Given Me Joy - Marc Evans

I've been listening to Air Lounge internet radio and this song came up. Never heard it before, but I looooove it. It's like Luther Vandross meets Gil Scott-Heron meets Daft Punk...
Although they seem religious (and maybe they are to some), I think these lyrics are as romantic and sweet as poetry gets... 

She calls me sunshine

Saying that my face is big and bright as the sun shining through my smile into her heart 

 I’ve been called a lot of things before but never anything remotely close to celestial
See I know for sure she was heaven sent, I trust that she would know a fallen star if anyone would
At a time when I thought no one would see me shine, she removed her shades… revealing eyes more beautiful than exaggerated animation
Eyes that sang to me like Stevie Wonder lyrics being delivered by Donny Hathaway
Piercing my soul and reminding me of how good it feels to be loved unconditionally and then teaching me to love that same way
She calls me sunshine, but she sees in me that of which God has blessed me. The gift of song and lyric and the ability to love and even if I already didn’t love her for who she was, I’d love her for the gift God has given me in herShe calls me sunshine and she sees in my eyes a light, a light of hope, a light of love, a light of joy, a light for which she’s responsible but the truth is, that my eyes just reflect her sunshine.

She’s given me joy.

death by papier

The snow comes and goes. There will be 4 inches one day, and the next day, POOF! it is gone. I am puzzled.

I am thoroughly overwhelmed with my papers. Why I am writing this post is beyond me. I cannot get myself to formulate cohesive or focused thoughts about anything. WHY did I go back to school? Ah yes, to learn HOW to do this...

I am soooo excited for the next few weeks. Christmas, Alrik, Berlin, Barcelona, then home to LA and a visit to the Bay.

Just got to get past these papers, these damn papers....

When it spills, it gushes...

There is a veritable Niagra of blood coursing through my umbilicus

The sounds are a deafining roar inside the meat pump of the body.

- Alex Grey

http://www.futurehi.net/archives/000572.html 

Tut-tut, it looks like SNOW

A view from my window: a barren field in Bremen-Nord

♪... It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go ... ♫

Successful Renovation!

We finished renovating the Graduate Student Lounge!!! We stripped the dark, nasty, dull, cluttered and dated elements and transformed the three rooms into bright, optimistic, creative, open and pro-social spaces!!! 


Countless hours and late nights went into this project - I am so pleased with the final product and turnout of the party (OVER 80 PEOPLE SHOWED UP!!!) Everyone had a great time and seemed to really like what we have done!! :)


BEFORE: 

dried blood red permeating every wall of every room

  

Me, Dom, Vanine, Karin & Louise in big room. The blue curtains completely clashed with the red walls.

Rion, Dom, Louise, Stefan and Marina in the old coffee break room. Inconsistent, immature pictures plagued the walls and extra drinks were always shoved behind the door.

AFTER!!!!

Karina, Marion & Natalya in the NEW Coffee Bar room. Dublin Mint-colored walls now feature grads black and white photos.

Cristina & Nourdine in the old coffee break room - now called the PANORAMA ROOM, which has a Terra Cotta/beige motif

Tanya & Louise sitting in the bright, new foyer below a new, description Map of Die Welt

Me & Magda in the new Coffee Bar room. Red was transformed to white to convey simplicity.

Big mirrors decorate the walls of the sunny foyer to bring in light and warmth.

Black and white photos taken by the grads pepper the entire space. Here, grads are relaxing, enjoying some beers at our new kitchen table. 

All photos were taken by Louise Elali. 

Black and White Out

We are holding a photo submission contest to have grads send in their best black and white photos of their hometowns, their travels, or just their favorite places. Here are mine: 

Manzanita Tree, Moon Rocks, Santa Cruz, CA USA

National Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA

Golden Gate Bridge, SF, CA

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Outside Zion National Park, Utah, USA

Isla Bastimientos, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Fern Canyon, Humboldt County, CA, USA

Portland, Oregon, USA

West Cliff, Santa Cruz

<3

Make Me Dance

http://www2.theuglydance.com/?v=byxxutcim5

I can't dance as cool as you... 

