Virtual Art...Museum

I am not in a very good mood today...if I lived in a city (which I don't) I would go to an art museum and wander around getting lost in the history and art, instead I'm going to share with you my favorite paintings...and if I can remember the museums in which they are found. Oh and if you want to make your own paintings, waste time or are feeling a little angry go to Jackson Pollock and make your own Pollocks (palette and paint provided, you'll have to get your own alcohol...um, that may have been a joke that was in very poor taste, but I'm leaving it in, that's just how I feel today!).

The Art Institute-Chicago

Paris Street Rainy Day-Gustave Caillebotte     

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte-Georges Seurat  

Arthur Jerome Eddy-James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Starry Night-Vincent Van Gogh

New York

Convergence-Jackson Pollock

The National Gallery of Art-London

Rain, Steam and Speed-JMW Turner

Bathers at Asnieres-Georges Seurat

Marriage Ala Mode (6 paintings with quite a story)-William Hogarth

The Execution of Maximilian-Edouard Manet

Sunflowers-Vincent Van Gogh

Um...these were in a lit book I had in junior high...um, er, don't know what museums

Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)-Henri Rousseau

Mother and Child-Mary Cassatt

I just love this painting, I have no idea where it lives...

The Singing Butler-Jack Vettriano

Friday Five: A Little Drizzle

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I love doing surveys and questionnaires. I love reading peoples answers to surveys and questionnaires. They are a weakness of mine, and in looking for topics for my blog to make it easier for me to post everyday once school started...I found this. So, Fridays we're taking a break from talking about reading and books and words to answer silly surveys and questionnaires. Feel free to post your answers below, on your own blog, or both!!! Ideas from Friday5.org

A Little Drizzle

1. What’s your favorite thing to put chocolate syrup on?
2. What’s the best thing to sprinkle cinnamon on?
3. What’s something that is made superb by a few drops of hot sauce?
4. What’s something you do with honey?
5. Besides a sandwich, what’s something you put peanut butter on?

Answers  

1. Um, ice cream...er...I don't really like chocolate syrup.
2. Ice cream (for real this time), toast with butter and sugar, rice pudding.
3. Nothing...I adhor all things spicy...maybe on an oyster with a squeeze of lemon...maybe.
4. Mix it with peanut butter, add it to lemon and hot water when I have a sore throat, put it on a biscuit with butter
5. EVERYTHING...it goes with everything REALLY...pancakes and crackers and bananas, in milkshakes, with cheese (I was just talking yesterday with a handful of students about how peanut butter and cheese strangely go together--like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a glass of milk, and cheese puffs or cheese and peanut butter crackers that you buy at the gas station), on celery, with an apple, on a hamburger (hoorah for Goober Burgers)...seriously, I could not live without peanut butter.

Fantasy Cast #1: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

So, in my obsession with blog reading I've come across several blogs that fantasy cast books that they love. I truly enjoy these fantasy cast because they encompass a variety of actors, actresses and let me get to know the book to see if I want to read it or to compel me to want to read it again.

Fantasty casting takes three hobbies I love (reading, writing and cinema) and puts them together in one neat little package of happiness. It let's me take actors from different time periods and mesh them all together into one perfect cast. I'm sure this is why guys enjoy Fantasty Football Leagues so much, they get to have the ultimate team that encompasses the best of the sport!

The Fountainhead Plot Description from Wikipedia
(Taken from Wikipedia because I always botch the description)
The Fountainhead's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an individualistic young architect who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision. The book follows his battle to practice what the public sees as modern architecture, which he believes to be superior, despite an establishment centered on tradition-worship. How others in the novel relate to Roark demonstrates Rand's various archetypes of human character, all of which are variants between Roark, the author's ideal man of independent-mindedness and integrity, and what she described as the "second-handers." The complex relationships between Roark and the various kinds of individuals who assist or hinder his progress, or both, allow the novel to be at once a romantic drama and a philosophical work. Roark is Rand's embodiment of the human spirit, and his struggle represents the triumph of individualism over collectivism.

My fantasty cast for The Fountainhead
I decided to do this novel because it is one of my favorites of all time and has such rich characters even if there is a 70 page speech where Ayn Rand goes on a philosophical rant through her character, Howard Roark.

Howard Roark
I've always thought of Roark as being that SEXY guy that looks good and comfortable in the boardroom, the bedroom, wielding an ax or sketch pencil. Clive Owen fits the bill in the sense that he can be a cold blooded killer, father, ex-con turn gardener and still ooze confidence.

