The Flesh Movie

[Emmaline]

Fleshis any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, flesh encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but sometimes excluding non-muscular organs (liver, lung, spleen, kidney) and typically discarded parts (hard tendon, brain tissue, intestines, etc.). More generally, it may be considered the portions of the body that are soft and delicate.[1] In a culinary context, consumable animal flesh is called meat, while processed visceral tissues are known as offal.

In particular animal groups such as vertebrates, molluscs and arthropods, the flesh is distinguished from tougher body structures such as bone, shell and scute, respectively.[2] In plants, the "flesh" is the juicy, edible structures such as the mesocarp of fruits and melons as well as soft tubers, rhizomes and taproots, as opposed to tougher structures like nuts and stems.[3] In fungi, flesh refers to trama, the soft, inner portion of a mushroom, or fruit body.[4]

A more restrictive usage may be found in some contexts, such as the visual arts, where flesh may refer only to visibly exposed human skin, as opposed to parts of the body covered by clothing and hair. Flesh as a descriptor for colour usually refers to the non-melanated pale or pinkish skin colour of white humans, however, it can also be used to refer to the colour of any human skin.

To easily get beyond this confusion, just substitute the word ego every time you hear Paul use the word flesh. It will get you out of this dead-end, false, and dualistic ping-pong game between body and spirit. The problem is not that you have a body; the problem is that you think you are separate from others. And then that fragile separate self tries to make itself superior besides. It will never work.

We live in a world on fire. This year the Daily Meditations will explore contemplation as a way to build Radical Resilience so we can stand in solidarity with the world without burning up or burning out. The path ahead may be challenging, but we can walk it together.

Opening on Lunar New Year and stretching across several significant dates, including the anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, this installation will continually evolve. The artists will return to Alone, only in flesh after visits to Vietnam and Japan and make new offerings reflecting their ever-changing relationships to their motherlands. In this way, the expanding exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in it each time anew.

Antonius-Tn Bui (they/them) is a polydisciplinary artist and shapeshifter invested in the transformative potential of improvisation, portraiture, craft, and ritual. They are the child of Paul and Van Bui, two Vietnamese refugees who sacrificed everything to provide a future for their four children and extended family. Born and raised in the Bronx, Bui eventually moved to Houston before pursuing a BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MIC/A). Bui has received fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, Kala Art Institute, Tulsa Artists Fellowship, Halcyon Arts Lab, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Yaddo, Anderson Center at Tower View, The Growlery, Jentel, and Fine Arts Work Center.

Theresa-Xuan Bui (they/them) is a queer, non-binary Vietnamese American artist questioning the intersections of the personal and political as a means for critically imagining the future. Through drawing and dancing, they translate their embodied practice into a performance of language and sound. The work does not seek to answer or proclaim, but rather openly and recklessly process the self within larger power structures. They are descended from Vietnamese refugees and are inspired to continue the legacies of vanguard Asian Americans. Born and raised in the Bronx, they moved to Houston before pursuing a BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MIC/A).

MIZU (she/her) is a Juilliard-trained experimental cellist exploring themes of transformation and the infinite possibilities within queerness, as well as the boundaries between concert, theater, and performance art. She builds expansive soundscapes by melding cello with electronic manipulation and experimental production, included in her recently released album Forest Scenes and her debut album Distant Intervals (spring 2023). MIZU also collaborates across media with movement artists such as Lili (Luyan Li), Kennie Zhou, and Antonius-Tn Bui; directors like George Miller and Dan Silver; and designers including MEGHUN. She has performed extensively with guitarist and electronic producer Rachika Nayar, opened for Tim Hecker at Pioneer Works, collaborated with techno producer and flutist Concrete Husband, and was featured on the recent album Spike Field by singer-songwriter Maria BC. Her performances have taken her to Tokyo, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Washington DC, and soon to The Hague, Netherlands, for Rewire 2024.

