Vinyl Freestyle

I have enough old vinyl to start my own freestyle team. I start training tomorrow!


Via UniqueDaily

Goodbye London

Spotted at Spotted by Locals

Broadway show tunes? Can the apocalypse be far behind?

If I continue along this road please put me out of my misery.

Via Laughing Squid

I Misunderstood

Found myself humming this today. Still love it. Great lyrics.

A study in subtitles

Disquieting subtitles
Via

Is this romantic or what?

Mr. Nag and I, like many other people, were talking about Michael Jackson. I think he was a major talent and remember being positively impressed when I first heard Billie Jean. Mr. Nag said he thought Michael Jackson took Motown in a negative direction. I asked (tongue in cheek), "Does this mean this is the end for us?" to which he replied, " I don't think there could be an end to us."

Les Mistons

A group of young boys idolize their collective obsession, Bernadettte, while trying to thwart her boyfriend.
Based on a short story by Maurice Pons. Directed by François Truffaut.

Bacon Flow Chart

Just because I know how much you all love pig meat.

Via clusterflock

My Garden Today

Urban Sketchers

The sketch above is by TIA in Singapore.

40 Well Walk, Hampstead (former home of John Constable)
pencil and coloured pencils in Daler Rowney sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Urban Sketchers is a network of artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel to.

It's one of the blogs I check out every day.

Jill Burkholder's hauntingly beautiful images

I love the evocative images Jill Burkholder creates.

The bromoil process begins with a bleached silver print and ends with a romanticized pictorial version of the image artistically interpreted, using a brush and lithography ink.

Yet another wonderful post by accidental mysteries

Friday On My Mind

Lead singer Stevie Wright was mighty cute.
Via Funky Junk Trunk

The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire from Hypermedia on Vimeo.

Via My Modern Metropolis

RIP

Victoria Spivey - T B Blues (1963)

Victoria Spivey - T B Blues (1963)

LOL Manuscripts!

This is fabulous!

LOL Manuscripts!

Many of you may know of the Internet phenomenon that is LOLCats. Slightly less of you may know how crazy/awesome early modern woodcut illustrations and frontispieces can be. But what joins these two disparate worlds? Well, it may surprise you to know how popular LOL-ing was in the Renaissance.

Thanks John.

The 11 Outfits Of The Urban Freelancer

The Whelk – John Leavitt

Via

Jolie Blond

Nathan Abshire - Jolie Blond
by fredozydeco
Via

Fashion fit for Queen Elizabeth II

Perhaps she wasn't always quite as dowdy as I thought?

The Royal Wardrobe: Autumn 1953. The world waits for the first sight of its new leader. After half a century of middle-aged men, the idea of a beautiful young woman ruling over the Commonwealth seems like the stuff of fairy tales. For millions of Australians, Canadians and Indians, Queen Elizabeth II is more than a figurehead; she is the living embodiment of authority, elegance and grace. Stepping out in a series of dazzling dresses, many of them by the legendary couturier Norman Hartnell, the 27-year-old embarks on a six-month tour throughout the Commonwealth countries that will cement her position as ruler of much of the free world.

My garden this morning

DIG IT SKID!

St. Catharines artist Melanie MacDonald's Skids

Call someone a ‘skid’ and you’re using a piece of Canadian slang that has an imprecise definition. For me, they were the kids I hung out with in the ‘smoke hole’ at my high school—located next to the tech wing.

Their character seemed to be defined by class and adolescent angst. There was self-defeating nihilism but it was balanced with an unwavering faith in partying. There were other hallmarks too: a love of heavy metal music, drugs and alcohol, and a ‘fuck-you attitude’ that was both playful and genuine.

I’ve made these paintings from found photographs. These aren’t people I know directly. Their portraits are a re-consideration and celebration of a distinctive coming of age, masculinity, rebellion, and the dubious difference between low and high brow.

This series of paintings takes as its title a scrawl of graffiti on a rock-cut along the Trans Canada Highway near Sudbury.

