Studs Terkel, the Pulitzer Prize- winning author and enduring radio-show host whose oral histories chronicled the travails and triumphs of America's working class, has died. He was 96.
Terkel died today at his home in Chicago, his son, Dan Terkel, said in an interview. ``He just went very quickly and was in no pain at all,'' Dan Terkel said. ``He lived a very long, full, satisfying though sometimes impetuous life.''
Born in New York, Terkel became synonymous with Chicago, the city where he moved at age 10 and rarely left. His parents ran a boarding house and a men's hotel during the Great Depression, giving the young Terkel a steady diet of the struggles of ordinary people whose stories became his life's work. More
Friday, October 31, 2008
The magical world of Bob Dylan
The American film director and photographer Jerry Schatzberg shot the Blonde on Blonde album cover in 1966. The image shows Dylan outside the Meatpacking District of New York wearing a black-and-white checked scarf. This is just one of many photographs of Dylan posing in a variety of shots by Schatzberg, who was good friends with him between 1965 and 1967. The pictures will be exhibited at Proud Central in London. See more.
The many faces of James Kuhn
"Forget masks, forget face-lifts, because an imaginative artist has found an even better way to change his face and he's doing it every day, for a year."
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Floridan Hotel Timeline
The Floridan Hotel, built in 1926, last housed guests in the 1980s, is being brought back to its grandeur. View and hear some of the the building's history through a Vuvox timeline.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Tire to market groceries
Would you buy your groceries at a place that reeks of vulcanized rubber?
It would be cool if they only sold tire shaped goodies like Cheerios, rotelle and of course, one of my childhood favourites, Wagon Wheels.
Brigid Berlin Needlepoint
The Wolfman
Instead of watching videos I could be running through the woods howling and yapping in a schizophrenic blur.
Via bad banana blog
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Speed Crazy
When The Nag gets behind the wheel she's the boss! Terror takes over and the Camry becomes a weapon of death! This is so good.
Seen at Funky Junk Trunk
Seen at Funky Junk Trunk
Monday, October 27, 2008
High Heel Torture
Women cast off their corsets long ago, yet high heels - which make it just as hard to move freely - keep getting more precarious. Read more.
The last time I wore really high heels was at a wedding in Toronto. I stood around eating hors d'oeuvres and drinking champagne. This activity led, inevitably, to frenzied dancing. I found myself limping back to the hotel room in such pain that I was forced to shed the shoes and walk down Yonge Street in pantyhose-clad feet. "Never again," I swore to myself. I am short and heels make me look more statuesque; they give my stumpy legs an almost shapely look but I can no longer put up with the pain they inflict. There are myriad articles on the internet outlining methods of coping with high heel pain. They can all go straight to hell. I've broken the high heel habit and have embraced walking shoes with a passion heretofore reserved (circa 1970) for a combination of a cute boy with a Beatle haircut and a tab of MDA.
I Love Lucy Pilot (1951)
Did I ever mention that I love I Love Lucy? When I was a child that theme song was a call to arms - I'd come flying in from whatever I was doing (most likely fighting with my sisters or playing with Barbies) and plop myself down in front of the old B&W, prepared to chuckle and guffaw. I even loved that lush Desilu heart that appeared in the credits. I thought I'd seen every one at least 5 times but I somehow missed this pilot episode. This is where the fun began.
This is just the first part. Watch the other segments of this pilot at Classic Television Showbiz: I Love Lucy Pilot (1951)
This is just the first part. Watch the other segments of this pilot at Classic Television Showbiz: I Love Lucy Pilot (1951)
Le Garde-meuble, a periodical devoted to furniture design
Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne (Furniture repository, ancient and modern), a bimonthly periodical published in Paris, exerted an enormous influence throughout the world by promoting French styles in furniture, fabrics, and interior decoration for a nearly a century, beginning in 1839 during the reign of Louis Philippe and ceasing in the waning years of the Third Republic around 1935.Looking for prie dieus, Canterburies or toilettes? This site at The Smithsonian Institution Libraries Digital Collections has pretty illustrations of all these and more.
