For MLK Day, fraternity brother Phil Powell and I drove to the coast to do a little fishing. Frankly, we spent more time driving than we did fishing that day, but it was nice to see the coast nonetheless.
Had a good week.
Last Saturday, some Lambda Chi alumni from my home chapter gathered at a Raleigh bar in the afternoon to enjoy a few beers, watch some sports on TV, and catch up on old times.
Familiar faces included Phil Powell, Shawn West, Martin Hill, Jim Moss, Dennis McGuire, and Mark Bednarcik. There were many younger faces that I didn�t know well at all, which were fun to catch up with.
Tuesday night, some of us met up again. Richard Bishop (Tippy) was in town from Richmond. He, Martin Hill, Shawn West, and I met for dinner, drinks, and then some. It�s nice not having a job, for sleeping in until 11:00 a.m. was no problem. The others were not so lucky.
On the job search, I had a phone interview this week with Gourad Media Group, a web development firm in Norwalk, Connecticut, about an hour north of New York City. Interviewed with the president/owner. We spoke for an hour. With any luck, I will be invited up for second interview.
Tonight, dad and I saw Star Wars Episode II on an Imax screen. Wow! I�ve seen only a few feature films on the really-really-big screen, and Star Wars was a good choice. If you ever get a chance to see a movie on an Imax screen, do so.
I redesigned my personal website using valid XHTML 1.0 and CSS coding techniques. It is a fully accessible site — as described in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 and the Web Accessibility Guidelines.
Note (Feb 2005): I retired jason.pearce.net in February 2005, archiving a copy at net.jasonpearce.com for historical purposes.
I recently came across an article about a child-hood friend of mine, Kelly Heaton. She is an artist who turns Tickle-Me-Elmo dolls into coats and works of art.
Bibiota
Bibiota consists of two separate interactive works using children’s toys. Reflective Loop, a computer-activated wall of “Furby” toys that react to viewers’ proximity, is already completed. The second, Live Pelt, is a piece of women’s fashion apparel made entirely from previously owned “Tickle Me Elmo” dolls, which have been “eviscerated” to create the sculpture. Live Pelt also includes a scrapbook of photos from the previous owners of the dolls. When Live Pelt is touched or worn, it vibrates and giggles, providing a grotesquely humorous experience for the viewer. Additional elements of the Bibiota installation a series of photographs of young girls wearing commercially available Tickle Me Elmo costumes and a video of Heaton herself wearing the Live Pelt sculpture in public.
Well, the humor in me couldn’t resist writing up this faux story.
RALEIGH (January 10, 2003) — Stuffed-Animal Rights Activists of Raleigh (SARAR) marched in front of Duke University’s East Campus Art Studio today in protest of an art exhibit featuring “Bibiota” by artist Kelly Heaton.
Heaton’s “Bibiota” includes several pieces of art that were made from skinned Tickle Me Elmo pelts, the pink, furry, and laughable stuff-animal that was made popular in the mid-1990s.
One piece, “Dead Pelt”, took more than 400 Furby pelts to create a red-and-white Santa Claus fur outfit.
“It’s absurd how she [Heaton] treats these lovable animals,” says SARAR president and founder Ted D. Bear. “She’s skinned more than 400 Elmos! This is not art,” says Bear, slamming his fist on the table. “This is stuffed-animal cruelty!”
Members of SARAR marched for four hours today carrying signs that read, “Tickle me, hug me, but don’t skin me” and “From pick to red, Kelly’s cut off Elmos’ head.”
Heaton’s show is scheduled for a New York gallery, where SARAR plans on protesting next.
Heaton could not be reached for comment.
In today’s world of lawyers and political correctness, this story might not be too far fetched. Any rate, it was good to read about Kelly.
While reading a usability article by Jacob Nielson, I came across this quote that reminded me of the censorship issues I was facing with the Peace Corps.
“There is an obvious danger to democracy anytime we stifle freedom of speech. The Internet has been the freest medium in the history of humanity and has gained much of its value from the ability of anybody to put up any service they can think of without having to ask permission. Narrowly specialized content and solutions are the beauty of the Web and should be preserved.”
–Jacob Nielson of useit.com