What gives value to travel is fear...

I have three friends in their forties who strike me by their overall restlessness and need for travel. I recently came across this quote and thought of them.

“What gives value to travel is fear. It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country (a French newspaper acquires incalculable value. And those evenings when, in cafes, you try to get close to other men just to touch them with your elbow), we are seized by a vague fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits. This is the most obvious benefit of travel. At that moment we are feverish but also porous, so that the slightest touch makes us quiver to the depths of our being. We come across a cascade of light, and there is eternity. This is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure. There is no pleasure in traveling, and I look upon it more as an occasion for spiritual testing. If we understand by culture the exercise of our most intimate sense – that of eternity – then we travel for culture. Pleasure takes us away from ourselves in the same way as distraction, in Pascal’s use of the word, takes us away from God. Travel, which is like a greater and a graver science, brings us back to ourselves.”

Albert Camus, Notebooks 1935-1951

Mugged by a Conceptual Artist

The CBC recently reported upon a French conceptual artist, Sophie Calle who currently has an exhibit in Montreal. (1) When I first read about her work, my first thought was "yikes", then, "hmmmmm."

Ms. Calle, you see, has found a way to not only turn her own personal relationships into art, she has also done this to others who did not agree to the undertaking.

An example of the former, is her current exhibit Take Care of Yourself (Prenez soin de vous), which is the last line in a break-up e-mail from a boyfriend. Ms. Calle then sent the letter to 107 women and asked them to assess it according to their different types of expertise (by proof-readers, etiquette specialists, archivists, rabbis, actresses who act it out, singers who sing it etc). A copy of the letter is available to guests at the gallery for their involvement too.

Examples of the latter include: (i) Hotel Suite where she got a job as a chamber maid so she could go through guests' luggage and document the contents; and (ii) Address Book, where after finding an address book in the street, she photocopied it before returning it to the owner. She then interviewed the addressees and published this in 28 daily installments in a french newspaper. The owner of the book was a Pierre Baudry, who was coincidentally a french documentary film maker who was outraged by the experience. He retaliated by insisting that the newspaper publish a nude photo of Calle, which they did (but cropped off the head); and (iii) Suite Venitienne, followed a man she met at a party in Paris to Venice, where she disguised herself and followed him around the city, photographing him and then publishes the photos with text.(2)

She has other works which are not invasive, such as asking blind people about their thoughts about beauty.

CBC's critic says that Calle achieves perspective and closure through other people and also some kind of redemption.

She has other works that fall in between these and mingle fact and fiction which also make you think. For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Calle

Artists must be sacrificed to their art. Like bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


(1) http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2008/09/23/f-sophie-calle-montreal.html
(2) Bois, Yve-Alain, "Character Study: Sophie Calle." Artforum, April, 2000, pp. 126–31.

Marriage under Western Skies

On doing some research on Sam Peckinpah's western films, I was reminded of some curious thoughts he expressed on marriage in his film "Ride the High Country" (1962) (1)

Peckinpah challenges his viewers to look beneath the surface in this movies most startling scene, a mining-town wedding of grotesque character.

The bride, played by Mariette Hartley has run-off with her betrothed, but has no idea that his four brothers mean to share her on the wedding night. The town's brothel serves as her wedding chapel, the heavily made-up madam as her bridesmaid, and four fatigued whores as flower girls.

Presiding over the ceremony is a not completely sober justice of the peace (Edgar Buchanan)in a soiled suit, who has to be helped to his feet to perform his duties.

The justice of the peace then exceeds everyone's expectations. He first says:

"Marriage is to entered into soberly."

Then: "A good marriage has a simple glory about it. It is like a rare animal: It's hard to find and almost impossible to keep."

Then, instead of offering encouragement, the Justice gives them this warning:

"People change, and that's important for you to know at the beginning - people change. The glory of a good marriage don't come at the beginning, it comes later on. And it's hard work."

Sam Peckinpah wrote this scene as well as directed it. He also had the unusual experience of being married five times, three to the same woman. If this is wisdom that he wanted to pass along, I'm willing to accept it...



(1) Ideas in this blog were identified in the New York Observer, January 29, 2006.

The Strange World of You Tube

Recently, I replaced my cell phone for one that offers unlimited access to You Tube.

I always thought You Tube was for people who got drunk and found the need to try something new that they hadn't done before and to express this in video (not unlike a text blog, but with live action).

