Murmurs of Desire

Out of the House!

2012-02-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we awoke to a blanket of snow that made everything look really pretty. However, by the time we made our way to the market the temperature rose and the snow began turning to slush. Because it was my first day outside after a week of self-imposed exile we took it slow gathering everything at the market. Mr.D and Mr.Z called and Mr.T and I made our way across town to the hobby store to check out the price on pre-bedded train track and a steam engine. It was nice to check out the store in more detail and although everything was much more expensive than I expected it is always good to have an idea of the costs involved. Mr.D and Mr.Z picked us up and we drove off in search of some big box stores for assorted household items. Because of the weather it seemed everyone else in the city had the same idea and I found myself becoming more tired as the day progressed. We decided to take Mr.D and Mr.Z to ShangriLa for dinner so they could check out their delicious Tibetan food. We arrived for an early dinner and were delighted with the service of our young waiter. We ordered some the dishes we had had before and tried a few new ones (which were not as good) and were delighted that Mr.D and Mr.Z enjoyed the meal as much as we did.

Momento Mori

2012-02-18T05:11:00.002-05:00

Via Wunderkammer

Feast Day of St. Alexander of McQueen

2012-02-17T04:49:00.001-05:00

Funny

2012-02-17T04:16:00.000-05:00

Through the Looking Glass

2012-02-17T03:59:00.000-05:00

We live in an Alice in Wonderland world where those on the right use the language of the left to justify their ideals and beliefs. In Washington where politicians who are totally out of sink with the rest of the world are seeking to block a bill that would disallow them from benefiting financially from insider trading. Something that is already illegal to anyone outside of the bubble that is Washington. At the same time they invoke freedom of religion and separation of church and state to protect attacks on those this disagree with.

Via Bits of Memory

From the Summer of '76

2012-02-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

On My Nightstand

2012-02-15T17:22:00.000-05:00

Through a haze of sickness I have been slowly wading through Sheldon M. Garon's, Beyond Our Means: Why America spends while the world saves (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012). Tracing the modern history of thrift and savings in great detail, sometimes too much detail, Garon tries to explain why Americans spend more and save less than all other developed nations. Because it is a comparative transnational study there is a lot of attention to the historical developments in other countries and how different policies led to different cultures of thrift and spending.

David Teems, Majestie: the King behind the King James Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010)

Modris Eksteins, Solar dance: genius, forgery, and the crisis of truth in the modern age (Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2012)

Dana Priest, Top Secret America: the rise of the new American security state (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2011)

Funny

2012-02-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

Via Neatorama

Disturbing Valentine's

2012-02-15T06:43:00.000-05:00

Via Disturbing Images

Love It!

2012-02-15T06:31:00.000-05:00

Post-Valentine Bliss?

Roadsworth's Dead Hearts

Happy V-Day!

2012-02-14T06:02:00.000-05:00

Feast Day of St. Arbus

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Thought for the Day

2012-02-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

Via Pink Wallpaper

As I sit trapped in the house nursing a hacking cough that racks my body I can dream of the zen of a road trip. There is something so relaxing, taking to the road and just driving that gives you a sense of freedom. Sadly, these coughs seem to be occurring more frequently this year and it is hard not think that maybe it is related to our environment. Mr.T and I have tried to tackle everything that could possibly be causing it and I plan to ask my doctor to run some allergy tests to see if I have developed some bizarre sensitivities to anything in the house. What is difficult is discovering what could be the culprit. But as Holmes always said eliminate the possible and you are left with the probable.

Aargh!

2012-02-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

After weeks of un-winter-like winter we finally got some snow that has stayed on the ground. Ironically at the same time I developed another one of those coughs that just won't go away. It is a tickle in the back of my throat that keeps moving up and down making it difficult to sleep and relax. It doesn't feel like a cold or a flu, possibly allergies, so Mr.T and I cleaned the house yesterday to see if that would make it any better. Being trapped inside has meant that Mr.T has had to do all our weekend shopping, while I have stayed inside watching endless hours of mindless television and playing with my new cellphone.

It Takes two to tango

2012-02-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

Bits of Memory intelligently tackles the thorny issue of HIV, disclosure and criminalization. As he argues what is missed in so many of the discussions is not only the responsibility of those with HIV, but the missing responsibility of their partners. In order for sex to occur it does take at least two to tango and legal discussions forget that those engaging in intimacy need to be responsible for themselves and what they do with others.

AIDS is not a crime!

This week, The Canadian Supreme Court heard an appeal involving a people living with the human immunodeficiency virus, who recently were acquitted by provincial appeal courts of aggravated assault and sexual assault charges for not disclosing their HIV status. The convictions hinged on their failure to inform his sexual partners that they have HIV.

In the first case, Mabior was convicted in 2008 of aggravated assault for having sex with six women without disclosing his status, but two years later he was acquitted on appeal. The Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled if an HIV-positive person wears a condom or has a low viral load and, therefore, a low risk of transmitting the virus, having sex does not pose a risk of serious bodily harm.

In the second case, a Quebec woman did not disclose her HIV-positive status to her former spouse. In neither case did the “victim” contract AIDS. In 1997, Florida legislators made it a felony for an HIV-infected person to have “sexual intercourse” without informing the partner of their infected status, adding the virus to a list of established STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.

But Florida statutes specifically define sexual intercourse only as vaginal sex between a man and a woman meaning — “the penetration of the female sex organ by the male sex organ.” Therefor gays and lesbians cannot be charged. The question before the courts and legislatures needs to be decided on legal and not moral grounds.

For the vast majority of people living with HIV, preventing others from becoming infected with the virus is a primary concern. HIV positive individuals are aware of just how difficult it is to live with the illness. Not all HIV positive people take the precautions that they perhaps should. Some people, angry at their plight or just plain crazy, “deliberately or recklessly transmit the virus” to others. Some of the individuals concerned have even been criminally charged for their actions. To some it might seem obvious to prosecute someone for recklessly or intentionally infecting another with an ultimately fatal virus. I personally oppose this position for several reasons.

