class to go do something fun. Even though it probably won't be too much fun.  But they can make it fun.  Ya, have a positive attitude people - you will enjoy following an idiot through a museum for free.  Actually, phrased like that, it at least sounds amusing.  I love museums, I'm just not in the mood.  Maybe because I know I have stuff to do, or maybe because I know I have to be all adult and mature while I'm there.  The first museum I went to was the ExplOratorium in San Fransisco this last summer with John Roscigno - http://www.johnroscigno.com/ - and my friend Bunny.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!! You could touch EVERYTHING!!!!  It was super uber cool.  And then I went to the Norton Simon museum a little while ago and the security 1 - STALKS YOU and 2 - yelled at me for touching the WALL!!!!  That's right, the effing STUCCO!!!!!  What the heck?  At the ElplOratorium, the most awkward thing that can happen is 1 - tripping into something, and 2 - being at an exhibit while a child comes up to you awkwardly and then runs away.  They were sort of like squirrels, you were totally ok with them being right there, and you sort of wanted to reach out and let them take a block or try the exhibit with you, but they just STARE.  And then their eyes get really BIG and they run away, leaving you there awkward and alone.  Then you explain it to the people around you, and they're like "ya, I know, one did that to me too!!" and you get this moment of group understanding, but at the same time are left with a little hole somewhere deep inside that gets buried into your subconscious about "what if that child hadn't run away?".  It adds a whole new aspect to going to museums.  Plus the ExplOratorium is LOUD!!  That's what museums should be like sometimes, you should be able to get EXCITED about the art!  instead of walking up to a painting and saying "oooh, I really love the brush strokes and the lighting that gets employed in this.  What a fantastic medium, it fits wonderfully into this frame and is such a great example of the International Style" you should be able to go up to a piece and take a minute to look at it and say, "THIS PIECE IS AWESOME!!!!!  I LOVE THE WAY THE WATER SEEMS TO MOVE!!!!! DECONSTRUCTIONISM ROCKS, FOR THE WIN!!!!!!  You see?  It would all the difference in the world.  Ok, so maybe not shouting, but at least a normal voice.  And you wonder why the Norton Simon is so bloody empty.  And security, they shouldn't be a bunch of old, vulture-esque people milling about in suits, staring at you from the corners and following you with their beady eyes, they should be middle-aged people in jeans and jackets with name tags strolling around and going up to people who look lost and saying, "You look awesome today, may I help you?" they'd be loved AND boost self esteem.  People would come back JUST for the security.  Oh, and if they really MUST tell people to not touch the wall, why not give me a good reason.  Don't just say, "Excuse me sir (where by sir they're really implying, Hey you inferior, uneducated, worthless person you, or just 'get bent'), don't touch the wall".  Not even a 'please'.  And calling me uneducated with his eyes, that's just low.  I can guarantee you I know more about walls than he does.  I've worked on construction sites, I've researched engineering, I've repaired walls of my own, how DARE he assume I'm some uneducated person inferior to him.  I could build walls around him in a cellar just like Amontillado.  Don't mess, fool.

But like I said, if they're going to tell you not to touch the wall, they need to go about it professionally, the middle-aged man in jeans comes up and says, "Why, hello sir, you seem to be quite awesome, and I don't want to detract from your experience, but the museum is built on an old burial ground, and I'd like to warn you that touching the walls may cause some of the more powerful and violent spirits to attach themselves to you and haunt you.  I'm only telling you for your safety and comfort and for liability reasons of the museum.  Thank you and have an awesome rest of your day here".  How you POSSIBLY be offended by that?!  I mean think about it, just the fact that he was completely open and honest with you, as well as humble, puts you in a much better mood, you understand that it was a mistake, and you don't do it again, but you don't feel like a child getting scolded.  You're an adult, you should get treated like one.  And the music in the Norton Simon...ughh, there WASN'T ANY!!!  I understand keeping it calm, but dead silence?  At least have The Girl From Ipanema playing low in the background.  I saw the speakers, they exist, they were designed with a purpose.  And security should actually know something about art too, instead of standing there in his under-sized suit, ogling people.  You should have that middle-aged security guard in jeans there, and when you ask him about the artwork, he should say, "why yes, this piece is one of this museum's finer works by this artist. As you can see, it is in act a replica, but also the closest thing to the original because as they were falling apart we replicated them directly and saved them from being lost forever" or "i don't know, but you're awesome enough I will go find out for you".  Either way, you feel important enough to know the info and the security becomes this representative for the benevolence of the museum.

It would be awesome.  I think if my art career ever gets to the point that I have exhibits, or a museum, I'm going to ensure that this is how people are treated.  You know, like HUMAN BEINGS!

Question:  Have you ever wanted to hug a Monkey Puzzle tree?  ONE WORD ANSWER.  If you don't know what it is - look it up.

Cheers,

-Shadow of Light