Source: Clive Owen

Ellsworth Toohey
I picked Haley for one reason, he looks like the scrawny little nothing guy, but rub him the wrong way and POW sucker punch in the kidney. He can be cold or weak and sniveling on command.

Source: Jackie Earle Haley

Dominique Francon
Not only is Ms. Theron friggin' gorgeous and (because we are the same age) makes me wonder what I've been doing with my time, she has the knack of being ultra feminine and ultra powerful at the same time. Not very many women can go from being Roark's submissive to Roark's equal and we need an actress who can stand up for herself, in heels, no less.

Source: Charlize Theron

Peter Keating
Suave, debonair and fake...this is Peter Keating. He has to be your Frat boy next door and look the part of the man who can accomplish anything while being the man who will also fall for anything and the man who is too caught up in the system to think for himself and to think outside the box.

Source: Matt Bomer

Gail Wynand
Gail Wynand is a sleeze only because he is willing to give up his soul to be considered the man on top. Although, he has the mind to be better than the rest and in some ways superior to even Roark, he lacks the ambition to live outside his comfort zone and he lacks the drive to be anything except for what society wants him to be.

Source: Alec Baldwin

Henry Cameron
Broken, but goes down fighting...who better to play this role than a man who, even older, could give you a run for your money?

Source: Henry Fonda

Catherine Halsey

The person who plays Catherine has to be someone who is willing to stand by her man no matter what and who is unhappy if her man is unhappy and who, truly, has no clue who she is if she isn't with her man. She also has to be able to play a character who knows that all of this is farce.

Source: Elisabeth Moss

Guy Francon
Naive and genteel. Mr. Francon's redeeming qualities, he loves his daughter and would do anything for her and he comes by his trade honestly. It isn't his fault that society is numb and blind.

Source: Alan Rickman

Stephen Mallory
Needs Howard Roark to understand that to be a creator means to be the life force for all mankind. Lives in his head and in his heart and would be destroyed by the world if not for Howard.

Source: Emile Hirsch

Mrs. Keating
Cold, hard woman who drives her son to risk his soul to achieve what she considers to be 'greatness' and this woman below, well, she can take no prisoners. None. And, she will grind your bones to make her bread.

Source: Cristine Rose

Mike

A man who seems a little too simple, but actually knows more than you think because he thinks with his own heart and his own mind and ignores all else.

Source: Tom Sizemore

Alvah Scarret

Campell has that smile that can be charming or sycophantic. And, he'll need to use that smile to be this butt-kissing character.

Source: Christian Campbell

The Dean

His Judge in The Crucible left me trembling and angry. I think that same character will work here. Myopic and always right and will not hear reason is the role of this man.

Source: Paul Scofield

John Eric Snyte
A character who steps on anyone to make it to the top, Snyte uses people with a smile and frankly, Brosnan just has to talk and I wouldn't mind giving him a kidney. He doesn't look like he would do anything wrong and would lie to your face with a smile and you'd believe it, even if you knew the truth.

Source: Pierce Brosnan

What do you think? Who would you cast?
Here are some fantasty cast that I've enjoyed reading
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny
Fragile Eternity
Fantasty Casting (also has a lovely post about The Amber Chronicles here and here)
Fantasty Casting Movie Posters
The Justice League
AfterEllen's take on "Charlie's Angels"
The Great Gatsby

30 Day Song Challenges: Day Twelve

Day Twelve: A song from a band you hate
        

           I'm not really sure you can call Aqua a band, but their song "Barbie Girl" gives me nightmares. 

          If you read music magazines, they will tell you that the 1990s start out with a bang (Grunge) and ended with a wimper (Britney)...I believe Barbie Girl single-handedly started this downward spiral.  

         There is nothing about this song that is redeeming...not the lyrics (I think they're about a girl who's trying to look like Barbie and not in a cute Halloween costume kind of way, but in a trampy, street walker kind of way), not the video (vomit colors and movements) or the music (a cross between a kid's song and the worst Pop trash ever).

         My first experience with this song outside of the 90s occurred a few years ago when I was taking my students on a trip. If you ever take students on a trip (all of them girls) I would suggest ALWAYS picking the music, otherwise you will get a van of girls singing, in soprano, all the obnoxious lyrics to this song, and they know them all...ALL OF THEM. I think the whole entire song is demeaning to women and some of the lyrics are not appropriate, especially since these particular girls were like 5, perhaps 6 when this horrible song came out.

