A shuttlecock can be art, apparently

I could tell a lot of stories based on my afternoon at the Nelson-Atkins art museum (including one about dancing trees) but I’ll settle for the following. While walking through the main building I realized that every painting was either a) religious in nature often showing a saint in some form of martyrdom or b) involved livestock, particularly cattle. To be honest, if you asked me to predict what type of art would be featured in a Kansas City art museum I would pretty much guess pictures of religious figures and cattle. Surprisingly there were very few instances where the two were intertwined. I kept on expecting to see “Madonna with child at rendering plant.”

It’s been a rather quiet weekend. I took some time off from the blog, mainly because I was working on the novel. I have reached the 10K word plateau and finished what is actually being referred to as Part One of the story. This is my backstory / introduce most of the major characters over two days of novel time in which our hero pretty much sits there and has everything take place around him. He’s not exactly action oriented at this point in the story. To be honest, he’s drunk of hungover for most of it. I think my novel will be shipped with its own commemorative shot glass to enhance the experience.

Hell, at one point last night I found myself watching Nascar. Not just watching the race but being rather enthralled by it. I’m still trying to figure out the whole Kyle Busch paint scheme. He drives the M&M’s car, which is also being cosponsored by the Indiana Jones movie. Hence, the green M&M is wearing the hat and brandishing a whip which is an awfully strange thing for a piece of candy to do. Is this implying that most of the American populace (or at least the portion that watches cars turn left) wishes to eat Harrison Ford? Or does this mean that my chocolate snack of choice is going to kick my ass if I try to consume it? Talk about mixed messages.

I’ll admit to watching races (and at lesser moments, having some additional interests on the races) but I still say that I watch Nascar in the same way that other people watch golf. In that they aren’t actually paying attention; that is just what is on the television set while they are doing something else. It’s interesting enough to watch casually and I follow it closely so that I have favorites but it isn’t something that I schedule my day around. Plus, now that Tony Stewart stopped driving a Pontiac I can’t support him until I get a new car. Because that is just what fans do.

Best of 120 Minutes: I just feel like posting another Throwing Muses video today. If anyone knows where I can find a copy of The Real Ramona on CD let me know. I have it on tape somewhere in my apartment and I really need to get that on CD. Yes, I could just download it but it wouldn’t be the same.



The five random CDs for the week (returning after a one week hiatus):
1) Continental Drifters “Better Day”
2) Drive-By Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”
3) Robbie Fulks “Revenge”
4) Pearl Jam “No Code”
5) Old Crow Medicine Show “Big Iron World”