What would that wacky Bill Maher be at Halloween? Why Steve Irwin of course. Crikey!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Bill Maher makes fun of the dead
What would that wacky Bill Maher be at Halloween? Why Steve Irwin of course. Crikey!
The works of art that matter most
I've seen threeof these: the Van Eyck, the da Vinci and the Masaccio. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do.
Jan van Eyck, The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, c.1435, Musée du Louvre, Paris
Caravaggio, The Burial of St. Lucy (1608), Museo di Palazzo Bellomo, Syracuse, Sicily
Rembrandt, Aristotle with a Bust of Homer (1654), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
San Rock Art, South African National Museum, Cape Town
Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire from Les Lauves (1904 - 6), Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
Michelangelo, Moses (installed 1545), Church of San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome
Leonardo da Vinci, The Adoration of the Magi, (c. 1481), Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Mark Rothko, The Rothko Chapel (paintings 1965-66; chapel opened 1971), Houston, Texas
Vermeer, View of Delft (c.1660-61), Mauritshuis, The Hague
Matthias Grünewald, The Isenheim Altarpiece (c.1509-15), Musée Unterlinden, Colmar, France Hans Holbein, The Dead Christ, (1521-2), Kunstmuseum, Basel
Velázquez, Las Meninas (1656), Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun (1333-1323BC), Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Jackson Pollock, One: Number 31, 1950, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Masaccio, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise (c.1427), Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence.
Pablo Picasso, Guernica (1937), Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
Titian, Danaë (c. 1544-6), Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples
Raphael, The School of Athens (1510-11), Stanza della Signatura, Vatican Palace, Rome
Parthenon Sculptures ('Elgin Marbles'), c. 444 BC, British Museum, London
Henri Matisse, The Dance (1910), Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Elephants more reflective than most
Lately, when I look in the mirror, I also see an elephant. What's up with that?
If you're Happy and you know it, pat your head.
That, in a peanut shell, is how a 34-year-old female Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo showed researchers that pachyderms can recognize themselves in a mirror. It's complex behaviour observed in only a few other species.
The test results suggest elephants, or at least Happy, are self-aware. The ability to distinguish oneself from others had been shown only in humans, chimpanzees and, to a limited extent, dolphins.
If you're Happy and you know it, pat your head.
That, in a peanut shell, is how a 34-year-old female Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo showed researchers that pachyderms can recognize themselves in a mirror. It's complex behaviour observed in only a few other species.
The test results suggest elephants, or at least Happy, are self-aware. The ability to distinguish oneself from others had been shown only in humans, chimpanzees and, to a limited extent, dolphins.
Canada to benefit from global warming?
A recent British government report predicts, heat waves, hurricanes and flooding for most of the world if steps aren't taken to stop global warming. However the outlook for Canada, Russia, Scandinavia is not nearly as bleak. According to the report these countries could see higher agricultural yields, lower winter mortality and lower heating requirements. It appears that our climatic deficits will actually be addressed by global warming! Not that I support the destruction of the ozone layer but sipping Mai Tais year round by the sunny Niagara River instead of shovelling out all winter appeals to me on some level - but not enough to make me drive a Hummer or support the Harper government.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Gets Better With Age - Just Like The Nag
Like a true Brit, Bethan Laura Wood enjoys a good cup of tea. Like a true product designer, she's obviously spent a lot of time thinking about vessels for drinking tea and rituals surrounding the tradition. The results are a beautiful series of tea cups. Delicate white porcelain cups create predetermined patterns out of stains made by the tea, becoming stronger the more you use the cup. ( Laura says that 'this project examines the assumption that use is damaging to a product.'
The 'Time for Tea' set consists of a saucer in the shape of the shadow cast by the cup at different times of day. In an effort to reintroduce the traditional use of the saucer with the tea cup, Laura has created three different sizes of shadow saucer for the different types of food—from biscuit to sandwich—often eaten with tea.
Americans in Paris
Take an on-line tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Americans in Paris.
The experience of Paris transformed American art. As Henry James remarked in 1887: "It sounds like a paradox, but it is a very simple truth, that when to-day we look for 'American art' we find it mainly in Paris. When we find it out of Paris, we at least find a great deal of Paris in it." This exhibition examines why Paris was a magnet for Americans, what they found there and how they responded to it, and which lessons they ultimately brought back to the United States.
Via GMT+9
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Swimming with labradors
I love dogs (some would say insanely).
When in France I enjoy visiting with dogs in restaurants and slipping then small treats but I don't think I would pay to do this:
Enjoy the tranquility of French rivers and lakes or the sun-drenched south of the country and combine this with the exhilaration and pure enjoyment of swimming with labradors - the world's most popular and widely loved dogs.
Enjoy the tranquility of French rivers and lakes or the sun-drenched south of the country and combine this with the exhilaration and pure enjoyment of swimming with labradors - the world's most popular and widely loved dogs.
Hamlet for sale in RosansFrance
I have to have this!
This small Provencal village was built on the ruins of a Roman settlement. There are 5 buildings in total, each one having its own pet name - 'La Cantinette', Le Pavillon 'Nid d'Amour', 'Le Rocher', 'La Grotte' and 'La Cuisine d'ete'.
Via Arbroath
A family's fatal insomnia
What would it be like to be unable to sleep? Generations of one family found out that it's a horrible predicament relieved only by death.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
How the Bush Family Makes a Killing from George's Presidency
Halliburton scored almost $1.2 billion in revenue from contracts related to Iraq in the third quarter of 2006, leading one analyst to comment: 'Iraq was better than expected ... Overall, there is nothing really to question or be skeptical about. I think the results are very good.'
Very good indeed. An estimated 655,000 dead Iraqis, over 3,000 dead coalition troops, billions stolen from Iraq's coffers, a country battered by civil war - but Halliburton turned a profit, so the results are very good.
Very good certainly for Vice President Dick Cheney, who resigned from Halliburton in 2000 with a $33.7 million retirement package (not bad for roughly four years of work). In a stunning conflict of interest, Cheney still holds more than 400,000 stock options in the company. Why pursue diplomacy when you can rake in a personal fortune from war?
Yet Cheney isn't the only one who has benefited from the Bush administration's destructive policies. The Bush family has done quite nicely too. Just a few examples....
Very good indeed. An estimated 655,000 dead Iraqis, over 3,000 dead coalition troops, billions stolen from Iraq's coffers, a country battered by civil war - but Halliburton turned a profit, so the results are very good.
Very good certainly for Vice President Dick Cheney, who resigned from Halliburton in 2000 with a $33.7 million retirement package (not bad for roughly four years of work). In a stunning conflict of interest, Cheney still holds more than 400,000 stock options in the company. Why pursue diplomacy when you can rake in a personal fortune from war?
Yet Cheney isn't the only one who has benefited from the Bush administration's destructive policies. The Bush family has done quite nicely too. Just a few examples....
This Is Someone's Idea of a Discharge Plan?
The recording looks like a typical police crime scene video. Ambulances and police cars pull over on a street in downtown Los Angeles. Patients are wheeled around on stretchers. But this is no normal crime, and no normal crime scene investigation. The patients aren't being loaded into the ambulances. They are being unloaded.
