Naked lady in public causes quite a stir

I know the Giant Spiders care about art and art things. So here's what's going down in Colombia town:

Botero's 'Mujer de pie desnuda', or 'Naked woman standing'

This new statue (the first Botero piece to reside in Bucaramanga) has caused quite an outrage since it was placed in San Pio Park in December 2010. It has nothing to do with the fact she's not wearing clothes. This winter Colombia suffered its worse rainy season on record, and 400 families in Bucaramanga alone were left homeless. During that time, the city erected 'Mujer de pie desnuda', which it bought for roughly $1.25 million dollars. Many citizens were outraged that the city would spend so much money on art when so many people were suffering from homelessness. The city replied that it bought the piece well over a year ago, before the intense winter flooding. Citizens responded that the timing doesn't matter...even a year ago that money could have been put towards much needed social projects. Botero responded that investment in art is a sign of a city's development and progress. Bucaramanga might need quite a bit more progress, given that many people have leveled accusations against the city's mayor (who many believe used public funds to buy the statue while himself receiving a cut of the money from Botero).

I walk by this statue everyday on my way to work...and past the 24-hour security guard designated to protect it (after it was erected someone shot this poor lady with a paintball gun). I really do think it's beautiful, and it's nice to see so many people who come out to enjoy the piece and get their picture taken in front of it. At the same time, I see that Bucaramanga, while a pretty nice city given Colombian standards, has a whole list of things to improve...not the least of which is the crumbling infrastructure in its northern section. I feel like the pragmatist in me wins the debate, contending that the money should have been invested otherwise. At the same time, Bucaramanga has a practically non-existent public art culture, so such an incredible public piece seems like a step in the right direction as far as 'culture' goes. Who knows. These are just my mixed thoughts. I imagine that someone has also complained about the statue as a display of public nudity...but I'm not going to touch that one because I'm 100% sure I know what the Giant Spiders think about not wearing clothes in public.

So say something. Also, how much do you think Butte Silver Bow would be willing to pay for a Botero rendition of, let's say, a naked Bill Murray? Or maybe we could just trade the Lady of the Rockies?

You Dirty Rat.

I admit

I, too, am a blog Judas. We have to do reflective journaling as a part of student teaching (which I start tomorrow!) and decided to do blog format instead of the traditional DEAR DIARY vomit. It will be vaguely more sappy and professional than this one, and I will likely post there more frequently than here, but also will undoubtedly still need to let out my blog willies (bliggies?) and will come running back here, begging you all to let me be crude and sarcastic and racist (just kidding) (maybe).

Anyway I thought I'd just out with it so Sam doesn't poop his diaper and cry all over the internet when he discovers it on his own. Not that that still won't happen.

Best of luck in the coming fiscal year.

Back with only a little vengeance

Here I am! I'm here! Over here! I didn't forget about you guys!

But here's the thing. I was getting proverbially dicked by my place of employment, the University of Montana, and the Greyhound bus line all at the same time and didn't have time or energy set aside for anything fun or great like the GSS.

If I were a Pokemon, my name would be Juliachomp and my abilities would be anger and tiredness and crying.

But now that winter break is almost over, and I've kind of almost finished everything I have to do to prepare for the coming semester, I'll throw you a little "shout-out," whatever that is.

Major good/cool/sexy items:

1. The last thing I have to do for my undergraduate degree is a semester of student teaching, which begins on January 24. Suddenly I'm capable of caring for and educating 30 11-year-old mouse-like children who care a lot more about the wash of their jeans than I do. Luckily I was invited to student teach for the classes I observed last semester, so I already have a good relationship with the kids and cooperating teachers, and double luckily, these classes are made up of incredibly bright, charming and funny kids.

Snapshots of my days this fall:
Child 1: Okay so I made this poster on dark matter and black holes... Scientists still don't really know what either of them are but... blah blah blah explains dark matter.... it's my first day here, and you're like four feet tall.... reel it in a little bit.

Child 2: Ms. Fisher, I'm a man now.
Cooperating Teacher: Why is that, Child 2?
Child 2: Child 3 put a picture of Selena Gomez in my locker.
(Who is this Selena Gomez? Does she get her hair did? Where? And now it's okay to think people born in the '90s are attractive?)

And in one hour I answered the following questions, thanks to this delightful magazine (Oh, my God, a dog-sized horse?!):
Why would anybody bury a bomb underground?
What's a chromosome?
Don't windmills kill bats?
How many people die when sudden sinkholes happen?

After fielding these types of remarks, individuals usually lose the flesh on their neck, arms and legs, style their hair in "alternative" ways, and think it's Valentine's Day every day.

It's gonna be good.