As I have stated earlier, I have been infected with the HIV virus since December 1980. I personal feel it is my duty to tell people up front about it before there is any intimate contact that could cause exposure. I do not however think that it relives the other person from being responsible for his or her own protection. Unless a person has been home schooled or worse, they should know that every person is a possible carrier of HIV, Herpes or other STD’s. Each person is responsible for his or her own protection. By criminalizing the status of the person with HIV for not telling and not criminalizing the “negative” person for not inquiring, is wrong. It is the same as making the actions of a drug dealer criminal but not the actions of the person buying drugs. It also becomes a dis-incentive to getting testing and treatment. More important it is impossible to defend against.

Let’s start by using the case of the woman accused of not telling her ex-husband. What was to stop him for saying he was not told simply as a way of getting back at her for cheating or other perceived malfeasance during the marriage. It becomes a he said she said. If it is a case of a trick in the bar, or an ex boyfriend, this becomes a matter of ones word against another. We all know hell has no fury like a scorned queen!

Second if the “victim’ is exposed, it needs to be proven that the accused was definitely the source of the accuser’s HIV. This would involve a range of evidence including sexual history, testing history and scientific evidence in the form of phylogenetics. This compares the DNA of the virus. If they are completely different then it means that the accusers almost certainly did not acquire HIV from the accused. If the strains are very similar, however, it is possible, though not conclusive, that the accused infected the accusers. Phylogenetics cannot reliably estimate the direction of transmission and therefore it is possible that the accusers infected the accused. Furthermore, the same third party, or different third parties who shared similar strains of HIV could have infected both.

Then there is the issue of informed consent. Can you really have informed consent after 4,6,8 drinks on a Saturday night? Being under the influence is a legal justification for getting out of contracts. Do people need to start carrying informed consent contracts to the bars at night in case they get laid? The most bizarre aspect of the entire thing is that if an HIV person is raped and does not inform the rapist that they are positive, the rape victim is then guilty of a felony. This is a very real scenario in our prison system.

These laws doesn’t necessarily provide the public with any additional protection, and it may in fact provide the public with a false sense of security because people may have unprotected sex, presuming their partner must be HIV negative because a criminal offense has been created. Do not confuse moral with legal when it comes to obligations and we should not criminalize status.

Says it All

2012-02-10T17:17:00.002-05:00

A Cellphone, at last!

2012-02-08T16:17:00.000-05:00

So yesterday the new cellphone, an iPhone arrived via UPS. Because I had an evening at the opera planned I didn't get much of a chance to familiarize myself with it. So today after an appointment at the dentist to see about a root canal in one of my teeth I began slowly to learn how it works. Although it is not that different from my iPod there will be a learning curve trying to figure out how the minutes, data and everything else works. I will also have to learn to accept being available all hours of the day. In the past when I went out on my own, I was on my own, unable to be reached (or to contact others). Now with the phone everyone will know I am there for the calling.

La Bella Luna

2012-02-08T07:06:00.000-05:00

Description de l'Universe

View of the Moon, 1719

Alain Manesson Mallet

Via Scientific Illustration

An Evening of Song

2012-02-08T07:02:00.000-05:00

Last night I met Mr.Z for a quick dinner at Sushi Queen on Queen Street West before heading over to the Four Seasons for our visit opera of the new year. It was Puccini's Tosca and before it began the audience was informed that Adrianne Pieczonka had a knee injury that would limit her mobility but that she would sing still be singing. A round of applause arose from the audience for her diligence in affirming that the show must go on. The opera began with a louder than usual orchestra, so loud at times it seemed to drown out some of the singers. The orchestra leader was primed that night to squeeze every emotion out of the piece, drawing out parts of it, slowing it down and at times trying to hard to work the score. Thankfully the singers made up for this in sheer power and beauty of their voices.

Both Mr.Z and I had seen the sets and styling before. It is split into three acts, with act one in a church that is defined by a statue of the Virgin flanked by a row of flickering candles and Cavaradossi's painting on the other side of the knave. These wings disappear at the end of act one allowing the procession of the virgin to take over the whole stage. It is dramatic and breathtaking, although I would love to see a larger censor with a cloud of incense being swung back and forth. There is something so dramatic about these in a Catholic mass.

Act Two opened in Scarpia's office lit by candles and three large period windows draped in white fabric. The design again was traditional in style and could have been more interesting with a dramatic use of lighting especially during the arias. Tosca appeared in a beautiful white gown trimmed with a red train that was used only as a piece of clothing and not as a symbol of the difference between them. The hall was hushed during Pieczonka's aria Vissa d'arte with the audience rightly soaking up every note.

Act Three opened on the Castel Sant Angelo with three guards walking along prison scaffolding above Cavaradossi imprisoned below. The set and lighting were again traditional and pedestrian in nature. There could have been so much more achieved with a little more drama and focus especially during Cavaradossi's aria E lucevan le stelle, which was beautiful. The opera ended with Tosca climbing the steps to the rim of the Castel as she perched to jump and then the stage went black. It was a beautiful performance but it needs a little updating. I know that Tosca is one of those operas that helps bring in those unfamiliar with the medium and that audiences like the traditional styling and staging but it would be interesting to see what other directors could do with this piece. Of course, I would love to see a Carsen version, parring it down to the bones of the narrative, emotions and voices. But as always it was a pleasure to see a COC production that was enjoyed by all present.

I think I can...

2012-02-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I discovered an old train set in a box under the stairs. The set was given to me when I was a child and it was a pleasant surprise to find it after so many years, like most of us I forgot it was there. The redesign of the furnace room gave me the perfect spot for it and I decided to dust it off and see if I could get it to work. I created a small closed loop, thinking one needed this to make it work (you don't), hooked up the transformer and put the engine on the track and was disappointed when it didn't move. So after a little online research I discovered there was a train/hobby store along the subway on the Danforth, John's Hobbies. Explaining my situation to the store owner, he tested my transformer (it was working) and the engine (it was shorting sending off sparks). He was helpful and considerate in his manner, which of course must come from working in a store full of expensive and fun toys. He suggested it would be expensive to open it up and wasn't sure it could be fixed. He also explained he had too much work for too few technicians and so I decided instead to buy a new engine to see if that would solve the problem. Getting it home, I checked all the connections, dusted off the tracks with a special track cleaner and tried the engine and was thrilled when it worked. With a little effort I now have the little train that could.