Second Hand

Perhaps I love these because I collect vintage china.

Karen Ryan's Second Hand Plates 2005 to 2008.

I damage second hand old plates.
I remove the decorative patterns that camouflage our everyday lies and in its place I leave words that prick our conscience and create portraits of hidden domestics left open for others to interpret.

Via

A Modern Tango

Now that I'm contemplating a trip to Buenos Aires I'm seeing it everywhere.

'Diferente' by Gotan Project shows how you might find tango danced today in a Buenos Aires milonga. This video highlights two dances: the obvious one on the dance floor, and the implicit dance of stolen glances and budding romance between the featured (gorgeous) couple.

Seen at Intelligent Travel Blog

My tree peony

I didn't post this when it was in bloom but it was very pretty. Mr. Nag gave me two more for my birthday. I'll show them to you when they bloom next year.

Mike Nesmith and Frank Zappa on "The Monkees"

Via

Nouvelle Vague - Don't Go

Lovely

Peony time-lapse

Via pia jane bijkerk

To-o-okyo Boogie Oogie

Via PCL LinkDump

Buenos Aires Tango Slideshow

My son has just moved to Buenos Aires and I'm thinking I'd like to pay him a visit.

Buenos Aires Tango Slideshow

It's raining cats and dogs

I've neglected my garden for two weeks (vacation and visitors). At this time of year it could mean I've lost the battle with Mother Nature. Black spot, aphids and weeds, weeds, weeds. I worked as long as I could in a torrential downpour, filled a garbage can with weeds and got the lovely plants my sister bought for me in the ground.

This smoke bush is flattened by the rain.

Bedraggled roses against a shed that needs paint.

The force of the downpour removed the petals from the poppies.

Buddha looks serene behind the bamboo.

Picked some downtrodden peonies.

Hair Style for a war way of life

Veronica Lake's safety hairstyle looks like an engineering challenge. Just pass me one of those becoming safety caps.

Via

Guevara's granddaughter to appear in PETA campaign

NEW YORK – The granddaughter of Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara is at the forefront of another revolution — for vegetarianism.

Lydia Guevara poses semi-nude in a PETA campaign that tells viewers to 'join the vegetarian revolution,' said PETA spokesman Michael McGraw. More

See more celebrities who would rather go naked than wear fur.

Spezify

Spezify is a fun search site that I found at Frogsmoke.
Being a bit self-centred, I plugged in the search term Nag on the Lake and found all sorts of interesting things, some related to my blog, others not.


If nothing shows up at first just click then navigate around.

Twelve tone commercial

Link donated by Prodigal

Lilyest Hobo

I loved The Littlest Hobo when I was a kid. Who wouldn't love a vagabond mystery solving dog?


Lily Allen - Not Fair vs Terry Bush - The Littlest Hobo Theme
Via

Architecture

Via

Making faces at the National Portrait Gallery

BP Portrait award 2009

Now in its 30th year, the BP Portrait award is recognised as a launching pad for up-and-coming painters. More than 50 works will be on display at this year's exhibition, which runs from 18 June to 20 September at the National Portrait Gallery.

All the Great Operas in 10 minutes

Via MetaFilter

God Help the Girl - "Come Monday Night"

Via bright stupid confetti

Tart Cards

Tart Cards are the means by which many London prostitutes advertise their services. Step into almost any central London phone box and you can contemplate up to 80 cards inviting you to be tied, teased, spanked or massaged.

Via

GM is going to be super good at all that car stuff

Via My Modern Metropolis

Spectaculaires: Monumental Visions

Click to view video

An unforgettable spectacle unfolds each summer night in the Place Stanislas, an 18th-century public square in Nancy, France. Fantastical animated images illuminate the grand façade of the square’s Hôtel de Ville, transforming the ornate building into a gigantic, motion-filled canvas. More

Rest Stops, R.I.P.

