Keeping up appearances a deadly Victorian game

I find Victorian-era society intriguing and Highgate Cemetery is one of the Magnificent Seven Victorian London Cemeteries. It's where Karl Marx, Pre-Raphaelite Rossetties and numerous other notable people are buried and where Charles Dickens wanted to be buried. Post-humus star gazing is of no interest to me, nor is whether or not there is a vampire who lives there.

The Victorians had a fascination with the occult; manifesting itself in social activities such as séances and promenading in cemeteries. Yes, people would literally hang out in the cemetery on Sunday afternoons; as we do the park; so graves and their associated decorations became high stake social symbols.

I can't imagine what it would be like to die and be buried only to to have someone comment on my grave decoration during their Sunday promenade 'ohhhh.... obelisks are so yesterday's tomb!'... Perhaps that's how people started rolling over in their graves, from the social horror of being passé.

Grave ornaments were greatly affected by trends.. covered urns were in, then out.. there was the obelisk and Egyptian phase... neo-classical trends and so on. I don't know if angels wing-spans varied with the times.

For example the largest monument belongs to Julius Beers a man that had felt so ostracized by society while he was alive he built a mausoleum that sits 1000ft above sea level so it lorded over everyone else's and blocked the view of the church.

I find it interesting, vaguely amusing and repulsive.

Anyone who has studied history and symbolism knows that the meanings and stories embedded in apparently simple images can reference incredibly intricate meanings and stories.

Whether they were hip or not at the time, historic symbols are fascinating.

Classic Smokes - well read Maloboro men

Tank Books - tales to take your breath away

Smoking bans in public places took affect in the UK in early July. As a cheeky marketing move Tank has launched a series of miniature literature classics packaged to resemble cigarette packets. They are the same size, flip-top cartons with silver foil wrapping and sealed in cellophane.

TankBooks are for people on the move, lovers of literature and connoisseurs of design. Try one and you’ll be hooked.

I think they look great. I'm not sure how much of a torturous affect they will have on smokers but it's a nifty idea regardless.

In my mind the only thing missing are the health warnings "CAUTION READING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH" and so on.

Polish-ed Film Posters

Polish Film Posters are fascinating artistic works. My boyfriend collects them, which has given me a far greater knowledge and appreciation of them. You could never describe their approach as sunshine and lolly-pops; I find some a little disturbing; but their use of graphics is remarkable.

The golden decade of Polish film posters, from approximately the mid 50s to the mid 60s was preceded by the pioneering work of a trio of artists in the 1940s. Henryk Tomaszewski, Tadeusz Trepkowski and Eryk Lipinski were the original graphic designers commissioned in 1946 by Film Polski (a State film distribution monopoly) to design film posters.

Their work soon revolutionized this particular form of advertising. Rather than use the stereotypical images of movie stars and exclamation points, they employed a whole new arsenal of graphic interpretation to convey a shorthand essence of the film.

Source: www.cinemaposter.com

Persian- meow!

Maz Jobrani is an Iranian born comedian, hilarious. He describes himself as Persian..meow! Love it..

Whale of a time

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society's website shows what they claim to be a life-sized whale that you can move around and look at close-up.

It's quite remarkable. I've added a diagram above of what bit is what on a whale to help you understand what you are looking at when you go to the site.

click here to see the whale.

Contemporary Aboriginal Art Sale Record

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri's painting Warlugulong 1977 sold for $2.4 million, smashing the sales record for Australian Aboriginal Art. The same painting that was sold for a mere $1,200 in 1977.

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri is regarded as one of the most significant contemporary aboriginal artists and this particular work has been described as one of the most important Australian works of the 20th century.

When I was studying Contemporary Aboriginal Art History at university I was incredibly fortunate to have the artist visit our class as a guest speaker. He was particularly softly spoken and talked about his dreamings and working with acrylic paint on canvas as opposed to traditional media.

We knew back in 1993 that this was an honour and that he was a very important artist but it is only now that I am older that I appreciate just how incredible an experience it was.

Internet Crash

This is particularly enjoyable if you are aware of my former habit of having multiple computer programs open simultaneously and the crashes of my system that ensued.

