Kimbell Museum & Sundance Square

Today ended up being a very beautiful, fun day. It just seemed too pretty outside to stay in, so Roy and I headed over to the Kimbell Art Museum over in Fort Worth. One of my co-workers back at UTA had mentioned to me back then that she highly recommended it, and so it's been on my to-do list for a while now. Below are some highlights (for me) from the collections.

Click on the images to see more info from the Kimbell's site.


The Cardsharps
I just liked this painting b/c it's funny. You see "the dupe" looking at his cards, while his opponent fiddles with the hidden cards he has stuffed behind him. Meanwhile, his accomplice looks over the dupe's shoulder.



Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene
I loved the light in this painting. There is a candle right in the middle of the figures, and the shadows and reflections are perfect. You can even see the reflection of the candle on her fingernails.



Portrait of a Woman, probably Isabella d'Este
The actually person this statue is of is what I found interesting. Isabella was a wealthy woman in Renaissance Italy, and she was known to commission several of the day's most famous artists, including Leonardo Da Vinci. The way they determined who this sculture was is they compared it with the other artwork she had of that time.



Round Dish with Pommel Scrolls
This dish was really very beautiful. Unfortunately, neither the Kimbell's online photo nor the ones I tried to take really show its beauty. The artist layered black and red lacquer to create the design. The design is a beautiful combination of red, deep red, and black. If I could find a replica (for a decent price, of course) I'd buy it.



The Three Stars of Happiness, Wealth, and Longevity
I just really liked this hanging scroll of the three stars. You saw them in other pieces at the museum, each individually.

And of course, I had my camera with me, although I didn't take it into the museum. Instead, I captured shots while we were outside walking around the museum, then later as we wandered around Sundance Square.

Click on the images below to see the entire set

The graduation photos are up!

Alright folks -- it's a little bit later than I'd intended, but I've got my photos from the graduation up on my Flickr account. The photos in the set include those from the graduation and also from the "Hot Dog ... and Stuff" get-together that evening.

Click on the images below to see the entire set.








Click on the images above to see the entire set.

I haven't yet received my degree -- they're supposed to mail it to me as soon as they verify my grades -- but I'll definitely take a picture of it and post it once I get it.

Pandora

Have you heard of Pandora? If not, you really need to try it.


Pandora is a (high-quality) streaming free music service that runs on flash, meaning that it's completely cro-platform compatible. Go to http://www.pandora.com, and type in a favorite band or song. It'll build a library, based on your input, of music with similar qualities. If it plays a song that you really like, you can tell the player you like it, and it'll add more music (or seeds) to your stream.

I'm really enjoying it b/c I'm being exposed to music I'd never heard of before and probably never would have heard of before! Another great feature is that if you hear a song you really really like, you can set it as a favorite. And you notice over on my sidebar, I have my most recent favorites listed. Pandora enables you to create an RSS feed of your favorites, so this list auto-updates ever time I add a new one.

Thanks to my co-worker Engin for finding this. I'm really enjoying it! Want to hear my radio station? >>Click here.<<

I'm Free!!!

I know this is a few days overdue, but hey -- I've been living it up! I *finally* graduated with my Master's degree in Computer Education and Cognitive Systems, with a specialization in Instructional Systems Technology. (I'm not exactly sure what my diploma will say -- it should be mailed to me in the next couple of days. I'm hoping it says Inst. Sys. Tech., but I'm not going to complain.

• Began: August, 2004
• Completed: May 2006
• GPA: 3.916 (I am pretty darn proud of that GPA!)
  

The graduation ceremony was looooonnnggg. Me and about 800 other students walked the stage ... and it was just the School of Education and the School of Public Affairs. Really made me realize just how big UNT really is.

My parents were there. Roy was there ... although when I sent out my email announcement, he tried to politely decline. (That stinker!) Ja'Nate' came up from Houston. Got to meet her really nice friend Jari. Of course, my pal Vicki was there. Fellow U2 fanatic Fatima and Bono-Babe Fatima was there. And my pal Corina and her sis even showed up for the grand occasion!

We all gathered after the ceremony for hotdogs and ... stuff! It was a lot of fun. We sat around, watched The Blues Brothers, and just talked. Great time! Oh, and Kristy and Dory made these wonderful "pretzel things" that are pretzels, M&Ms, and white chocolate. Just *insanely* good! Sadly, Roy made me give them away during the get-together. :P

I do have some photos, but just not with me right now. I'll add them to my blog probably later tonight or this weekend. Anyway...

WOOHOO!!

Seremuppety: Serenity Comic Acted Out By Muppets

Found this on whedonesque.com. Of course Kermit plays the courageous Cap'n Mal, but you'll love to see who plays our other beloved characters.


Act One:

• Part 1 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564479/
• Part 2 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564511/
• Part 3 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564540/
• Part 4 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564563/
• Part 5 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564585/
• Part 6 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564601/
• Part 7 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564622/
• Part 8 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/28564640/

Act Two:

• Part 9 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/29057403/
• Part 10 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/29057496/
• Part 11 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/29057567/
• Part 12 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/29057657/

Act Three:

• Part 13 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/32936116/
• Part 14 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/32936226/
• Part 15 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/32936323/
• Part 16 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/32936454/
• Part 17 - http://www.deviantart.com/view/32936596/
  

Bono Speaks!

Friday was amazing … of course!

Fatima and I got to the Music Hall several hours early, scoped out the place, and found where he was probably going to drive in and enter the venue. We were right (of course), and several hours later, we – and about 50 other people who showed up after us – caught a brief glimpse him as he drove in.

He tried to come out and do an informal meet and greet with the group, but unfortunately as soon as people saw him, they rushed across the street, and he was only able to stay for a couple of minutes due to the crush. During that time, however, I started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ from the back of the crowd (since his birthday is coming up on the 10th), and others joined in, and he heard us.

His talk was really great. Interesting. Witty. Inspiring. Brief. Time just seemed to fly. I’m really glad I had a chance to listen to him speak. He and his tie definitely charmed the socks off all of the businessmen and politicians in the audience.

After the event, we waited outside hoping that he’d come out one more time. We waited once again across the street, this time with about 200 other folks. This time, the mad rush across the street was caused by the police, who jokingly asked us if “you guys want to meet Bono over here?” They looked slightly startled as everyone approached time rather rapidly. But they managed to keep some order, and Bono stayed out for around 10 minutes signing things and talking to people.

In the chaos, I managed to snap some photos. Click on the images below to see the entire set.





Click on the images above to see the entire set.

Just a great, great time!

Blur Animations

It is amazing some of the stuff you can find on the internet. Completely free, and very high quality! I was taking a brain break this evening after completing a paper for class, and I stumbled across a site called Blur Studio. One section of the site has four animated shorts they've created, and each of them is really good.

Click on the image below to see the animated short.

Day Without An Immigrant Photos