quote of the day may: on cooking

"Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours work into two minutes enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet."

-Julia Child

quote of the day may: on gender

One of the most influential books in recent liberal arts education is Gender Trouble by Judith Butler. Butler questions the standard definitions of gender, naturalized sex, feminist theory, and seeks to re-engage these thoughts through performativity Here is a thought-provoking passage on shifting ones thinking from gender as expressive to gender as performative:

"That gender reality is created through sustained social performances means that the very notions of an essential sex and a true or abiding masculinity or femininity are also constituted as part of the strategy that conceals gender's performative character adn the perfomative possibilities fro proliferating gender configurations outside the restricting frames of masculinist domination and compulsory heterosexuality. Genders can be neither true nor false, neither real nor apparent, neither original nor derived. As credible bearers of those attributes, however, gender can also be rendered thoroughly and radically incredible" (p. 180).

quote of the day may: on style

After reading an utterly disappointing interview of Anna Wintour-- one that focused on speculation by unnamed others on her personality rather than her incredible legacy-- I began thinking about poise and pursuits in being fashionable. But Wintour is more than highly educated and influential on fashion- she possesses style. And we all know people like this- whose attitude and beauty goes beyond the tangible and material, and endures in even the smallest actions with grace. Here are some quotes from notable style experts:

"Fashions fade, style is eternal."
-Yves Saint Laurent

"Style is a simple way of saying complicated things."
-Jean Cocteau

"Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress."
-Coco Chanel

quote of the day may: on compassion

Three lovely quotes from the Dalai Lama

"True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason."
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"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
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"True compassion is universal in scope. It is accompanied by a feeling of responsibility."

quote of the day may: on art

"Art is not to be looked at, art is looking at us. Thus art is not an object, but an experience."
-Joseph Albers

painter, teacher

quote of the day may: on Michelle Obama

At the White House Correspondence Dinner, President Obama had some fantastic zingers about Micheal Steele (in the houze for schizle), his loving relationship with Hillary Clinton (she just had to give him a big fat kiss after visiting Mexico...) and Joe Biden (Bo's not the one he needs to keep on a short leash). But some of the most clever comments were in response to some of the media reports on his personality, the Obama family, and the last 100 days. This was my favorite:

"Michelle Obama is here, the First Lady of the United States. Hasn't she been an outstanding First Lady? She's even begun to bridge the differences that have divided us for so long, becasue no matter which party you belong to we can all agree that Michelle has the right to bare arms."
-May 9, 2009

may quote of the day: on travel

I've been on the road for a few days with my pup. Is is thrilling to see new things and explore new places, no matter how big (like the World's Largest Apple Basket) or small (like the quaint town of Dresden, Ohio).

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

This is good travel advice too:

"When preparing to travel, lay out all of your clothes and all of your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money."

-Susan Heller