Created by furniture designer and publisher Desire Guilmard, the periodical consisted entirely of illustrations of designs for furniture, window treatments and room settings.
H/T to John for directing me to it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Come on up, eh
In the event of another Republican win my Democrat friends might want to consider Canada's E.L.I.T.E. immigration plan .
Via
Via
Man's Best Friend
This Italian ad for the Intenational Organization for the Protection of Animals features canine guests at Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. They sit alongside a single human, Judas, and the byline reads: “One of you betrays us 150,000 times every year.”
eternallycool.net
Art on 4 wheels
On my recent trip to Paris I wandered around the marché d'Aligre after market hours. I noticed lots of painted vans parked around the area. I thought they were sort of cool. Here are a few photos I took:
Does anyone out there know anything about these vans? Is there some sort of tradition attached to them?
Does anyone out there know anything about these vans? Is there some sort of tradition attached to them?
1000 artworks to see before you die
The Guardian has compiled an ambitious list of 1000 artworks to see before you die.
Are they the world's essential artworks? You can comment here.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
What if you threw a party and nobody came?
It almost happened to me many, many moons ago. I set out snacks (likely chips with sour cream and onion dip, although I can't be absolutely certain) and waited for people to come so the fun could begin...and waited...and waited. I sat there in a bewitching outfit watching the hands of the clock make their slow rotation. I decided a glass of wine was needed and then another and so on. By midnight when people finally started rolling in I was talking on the big white telephone, if you know what I mean. I am told it was a great party. Too bad I missed it.
Facebook in a Crowd tells the story of Hal Niedzviecki's ill-fated attempt to turn cyber friends into real friends. Having been there once upon a time I feel his pain.
Facebook in a Crowd tells the story of Hal Niedzviecki's ill-fated attempt to turn cyber friends into real friends. Having been there once upon a time I feel his pain.
Historic Destinations Rated
National Geographic Traveler published this survey, conducted by the Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, of more than a hundred historic places around the world. An international panel of 280 experts evaluated the destinations based on six criteria. Read more at National Geographic Traveler
Here's what they had to say about Niagara-on-the-Lake where I live and blog. Sad to say it rings true.
Here's what they had to say about Niagara-on-the-Lake where I live and blog. Sad to say it rings true.
Ontario: Niagara-on-the-Lake - Score: 67
This may be the most beautiful small town in Canada. It is quite touristy, but has done a great job of preserving its charm.
It is a very attractive small town on a waterfront, and anchors one of Canada's finest scenic parkways. It displays a high level of building and landscape conservation. A nationally significant theater and a location in a wine region are plusses; the almost complete gentrification of the town is a major problem. To many Canadians, it is the town that tourism killed.
Tourism is based on the Shaw festival and the history of the town. Local people benefit from commercial interests—bed-and-breakfasts of a high standard, attractive shopping area, restaurants, etc.
A theme park by any other name. But then that's what many of the visitors seem to expect and may even enjoy. The surrounding vineyards are arguably carrying much more integrity, although they are also being threatened by poor urban and regional planning.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Absolutely a-maze-ing
Drawing from the Medieval city plan for Toulouse, Isabelle de Beaufort and Bernard Ramus created a maze in Cordes-sur-Ciel, France where the abandoned house at the center of the maze represents the lair of the legendary dragon that lurks beneath the streets of Toulouse. More
The photographs are incredible.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
French Taught by New Zealanders
I should have seen this Flight of the Conchords episode before I went to Paris.
Seen at The Paris Blog
Seen at The Paris Blog
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The wurst art evah!
Sausage art is now popular in Russia. They have made some major masterpieces out of sausages and wurst and put on display so that anyone can eat them.
See more meaty masterpieces at English Russia
True graffiti
Earlier this year, a classic mural by the late artist Keith Haring was recreated on Houston Street and Bowery in New York. The original had been created in 1982 and lasted just a few months before it was painted out. The new version, repainted by Gotham Scenic, was unveiled on what would have been Haring's 50th birthday (May 4th), but a few months later it underwent a dramatic transformation. Read more
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Twists, Slugs and Roscoes
A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang:
"'I jammed the roscoe in his button and said, 'Close your yap, bo, or I squirt metal.''"