Beautiful

2012-02-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

Anna-Wili Highfield

“Owl in Flight”

Ink, Water Colour, Cotton Paper, Thread, Brass Rod, Timber Block

70 cm x 1 m x 45 cm, 2009

Films, Friends & Food

2012-02-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mr.D and Mr.Z called to invite us out to a movie. We made our way down to AMC to check the early morning showing of Daniel Radcliffe's new film The Woman in Black. We all came out of the movie commenting on the beauty of the location, sets, and designs but found ourselves scratching our heads about the film itself. Steeped in all the trappings of the gothic tradition it played with styling and technique that has been out of step and date for decades. There were lots of jumpy moments that used too often became campy rather than spooky. At the beginning I noticed that Hammer was one of the producers and wondered if this was their return to the type of horror films that made their studio in the 1960s?

Leaving the film we went on a hunt for some pillows for Mr.D and Mr.Z's new couch and found some nicely discounted ones at Sears. We then made our way back home for a quiet afternoon chatting over tea and bagels. We had planned dinner that evening with Mr.J and Ms.R who were now living in a sublet in the west end so we bade Mr.D and Mr.Z goodbye making our way to Roncevalles and Queen. After bundling up baby B we all made our way down to Queen Street in search of some food. Walking along we discovered a little Tibetan place called Shangrila. The place was long and narrow and flanked by mirrors on either side of the walls. It had a dark atmosphere that recalled other Tibetan places I have been, with some funky flourescent fixtures that seemed to buzzing and flickering continually while we were there. The table cloth and menus were more than a little worn making us wonder about the quality of the food. We ordered a couple of different mains (I had a spicy fish, while Mr.T, Mr.J and Ms.R had some spicy beef), some steamed bread and a selection of tibetan dumplings called momos (pan-fried vegetarian and steam beef). Everything was delicious, infused with flavour and spice. It was a pleasant surprise. The more we ate the better the food became and the atmosphere more friendly and inviting. When the bill arrived we were delighted to discover we had eaten so well for an inexpensive price. Shangrila will be added to our list of regular restaurants.

Memento Mori

2012-02-05T05:51:00.002-05:00

Via Wunderkammer

A Quiet Saturday

2012-02-04T18:19:00.000-05:00

Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

It has been a quiet day. Because it was unseasonably warm Mr.T and I decided to head over to St. Lawrence Market for some of our favourite maple syrup after our Saturday morning trip to Kensington Market. On the way there Mr.T had to go into work to attend work related issues and I made my way down to the market on my own. After picking up our maple syrup I made my way home settling into an afternoon of internet browsing and watching films. This morning I discovered a copy of the Star Wars Uncut, a re-edited version of Star Wars scene by scene made by fans all over the world. It is a fascinating project where people were given 15 second segments to remake scene by scene however they saw fit. The project edited by Aaron Valdez and Bryan Pugh features a great deal of humour and creativity and is entertaining. After Mr.T arrived home we decided to head to Fresh for dinner. Every once and awhile I begin craving their take on fast food, especially their quinoa battered onion rings, which are delicious. I had the mushroom onion burger (which was delicious) while Mr.T had their deluxe burger. While the food is always good the jazzy young, loud atmosphere can be trying. I joked with Mr.T it would be nice to have a quieter section for those not wishing to be bombarded by the energy and music.

Jumpin' In

2012-02-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Last week Roger's sent out a letter letting their customers know about increases to their services. All the services were affected and because my phone bill keeps climbing and the price of a land line and a cell phone come closer, I began thinking about giving in and finally getting a cell phone. I have been a holdout for sometime always thinking, "why, do I need one?" Everyone I know has one, and most have only a cell phone with no landline making me one of the last left without a cell phone. There are of course benefits to both. Landlines are not subject to a host of unseen charges. You can talk as long as you like and their are no restrictions on time use. But they leave me at the whim of a world where it is increasingly difficult to find a telephone on the street, that works, or never having the correct change in your pocket. And let's face it the way we interact has changed with cell phones. People use them everywhere for everything making them seemingly a part of social interaction, not always for the best. In the end after measuring the pros and cons and the complicated nature of the plans I decided to finally take the plunge and order one. The world we live in is all about change and becoming comfortable with how quickly things change and cell phones and cell phone plans are part of that wave of change. So I decided to jump in and go with the flow. Lemmings here I come.

Then & Now

2012-02-04T06:55:00.001-05:00

With developments in photo technology there have been lots of Then and Now series pitting the past against the present, but this one is a little more interesting. In these photos photographer Bobby Lee Adams places childhood portraits against the same people as adults. Via Neatorama

On My Nightstand

2012-02-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

I have been immersed in Alison Weir's The Life of Elizabeth (New York: Ballantine, 1998) an in-depth biography of Elizabeth I. There is something about this period that I find strangely comforting allowing me to return again and again. Reading the biography helps me flesh out the details of all the different portrayls I have seen over the years of the diverse characters who were part of her world. Written as a chronological narrative in the style of traditional biographies the book uses diaries, letters and political documents to explain the lives and motivations of all the individuals discussed. Weir is a strong researcher and writer and her familiarity with the period combined with a casual style makes the narrative enjoyable. Each night I look forward to returning to the world she describes and brings alive.

Lying in Wait:
A.N. Wilson, The Elizabetheans (London: Hutchinson, 2011)
Kenneth Gross, Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2011)

Pretty as a Dodo?

