Appreciate art, if not effort
Published 1:28 pm Sunday, January 8, 2012
If your New Year’s resolution is still in the “good intention” phase, or the “past tense” phase, that’s OK. Be kind to yourself and remember (also kindly) there is always someone slothier than thou. Let’s take some shortcuts through the headlines:
•”Polish art student hangs own painting in museum”:
Ah, there’s that Entitlement Generation we’ve heard so much about. Art student Andrzej Sobiepan didn’t want to wait decades for his work to appear in museums, so he snuck his painting into the National Museum in Wroclaw and put it up in a room with contemporary Polish art when a guard wasn’t looking. The stunt gained national publicity after a TV report. Sobiepan didn’t disappoint when given a chance to offer up quote.
“I decided that I will not wait 30 or 40 years for my works to appear at a place like this,” Sobiepan told TVN24. “I want to benefit from them in the here and now.”
That’s the spirit!
Considering that Sobiepan’s painting — a small white and green leaf — wasn’t noticed by museum officials, or apparently anyone else, for three days, it just might be that the artist has overestimated the, uh, dynamic nature of his work. But he has that stunt ‘n’ publicity thing down.
•”Fertile sperm donor draws criticism from FDA, docs”:
The noble donor offers his sperm free to women through his website; to date he has fathered 14 children, with four on the way. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered the San Francisco humanitarian to cease and desist his generous ways.
The FDA says Trent Arsenault, 36, must stop because he does not follow the agency’s requirements for getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases within seven days before giving sperm. Even though he offers his services for free, authorities say it is the sheer volume that makes his enterprise a “commercial” one.
At the time of the FDA letter, AP reported, Arsenault had made 328 sperm donations to 46 women. (With a total of 14 kids.)
Well, if “sheer volume” is the deciding criteria, has the FDA ever issued cease and desist orders to certain professional athletes, other known prolific lotharios, and “legitimate” sperm donors? All of whom have produced a “commercial” amount of children…
•”Video captures a fish mimicking a mimic octopus that mimics fish”: Researchers listened for as long as they could before saying they could’ve stayed home for this: “Mom! That fish is copying me!” “Mom! That fish is copying me!” “Stop it!” “Stop it!”
Take the easy way, er, take it easy today.
