I was stung by a wasp on Friday. It stung the arch of my left foot. Before I even knew what had happened, I had thrown my sandal and yelled, leaving me hobbling on one foot and embarrassed. Some dude under a tree was looking at me. I didn't bother explaining.
Who knew a wasp could do so much damage. Before long my foot was swollen and sore to the bone. The next day, the swelling was worse and there was the additional annoyance of the itch. The internet wisdom said "don't scratch, it will make it worse". Make what worse I wondered. The itch, or the overall experience, or? The itch was getting worse by the second. scratch it. scratch it. scratch it. comon scratch it. I gave in. It was an intensely pleasurable experience. I loved it. I couldn't stop. Such relief. wow. I rubbed, I scratched, I massaged....and then.....I stopped. Immediately the burn started. Like road rash or a sunburn, only deep in the whole foot. Woah. Ok so that's what they meant. True, the pain was worse. But I no longer had the little repetitive mind bug and that, my friends, was worth it. Yup, I would trade the itch for the burn any time. Plus you get the little orgasmic experience of the scratch. It's a good trade.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Take a deep breath and... (day 2)
first breath
breathe easy
take my breath away
breathless
hold your breath
don't hold your breath
the breath of life
hard breathing
bad breath
shallow breath
just breathe
breathe deeply
foul breath
last breath
I'm working on a research project called Breath I/O along with Leila Sujir, Joy James, and Ron Burnett. We feel very lucky to have this project funded by SSHRC for three years through their research/creation program (on hold for the moment). It is luxury...working with a team of researchers and students (Miles Thorogood, and Thea Jones are research assistants) for an extended period of time like this.
The form of the project is a virtual stereoscopic video sculpture with lungs as its subject. The lungs (single, multiple - a chorus of lungs) are in a constant exchange with the environment which is filled with sound, image and video.
The choice of not breathing cannot be sustained. We breathe and know something about where we are. We breathe and others know something about how we are. This idea of being subject to and indebted to the environment is what is compelling to me. In relation to the environment of sound, image and video (perhaps text?) I would like to know what it is to breathe image and sound. I read recently that the CEO of netflix thinks that web 3.0 will be a full video web. Like watching TV all over again but this time...with feeling? I don't know. I'm assuming he means that it will be democratic this time. That it will be the whole world cooking up a media storm for a public banquet of (biblical?) proportions. Or maybe more of a potluck...more like YouTube feels like now but less clicking. Who knows. My lungs will know if they are breathing the foul air of fast food.
The investigation has just started. We have a prototype but it's not quite right. We'll keep working at it, creating lungs that breathe naturally, convincingly. We'll come up with ways of seeing video mingling in the environment and finding its way into the lungs which take and give back. We'll find ways for people to converse with the virtual chorus with their hands and voices.
breathe easy
take my breath away
breathless
hold your breath
don't hold your breath
the breath of life
hard breathing
bad breath
shallow breath
just breathe
breathe deeply
foul breath
last breath
I'm working on a research project called Breath I/O along with Leila Sujir, Joy James, and Ron Burnett. We feel very lucky to have this project funded by SSHRC for three years through their research/creation program (on hold for the moment). It is luxury...working with a team of researchers and students (Miles Thorogood, and Thea Jones are research assistants) for an extended period of time like this.
The form of the project is a virtual stereoscopic video sculpture with lungs as its subject. The lungs (single, multiple - a chorus of lungs) are in a constant exchange with the environment which is filled with sound, image and video.
The choice of not breathing cannot be sustained. We breathe and know something about where we are. We breathe and others know something about how we are. This idea of being subject to and indebted to the environment is what is compelling to me. In relation to the environment of sound, image and video (perhaps text?) I would like to know what it is to breathe image and sound. I read recently that the CEO of netflix thinks that web 3.0 will be a full video web. Like watching TV all over again but this time...with feeling? I don't know. I'm assuming he means that it will be democratic this time. That it will be the whole world cooking up a media storm for a public banquet of (biblical?) proportions. Or maybe more of a potluck...more like YouTube feels like now but less clicking. Who knows. My lungs will know if they are breathing the foul air of fast food.
The investigation has just started. We have a prototype but it's not quite right. We'll keep working at it, creating lungs that breathe naturally, convincingly. We'll come up with ways of seeing video mingling in the environment and finding its way into the lungs which take and give back. We'll find ways for people to converse with the virtual chorus with their hands and voices.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A bo challenge (day 1)
My friend bo asked me if I write. Only under duress I said. In my mind I pictured grant deadlines and reports on said grants. You should write she replied. Other people have asked me to write over the years.....oh no I don't write is the standardized response.
Meanwhile the 365 trend which surfaced a couple years ago (flickr self-portraits for example) is getting popularized by the new Julia Child movie (for a great commentary on what she meant to a generation of home cooks, read this beautiful writing by Michael Pollan.) 365 is a daily practice of something, doesn't matter what. Do anything once a day and you will be amazed by the patterns that emerge. Of course I already know this...at least I have an inkling. When I do manage to meditate daily for more than days at a time, I see the commitment that is required to stick out the bad days. And that's it, 365 is a practice, not of the thing you are doing but of the patience and generosity it takes to not give up.
Also meanwhile, a new year's resolution of becoming more public will be getting satisfied.
So here's to you Bo. I will write something each day. No need to stay tuned. This is the age of speaking out into the void...unspeakable generosity. But if you are tuned in, randomly, then feel free to randomly give me a random topic.
Meanwhile the 365 trend which surfaced a couple years ago (flickr self-portraits for example) is getting popularized by the new Julia Child movie (for a great commentary on what she meant to a generation of home cooks, read this beautiful writing by Michael Pollan.) 365 is a daily practice of something, doesn't matter what. Do anything once a day and you will be amazed by the patterns that emerge. Of course I already know this...at least I have an inkling. When I do manage to meditate daily for more than days at a time, I see the commitment that is required to stick out the bad days. And that's it, 365 is a practice, not of the thing you are doing but of the patience and generosity it takes to not give up.
Also meanwhile, a new year's resolution of becoming more public will be getting satisfied.
So here's to you Bo. I will write something each day. No need to stay tuned. This is the age of speaking out into the void...unspeakable generosity. But if you are tuned in, randomly, then feel free to randomly give me a random topic.
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