Yes, the plug was pulled out of the wall as a last resort on occasion.

I swear I am reformed!

Drop Dead Value

$3375.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

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This is highly disturbing and takes away from the old saying 'no use to me dead'.

Seems I am not invaluable after all.

Pigeon Hole Generation: Puritain-Millenium

There is so much talk in popular culture about Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and so on.

These generation generalizations have taken a firm root in our subconscious minds, is this where we tip our hats at marketing masterminds?

Yet there is little to no agreement and consistency as to what constitutes the parameters of these 'types' or what to use as the base of measurement - technology, birth rate, social behaviour - the list is endless.

Depending on whose approach you take I am from Generation Jones, Generation X, Generation MTV, 13th Generation and Generation Y.

Hello identity crisis.

I hadn't even heard of some of them. My favourite is the 13th Generation as it includes "devil-child films" as one of its parameters.

Given I am not a self-absorbed Baby Boomer; might as well stick to the stereotyping; I thought it was interesting to see some of the labels that generations past have been labeled with.

The good:
- Glorious Generation, 1648–1673
- Gilded Generation, 1822-1842
- Enlightenment Generation, 1674–1700
- Jazz Age (no dates)
- Greatest Generation, 1911-1924
- Beat Generation, 1950s-1960s

The Bad:
- Puritan Generation, 1588–1617
- Silent Generation, 1925-1942
- Missionary Generation, 1860-1882
- Lost Generation, 1883–1900

No matter when you were born there is at least one generation stereotype at your disposal.

By comparison astrological signs seem reliable and accurate. Maybe marketing will focus on those next.

source- wikipedia

Dirty Rotten Two-wheel Thieves

Ladri di biciclette (The Bicycle Thieves) is a brilliant Italian neo-realist film from 1948 directed by Vittorio De Sica. It's about a poor man searching the streets for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work.

Tragic and wonderful film and unfortunately all to easy for me to relate to today.

My beautiful bike, that I too use to ride to work, has been STOLEN.

The shameless scoundrels nabbed my two-wheeled beauty from outside of my boyfriend's apartment, even though it was securely chained to the designated bike rack.

Imagine my horror when I happily went down stairs; my swish bike baskets in hand; ready to ride to work only to discover it GONE, GONE, GONE!

I know I am not the first and sadly will not be the last person to face this predicament but I am extra sad because my bike was a beloved gift from dear friends.

Heartless Thieves know this -- your karma will catch up with you for this and I hope it is excruciatingly painful and deforms you in the process!

Biowall - mean, green air-making machine

Contrary to some international perceptions, Canada is not constantly covered in the 'wet, white, cold stuff' - as I call snow - but there is a long stretch of time where natural greenery is literally a little thin on the ground. Therefore since moving to Canada I've gained an unprecedented appreciation for leaves on trees, green grass etc.

Fortunately during the snowy months there is a green reprieve from the white due to a clever-clogs idea called the biowall.

It's a particularly ingenious concept as not only does it provide pleasing-to-the-eye greenery but also assists in purifying the air, as demonstrated in the diagram below.


For more information on the biowall including how it is maintained, the choices of plants, etc. - click here.

Mr. Deity and The Light

This is a little old but I still love it. It's part of a series of Mr. Deity clips. A very nice twist on biblical ideas.

Who knew the 'creator' was such a creative.

A must watch.

Del.icio.us...useful but not edible

I am told that Web 2.0 is the next big thing, even though I don't entirely understand what it is or how to use it. Regardless, I've set up a del.icio.us account to experiment.

All I can say thus far, from my limited use, is that it's handy and could be good, we'll see how it goes.

If you feeling like tagging my site on del.icio.us, I would be bashfully ecstatic.

What is del.icio.us?

del.icio.us is a collection of favorites - yours and everyone else's.

del.icio.us is a social bookmarking website -- the primary use of del.icio.us is to store your bookmarks online, which allows you to access the same bookmarks from any computer and add bookmarks from anywhere, too. On del.icio.us, you can use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks, which is a much more flexible system than folders.