2012-02-03T15:31:00.000-05:00

Roelandt Savery

Via Scientific Illustration

Thoughts for the Day

2012-02-01T14:42:00.002-05:00

Via Red Hot

Aargh!

2012-02-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

I spent most of yesterday morning fighting with the electricity in the house. I had decided it would be nice to replace the light switch to the basement bathroom with one of those motion-detector-type switches. We have one in the laundry room that works really well. When ever anyone begins walking down the stairs the light comes on long enough to do what you need and then shuts itself off. It is a really great device for not only saving electricity but also for shear ease of use. Once you have one you wonder why you never had it before. So I thought it would be a simple of process of popping out the old regular switch, taking out the box and then moving it to the other side of the wall so it would be inside the bathroom. What I didn't expect was that the person who had installed the switch originally nailed the box onto the stud with two nails across the back of the box. It meant not only that I could not remove the box from the wall but made it difficult to access the wires and extricate everything from the box. After much huffing and puffing in the dark with fuse shut off I was able to pull the wires through to the other side. I had to hit the local hardware store for a new box and the motion detector and everything was going along fine until I discovered the box on the back of these motion detector units is too big for a standard electrical box. I was able to get everything hooked up and working, but it was a reminder how things are never as simple as you expect.

Memento Mori

2012-02-01T10:59:00.001-05:00

A reminder of the beauty that lies inside

Via Scientific Illustration

Olivier de Sagazan

from “Transfiguration” performance, 2009

Via Shredded Skin

Ingenuity

2012-01-31T17:56:00.000-05:00

I am always amazed at the ingenuity of man. This "pocket house" was created by a designer who focuses on minimalistic designs with a small environmental footprint. It is a lightweight balloon that can be carried around and that inflates itself with either body heat or solar Martin Azura. This his is a 'house' that fits in your pocket, created by Barcelona designer Martin Azura, whose work focuses on minimalistic and environmentally friendly constructions. It's basically an incredibly lightweight balloon inflates itself with body or solar heat creating an instant shelter.

Feast Day of St. Jarman

2012-01-31T07:27:00.000-05:00

Graphical Loveliness

2012-01-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

These fancy graphical fonts for the pantry are the work Mrs. Limestone over at Brooklyn Limestone. Harkening back to the fonts of yesteryear they have a fun, retro-feel.

Truth in Advertising?

2012-01-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

What films nominated for Oscars actually should look like.

Via Shiznit

The Well Dressed and Well Designed

2012-01-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mr.T and I called Mr.D and Mr.Z to see if they wanted to head down to the Interior Design Show (IDS12) to check out everything new and snazzy in design. The exhibition was held on the second floor of the Toronto Convention Centre and seemed a smaller venue than in previous years. It is always interesting to see not only new interesting products but also what are the current trends in design. Colours are moving towards a bolder palette, with a surprising amount of mid-century hues and tones (especially that 60s orange). There are still lots of the clean, slick condo-inspired mid-century modern styles competing with the more rustic, reclaimed look made popular by stores like Restoration Hardware. What surprised me was the amount of floor space devoted to fireplaces and all things related to fire. There were lots of booths devoted to variations on fireplaces and fire themes. What I found most interesting, beyond the well-turned out crowd who were all over primped and designed themselves, was that a couple of the booths were containers from container ships that had been designed and built to act as self-contained display booths. It really was an ingenious idea, having a box that could be opened in any number of configurations and ways to display your products and then be closed for shipping to the next trade show. Something I am sure we will see more of in shows to come.

After the show Mr.D and Mr.Z headed across town to purchase their new couch and Mr.T and I decided to walk home making our way through the underground PATH. Making our way home we decided to stop in at a local Ethiopian place, Sheba for their veggie platter. We had been once before and although the food is not the best Ethiopian to be had, it had the advantage of being on our way home. The place is long and narrow with a small window that looks out on the traffic of College street. This window hosts two ratty, although comfortable chairs for having coffee. The rest of the tables run along both walls leading to a raised floor that hosts the serving counter and a small kitchen. The place is decorated with a small selection of Ethiopian-inspired paintings and curios hanging on the walls. The tables and chairs simple and straight-forward and dressed with table cloths. We opted for the vegetarian platter for two, which consists of a giant injara covered platter with a selection of the vegetarian pulses in small piles. The plate comes with a small basket of more injara for soaking everything up. The food was good although we both found we did not need the double portion. It was a nice way to end a quiet Sunday.

Shopping, Food & Friends

2012-01-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after our Saturday morning foray to Kensington Market for our dry goods Mr.D and Mr.Z called to invite us for an afternoon of furniture shopping. They are still looking for a replacement couch and we made our way out to Scarborough Town Centre to check out some of the stores there. For lunch we stopped at a Roadhouse called Jack Astor's. I had never been before and was surprised to discover they had craft paper and crayons on the table allowing patrons to draw while waiting for their food. It was a fun touch allowing us a little of fun. The food wasn't what one finds in roadhouses and over priced for what arrived, but everyone was having fun in the place and seemed to enjoy the themed atmosphere.

Afterwards we made our way along Kennedy Avenue checking out a few more furniture stores with Mr.D discovering a couch that fit both style, price and size in a Sears furniture store. It had simple, clean lines and we were all surprised to discover it concealed a daybed. While shopping Mr.T and I finally discovered a replacement stud finder/laser level at a Rona.

When we finished shopping we all made our way back to Mr.D and Mr.Z's to relax with some campy gay films. As we had a late lunch the need for dinner took awhile to creep up on us and when it did we were all feeling like giant slugs and decided to order in some Chinese-Thai food from a local delivery place. Of course we over ordered as one is prone to due after laying around and had lots of Canadian-styled Chinese food.

Some Yesteryear Pinkness

2012-01-28T10:40:00.001-05:00

Purple Haze

2012-01-27T17:25:00.001-05:00

Purple has been popping up in all things design related.

There has also been a strong influence from all things northern and Scandanavian.
Mixed together with a little grey, and you end up with soft, pretty Northern Lights-like lightness.

