Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Too Happy to Create?

New York is the unhappiest state in the nation, according to a study featured in the linked article from today's Times. It ends with the following defense:

More important, might contentment be overrated? Seriously, isn’t restlessness, even outright discontent, often a catalyst for creativity?

We’re from the Harry Lime school. If you’ve seen the film classic “The Third Man,” you will remember that character’s admonition: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance.

In Switzerland they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

It sounds witty and all, but the logic is not sound. It's inaccurate to imply that 30 years of Borgia rule alone produced two out of the four ninja turtle artist doppelgangers and the Renaissance. For sure, da Vinci's engineering feats were directly influenced by warfare, but his and Michelangelo's artwork on the other hand...It was centuries of art evolution and the resulting state of art and the artist's role in that society; it was the chance biological production of genius; it was commissions by Pope Julius II-- all this and many other factors, I'm sure, which helped to produce the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and the Sistine Chapel.

Warfare may have driven the economy, which drove art commissions, but to imply that da Vinci and Michelangelo's creativity and the Renaissance were all products of "warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed"? It's closer to a sensationalist statement rather than a truthful one. The fact that the writer of the article used it to justify the results makes him seem like a bitter New Yorker trying to console and defend his state's last place listing in the Happiness rankings.

On the other hand, I've noticed that my blogging/writing rate has decreased dramatically since acquiring a special earthly companion. Yet, the reason for lack of productivity isn't lack of ideas; rather, the lack of time. When I get out of work or ballet, I'm presented with a repeated dilemma: should I work on my ideas or hang out with Adam? And usually, the latter wins, though I'm continually trying to strike a good balance between the two. If only we can travel near the speed of light! But this creates a new dilemma: time dilation vs. penile length contraction? Hm..heh heh.

And besides, it has not been all sunshine and daisies, despite the fact that we get along better than two peas in a pod. I didn't realize what a straight-edge I was until I met Adam. Sometimes, I feel like we're Dorothy and Darth Vader dating. Like day and night in the same sky.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

New Riddle

"Backward pizza is stupid."

~ Why?

Saturday, December 12, 2009

My Latest Dilemma

To wear, or not to wear a ski mask through the streets of Philadelphia? This weather is insufferable! And costly! Yesterday, I bought leggings and earmuffs to buttress my hat, gloves, and half-down-half-waterfowl-feather-filled poofy jacket. With all these winter layers on, I look like (a) a snowflake (according to Adam) or (b) a sheepdog (according to Sarah). I still need to get a microfleece cardigan with a hoodie, long underwear, gloves with the removable finger-caps so I can take pictures in the cold,...and possibly a ski mask. This is getting ridiculous.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Winning

I woke up this morning and found out that I'd won an all-expense paid trip to Santa Barbara for the next 5 years. In other words, I've been accepted to my first (and hopefully not last) grad school! This means more than just going to sunny Southern California. If all goes according to my proposed research, I'll be heading to the Himalayas in the next few years! Dreams to goals, baby! Beaches to Mountains! But right now, I need to focus on my current obsession.

If buildings were clothes, the Taj Mahal would be a wedding dress.


Halo Effect

Rittenhouse Park is all lit up with gold lights. I walked through one night and paused at the giant tree in the center of the park. A distance away, two men stood in the shadows talking and gesturing to each other. One of them stood in front of a lamp so that most of his head was blocking the lamplight from reaching me-- except for a thin ring of light outlining the shape of his head like a halo. I'd seen this before in photos of people. It didn't necessarily have to be completely dark, either, to create this divine effect. I made a mental note to use this Halo Effect in a future photo.

Update:



Thanks, Andrew, for the spectacular example!