maren

Eva Hesse, Contingent. 1969.

Alice Neel: Richard in the Era of the Corporation. 1979. Oil on canvas, 60 x 45 in. From the catalog of a UC-Santa Barbara exhibition: "Neel portrayed specific people and also described their times, the Zeitgeist, in portraits that span a period of more than fifty years. She saw the 1970s as a time when individuals were increasingly subjugated to the power of corporations. She particularly worried about her son, who was then working as a corporate attorney; here, she shows him literally backed into a corner. The mirror provides Neel with the opportunity to make a double portrait." BTW, she was 79 when she painted this:

You're welcome! Some of her work doesn't "read" as well in photos -- you need to be in the room with it -- but this one does, I think.

Elizabeth Murray, Heart and Mind . 1981. Oil on canvas, 111 3/4 x 114 in. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Meret Oppenheim, 1936.

I immediately thought of Josephine Baker, too. Plus a lot of black American writers: James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Chester Himes. [Which then makes me think of all the white American ex-pat writers: Gertrude Stein (Paris free-er for lesbians, too?), Hemingway, Fitzgerald. And all the Spanish artists: Picasso, Miro. I was going to say "Spanish artists fleeing Franco" but actually they moved to Paris well before that. So -- Paris has been a mecca for artists and intellectuals (Marie Curie coming from Poland?) for a long time...] And then there's Melvin Van Peebles, who lived in Paris in the 60s writing novels, and made his first movie there: Story of a Three-Day Pass. Scored by Van Peebles and Mickey Baker (of "Mickey and Sylvia", guitarist who wrote "Love is Strange" and a million guitar and arranging instructional books) who was playing jazz in Paris in the 60s and appears in the film...

Millions of Cats????

Not just in the US -- obesity is becoming a bigger problem throughout the world. Lawsuits against fast food joints are pretty silly, but I think that it's a good thing that people are more aware of what's contained their food. Guy, who ate a McNugget meal today I just wanted to point out that it took a lot of anti-McDonald's propaganda and protest to get them to make info on ingredients and calorie counts available to customers. Kind of reminds me of that Warner Bros. cartoon where the wolves, sheep and sheep dogs clock out at the end of every day of going through the motions of their "jobs" -- I mean, this is how capitalism "works", right? Somebody makes money on a film complaining about McDonald's, or on a lawsuit against them, and in response to bad PR McDonald's (while continuing to make a fortune) actually scrambles to cash in on a market for something healthier?

Very good point, Kevin, about the behavior modification implicit in restricting ice cream access -- seriously, that strikes me as very sound scientific/philosphical thinking. Jeff (AB), there is a patient-and-parent group called CHADD (it's mentioned a lot in that Hallowell-Ratey book) that could be a good resource: http://www.chadd.org/. There are many local chapters/support groups. Here's a sample from their FAQs:

Jamaica Queens???? If so, do tell...

woodymaggie!!!

AB, this is a pretty good book: Driven To Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood, Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey. What I especially liked is the practical, BEHAVIORAL ideas for how to help a kid (or help yourself if you're old enough to be reading the book yourself) -- it's towards the back of the book, as I recall. Also, this looks like a pretty good website: http://www.ncpamd.com/adhd.htm Some people scoff at the whole idea of ADHD -- others I think go overboard in diagnosing it. I believe clearly some kids really have a neurological problem that is getting in their own way. Then there are some that are just hardwired in a way different from the norm. Then there are problems masquerading as ADHD, but stemming from a different source: lack of discipline (I ain't THAT liberal!), overstimulation (too much TV, video games, Coca-Cola), understimulation (bad school, not enough physical activity, not enough guidance or inspiration), emotional or psychiatric problems that AREN'T ADD and that need different treatment. I'm extremely leery of medications for children (even -- or maybe especially -- teenagers) -- but I'm sure there are cases where medicine helps a lot. But I've seen my son (~14 years) and nephew (~10-11 years) get this diagnosis and then have BAD experiences with medication. So we had to get all "behavioral" on their asses and it's pretty much worked out okay (now 20-year-old son is a junior in college, 18-year-old nephew is graduating HS). I'm not really a "crunchy-granola" type of person, but: the more a child has this tendency, the more I think you should limit TV and video games. I didn't, not nearly as much as I think I should have. Plus, while I don't think sugar is evil and I never wanted to be that kind of prissy totally candy-banning mother (you know, sawdust-y whole wheat birthday "cake" with no frosting -- ), still I've seen artificial flavors/colors, and caffeinated sodas, have bad effects. And on the nutritional plus side, I've seen fish oil supplements (omega 3 fatty acids) really help adults and kids diagnosed as bipolar or ADHD. (See HERE and HERE.)

Congratulations, Charlie!!! . . . and Jim . . . and Brenda!

Me three. How can people do this? Just last week, a guy just outside the city (northern New Jersey) left his infant son in the car while he attended his rabbinical classes for hours -- FORGOT HE HAD THE BABY IN THE CAR AND WAS SUPPOSED TO DROP HIM OFF AT THE SITTER. The baby died. Drug test for parent, anyone? Unfortunately, don't think so. Here's a not-tragic ending, except as regards the parent's attitude: About three years ago, my brother saw a baby in a car outside a small strip-mall. Sunny day, only one window, only slightly cracked open. My brother runs into closest store, all the time asking who has a baby in a car, finds a security guard who helps jimmy the car door open -- 15 minutes later the father arrives and has the nerve to be ANGRY with THEM! My brother -- with fully-controlled righteous rage lighting him up like Moses or our own dad -- tells the guy to THANK him and promise never to leave a kid alone in a car again or he'll call the police right then and there -- and the guy appears to get it, if only grudgingly.

Perhaps you haven't noticed the excessive (cough) EXCELLENT use being made of your bandwidth by me & couw on the oh-so-many birthdays of Deus62...

Jim -- you've been throwing one heckuva* party since March 2003!!! Thanks for everything, and I hope a great party's coming your way in return tonight!!! (* have you noticed yourself already censoring your language since Zora's arrival? Right after our son was born 20 years ago, his Dad and I found ourselves saying "F-ooey" and "Sh-sh-sugar" and "Criminey" -- starts out as a strong expletive and ends up mild!!! Guess that explains the mood of this cake!)

I can tell Jazzmoose and Rooster are two individuals -- but occasionally the "oos" confuses me for a second and I'm thinking of one while reading the other. I've even on RARE occasions been thinking "Sangrey" while reading a post from "Jazzbo" until I remember that's Lon Armstrong -- the other of the two wise men (wise guys?) from Texas... But even more confusing to me are DrJ and Chaney -- aren't you both named Tony? or am I COMPLETELY off base???? And is one or both of you Tony Jerant???? And is the PFunkJazz posting here really the same PFunkJazz from the BNBB???? (But I've come to believe I was wrong about DEEP/GROPER being one and the same)

Hey Ralphie Boy... have a great birthday!

Happy birthday, David!

Looks like the party's here (Second Avenue & 51st Street) -- Happy birthday, Chuck!!!

Happy birthday, this year and onward!

I'm late, too -- hope you had a happy day, Larry!

Yes, OUTRAGE!!! Is Nader gonna form a new party with PETA to sweep DC clean of these companion-animal-abusing monsters???