Art can still be fun

Cool Stuff

As soon as you’ve dismissed the whole art gallery scene as one of nose-in-the-air pretentiousness, comes a witty and charming week-long show Tantamounter 24/7 (closing today) in New York by the Vienna-based artist collective Gelitin. The gallery contains a wooden box, the size of a small house. In one end of the box you put an object – any object: a photograph, a tape-recorder, a 2-year-old child (!!) – you wait for anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour; whereupon your object is returned to you, along with a hand-made facsimile (that you get to keep) made out of various art supplies, found objects, or even trash. You never actually see the six people involved (who lived and slaved away in the box 24/7 for the whole week).

For a much better description, and pics, read the New York Times article.

For the Doctor Who fans out there…

Cool Stuff

If you’ve enjoyed the latest series and can’t wait to see the next season, hey! in just a month and 8 days CBC will be playing the single episode The Christmas Invasion! But wait! Better than a sneak preview! The Beeb presented a charity show this evening called Children in Need and it had a five-minute scene specially written for this event! The scene takes place immediately after the last episode.

Incidentally, if you haven’t finished watching the latest series—MEGHAN and AUSTIN—you can’t watch this. Major spoilers. Especially if you don’t even know the title of the second last episode that your cousin said out loud to you*. Geez. Sorry, that was to Meghan and Austin again. So if you haven’t finished watching the series, you’ll just have to be nice to your uncle, won’t you, so you can see those remaining episodes. I’m talking to all of you now. Be nice to your uncle.

Except for those of you who have seen the episodes. You guys can openly ignore your uncles, and enjoy…

BBC Children in Need Appeal Night Doctor Who special

* And for the last time, it’s not “Time War”.

Jon Sick Day 368

Family Life, Jon

Okay, I exaggerate. It’s only day three. Only one major symptom. Sure, there’s a little sore throat the first day, a little fever the next, today he’s a bit stuffy. But the main symptoms of whatever it is he has seems to be grumpiness. Not huggy. Bite yer head off grumpy. But he’s cheered up now, so he must be getting better.

One of the interesting things about Jon (well, to us psych majors anyway) is how a minor illness reveals his internal wiring. We all get a little weaker when we’re sick, but for Jon it’s a bigger deal. For instance, his legs start to cross. One facet of his particular rendition of CP is that the inside muscles of his legs—the adductors–are stronger than his outer ones (bascially some fibres of that muscle group seem to be on more or less permanently). Jon has been able to build up his outer legs to compensate to some extent, but his compensation is close to a conscious action. So when he gets sick, even before any symptoms appears, the legs start to pull in. Last night, after a rough patch where I cuddled him back to sleep, he fell asleep with his legs bent up and together. When I tried to ease them down, it took all of my gentle strength. Gonna need a crowbar soon.

And incidentally, as his body tone goes down, I swear he gets heavier too!

The Goldfish

Jon

I like seeing two goldfish swimming in the pool. I like the goldfish. They are difrent. I like seeing a goldfish go blub blub blub. I want you to use your imaginashun. I will swim with them. We are going to the beach. I love going with them because the are difrent. My mommy and daddy are difrent too.

Jon

Bowling

Jon

(Lately, because of his “Animaniacs Bowling” video game, Jon has been interested in bowling. The other day we dug up an old foam indoor bowling set given to Jon years ago by Bachan. Well, after hours of bowling in the kitchen later, I can safely say that Jon is now REALLY interested in bowling. His teacher hopes that the class will go bowling in a real bowling alley later this year—here’s keeping our fingers crossed! —L)

I was bowling on Sunday. I love going to the kichin to bowl . I came to the liveinroom to have play station. I like to play anammanacks Bowling and I like to play spyro and Winnie the pooh. I was bowling with my mommy and my daddy. I was rowling the ball and it hit the pins. It was fun. It made us feel good.

Jon

Vote for Jon! A Weekend Poll

Family Life

We just got Jon’s school photos and—will wonders never cease?—we actually got three decent shots (unlike previous years where we were lucky to get one—and that after retakes). But we can’t decide which one to get reprints of. Can you help us decide?

(NB: results are not binding.)

My Halloween Costume

Family Life, Jon

I love going trick or treeting with my dad. I like going to lots of houses. I am going to say trick or treet when the door opens. I love going to anther house. I say trick or treet. My Halloween costume is a goat. a Goat says mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I am going to watch the movie. I love going to the house to say trick or treet.