Via Style Files

Here Be Dragons

2012-01-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

Ulisse Aldrovandi

Serpentum, et draconum historiae libri duo (1639)

Via Scientific Illustration

Street Art

2012-01-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't brighten your day to find Barbarella saluting you in the morning?

Via Mr.Pinky

From a Distance

2012-01-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

This is a new NASA image of our beautiful big, blue marble from space. In the tradition of RuPaul "Don't Fuck it Up!"

The 99%

2012-01-24T18:03:00.000-05:00

This sculpture designed by artist Do Ho Suh is composed of 180,000 little plastic people who support the glass floor above them. Similar to this cartoon from the turn of the century. A commentary on the politics of our world?

Feast Day of St. Nomi

2012-01-24T08:18:00.001-05:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2012-01-23T07:57:00.002-05:00

Shopping in Suburbia

2012-01-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mr.D and Mr.Z called inviting us out for an afternoon of shopping. They were looking for a new couch for their living room and we headed out to the land of big boxes to scour a giant Leon's for something suitable. The place was unbelievably huge, stretching on forever. But the odd thing was, while there was so much furniture there was little that would actually work in a small house. Most of the furniture was designed for giant suburban McMansions with an eye to the over-sized, over-stuffed and just too big. After walking around the store for awhile Mr.D wanted to go to Costco to stock up on food for the next couple of months. Like the furniture store, Costco was filled with over-sized helpings of everything and being a Saturday afternoon it was packed. We made our way back to their place so they could unpack and store all their goodies and then sat around trying to decide on something for dinner. Mr.Z suggested Greek and we all bundled in the car making our way down to the Danforth for dinner at one of our favourite Greek places The Friendly Greek. We arrived hungry and ordered too many appetizers stuffing ourselves leaving little room for the delicious entrees. We had some hummus, eggplant salad, fried eggplant and zucchini and some black olives. For dinner I ordered their seafood stew, which was delicious, but too large.

So Pretty

2012-01-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

Via Scientific Illustration

Yup!

2012-01-21T07:47:00.002-05:00

Love It

2012-01-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

And you thought Apple-like design only applied to handheld devices. This nifty Nest thermostat is designed not only to look great but also to "learn" to create a better environment for its hosts.

Elizabethean Desire

2012-01-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

Just finished watching BBC's production of Elizabth I: The Virgin Queen. I never tire of period pieces, especially those about the Elizabethean period. There is something about this period, the period to which I devoted my historical research that always fascinates me. The history of the period is so rich, not only in historical events, fashions, styles and decor but in the amazing personalities of those who lived. What most fascinates me is how the personalities and characters are interpreted and understood by different directors and actors. Each interpretation presents pieces of the puzzle and guesses at the motivations and desires of those involved. The newest interpretations have looked back to find the sex-appeal in Tudor and Elizabethean history. And each new interpretation offers new reasons behind historical events. Especially because Elizabethean history is interpreted through the lens of Elizabeth's gender it allows directors and writers to interpret their ideas of Elizabethean beauty, desire, femininity and sexuality.

In this four part mini-series we see Elizabeth (Anne-Marie Duff) at both the beginning and end of her reign. Elizabeth's unique beauty which changes as Elizabeth ages influences Elizabethean concepts of beauty and is reflected in this production in the performance of Duff and the Lady Essex (Sienna Guillory). At times this concept can seem grotesque to the modern eye and some scenes between Lady Essex and her son are played to capitalize on this. I have never before seen Lady Essex played as a shrew-like harpy and part of the driving force behind the folly of Essex and it makes for an interesting although Mom-blaming interpretation. Like other films about the period the narrative is built around the relationships between Elizabeth, Leicester (played by the ever sultry and sexy Tom Hardy), Essex (Hans Matheson) and William Cecil (Ian Hart). This production focuses on the close world between these individuals. There are no broad cinematic vistas of London or the country-side. Everything in this production is about mood and intimacy which is managed through attention to detail in the small frame. The costumes are beautiful but never opulent in a Hollywood manner. The same can be said for the makeup and styling which strives to capture the "feel" of the period rather than glamourizing it and making it larger than it was. There is also a musical score that helps drive the narrative and the mood but which can also be overpowering. Overall the piece works because of the connection between Duff and Hardy.

Tentacally

2012-01-19T15:58:00.000-05:00

Via Scientific Illustration

So Pretty

2012-01-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

Odile Kidd

Via Scientific Illustration

Smart

2012-01-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

This installation piece designed to look like an historical marker is part of a larger piece that was created by artist Norm Magnusson. The markers part of the I-75 project are placed along Interstate 75 which runs through red states. Via Joe.My.God

Toronto Residents' Associations

2012-01-17T17:33:00.001-05:00

David Topping made this map of Toronto's Resident Associations and neighbourhood associations as a resource for this interested in Toronto and its communities. What is exciting is how many there are across the city.

A Bit o' Bling

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sam Devries by Richard Gerst

Digitizing the Past

2012-01-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

While visiting with Mom this year over the holidays I discovered a box of family photographs and decided to bring them back with me to Toronto to scan them to create digital copies. One of the nice things about creating digital copies is tagging them with the place, the people and when they were taken. I use iPhoto for my photo storage and it allows me but because so many of the photos have no information on them I have been scanning a few each day, sending them to Mom for her best guess for time, place and event. More often than not she has been able to date the photographs by the clothing and fashions more than anything else. While it can be frustrating trying to relate photographs to others it is rewarding creating a digital copy than can then be shared.

On My Nightstand

2012-01-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

Just finished Anatole Lieven's extraordinary book on Pakistan, Pakistan: A Hard Country (London: Allen Lane, 2011). Lieven who has lived and reported on Pakistan for years offers an unique look at a country that is often misunderstood and frequently misrepresented in Western media. For anyone wanting to understand Pakistan as a country and the often strange politics that emerge and drive it, it is a definite must-read.

I just picked up Peter L. Bergen's The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al Qaeda (New York: Free Press, 2011), which has proved interesting.

