Siteway began, in earnest, some years after the site was initially online. In the fall of 1999 I purchased my first Wacom (from eBay) and this is when I began to put the Siteway emphasis on illustrations and, later in spring, writing. In those early days I drew many a philosopher and this week I make a return, of sorts. ¶ As students, my friends and I all had philosophers that we conversationally associated ourselves with. For one friend, it was Nietzsche. For another, famously in our group, it was Kierkegaard. For me, save my actual academic interest in Dretske, it was A. J. Ayer. I have always admired his writing style (effortless and beautiful), his mental capability (sharp as a whip), and his self-confidence. He published his classic and famously flawed book, Language, Truth, and Logic, when he was 26. Whereas once I was disappointed that his book contained philosophical gaps, now I'm enamored by it. He acknowledged these gaps in later editions, but never apologized for them. Again, it's that he published it at all that left an impression on me. For those interested in English Philosophy and its impact on British culture, I highly recommend reading his Part of my Life. If you wish to continue on, there's also More of my Life.

Labels: FeaturedIllustration, Heroes, Nostalgia, Philosophy

¶ 10:27 AM

For as long as I can remember my father has been intellectually occupied by open-mindedness and education. Recently he created a glossary of terms that he likens to a "conceptual map of open-mindedness and related ideas." ¶ The evolution of my career took another leap today. From fulltime to partime to freelance to mobile. I bought a notebook today. It arrives any day. Now I can theoretically do my e-mail, drawing, design, and whatever else it is I do for a living, on the go. Yes! I realise that, for most people, a notebook is no big deal. But I've never owned one and I'm not in the habit of buying many digital toys. This is huge for me.

Labels: Freelancing, Philosophy

¶ 11:27 AM

I haven't updated my blog in some time so here goes. School continues to go well and I have some fairly exciting projects I'm working on for Siteway. The final philosopher caricature, Bertrand Russell, should be ready for late July. I've also recently launched the EdPhil Books site. I saw Devil in a Blue Dress again yesterday at the library. I think this might be my favourite Denzel Washington performance. Don Cheadle as 'Mouse' alone makes the film worth watching.

Labels: Cinema, Freelancing, Philosophy, UK

¶ 6:18 AM

Spent a very enjoyable weekend in Derbyshire, with the Philosophy society at the university here. We stayed in what is best described as a dormitory in the middle of nowhere. I think they rent it out to schoolkids on field trips and biology students doing field work. In any case, it was pretty cool.

Labels: Philosophy, UK

¶ 11:28 AM

The Spears decision is sitting well with me. Worked on her illustration yesterday. While the process was educational, the finished product (unintentionally) ended up looking like a bad copy of a Dan DeCarlo Betty or Veronica. More work needed. If you are reading this on a university account, run, don't walk, to JSTOR.

Labels: Illustrator, Philosophy

¶ 6:30 AM

My paperback copy of Complexity and the Function of Mind in Nature by Peter Godfrey-Smith arrived in the mail today. The details of my thesis have changed slightly since the time I ordered the book, but it will be a remain valuable to my project, especially in terms of method.

Labels: Philosophy

¶ 6:53 AM