The video was shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers on Sunday amid the grime and litter of Skid Row, the name given to an expansive area of downtown that is said to be home to 12,000 homeless people. Earlier this year, rumours abounded that hospitals and other police forces were dumping discharged patients and released offenders there, partly as a way to avoid having to deal with the thorny problem of what to do with people who might not have anywhere to go.
The video was shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers on Sunday amid the grime and litter of Skid Row, the name given to an expansive area of downtown that is said to be home to 12,000 homeless people. Earlier this year, rumours abounded that hospitals and other police forces were dumping discharged patients and released offenders there, partly as a way to avoid having to deal with the thorny problem of what to do with people who might not have anywhere to go.
That's What I Call Solidarity
An entire town on Spain’s cement-clogged Costa del Sol went on strike for a day to protest at the planned construction of two golf courses, 800 luxury homes and two hotels.
The 1,853 residents of Cuevas del Becerro, outside Malaga, closed shops, bars, the town’s only petrol station and even the elementary school this week, part of a mounting popular backlash against rampant building throughout the country.
The 1,853 residents of Cuevas del Becerro, outside Malaga, closed shops, bars, the town’s only petrol station and even the elementary school this week, part of a mounting popular backlash against rampant building throughout the country.
Words We Know by Name
Ever wonder where some words come from? Many are derived from the names of real people. (These kinds of words are called eponyms.) For example, did you know that the leotard was named after the French acrobat Jules Leotard? Or that the word mesmerize comes from the German hypnotist Franz Anton Mesmer? Take this true-or-false quiz to find out whether you're up on your eponyms.
Via Mental Floss
Via Mental Floss
Friday, October 27, 2006
Banksy is Rich
The piece was the subject of intense bidding in the auction room
A work by controversial artist Banksy has been sold in London for £62,400, setting a new auction record.
A spray painting of a couple embracing clad in deep sea diving gear - which was used for the cover of Blur's Think Tank album - went for 10 times its estimated value at Bonhams.
iAttire
Have you bought a Halloween costume for your ipod yet? Well why not? They're so cute.
Via Cool Hunting
Posties vow not to deliver anti-gay mail
Neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor snow nor refusal to deliver an anti-gay pamphlet will keep the mail from getting through.
That seemed to be the message yesterday from Canada Post in reacting to a brief walkout over the letter carriers union's refusal to deliver a pamphlet the union regards as 'homophobic' and 'hate mail.'
That seemed to be the message yesterday from Canada Post in reacting to a brief walkout over the letter carriers union's refusal to deliver a pamphlet the union regards as 'homophobic' and 'hate mail.'
If She Were A Dog They'd Put That Vicious Bitch Down
She's on drugs? I never would have guessed. Is she ever not beating on someone? I understand the cops had her bound up like Hannibal Lecter for their own protection.
COPS were quizzing supermodel Naomi Campbell over an alleged assault yesterday — her NINTH rap in eight years.
She returned to a central London police station this morning but has been rebailed until December. The volatile model has a long list of previous form for flying into a rage and attacking her aides.
The latest claim from her drugs counsellor triggered Naomi’s arrest at her home in central London yesterday. The unnamed counsellor walked into a police station with scratches all over her face which she insisted were caused by Naomi, 36.
COPS were quizzing supermodel Naomi Campbell over an alleged assault yesterday — her NINTH rap in eight years.
She returned to a central London police station this morning but has been rebailed until December. The volatile model has a long list of previous form for flying into a rage and attacking her aides.
The latest claim from her drugs counsellor triggered Naomi’s arrest at her home in central London yesterday. The unnamed counsellor walked into a police station with scratches all over her face which she insisted were caused by Naomi, 36.
Mural in the 15th Arrondissement, Paris
Just when I thought I'd explored every nook and cranny of Paris and there was nothing left to see - I'll look for it next time I'm there.Via Paris Daily Photo
A Look at the Numbers: How the Rich Get Richer
IN 1985, THE FORBES 400 were worth $221 billion combined. Today, they’re worth $1.13 trillion—more than the GDP of Canada.
THERE’VE BEEN FEW new additions to the Forbes 400. The median household income has also stagnated—at around $44,000.
AMONG THE FORBES 400 who gave to a 2004 presidential campaign, 72% gave to Bush.
IN 2005, there were 9 million American millionaires, a 62% increase since 2002.
IN 2005, 25.7 million Americans received food stamps, a 49% increase since 2000.
ONLY ESTATES worth more than $1.5 million are taxed. That’s less than 1% of all estates. Still, repealing the estate tax will cost the government at least $55 billion a year.
ONLY 3% OF STUDENTS at the top 146 colleges come from families in the bottom income quartile; only 10% come from the bottom half.
BUSH’S TAX CUTS GIVE a 2-child family earning $1 million an extra $86,722—or Harvard tuition, room, board, and an iMac G5 for both kids.
A 2-CHILD family earning $50,000 gets $2,050—or 1/5 the cost of public college for one kid.
THIS YEAR, Donald Trump will earn $1.5 million an hour to speak at Learning Annex seminars.
ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, the federal minimum wage has fallen 42% since its peak in 1968.
IF THE $5.15 HOURLY minimum wage had risen at the same rate as CEO compensation since 1990, it would now stand at $23.03.
A MINIMUM WAGE employee who works 40 hours a week for 51 weeks a year goes home with $10,506 before taxes.
More... (if you can stand it)
Thursday, October 26, 2006
April Winchell's Response to the Response
Thanks April. I'm ashamed to say that I once thought Patricia Heaton was cute on that Raymond show. Then I saw some right wing book she claims to have written and I've disliked her ever since. This stem cell bullshit has taken the dislike up a notch to somewhere past hate.
Thanks April. I'm ashamed to say that I once thought Patricia Heaton was cute on that Raymond show. Then I saw some right wing book she claims to have written and I've disliked her ever since. This stem cell bullshit has taken the dislike up a notch to somewhere past hate.
Starbucks, the coffee beans and the copyright row
I'd boycott them except I never buy coffee there anyhow.
Starbucks, the giant US coffee chain, has used its muscle to block an attempt by Ethiopia's farmers to copyright their most famous coffee bean types, denying them potential earnings of up to £47m a year, said Oxfam.
Starbucks, the giant US coffee chain, has used its muscle to block an attempt by Ethiopia's farmers to copyright their most famous coffee bean types, denying them potential earnings of up to £47m a year, said Oxfam.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
He chose Canada. We should feel honoured.
Second prize is a stay in the big house, first prize is a trip to the great white north. Let me think about that...
A U.S. teacher convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old female student was offered two punishment options.
Spend up to a year in an American jail cell or a three-year exile to Canada.
Malcolm Watson, a U.S. citizen, chose Canada - specifically the St. Catharines home he shares with his Canadian wife and three children. The question now is - does Canada want him?
What a dumb question! Of course we don't want him. His wife and kids probably don't want him either.
Crazy Pocky Commercial
I have Pocky (and have the picture below to prove it). Right now I only have the chocolate, which for some strange reason they call Men's Pocky. I had a couple of packages of the tomato flavoured variety but I devoured them all in a late night Pocky frenzy, after which I threw up much less than I expected. I didn't dance around in a striped room so I think I may not have experienced full Pocky potential.
