Monthly Archives: May 2007

Getting the point without seeing the big picture

Posted on May 13, 2007 by cicada

detail of “The Gift” Ceramic tile Richard Notkin, 1999 Last Friday I visited the Portland Art Museum. It was eerily quiet, so I was able to linger over individual pieces without feeling pressured to move along. Lingering is good; on … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust | Comments Off

That explains it

Posted on May 13, 2007 by cicada

Why I’m always posting to this blog in the middle of the night: I’m a mutant. Oh, I can’t make such an irresponsible overstatement. This is just a mouse study, and we have no idea if it applies to humans. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology | Comments Off

An old classic

Posted on May 13, 2007 by cicada

We were just discussing Myers-Briggs tests, and it occurred to me I hadn’t taken one in a while. I am always INF, usually INFJ, and this time around was no different. Apparently Myers-Briggs is more reproducible than most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity | 4 Comments

Typosperma

Posted on May 10, 2007 by cicada

Typosperma Oded Ezer Typographer/artist Oded Ezer says, The main idea of the ‘Typosperma’ project was to create some sort of new transgenic creatures, half (human) sperm, half letter. These imaginary creatures are cloned sperms, that typographic information has been implanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Words | 2 Comments

Breaking up with my laptop

Posted on May 10, 2007 by cicada

I finally acquiesced to the inevitable, and am posting from a new laptop. My Powerbook G4 is still alive, but it makes an intermittent clicking sound like a Japanese beetle, freezes up routinely, and has a battery life of ten … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama | 2 Comments

There’s a dinner on my spider

Posted on May 9, 2007 by cicada

dinner, salad, and dessert plates Laura Zindel Laura Zindel Ceramics My friend Lorraine alerted me to this amazing ceramic tableware by Laura Zindel. Zindel says: I believe that some objects can carry a personal history through a family from year … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Frivolity, Wonder Cabinets | 6 Comments

Don’t be afraid to change your values

Posted on May 9, 2007 by cicada

Ocellated Antbirds value study from Drawing the Motmot I’m a naughty watercolorist: I don’t do value studies before I paint. I know they’re important – especially in watercolor, because you can’t paint over your mistakes. But I’m just too lazy … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Education | Comments Off

Excerpt from “Rethinking Thin”

Posted on May 8, 2007 by cicada

There is an excerpt from Gina Kolata’s new book, Rethinking Thin (Amazon), in today’s NYT Science section: The implications were clear. There is a reason that fat people cannot stay thin after they diet and that thin people cannot stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

Popularity Contest!

Posted on May 8, 2007 by cicada

I’ve just added Alex King’s Popularity Contest widget to the sidebar, so you can hop directly to bioephemera’s most read posts. Unfortunately, the widget doesn’t accurately reflect the cumulative hits prior to today, so although the most of the listed … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging | Comments Off

The Department of the Drama; or “wasn’t this supposed to be an art blog?”

Posted on May 8, 2007 by cicada

April was a cruel month indeed. I travelled round trip from West Coast to East Coast three times, in three consecutive weeks, with no more than two days between flights. That’s what one does when all the places where one … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama | 1 Comment