Why need art?

"I have used these things to say what is to me the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

"Art is both love and friendship, and understanding of the desire to give. It is not charity which is the giving of things, it is more than kindness, which is the giving of self. It is both the taking and giving of beauty, the turning out to the light the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit. It is art - something said about something felt." ~ Ansel Adams

What is art to you?

The above is what I read in an Youth Guide of The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Lately a TV program indicated that nowadays Americans become ruder than before. I was surprised to know though but my husband later commented that it is true, esp the youth generation.

I think it is a perception question to define what is "rude" to you at the first place.

Is it rude that people typing an email while talking to you on phone?
Is it rude that people stealing your parking lot?
Is it rude to gossip behind others' back?
Is it rude to interrupt a conversation while your cell phone rings?
Is it rude to sit wherever you want in a restaurant disregard waiter's instruction at a busy night?
Is it rude to steal the food in company's refrigerator?
Is it rude to let your dog poo or pee on the neighbors' lawns?
Is it rude to not tip 15% to 20% in a restaurant?
Is it rude to ask people how much money you make?
Is it rude to ask how much money people spend every month?

I think some questions' answers would vary depend on the interaction with each different person and the relationship you both have with each other.

What does this have to do with art?

Definitely there is a strong connection from my viewpoint.
Do you see rude people more in a museum or in a parking lot? :D
Why people change behaviors when they attend to an art venue?

What is art to you?

For me, art is the beauty presented in different creative ways and it also purifies human being's mind.

Do we want a rude world or not? Do we need art?!

Global Carbon Emissions by Country

1. USA: 1,650,020
2. China: 1,366,554
3. Russia: 415,951
4. India: 366,301
5. Japan: 343,117
6. Germany: 220,596
7. Canada: 174,401
8. UK: 160,179
9. South Korea: 127,007
10. Italy: 122,726
11. Mexico: 119,473
12. South Africa: 119,203
13. Iran: 118,259
14. Indonesia: 103,170
15. France: 101,927

Source: U.S. Energy Department's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, 2004

LHC & Higgs boson

This morning just after I woke up and turned on my laptop, I saw my google logo popped out with LHC. Haha That is really awesome and creative.

Later on my husband told me he found a news about Stephen Hawking bets against Large Hadron Collider's success. He thinks the machine won't succeed in one of its big goals: finding the very mysterious Higgs boson but might find superpartner particles though.

I found the news amusing enough to start a good day. Will the world end soon? Who cares.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center is in Madison, Wisconsin, very close to the State Capitol and facing the Monona Lake.
Such a great spot for residents, travelers to take some rest and enjoy a fantastic lake view.

I visited every day while we stayed at Madison. No matter reading, writing, eating or doing nothing, it is a very welcoming center for me in the city.

I never imagined that Madison is such a quiet and neat place. My limited knowledge to Wisconsin was only their dairy business thanks to the TV series "Spin City". Hahaha

Frank Lloyd Wright was born here in Wisconsin and has become the best well-known master of the American modern architecture. This is the 3rd design of Wright that I've seen after Guggenheim and Falling Water. I do not know much about architecture but his design is really inspiring as how he balanced what he creates with the big nature. I'm very looking forward to seeing more works of his in Chicago Oak Park.

Best Colleges 2009

Today there comes out the best colleges 2009 ranking: Though it is not necessarily the golden rule but good reference for young generation.

