I've finally decided to add a quotation to my email signature. I get a lot of mail that ends with a quote--usually something uplifting--and I always appreciate that insight into the correspondent's character.
So it took some time to decide just which one-liner would represent me best. And here it is:
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
If that needs clearing up, click here. Or better still . . . watch the best movie fable ever.
"Wonder cabinets were meant to encapsulate the universe in microcosm. They contained whatever was the smallest, the largest, the rarest, the most bizarre, the most intricately crafted - the goal being to inspire awe, an exalted state of mind somewhere between ignorance and knowledge." Michael Kimmelman, The New York Times
In that spirit . . . here are the first few stops on a self-guided tour of the World Wide Wondercabinet:
Please don't miss The Museum of Jurassic Technology. I can’t tell you more than that, but Lawrence Weschler explains it all in Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders, a National Book Award finalist that can be found on the Get Fizzical (Print) list at left. (Don't miss the subtitle.) While you are at the MJT, browse thoroughly, and be sure to visit the online Store for a "Garden of Eden on Wheels" T-shirt, or something else you've been yearning after.
Next, go to Cabinet Magazine, and find out about crocheting hyperbolic planes. (If you don’t crochet, there's always hyper-knitting.) Then drop by the Harvard Magazine archives for a wonderful essay on the history of wonder. And finally, visit The Web Museum, Paris to see photographs of the beautiful wonder-boxes created by Joseph Cornell, and/or explore Diane Waldman's gorgeous book of Cornell's work, listed at left.
Even if no one of these items happens to fascinate you--just the fact that such curious theories and beautiful objects are being created "out there" somewhere makes the world seem a little more fizzy!
Some ideas are so obvious they never occur to you. Fortunately, Margo Valentine Lazzara shares this one with the rest of us, in her book The Healing Aromatherapy Bath.
Make your bathwater beautiful with food coloring! No, it won't turn you purple or pink--only a very small amount is needed for a tubfull of water. Yes, it will cheer you up, calm you down, give you energy, or help you sleep (depending on the color you choose)--and all for a lot less than expensive bath preparations. You can add epsom salts to the bathwater if you like, or essential oils, but the color alone seems to have a remarkable effect. Experiment with color combinations to create lavender, aqua, peach, and many other shades.
Another tip: When flowers begin to be a little past looking good in the vase, just take the flowerheads or petals and toss them in the bath! So simple, so thrifty, so nice to yourself...
Here's an assortment of irresistible online distractions, suitable for Sundays:
Corneal Confections Hard to choose a favorite--but be sure to try "Hip? No, Sis!", and follow the instructions. Just one page of many from the Gander Candy collection by wjbgrafx.
Montage a Google If you haven't tried it yet, why not?
Zen Movie You won't be told when and where to click--sometimes it's obvious, sometimes . . . not. Follow your intuition (and do not z-z-z). When you get to the final screen, look for tiny print at the bottom that will link you to a lovely experience called Living Zero.
Steer the Stars Click on "hippocampus" in the left nav bar, then follow the tiny instructions at the top of the star screen. Turn on some music (I recommend Richard Gibbs's 2003 Battlestar Galactica score
2005 is the year of Violet Tulip! It's an "Inspiring, Intuitive, Uplifting" year, according to Colorstrology. And April is . . . all about Cayenne, i.e., "Fiery, Energetic, Courageous."
Here's a brief introduction to Colorstrology, courtesy of HOWdesign:
"Developed by the 'world-renowned intuitive, healer and author' Michele Bernhardt, Colorstrology blends astrology and numerology with the spirituality of color. The system assigns a specific hue to each month and day, in the way that astrology assigns sun signs and ruling planets to each day. In a press release issued by Pantone, Bernhardt says 2005 will resonate with spirituality and healing . . . Peace, balance and cooperation in all types of relationships will be a major theme and can also be a major challenge. Violet Tulip can help us see past our differences while dissolving our feelings of separateness."
When you visit Colorstrology (courtesy of Pantone, the company that rules the color world), you'll be impressed by the nifty Flash site--and you can find out the Colorstrology of your own birthday, including your "true color."
Mine is Pistachio.
I tested the birthdates of several friends and found the Colorstrology blurbs were fairly close in spirit to their personalities. It would be interesting if there were more information about how the color associations were derived, but the conceptual background is very sketchy. Summary: The site is fun to play with, lush to look at, so you might as well give it a browse. And there's a nice feature that let's you send a Colorstrology e-card keyed to the recipent's birth date.
The nifty Flash toy will give you a Pantone designation for each of the colors it references. But! They are not standard PMS numbers. (If you're bored already, just drop out, but if you even possibly want to reproduce Colorstrology colors in print or on the web, better keep reading.) They are from the "architecture and interiors" domain of Pantone. To convert, you will have to use the Pantone cross-reference tool (available free if you create a "My Pantone" account). Choose PMS as your "to" destination, A & I as your "from" source. Then enter the number string you found back at Colorstrology, followed by TC. Pick any answers to the other questions; there doesn't seem to be a good way to figure out which ones would be best. Take the resulting PMS number and go to any converter (click here for a good one) for the RGB formula or HEX value.
Voila!
(And if you figure out a better way to do it, please let me know.)
For those of you who once in a very great while experience the wee-est bit of stress, here are two ways to acquire/maintain mellowness. Acquire by going to True Tao and following these steps: 1. Choose "Tao Sanctuary" from the left-hand navigation bar. 2. Choose "Serenity Getaways" in the lower left-hand room of the Virtual Retreat. 3. Click on the scene you would like to contemplate. (Falling snow? Rippling lake?) 4. Relax and enjoy. To hear a gentle musical accompaniment, click one of the numbers next to the musical note in the left-hand navigation bar.
Should you wish to maintain a pleasant glow while working at the computer or around the house, tune in to Jukebox Alive. Then scroll down to OmPlace Radio, click on "Listen to Station," and let the music flow for as long as you leave it on. The playlist is a mixture of world music and classical interpretations that ranges from energizing to lyrical to trance-porting. Leave shuffle on--tools are at the bottom of the playlist--for a nice stream of changing types and tempos, or double-click on a title to select from the playlist.
You can purchase albums from the site, and you can explore other stations in the Jukebox Alive! community--including music from folk festivals, independent artists, specialty labels, and more. So if OmPlace Radio turns out to be not your cup of chai, check out Buckeyball Radio (strangely pleasing), Eroica Radio (strictly classical), Waltz Radio (just what you think), etc.