I have Pocky (and have the picture below to prove it). Right now I only have the chocolate, which for some strange reason they call Men's Pocky. I had a couple of packages of the tomato flavoured variety but I devoured them all in a late night Pocky frenzy, after which I threw up much less than I expected. I didn't dance around in a striped room so I think I may not have experienced full Pocky potential.
Can watching too much TV make a child autistic?
Watching too much television in childhood could cause autism, experts have warned.
They are suggesting parents limit their children's viewing - and say the under-twos should be barred from watching TV altogether.
I agree that it's unhealthy for teeny folks to watch too much TV but I don't necessarily agree with Dr. Waldman's hypothesis. Unmonitored TV watching may cause kids to become autistic but it's far more likely they will become obese couch potatoes. Where did he get his degree? In a Cracker Jacks box? The design of this experiment is terribly flawed - way too many variables to be able to draw the conclusion arrived at here. Any psych undergrad could tell you that.
They are suggesting parents limit their children's viewing - and say the under-twos should be barred from watching TV altogether.
I agree that it's unhealthy for teeny folks to watch too much TV but I don't necessarily agree with Dr. Waldman's hypothesis. Unmonitored TV watching may cause kids to become autistic but it's far more likely they will become obese couch potatoes. Where did he get his degree? In a Cracker Jacks box? The design of this experiment is terribly flawed - way too many variables to be able to draw the conclusion arrived at here. Any psych undergrad could tell you that.
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Life and Death of a Pumpkin
Ponder the plight of the poor pumpkin. It's not easy being orange this time of year. I've noticed that retail outlets have leapfrogged right over Halloweeen and are already ramming Christmas down our throats. Is this because they want to divert our attention from cruel practices like this?
Ponder the plight of the poor pumpkin. It's not easy being orange this time of year. I've noticed that retail outlets have leapfrogged right over Halloweeen and are already ramming Christmas down our throats. Is this because they want to divert our attention from cruel practices like this?
Mark Foley action figure
eBay: congressman mark foley action figure
Six inches tall. This is a sculptural Mockup in polymer clay it is not articulated. ONE OF A KIND this is the only one.
Current Bid : US $146.42!
Via Everlasting Blort
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sounds Bloody Good
Vampire wines for Halloween
Here's a brand of wine that sounds perfect for adding a little extra spirit to your Halloween celebrations. Vampire Wines, produced by Vampire Vineyards, have the ideal look for a spooky gathering with not only an appropriate name, but a classy looking label, as well.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Moo Card Craft
I've ordered my Moo mini cards and can hardly wait for them to arrive. I think I'll pull a Martha Stewart and make myself some cool fridge magnets.
Making Moo-gnets at meish dot org
Skidboot the Dog
| Nothing like a sad dog story in the morning to get those tear ducts working, A heart-warming segment from Texas Country Reporter, with Bob Phillips. | |
Friday, October 20, 2006
How to speak like a BBC newsreader
The Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation will teach you to speak like a Brit.
Top 10 most asked about by BBC programme makers and audience members / suggested BBC pronunciation:
scone- skon (although skohn is equally commonly used)
Shrewsbury - Shrohz-buh-ri (although Shrouz-buh-ri is equally commonly used in the town)
Van Gogh - Van Gokh (rather than the Americanised Van Goh)
Roosevelt - Roh-zuh-velt
Uranus - Yoor-uh-nuhss (preferred by astronomers)
Al Qaeda -'uhl kah-id-uh' (not al kah-eeed-uh or, worse, al kay-da)
Niger - Nee-zhair
cervical - sur-vik-uhl (although sur-vy-kuhl is common among the medical profession)
Boudicca - Boo-dik-uh
Basle (Swiss town) - Bahl
Top 10 most complained about by viewers and listeners / suggested BBC pronunciation
Clostridium difficile- klost-rid-i-uhm dif-iss-il (this pronunciation is in line with the usage of the various microbiology and infection control experts the BBC has consulted)
Controversy - kon-truh-vur-si (though kuhn-trov-uhr-si is equally acceptable)
Davos (Swiss home of World Economic Forum) - Dav-ohss
Debris - deb-ree
The letter H - aytch
Harass - harr-uhss
Kilometre - kil-uh-mee-tuhr
Kuwait - Koo-wayt
New Orleans - Nyoo or-li-uhnz
Schedule - shed-yool
Other examples:
Iran – irr-ahn
Iraq – irr-ahk
Abramovich, Roman – ab-ruh-moh-vitch, ruh-mahn
Kenya – ken-yuh
Omaar, Rageh – oh-mar, rag-i
Omega – oh-mig-uh
Opus Dei – oh-puhss day-ee
Taliban (also Taleban) – tal-ib-an
Uzbekistan – uuz-bek-ist-ahn
Abu Ghraib – ab-oo grayb
J. K. Rowling(roh-ling)
Sudoku (soo-doh-koo)
Via Arbroath
Top 10 most asked about by BBC programme makers and audience members / suggested BBC pronunciation:
scone- skon (although skohn is equally commonly used)
Shrewsbury - Shrohz-buh-ri (although Shrouz-buh-ri is equally commonly used in the town)
Van Gogh - Van Gokh (rather than the Americanised Van Goh)
Roosevelt - Roh-zuh-velt
Uranus - Yoor-uh-nuhss (preferred by astronomers)
Al Qaeda -'uhl kah-id-uh' (not al kah-eeed-uh or, worse, al kay-da)
Niger - Nee-zhair
cervical - sur-vik-uhl (although sur-vy-kuhl is common among the medical profession)
Boudicca - Boo-dik-uh
Basle (Swiss town) - Bahl
Top 10 most complained about by viewers and listeners / suggested BBC pronunciation
Clostridium difficile- klost-rid-i-uhm dif-iss-il (this pronunciation is in line with the usage of the various microbiology and infection control experts the BBC has consulted)
Controversy - kon-truh-vur-si (though kuhn-trov-uhr-si is equally acceptable)
Davos (Swiss home of World Economic Forum) - Dav-ohss
Debris - deb-ree
The letter H - aytch
Harass - harr-uhss
Kilometre - kil-uh-mee-tuhr
Kuwait - Koo-wayt
New Orleans - Nyoo or-li-uhnz
Schedule - shed-yool
Other examples:
Iran – irr-ahn
Iraq – irr-ahk
Abramovich, Roman – ab-ruh-moh-vitch, ruh-mahn
Kenya – ken-yuh
Omaar, Rageh – oh-mar, rag-i
Omega – oh-mig-uh
Opus Dei – oh-puhss day-ee
Taliban (also Taleban) – tal-ib-an
Uzbekistan – uuz-bek-ist-ahn
Abu Ghraib – ab-oo grayb
J. K. Rowling(roh-ling)
Sudoku (soo-doh-koo)
Via Arbroath
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Nag riled by Aeroplan changes
I have 200,000 air miles, wanna use 'em. Where should I go? Don't say "straight to hell" - that would be juvenile. I'm thinking Istanbul or Kerala.
Jonathan Carroll is Canada's loudest frequent flier, known nationally as the radio pitchman for his on-line vacation firm. He has racked up more than 500,000 Aeroplan miles over the past five years, but hasn't yet redeemed his points for an Air Canada flight.