Sadly, the other books on my nightstand have not proved as exciting. I have been trying to force myself to read Alan Hollinghurst's The Stranger's Child, but as always with fiction I find it slow going. Oddly, it reminds me a great deal in style and subject of one of my favourite books, Brideshead Revisited.

Shoppin', Buildin' & Eatin'

2012-01-16T17:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mr.D and Mr.Z called to invite us out to go somewhere warm. We made our way across town to the Junction to pick up some lumber for the workbench I have been rebuilding in the furnace room. Everyone else had things they were looking for also as we ran from store to store. Of course we hit the vegan bakery Bunner's for some of their delicious "butter" tarts and a curry-pocket that was delicious.
After exploring all the design shops in the Junction we headed downtown to drop off the lumber and to check out Tap Phong for some plain plates for Mr.D and Mr.Z. Sadly, they didn't find what they were searching for and headed home while Mr.T and I ducked into Greens Vegetarian for some yummy Chinese soup and dumplings, the perfect dinner on a cold January night.

Originally my plan was to make a couple of bench-like struts out of 2x4's and then connect them together with a couple of 2x4x6's. This would then be topped with a flat surface for a solid bench. Like the drawing above from these online plans.

When I began putting the bench together instead of using the 2x4x6's as cross supports I decided to use them instead for the top, in the process giving the bench more support. But it means I need another 5 2x4x6's to complete the top.

Food & Flags

2012-01-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

These funky flags made of food representing the country of the flag were designed by the advertisement agency WHYBIN for the Sydney International Food Festival.

Italy, of course!

Basil, pasta and tomatoes

Australia, a meat pie.

See more here.

Those who have and those who don't

2012-01-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

With all the focus last year on the occupy movements and the disparity of wealth in North America there was little discussion about the disparity of wealth between the western world and the rest of the planet. This neat little info graphic shows how the 1% of the world's wealth is distributed. From Economist Branko Milanovic:

The true global middle class, falls far short of owning a home, having a car in a driveway, saving for retirement and sending their kids to college. In fact, people at the world's true middle -- as defined by median income -- live on just $1,225 a year. (And, yes, Milanovic's numbers are adjusted to account for different costs of living across the globe.)

Via Neatorama

Charting the fat of the land

2012-01-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

These charts show graphically how quickly obesity has spread across the United States in a limited time.

Via Neatorama

One Big Circle

2012-01-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

So Pretty

2012-01-15T09:07:00.001-05:00

Can't Wait

2012-01-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

From the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this Samsung smart window is a glass window with a full-pane electronic touchscreen display that can post anything. It acts like a personal computer or a giant iPad while being part of a wall, imagine the possibilities. Virtual paintings, colours for walls, interactive displays, windows for walls without...it becomes as endless as your imagination. With each step we get closer to that Star Trek world today. What is most fascinating is how each incremental development changes how we use and interact with the digital world we are creating.

Feast Day of St. Mishima and St. Cecil of Beaton

2012-01-14T06:13:00.001-05:00

Yeah, Finally Here

2012-01-13T16:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had to leave my Thursday afternoon volunteer gig early to wait for the delivery of our new washer and dryer. We ordered them way back on Boxing Day from Canadian Appliances in one of those Boxing Day Sales and had to wait a couple of weeks for the delivery. What was great was that the delivery guys took away the old appliances, so we don't have to worry about getting rid of them, and then brought in the new ones. We are hoping not only that the new appliances are more energy efficient in electricity and water usage but also that they will be quieter, not clunking around every time Mr.T does laundry.

Very Pretty DIY

2012-01-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

Over at Brooklyn Limestone is featured a really pretty DIY craft idea (which she borrowed from Kara Paslay) Using cutouts from magazines of busts and some scrap wood and you end up with a modern twist on a Victorian classic, the silhouette.

It's Snowing...Finally

2012-01-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

Not that I am a big fan of snow, but the gray, dismal, dreary, wet, cold rainy weather has been too much. If it is to be cold out I want it to be a white, winter wonderland, and today it arrived.

Sadly, funny!

2012-01-12T15:09:00.002-05:00

Books?

2012-01-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

Historiann discusses de-cluttering her life by purging books from her personal library. Having lived for so many years in a teeny-tiny bachelor apartment I learned early on that anything in the apartment had to "pay" for itself in use. Space was limited and valuable. This meant adopting a policy for everything based on use. Limited space meant limited storage and a strict policy that if it had not been used within a year it had to go. At times others found my approach Spartan and with books sacrilegious, but it seems the world is finally coming around. Historians have always had a soft spot for books, often fetishizing the objects themselves while I always found the contents, the information as more important than the books themselves. The online, electronic world has changed all that. Everywhere you look information has become more important than that which conveys it and people are shedding books at previously unseen rates. This has had interesting side-effects on how live. Bookcases are increasingly being divested of books and filled instead with curios and objets d'art. Household furniture follows use and as we have seen with televisions the shape, style and form changes as the electronic objects change. With advances in electronic information we may someday see similar approaches to all the objects in our homes, as they are all replaced with digital or electronic transitory copies.

Funny

2012-01-11T07:09:00.000-05:00

Another in the long line of the "Shit ....Say" series. Mike Diamond is too funny.

Via Mike Diamond Online

Dr. Seuss takes on Burning Man

2012-01-10T08:41:00.002-05:00

Via Joe.My.God

The Magic of Books

2012-01-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

Just as Toronto loses more of its independent bookstores this animated short reminds us about the magic of books and bookstores outside of the big box variety. From Sean and Lisa Ohlenkamp and shot at Type Books in Toronto.

The IKEA Experience

2012-01-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mr.D and Mr.Z who made their way back from a birthday party in London invited us out to IKEA for an afternoon trip. It turned out Ms.E had never been to IKEA before so we had the pleasure of experiencing the store for the first time with her. There is always something fun and vicarious about experiencing something with someone that they have never done before. And shopping at IKEA is an experience. Although we found little to purchase beyond some ginger cookies, a surprise for any day at IKEA, we had a good time exploring the store on an uber-busy day. Making our way downtown we decided to stop at Sakura Sushi for a light nibbly dinner. Putting together a couple of appetizers and a hand roll made for a nice diverse selection of flavours made for a simple, straight-forward dinner. It was a pleasant way to spend a beautiful Sunday with friends.