I began thinking about the often-used scripture passages at many weddings I have attended. What does it mean that the two shall become one? That must be the hardest thing for human beings to do. Yes, most couples begin in a flush of eternal pledges to each other, which lasts maybe a year or two. Then, the hard situations come onto the scene: children, relatives, financial demands and the need to say nothing of personal freedom, which one often must forgo for compromise. Marriage can be difficult, I realize that. But what did Jesus mean when he said the two shall become one? What was he telling us?

Marriage at its best is when it has been lived. There are problems, stumbling blocks and inconsistencies in living, but love is needed when we communicate our vulnerability to our partner. Then grace can heal the wound made in that one flesh. It takes great patience sometimes, but love can ultimately move mountains. God is love and blesses our union with showers of grace that heal and renew.

For those who are having problems in their marriage, I feel for you but suggest you and your partner reach out in prayer, and God will heal you. This is a hard task, but with grace and commitment to your marriage, it can be done to put ego aside and put compassion and love on.

The most frequent culprit of necrotizing fasciitis is Group A Streptococcus (group A strep), but these bacteria are not associated with swimmers. If contracted from water, the culprits could be Aeromonas (fresh water) or Vibrio vulnificus (ocean or brackish water). V. vulnificus thrives in water that is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, which is why numerous cases have been reported in areas contacting the Gulf of Mexico.

Flesh-eating bacteria are considered opportunistic pathogens, meaning they do not usually produce serious illness in most normal, healthy individuals. People who are most at risk include infants and the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems due to diabetes, cancer chemotherapy, alcoholism, liver or kidney disease.

If you fall into these risk groups and have an open wound, you should refrain from swimming in warm waters where the flesh-eating bacteria has been found. Injuries sustained while in contact with water should be disinfected immediately. Early signs of infection occur within hours of exposure and may include swelling, redness, fever, and pain that seems unusually intense. Later signs of infection may include ulcers, blisters, pus, skin discoloration, and gastrointestinal distress.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are only 205 cases of V. vulnificus in the U.S. each year among the millions of people who enjoy swimming in lakes and oceans. But since one in seven people who contract the infection dies, people in high-risk groups should be vigilant.

Two major factors are behind the modest increase in flesh-eating bacteria cases in recent years. Global warming is expanding the breeding grounds for these warm water-loving bacteria; an increasing number of cases have been reported in midwestern states as far north as Kentucky and on the Eastern seaboard in Maryland and Delaware. Second, an increasing number of people are taking immunosuppressive medications that may leave them more vulnerable to opportunistic infection.

Contrary to popular belief and what we see depicted in the movies, flesh eating bacteria is not highly contagious and rarely spreads from person to person. However, it develops very quickly and can be difficult to diagnose.

Symptoms may include red or purple areas of swelling and soreness, along with an intense level of pain that is out of proportion to the wound. If this occurs, seek medical help from your nearest emergency room.

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are commonly found in warm tropical areas, although they do occur in places not suitable for most flies. They are closely associated with humans (synanthropic) and they have been known to enter houses to colonize cadavers (Pohjoismki 2010). Like their name entails, these flies depend on live or dead tissue to complete their life cycle (Watson and Dallwitz 2003). This family of flies is attracted to many types of dead vertebrate remains, including humans (Nishida 1984). Of the 2,000 known species in this family, 327 are in the United States. Sarcophaga crassipalpis Macquart is commonly used in laboratories to study gene expression, diapause processes, and physiological processes (Lee and Denlinger 1985). It also has a significant impact in other areas of science including parasitology and forensic entomology.

This species was originally found in temperate climates (Chen 1990) such as the Paleartic ecozone (Iberian peninsula, Arabian peninsula, Japan) (Velasquez et al. 2010), but is now established in the Neartic ecozone, which includes most of North America and Greenland. Reports have also documented S. crassipalpis in the Neotropic ecozone (southern Florida, Central and South America, and the Caribbean). Due to its vast geographical distribution, this species has been described as "nearly cosmopolitan" (Cole 1969). Although the probability of laboratory lines of this species escaping and proliferating in the wild is minimal, fresh wild strains can be collected and incorporated into laboratory colonies due to its cosmopolitian distribution.

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