Monday, October 20, 2008
New and improved Banksy’s Village Petstore and Charcoal Grill
Just a few days ago I posted a video of this recent Banksy installation. It may seem redundant to you but I couldn't resist posting this superior Notcot video.
NOTCOT: Banksy's Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill from Jean Aw on Vimeo.
NOTCOT: Banksy's Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill from Jean Aw on Vimeo.
French Laundry at Home
I linked to this blog a long time ago but haven't been back to it in a very long time. Cookbook and has posted Lists and Menu Suggestions:
Many thanks to Metafilter for bringing me back to this site.
Now that I've cooked every dish in The French Laundry Cookbook, I think it's appropriate to do a bit of a retrospective, don't you think? I've had some time now to think back on the good and the bad... the surprise successes and the dismal failures... the things I loved and continue to make today, and the things I'll never make again.
Many thanks to Metafilter for bringing me back to this site.
Albinoni - Adagio in G minor
Via haha.nu
I'm reminded of this video based on Renaissance's Turn of the Cards with vocals by the wonderful Annie Haslam, a favourite of mine many years ago.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
They must have been hungry
Mob Eats World Record Sandwich Before It Can Be Measured | Serious Eats
"Iran failed on Friday to register the sandwich as the world's largest sandwich in the Guinness book of World Records after people rushed forward and began eating it—before it was measured."
Caravaggio
When I went to Italy in 2007 I made sure to check out all the Caravaggio works that were on our route. I developed a deeper appreciation of the artist after seeing The Penitant Magdalen and Rest During the Flight into Egypt at the Galleria Pamphili in Rome (one of my all time favourite galleries). Caravaggio used the same model in both works. She is Mary Magdalen in one. In the other she is the Virgin Mary.
I was pleased to find this BBC video at Uncertain Times, source of so much Nag fodder:
Power_of_art:_Caravaggio
I was pleased to find this BBC video at Uncertain Times, source of so much Nag fodder:
Power_of_art:_Caravaggio
Friday, October 17, 2008
All that jazz
William Claxton (1927-2008) In a career spanning more than 50 years, William Claxton photographed some of the biggest musicians and movie stars of the 20th century. Here are a few favourites: Chet Baker, Steve McQueen and Marlene Dietrich
Thursday, October 16, 2008
RIP Edie Adams
Tony-winning actress Edie Adams, a blond chanteuse with a funny streak who was married to the late comedian Ernie Kovacs, has died. She was 81.
Torturing Democracy
In January, 2007, the Archive and Washington Media decided to join forces, as we had done on documentary film projects over the past 20 years. The results are seen on this web site: The documentary, "Torturing Democracy," and the first stage of a comprehensive Torture Archive that aims to serve as the online institutional memory of the essential documentary evidence.
It is profoundly disturbing. Via
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Urban Anthropology
New York streetscapes and landmarks, juxtaposed against photos from fifty years ago
New York, Then and Now
Monday, October 13, 2008
Layton turns eye to rust belt
Jack Layton paid a last minute visit to the campaign office in Thorold yesterday and injected a whole lot of energy in the last days before the election. It was so packed I was unable to take any pictures.
"Layton said communities along Highway 401 throughout the Golden Horseshoe are hurting like they have never before. He visited seven communities – Windsor, Essex, St. Thomas, London, Welland-Thorold, Hamilton, and Guelph – in 16 hours.
'When you lose a good middle-class job, you are losing a lot,' Layton said in Thorold.
Nearby Welland is still reeling from the announcement last month that John Deere is closing its plant at the end of February, throwing some 800 employees out of work.
'In these difficult times you've got to have leadership that understands the personal stories of Canadians,' he told reporters in Thorold after accusing Harper of not caring about the 400,000 manufacturing jobs that, he says, have disappeared."read more
Bonnie et Clyde
Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot perform an homage to Bonnie and Clyde. It mesmerized me.