Mr. Carroll is fuming after Aeroplan Income Fund's announcement yesterday that its members will automatically lose their miles after seven years if they don't use them. 'Why is Aeroplan punishing people for saving their points? It's crazy and horrible,' said the president of holiday retailer itravel2000.
'If you've earned miles, you should have the right to use them when you want,' Mr. Carroll said. The change means that any miles accumulated by the end of this year will expire on Dec. 31, 2013, forcing travellers to use or lose their points.
Jonathan Carroll is Canada's loudest frequent flier, known nationally as the radio pitchman for his on-line vacation firm. He has racked up more than 500,000 Aeroplan miles over the past five years, but hasn't yet redeemed his points for an Air Canada flight.
Mr. Carroll is fuming after Aeroplan Income Fund's announcement yesterday that its members will automatically lose their miles after seven years if they don't use them. 'Why is Aeroplan punishing people for saving their points? It's crazy and horrible,' said the president of holiday retailer itravel2000.
'If you've earned miles, you should have the right to use them when you want,' Mr. Carroll said. The change means that any miles accumulated by the end of this year will expire on Dec. 31, 2013, forcing travellers to use or lose their points.
Coincidence? I think not
A leaping stingray stabbed an 81-year-old Florida boater in the chest, authorities said Wednesday, leaving its poisonous stinger lodged close to his heart in an incident recalling the one that killed Australian TV naturalist Steve Irwin last month.
When He Said "Jump..."
Neat photos of unlikely folks jumping. I like this one:
The freezing of motion has a long and fascinating history in photography, whether of sports, fashion or war. But rarely has stop-action been used in the unlikely, whimsical and often mischievous ways that Philippe Halsman employed it.
Halsman, born 100 years ago last May, in Latvia, arrived in the United States via Paris in 1940; he became one of America's premier portraitists in a time when magazines were as important as movies among visual media.
Halsman's pictures of politicians, celebrities, scientists and other luminaries appeared on the cover of Life magazine a record 101 times, and he made hundreds of other covers and photo essays for such magazines as Look, Paris Match and Stern. Because of his vision and vigor, our collective visual memory includes iconic images of Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Oppenheimer, Winston Churchill and other newsmakers of the 20th century.
And because of Halsman’s sense of play, we have the jump pictures—portraits of the well known, well launched.
Via metafilter
The freezing of motion has a long and fascinating history in photography, whether of sports, fashion or war. But rarely has stop-action been used in the unlikely, whimsical and often mischievous ways that Philippe Halsman employed it.
Halsman, born 100 years ago last May, in Latvia, arrived in the United States via Paris in 1940; he became one of America's premier portraitists in a time when magazines were as important as movies among visual media.
Halsman's pictures of politicians, celebrities, scientists and other luminaries appeared on the cover of Life magazine a record 101 times, and he made hundreds of other covers and photo essays for such magazines as Look, Paris Match and Stern. Because of his vision and vigor, our collective visual memory includes iconic images of Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Oppenheimer, Winston Churchill and other newsmakers of the 20th century.
And because of Halsman’s sense of play, we have the jump pictures—portraits of the well known, well launched.
Via metafilter
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Oh You Naughty Blogger!
Blogger is resistant to posting pictures - I don't know what he's playing at. This annoys me as it forces my constant reader(s) to wait for illustrated posts.
Dawkins on the Colbert Show
I saw Dawkins on The Big Picture with Avi Lewis on CBC - this is better.
onegoodmove: Colbert Dawkins
onegoodmove: Colbert Dawkins
Finger Forecasts
A new study in a British medical journal finds a link between the relative length of a woman's index and ring fingers and her athletic prowess.
Apparently I'm athletic ..... I guess I do surf the net with uncommon agility and skill.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Artichokes Yummmm...
I decided to make a mushroom and artichoke pizza. I pulled a can of artichokes out of the cupboard and it was all discoloured. WTF, I thought, did something spill in the cupboard? I couldn't see anything so I shrugged and opened the can, only to find a black ooze within. You'll be surprised to hear that there was no foul odour associated with this rank mess - I know I was pleasantly surprised. Of course I ditched these rotten veggies but the thought that Mr. Nag would have eaten them on a pizza without complaint did cross my mind.
So you are thinking of becoming a Babarist...
So you are thinking of becoming a Babarist...:
Core Babarist Beliefs:
The original Babar books are the perfect source material to guide us through our lives. As you peel back the layers its teachings have ever increasing value. A child will be amused by the story, the inquisitive reader will find a role model to emulate, and the person who chooses to live their life as a Babarist will find truth and oneness with the Word.
Every facet of our lives can be positively influenced by asking ourselves, 'What would Babar do?'
Each individual will discover HIS own personal relationship with the Word of Babar, receiving the truth in his own way.
I'm thinking of converting (from atheism). Babarism makes as much sense to me as most religions. WWBD? I think at around this time he'd pour himself a glass of red so that's what I'll do.
Via Look At This
The Ambien Cookbook
The sleeping pill Ambien seems to unlock a primitive desire to eat in some patients, according to emerging medical case studies that describe how the drug’s users sometimes sleepwalk into their kitchens, claw through their refrigerators like animals and consume calories ranging into the thousands.
This yummy treat is just an example of what The Ambien Cookbook has to offer:
Licorice Surprise
Ingredients:
1 black extension cord
1 wall outlet
5 mg. Ambien
Plug extension cord into wall socket near bed.
Plug other end of extension cord into clock radio on nightstand.
Take Ambien, fall asleep.
Sleep 3-4 hours.
Roll out of bed, wake up on floor.
See extension cord, think, What a big delicious licorice rope that is!
Chew on essentially flavorless cord until you get to the metallic center, where the surprise is.
Via Exploding Aardvark
THE 40-MILLION-DOLLAR ELBOW
This guy, Steve Wynn, put his elbow through a Picasso painting that he'd just agreed to sell to a friend for $139 million. Talk about clumsy. Witnesses were sworn to secrecy but this bit of gossip was too juicy to keep under wraps.
"So then I made a gesture with my right hand,” Wynn said, “and my right elbow hit the picture. It punctured the picture.” There was a distinct ripping sound. Wynn turned around and saw, on Marie-Thérèse Walter’s left forearm, in the lower-right quadrant of the painting, “a slight puncture, a two-inch tear. We all just stopped. I said, ‘I can’t believe I just did that. Oh, shit. Oh, man.’ "
The upside is that he can get it repaired and it will be as good as new.
Via Kottke
"So then I made a gesture with my right hand,” Wynn said, “and my right elbow hit the picture. It punctured the picture.” There was a distinct ripping sound. Wynn turned around and saw, on Marie-Thérèse Walter’s left forearm, in the lower-right quadrant of the painting, “a slight puncture, a two-inch tear. We all just stopped. I said, ‘I can’t believe I just did that. Oh, shit. Oh, man.’ "
The upside is that he can get it repaired and it will be as good as new.
Via Kottke
What Gives?
Mr. Nag brought several bottles of wine home the other night and urged me to try the Shiraz. I did. It tasted like grape juice, a common criticism of cheap French Shiraz. More interestingly it failed to render a buzz. It did not take the edge off nor did I become charmingly loquacious as I usually do after a tipple. I had another glass or two just to verify my findings and came to the conclusion that I have developed a new super power (likely as a result of exposure to some heritage mould at work) and that power is.....alcohol immunity. Damn! Why couldn't it be some really awesome skill?