What suprised me about You Tube is the amount of clips on there from the entertainment and academic worlds.

On the academic front, I've accessed lectures from Steven Pinker and hope to try Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens (and others);

On the entertainment front, I've found stuff on:

The Smothers Brothers
Groucho Marx
Gilbert Gottfried
Norm MacDonald
Jack Paar (who seems much more interesting than Johnny Carson as a Tonight Show host)
Politically Incorrect
Letterman
Dick Cavette
Steve Allen
Jimmy Durante

Also, favourite musicians are there too (Bob Dylan, Scott Merritt etc).

Finding the old classic entertainment stuff was a surprise to me, I thought this stuff was copyrighted...

Anyone reading this blog probably knows all this and thinks I spend my time under a rock or the personification of Forest Gump or something, but not all of us appreciate the potential of social networks this way.

The Alibi Kid

Recently, my kid thought it would be fun to drag his sippy-cup along the living room wall.

His mother asked him to stop as the wall was newly painted.

The kid then responded: "I'm just a little kid, I don't understand bad things."

I then asked if having his fire truck, dump truck, combine harvestor taken away might help him understand "bad" things?

The kid answered in the affirmative.

Sometimes parenting just works like that. (Other times it involves threatening to stuff food up the toddler's nose -- but that's just a threat, not actually acted upon).

Postscript: The kid got the idea at daycare after a one-year old took away a toy, and it was explained to him that the other kid was too young and did not understand what he had done. My kid thought this alibi was pretty good, and appropriated it.

And so it goes.

It reminds me of W.H. Auden, who said "Children are warriors without a job."

Globalization Ghost Town (The Take 2005)

I recently took out the above film out of the library and was struck by the events portrayed.

I'm not particularly political person (though I lean left) but this documentary by Avi Lewis/Naomi Klein impressed me to pay more attention to how global economics plays out outside of the first world.

The documentary shows the effects of a right-wing government (Carlos Menem) and his attempt to make Argentina a "model" for IMF policies from 1989-1999. Argentina is significant as it had one of the largest middle-classes in Latin America before these policies were instituted.

The film shows how Menem's policies radically effected the economy so much that capital took flight such that hundreds of factorys closed. The factories were then taken over by the workers (who argued that they were funded by public money to a large extent too).

The workers set up cooperatives among the factories to help each other, and then the owners returned after a year and called the expropriation "theft."

The matter was taken to the courts, where the workers lost, but they eventually one in parliament, which considered the expropriation just.

The whole documentary raises interesting questions about politics and economics and the IMF's role in the third world. Who is the IMF acting for? What safe-guards are there in preventing similar globalized ghost-towns in future?

For more information, please see: http://www.thetake.org/

Coffee Angst

Recently, my wife recently intimated to me that she wanted a quality espresso/cappucino maker for her birthday.

Having no idea about what was involved, I visited a number of sites (www.coffeegeek.com,www.espressoplanet.com, www.wholelattelove.com etc.).

First I learned that there was a difference between semi-automatic and automatic machines. True afficionados have no tolerance for those who opt for automatics. Only the semis offer true control over the critical parts of the process.

Then, I discovered that the seminal semi-automatic machine was the Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine.



This machine was reviewed by coffeegeek.com and the review went about 15 pages, 10 before they even got to the functioning of it! (http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/ranciliosilvia/details)

Then, the critics compare owning this machine to owning a Lamborghini, and what good is it if you don't know how to drive it?!

The coup de grace came when it was pointed out even if you get this machine, learn to drive it, er, use it, all is for nought if you do not buy an equally good conical burr grinder (sort of like a nuclear-powered Braun grinder).

I haven't even gotten into the question of what kind of espresso beans you should buy (robusta, Arabic, or "full city"). #$(*I@#O!!!

Then, one of the aims of a well-pulled espresso is to generate the vaunted "crema" (the dense, golden foam that forms on the top of a fresh shot of espresso).

Well, after taking all these things heart, and after visiting www.epinions.com, I ended up buying a mid-priced semi-automatic (Saeco Aroma Inox, with a burr grinder thrown in as part of the deal). We've used it for a couple weeks now, and I am in coffee heaven. Give me my espressos, my americanos, my cappuccinos! And if things are really rough, add the correcto!!

Hopefully, my words will help you not get caught up in the coffee angst