Ah dammit.

No job for me. Just found out Friday that they decided to, "keep the job internal." I could've predicted that when she told me that she was going to check with her IT guy. They are notorious in that organization for owning stuff. Then the wait occurred- waiting for an answer...that finally came.

So I am still counting things.

And waiting for an answer from schools across the land.

In the meantime, I have some delicious nuggets o' culture to share.

I watched an interesting documentary called Dig, about the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre (bands for those of you who aren't familiar). What was cool was that it offered a sometimes skewed, but interesting look into a couple of bands and their interactions. It led me to do some surfing online, and find some great music. I was familiar with the Dandys, but the Brians were a revelation. Lovely, lovely stuff.

I watched Cries and Whispers by Ingmar Bergman last week. Not for the faint of heart. There's one scene in particular that's pretty brutal/gruesome. But not without import...very moving and difficult movie. All about family dynamic between three sisters as one lies dying.

I read The Lost Painting- which is the tale of a lost Caravaggio being found. Good journalistic essay. It kind of got me fired up about art history again. But it did not, alas, kindle an interest in Caravaggio- never really got him. I can appreciate his work, like I can appreciate Rubens. But they are both such products of the Reformation, and all that that entails- very overblown and dramatic. I like art that's a little quieter- more reflective and contemplative. Unless you're talking about modern art- and that's a whole different kettle o fish. If we're discussing art prior to 1890, I have a penchant for Vermeer, if that clarifies things any. He's my favorite. In 1994 (? I think?) we flew across the country to DC for a Vermeer show- the first and perhaps only time that some of those paintings would ever be on loan- and braved a DC blizzard (they DO NOT know how to deal with snow removal) to see his stuff. I fell firmly in love. And am still there. The man was amazing.

Over time I have developed a strong appreciation for art that I considered clumsy and ill-executed back in the day. I love illuminated manuscripts and medieval painting, for example. Not quite the Romanesque- bit clunky- but the stuff from the High Middle Ages (i.e. Gothic). The color was exquisite, and the details are remarkable. They were such amazing witnesses of their surroundings- and captured these with such accuracy removed from the Renaissance preoccupation with scientific study of perspective and anatomy. Theirs was a more emotional filter, with less of a removal from the subject. I would argue that when perspective and other scientific areas of visual study came into the forefront, these became the focus for most artists, rather than the details. Not that this is a bad thing, exactly- just a shift in world view.

There. Now I've had my art history talk for a Sunday. The F1 season's first race is today- and I'm happy. I'll exit before I start expounding about F1 and Michael Schumacher's chances at winning another world championship- suffice it to say that Ferrari is back, motha fuckers!!!