Sunday, October 15, 2006
STAND UP Against Poverty
6 years ago, 189 world leaders sat down and agreed to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. On October 15&16, people across the world will stand up to remind them of this promise.
RIP Freddy Fender
Singer Freddy Fender dies at age 69
Grammy Award-winner Freddy Fender, who topped the Billboard charts in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s with singles that included 'Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,' 'Before The Next Teardrop Falls' and 'You’ll Lose A Good Thing,' died at noon at his Corpus Christi home with his family at his bedside.
I love his version of "Borderline" and listen to it all the time...
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Laundry Rug
Since you’re going to throw dirty clothing on the floor anyway, throw it in the general direction of the Laundry Rug! When you’ve accumulated a decent pile of dirty laundry, just pick it up by the side handles. A drawstring around the edge converts the rug into a bag, as you head to mom’s house… or the laundromat.
Cool idea but I suspect that Mr. Nag and Baby Nag would throw their clothes around, not on, the rug.
$100 A Day
Gridskipper is running a $100.00 a day contest. Today they feature Barcelona and Montreal. The Montreal piece is all about smoking weed and vegging out on the mountain. Dare I say it : been there, done that. The evening capper consists of tucking loonies into the thongs of male strippers. Also not my thing - at least not yet.
The day in Barcelona is more my speed:
$100 A Day: Barcelona - Gridskipper
Tintin's Cars
Tintin's Cars:
A collection
As drawn by Hergé, with a photo of the corresponding 'real' car.
A collection
As drawn by Hergé, with a photo of the corresponding 'real' car.
Via Coudal
Canada's Top 100 Employers
The best employers do more than issue paycheques. They improve life in the workplace and in the surrounding community as well.
Top 100 Employers chart
Top 100 Employers chart
Friday, October 13, 2006
Black hails Canada as great world power
Conrad Black stepped up his campaign to regain Canadian citizenship yesterday with a speech in Toronto laden with praise for the country he was forced to renounce when he joined the British House of Lords.
This is so bloody transparent. He just doesn't want to do time in an American prison where they might make him wear pink, a colour that just might make him a more attractive prison bitch . Let's hope that his flattery gets him nowhere. If Steve's pretty little head is turned by Tubby's compliments and he grants him citizenship I might have to renounce mine.
This is so bloody transparent. He just doesn't want to do time in an American prison where they might make him wear pink, a colour that just might make him a more attractive prison bitch . Let's hope that his flattery gets him nowhere. If Steve's pretty little head is turned by Tubby's compliments and he grants him citizenship I might have to renounce mine.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
How Well Do You Know Friday 13th?
It may be the title of a horror film, but should the dreaded day hold any fears for you?
Try this:
Guardian Unlimited Quiz Friday 13th
Try this:
Guardian Unlimited Quiz Friday 13th
Here's Where I'll Be Tomorrow
Or maybe not .... but I do have the day off and it's only 45 minutes away. 
Since 1981, there has been a tradition of motorcycle enthusiasts gathering in Port Dover on Friday the 13th. Chris Simons and approximately 25 friends, through word of mouth, got together at the Commercial Hotel {The Zoo}, now known as Angelos of Dover. It was in November and it was Friday the 13th. They had such a good time they decided they should do it every Friday the 13th. Every Friday the 13th thereafter, the number of people coming to the event has increased. In May of 2005 an estimated 75000 bikers and spectators crammed into Port Dover to enjoy the day.
Since 1981, there has been a tradition of motorcycle enthusiasts gathering in Port Dover on Friday the 13th. Chris Simons and approximately 25 friends, through word of mouth, got together at the Commercial Hotel {The Zoo}, now known as Angelos of Dover. It was in November and it was Friday the 13th. They had such a good time they decided they should do it every Friday the 13th. Every Friday the 13th thereafter, the number of people coming to the event has increased. In May of 2005 an estimated 75000 bikers and spectators crammed into Port Dover to enjoy the day.
Union Disrupts Plan to Send Ailing Workers to India for Cheaper Medical Care - New York Times
This is outrageous! When I read it on Cynical-C I thought it was from The Onion:
A few weeks ago, Carl Garrett, a 60-year-old North Carolina resident, was packing his bags to fly to New Delhi and check into the plush Indraprastha Apollo Hospital to have his gall bladder removed and the painful muscles in his left shoulder repaired. Mr. Garrett was to be a test case, the first company-sponsored worker in the United States to receive medical treatment in low-cost India.
But instead of making the 20-hour flight, Mr. Garrett was grounded by a stormy debate between his employer, which saw the benefits of using the less expensive hospitals in India, and his union, which raised questions about the quality of overseas health care and the issue of medical liability should anything go wrong.
A few weeks ago, Carl Garrett, a 60-year-old North Carolina resident, was packing his bags to fly to New Delhi and check into the plush Indraprastha Apollo Hospital to have his gall bladder removed and the painful muscles in his left shoulder repaired. Mr. Garrett was to be a test case, the first company-sponsored worker in the United States to receive medical treatment in low-cost India.
But instead of making the 20-hour flight, Mr. Garrett was grounded by a stormy debate between his employer, which saw the benefits of using the less expensive hospitals in India, and his union, which raised questions about the quality of overseas health care and the issue of medical liability should anything go wrong.
This makes such good sense
The residents of this city know about winter only too well. But fewer than one in 10 homes here has a furnace.
No, it's not because the Swedes like freezing in the dark. The reason is district heating.
It's hardly a new concept — even in Toronto it exists — but the difference is one of scale. More than 90 per cent of apartments and houses in this city, the second largest in Sweden, are on district heating. And that number is growing all the time.
'We built the system during the past 30 years,' says Lars Holmquist, an analyst with Goteborg Energi, a city-owned corporation that operates the power grid and the district heating system.
'The direct advantage of district heating is that we don't have to use fossil fuels. District heating is the main reason why Sweden has reduced CO2 emissions while the rest of the world has increased.
'We have achieved a 99 per cent reduction in sulphur emissions from 1973 to 2005, a 90 per cent reduction in NO2 and a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions.'
Instead of furnaces, Swedes have heat converters. Houses and apartment buildings are connected to underground pipes that circulate hot water throughout the system.
The water is warmed through a variety of means. In Gothenburg, one-quarter comes from an incineration plant that burns local waste.
'We can also use low-grade energy sources that no one else would want,' Holmquist explains. 'We take the heat from waste water and industrial processes.'
That means steel mills, automobile manufacturing plants and the like.
"If you have to burn something, you might as well use the heat that's generated and the energy," Holmquist argues. "Two-thirds of our district heating comes from waste energy, that's the whole point of the system."
No, it's not because the Swedes like freezing in the dark. The reason is district heating.
It's hardly a new concept — even in Toronto it exists — but the difference is one of scale. More than 90 per cent of apartments and houses in this city, the second largest in Sweden, are on district heating. And that number is growing all the time.
'We built the system during the past 30 years,' says Lars Holmquist, an analyst with Goteborg Energi, a city-owned corporation that operates the power grid and the district heating system.
