GJ Willis' Art Notes

This morning it’s still cold as hell outside. Instead of walking to the bus stopped I decided to take the bus instead. My main reason I did this is because there is still ice and snow down on the ground. I believe I’ve expressed my fear numerous times of walking on ice. In fact when it snows I usually walk in the street instead of on the sidewalk.

THE INAUGURATION
I did in fact spend yesterday shaking my tiny fist at the telly. I wanted to join in on one of the many protests that was going on in Washington. I changed my mind at the last minute because of fear of what might happen. I was afraid that there might be a terrorist attack or a particularly vindictive police force.

However, while watching the events unfold on television I was deeply heartened to see all the protesters on Bush’s parade route. It bought a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart. I’m not the only Bush non-supporter in the country!!!

WHAT I’M WEARING:Today, I’m wearing a marigold yellow turtleneck, blue jeans, brown lace up shoes, and a black crew neck sweater. I’m wearing the black sweater to signify my mourning for the death of the US democracy, the loss of legendary alternative radio station WHFS, and the loss of the Out To Lunch Show with Miles and Thrill.

The only thing I have to look forward to is a gallery showing next week of some of my mail art which is a part of the Creative Alliance’s Phoenix Rising Mail Art Show. I think it opens up on the 27th of January. I know you would think I would keep better track of when and where my art work is being shown.

Oh, my God!!!! As I’m typing this at 5:51 am, WTMD, is playing the BEASTIE BOYS!! They never ever play the Beastie Boys. I suppose the reason they never played the Beastie Boys is because they may be considered too hard core for their folk music listening Starbucks chugging soccer mom listeners. Then again the Beastie Boys song they are playing is Girls.

I know I haven’t really expressed the reason why the loss of a radio station such as(WHFS) is such a shock to the system to me. To put it plainly, WHFS has played alternative music for well over 30 years!! They have been on air for nearly as long as I’ve been alive. Imagine my shock when they switched formats to Spanish music. When they did this it left 98 Rock as the only rock station in town. I rarely listen to 98 Rock because they sound as if they are stuck in a 1985 time warp. I swear it seems as though they are still using the same play lists from the 80’s. The only time I listen to that station is for the KML Morning Show. I like listening to that show in between Howard Stern because they don’t play any music and they are entertaining.

I also have to say despite everything I wrote about them I do like listening to WTMD. I like them because they play a different variety of alternative music than WHFS. WTMD tends to play a more acoustic, folk, alt-country blend of alternative music. It’s the type of music that an upscale soccer mom would listen to. My only gripe with WTMD is that they rarely rock out music wise.

Without WHFS I would never have heard Franz Ferdinand or The Killers. It was a month after hearing The Killers on WHFS that WTMD started playing them. I only hope that WTMD eventually adds Franz Ferdinand to there playlist. If they did this I wouldn’t feel like it was an alternative music source for soccer moms. I suppose hearing the Beastie Boys this morning is a step in the right direction. I’m not saying I want them to start playing Metallica just a little more guitar oriented non-corporate sounding music.

The #8 bus arrived this morning at 5:42. It is very cold outside this morning. Later this evening the Baltimore area is expecting 1 to 2 inches of snow.

Overall, the weather this winter has been very odd for the Baltimore/Washington area. For the past few weeks it has been unseasonably warm. We usually have our first major snowstorm in the early part of December. I guess I should consider our area lucky this year. I just hope the snow we’re expecting doesn’t turn into a raging snowstorm. I guess I shouldn’t worry either way because I have a scheduled day off tomorrow.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
I’m taking off work tomorrow for the sole purpose of shaking my tiny fist at the TV as George Bush gets sworn into office for a second Presidential term. I wonder how many of my fellow Americans are also taking tomorrow off to jeer at the tv?

I also will be joining in the Not One Damn Dimeprotest. This is a protest that someone cooked up of not spending money on inauguration day to protest the Iraq war. This will be an easy one for me to participate in because I hate spending money.

