Hither and Yon

Don Hertzfeldt screened his new film at the Laurelhurst today, and did an extensive Q&A session afterward. Another one of those events that reminds me what I like about Portland, because it was sold out and packed- people were sitting in the aisles and standing in the back. Saw some of the usual cast of characters there- the same people tend to come out for animation events, and it's good to catch up with them.
He's so fortunate. He admits he's never had a "real job", and been free to practice his art his whole life. He knows how lucky he has been. I was also really happy to have him say that he uses film and old-fashioned cell technology, but doesn't see them as superior to computer technology. He dislikes the debate about which is better, and says he just works in the medium he knows.

I'm listening to Science Friday right now- there's a piece on how people develop superstitious behavior when they feel out of control of their lives. It's something I have thought about quite a bit with religion. I think that there are many people who are sincere adherents of their faiths, but that some people use religion as another form of propitiating the unknown, of asserting control over the unknowable. For people who feel threatened by a volcano, it is probably soothing to sacrifice a virgin, so the community can feel at ease. There doesn't have to be an empirical causal relationship in order for there to be an emotional release.

Finally, here's a great quote from Jack Kerouac:
The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars...