Art and the Homeless

... fact check medical claims in today's news story about Teddi Mellencamp's cancer -she maintains it is melanoma but her father John Mellencamp says it is “in her brain” Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in 2022. The cancer metastasized (spread) to her lungs and brain, leading to a stage 4 diagnosis in April 2025. This is consistent with medical facts: melanoma can spread to distant organs, including the brain and lungs, and when it does, it is classified as stage 4.  Her father, John Mellencamp, stated on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on January 14, 2026, that she has cancer in her brain and is “suffering right now.” Teddi Mellencamp clarified on her January 28, 2026, Two T’s in a Pod podcast that her father’s comment referred to her mental and emotional state, not a new physical deterioration.  She confirmed that there is still no trace of cancer, but she remains stage 4 and is still undergoing immunotherapy.  Medical e...

As a child, my mother chided me for speaking bluntly. She said I was tactless, a concept with which I was unfamiliar, and required explanation. This biographical detail has bearing on my critical thinking about semantics —as will become apparent. As a particular detail of my life-long inclination, the planet Mercury was transiting the fixed star Algol, the day I was born. Studying the symbolism of astrology, as an adult, I asked a seasoned interpreter what the significance of the dire transit might be to me. My take-away from the reading was that if I “ruled my stars,” the conjunction might signify (to me) a singular order of self-expression. Accordingly, my self-expression came to be ruled more by what I elect not to say, than what I say. The result which I aim for is to define a figure against a void background. As a student of art, and art history, I asked a lot of questions that teaching faculty was at a loss to answer. It wasn't meant to put the teacher “on the spot.” I was cl...

... what are the French words for “ambient pornography” used by Beaudrillard in his essay “The Conspiracy of Art” 1996 French Words for Ambient Pornography Jean Baudrillard used the French phrase ”pornographie ambiant" in his 1996 essay "The Conspiracy of Art", which translates into English literally as "ambient pornography." This term describes the pervasive, all-encompassing nature of pornographic imagery and transparency in contemporary culture, where the boundaries between reality and simulation have collapsed, rendering traditional notions of desire and secrecy obsolete. ... sense checking my understanding that Baudrillard uses the term “ambiant” in the sense of an ever-present low background hum or droning, one that diminishes the effect of pornography due to lessening restrictions on its distribution Your understanding is correct. Baudrillard uses ambiant (ambient) to describe a cultural condition in which pornography, as a form of hyperreality, becomes ...

... synopsis of Jean Baudrillard "The Conspiracy of Art" “The Conspiracy of Art” by Jean Baudrillard is a critical examination of contemporary art’s transformation in the hyperreal age. Baudrillard argues that art has lost its desire for illusion and now feeds endlessly on itself, turning its own vanishing into an artistic strategy. Rather than lamenting the "death of art," he identifies its new role in the military-industrial complex of the art market, where aesthetic nihilism spirals into a commercial frenzy of added-value. Art has thus become trans-aesthetic, making it indistinguishable from the broader socioeconomic conditions of exploitation, banality, and the spectacle. The book critiques contemporary art claims of insignificance and meaninglessness while simultaneously justifying its existence through discourse and market mechanisms, creating a conspiracy of emptiness. A central piece, "War Porn," analyzes the Abu Ghraib prison images as a new genre...

... Christopher Isherwood's novel "The World in the Evening" (1954) includes a discussion of camp Christopher Isherwood's 1954 novel The World in the Evening contains one of the first literary discussions of the concept of camp, distinguishing between Low Camp—a superficial, stereotypical caricature like a "swishy little boy with peroxided hair, dressed in a picture hat and a feather boa, pretending to be Marlene Dietrich"—and High Camp, which is characterized by underlying seriousness.  In the novel, the character Charles, an openly gay doctor, explains that High Camp is not mockery but a way of expressing something deeply serious—such as religion, love, or art—through fun, artifice, and elegance. He gives examples: Mozart, El Greco, and Dostoevsky are camp, while Beethoven, Flaubert, and Rembrandt are not. This definition emphasizes that true camp requires emotional investment and reverence, making it a sophisticated, ironic form of expression.  The discus...

Did I say I have a fondness for paranormal stories? It's not that I'm being forgetful, it's just that where the supernatural is concerned, time and space are relative. I've read that many reports of the paranormal that it's less a matter of when to suspend critical judgment as when not to suspend judgment. Credibility isn't the critical issue. The supernatural tale must be convincing. It is the difference between factual and true. It comes down to style. I believe the word in use for it is meretricious. In other words, I want to believe. All my preconceptions changed when I first encountered Near Death Experiences (NDE). They were very unsatisfying as paranormal stories. Reading published NDE accounts struck me as like watching episodes of a reality TV series about screw-ups; the series "Jackass" comes to mind, and no, I didn't watch it. The accurate descriptions of medical issues involved, and minute details of circumstances anyone in a coma could...

