def art

Judith Scott
(1943 - 2005)

eulogy

Edward Hopper
Nighthawks, 1942
Link: The Art Institute of Chicago

This Satan's drink is delicious...it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.
— Pope Clement VIII

El Chamizo is caffeine-free. Well, not altogether (I’m still drinking tea), but definitely off arabica and robusta. No more freshly roasted Colombian, fruity Ethipoian, intoxicating Kona, silky-smooth Blue Mountain, humble Mexican, wild Mocha, romantic Sumatra, floral Java and exotically excreted Kopi Luak. Caffeine, turns out, is poison for Chamizo’s delicate system.

Caffeine is a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. Could this be connected in any way to our worldwide addiction to the brown elixir? When first introduced to the Arab world via Ethiopia, orthodox Muslims prohibited coffee because of its stimulant effects. The Vatican also tried banning the Arabian wine, until Pope Clement VIII got hooked after a mere sip.

Link: Socyberty

visual stimulus

Models backstage at the Duckie Brown show

President Obama's wide-eyed promise to bring change to Washington and the nation have yet to materialize, but according to the NYT, his influence is showing on the runways with a tip towards one end of what writer Grace Paley once described as the "gorgeous chromatic" spectrum.

I say, woman cannot live on bread alone...

Link: The New York Times

¡Adiós Bush!

George W. Bush leaving the Capitol on Tuesday
Link: The New York Times

El Chamizo Volador texted her friends a farewell to Spurious George as the helicopter whisked him away from the Capitol following yesterday's presidential inauguration.

In no particular order, the winning responses to "Bye, bye Bush":

Most alliterative: Ciao Cheney!
Most telepathic: U read my mind.
Most cheeky: Don’t let the door hit ya!
Most compassionate: Poor guy.
Most what the…?: Poor guy.
Most salutatory: Hello Obama!
Most patient: I’ve waited 8 years for this day.
Most eager: May he vanish fast!
Most like something Hugo Chávez would say: Hell yes!
Most southern: Yee haw!
Most festive: ¿Al fin, no? Habría que celebrar eso hoy, más que la llegada de Obama. ¿Te apuntas? (Translation: Let’s party!).