Random Acts of Culture

Every one of these made me choke up a little. I know, I choke up easily, but I swear something about this kind of humanity cuts right to the center and just sits there and says “See, humans are wonderful after all.”
Yes, sometimes they are, and these are among those times. Take a moment out of your busy day to look at these events. And look carefully at the people that are being surprised by the music. Wonderful. Makes you think there might be hope for the human species.
In a food court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
In a train station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k&feature=related
At Macy’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU
Image: good-times.webshots.com

The Glass Bowl

Louisville; bitter cold walking back to hotel after some good beer, fish and chips and freezing our Southern asses off.
Sal and I were walking against the wind when we passed what looked like a glass blowing lab with picture windows to the street (1). There was also an art gallery with some interesting work, and a few people milling around in the gallery with glasses of wine in their hands. Private party? Open house? We decided to at least get off the street and warm up a little so went into the reception area and were offered wine and snacks (we just finished the meal so declined the snacks, not the wine). The glass blowing lab had two people working and we watched through a glass partition while a guy put a blob of glass on a pipe and began to form something. He saw us and gestured us to come in. We did, and spent the next half hour warm and watching him create a simple but pretty bowl. He and the helper alternated heating, shaping, adding glass, heating and shaping again and again until he had it finished. Then one cut and the bowl fell into waiting gloves to be placed into the cooling oven. The glass artist’s name is Tyler Gordon.
I told him we would love to buy the bowl because we liked it and we saw it being born. He gave me his cell # and told me to call the next day to arrange to pick it up. I didn’t. But, while sitting in Borders contemplating homelessness two days later I did call. No answer. So, I walked down to the building. Locked. A janitor saw me and let me in, and told me Tyler was in the lab with a class, and to go on in. Tyler looked a little surprised and I think he didn’t expect to see me again. We walked back to another small lab where the bowl sat on a shelf amongst other pieces. He said he would be happy if I accepted the bowl as a gift. I did, and he accepted a donation to his much depleted beer fund.
I can't know if Tyler Gordon will make it as a glass artist, but he made our day a bit brighter, and the bowl has a place of prominence in the kitchen. And I think he is happy too, not just for the beer money, but because someone valued his work. So thank you Tyler for your generosity, and we both wish you a long and productive career.
Image: iittala.com (image of our bowl delayed due to camera difficulties. Ours is much the same only opaque.)
1. The glass blowing lab is part of the Hite Art Institute at the University of Louisville

Homeless in Borders

I walked Sally to the session in blowing light snow and 25 degree (colder wind chill no doubt) temp. Then I walked about 5 blocks to the Borders for a quick look for a new book and coffee. My dress: ratty watch cap; old jeans; oldish shoes; reasonable coat with dog hair; no gloves; no shave.
Louisville has a lot of homeless men hanging around the civic center trying for a few bucks and someplace warm to rest. Mostly they are grubby and burned-out looking. Kind of what I looked like that morning. I walked into Borders warmth and started a tour around the first floor looking for discount books. Nothing interesting so up to the second floor. Nothing interesting there so back down to the coffee shop for a quick cup of Joe and then back to the digs. As I sipped the hot coffee the manager walked a homeless guy out the door and stood outside as he moved off. When she came in I gestured her to the table and asked her if she had to move out many homeless folks. She said this guy was smoking in the bathroom, against the rules.
Then she looked at me and said “As long as you follow the rules, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. I know its cold out there.” As she walked off I thought: “Time for a new hat and a shave.” And I also thought: “Being homeless must really be a bitch.”
Image: corbisimages.com

Beer: Not Only Food, but Medicine Too!

On the road again, this time in Looaville, Ky. A few quick observations pointing to essays to come: Good breweries here, with interesting IPAs, a very nice Bourbon Barrel Stout, some barley wine; a university glassblowing program set in a downtown parking garage (with an art gallery included); freezing weather and snow; White Castle slyders; homeless people in Borders. This lists the high points. Low point: Sally picked up a "tummy bug" (her description) that was probably classic "food poisoning". We ate pretty much the same thing for the last couple of days, so my conclusion is that hoppy beer, in addition to being a wonder drug for all kinds of things, is also good at curbing food poisoning. Remember this: Beer: Not Only Food, but Medicine Too!
See, I think the combination of alcohol (disinfectant), hops (calmative and restorative agent), water (hydration) and grain byproducts (food and fruit group) is indispensable in any therapeutic regimen. Taken as a preventative it is unbeatable. I drank more beer, she drank more wine ( more alcohol, no hops, less water, grape byproducts (fruit group only) and no grain byproducts.)

(M & J: Look at the location of photo)

Image: http://www.thebeerguys.com/