Troopergate and other sagas

i've been enjoying these drawings from Zina Saunders. If you like the one above, there are plenty more to check out at drawger.com.

My review of 2007's 'The Vagina Monologues'

Last night I attended “The Vagina Monologues” at Utah Valley State College. It was a very impactful show, filled with some very good performances and some amazing monologues. I’ve heard about the vagina monologues for some time now (the yearly performance has sparked quite a controversy in the small conservative town that I live in). After last night, I think all of the controversy the program has received is unwarranted. The performance is definitely not for the prudish, but the pay off is extremely rewarding. It seems that many people don’t have the capacity to maneuver through performances they initially find offensive. What’s so offensive about vagina’s anyway? Abuse is so pervasive because it something that we are afraid to discuss. The puritan in us likes to pretend that abuse doesn’t exist, meanwhile society decays as the rate of rapes and abuse each year remain static or increase. Many women are made to feel slutty instead of sexy, ashamed instead of proud, while they remain subjugated by men who objectify them. The monologues highlighted women from around the globe. Stories of Afghani, Bosnian, Iraqi, Japanese, and American women left the room silent, haunted by the harsh realities of global abuse. The monologues were also very hilarious, many of them discussing the ins and outs of having a vagina. The crowd roared in laughter through intimate details of being a woman. The second to last monologue was an illustration of the many unique orgasmic moans. The performance was a success. I left, slowly absorbing the monologues and what they meant to me as a man. What can I do to more fully appreciate and protect my wife, my mother, my sister, and the many women relatives and friends I have? It was a wonderful experience.

R.I.P. Bruce Conner

Bruce Conner passed away today at age 74 of natural causes. My friend Travis already posted a great article about Conner's death here and a post full of great links and information here, so i'll just add a few of my thoughts to his. i was introduced to Bruce Conner roughly two years ago while taking a class on beat art at UVU. As an aspiring filmmaker, it's easy to say that i've been most captivated by his incredibly spliced and innovative independent films. i have a few of his rare films, treasures that i present to house guests as a sort of initiation --- a sign of my confidence (and, i supposed, hope) in them. i show these films with eagerness, reminiscent of my desire to share scripture passages with friends when i first turned away from drugs and my old lifestyle. Of course, as i learned with my sometimes overbearing approach to sharing knowledge i'd gained, what changes your life doesn't universally transform the hearts of everyone. The process of exchange can be laborious and frustrating, often lacking reciprocity. Some of my friends have watched his films and walked away as if they'd just seen a reality tv show. Others, such as my wife, become instant enthusiasts and understand, almost intuitively, what makes his films so great. i am thankful for his vision and creativity that has profoundly impacted the way i view film and art. i encourage you all to delve into his work. i've only spoken briefly about his films. He has a large body of work that stretches over many mediums and many years. If you live close to me, stop by and we'll relax, turn the TV on, pop my DVDs in, and dig on some Bruce Conner together. That's how artists stay alive. Art derives and is ultimately retained and preserved in the memory.

One more link.

my contribution to the DaDazine

Newspaper Blackout Poems

This blog is pretty cool. I think this would be even more interesting if you created the poems using chance operations instead of deliberately selecting the words you want to use.

True story...

Ezra Pound. Hear him read.

Mao Looking At Duchamp's 'Fountain'

In this picture, Mao views Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain'. Priceless.

Postsecret

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm pretty sure I'm a secret voyeur. I've checked out the weekly updated secrets on the website Postsecret every week, like clockwork, for probably a year or so (and I know I'm not the only one. Plenty of my friends have told me that they read it weekly too). I'm fascinated by people. I'm interested in what makes them tick. I'm interested in what makes me tick. I like the idea of providing a safe venue for people to express the seemingly inexpressible. However, I wish, for the many postcard senders, that they had someone to tell. When I find a secret that particularly interests me, I download it. Here are some from my collection:

Also, here is a video I found on YouTube with some more secrets: