Along my travels through the Interwebs today, I came across one Phillip Toledano. Photographer, artist, whack-job(?).
If you are at all into the abstract or in your face creative – I suggest you take a look at his page and online portfolio. Quite surreal.
Phillips mind is definitely open and he’s got quite an eye – both come through his lens.
There are a few exhibits I found especially interesting:
Hope and Fear Cubelife – especially the guy face down in the data center/server room and Video Games
My son was home from school (sick) on both Thursday and Friday. It turns out he’s got Strep Throat.
He’s in first grade so he’s actually missing more than just day care or kindergarten. But, he being home from school got me thinking (as much of what my kids oft do) about being younger and home from school.
The sick days (whether real or *cough* not so real *cough*) of staying home from school were something special. They were surely nothing like being an adult and not going to work. Now days you stay home from work and (unless you’re on your death bed) you catch up on laundry or balancing the check book or some other “grown-up” duty.
When I was a kid there were a mired of things I looked forward to when I stayed home.
First and foremost (as I am sure is common with a lot of people) was watching The Price Is Right. I have no idea what magical powers that hair dying pet spaying wizard known as Bob Baker possessed but I always felt warm and comfortable and my cough seemed to disappear when I was watching that magical show. Although, and I am assuming I am not the only one, I was constantly waiting to see someone get clunked on the back of the head by that giant wheel when they sun it around trying to get into the Showcase Showdown. But, alas, it never happened.
Second would be the absolute overload of cartoons I was gong to be able to watch. Before the days of cable (that’s right – there wasn’t always cable) there was UHF and in the Philadelphia area the UHF channels were 17, 29 and (later) 48. On these little gold mines you would find all the Looney Tunes and Chuck Jones and Hanna-Barbera masterpieces your heart desired.
Third would be the pampering I would get from my mother. This was special in and of itself but when I was sick it was cranked up a notch. The coming down into the rec-room and taking my temperature by pressing her lips to my head. The Chicken noodle soup, toast and ginger ale. The constant reminder to “keep you feet under the blanket” because “you need to sweat it out”. Man was that something.
There were also swing positive/negatives. One being – It was cool if I was actually awake when my friends were walking to school. Sitting up in the living room window thinking :Suckers, you gotta go to school today. The flip side (or negative) to that was – if I was unfortunate enough to be awake or near the window when they were coming home. I can remember thinking: Stupid fever, I wish I could go outside and play with my friends.
Perhaps the BEST thing about being sick as a kid was when you were sick enough to be aware that you weren’t going to school again tomorrow. THAT may be the closest thing to knowing now days that I don’t have to go to work tomorrow. You stayed up a little later, you knew you could wake up whenever you wanted, you also knew you didn’t have to convince your parents that you “really are sick” the next morning.
What did you do when you stayed home from school???