American political campaigns increasingly approach the naked avowal of their function as a potlatch. In the potlatch, Pacific-Northwest Indians would set fire to all they own, in an attempt to gain status over a rival - daring their opponent to match their power to destroy. The pols, likewise, involve their rooters in a potlatch of waste: Party A must be more powerful than Party B (and, so, more worthy of fealty) as their ability to waste is greater. How odd, when, one would think, the politicians' primary responsibility would be to act responsibly in management of the assets of their constituents.
- excerpt from "Pleasure Pilgrims" by David Mamet
2005-03-08
2005-02-22
Snow!
As I requested in my 2/12 post, we got our snow! Maybe not quite as much as I had hoped, but enough to provide some nice pictures. Check out a few of them below...
2005-02-14
What's the Story?
I'd like to try a game. I'll describe something I glimpsed today on the way to class and you make up the backstory.
Walking through the village at 5:45pm, I passed a nice restaurant just outside of which I saw a man - about 28 years old - using a fine-toothed comb and a small pair of scissors to trim the eyebrows of another man - perhaps 50 years old - who grumpily endured the grooming.
So what's the rest of the story?
Walking through the village at 5:45pm, I passed a nice restaurant just outside of which I saw a man - about 28 years old - using a fine-toothed comb and a small pair of scissors to trim the eyebrows of another man - perhaps 50 years old - who grumpily endured the grooming.
So what's the rest of the story?
2005-02-12
'The Gates' Is Up!
We spent our first few hours today walking Mia in the park, checking out 'The Gates'. It has been an interesting process to be in the park every day for the last several weeks as the installation has gradually gone up. It created an anticipation that might otherwise not have been there.
I have many reactions to The Gates. I appreciate it on a technical level. This is probably atypical, but I have a real appreciation for the precision with which each gate was constructed and the planning that was required to install something on such a scale that would survive in Central Park for 16 days. I also appreciate how such a simple concept has completely transformed the park. Thanks to Mia, we know our little corner of the park like the backs of our hands; It's wonderful to walk into it and feel like we're seeing it again for the first time. I appreciate how it interacts with its natural setting (suspend criticism of central park as a natural setting). There are long stretches where gates are placed every 12 feet and then there is a long break to make room for a tree. Then contrast those long, level stretches with the hills on our end of the park for a completely different impression. In addition, the weather is a huge contributor. As you can see from the pictures below, the sun and the wind add to the effect. I really hope it snows some time in the next two weeks...
What I haven't been able to appreciate yet is viewing the whole thing at once. Of the 7,500 gates, I probably haven't seen more than 100 at a given time. I am going to try to see it from the top of the Time Warner building this week. Not sure if my little camera is going to be much good from that distance.
I have many reactions to The Gates. I appreciate it on a technical level. This is probably atypical, but I have a real appreciation for the precision with which each gate was constructed and the planning that was required to install something on such a scale that would survive in Central Park for 16 days. I also appreciate how such a simple concept has completely transformed the park. Thanks to Mia, we know our little corner of the park like the backs of our hands; It's wonderful to walk into it and feel like we're seeing it again for the first time. I appreciate how it interacts with its natural setting (suspend criticism of central park as a natural setting). There are long stretches where gates are placed every 12 feet and then there is a long break to make room for a tree. Then contrast those long, level stretches with the hills on our end of the park for a completely different impression. In addition, the weather is a huge contributor. As you can see from the pictures below, the sun and the wind add to the effect. I really hope it snows some time in the next two weeks...
What I haven't been able to appreciate yet is viewing the whole thing at once. Of the 7,500 gates, I probably haven't seen more than 100 at a given time. I am going to try to see it from the top of the Time Warner building this week. Not sure if my little camera is going to be much good from that distance.
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