Anyway, I don’t care what anyone else say, I still believe the election was fixed... To me Bush will always be an illegitimate President.

WHAT I’M WEARING:Today, I have on a kelly green crew neck sweater. The turtleneck I have on under it is paisley. My pants today are blue stone washed jeans. The shoes I have on are brown leather lace ups.

The bus arrived slightly late this morning it arrived at 5:42. Right now it’s cold as I don’t know what this morning. I would like to buy one of those knitted caps that have flaps on them. They look like they would keep my head and ears much warmer than they feel now.

WHAT I’M WEARING:Today, I have on a green fair isle knit sweater, dark blue mock turtleneck, stone washed jeans and brown leather lace ups.
dark blue mock turtleneck.

I watched the Golden Globes yesterday. I cheered when Jamie Foxx got the Best Actor Award. I felt as though I had won. I admit I tend to feel this way anytime a black person wins an award. I wonder if I’m the only black person that feels that way.

I’m also a bit upset that Marty (I’ve never met Martin Scorsese but I like to think of him as Marty) didn’t win for Best Director. The man’s a genius! Why won’t they give him no respect.

I wasn’t in much of a rush to get to work on time this morning. Everything is running on a holiday schedule on account of the Martin Luther King Day holiday. I got up a little later than usual. Despite this I managed to make it to work just three minutes late, not bad!

WHAT I’M WEARING:
Today, I have on a dark blue mock turtleneck, blue slacks, and brown leather lace ups. I should have put on the blue suede shoes but it takes time to put them because they are really boots. Watching the awards show threw my equilibrium off a little.

Yesterday, after work I spent the day at the movies I saw Finding Neverland and Ray.

I felt a little bit apprehensive when I got up to the box office to get tickets for Finding Neverland. I was apprehensive not because of the movie but the title. It’s sad that when I think I think of Neverland the specter of Michael Jackson and his child molestation charges looms heavily in my mind.

Despite the title, Finding Neverland, was a brilliant sweet little movie. Johnny Depp gave a quiet understated performance as Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie. J.M. Barrie was the man who wrote Peter Pan, hence, the once innocuous now semi-creepy title of the movie.

Oddly, enough some people believe that Barrie might have been a pedophile. I don’t feel based on the movie and historical evidence that this was true.

Personally, I feel that the reason that he hung around with the Llewellyn-Davies boys and their young widowed mother was that he and his wife had no children of their own. It was ready made situation in need of a father-like figure.

The standout performer in this movie wasFreddie Highmore. That little kid made me cry! Yes, I admit it I sometimes cry during sad scenes in movies.

Throughout the movie I was pushing back the urge to cry. It was the scene with Depp and Little Freddie on the bench that really pushed me into a full blown crying fit. The last movie I cried at was AI, before that it was ET.

Here’s hoping that Little Freddie has a long and prosperous acting career. All I know is that right now he’s probably running neck in neck with Haley Joel Osment as being one of the best actors of his generation. I understand that Depp requested that Little Freddie be put in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory....

The second movie I saw yesterday was Ray. Jamie Foxx was absolutely brilliantly fantastic in Ray. I felt as thought he was Ray Charles. I feel that he most definitely will get awards for this performance. All in all this has been the best movie I have seen this year. The acting, the music, all phenomenally superb!!

From watching the movie I was surprised to learn that Ray Charles was once a womanizing junkie. No wonder his back up group was called the Raylettes. To be in it you had to practically, “let Ray...”

It was also great to see former child actress Regina King in the movie. I’m probably the only person on the planet who remembers her from her days on tv’s 227. It’s nice to see that she has continued on with her acting career and is doing quiet well for herself. I’ve also noticed that in all the movies I’ve seen her in she tends to give rock solid performances. Her role as Margie Hendricks, Ray’s mistress, was another brilliantly seamless work from Ms. King. Go Regina!! Go!!

WHAT I’M WEARING:
Right now I have on purple ballerina slippers and a long lavender long sleeved nightgown.