'The direct advantage of district heating is that we don't have to use fossil fuels. District heating is the main reason why Sweden has reduced CO2 emissions while the rest of the world has increased.
'We have achieved a 99 per cent reduction in sulphur emissions from 1973 to 2005, a 90 per cent reduction in NO2 and a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions.'
Instead of furnaces, Swedes have heat converters. Houses and apartment buildings are connected to underground pipes that circulate hot water throughout the system.
The water is warmed through a variety of means. In Gothenburg, one-quarter comes from an incineration plant that burns local waste.
'We can also use low-grade energy sources that no one else would want,' Holmquist explains. 'We take the heat from waste water and industrial processes.'
That means steel mills, automobile manufacturing plants and the like.
"If you have to burn something, you might as well use the heat that's generated and the energy," Holmquist argues. "Two-thirds of our district heating comes from waste energy, that's the whole point of the system."
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Scroll Pan - Roll-up Frying Pan
Any gizmo that saves space is a friend of mine. However this doesn't have much of an edge on it so it wouldn't be able to corral any liquid runoff. Great for grilled cheese sandwiches though.
The Scroll Pan designed by Sam Hextall was created for the specific purpose of providing a usable cooking surface that could also be reduced in size for easy storage. The pan rolls up on each handle not unlike a paper scroll would, and can then be stored in a hanging sleeve to keep it out of the way when not being used.
The Scroll Pan designed by Sam Hextall was created for the specific purpose of providing a usable cooking surface that could also be reduced in size for easy storage. The pan rolls up on each handle not unlike a paper scroll would, and can then be stored in a hanging sleeve to keep it out of the way when not being used.
Forget the death penalty - here's a crime deterrent that really works
At a county jail in Texas - maximum capacity four males and one female - inmates are dressed in pink jumpsuits. They sleep on pink sheets and wear pink slippers. Even the walls and the bars of the cells are painted pink.
'I wanted to stop reoffenders,' the sheriff of Mason County, Clint Low, told the Associated Press. 'They don't want to wear them. Working inmates get a choice to work outside or sit inside, and some choose to sit inside because they don't want people to see them. They would rather stay upstairs.'
The tactic seems to be working, although it has had an adverse effect on the prison's policy of using inmates for community labour. 'I'm not going outside in these things,' said one inmate at the ageing jail. 'It's a good deterrent because I don't want to wear them any more.'
'I wanted to stop reoffenders,' the sheriff of Mason County, Clint Low, told the Associated Press. 'They don't want to wear them. Working inmates get a choice to work outside or sit inside, and some choose to sit inside because they don't want people to see them. They would rather stay upstairs.'
The tactic seems to be working, although it has had an adverse effect on the prison's policy of using inmates for community labour. 'I'm not going outside in these things,' said one inmate at the ageing jail. 'It's a good deterrent because I don't want to wear them any more.'
TV prank targets drug-using MPs
This could explain why the Italian government is so often mired in indecision, erraticism and political deadlock.
Secret drug tests by a popular TV show have apparently revealed that some Italian MPs are running on more than good food and fine wine.
In a sting operation that has the country buzzing, the show secretly tested 50 lawmakers and found almost a third had taken drugs in the previous 36 hours — 12 testing positive for marijuana and four for cocaine.
The results seemed to confirm widespread rumours about rampant drug use in the hallowed halls of Italian power. In a country where the previous government passed a 'zero tolerance' drug law last February, the sting dominated yesterday's newscasts.
Secret drug tests by a popular TV show have apparently revealed that some Italian MPs are running on more than good food and fine wine.
In a sting operation that has the country buzzing, the show secretly tested 50 lawmakers and found almost a third had taken drugs in the previous 36 hours — 12 testing positive for marijuana and four for cocaine.
The results seemed to confirm widespread rumours about rampant drug use in the hallowed halls of Italian power. In a country where the previous government passed a 'zero tolerance' drug law last February, the sting dominated yesterday's newscasts.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Big Dead Place :: Welcome to the Program
This guide is intended to assist you in your stay at McMurdo Station, the largest of the three American stations. It briefly covers Antarctic culture to provide an overview that may help you adjust to working here. Additionally, much of the information is relevant to South Pole Station, but consult your peers before assuming so.
Many of the early explorers who came to Antarctica died miserably of starvation while freezing to death. This unique frozen heritage is visible just across the bay from McMurdo Station at historic Discovery Hut, built by Robert Scott in 1902. In that noble wooden hut, several men once spent four months, clothes awash with gore from their endless seal slaughtering, their faces black from the soot of their barely flickering blubber stoves, their faces and fingers blistered and pocked from slogging a thousand miles with a ripped tent and a salvaged stove, their spongy gums still bleeding from the scurvy incurred on their futile sledding journey to lay depots of food for Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition that would never arrive because Shackleton's boat was crushed in the ice, he and his men fleeing the continent for their lives, amputating limbs as necessary.
Cold desolate places (or for that matter hot desolate places) have always frightened me. When I think of Antarctica the above description is what comes to mind. I also think about falling through the ice and being unable to find my way back out. Needless to say, I won't be travelling there anytime soon-even if I were to win a free trip with all-you-can-eat blubber.
Stop Advertising Overload
'Stop advertising overload!'
Written in red paint, the slogan is slashed furiously across a giant poster ad. Such scribbling has become a monthly ritual in Paris, where 'anti-advertising' militants perform what they dub 'acts of civil disobedience,' in direct view of often benevolent police officers.
'Let the police do their job!', David Sterboul, a leader of a group that calls itself the 'Dismantlers', Les Deboulonneurs, ordered his troops one evening at the Place du Trocadéro, near the Eiffel Tower. About 60 sympathizers had gathered to applaud the Dismantlers' latest doodling on three illuminated billboards.
The Dismantlers drew more cheers from the crowd when, ten minutes later, they were escorted from their post by police.
'It is a question of democracy,' said Sterboul, who expressed frustration with what he believes is a failure by local authorities to take action against 'the privatization of public space.'
Could it catch on here?
He Makes Things
What is finkbuilt?:
Finkbuilt is the current iteration my personal web site. It is a place for me to share the fruits of some of my tinkering, as well as that of others. It is also place for me to post about whatever random bits of debris happen to float my way.
Via Prodigal
Pilgrims on the road to Santiago face a new hazard - common lice
It has survived storms, famines and droughts over the past 12 centuries, but now the Road to Santiago, one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in Europe, is buckling under the weight of a new threat - the common louse.
Convents and hostels along the route to the north-western Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela are closing their doors as the tiny beasts bury themselves deep inside mattresses, sheets and pillows. Carried by the 100,000 sweating and not always well-washed pilgrims who travel to the shrine of St James in the city's cathedral every year, the lice have found a perfect environment in which to live and reproduce.
In a loosely related story the Toronto Star published a bit today about a bedbug epidemic in the city. Could it be that insects everywhere are launching a plot to take over the world?
Convents and hostels along the route to the north-western Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela are closing their doors as the tiny beasts bury themselves deep inside mattresses, sheets and pillows. Carried by the 100,000 sweating and not always well-washed pilgrims who travel to the shrine of St James in the city's cathedral every year, the lice have found a perfect environment in which to live and reproduce.
In a loosely related story the Toronto Star published a bit today about a bedbug epidemic in the city. Could it be that insects everywhere are launching a plot to take over the world?
