Gurlesque’s ever evolving door policy has entered a new phase: “for women and trannies”. Huzzah! This is good news indeed, and I am thoughtful about the future. Let’s just set aside for a moment an inclination of mine not to identify as either, although perhaps I could identify with either category. Splitting hairs much?

The other good news is that i’m performing there! Woot. A spot on Sydney’s gayest stage.
Sunday 28th October
$25/20
Arq nightclub, Cnr Oxford St and Taylor Square
Doors open 6pm
Showtime at 7.15pm sharp!

(more…)

Conceptual Terrorists Encase Sears Tower in Jell-O:

Hayden said the CIA is working closely with the National Endowment for the Arts to cut off all grants that may serve as funding for the group. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security has begun monitoring any large purchases of gravy, tinfoil, pig’s blood, and barbed wire in hopes of preventing another aesthetic tragedy.

from the onion; care of laughing quietly to myself

i have a thing about ties. matching shirts and ties especially. this is one of my favourite combinations. i mean, the R.A.F. shirt was plainly calling out for something…anything with a diagonal stripe in pleasing pastel shades.

omg! i have to share this with the world!

via lqtm

pretzel
1856, from Ger. Prezel, also Brezel, from O.H.G. brezitella, from M.L. *brachitellum, presumably a kind of biscuit baked in the shape of folded arms (cf. It. bracciatella, O.Prov. brassadel), dim. of L. bracchiatus “with branches, with arms,” from L. bracchium “arm” (see brace).

brace (n.)
1313, “armor for the arms,” from O.Fr. brace “arms,” also “length measured by two arms,” from L. bracchia pl. of brachium “an arm,” from Gk. brakhion “arm, upper arm,” from brakhys “short,” in contrast to the longer forearm. Applied to various devices for fastening, tightening, on notion of clasping arms. The verb “to render firm or steady by tensing” is c.1440, with figurative extension to tonics, etc. that “brace” the nerves (cf. bracer “stiff drink,” 1740).

heart
O.E. heorte, from P.Gmc. *khertan- (cf. O.S. herta, O.N. hjarta, Du. hart, O.H.G. herza, Ger. Herz, Goth. hairto), from PIE *kerd- “heart” (cf. Gk. kardia, L. cor, O.Ir. cride, Welsh craidd, Hittite kir, Lith. širdis, Rus. serdce “heart,” Breton kreiz “middle,” O.C.S. sreda “middle”). Spelling with -ea- is c.1500, by analogy of pronunciation with stream, heat, etc., but remained when pronunciation shifted. Most of the figurative senses were present in O.E., including “intellect, memory,” now only in by heart. Hearty is c.1380; heart-rending is from 1687. Heartache was in O.E. in the sense of a physical pain, 1602 in sense of “anguish of mind;” heartburn is c.1250. Broken-hearted is attested from 1526. Heart-strings (1483) was originally literal, in old anatomy theory “the tendons and nerves that brace the heart.” Heartless (c.1330) originally was used with a meaning “dejected;” sense of “callous, cruel” is not certainly attested before Shelley used it so in 1816. Heartland first recorded 1904 in geo-political writings of H.J. MacKinder.

Online etymology dictionary, you are my friend.

oh the weather is getting warmer, and the grapevine out the front is thickening out with new young leaves every day! this can only mean one thing… dolmades!

Pick leaves early in their growth period, that is early summer, when vines are covered with leaves.
Choose leaves of medium light colour, not too young. If vines have been sprayed, wait for period recommended for general harvest by manufacturer of insecticide. When picking, snip off stem.
Wash leaves and stack in piles of 24, with shiny side up.
Roll up and tie with string.
Bring 8 cups water to the boil with 1/4 cup salt.
Drop in 4 bundles at a time, return to the boil and blanch for 3 minutes, turning rolls over to blanch evenly.
Lift out and drain. Repeat with remaining rolls.
Make a brine with 8 cups water boiled with 1 cup rock salt.
Pack rolls upright into warm sterilized jars and pour hot brine over leaves.
Remove air bubbles and seal when cold. Brine is sufficient for 20 bundles of leaves. Increase accordingly to quantity being preserved. Mallos. Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

What is a wall of silence? It is a constant theme amongst things I have found myself angsting over. I often worry if am I saying enough? what can I say? how do I say it?

It’s a funny metaphor, but very effective. A wall of silence is so very obvious (especially when someone else has set it up), and yet so hard to decipher, or to break through, or to understand.

How do you approach a wall of silence? I suppose it depends on the medium, and how you are interpreting this metaphor. I mean, one could use questions, set terms of inquiry, establish a relationship, you could do it physically, walk up to it, walk through it. I’d like to know how you know once you’ve gotten through a wall of silence, ie, at exactly what point do you know? Approaching with sound, images, visual cues, the five senses, varying levels of energy. What methodology do you use? A flippant sense of humour? A battering ram? How to engage?

How do you recognise your own walls of silence? Listening out for the unheard voices has been a popular and effective research question - especially in critical and cultural studies challenging dominant modes of historical practice, status quo etc. Sometimes walls of silence are built simply by default: as you build a bridge you also create the underneath of the bridge. There is a wall of silence here because all the action is over there.

Is it full or empty? Does the wall of silence obscure knowledge or contain it? Like an impassive trojan horse, bright tassels glittering in the wind? Or an echo of silent horror, of unspeakable acts. Can’t speak or won’t speak. But, is it always problematic?

It think it is only obvious when you are looking for an answer, or a response and you don’t get one. Or perhaps you don’t understand the response you got. But that’s not my whole conclusion.

This is something I would like to explore performance, or installation… (dare I say it?) even sculpture!