A January Stroll

2012-01-08T07:52:00.000-05:00

The unbelievable Spring-like weather continues in Toronto. Yesterday the temperatures rose to a surprising 6˚ and so after our Saturday morning foray to the market Mr.T and I decided to catch the subway up to Yonge and Eglinton. I wanted to check out the post holiday sales at Restoration Hardware and to search for some drapes for the wall separating our sitting room and mud room. The drapes we have there now are a velvet caramel that is a little heavy for the space. It would be nice to find something lighter in tone to lighten the space, since in the winter it gets so little light. While it is always a pleasure exploring the design options at Restoration Hardware sadly there sale prices were still not exciting enough for a purchase. Because the day was promising to be so nice we decided to walk back slowly down Yonge Street.

Making our way home Mr.T decided he wanted a lamb dish from MoMo's for dinner so I went to pick it up for takeout. It was depressing to discover the prices posted on their website were not the same prices on the menu in the restaurant and that our dinner's were overpriced for what we received. There is nothing wrong with the food at MoMo's but there is something wrong with the prices they charge for what is basically middle eastern fast food. We then settled in for a quiet evening watching A Home at the End of the World. Mr.T had just finished the book and wanted to see the film adaptation. After that I retreated to my bedroom to continue reading Anatole Lieven's book on Pakistan which offers a window into the complex culture that is often misunderstood by us in the west.

Very Pretty

2012-01-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

Ciencias Naturales

Juan Gatti

Via Scientific Illustration

On My Nightstand

2012-01-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

Just finished William J. Mann's Behind the Screen: how gays and lesbians shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969 (New York: Viking, 2001. Inspired by documentaries like The Celluloid Closet which studied the representation of homosexuality on screen, Mann looks at the lives of those behind the screen. His book seeks to chart the lives of those who helped Hollywood become the land of dreams while obscuring how they lived. It is a wealth of information and because of the mammoth scope of the work and the time period that is covered there are lots of names and lots of information about Hollywood and those who made it work. At times the sheer amount of information is exhausting and sometimes more gossipy than critical, making it difficult to keep track of who was who and who was sleeping with who. Mann's important contribution to the scholarship on queer identity is that class more than ethnicity or race determined how people lived their lives in Hollywood. He argues that those from the working classes tended to live more openly in all periods than those from the middle or upper classes.

Waiting in the wings:
David K. Shipler, The Rights of People: How our search for safety invades our liberties (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011)
Daniel J. Solove, Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff between Privacy and Security (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011)
Anatol Lieven, Pakistan: A Hard Country (London: Allen Lane, 2011)
Alan Hollinghurst, The Stranger's Child (Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2011)

Send in the Clowns...

2012-01-05T16:28:00.001-05:00

Choosing a Religion

2012-01-05T07:49:00.000-05:00

Via Joe.My.God

Funny!

2012-01-04T07:46:00.002-05:00

Via Shredded Skin

Happy New Year from Obama and the NDDA

2012-01-04T07:41:00.000-05:00

Very Pretty

2012-01-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

Via Scientific Illustration

Watch it while you can

2012-01-02T07:56:00.002-05:00

The Videodrome Discothèque Vault Presents: Another New Absolutely Fabulous from Videodrome Discothèque on Vimeo.

Perceptions of Inequality

2012-01-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

Via MotherJones

Beautiful

2012-01-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

These beautiful photographs inspired by classical paintings are from Ignasi Ruiz.

Via Form is Void

Renovatin' Fun

2012-01-02T07:07:00.000-05:00

The first day of New Year was a bit of a bust in our house. Because it was grey, drizzly and wet and Mr.T has been feeling under the weather, we decided to stay in watching a marathon session of Renovation Realities. Although I am not a big fan of reality television I don't mind shows about renovation as there is always something to be learned watching how renovations develop. The show follows couples trying to renovate their homes who have little or no experience in renovation while a camera watches their progress. It allows you to see what not to do and consists of an element of schadenfreude. For dinner I made some lovely oven baked purple potatoes, onions and whole garlic, with roasted red peppers and some simple pan-fried salmon filets. While waiting for someone to post the latest Ab Fab video from yesterday I decided to see what was available on YouTube and discovered this little gem "White Box" I hadn't seen before. Edina calls on Bettina to redesign the kitchen and in her miminalist craziness she wants to create a white box. It is a hilarious spoof on anyone who ever has a vision of design.

Hello New Year

2012-01-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

It has been a quiet weekend for Mr.T and I. Yesterday we made our way to the market only to be met with a light drizzly rain, drizzly rain in December, blah. Since it was a gray, drizzly day I decided to make some gingerbread cookies, the perfect antidote to a dismal day. I made snowflakes and stars and then dressed them with icing sugar for a little bit of yummy brightness.

In the afternoon the sun finally came out and Mr.T and I decided to go for a walk along Bloor Street. It was getting late and so we decided to walk over to Rashnaa for an early New Year's eve dinner. I had been craving their food for awhile and it was nice to have a really good yummy meal. Every time we go I am reminded why it is my favourite restaurant in Toronto. The food is delicious, the service pleasant and considerate and the atmosphere simple and warm. It is always a pleasure and a joy and was a nice way to begin the New Year. We made our way home and settled in for a quiet New Year's evening at home.