Police break gang feeding steroids to buffaloes
Italian police say they have smashed a criminal network linked to the Camorra mafia that was feeding buffaloes with steroids to produce more milk for making mozzarella cheese.
Who will they go after next in their all out battle against crime? Guys who talk to chickens in an effort to get them to lay more eggs? Gang wars, murder, racketeering and drug dealing are way down the list.
Who will they go after next in their all out battle against crime? Guys who talk to chickens in an effort to get them to lay more eggs? Gang wars, murder, racketeering and drug dealing are way down the list.
Jell-O sparks toxic waste scare
A small pile of leftover Jell-O discarded after a wedding party caused a large-scale security alert in Germany, with biochemical experts, firemen and police called in to investigate.
Emergency services in Canada are on high alert and it is anticipated that they will be strained to the limit this week by reports of leftover pumpkin pie and turkey stuffing.
Emergency services in Canada are on high alert and it is anticipated that they will be strained to the limit this week by reports of leftover pumpkin pie and turkey stuffing.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Today's Urban Def
Foleyed
To have an embarassing (probably sexual) IM conversation made public
Have you seen Liz today?
No, I think she's hiding out.
What happened?
Somebody posted her cybers with Todd all over campus-- she totally got foleyed.
To have an embarassing (probably sexual) IM conversation made public
Have you seen Liz today?
No, I think she's hiding out.
What happened?
Somebody posted her cybers with Todd all over campus-- she totally got foleyed.
Stoned in suburbia
| Stoned In Suburbia is a social history film, examining the change in people's opinions to cannabis over the past 50 years. Discussing the impact of the 60's sexual revolution, the Hippie movement, the emergence of the Punks right up until the modern day. Via Ursis Blog | |
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Bateman365 Archive
An animated film a day for a year. How hard can that be?
I can't remember where I picked this up. Has everyone seen it already?
I can't remember where I picked this up. Has everyone seen it already?
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT A MARTINI
IT’S MORE THAN JUST A POTENT DRINK, AND MORE THAN THE INSPIRATION FOR SOME HANDSOME ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT. IT IS MODERN TIMES, BROUGHT TO YOU IN A BEAUTIFUL CHALICE.
Andy Dick Interview
In Employee of the Month, which stars Dane Cook and Dax Shepard as co-workers at a big-box store facing off for the affections of Jessica Simpson, Andy Dick takes a supporting role as a legally blind optometrist. This week, a few hours before an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, a convivial Dick held forth in an Upper East Side hotel suite, dressed in a pair of grey gym shorts (apparently unencumbered by underwear) and a complimentary T-shirt from the British clothing line merc with the tag still on, while gulping an icky-looking green drink containing JUVO freeze-dried vegetable powder, and perusing menus from local raw-food restaurants. A knot of neckties, an acoustic guitar, a pile of books and a pair of Crocs littered the floor.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Little People
Little hand-painted people, left in London to fend for themselves. This one is called Indecent Proposal.
Via
The Witching Hour
Gregory Crewdson's eerie photographs of suburbia at dusk require set-ups as elaborate as a film shoot. He tells Edward Helmore why the world makes sense at twilight.Friday, October 06, 2006
Extras
The new series, Extras, stars Ricky Gervais as luckless actor Andy Millman, the stand-in who stands out. The six-part comedy series is set in the world of film and television and focusses in particular on the tedium of life as a supporting artist. Looks like the Merchant-Gervais team scores again.
Aimulet LA
The 2006 Good Design Award for Ecology Design goes to Aimulet LA, a batteryless, light-activated handheld audio communication device with an outer shell made from molded bamboo. The name “Aimulet” is derived from the word “amulet” plus the letter “i,” which denotes “intelligent,” “interactive” and “infrared,” as well as “ai” (which means “love” in Japanese and refers to Aichi prefecture, the location of the 2005 World Expo). The initials “LA” stand for none other than Laurie Anderson, whose Walk Project installation for the 2005 World Expo featured the Aimulet LA. Visitors to the installation used the device to receive audio messages as they wandered the site.
Aimulet LA is designed to be held up to your ear like a cellphone. When you stand over special LED emitters set into the ground, Aimulet LA receives the light signals via an array of spherical micro solar cells (called Sphelar by manufacturer Kyosemi) set into the bottom of the handset. Aimulet LA translates the signals into audio messages that are transmitted through a tiny speaker in the device.
According to AIST, the technology at work in Aimulet LA can be put to use in public spaces such as outdoor exhibits and events, amusement facilities, train stations and parks, where it can be used in interactive media or entertainment. In addition, the low cost of the device means it could also double as an entrance ticket, annual pass or ID card.
Via Pink Tentacle
Flat Daddy
Alec Soth brings us this:
The story that started “Flat Daddy”, and how to create one yourself:
Cindy, and her 19 month old daughter Sarah, introduce you to Flat Daddy. Three months after Sarah’s dad was deployed,
Cindy took a 'waist up' photo (highest quality 8x10 color photo) of him, dressed in fatigues, to a local print shop. They enlarged it to life size and mounted it on foam board- like a big, two-dimensional paper doll. 'He was missing so many family gatherings' said Cindy. So, Flat Daddy traveled to graduations, weddings, and other celebrations where he took his rightful place in the photographs. Copies of the photos were sent to Daddy overseas so he could see where he'd traveled. Cindy keeps an album at home of everywhere Flat Daddy has been...even tucking Sarah into bed. Speaking of Sarah, real Daddy received a Flat Sarah, minus the foam board, so he could see how much she'd grown.
I like this idea so much I'm going to make me a flat Brad Pitt, a flat Johnny Depp, a flat George Clooney, etc. On second thought, maybe I'd like inflatable versions...
The story that started “Flat Daddy”, and how to create one yourself:
Cindy, and her 19 month old daughter Sarah, introduce you to Flat Daddy. Three months after Sarah’s dad was deployed,
Cindy took a 'waist up' photo (highest quality 8x10 color photo) of him, dressed in fatigues, to a local print shop. They enlarged it to life size and mounted it on foam board- like a big, two-dimensional paper doll. 'He was missing so many family gatherings' said Cindy. So, Flat Daddy traveled to graduations, weddings, and other celebrations where he took his rightful place in the photographs. Copies of the photos were sent to Daddy overseas so he could see where he'd traveled. Cindy keeps an album at home of everywhere Flat Daddy has been...even tucking Sarah into bed. Speaking of Sarah, real Daddy received a Flat Sarah, minus the foam board, so he could see how much she'd grown.I like this idea so much I'm going to make me a flat Brad Pitt, a flat Johnny Depp, a flat George Clooney, etc. On second thought, maybe I'd like inflatable versions...
Pass Me That Bong
Good news for aging hippies: smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.
New research shows the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.
The bad news is that pot smokers also suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making and diminished language skills but these symptoms are due to being stoned rather than having plaque on the brain.
New research shows the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.
The bad news is that pot smokers also suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making and diminished language skills but these symptoms are due to being stoned rather than having plaque on the brain.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Today's urban Def
meanderthal
People who wander around aimlessly and always seem to get in your way in stores and supermarkets, chatting on their cell phones and paying no attention to their surroundings.