For decades, states have defined themselves through their charming roadside rest stops. Now, they’re losing ground to supersized highway chains. GOOD visits a few of them to figure out what went wrong. More

Freestlye Rap Battle: Translated

Freestlye Rap Battle: Translated
Via

Mimi the Clown's Street Art

See the Collection
Website

Craigslist: Weird All channels Jim Morrison

Via beancounters

Bunny Lake Is Missing

Via Funky Junk Trunk

Plus ça change...

...plus c'est la meme chose. With the exception of the gang signs near the end this could have been a video of my peer group in the 70's, just sittin' on the porch singin' Townes Van Zandt.

Josh Ritter - Me & Jiggs

How to field dress a unicorn

Because inquiring minds want to know...

Once you've filled your unicorn with plenty of hot lead it's time to get down to some proper field dressing to ensure you'll be eatin' that unicorn all year long in your stews, roasts, hell, even minced into small pieces for garnishing your Corn Flakes! Unicorns, despite their awful attitudes, actually taste pretty dang good - provided you follow these simple guidelines for gutting your unicorn the RIGHT way!

There's more (if you can stand it).
Via Blort, a bit of a tasty treat herself.

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum 2009 Video Teaser

Following previous news of Banksy’s show at his hometown Bristol Museum, BBC officially broke the silence with images and video footage of the show. Now we are able to present a video tour of the exhibit, which includes over 100 works, more than 70 of which are brand new, while many of the others, such as the painted toilets (or portaloos) have been reworked. Via

Civilization by Marco Brambilla

Civilization by Marco Brambilla

Civilization is a video installation created with artist/director Marco Brambilla for the elevators Standard Hotel in NYC. It's comprised of over 400 video clips and it takes elevator passengers on a trip from hell to heaven as they go up or from heaven to hell as they go down.

Sent to me by Prodigal who has plenty of time to send me stuff but no time to blog :-)

Panorama of the bowling alley at the Frick

There's a Bowling Alley at the Frick? The Vermeers, Rembrandts and Holbeins upstairs are well known. But only a lucky few have seen the bowling alley.

I visited the Frick last week. If I'd known this was downstairs I'd have bowled a few frames. I wonder if it smells like sweaty bowling shoes or if they have a snack bar with delicious junk to gorge on. Probably not.

The Uniform Project

The Uniform Project - Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies... The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India.

Via

I Heart Lynn Crosbie

I am a Lynn Crosbie reader. This bit of prose, dissed by some, led me to become her Facebook friend:

Tarantino's recent work with Brad Pitt, who is starting to feel like a handsome mannequin in a Palm Beach department store, seems guided by a desire to rescue him from a life largely spent waiting to retrieve and nurture another of Angelina Jolie's – the chilling black widow's – egg sacs.

Movie Atlas: The Station Agent

I look forward to Movie Atlas posts at Been Seen, especially when a movie that I really like is featured.

Been-Seen's Movie Atlas is a unique opportunity - a chance to explore the world through movies. Movies that were filmed on location and show you real places, either as they are now, or as they were when the film was made.

The Station Agent is one of my favourite films. Director Thomas McCarthy made the movie after discovering the film's main location, an abandoned station building, in Newfoundland, New Jersey. More

This is Oxygen

Christopher Hendryx created this video for his thesis at the Ringling College of Art+Design.
Via My Modern Metropolis

Twins

Via Interactive Narratives

I Was A Ye Ye Girl

Thanks to CCBC for the fantastic link.

Weddings of the Times

Weddings of the Times by Kasper Hauser:



A Parody of The New York Times Wedding Announcements
by Kasper Hauser

Along with fully illustrated guides to:
Wedding-night sex,
Honeymoon hot spots,
Formalwear malfunctions,
and much, much more.

At four o’clock in the Afternoon.
Or is it three o’clock?
Didn’t you bring the invitation?
Huh? Where the hell is the turnoff?
Back there. I think I saw a paper plate and some balloons.
What’s wrong?
I just need to eat something. I’m fine.
Remind me how we know these people?