          Now, I understand that my daughter will have horrible (cheesy Pop) taste in music and I will get to endure Disney radio. I will do this gladly as long as there isn't any Aqua and I don't have to be a "Barbie Girl".

          

The 30 Day Song Challenge

Day 01 – Your favorite song

Day 02 -- Your least favorite song

Day 03 -- A song that makes you happy

Day 04 -- A song that makes you sad

Day 06 -- A song that reminds you of someone

Day 06 -- A song that reminds you of somewhere

Day 07 -- A song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08 -- A song that you know all the words to
Day 09 -- A song that you can dance to
Day 10 -- A song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11 -- A song from your favorite band

Day 12 – A song from a band you hate
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15 – A song that describes you
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry
Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh
Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play
Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29 – A song from your childhood
Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year

Word of the Week: Satiate and Weekly 100 Words

Here are my 100 words from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray p52:

...Mr. Joseph Sedley made his appearance before luncheon. He had never been known before to confer such an honour on Russell Square. George Osborne was somehow there already (sadly "putting out" Amelia, who was writing to her twelve dearest friends at Chiswick Mall), and Rebecca was employed upon her yesterday's work. As Joe's buggy drove up, and while, after his usual thundering knock and pompous bustle at the door, the ex-Collector of Boggley Wollah laboured up stairs to the drawing-room, knowing glances were telegraphed between Osborne and Miss Sedley, and the pair, smiling archly, looked at Rebecca, who actually blushed...

This meme is hosted by Ruthi at Ruthi Reads!  The object is simple:  share exactly 100 words from the book you are currently reading, and no spoilers!  Be sure to include your book's title, author, and page number in your post.  Head over to Ruthi's site and add your link to your book!  Happy Reading!

50 Books in a Year: Book #13 Vanity Fair

          So, I'll begin Book 13 this week and end it in July. I'm looking forward to/dreading the start of this book, as I'll have four chapters to read each week...until...the...end...of...time.
          You see it all started like this. My friend Julie joined GoodReads, I joined GoodReads and then my friend Michelle was on GoodReads. Michelle is really the instigator of all this as she is the one who first joined the group Reading the Chunksters. Doesn't that just sounds marvelously dreadful? The first book I'm reading with this group is Vanity Fair, and while I will devote this week to Vanity Fair, the rest of the time this book will be in the background of my reading to be commented on again many months from now. I bought the book for the Nook, but the cord is still missing--looks like I may have to buy another one, ugh--I didn't really want to buy another copy and found it on Project Gutenberg. God Bless Those People.
          Truth be told...I have a lot of "Chunksters" in my possession...books I bought with every intention of reading and finishing, coming out on the otherside a better person. I own War and Peace (I was going to Scotland for the summer and thought that it would be a great book to read in my 'spare' time...silly me), Daniel Deronda (given to me for free when PBS was doing this thing where you read the book and then watched the Masterpiece Theatre version, my friend had joined a group and this group gave away free copies of the books--sadly this group no longer exist), Tristam Shandy (a college professor talked about this so much that I thought I should read it), Tom Jones (picked up at a yard-sale) to name a few...all somewhat read, all unfinished, all collecting dust on the various shelves on which they live.
          To be fair to myself, I have read all of Ayn Rands works including the behemoths The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Two books I recommend to anyone, two books I tout convincingly enough that many of my students have read the books and we get to have delicious conversations about selfishness vs. altruist intent. Some have even competed for the college scholarships by writing essays. I've also read Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. Stephanie can read BIG books! Yes, she can. Just, not all the time...
         So, I'm going into this Vanity Fair blind...I will not watch the movie (although I hear it has Jonathan Rhys Meyer) until I finish the book and I have no idea what it is about, honestly. Anyway...I hope at the end of all this I come out a better person...and, I hope that I'll be able to give Mr. Thackeray some praise.

I've read the first chapter, I'm well on my way!

Here's our reading schedule if you'd like to join in on the challenge.




My friend Michelle made the fancy reading schedule poster. Isn't it nice?

 

It's Sunday and I'm dreaming of food...

So, I've got a list a mile long. I won't be at school tomorrow, so my list includes grocery shopping and making lesson plans...and, all I can think about are these porkchops that my sister made on Sunday for dinner. Maybe we'll have them for lunch...must go get ready for church.



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