You can also use del.icio.us to see the interesting links that your friends and other people bookmark, and share links with them in return. You can even browse and search del.icio.us to discover the cool and useful bookmarks that everyone else has saved -- which is made easy with tags.

All you need is a browser and an internet connection.

del.icio.us is an open-ended system, so you decide how you want to use it.

Welcome Back Potter

This isn't hilarious but if you watched 'Welcome Back Kotter' as a kid and like the 'Harry Potter' books, it might make you giggle a little.

I promise there won't be any more John Travolta referencing posts.

Hairspray...not so toxic afterall

I have inherited a hatred of musicals from my mother and as a general rule the mere thought of them puts my teeth on edge.

However a lovely friend secured some free tickets to see Hairspray, so off we went last night.

The odds were further stacked against my liking this film when upon arriving at the the cinema everyone was unceremoniously forced to surrender their cell phones due to some ridiculous paranoia about photos. It was excessive and inconvenient, made worse when a moron inside the cinema asked everyone to turn their cell phones off to which everyone called back "You took all of our cell phones!". Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Then we ended up sitting in the second row of seats or sore-neck/blind alley.

Things were not looking good for this film.

Yet, I have to say that despite everything I actually enjoyed it. The film was colorful, energetic, fun and slick.

The entire cast did a great job but John Travolta, as Edna Turnblad, stole the show. I know nothing about the tradition of men playing this female role but John Travolta was fantastic and you could tell he was having a ball.

My favourite scene was John Travolta and screen husband Christopher Walken dancing in the back yard.

The moral message of the film was obvious and I liked the emphasis on not just embracing who you are but that you have to fight and stand up for yourself to make things right despite the risks. Not a new narrative arc by any means but one that never hurts to have reinforced.

I haven't changed my overall dislike of the musical genre but I will say that this musical struck the right chord with me.

Loving the Little People in the Land of the Giants

Little People - a tiny street art project: little handpainted people, left in London to fend for themselves..

I can't even describe how much I like this idea, it's fantastic and you must check out. the others.

Miniature plastic figurines are placed in narrative positions out and about in London, blink and you'll miss them as they really are tiny.

It's clever, simple, highly amusing and just excellent all round...

I'd much prefer these to a diamond-encrusted skull any day.

Stitch in Time Picnic Blanket

This is an excellent picnic blanket by French-Australian team Mobilet.

An example of clever, simple and utterly chic design in action.

The Sydney picnic blanket features a map of Sydney's coastline appliquéd onto a traditional red and white gingham backing. The blankets are to be customised by their owners and come with a needle and thread; favourite picnic destinations are marked with cross stitches and labels. The blanket is slowly overlaid with places and memories and can be passed onto future generations of picnickers.

Apart from picnic memory generation the blanket has a multitude of fabulous potential uses:
- if you get lost you can use the map to work out where you
- if you get lost and the map is no help you still have a blanket
- you could bury treasure and mark 'X' for the spot to return to

The possibilities are endless! Fabulous magic blanket, even if it is of Sydney..

Strike of Geeky Genius

Whenever a friend and I catch up it is almost guaranteed that some kind of meteorological activity will follow. It's got to the point where we joke that our combined energy summons storms.

At all other times if I want to indulge my geeky side and predict where and when lightening will strike I could use the StrikeAlert device

The StrikeAlert device detects electromagnetic pulses that indicate the proximity of cloud-to-ground lightning (cloud to cloud usually doesn't register). It will tell you whether the most recent strike is within 20-40 miles, 12-24 miles, 6-12 miles or within 6 miles.

The promotional material focuses the device's safety benefits.

I would probably use it to pretend I am all Thor-like and can command thunder at will but then I would have to get an outfit with a cape to look the part.

Addictive Reading

They say we all have our vices, unfortunately mine is smoking. I know it's terrible for my health, astronomically expensive and just plain ridiculous. Yet for the moment it's a habit I can't seem to kick.

Time Magazine has an interesting article by Michael D. Lemonick on clinical studies that are trying to uncover the physiological causes of and possible cures for addition be it smoking, drugs, coffee, shopping or sexual compulsion.