Whaddya Want from Me?

 Spent a sensational Sunday in Hamburg with my great new friend (RESBIAN). We took the train from Bremen to meet my great old friend (NEILIO) for drinks and lunch, who is on the Glam Nation International tour with his pop star brother (ADAM "GLAMBERT" LAMBERT). He invited us to the show... VIP status (what, what)

 Adam dressed in the most incredible gorey glitter glam gorgeousness possible. His band was surprisingly great and the dancers were HOT.

Men kissed, glittery women went wild, and I drank my Johnny Walker Black Label thinking... 

whaddya want from me?

Continental Contention

North & South America: One Continent or Two?

There has been a voracious debate going on betwixt friends here about the 

continental definitions of North and South America. 

I say it is TWO continents because of the logic of landmass. I was taught that there are 7 continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica and Australia. This is confirmed by wikipedia, under the entry "continent": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent 

Other friends, primarily those from South America, think otherwise. They were taught that in fact they are ONE continent, as confirmed here by the spanish wikipedia, under the entry "Americas"

Can you weigh in?

Autumn = Gorgeous

I finally bought a chocolate-brown leather jacket.

It's the one I've been waiting for my entire life. Sounds dramatic, but it's true. It's the sweetest purchase in recent memory, from Mango. 

<3

On this very successful shopping trip to Hamburg, Cristina and stumbled into the most beautiful botanical heaven in the universe. The leaves were fell and covered the ground with the richest purples, reds, oranges, yellows and greens I've ever seen. 

And, Cristina made friends with a ladyduck. 

I have created "that special place" in my head to return to during stressful times - i.e. on a run, meditating, or doing yoga. The California Coast has got nothin' on Germany's Autumn. FACT.

Disconnected Points

(photo by vaibhav bajpai )

a. You Spin Me Right Round Baby, Right Round Like A Record Baby. Right Round Round Round.

b. I joined (rather, was elected) to be Activities Coordinator for the graduate student association. (GSA). It's interesting and crazy and awesome that I'm involved with student gov't again (takin' it back to the CES days, what what!).  Karin & I get to plan and implement all activities for the graduate students - starting with a meeting area / lounge makeover. And pumpkin carving, of course! 

c. Jacobs University = "flows of information", "data collection/sampling" "visual rhetoric and framing in comparative communication" taking over: presentation, paper, GSA meeting, paper, outline, event, paper, lounge renovation, rest, rejuvenate, go!

d. Articles on the CNN effect are taking over 16 windows in my browser. 

e. Illustrators can be authors. Tomorrow a PhD candidate is sharing her dissertation on her creation of a framework that allows illustrators to play more intrinsic roles in the creative processes of children's books, i.e. participatory comic books and active participation of text to images in story-telling formats. I'm really looking forward to this. 

F**K!! I ordered new Miz Mooz boots! AH! Excited to be red-united (and it feels so good)! (thank you Lauren Frieband)

GREEN: I found CHARD today at the Farmer's Market!! Immediate brightening up of my day!

H. I have not had a proper cocktail in what seems like forever. This weekend necessitates one, fosh.

I. rode the ferris wheel, not once, but twice this week. It was magical being suspended in the chilly air, high atop the mist and lights of Bremen's Friemarkt (fair). 

J. I just am loving the strict and structured nature of German bureaucractic operations. psyche.

Venn Dia-Damn

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hanselman.com/blog/content/binary/WindowsLiveWriter/2dc61d7e4a66_13443/image.png&imgrefurl=http://www.hanselman.com/blog/default.aspx%3Fmonth%3D2007-07&usg=__cVrJGEaxLwiSvYVJjk2hdHv5ZZY=&h=271&w=300&sz=35&hl=en&start=100&zoom=1&tbnid=UH3hdJgZJzIPIM:&tbnh=167&tbnw=185&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimage%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1220%26bih%3D680%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C3391&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=284&vpy=386&dur=405&hovh=199&hovw=220&tx=57&ty=179&ei=xGXDTLT0GYeLswaNkYDdCA&oei=v2XDTIOpC4mztAapm7iIDA&esq=2&page=7&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:100&biw=1220&bih=680 

This goes out to all my California Lovers...