Thought for the Day

2012-01-01T07:13:00.000-05:00

Via Artastic Avenjer

Feast Day of St. Orton and St. Forster

2012-01-01T07:07:00.000-05:00

On My Nightstand

2011-12-31T06:52:00.000-05:00

It has been a sad week for reading. Four books and none of them really able to capture my attention. Just finished Mr. Blackwell's narcissistic autobiography From Rags to Bitches: An Autobiography (Los Angeles: General Publishing Group, 1995). Like a train wreck it was hard to put down, but far from a pleasure to read. The book recounts in short and breezy 3-4 page chapters what he remembers about his own life. There is as the title promises lots of bitching, griping and gossip about the celebrity world in which he moved, including salacious details about who he slept with as a rent boy in his early Hollywood days (included are Tyrone Power and questionably Cary Grant and Randolph Scott). But while it purports to be a tell all there are lots of missing details. You know from the writing and feel of the book that it is how he wishes to be remembered rather than what actually happened in his life. It represents all the worst things of autobiography as a genre. The book kept me amused for a couple of nights but the manner in which it was written meant it didn't last for long.

Then I tried to read William Plomer's Turbott Wolfe (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985). Plomer was mentioned in the biography of Forster and the book features an inter-racial romance in South Africa. However I was unable to finish the book, finding it just too slow and boring in style and tone. From that I moved on to Simon Baron-Cohen's The Science of Evil: on empathy and the origins of cruelty (New York: Basic Books, 2011). Right from the beginning the book is written with lots of personal anecdotes that made it unappealing. There were far too many asides about individuals in therapy and their problems to make the book interesting. At times it seemed the book struggled to be a distilletation of current research into ideas about empathy which were interesting and a more popular readable collection of stories about those without empathy which detracted from the overall narrative. It is depressing when an author takes an exciting subject and makes it so disjointed. Again, sadly I put it down and was unable to pick it up again. Lastly was Christopher Isherwood's The Memorial, another book recommended in the Forster biography, that I found uninteresting, making it only three pages in before giving up on it.

Here is hoping that there are some more interesting reads on the horizon for 2012.

Happy New Year's Eve to All

2011-12-31T05:44:00.000-05:00

Via Artastic Avenjer

Very Sweet

2011-12-30T18:49:00.000-05:00

The two of them are so sweet together, singing "What are you doing on New Year's Eve". I fell in love with her after seeing her in the offbeat dark comedy Eulogy and with him cause he is so sexy.

Truth in Advertising

2011-12-30T06:52:00.001-05:00

Via Lady Bunny Blog

Holiday Dim Sum

2011-12-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

It has been a quiet week for us. Mr.T has the week off work and we have basically accomplished little beyond lounging around, watching too much television and catching up with friends. Today we met with Ms.K for dim sum. I had suggested Rol San and when we arrived it seemed like everybody had the same idea. There was a long wait at both their restaurant in the front and in the back. Waiting in the back we were given number 37 and waited to see what number they were at. After awhile they called number 14 and we realized it would be a long wait so we decided instead to walk up the street to Ivan's, formerly Number Two. Although the place is smaller we were seated right away and were able to enjoy warm, delicious dim sum as the snow began to fall. There is something lovely about being surrounded by steaming dumplings while the snow falls on the other side of the window. The place was decorated for the holidays making it look much rosier and prettier than usual, especially a string of lights outlining the moon shaped door to the kitchen. We ordered a good selection of steam items (which are always delicious) and some deep-fried ones (which are not always that good) along with their delicious green onion pancakes. It was nice to catch up with Ms.K over a delicious and warm lunch.

Thinking about Bodies...

2011-12-29T05:48:00.000-05:00

Over at Bits of Memory he ruminates about the nature of bodies and the way we view them in North America. He has some interesting thoughts about bodies and identity...

"Studies have shown that people with low self esteem suffer Floating hostility, irritability out in the open, always on the verge of exploding even for unimportant things; an attitude characteristic of somebody who feels bad about everything, who is disappointed or unsatisfied with everything. One way to help is to take the stress of a “shameful body” off kids as they mature. We need to stop all forms of sexual repression and deal with the body and sexuality honestly and openly. Much like the Europeans. They have lower rape and incest rates that are a direct result of an attitude that sees the body in a more complete way. They also have lower violent crime rates due in part to a more securer self image in all people. I think much of that is due to their ability to accept their body for what it is and is not. We need to teach that the body is good in all its’ forms and not evil."

Better Late than Never, 1st Snow

2011-12-29T05:41:00.000-05:00

Via Daily Dose

Winter Beauty

2011-12-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

Via Habitually Chic

Films, Friends and Food

2011-12-28T05:54:00.000-05:00

In the post shopping haze that defines the week of Boxing Day sales Mr.D and Mr.Z called inviting us out to an afternoon movie. The weather was turning decidedly dismal, gray and wet the perfect day for an afternoon film. We decided to meet at the AMC and to watch Steven Speilberg's The Adventures of Tintin. The film was a shocking surprise, I had expected something more Disney and child-like and was pleasantly surprised to discover a gem of a film. Not only was it beautifully animated and filmed but the story, pacing and styling captured all the magic of the original Tin Tin books. All the graphic elements were there, beautiful panoramic and exotic locals, odd characters and stylized graphics, and a quirky sense of humour. Speilberg even made snowy the dog an engaging and entertaining character. Even the transposition of the Tintin characters to Britain with a range of British accents worked. It was a pleasure. After the film we made our way home for some tea and a chance to chat while outside the snow finally began to fall. For dinner we decided to head over to the Harbord House for some simple pub fare. The place is small and intimate. You enter into a divided space with a small bar on one side with a few pub tables mirrored by a few more table on the other side. We were sat at a small banquette table where the seats sunk leaving us feeling oddly removed from the table. The menu includes typical pub fare with an element of style. There were a number of possibilities on the menu and the specials written on the board looked interesting. Mr.D and Mr.T opted for the fish and chips which turned out to be one really large piece of beer-battered fish on a bed of fries, while Mr.D and I settled for the pickerel special on rice. The food was delicious and perfect for a cold wintery, and snowy night.

Great Street Art

2011-12-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

Yup, a website devoted to great street art, Street Art Utopia

Via Neatorama

Celebs on the Train

2011-12-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

Celebrities on the Subways