Scott

Holiday on Oz

I’m really not a huge Oz fanatic. It just seems to pop up in my life every few years, and I guess this was one of those years.

We saw Wicked the other night at the Kennedy Center and enjoyed it a great deal, though I was a bit stunned at the “new” ending. Mike gave me the book for Christmas, and I just finished it so the story was still fresh. It was interesting to see how they changed a few things around, and I might have enjoyed it even more had I read the book after seeing the play.

We watched the original movie last night (another gift) to catch up and see where things fit in. The new DVD box set is amazingly restored, with lots of extras.

Here are some previous instances that Oz has popped up in my life:

1978
This is my first Wizard of Oz mural. I painted it at my old elementary school in Mt. Morris, Michigan. I attended kindergarden through 4th grade here then came back and did murals in all the rooms while in high school and college. Now it’s the first stop when I’ve finished a new children’s book and doing school visits. Do notice the tin man has two left hands; everyone else does.

oz 1

1986
Mural at the Genesee County Health Department. It took months to do this mural, plus the several others not shown. During that time I got to know some of the employees very well. I lost a commission because I made a smart-ass remark about the woman in the photo to her boyfriend while we were out one night. Something about him picking her up at a bar. I also did a life-size painting of Elvis in another gal’s basement that worked there. Lastly, about a year or two after finishing the murals I went back for my very first HIV test. Ahh, the memories.

oz 2

oz 4

oz 3

oz 5

2000
Mural at 2122 P St. NW, near Uni Sushi and Omega. The title is “Friends of Dorothy.” Get it? Do ya? It wasn’t my idea, but for the money they paid I could live with it. My original concept was “The Ascension of the Dorothy”. It would have been “fabulous,” with flying monkeys and witches, way over the top, but they paid me the same amount for 3 characters as they would have for 20 or more, so I agreed. I’ll scan in the concept sketch and post it at some point.

A fun thing about this job is that someone just handed me the keys to that cherry picker thing and walked away. I gave people rides, and I helped James at Uni Sushi wash his windows. Every night I drove it around and parked in the back alley.

oz 7

oz 8

mural 2

Windows Security Flaw Is ‘Severe’

This sounds nasty…“Unlike with previously revealed vulnerabilities, computers can be infected simply by visiting one of the Web sites or viewing an infected image in an e-mail …”

virus

PCs Vulnerable to Spyware, Viruses

By Brian Krebs
Special to The Washington Post

A previously unknown flaw in Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system is leaving computer users vulnerable to spyware, viruses and other programs that could overtake their machines and has sent the company scrambling to come up with a fix.

Microsoft said in a statement yesterday that it is investigating the vulnerability and plans to issue a software patch to fix the problem. The company could not say how soon that patch would be available.

Mike Reavey, operations manager for Microsoft’s Security Response Center, called the flaw “a very serious issue.”

Security researchers revealed the flaw on Tuesday and posted instructions online that showed how would-be attackers could exploit the flaw. Within hours, computer virus and spyware authors were using the flaw to distribute malicious programs that could allow them to take over and remotely control afflicted computers.

Unlike with previously revealed vulnerabilities, computers can be infected simply by visiting one of the Web sites or viewing an infected image in an e-mail through the preview pane in older versions of Microsoft Outlook, even if users did not click on anything or open any files. Operating system versions ranging from the current Windows XP to Windows 98 are affected.(read more)

Who’s got the year’s No. 1 album?

Lord help us…

Mariah Carey takes the lead from 50 Cent

NEW YORK (AP) — With the 2005 finish line in sight, Mariah Carey has inched past 50 Cent in the race for the year’s best-selling album.

Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi” sold 290,000 copies in the week ending December 25, according to figures released Wednesday by Nielsen SoundScan. That brings her total to 4.86 million copies on the year, compared to 4.83 million for 50’s “The Massacre,” which came out in March. (read more…or not)

current mood: nauseated

New Years Eve ART ROMP!

I’ll be showing 2 of my most recent paintings, “Posturing” and “Game Face”

ART ROMP 18
Saturday Dec 31
6-10pm
FREE

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Warehouse!

Posturing

What is Art Romp?

Art Romp is a one-night, free art party with
the works of over 60 artists, plus performance art,
music and a cookout in the parking lot.

painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video and more!

Work is hung throughout the Warehouse Arts Complex’s 10 gallery rooms.

Come early and stay late for Lobster Boy, Washington’s king of
new vaudeville/burlesque. Lobster Boy rules the roost from 10pm – 2am. $10

More info –

www.warehousetheater.com
www.lobsterboy.net
+++++
Warehouse Arts

1017 – 1021 7th Street NW
202 783 3933