I am back from Costa Rica (post to come), and I can tell you that it was quite nice to return from a foreign country and soak up some American pop culture.

The First Thursday events at the Nevada Museum of Art are always good fun. Through the collaborative efforts of Dave Chapman from KTHX, various vendors such as Great Basin Brewery, and of course the Museum, the first Thursday of each month is a great excuse to get off of work and appreciate some art, have a few drinks, and visit with friends in a beautiful setting.

Last night’s event was packed. Even though that might be perceived as a negative to some, I am glad to see additional revenue flowing into the Museum’s coffers.

The featured exhibit right now is Andy Warhol. While I am not  supposed to, I managed to dodge the guards and grab a few pics with my Cingular 3125 Smart Phone.

As well-known as Warhol is, it  is still nice to see his work in person and appreciate the use of color and texture in his various pieces and collections. Something as simple as a the image of a soup can or a recognizable figure has the power to invoke a myriad of emotions and associations.

I can recall one obnoxious young man, who was observing the Campbell Soup cans, sarcastically stating to his friends in a loud voice, “Hey guys, this is what I am going to do. I’m going to frame a bunch of soup cans and call it art.” He obviously didn’t get it. This particular work of Warhol’s represents the mass appeal of certain products, and how the use of color and illustration not only further create this appeal, but could very well be the driving force.

The Nevada Museum of Art is a great asset to the Reno community, and I encourage all of you to support it to the best of your abilities.

tags: andy warhol, nevada museum of art, reno

I love WordPress. Not only is it an incredibly powerful piece of blogging software and a fantastic content management system, it is free!

The founder of WordPress, Matt Mullenweg is a very cool guy. He and his crew operate with a set of principles that I think are really having an effect on technology, business, and people’s personal lives.

Not only are they empowering people to express themselves online, but they are big advocates of open source and the sharing of new ideas. Matt maintains a very busy speaking schedule, and he quite often travels internationally spreading the gospel so to speak.

The success of the business, as far as I can tell, is their genuine focus on developing and providing the environment for a continuously evolving product.  Better themes, new plugins, and more features all geared towards improving the way we communicate.

WordPress has become so robust that it is really just a matter of how the individual decides to use this tool.

In the future, I believe there will be less and less of a distinction between what constitutes a website and a blog. They will become further integrated to the point that the end user will hardly be able to distinguish between one or the other. A blog is a website, it’s just a matter of the variations in content and purpose.

With that being said, the beauty of blogging is that it pushes people to write. Writing facilitates introspection and reflection on the world around you. Even if you blog in a vacuum, it still has the potential to move you forward and hopefully make you a better person. 

Started off Thanksgiving with an enjoyable mountain bike ride in Reno. Chose the well-known Galena Creek trail. Even though it was late in November, it was a beautiful day with most of the trail being fairly free of snow. I earned my turkey credits.

Did my duty as an American – consumed. Crashed in Incline Village, and then headed down to San Francisco to see my sister. Here she is doing her thang.

The highlight of the trip was definitely the de Young museum. A beautiful structure located within the Golden Gate Park, the de Young is an architectural work of art.

Because the former museum was heavily damaged by the earthquake, the new structure is quite insulated from future tremors. It sits within a bowl complete with breakaway zones. Once the ground begins to shake the de Young will happily roll around in its shock absorbing seat.

The shell of the de Young is quite extraordinary. Pocked metal panels make up the exterior of the structure, and because they are computer generated the artist was able to make each panel design unique.

As homage to the greater forces of nature, one of the first exhibits are man-made cracks or fissures that run the length of the entrance walkway. They snake their way through the bricks and continue through large stone blocks that are positioned around the atrium.

The interior is modern and cool, and the Gerhard Richter positioned just off from the main foyer immediately captures the eye. It is a representation of the atomic particle, strontium, and it is one of his larger works.

A visit to the de Young is not complete without a trip up into the tower. The views encompass much of the City and the Bay, and the only thing that detracts from the experience are the museum concessions within the floor space. My advice – confine that sort of thing to the gift shop.

The Ruth Osawa exhibit is notable. A graduate of Black Mountain University, Osawa developed a talent for creating unique shapes out of metal wire. Her hanging sculptures capture the light and cast shadows that are almost as impressive as the works of art.

Dined at Limon, Rose Pistola, and Citizen Cake for either dinner or breakfast. I would recommend each of them.

There is always something going on in San Francisco, even is unusual places. Here’s how to turn a tunnel into a very effective speaker.