'A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen. Because a snowman is situation-specific, it is a good example of popular installation art. History failed to document the building of the first snowman. However, Bob Eckstein, author of The History of the Snowman documented snowmen from medieval times, by researching artistic depictions in European museums, art galleries, and libraries. The earliest documentation he found was a marginal illustration from a work titled Book of Hours from 1380, found in Koninklijke Bibliotheek, in The Hague
'Snow becomes suitable for packing when in approaches its melting point and becomes moist and compact. This allows for the construction of a large snowball by simply rolling it, until it grows the desired size. If the snow ball reaches the bottom of the grass it may tear up some grass, gravel, dirt etc. Making a snowman out of powdered snow is difficult since it will not stick to itself, and if the temperature of packing snow drops, it will form an unusable denser form of powdered snow called crust. Thus the best time to build a snowman is usually in the next warmest afternoon directly following a snowfall with a sufficient amount of snow. In Europe and North America, snowmen are built with three spheres depicting the head, torso, and lower body.
'The usual practice is to then dress the snowman, usually with rocks, coal, sticks, and vegetables. Carrots or cherries are often used for the nose, as are sticks for arms and stones for eyes (traditionally lumps of coal). Some like to dress their snowmen in clothing (scarves, jackets, hats). Others prefer not to risk leaving supplies out doors where they could easily be stolen or become stuck under melting ice. There are variations to these standard forms. These other types range from snow columns to elaborate snow sculptures.' -- The Snowman
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p.s. Hey. Just to share because it's a big deal to me, and you know how that goes, I'm about 85% sure I'm going to finish my novel today, and, since my life and most of my mind has been revolving around it for two-plus years, that feels kind of totally bizarre. Anyway, I'll confirm or deny tomorrow, for what it's worth. ** Oscar B, Gosh, maybe I misheard him, but I'm almost sure Domby's last words were "Ridiculous? *cough* *gasp* *wheeze* Why it is ridiculous?" Btw, I hope you're free this evening because some celebrating might be in order. ** Waiting for John, Top of the morning to you, Tristram. You know, I've never read a word of Barbara Cartland. What is the proper punishment for that? You're not a winter fan? Perhaps you need to venture outside in your warmies and build one of the deelybobs in my post today. Make a mountain out of a molehill, as it were. Love and thoughts in return. ** Bernard Welt, Very glad to hear the talk went so well. Was it recorded for online presence aka posterity? I'll check out that Colbert thing in a bit. Everyone, here's the unimpeachable Bernard Welt: ' Please do not miss Stephen Colbert's "critique" of Eric Cantor's "performance" of censorship at the National Portrait Gallery (starts at about 2:55). Amazing.' You + your culinary skills + tofu = my drool. ** Changeling, Oh, that is a curious coincidence. Yes, RP's having been alive at the time of my quip is rather important. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the JW interview, but I had to correct John for years after that lunch because he somehow remembered that I'd said I would eat Christian Slater and kept telling people that, and I would not eat Christian Slater, not even in 'Gleaming the Cube'. Well, as far as I'm concerned, the novel's title is definitely 'The Marbled Swarm', and I'm hoping that when my editor reads the novel, he and the publishing higher ups will sign off on it without a struggle, but we'll see. ** Kiddiepunk, I have your magic baguette, truth be told, and you will only get your precious baguette back if you sit at a table with me tonight that has a plate of nachos sitting on it. ** David Ehrenstein, I would even eat Christian Slater before I'd eat Sarah Palin. Actually, I think the novel does explain the vegetarian/ cannibal conundrum in a strange way, now that you mention it. ** Nick, Hey. Oh, man, I'm so sorry to hear about your guitarist. Jesus. I'm so sorry. I'm glad you guys are persevering, though. Thanks a lot for the links. I'll make rich use of them in a little while. And let me see what I can put together for the blog. I'll do my utmost. Best to you, man. ** MANCY, Hey, man! Really good to see you! Well, I was already a vegetarian when I got acid reflux, but I think, and I was also told by doctors, that the main reason I was able to beat it so quickly and pretty much permanently was because it was much easier to eliminate problematic foods from a vegetarian diet -- basically cutting out onions and peppers and strong spices -- than if I'd been eating meat. So, it did make a big difference. The only changes I made to beat acid reflux were diet-related stuff, a little more exercise, and avoiding alcohol, which I didn't like that much anyway. So, I can say from my experience that dietary changes helped immensely. ** Im not an asbo im your next Prime minister, Hey, there! Ha ha, no, my meals don't feel like starters. Do yours feel like swallowing boulders? I'm good. Sorry about all the uni work. What work are you having to do exactly? I don't know, but I say Dannii Minogue over, I don't know, Alicia Keys any day. I was always pro-Britney in the Britney vs. Christina wars. I don't think I could read that Will Self book. Kind of can't stand his stuff, to be honest. Nail that work, man. ** Mark, Hi, Mark. Yeah, I can't seem to quit cigarettes, so I'm no one to talk. Let me pass along your links. Everyone, d.l. Mark offers to send you off to watch David Wojnarowicz's much discussed A Fire in My Belly and something called 'Flesh Suspension Party', so be gone with you, but hurry back. ** Sypha, Hey. Well, who's to say my last cigarette wasn't in agony as I burned it alive? I guess it's a matter of drawing a line somewhere. Roswell, ha ha, well, at this rate, you might just get what you're looking for. ** Ishmael, Hey, Ish! Uh, denial? No, you put it best. And it was and remains one very complicated thing. And we both like complicated things. So, there's our answer? Oh, awesome, I'll read that text when I get done here. I don't think I've ever read it. Very cool. Everyone, the great Ishmael Houston-Jones, whom I'm enormously fortunate to call my friend and collaborator, recently wrote a text -- and here I'll quote him -- 'about my time working in a slaughterhouse and when I considered myself to be a (half-assed) vegetarian', and it's here, and it's, needless to say, highly recommended. Oh, one last Ishmael quote before you click that: 'Should've warned you, there's a photo of a boar's penis in that link. Weird.' Now click it. See you soon indeed. Can't wait. ** Heliotrope, I know, I was. What happened to me? Now I'm all snark snark snark. Maybe not. Oh, fantastic about J's clean bill of health. Huge phew there, man. I hope the downer stuff passes asap. What is it? A love supreme to you. ** Bill, Thanks, Bill. Yeah, gulp, I'm on the precipice. No, I don't think I know Sylvano Bussoti's work. But you can bet I'm going to google him straight away. And not just 'cos of the skinny butts thing, I swear. Wow, someone assigned 'The Sluts'? Could only happen in SF, I reckon. Cool. ** Nicki, Hey, Nicki! Wowzer! Awesomeness to see you! Yeah, I had to slightly change the blog's format. Long, uninteresting story. I can only imagine how incredibly involving your motherhood is. Well, I can't imagine it, actually. You're greatly missed, my dear friend, although your absence is understood, and you're still and eternally a big part of this place, which might well still be here waiting for you when you send the offspring off to college. Lots of love to you. Lots and lots! ** Tosh, Your declining years, ha ha, please. Olive oil isn't too shabby at all. I'm with you there. ** Killer Luka, And he was a visual artist. ** Memoirs of a Heroinhead, If Trent Reznor reads this blog, and I'm sure he must, he's resting a little easier, thanks to you. ** Armando, Hey, Armando! You're on vacation. Excellent! Oh, actually you can get most Mexican food items sans meat very easily. Especially in the States, and especially in LA where Mexican food can be really designery and creative. So, I eat enchiladas, burritos, nachos, fajitas, gorditas, quesadillas, ... you name it. It's never been a problem, and it's always been my favorite cuisine partly because there can be so much variety of meatless dishes. I just have to check to make sure lard wasn't used in the preparation. What are you doing on your vacation? ** Steevee, Is that an actual term: pescetarian? I like it. If I was ever going to stop being a vegetarian, which I won't, I think fish would have been my compromise, but I can't stand seafood, and I couldn't even before I was a vegetarian, I don't know why. I haven't heard Anika, no, and maybe I'll try her, but the reggae-influenced beats are a big turn off in advance. Reggae is just one of those genres I can't get with at all. ** Misanthrope, Dude, that woman has some serious motherfucking withdrawal symptoms ahead of her. She'd better pray her car never runs out of gas on remote dirt road somewhere. Maybe the chores of fighting tooth pain and repairing the hole is taxing your system, and it isn't prioritizing keeping you warm right now or something. Tell those 9 to 5 losers you're a fucking artist, man. Nothing intimidates a 9 to 5er like having to make conversation with an artist. ** Creative Massacre, Seitan, which I mentioned in the post, is a really good meat substitute because it's physical substantial like meat and, if you prepare it right, it can pretty much simulate eating meat. Glad your day was a good one. ** Andrew, Hey. I wonder if cows think humans are stupid. I bet they think we're just hyperactive fence posts. I like chickens. They make egg salad sandwiches possible. And they have a lot energy. I like that too. ** Thomas Moronic, Personally, I think even occasional vegan meals helps and makes a difference. Variety being the spice of life and all that stuff. Thanks about my account. I was actually feeling a little insecure and goofball about it. Wonderfulness incarnate about the Haino post. You rule, man. When you coming over to Paris? ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Hey. Funfetti. What is that? It sounds so marvelous. It sounds like it would be very colorful. I'll google it. What a good word. I'm guessing it will snow here again. It feels like a snow year. It's all gone now except the for crust and mush between the sidewalks and the street. Hm, I thought they graduated from Hogwarts, but maybe you're right. I can't remember. I agree about Emma Watson's best chances. I read that Rupert Grint's dream is to act in a David Lynch film. If he's into offbeat, indie movies and stuff, he might end up okay. How did your friend get into your house? Do you leave a key under the mat or something? I'm sorry about your messy day. That scene with your friend's evasive hood was nice, though. My day: I worked and worked. I almost finished the last chapter by the evening, but I didn't quite make it before my brain gave out, but I finished it this morning. So, now I want to read back through chapter 4, which gave me the most trouble, and make sure it's okay. If it is, or if it only needs a little work, I'll be finished with the novel today sometime, and I'm kind of really excited about that possibility. Then I'll just have to format it a bit and send it to my agent. When I click 'send' on that email, it will be officially finished. Although, knowing me, I'll be fiddling with the prose now and again until/if it's on its way to the printer. Anyway, so that was pretty much my day from about 7 am until -- after taking the daily break to do the p.s. -- about 9 pm. I'm hiding out until the novel's over. I haven't even been answering phone calls or returning people's calls or anything. The only non-novel things I did were go buy some food and stuff, eat, smoke, shower, watch a little TV with Yury -- a documentary about the history of blue jeans and an episode of whatever that American TV show is that has Tim Roth in it, which seemed like a totally standard, usual kind of show. Not a day for the ages in terms of winsome, lustrous details. Today might be similar, but maybe better. So, your Friday, pray tell. ** Colin, Hi, C. Oh, thanks a lot, man, about my veggie text. Fascinating in turn about your family history vis a vis the butchery arts. It would be interesting if you were to ever write about it in a fiction or poetry context. Have you? I don't know, it just seems really interesting and with a lot of room to move poetically for some reason Thank you. ** Postitbreakup, Hey, buddy. How's it? What's going on? How are you? And all that good stuff? ** Mr. Lonely, Greetings, welcome, and thank you. Your blog does look interesting, and I will investigate it further, yes. With pleasure. Everyone, want to check out the blog by the new guy Mr. Lonely? It's called '! A Growing Teenager Diary !', and it looks pretty cool, and it has 1166 'Followers', for goodness sake, and it's here. ** The Dreadful Flying Glove, Hi, pal. The London student protests and riots are absolutely wonderful, yeah! Thrilling. And, yeah, I see a lot more in the media about Charles and Camilla's car than I do about the things themselves, but the snaps of the frightened prince and ... whatever she is ... are charm central. Hope your day works out like clockwork. ** Schlix, Fingers incredibly crossed for you today. I hope the news is a total relief. Hugs to you, my friend. April, well, it seems like forever, but it'll get here a lot sooner than that. Take care, man, and let me know. ** Today's post is very simple, surely. What could be more simple. And yet what is more simple than the little seed that grows the fulsome apple tree, if you know what I'm saying. I'm not sure that I do. Back to work. See you tomorrow.
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