I would have been here ten minutes earlier if I hadn't been stuck behind that meanderthal.
I am being driven around the bend by meanderthals and gramps champs. I used to use other, more derogatory terms to describe these space blockers but now I can use these cool and innocuous terms and look less like an invective spewing slut.
People who wander around aimlessly and always seem to get in your way in stores and supermarkets, chatting on their cell phones and paying no attention to their surroundings.
I would have been here ten minutes earlier if I hadn't been stuck behind that meanderthal.
I am being driven around the bend by meanderthals and gramps champs. I used to use other, more derogatory terms to describe these space blockers but now I can use these cool and innocuous terms and look less like an invective spewing slut.
What Was Your First Clue, Pope Benedict?
When I was a little girl the nuns taught us about limbo, all these little unbaptized babies floating about, prevented from joining their loved ones in heaven through no fault of their own. At a very young age I realized that this was a silly and very unfair concept although, in a way, I liked the idea of floating weightlessly through eternity. What amazes me is that any adult could accept this as doctrine. Just another reason why I stopped being Catholic before I reached my teens.
THE Pope is set to abolish the concept of Limbo, overturning a belief held by Roman Catholics since the Middle Ages.
Limbo has long been held to be the place where the souls of children go if they die before they can be baptised. However, a 30-strong international commission of theologians summoned by the late John Paul II last year to come up with a “more coherent and illuminating” doctrine in tune with the modern age is to present its findings to Pope Benedict XVI on Friday.
Vatican sources said yesterday that the commission would recommend that Limbo be replaced by the more “compassionate” doctrine that all children who die do so “in the hope of eternal salvation”.
THE Pope is set to abolish the concept of Limbo, overturning a belief held by Roman Catholics since the Middle Ages.
Limbo has long been held to be the place where the souls of children go if they die before they can be baptised. However, a 30-strong international commission of theologians summoned by the late John Paul II last year to come up with a “more coherent and illuminating” doctrine in tune with the modern age is to present its findings to Pope Benedict XVI on Friday.
Vatican sources said yesterday that the commission would recommend that Limbo be replaced by the more “compassionate” doctrine that all children who die do so “in the hope of eternal salvation”.
The Ongoing Saga of the Nag vs You Tube
Yikes! I was having trouble uploading You Tube videos to my blog. I tried all sorts of things: deleting my blogs and adding them again, opening new accounts, waiting a day and trying it again, etc. The video I was trying unsuccessfully to upload was Amy Sedaris on Colbert. Imagine my surprise when I checked my blog this morning and found the Amy Sedaris video on my blog - 6 times! I used to believe that you can never get too much of a good thing; I don't believe that any more. You may see multiples of this video cropping up here today because I tried countless times to sort out this problem with You Tube, not because I am inordinately infatuated with Amy. Pay no attention - I'll deal with it later.
Top 100 Weird Sites
How about some toast art? Lifelike portraits of celebrities and works of abstract art made from scorched, singed and burnt bread.Top 100 Weird Sites
Via Coudal
Handouts for the rich
This is unacceptable to me:
Last year they made a combined $31.3 billion in profits. Their profits continue to skyrocket. Imperial Oil alone made $3.1 billion in profit over the last 12 months, up 53 per cent from the previous 12 months. It is the 5th most profitable company in Canada. Petro-Canada did okay, too, with a $2 billion profit for the same period. And Shell Canada managed to pull through with a $1.99 billion profit.
No, it isn't the fact of generous federal handouts. The companies get a cool $1.4 billion annually according to a detailed study by the Pembina Institute, based on department of finance data.
The handouts are in the form of tax breaks that deprive federal coffers at the expense of regular taxpayers. Much of the money goes to oil sands companies even though their developments are the single biggest contributor to Canada's increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Last year they made a combined $31.3 billion in profits. Their profits continue to skyrocket. Imperial Oil alone made $3.1 billion in profit over the last 12 months, up 53 per cent from the previous 12 months. It is the 5th most profitable company in Canada. Petro-Canada did okay, too, with a $2 billion profit for the same period. And Shell Canada managed to pull through with a $1.99 billion profit.
No, it isn't the fact of generous federal handouts. The companies get a cool $1.4 billion annually according to a detailed study by the Pembina Institute, based on department of finance data.
The handouts are in the form of tax breaks that deprive federal coffers at the expense of regular taxpayers. Much of the money goes to oil sands companies even though their developments are the single biggest contributor to Canada's increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris has published a book on entertainment and I'm thrilled.
'Sedaris's sidesplitting guide to throwing parties hopes to return readers to the times when the word entertainment was 'charmingly old-fashioned, like courtship or back alley abortions.' While her tongue is firmly in cheek, novice party-planners will actually find some helpful hints along the way as Sedaris offers instructions and real recipes. Her tips run the gamut from how to properly freeze meatballs (freeze them on a cookie sheet before putting them into a freezer bag so they won't stick together) and deal with the inebriated ('Better to cut them off rather than pretend it's not happening and then allow them to stay over and wet your bed'). She's a generous but crafty hostess ('A good trick is to fill your medicine cabinet with marbles. Nothing announces a nosey guest better than an avalanche of marbles hitting a porcelain sink'). Etiquette pointers include inappropriate introductions ('This is Barbara, she can't have children') and things to avoid saying to the grieving ('Did she smoke?' 'Was he drinking?' 'Where were you when this happened?'). Her advice is both practical and hilarious; her instructions on removing vomit stains ends with 'or just toss it, chances are you've stained it before.' Sedaris's first solo effort (after Wigfield with her Strangers with Candy co-stars, as well as several plays with her brother, David) is an outrageous and deadpan delight, greatly enhanced by her deliriously kitschy illustrations and photos.'
'Sedaris's sidesplitting guide to throwing parties hopes to return readers to the times when the word entertainment was 'charmingly old-fashioned, like courtship or back alley abortions.' While her tongue is firmly in cheek, novice party-planners will actually find some helpful hints along the way as Sedaris offers instructions and real recipes. Her tips run the gamut from how to properly freeze meatballs (freeze them on a cookie sheet before putting them into a freezer bag so they won't stick together) and deal with the inebriated ('Better to cut them off rather than pretend it's not happening and then allow them to stay over and wet your bed'). She's a generous but crafty hostess ('A good trick is to fill your medicine cabinet with marbles. Nothing announces a nosey guest better than an avalanche of marbles hitting a porcelain sink'). Etiquette pointers include inappropriate introductions ('This is Barbara, she can't have children') and things to avoid saying to the grieving ('Did she smoke?' 'Was he drinking?' 'Where were you when this happened?'). Her advice is both practical and hilarious; her instructions on removing vomit stains ends with 'or just toss it, chances are you've stained it before.' Sedaris's first solo effort (after Wigfield with her Strangers with Candy co-stars, as well as several plays with her brother, David) is an outrageous and deadpan delight, greatly enhanced by her deliriously kitschy illustrations and photos.'
Most Annoying Canadian 2006
Most Annoying Canadian 2006
You will be able to vote once per day, and voting will end on December 31st of this year. Please do not make your choices lightly, as the winner will move on to the Worlds, where we have a chance to stage an upset victory over the Americans. We know Canadians are annoying, now is the chance to assert our international dominance.
Via John Gushue
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