Ill Communication

It has come to my attention that as we ever advance in the technological world, we simulatneously reverse towards a more illiterate one. This has been slapping me in the face with almost ever text message and half arsed email I have received of late. Is there no one out there who remembers how to structure a letter? OK, so I'm not saying that every email that enters my inbox needs to start "Dear Miss..." have a middle body subject and close by thanking me for my time and swift response, but I do feel that there is something lacking in these text based communications that will eventually kick us in the arse... text! All I'm asking for is real words and may be the odd complete coherent sentence. With all this "on the fly" shorthand a simple message can be read with multiple connotations, that I have often found myself stepping out of my surroundings to phone the transmitter and have an old fashioned telephone conversation to clear up what I preceived through text as world war III. Predictive text I can forgive, but sloppy writing is another fish altogether.

Widget Mania

Yahoo recently updated their weather widget and I just wanted to say "Good Job!" I feel that Yahoo has a tendency to be a little behind on the grahics and visual aesthetic front, but I'm happy to say this new weather widget not only looks good, but works well to boot! My only comment on the downside would be the use of "wind chill" which I believe is doubling as "heat index". The other day the temperature was 85 degrees with a wind chill of 90 degrees... can we fix that?

Transfixed By Art

It's been a while since I went to an art museum, especially one that's out of state, however the Milwaukee Art Museum was well worth the 2 hour drive. I had seen photographs of Santiago Calatrava's angelic winged building, but it is only as you approach the soaring stature of translucent quality that you start to tingle with delight at what could be held within. The building is deceivingly small and once inside seems to expand like Dr. Who's tardis, encapsulating a wealth of worldly treasures. Don't be intimidated though, the entire museum (minus the additional fee exhibit) is do able within 3 hours and with natural light whispering into the majority of rooms, museum sickness is at a low. My favorites of the day where all in the contemporary collection and happily all new artists to me. Below is just one of the many personal insights that Tony Oursler gives in "self portait in yellow" (1996). Amusing, hypnotic, seductive and totally vulnerable this doll lies trapped under a turned over chair, sharing his inner thoughts whilst the majority of museum patrons walk through his space oblivious to his presence. Perfect!



Another winner for me was Robert Gober's "untitled" (1997). A black leather suitcase lies open in the middle of the far end of the last room. As I approached my curiosity did not know of the pure and simple joy I was about to experience. As I moved in closer for inspection I realized that there was more to the suitcase than simply that. Another tardis! From the front you look into the suitcase and see a iron grate much like that of a street drain. Once fully around the back of the piece you discover the wonder of the artist... another world lies beneath the floor. I wont say any more, you'll have to see it for yourself. I will admit I smiled like some 5 year old who had just been shown a magic trick that tickled his funny bone.



If there is one art related activity you must choose to do in the mid west, go to the Milwaukee Art Museum... they also have a cafe with real food.