To start the break off right, Hal took a trip to northern Michigan this weekend. He stayed in a cabin with Sparky. Of course, he followed public health procedures in any remotely public spaces, but in the off-season, the campground was practically abandoned. The unseasonably warm weather, though, meant that Hal could be outside all he wanted. Isn’t it neat to watch the sunrise over a lake?
Hal hasn’t slept outside of his childhood bed since January. It’s weird for a college student to stay in the same place for so long, isn’t it? Hal and I agree, though, that we’d rather be feeling weird staying put than putting others at risk by moving around.
Hal, Sparky, and I would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Remember to take care of your mind and body over the break, even if that means eating some comfort food and catching up on homework. đ
If you’re new here, Hal is a U-M student who’s been studying remotely since January, and who will be remote next semester, too! If you’d like to see more, come back next Tuesday, or search the “Study Hal” tag for more.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is prime time television, 7/8 Central,
desaturated violence, pixels for promises
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is BUY THIS NOW! Unpaid loans and mortgage
second to your Robinhood investment with 0% APR financing
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is 15% off your purchase of over $35
free shipping and handling, some assembly required
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is a husband, wife, and kids â a Thanksgiving recipe
written by your neighborhood Klansman
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is broken glass, bodies splattered
against windshields of foreign cars
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is mass production, a meat processor â
a conveyer belt straight to the rich man's pocket
THE AMERICAN DREAM
is freedom of religion, white picket fenced churches
salvation has always been pay-to-play
Not a lot about the meteorites are known, other than the fact that it is a harmful space rock caused by natural means. However this one is different from others; the space rock collapses into two, releasing many menacing and destructive robot-like creatures. This exceptional meteorite may be a special stepping stone for humanity to discover the secret behind the mysterious meteors.
+Author’s Comment+
Have a great fall break, everyone!
Follow my Art Instagram Account:Â @kats.art.folder
I thought that this week I would tell a story that I loved hearing when I was growing up. This is the story of the Ganesha, and how he came to be known as the Elephant God. Enjoy!
Shivaâs wife Parvati disliked being disturbed when she was bathing but for some reason, Shiva never seemed to remember. He strode in whenever he wished oftentimes really annoying Parvati. One day when Shiva was away meditating in the forest, Parvati went into her bathing chamber full of determinations and a mischievous glint in her eyes. âToday I will not be disturbed,” she thought as she massaged herself with jasmine oil and sandalwood paste.
Picking up a flat wooden knife she scraped the scented paste off her body and kneaded it into a lump, mixing it with the pure, fine soil from the ground. When it was firm enough, she fashioned the clay into the figure of a boy, perfect in every limb. She held the beautiful sculpture of the boy up to her face and poured her lifeâs breath into him. In the twinkling of an eye, a young boy stood before her, handsome, alive, eyes bright with love.
Parvati hugged him. “Now look, I want you to do something for me. Iâm going to have a bath and no one is to enter this chamber. You will be my little guard.”
A piece that I did in ink inspired by a beautiful drawing of Ganesha by Bijay Biswaal
The boy bowed, hands folded, “Of course, Mother.” Parvati went into her bathing chambers and shut the door. The boy posted himself outside and stood with legs apart, hands folded, the spitting image of a little knight.
Shiva returned from his meditative retreat and looked around for Parvati. When he didnât see her, he made straight for the bathroom but came to an abrupt halt. In front of the door, blocking his passage, stood a strange young boy. Shiva moved forward, with purpose, but the boy didnât budge.
“I will not,” said the boy coolly, without a trace of fear. “My mother said no one must enter, so I will not let anybody in until she says so.”
“I am not interested in what your mother said. Move out of my way!” Shiva roared, and his terrible anger erupted. In a flash, his sword was out and fell on the boyâs tender neck. The young boy cried as he fell, and his severed head rolled on the ground. Parvati sprang up and flung the door open. Her eyes widened in pain and anguish when she saw the headless body of her son. She turned on Shiva like a lioness, angry tears pouring down her face.
“Youâve killed my son, you heartless brute,” she stormed. “How could you kill a young boy unequal in strength and years? And they call you a Great God! Some Great God you are! Iâll never forgive you for this.” Shiva looked at her in blank astonishment, bewildered and appalled.
“Iâm truly sorry, my dear, just donât be angry with me,” Shiva tried to soothe his wife in his most calming voice. “I will bring him back to life, I promise.”
Parvati threw him a smoldering look and turned away. Shiva summoned his faithful attendants and spoke with power, “Bring me the head of the first dead creature you see,â Shiva ordered. The servants left and almost immediately saw a beautiful elephant down the path. They cut off its head and quickly took it to Shiva. Shiva knelt by the headless body of the boy and placed the elephantâs head on the raw, bleeding neck. The head merged seamlessly into the torso of the boy and a moment later the little eyes flickered open.
Shiva picked him up and embraced him. “You, my son, will be the leader of my servants and the world will know you as Ganesha”â he pronounced with a loving smile. “No god or man will dare begin a venture without first invoking you. In you shall be the power to remove every obstacle in the path of man, and in you shall lie the wisdom of the ages.”
This week was a little different, but if anything that I discussed in this post stands out or if any questions arise please feel free to comment and share your thoughts!
This is the second theme from the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto. It’s a melody that flows on and on, whirling around never quite settling. This theme is the heart of the first movement full of warmth, sincerity, and love. It’s shy at first but gathers some courage to fly and soar.
Earlier this semester, I learned about a watercolor workshop for students through Passport to the Arts. By using Passport to the Arts, I registered with Flipside Art Studio for a Zoom class and picked up a free art kit. I recently added my own flair to the painting by using black Sharpie to outline my cacti and provide detailing. While my watercolor painting turned out differently than the instructor’s version, I was relatively happy with how it turned out and wanted to share it with you!
Creating this painting was one of my first times working with watercolors since I was a child, and it was interesting to play around with them. At times, I accidentally painted blotches on the page or had the paint bleed in a way I didn’t intend it to, as it’s easy for watercolor paint to bleed if wet paint gets too close to another color. I worried about it ruining the painting, but “mistakes” such as these turned into opportunities to play around with new shapes and create interesting visual effects, like gradients.
On one last unrelated note, I hope this Thanksgiving break proves to be a restful and rejuvenating time. It might be a great opportunity to take a break from schoolwork and do that art project you’ve been dying to do (like watercolor painting!). Whether you stay in place or share the table with family, my whimsical watercolors and I are wishing you a safe and happy holiday.
