"The seeming naivete' of the Confucians in accepting their own linguistic and cultural universe as intrinsically meaningful and valuable is based on the collective judgment that the survival and continuation of their civilization is not a given reality but a communal attainment. This judgement is itself premised on a fundamental faith in the transformability and perfectibility of the human condition through communal self-effort."

-Tu Wei-Ming

It was raining this afternoon and I was taking my daily constitutional walk suited up with boots, coat, and umbrella. The hat was actually overkill because it was actually rather warm for this time of year. I'm not entirely sure what I looked like to her but a motorist driving in the opposite direction pulls into a driveway in front of me and asks me if I need a ride to somewhere. I decline, tell her I'm fine as is and not going very far anyway and walk around her car to go my own way. Eventually she backs into the street and continues on her way, too.

And I keep thinking about it. It seems so odd that anyone would do that in this country and in this day and age. And then I wonder if there's something wrong with me for thinking that. And then I wonder what was it about *me* that prompted the offer? Was she making that offer to every pedestrian she came across today?

What i'm trying to find are art prints of the 'black paintings' of Ad Reinhardt. Any suggestions?

Have been listening to an introductory course on music theory and the instructor likened all teaching to story telling. Suddenly, so many things about college made so much more sense.

It's mostly been the same 'ol same 'ol though I did spend an extended Memorial Day weekend in Virginia at a state park. Lots of small wildlife; got beaned in the back of the head by a beetle that as about 5cm long who then fell into the back of my shirt and stayed there until I pulled it out.

Have started physical therapy for the shoulder and see an ortho about my back in a few weeks. Taking drugs to deal with the pain is not my idea of a solution and I'm hoping that with the PT I can drop the drugs.

Art? Yeah. Not much though. Mostly thinking about potential projects rather than actually doing anything about them. This weekend if there's both energy and time I'll see how far one can get sewing a shitagi (using a medium green, cotton fabric; no plans to embroider the finished garment). If that goes well then I may focus more on sewing/embroidery for awhile.

29 June 09 update: Finished the shitagi. Took about a day and a half. Forgot a few things about constructing these things since the last time I made a kimono (which was somewhere around a decade or so ago) but it's good enough. Now to make the obi. Or start another embroidery project. Or something.