A poem, inspired by songs about California:

Mama, Papa

I need a Red Hot Chili Pepper

to spice up my Meat Loaf

All I Wanna Do

from Under the Bridge

is look up at the California Stars

And Free-fall into Lost Angeles 

Wikipedia - List_of_songs_about_California

This is how life feels right now: 

(Alan Shear_C108_Orangey)

What I mean by that is that it is a wild portrait of overlapping complicated, emotional and beautiful experiences.

School has been very hectic - I am starting to do really interesting research projects and study fascinating topics in my classes. For instance, just today I: 

• Studied the importance of focus groups in research methods and actually did a mini- focus group demonstration in class, the issue being "compliments" and their significance in relationships 
• Began research on Google Doodles and how they help shape Google's fluid corporate visual identity
• Studied the significance of news framing in photographic coverage of the Iraq War in major British vs. U.S. newspapers. 

On top of that, I am helping plan a year's worth of graduate activities that include:

• A visit to a concentration camp
• Monthly "Drink Around the World" Happy Hours (celebrating a different country each time)
• Wine and Jazz night. 

I am feeling a bit homesick, particularly because my mom is in the hospital right now recovering from chemo-induced weaknesses on her respiratory system. It's been difficult to be far away from home, despite my many wonderful adventures in Europe, so far. Please keep my mom in your thoughts and send her your warm, wonderful recovery energy so that she can bounce back, better than ever, and eventually visit me here in beautiful Bremen. 

AmsterDAMNNNN Gina!

I went to Amsterdam for the first time. I loved it so much that I wrote it a haiku:

Gables of freedom

Lively red and green sparkles

Riding history

Next post I'll tell you allll about it.

Campaign Speech

I am reviving my high school drive and am running for Activities Coordinator for the Graduate Student Association (GSA) here! It feels good to want something - and to write a campaign speech - telling people why they should vote for me! 


Here was my speech: 

Hallo, Hello, Hola y Salu,

My name is Danielle Keiser and I want to be one of the two Activities Coordinators you elect this year at Jacobs University. You came here today to find out why you should vote for me – I’ll tell you why. I bring people together.

WHY you ask, am I good at bringing people together?

I think it has to do where I’m from:

            Born and raised in California, I’ve been shaped by the multicultural meccas of LA and San Francisco and have lived, seen and breathed diversity in it’s fullest. In San Francisco, you can be black, gay, Muslim, communist, vegan (or all at the same time!) – ANYTHING – and you can be accepted for who you are and have a place to express yourself. It’s exactly this confluence of identities that brought me to Jacobs and it’s what has driven me to want to participate in the GSA. Life is more colorful when you are sharing similar experiences with different people and cultures in the same space. Life is more valuable when you learn from them. It’s your suggestions and your ideas that I want to learn about that will allow me to flourish as Activities Coordinator.

HOW, you ask, am I good at bringing people together?

Simply put, I am a natural hostess. I’ve always had a knack for party planning and just want you to have a good time! No matter the occasion, it is always my aim to make people feel welcome and to make sure they are having FUN. Everyone deserves to have fun, now matter how hard that lab report is to write, or how much reading you have to do! AlI I know is that I am happiest when the people around me are smiling because they are having a great time. My goal for all activities is to make fun #1, rain or… rain.

WHO am I good at bringing together?

Hopefully you! To Jacobs I bring three years of working in Advertising and Marketing managing campaigns that reached out to people of all backgrounds. Professionally, I’ve coordinated Focus Groups, Holiday Parties, Film Screenings and other events that have required extreme attention to detail. Personally, I’ve hosted tons of dinner parties, themed get-togethers and rallied people to go cultural outings! I’m always the one saying, “Let’s go camping! Want to go to the Wine and Jazz Festival? Come with me to the Farmer’s Market!”; my invites are endless, but I’m always the one making it happen!

