T'art!

Hampton, David and Lee Hinkle, a Floridian musician who got away

Maybe you should come up with a better name for Tampa art. (This is why I'm not in marketing.) 

When I moved here 6.5 or so years ago, I immediately recognized that this place was bubbling with artsy stuff. 

Sure I hadn't wanted to leave Seattle. I'd even set my sights on Austin or San Francisco, but Florida's low cost of living ultimately won out. (On bad days, I'm reminded you get what you pay for.) 

But our art is priceless. 

No one in town knows that better than T. Hampton Dohrman and David Jenkins. 

For those of you not in the know (and you totally should be), Hampton is an outstanding supporter and organizer of arts events. 

He co-created Philanthropic Young Tampa Bay to inspire people like me (so I like to think) and keep us youngins' from migrating to Brooklyn and other fancy places with excellent public transportation. 

Awarding microgrants to artists is among PYT's work, and David is one of the panelists who helps give money away. He's also a founder of Jobsite Theatre. 


"We always bounce ideas off each other," David said about Hampton. They both travel often to see what's going on in other cities. "By virtue of it being D.C. or New York, a lot more people will show up and media will report on it." 

Hampton, David and I agree that what's going on here is pretty quality stuff. We may be underpaid and under the radar but at least we're having fun. And creating and enjoying amazing art. 

30 Days of Thanks

Some friends are posting their appreciation for life's little things in their Facebook status updates throughout this month.

I've decided to do the same here, using as many videos and photos I can come up with since this month will be a little hectic for me - two jobs, grad school, traveling - all of which I'll be writing about soon.

But for now, my very humble gratitude.

Day 1: I am thankful first and foremost for my friends. I wouldn't have a life without them, certainly no quality of life. My instinct has been to run away & bury my head when times are tough. Now I've opened up and invited them in. They've taught me how to be a better person, and to treat myself better, too.

Day 2: I'm truly thankful for all the men in my life, from my friends' husbands and brothers to my ex's, in/significant others, flings and other undefinable things. I'm generally a 'fraidy cat when it comes to establishing  meaningful connections, especially with the hairier sex.

But I remind myself that I've never been intentionally harmed or abused by any male in my life now, and that the pleasure of being acquainted with these very thoughtful, dear men is mine. While stories of the horrendous actions of men exist from my city to the Congo, I'm thankful to my man friends for giving their gender a good name.

Day 3: My iPhone! I'm an anticonsumer who rarely buys new stuff, but I needed a digital camera and a better phone. Additionally, it gave me the ability to put insomnia to good use: reading, browsing the web, bonding via text, talk and photos with friends in different time zones. Plus, there's the inHouse app.

Sample Houseisms:

"Belief implies a level of giving a crap that I am never gonna achieve."

"There's no way a do-gooder like you isn't volunteering all over town, ladling kittens, spaying soup."

Day 4 is easy: Though I am thankful to be employed, I am more thankful that it's Friday.

Ode to October II

Can't do this with a Kindle

 Neighborhood Girl (approximately 13 years of age) and I share a penchant for pumpkin carving.

We got together to create art, bake & eat seeds, and get a culture lesson (Tim McGraw okay; Josh Ritter better).

Happy Jack & Andy Rooney. (Guess which one is mine.)

Ode to October

Brainy cupcakes

I've always loved October.

It's the season of pumpkins, zombies and first kisses backlit by a bonfire. 

I ♥ nerds: Jenn & Mike's bookish cake topper

Two of my wonderful and book-loving friends (Jenn the speed reader and Amy the librarian/dedicated blog reader), must think October is as romantic as I do. 

They're both getting married this Halloween (party) weekend. 

 Autumn in Florida is hardly an ending. Around here it seems more like the beginning.

The Panic Virus

Science and media are two of my favorite topics. When done right, they can bring such good into the world. 

But evil (or at the very least, lazy) scientists and media makers sometimes produce sloppy if not dangerous work. 

Both fail miserably when they can't break down complex subjects and communicate the importance of these topics in our daily lives. Or if they make stuff up.


This week I interviewed journalist and science writer Seth Mnookin on his book The Panic Virus, which examines the massive fear bad (rejected!) science brought to vaccinations. Vaccines, by the way, are considered one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th Century (i.e. a major reason 30 is no longer considered old).

Mnookin is speaking on this topic Thursday, October 27th at the University of South Florida at noon at the Samuel Bell Auditorium in the College of Public Health. 

These are Days

 

In 1999 I earned a $325 speeding ticket in the Nevada desert because of this song. Totally worth it. The video has aged pretty badly, but at least I haven't. (And of course, I'm a much wiser driver now, too.)

Life on Training Wheels

There's a 2002 episode of This American Life that featured prisoners performing Hamlet. Many of the inmates were so frustrated by the play's language that they missed its meaning at first.

My own high school experience was similar. While good teachers helped me to cultivate my love of civics, community service and journalism, I lacked proper guidance to awaken in other areas, and purposely overlooked Shakespeare, history and math.

To use my favorite Barbie quote, "Math class is tough!" Especially when you already think you're an idiot.

Near the end of that episode of TAL, a prisoner/performer said the line that made me cry (there's at least one teary do-gooder moment per show). It was something like: "I always thought I was dumb. But I'm not. I just wasn't educated."

While the passion in Shakespeare or math can be challenging for a novice learner to uncover, it isn't impossible or even tough. Life is tough.

Tough is trying to be wholesome & make good choices after nearly 33 years of living sans boundaries. Tough is becoming the teacher you always wanted but never had.

I'm absolutely aboard the Steve Jobs-as-master bandwagon. A few years ago when his Stanford speech began circulating, I was reminded of the idealist I was. I refocused.

But time passes and it's easy to lose sight of goals & self. We humans need constant reminders. (And especially to be reminded that we're only human.) Although I'm saddened by his passing, I'm overjoyed and renewed by his urging and earnestness once again.