Dance With Me

A commenter named Anonymous (an ever so common name it seems) just reminded me that I've had this video lined up in my drafts since last April. Time to post it.

Steve McQueen's Giardini

Moira at Dog Art Today blogs about British artist Steve McQueen's film, Giardini, at the Venice Biennale.

McQueen shot what he found – there is a 92-year-old woman who trundles her shopping trolley through the gardens to feed the cats each day, and a spectacular moment when the sun is blotted out by one of the giant cruise ships that dwarfs the city "like a giant whale", he said. We hear the sounds of the park – the chanting from the nearby football ground, for instance. "It was like a wonderful male choir," said McQueen, "monumental, wonderful. And then there were always the church bells, this operatic thing. More

The most arresting characters are the dogs who appear like a leitmotif through the work. 'They are racing greyhounds that would otherwise be shot but are looked after by a charity,'' said McQueen. The point is that they ought to be dead – and are thus a kind of ghostly presence, he added.

The Honey Bees - You Need Me

This is hilarious!


Via Funky Junk Trunk

Julia

Fortunately it is impossible to march anybody anywhere quickly (as Josephine said to Napoleon when she suggested he put off conquering Russia until the Spring) so it only took three or maybe four u-turns blithely executed on county highways before I spotted a mass of children disappearing over a distant hill. It should have reminded me of the Pied Piper; it actually reminded me of the battle hosts marching from Mordor.

Julia's blog had me laughing out loud, to coin an overused phrase, and I just had to read it to Mr. Nag who confirmed to me that it is indeed funny. He did this by turning the corners of his mouth up slightly and making a strange hmmming sound.

Parcours Saint Germain

A reader sent me a link to this year's Parcours Saint Germain, an exhibition of contemporary art that is taking place right now in Paris. Wish I could go.

Les Artistes, édition 2009

Exhibits are strewn throughout the 6th arrondissement at neighborhood institutions like the Café de Flore (Guy Limone), Les Deux Magots (Gérard Pétremand), Louis Vuitton (Philippe Ramette), Sonia Rykiel (Elisa Strada), Place St. Germain-des-Prés (Tadashi Kawamata and Nicolas Buffe), and dozens of other sites.

Twist Et Chant

J'aime beaucoup les chanteuses françaises.


Via Funky Junk Trunk

Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante

Painting by Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An, 2006, oil on canvas

Click on the image to see more of it and to activate wiki links.

Famous People Painting with Wiki Links
Via

At last, some colour!

I was complaining about the lack of colour in my garden - the wisteria and flowering crabs were disappointing. When I came back from my week in NYC things had been happening in the back yard and I now have all sorts of colour. Yay!

Turbo Heather Shatters Stereotypes

Via Jezebel

KLF and Tammy Wynette - Justified and Ancient

Now I've seen everything!

Via John Gushue . . . Dot Dot Dot

Strolling around New York on Saturday

There is nothing I like better than to wander aimlessly on a beautiful sunny day.
Bought a couple of things at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market - the Mao poster below and a French enameled address plate for the front door.







We strolled down to the Bleecker St. Festival where I found a copy of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach for a rock bottom price. Had a lovely Italian brunch with Bloody Marys at Grano in the Village (recommended by a fireman brother of Mr. Nag) then listened to some excellent jazz at Washington Square. I fell in love with the eclectic vintage decor at ABC Home; it felt like heaven to me. We also hit the Green Market at Union Square but it was a real zoo and we rushed right through - I loved the bouquets of peonies they were selling there.

We trundled back to the apartment to change shoes and chug a screwdriver then off to wander around the Chelsea Art Galleries and along the Hudson. Mr. Nag showed me the NYC fireboat where he stayed when he attended firefighters' funerals after 911.

We circled back through Tribeca and then absorbed a little bit of the action at the clubs in the Meatpacking District. Then home via the Chelsea Historic District with its lovely row houses. No fancy dinner out - too tired. Got a takeout pizza and had it with a good bottle of wine while watching Bette Davis in The Letter. That, my friends, was my idea of the perfect day.