My favourite; slightly more frivolous; quote from the mostly science focused article is:
Addiction is such a harmful behavior, in fact, that evolution should have long ago weeded it out of the population: if it's hard to drive safely under the influence, imagine trying to run from a saber-toothed tiger or catch a squirrel for lunch.

To read the article click here.

Pirates of the Canadian - not so swash-buckling

Looks like the pirates will be staying in the Caribbean and the box office after all.

Over the past year, Canadians have faced a barrage of claims painting Canada as a "piracy haven." This video - the second in Michael Geist's collaboration with Daniel Albahary - moves beyond the headlines to demonstrate how the claims do not tell the whole story.

speed spell

Nerd Test - Make a Word says it all.

I am vaguely obsessed with this and determined to improve beyond 'avid reader'.

I console/delude myself by reasoning that such exercises are good for keeping my brain nimble.

Seven New Wonders...

After lots of hype and global voting the new seven wonders of the world were announced last Friday in Lisbon. They are:
- The Great Wall, China.
- Petra, Jordan.
- Christ Redeemer, Brazil
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Taj Mahal, India
- Roman Colosseum, Italy
-Chichén Itzá, Mexico

I voted some time last year, so I can't remember exactly what my choices were but they did include many of those listed above.
Link to the site: New Seven Wonders.

Of the original seven wonders only the Pyramids in Egypt still stand today. The original wonders were based on guide-books popular among Hellenic sight-seers and only included works located around the Mediterranean rim.

Fringe-ing.. unjuried, unexpected, unforgettable.

Summer in Toronto is definitely the best time to be here, not only for the weather but for the abundance of interesting things to do and see.

The Fringe Festival is a favourite of these options.

Though not as expansive as Melbourne's Fringe incarnation; as it is restricted to theatre; there are some great things to see especially if you take the view that the bad can be good and the good can be bad.

We kicked off our 'fringe-ing' yesterday by seeing 'Kafka and Son' at the Tarragon Theatre.

A one man show with few props apart from some black feathers and metal structures. It is based on a letter that Kafka wrote but never sent to his overbearing father.

If you are a fan of Kafka, like a study on family relationships and power struggles this is definitely the play for you.

The actor, Alon Nashman, is fantastic and brilliantly moves between characterising Kafka and his father as if it were two separate actors having a dialogue.

Loved it!

Summerlicious.. yum!

Summerlicious has once again started in Toronto offering prix fixe menus at 130 of Toronto's finest restaurants.

First up this year was Truffles at the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville.

The decor is a throw back to 1980s 'Tuscan' themes, so much so I was a little shocked that there wasn't a trompe l'oeil dominating a wall. The service was fine but not spectacular.

The food on the other hand was sublime.

I had the summer melon salad with a perfectly balanced mixture of watermelon, rock melon, baby arugula and fetta cheese in a honey truffle and balsamic dressing.. yum, yum, yum.

For main I had the pepper papperdelle with artichokesl, which was perfectly cooked and again a stunning balance of flavours.

For dessert it was grilled peaches breton. I don't particularly like dessert, but if it hadn't been terribly rude would have licked my plate.

Gastronomic delight!

Playing for keeps on the archaelogical battle ground

According to Archaeology.com the U.S Military has issued 40,000 decks of cards to troops featuring archaelogical sites. The cards are part of a larger archaeology awareness program for soldiers.

According to Fort Drum archaeologist Laurie Rush, there purpose is twofold: to prevent unnecessary damage to ancient sites and to stem the illegal trade of artifacts in Iraq.

Each suite has a theme:
- diamonds for artifacts,
- spades for digs,
- hearts for "winning hearts and minds," and
- clubs for heritage preservation.

Educational playing cards is not a new tactic, we all know the infamous 'Most Wanted' deck from a few years ago and as far back as WW2 soldiers were issued with cards featuring the silhouettes of planes.

Hopefully these cards will assist in perserving archaeological treasures and will give an enhanced and positive new spin to the the term 'playing for keeps'.