Via WRECK & SALVAGE
Via WRECK & SALVAGE
Mel Tormé, 1963
Dig those chicks, the groovy set and Mel's cool moves.
Comin' Home, Baby - Mel Tormé on The Judy Garland Show
Via Uncertain Times
Comin' Home, Baby - Mel Tormé on The Judy Garland Show
Via Uncertain Times
Food Rants
It's National Yorkshire Pudding Day. Jay compares this dish to a rectal tumour. Yum!
See some great Food Rant videos at this site dedicated to eating, drinking and being snarky.
Via
And you thought you hated Yorkshire Pudding? Jay is full of so much rage over this dessert that I’m afraid he’s ready to go to England and kick them in their jacked up teeth.
See some great Food Rant videos at this site dedicated to eating, drinking and being snarky.
Via
Sunday, October 12, 2008
China Gold
I went to see this show at the Maillol Museum in Paris recently but adhered to the "no photos allowed" sign. I'm glad that Sylvie Fondacci took these photos and that you can see some of this terrific work by modern Chinese artists.
China Gold Exhibition - Musée Maillol Paris
China Gold Exhibition - Musée Maillol Paris
Hunter, Ralph and 3 bottles of whiskey
Writer Hunter S. Thompson and illustrator Ralph Steadman discuss old times over a drink or nine!
Via Information Junk
Via Information Junk
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Tony Curtis, last of the great Lotharios
Tony Curtis comes towards me in a wheelchair, wearing a white sleeveless T-shirt and very short white shorts. “Good to meet you,” he says. He takes my hand, brushes it with his lips and almost imperceptibly looks me up and down. At 83, despite baldness and a paunch, the legendary Hollywood Lothario still knows how to turn on the charm. Read more
A Break For the Nag
I work 10 hour days 7 days a week during a campaign. My son knows the drill and brought all the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner and cooked them up. I left work early and had a great holiday meal with my family. Mr. Nag did most of the cleanup. How lucky am I?
Hooded Fang's Dance Cuts on Harper's Arts Cuts
Stephen Harper says that artists waste taxpayers' money and that 'ordinary' people don't care about the arts. He also said that 'ordinary Canadians' don't worry about losing their jobs. He would be wrong on both counts.
Music by members of Hooded Fang, video by members of Hooded Fang and Sofia Bohdanowicz.
Music by members of Hooded Fang, video by members of Hooded Fang and Sofia Bohdanowicz.
Hat tip to my Facebook friend, Bailey.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Horse: A Mirror of Man
Theories about equine physiology and health often mirrored theories about humans, and the literature of both was inherently linked. Bloodletting, astrology, and ancient texts were used by both physicians and veterinarians to heal their patients, and many discoveries, including the circulation of the blood, developed in tandem.
Medieval and Renaissance veterinary medicine looked to ancient veterinary texts for its inspiration, just as physicians for human healing did. In the case of horses, veterinarians relied on a set of Classical and Byzantine Greek texts called the “Hippiatrica”.
The Horse: A Mirror of Man found at Uncertain Times.
Horrors wrought out of yarn
Why Would You Knit That?! The name says it all. This blog features a myriad of hand crafted abominations.
Via
Via
Charlie Chan's Aphorisms
Nearly as legendary as his finely honed detective skills was Charlie Chan's ability to punctuate his dialogue with aphorisms appropriate to the moment. Whether it was in the midst of the most dangerous situations or while enjoying a quiet interlude with one of his many children, Mr. Chan always had a timely truth poised on the tip of his eloquent tongue. Via
Absence of proof open cell door. (Charlie Chan in Panama)
Accidents can happen, if planned that way. (Dark Alibi)
Action speak louder than French. (Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo)
Admitting failure like drinking bitter tea. (Charlie Chan in Egypt)
Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Village Pet Store And Charcoal Grill
While New Yorkers have been consumed by the stock market meltdown, a tiny little pet store quietly opened four days ago at 89 7th Avenue between West 4th and Bleeker Street in the West Village of New York City.
See more Banksy pet shop weirdness at Wooster Collective
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
I Could Care Less
John Cleese addresses a common misuse of language that may be top dog in my menagerie of pet peeves.