1. Harvard University, tuition $36,173, acceptance rate 9%
2. Princeton University, tuition $34,290, acceptance rate 10%
3. Yale, tuition $35,300, acceptance rate 10%
4. MIT, tuition $36,390, acceptance rate 12%
4. Stanford University, tuition $36,030, acceptance rate 10%
6. Caltech, tuition $34,437, acceptance rate 17%
6. University of Pennsylvania, tuition $37,526, acceptance rate 16%
8. Columbia University, tuition $39,326, acceptance rate 11%
8. Duke University, tuition $37,525, acceptance rate 23%
8. University of Chicago, tuition $37,632, acceptance rate 35%
11. Dartmouth College, tuition $36,915, acceptance rate 15%
12. Northwestern University, tuition $37,125, acceptance rate 27%
12. Washington University in St Louis, tuition $37,248, acceptance rate 17%
14. Cornell University, tuition $36,504, acceptance rate 21%
15. Johns Hopkins University, tuition $37,700, acceptance rate 24%
16. Brown University, tuition $37,718, acceptance rate 14%
17. Rice University, tuition $28,996, acceptance rate 25%
18. Emory University, tuition $36,336, acceptance rate 27%
18. University of Notre Dame, tuition $36,847, acceptance rate 24%
18. Vanderbilt University, tuition $37,005, acceptance rate 33%
21. University of California - Berkeley, tuition (in-state $8,932, out of state $29,540), acceptance rate 23%
22. Carnegie Mellon University, tuition $38,844, acceptance rate 28%
23. Georgetown University, tuition $38,122, acceptance rate 21%
23. University of Virginia, (in-state $9,300, out of state $29,600), acceptance rate 35%
25. University of California - Los Angeles, (in-state $7,034, out of state $26,102), acceptance rate 24%
26. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, (in-state $11,111, out of state $32,401), acceptance rate 50%
27. University of Southern California, tuition $37,740, acceptance rate 25%
28. Tufts University, tuition $38,840, acceptance rate 27%
28. Wake Forest University, tuition $36,975, acceptance rate 42%
30. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, tuition $37,372, acceptance rate 35%

33. New York University, tuition $22,294, acceptance rate 37%
34. Boston College, tuition $37,950, acceptance rate 27%
35. University of Wisconsin - Madison, (in-state $7,568, out of state $21,818), acceptance rate 56%

41. University of Washington, (in-state $6,802, out of state $23,219), acceptance rate 65%

44. University of California - Davis, (in-state $8,635, out of state $28,656), acceptance rate 59%

47. University of Texas - Austin, (in-state $8,130, out of state $25,722), acceptance rate 51%

53. George Washington University, tuition $38,530, acceptance rate 37%
53. University of Maryland - College Park, (in-state $8,005, out of state $23,076), acceptance rate 47%

56. University of Ohio - Columbus, (in-state $8,679, out of state $21,918), acceptance rate 59%

71. Virginia Tech, (in-state $7,397, out of state $19,605), acceptance rate 67%

80. St Louis University, tuition $30,728, acceptance rate 80%

83. American University, tuition $33,283, acceptance rate 53%

96. University of Arizona, (in-state $5,542, out of state $18,676), acceptance rate 80%

102. Howard University, tuition $14,685, acceptance rate 54%
102. Illinois Institute of Technology, tuition $27,513, acceptance rate 57%

Comcast finally agree to refund us $150

This morning Comcast called and after 20 minutes talking with my husband, Comcast finally agreed to refund us the $150 they overcharged us half year ago.

The long long story started Sept, 2007 when we just moved in the new apartment and saw the website promotion deal and we signed for it but after month, we found the amount of bill was not correct, then we unsubscribed it after 3 months and hence starting the complaints to Comcast.

Why Comcast finally agreed to refund today but not earlier? The truth is that Comcast sent their service team to negotiate with us but not successfully. After they took the Comcast box back from us, my husband sued the case to Better Business Bureau. After a few while, BBB responded us with Comcast's answer and asked us if we are not satisfied with their answer, need to raise it up within 10 days. So we did and did it three times because "we don't have the record" or "we cannot locate the customer" didn't appear the right direction for the solution, not even close.

After a while BBB sent us an email saying: unfortunately you are still not satisfied with service of the provider's answer...etc. Sounds like not much progress... At the end my husband would only want Comcast to get a ticket for what they did to customers, nothing more to expect.

Today Comcast management team called and finally they said they will send us $150 check to compensate the extra charge done to us. Seems finally Comcast management team do not want to see a customer complaint listed in their record for too long. Good that my husband insists on what he thinks needs to be done.

Ten Schools

I read an article of a magazine and they talk about the best 10 Boarding Schools in USA:

1. Choate Rosemary Hall: Connecticut
2. Deerfield Academy: Massachusetts
3. The Hill School: Pennsylvania
4. The Hotchkiss School: Connecticut
5. The Lawrenceville School: New Jersey
6. The Loomis Chaffee School: Connecticut
7. Phillips Academy: Massachusetts
8. Phillips Exeter Academy: New Hampshire
9. St. Paul's School: New Hampshire
10. The Taft School: Connecticut

Connecticut has 4, Massachusetts 2, New Hampshire 2, New Jersey 1, Pennsylvania 1.

They are schools that the rich families would send their children to study. :)