2. I got a new guitar for Christmas! It is a beautiful acoustic electric [Martin DCX1E "Tawny Satinwood" (read: "Gay Deer Color") if you're interested] that doesn't make my fingers cry when I play and also, here's the thing, sounds like a real guitar. Not plastic, or other kind of plastic, but guitar.

This is kind of it, except mine is a bit darker, doesn't as frequently lounge about on fake brickwork, and is generally less German.

An extra surprise came from ol' Clarky, who got me an amp. We've been playing together, and that's kind of adorable, but more importantly perhaps is that Ryan and I are writing and learning a billion new songs all of the times. We're on the lookout for shows that would suit us as well as possibly prepping for another recording session in the spring. (Our MySpace page has what we did last fall... we are still looking for a new band name, too, if you have any stellar ideas).

3. Road trip plans are going.... as planned..... Want to hear the route so far? Okay here it is:
Ellensburg, WA - Longview, WA - Portland, OR - Down the PCH to the Klamath National Forest, CA - roughly Sacramento, CA - Santa Barbara, CA - The Grand Canyon - Tulsa, OK - Mountain Home, AR - other places, AR - New Orleans, LA - roughly Asheville, NC - New York, NY - barreling back to Missoula, MT.
If you have a couch for us let me know. Also, If you or someone you know has an inexpensive, road-worthy RV for sale ALERT US! Right now our ideal is a Toyota Dolphin, but people pretty much know that's a cool thing and seldom give them up.
TRIPLE ALSO: If you are reasonable and want to hitch for a state or two, we'd love to have an extra person to split gas with, assuming we have room.

4. Clark is giving me French lessons. We have a study/work abroad dream on the horizon, and I thought it'd be fun to pick up another language, and I thought it'd be convenient to have a personal tutor I only have to pay in "love." So far I know basic greetings, and vaguely how to conjugate -er verbs. I haven't gotten very far, but it's fun to learn anyway.

4. Sam is momentarily Montana-laden and is coming to visit me today! I have so much preparing to do! A meringue to concoct! (P.S. His girlfriend is pretty hot but not as hot as me.)

Hi from Colombia

I was waiting outside this mechanic shop for about half an hour for a taxi to take me from Santa Marta to a small town called Minca. In Colombia, this hand gesture means "Hey what's up Olive, Jules, Sam, *Calvin*, and Max. You kids so crazy sexy smart and you're gonna change this whole world with that blog of yours". I didn't have time to tell this guy about Sam's emerging efforts to resurrect Bill Murray's ghost in Butte, but I'm sure he would have appreciated his efforts.

Also, a while ago I wrote something sentimental about some booze bottles hanging from a ceiling conjuring up some memories about you guys. Just so you don't have to use your imagination, here's a picture of what I was talking about.

ALSO IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY

we started the GSS last year, January 3rd, with no particular direction in mind. Max was like depressed and always whining about something or another, so I started him a blog so I wouldn't have to listen to him anymore. We tried to gather imaginary friends for an art project. We failed miserably (but it's never too late, readers! send us you imaginaries!). Then Calvin cried until we let him join. He promptly failed to ever write anything at all, the prick. Then Julia joined and was a total ray of sunshine, raising the average i.q. of the GSS by a staggering 1800 points. Then there was Olive, and suddenly it all made sense. We were on our way. Thousands of hits, more than a dozen followers. We were internet famous.

Then it all went off the rails somewhere and those losers punked out on me.

Regardless, it was a good year, GSS. We'll all try to make the next one better/actually good in the slightest.

What has happened to you guys?!

Did you all forget about the GSS? Well guess what: it didn't forget about you and it's pretty disappointed. I shouldn't have to write this message every other month, but here we are.

So I'm in CA with Rachel (who posted a lovely blog post about butte recently and will be making a return trip there very shortly [and is working on a book, but don't tell her I told you that]) and having a grand old time. I have to go back to school some time, but I'm trying not to think about it too hard.

I've got some projects brewing with a few different cats, and I can't go in to it too much right now, but if you're a Montana kid or any kind of kid who is artistically inclined in any manner, loves to teach, loves music, or loves to help people trying to do good things then send me an e-mail and I'll tell you what's what.

Despite past failures, especially in the field of imaginary friends, I've decided to try a new project. Maybe you've noticed my recent Bill Murray obsession, spider-pals. It's not just me trying to be an outrageously lame, Wes Anderson worshipping hipster, I swear. He's actually been to Butte and I wasn't old enough to realize that that is awesome. Now, as part of my effort to woo him back or at least get some sort of certificate of recognition signed by him in triplicate, I'd like to try to construct the most complete history of his times here that I can. It's not really a subject that people talk about, which is totally mind boggling, but if you guys know anyone who saw him or talked to him or anything, please let me know.

I'd research it myself (and I will research it myself), but I like don't fuckin' live there most the time, man.

I love you