Finally, HOW will I bring you together?

You name it and I will try to make it happen! Tired of beer breaks, well how about happy hour cocktail breaks? (limit 2 before 4 pm.) Themed movie nights – Horror, 80’s, Gangster movies? What about holidays? Who of you are going to be here and will want to be with others since you won’t be home? Let’s go to Freimarkt and see how Germany celebrates Christmas! The world is our oyster!

Vote for me so I can bring us all together!!!

Cross your fingers for me! 

Guilt?

Germany's got mad love. 

Today's Specials: Alan Shear

Below are 4 artworks by Alan Shear, my Grandpa. As you can see, he expresses his art in in absolutely unique ways, whether using paint, a camera, old boxes or markers. I've picked one from each category (Abstract, Black & White Photography, Chaos, and Doodles) to allow you to see the incredible range of his talents.  

A107. Womb for Two. 2008. 21 X 21. ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. $500    

B103*. Merced River. Undated. 8 X 11. $1100

C121. Mosquito. Undated. 30 X 26. ACRYLIC, SPRAY, FOAMBOARD, CARDBOARD AND CORRUGATED ON FOAMBOARD. $1500

D107. Love Notes. Undated. 21 X 25. IN SHELL FRAME. $1500

If you are interested in seeing more, please contact him directly at alanms1@juno.com. He lives in LA and would gladly meet with you about them. 

If you have any suggestions for how to get his work "out there" and allow his work to be seen, PLEASE, please, let me know!

Tea'd Off

The "Tea Party" is causing quite the storm! (And I'm happy I'm not there to deal with it!)

With the latest news of Tea Party candidates upsetting established Republicans for the nominations for the 2010 Senate and House races, how disturbing, exciting, revolting, inspiring, and nerve-wrecking is this phenomenon?! Do you see this is a feasible threat? To what? The Republicans? The Democrats? The two-party system as a whole? 

And, how interesting is it that not one political commentator can assess the situation in a concise, articulate way? Everything is "ambiguous" and nothing is predictable (http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/assessing-the-g-o-p-and-the-tea-party/?hp)! This is the aspect of politics that I love. 

Thoughts?

In Scotland...!

In Scotland:

• The people are unbelievably friendly, warm and approachable, unlike in Germany :(
• The sun was SHINING it's bright rays on Em and I!!! This is very unusual for Scotland...:)

(FOOD)

• They have incredibly good Indian food (yum-yum garlic chicken and coconut naan)
• They have deep-fried Mars bars, however, I did not try one
• I finally had an avocado again, and it brought me back to life
• They eat beans with eggs for breakfast - it kinda reminded me of having Gallo Pinto in Costa Rica
• Although is sounds nasty, Haggis, a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in sheep's stomach for approximately three hours, is actually pretty tasty. Vegetarianism is so blase.
• They like to drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, driiiink, driiiink drink!

(HISTORY AND CULTURE)

• I'm pretty sure the Lock Ness monster died, a long time ago.
• There is a high rate of scurvy due to the fact that the Scottish, apparently, don't like to eat fruits and veggies
• Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) dancing is definitely the most fun you'll ever have!!! Spinning, sweating, smiling! I felt like Rose from Titanic when she sneaks away from first class and goes to the steerage class and takes shots of whiskey and dances!! This isn't us, but we did this dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXmnP38EAow&feature=related 
• There are castles! This is the historic Edinburgh Castle, a gigantic structure on the top of a hill. Here, Scotland's Crown Jewels are preserved. 

(Other Observations) 

• Infant Mary, Queen of Scotts, had a lot of power for being such a wee tot.

• You can drive from one side of the country to the other in roughly 1 hour (WHOA!)

• Instead of "Exit", they use the term "Way Out"

• There are 2 people named Ginny and Joe who have hearts as big as the Atlantic and minds as sharp as diamonds - they let me stay with them and oh! they were so good to me!   

Danielle Irissa Keiser, age 25, sitting on top of the United Kingdom.

Chao!