... search <Utah State University, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, INTO LIGHT: Faces of Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories> The INTO LIGHT: Faces of Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibition at Utah State University’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is now closed. The exhibit, which ran from August 20 to November 29, 2025, featured hand-drawn graphite portraits and personal stories of Utah residents who died from drug overdose, poisoning, or related causes. It was part of a national project led by Theresa Clower, founder of the Into Light Project, to humanize the opioid crisis and reduce stigma. A special reception on August 23, 2025, included luminary lantern lighting and naloxone training in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day. ... summarize the exhibit for those unable to attend The INTO LIGHT: Faces of Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibition at Utah State University’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) ran from August 20...

... search: Walter Benjamin on dreams and art Walter Benjamin viewed dreams as central to understanding the unconscious and historical forces embedded in culture. He believed dreams—especially those of objects and the collective—reveal deeper layers of meaning. In his work, particularly “The Arcades Project,” Benjamin describes history as a process of awakening from the collective dream, where socio-political transformations emerge in fleeting moments of consciousness. He argued that art, particularly through the media of photography and film, could access the "optical unconscious"—a realm of perception hidden from ordinary sight, akin to dream logic. Benjamin was especially interested in how dreams manifest in cultural artifacts: kitsch, avant-garde art, and mass media. He saw these not as inferior but as vessels carrying dream-images that express suppressed desires and historical tensions. For instance, he wrote that "the side which things turn towards the dream is kit...

You can wipe that knowing smile off your face at Thales's assertion that water is the archē, or fundamental element of existence. The Greek concept of archē refers to the foundational principle, origin, or source of all existence, serving as the underlying substance - or first principle - from which all things emerge and to which they ultimately return. In early Greek philosophy, particularly among the Pre-Socratics, archē was central to understanding the nature of reality, representing the ultimate indemonstrable principle that provides the conditions for the possibility of existence. This concept is deeply tied to monism, the supposition that the universe is composed of a single, fundamental substance. Thales of Miletus - considered the first philosopher in the Western tradition - proposed water as the archē, arguing that all things originate from and return to water, which he saw as essential for life and pervasive in nature. Much has been said and written about the true archē b...

... search text of rtcom report: Somalia has terminated all agreements with the United Arab Emirates Somalia Ends UAE Agreements Somalia has terminated all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including port operations, security cooperation, and defense pacts, citing evidence of actions that undermine its sovereignty, national unity, and political independence  The decision, announced by the Council of Ministers on Monday, January 12, 2026, applies to all agreements involving federal institutions, affiliated entities, and regional administrations, including those related to the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo  The move follows allegations that the UAE used Somali airspace to evacuate a Yemeni separatist leader without federal approval and is linked to broader tensions over Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region  - The Somali government stated that the cancellation was based on "reliable reports and evidence" indicating hostile actions by the UA...

... search keywords: Surafel Tesfaye, Researcher, Horn Review None of the search results identify a "Surafel Tesfaye" affiliated with Horn Review as a researcher. The individuals named in the Horn Review team are Getachew Nigatu, Blen Mamo, Bethelhem Fikru, Yonas Yezezew, Mahder Nesibu, and Tsega'ab Amare. While multiple individuals named Surafel Tesfaye appear in the search results—associated with LinkedIn profiles, a soccer recruiting profile, and public records—none are linked to Horn Review or a research role within the organization. ... query named as writer of article in hornreview org titled "The Al-Zubaidi Extraction: How a Fugitive’s Flight Broke a Coalition" The article titled "How al-Zubaidi’s Flight Shattered the Saudi–UAE Coalition and Recast the Red Sea" on Horn Review was authored by Surafel Tesfaye. He is listed as the writer in the metadata of the article published on January 9, 2026. ... the article is interesting for parallels betwee...

... where is Aden Aden is a port city and temporary capital of Yemen, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Strategically positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea, it serves as a crucial maritime hub linking Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. As of 2025, Aden has an estimated population of 1.15 million, making it one of Yemen’s largest cities. The city functions as the capital of Aden Governorate and has historically served as a major trading center due to its natural harbor and location along key shipping routes. It was the capital of South Yemen until 1990 and was declared the temporary capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in 2015 after Houthi forces seized Sanaa. Currently, Aden is under the control of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group, although it remains the official seat of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council. The city faces significant challenges, in...