Via
Via
10 Common Dreams And Their Meanings
This is a list of the interpretations that the Association for the Study of Dreams has given to the most recurring and common types of dream. I occasionally dream of being chased, being naked and falling - not recently though.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Name that rock star
On This Day- Montreal's Night of Terror
I don't know why I have no knowledge of this event - I lived in Montreal and was certainly old enough to have seen it in the news.
Montreal is in a state of shock. A police officer is dead and 108 people have been arrested following 16 hours of chaos during which police and firefighters refused to work. At first, the strike's impact was limited to more bank robberies than normal. But as night fell, a taxi drivers' union seized upon the police absence to violently protest a competitor's exclusive right to airport pickups. The result, according to this CBC Television special, was a 'night of terror.'
Monday, October 06, 2008
Operation Supermarket
My Soul My Universe Where Were You All Those Days
Farhad Moshiri & Shirin Aliabadi. Operation Supermarkt. Singapur Biennale 2008Warhol's Polaroids
A new retrospective at London's Hayward Gallery (October 7 2008 - January 18 2009) brings together the films, screen-tests and videos of Andy Warhol. The exhibition also includes his Polaroids, used by the artist as aids for painting portraits, which provide a fascinating insight into the man who wanted to capture the world like a camera.
Artist Robert Rauschenberg (above) looks a little worse for the wear.Click to see slideshow
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Lift of the penguins
Brazil launches airlift to return penguins washed ashore on Rio beaches. More than 1,000 penguins have washed up on Brazilian beaches - 2,000 miles north of their traditional breeding grounds.
Hundreds of the flightless birds are being airlifted back to the South Atlantic by the country's air force.
Just add bagpipes
A do-it-yourself dancing highlander, from Frank Bellew's The Art of Amusing (1866). Cut him out, stitch him to a glove, and make little socks for your fingers.
Found this at Futility Closet
Saturday, October 04, 2008
A fungus firing its spores to the tune of the Anvil Chorus
Nicholas Money, an expert on fungi at Miami University, has been playing around with very fast video. Ultra fast. As in 250,000 frames-a-second fast. He knew exactly what this kind of video was made for. To film fungi that live on dung as they discharge their spores. These tiny fungi can blast spores as far as six feet away, boosting the odds that they’ll land on a clean plant that a cow or other grazing animal may eat. The fungi develop inside the animal, get pooped out with its dung, and fire their spores once more.
Via 3quarksdaily
The Campaign
I've had a good feeling from the start about the campaign I'm working on in the Welland Riding. We're outsigning the other two parties and voter contact has been quite positive. NDP leader Jack Layton visited the riding and conducted a town hall meeting that focused on the dramatic job drain this area has experienced. Conservative leader Stephen Harper also came to the riding and for reasons that are unclear to most folks here made an announcement concerning flavoured cigarettes! Then, during the national leaders' debate, he stated that average Canadians aren't worried about job loss. Well I can tell Mr. Harper that average Canadians in this riding are more than concerned as their lives are being reduced to ruins as jobs leave the region like water through a sieve.
Yesterday ultra-conservative Toronto Sun columnist, Christina Blizzard, wrote an article that confirmed the positive vibe we've all been getting:
It's too early to break out the champagne but we are all encouraged.
Yesterday ultra-conservative Toronto Sun columnist, Christina Blizzard, wrote an article that confirmed the positive vibe we've all been getting:
You just sense that, barring any sudden, stunning upset or a personality transplant for Dion, Welland will be shifting on Oct. 14.
It won't be Dion's Green Shift they pick. They'll be making an orange squash -- to Jack Layton.
It's too early to break out the champagne but we are all encouraged.
Friday, October 03, 2008
William S. Burroughs - Shotgun Paintings
During his later years in Kansas, Burroughs developed a painting technique whereby he created abstract compositions by placing spray paint cans in front of, and some distance from, blank canvasses, and then shooting at the paint cans with a shot gun.I'd never heard about this aspect of Burroughs' work before but it fits with the image I have of him. I always learn something new at Uncertain Times.
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