Gift of the Gab Knows No Sex

A new scientific paper has shown that despite western stereotypes that men and women are equally talkative.

According to University of Arizona psychologist Matthias Mehl, the paper’s lead author, the study proves there is no proof to the chatterbox female reputation.

“There is no difference in how much men and women talk,” said Mehl.

The differences (if any) between what men and women talk about was not explored. This is perhaps a good thing.

Mac Attack.. please come back!

It can't be a complete conincidence, rather I refuse to acknowledge that it is a complete coincidence.

Within the same week that the iPhone was released my Mac G5 has; as we say in Australia; had a 'spaz-attack'. Out of nowhere it refuses to turn-on no matter what I do.

I have some theories:
- the geeks who have been pulling apart the iPhones somehow cosmically messed with my Mac, as a result of their over-enthusiasm.
- we all talk about wanting to throw our computers out of the window when we are frustrated, so perhaps someone decided to act on this using my Mac and then out of guilt returned it.
- my Mac itself has had a temper tantrum. After enduring my betrayals of buying an iPod and a iBook the release of the iPhone has sent it over the edge in feeling under appreciated. I have already whispered sweet nothings assuring it that I have no intention of buying an iPhone anytime soon, it didn't budge.
- the old iMac we still have; that we've been discussing within its vicinity finally getting rid of; has decided to revolt to save its own existence by sabotaging the upstart that it was replaced by. I have spoken sternly to the iMac that its days of reign are over. Alas, no progress.

Of course the fact that my Mac is loaded to the gills with programs and that I have a tendency to run them similtaneously has absolutley nothing to do with it.

Mac please come back! I want to see your happy little icon face again...

Weird World - clothes 'horse' squirrel

Sugar Bush Squirrel has 2,000 outfits with matching hats and accessories.

Next thing we know the furry creature will refuse to get out of its tree for less than 10,000 acorns a day.

The world is WEIRD, but I must admit that the winter outfit is quite fetching.

Sex Sells, Snacks included!

In Winnipeg, Porn + Pizza = Porno Pizza.

Not much else to say really, except that it has been open for a week, not surprisingly is doing very well and perhaps slightly surprisingly they report that approximately 70% of their clients have been women.

Couldn't resist a tacky comment, here goes... "that arouses a whole new interest in pizza with the lot" (laugh uncontrollably here).

Yotel: long-haul travellers delight!

Most people who endure long-haul travel have lamented the profound discomfort of airport lounges and have dreamt of comfortable nooks to sleep in for short periods of times between flights. Even if no one else has, I've been carrying on about it for years. I may have even jumped up-and-down in a jet-lagged weakened state after 24 hours of flying.

Yotel has finally heard my exhausted pleas.

Yotel cabins will be bookable in blocks of four hours to allow "delayed and transfer passengers to relax privately in a hotel environment."

Hallelujah!

iPhone- landed

We all know the iPhone has landed; already sold-out in most stores across America; exceeded projected sales; and geeks everywhere are pulling them a part to see how they work.

Here is my homage, not so much to the iPhone but to Lego.

I still love Lego!... sweeeet!

Pretty-ing up the news outside the box

NOW Magazine is a free weekly newspaper that provides Torontonians with news about entertainments options etc.

They issued a challenge to local artists to come up with a new design for the NOW street boxes.

There are 10 finalists, the prize is $1000 and the winner selection will be chosen by on-line votes.

To see of the entries and to cast you vote, click here.

Gone bananas - turkish style

My Turkish friends put me onto this guy. I haven't laughed so hard for ages, the song is firmly stuck in my head.

'Singer' Ajdar; Turkey's answer to William Hung; failed in his attempt to compete on Top Star (Turkey's version of American Idol). Undetered he wrote and produced this rather unique song and film clip. He has been a humorous sensation in Turkey since.

My friends translate the song as having three basic phrases..

I am like syrup, I am like bananas, I am like raddishes..

Raddishes they tell me represent strength and good health. In case you miss it he also dances with raddishes and bananas.

This is a classic and a must see that proves that if you believe in yourself; no matter how deluded you are; with a bit of sheer determination anything is possible.