Des Temps

Category: Our World

  • In A Pinch

    toga party

    The following appears in the the preface to Anne Carson’s new translation of four plays by Euripides.

    “Why does tragedy exist? Because you are full of rage. Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of greif. . . . Perhaps you think this does not apply to you. Yet you recall the day your wife, driving you to your mother’s funeral, turned left instead of right at the intersection and you had to scream at her so loud other drivers turned to look. When you tore her head off and threw it out the window they nodded, changed gears, drove away.

    “Grief and rage-you need to contain that, to put a frame around it, where it can play itself out without you or your kin having to die. There is a theory that watching unbearable stories about other people lost in grief and rage is good for you-may cleanse you of your darkness. do you want to go down to the pits of yourself all alone? Not much.”

    And so on. Remarkable.

  • Krazy Kat

    In the early 20th George Herriman created Krazy Kat. You will see and learn things you’ve never seen before. A personal public master. It’s $3, but this article will open the door, if you feel like getting changed a bit.

  • Cold Snap

    gray matter

    Me and the PK monster hit the streets a few of months ago to put a long, cold winter into perspective. Since the unofficial start of Summer rolls around this weekend, I thought it would be nice to spend a moment reflecting on those chilly days. Even the wildlife was feeling a bit on edge. Peep real-life drama. A full record of our exploits to come.

  • Unquestioned Dogma

    You probably saw this… Anderson Cooper interviews Cam’ron on 60 Minutes.

    “If there’s a serial killer living next door to you, though, and you know that person is, you know, killing people, would you be a snitch if you called police and told them?” Cooper asks Cam’ron.

    “If I knew the serial killer was living next door to me?” Cam’ron asks. “No, I wouldn’t call and tell anybody on him. But I’d probably move… But I’m not gonna call and be like, you know, ‘The serial killer’s in 4E.’”

    Granted, that is kind of a dumb question (and you didn’t think there was such thing as a dumb question?) and Stop Snitching has complex roots in tough and often unfair relationships between communities and police. However, I think we can say that at this point, it’s not very productive. There is a similarity here to the testimony of Alberto Gonzalez. Are these people that stupid? Or are they protecting something they think is important? (AG = his boss, Killer Cam = his sales)
    Full 60 Minutes report

  • Flash Photography

    a lion of judah

    Learning to shoot better is, moreover, a part of learning to see the world differently — through more analytical eyes. Which brings me to Don Imus. This will all make sense, I promise.

    My first reaction to the Imus comments was the kind of weary, jaded amusement that I take from everything that seems hopelessly unfair, crude, utterly unremarkable and American. In a word, my reaction was cynical.

    (more…)

  • To Wit

    Old People.
    Reds, a 1981 film by Warren Beatty.
    Many reasons to watch. Or 1.
    The long lens of experience gets close up on the living faces of history.
    Old People.

  • Been Places

    pearls

    purple

    During a general meeting a couple of months ago the Desedo team discussed the possibility of filming a few shorts involving old people. A few topics were kicked around vis-à-vis our elders including dating, advice, and storytelling of course. Though no plan was decided upon, discussion of the topic concluded with the dictum, “old people are good.”