Renaissance or just an excuse to be a weirdo?

J.D. and I went to the Wentzville Renaissance Faire yesterday. We wanted something different to do, and boy was it different. So what I'm wondering now is: who wakes up one morning and decides she needs to wear a dress weighing 15 pounds in 80 degree heat with 80 percent humidity? This "Faire" makes one ponder such questions. And who knew so many women in St. Louis really desired to pull-off the "wench" look? Just because you "can" wedge your cleavage up to your chin... doesn't mean you should. J.D.'s "historical" favorite was a lady going for just such a look, but she attained a level of authenticity others lacked, since she didn't have any teeth. Perhaps I just didn't enjoy the event because I could not suspend my disbelief. I suppose the idea of the "Renaissance" fair annoys me because they play with the premise of history, while dressing up as fairies, pirates, and just inserting "ye" and "thee" into every sentence. It seems like any costume works, as long as you wouldn't wear it walking down Delmar... ok, bad example. But as long as it isn't "normal," then it must be "old"? What "Renaissance" are we even talking about anyway: English, High Italian, etc. (guess I can rule out the Harlem Renaissance)? The only guy who even came close to the idea of "Renaissance" was the guy with the "Leonardo da Vinci" sign who was painting. And I'm sorry, but Shakespeare didn't write in "Old English." They should just call it Medeival Mulligan Faire.

Sights from Idaho

Candice's graduation.

Chad at work.

Patriotic Nick, Chad's friend.

Mom's very hideous childhood toy.

Nick, Chad, and Eric.
Rowdy Muffin the kitten

"General Conference Bingo"

For Catherine . . .

Summation of the universe

Yes, Human?

Get back to me later when it's about food.

Paper Topics

I thought it would be entertaining to note the different (student chosen) paper topics from this semester, which I will be slavishly reading this weekend:

1. Presentations of Al Gore in the media
2. Virginia Woolf and F. Scott Fitzgerald as "soul mates" (ralph! -- and I don't mean Waldo)
3. Picasso's Guernica symbolism and subject
4. Political and social satire by Gilbert and Sullivan
5. Rwandan genocide and U.N./U.S. apathy
6. The Daily Show as news
7. The "romance" of Starbucks
8. LSD as a miracle drug (sometimes you wonder about the personalized aspect of these topics)
9. Tiger Woods and mental athletic performance
10. Impressionists and the influence of Hokusai
11. Sinatra and sexism
12. Herbert's Dune and Taoism
13. Scratching and multiculturalism
14. Punk values -- alternative "values"

Random Adventures

1. A couple of weeks ago, on a beautiful sunny day, I got to drive a blue boat. It's the first time I've driven in at least a year. My boat was a Ford Taurus... but still, it was fun. And really it's only a boat when you're used to cruising around in a Focus.

2. On April 26 I had lunch with the European philosopher Isabelle Stengers, my advisor, and a few other graduate students. I asked her about her use of rhetoric involving suffering and victimization in Cosmopolitics and the possible connection to Whitehead's God "the fellow-sufferer who understands" (Whitehead qtd. in Stengers, Beyond Conversation 240). She explains "understands" in Beyond Conversation but not the notion of suffering. Her answer, since Whitehead's notion of God to her is impersonal, is that God "understands in unison of becoming" (240). Or to say it as she did at another time during discussion, God knows "me," but not the "me" I necessarily know. And God suffers, but not a type of suffering we fully understand, a suffering of all potentials and all failed potentials-- if I understood her correctly.

3. Tonight we went to a modern art exhibit downtown. It took place in a half-renovated loft. One of our friends was showing his work with others. Techno music was blaring from the DJ, and all "artsy" and "trendy" city dwellers were in attendance. We were greeted at the door by an exhibit of hanging plastic-wrap geometric shapes and photographs of bare male buttocks on the wall. (An interesting way to say hello). Art work of note also included the pillar of Virgin Marys stacked on top of each other, the Virgin buried under a pile of bricks, and every one's favorite, The Last Supper Lucha Wrestling Style. Actually, the most impressive view to me, was watching the sunset. In cities the sunsets belong to those with enough money to command a view. However, not everyone in attendance was persuaded about the validity of the art. A phrase that was often repeated is reproduced below:

I however remain entertained, either way.

Mars

Airing himself out.

Just being cute.

City Museum with Riley and Abby

Outside climbing around.

Indoors climbing all over
Tired Uncle