Champions...Again

The 2011 DCBA Street Dance Challenge Champions.

Photo is courtesy of Ma'am Sohnea (of Sterling Bank? Not really sure).

Songs And About A Thought To Ponder

Just sharing a nice anecdote I got while reading a book. This is a segment from an essay by Peter Coyote, an author and a writer, on how he imagines the arts will be in the near future:

Popular music might begin to express affection for things other than sexual objects, might expand its scope to include love of place, parents, friends, other species, and water. (I once had the good fortune to live for several weeks with the Hopi snake priest David Monogye. Well into his nineties when I knew him, he was a wry and sophisticated observer of mainstream culture. He used to tease me by observing, "We Hopis have lots of songs about water because it's so rare and precious in the desert. I notice that your people sing about love all the time. Is that because it's so rare for your people?")

The Hopis, if you're asking the same question, are a tribe of indigenous Native Americans living in Northeastern Arizona. And, yes, I was struck by this brilliant observation from an otherwise impartial outsider.

That's because it rings true to what we see today. Love has become scarce and this isn't strictly an American phenomenon. In a world increasingly plagued by broken families and utilitarian relationships, it is so easy to see why love has fallen on the wayside and why many of our songs speak about what we have lost.

Ariel And Maverick

Ariel and Maverick. The comedy duo. I first got to watch this pair during an episode in their show, The Misadventures of Ariel and Maverick. It was pretty late-night so I watched them infrequently. But the memories that did remain with me about these episodes never fail to put a smile in my face.

Remember the time they wore animal suits, went to kindergarten school to amuse the kids, and ended up with a class full of crying kids, scared to death?

Or the time that they and the entire crew had to sleep in a small room so they ended up sleeping against the wall, instead?

Or the many instances when Mommy Elvie, Ariel's lovable mother, would shoot sarcastic quips about her son's numerous antics and shots at fame?

The duo was (and still is) amazing. And to think that they did all of there shows without a fixed script (talk about "Improv") only proved that they had talent and unmistakable wit.

Now, I've got something in my bucket list. I wish I could have all of their episodes of all of their shows with me so I can begin watching them again right from the start.

That would be wickedly fun.

Ned Kahn and Theo Jansen

Ned Kahn is an artist whose masterpieces center around working with the elements in a given environment to produce highly dramatic effects. His works always feature a wonderful symbiosis between his sculptures (if you can call it that) and the settings these sculptures are situated in.

If you have time, do visit his website you'll have a clearer picture of what I'm talking about.

Theo Jansen is another artist who is notable for his "wind walkers", gargantuan contraptions of wood which walk with the wind. His works also feature the same quality as Ned Kahn's, that is of man-made elements specifically designed to work in harmony with the environment.

Below is a BMW commercial, featuring the artist (As a side note, I have to commend the ad agency for this quite subtle, and effective, commercial. Just try looking for a BMW car):

Both artists are geniuses in their own right and their works provide a formula for sustainable design. Architects and engineers have a lot they can learn from these two pioneers.

Job Hazards

Haay. Job hazards. They can be such a drag. 

Thankfully, us bank employees rarely, if ever, are exposed to life-threatening conditions (unless you count bank robberies in which case you can still be thankful you're not the security guard). But we are, unfortunately, exposed to a different set of hazards, hazards which can potentially ruin our lives just the same.

For those working in the branches, there's the risk of losing money which isn't even yours. Say, you're a teller and a client unexpectedly withdraws a greater deal of money than he's supposed to carry home and he just won't return it despite your insistent claims that it was simply a mistake. You are then forced to pony up for what's lost (Curse you, liar! Your soul will burn in hell!).

In my case, I don't have to worry about this scenario because I never handle money (being in loans). But I do handle collateral, titles to be exact , and it's also stressful nonetheless. I remember asking a colleague how much I am expected to pay if ever I lost one and he quoted me a figure that was probably a year's worth of wages. And as for my job after? Well, kiss your job goodbye after that.

I love my job. In a weird, masochistic kind of way, that is (I'm joking. Or maybe I'm not?).