Artistic Tendencies, News Outta My Control, Professional Auteurism / 28.01.2002

Last week I took a trip up to NYC to see Ground Zero. I'd been wanting to make the trip for some time. And, after working on Dichotomy since September, I felt it was important to take the trip. They've recently put up a platform, about two blocks away from the site. You have to get [free] tickets at the South Street Seaport kiosk, about 7 blocks to the East. Many have mixed emotions about The Platform. Some see it as just another stop on a tourist's itinerary and are concerned about the carnival atmosphere at the site. Even though I'm...

Artistic Tendencies, Worker's Comp / 13.01.2002

It's January in Washington, DC. Nestled snuggly between The Holiday Season and The Tax Season in this town is The Performance Review Season! This is the period when all good federal government supervisors are "tasked" with evaluating the performance of their staff. Deadlines loom and are taken very seriously, so it's important not to procrastinate. Before I was hired, in my interview with our Administration people, I was asked what I would do if I had to fire someone. Since this was my first 9-5 job ever, and the only people I had previously supervised were my students, I only had...

Artistic Tendencies, Idiosyncratic Celebrations / 10.12.2001

If you remember, I was consumed by preparations for our annual Leaf Blowing Festival. While the weather has been incredibly mild for a DC fall and it seemed more like May than November, the festival was a smashing success! We had a bumper crop this year and the dry weather made it a breeze to blow (it didn't make my allergies any easier, though)! The Closing Ceremony was attended by thousands. The roar of the crowd was deafening. It took a lot of work but it was worth all the hours of planning, raking, blowing, and showering off leaf dust....

Artistic Tendencies, Fairly Odd Parents-Present / 08.10.2001

I've been working on a web project about 9/11 and have been totally consumed. You know that feeling? Total commitment to an idea and its realization. It's like the sports equivalent of the zone: you look up and five hours have passed since you last realized, well, reality. What a rush and mixture of emotions. I haven't felt this way in quite a while. But, with the sharp awareness that I lack the power to control the uncontrollable these days, this is my only alternative. All I've got is my creativity. It's the one thing in life where no compromises are...