Our car (that’s English for automobile) is too old to have one of these new-fangled electronic key thingies. However, reading about this interesting design quirk by Mercedes, I’m not in any hurry to upgrade.
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The NYT on Mr. Wainwright
The New York Times has a story about the influence of opera on Rufus Wainwright. It’s quite interesting, and throws up a couple of good images – such as the music war played between Wainwright and his mother – she contending that "poor people’s music" (jazz, the Blues) was "real music" – and him replying with Verdi.But what also struck me about the piece was that way that the author (Anthony Tommasini) consistently referred to Rufus Wainwright as "Mr. Wainwright". Strange how that seems prissy and old-fashioned in today’s journalism.Leave a Reply
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Mirrormask
I see that the film Mirrormask is about to go on release. Story by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (who stamps his visual style on the film, as well as directing it), with work from Jim Henson’s company, this promises a lot. Early reviews on IMDb are positive (with a couple of dissenting opinions).I bought the book "The Wolves in the Walls" for my young great-nephew a couple of Christmases ago. That was the result of an earlier collaboration of Gaiman and McKean. Andy and I both love the book, so I’m curious to see how their very distinctive style will translate into the medium of movies.Leave a Reply
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Decivilisation
A pessimistic column from Timothy Garton Ash, writing in today’s Guardian. His thesis is that the veneer of civilisation that we human animals possess is thinner than we think. While recent events in New Orleans may have been the catalyst to his thoughts, recent history has provided plenty of other examples as evidence. He worries that, as we move further into the 21st century, the pressure on the veneer will increase, not decrease. I can’t help feeling that he’s right. As the old saw has it: a pessimist is an optimist who is in full possession of the facts.Leave a Reply
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The Swizz of the Cards
Courtesy of Boing Boing (once again), here’s a political cartoon taking the mickey out of the UK government’s touching belief that ID cards will actually work…Leave a Reply
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Beautiful Mutants
Courtesy of Boing Boing comes this pointer to Beautiful Mutants, vintage photographs, digitally manipulated. Some disturbingly eerie images here.Leave a Reply
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The Dutch Tartan
Courtesy of Steeph’s Blog, I learn that the Dutch now have their very own Tartan. I think we can blame Sir Walter Scott for the success of this meme. I’ve never actually had occasion to wear a kilt – although I think I could be tempted to wear one of these. I have, however, been known to sport a sarong in the days of my youth.Leave a Reply
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There Are Rants…
…and there are screams from souls at the end of their tether. The latter comes closest to describing this posting from Bellatrys…Leave a Reply
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Annie and Alice
Annie Leibowitz’s view of Alice in Wonderland in a series of fashion shots commissioned by Vogue. As someone who finds the Fashion industry totally bizarre, to me this seems somehow very appropriate.2 responses to “Annie and Alice”
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OMG ur sucha loser y do u have a space ur like!LOSER
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cool
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Anne Rice on New Orleans
Anne Rice writes eloquently and passionately about the heart and soul of New Orleans in the New York Times today. Go and read it.Leave a Reply
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Blogging in the Eye of the Storm
Blogs are a fascinating development, allowing practically anyone the potential of reaching an audience of millions. Throughout the events of the last few days in New Orleans, there’s been a bunch of people holed up on the 10th floor of a building there which houses a computer data centre. They’ve been determined to keep the data centre running. One of them has been keeping a blog of the events. Pretty scary stuff.The blogger seems to be a survivalist – probably not the type of person you would want to get on the wrong side of, but handy to have around at times like those in New Orleans. Me? I’m a lapdog of civilisation – when it goes, I go – I doubt that I’d survive to see the new world order.Leave a Reply
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Not If, But When
The National Geographic carried a prescient story about what would happen if a category 5 hurricane hit New Orleans in one of its issues last year…Leave a Reply
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Open Mouth – Change Feet
President Bush has always struck me as having no charisma whatsoever, to the point of verging on the socially dysfunctional. I was reminded of that while watching him in a TV interview a couple of days ago – he was smiling while discussing what a terrible thing had just happened in New Orleans… (the video is available here, look for "Bush on GMA").It would seem that he only opens his mouth to change feet. Take this other example, from a speech he gave yesterday:"The good news is — and it’s hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott’s house — he’s lost his entire house — there’s going to be a fantastic house. And I’m looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter.)Er, excuse me, but this attempt at folksiness is so horribly misguided at a time when people are still dying and drowning four days after Katrina struck that it beggars belief. Ezra Klein and Andrew Sullivan are amongst those who also find this bizarre in the extreme.Update: I’ve just watched the video of the speech. Un-fucking-believable. Empty words from an empty President. And what were all those military personnel and helicopters doing just standing around in the background of this stupid photo-op? Had they nothing better to do, like being out there helping to save lives, for instance? Americans can be better than this.One response to “Open Mouth – Change Feet”
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It’s a fair criticism only if you also ask what were all those buses doing parked and flooded that the mayor (democrat) and the governor (democrat) never used either!http://spaces.msn.com/members/knowabs/Blog/cns!1p1PVlgbV6HfWGoLOkK8b2fQ!647.entryJust take a look at the first few paragraphs of the Louisianna Disaster Plan here:http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans/EOPSheltersupplement.pdfThere may be a federal failure to be fast enough with the rescue, but there was a municipal and state failure causing the need for a rescue in the first place.
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GodDitIt – Film at 11
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that an evangelical pastor has claimed that God wiped out New Orleans to purge the city of its decadence. Still, one of the comments on the story brought a smile back to my face: Just you wait Rev. Shanks, when the gays come back, we’re going to have a big decorating party…Leave a Reply
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New Orleans and Geopolitics
Doug Merrill over at A Fistful of Euros points out that New Orleans is the linchpin of the Port of South Louisiana. That is the world’s fifth largest port after Rotterdam, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It is a vital part of the US’ industrial infrastructure, and it needs a city to power it with a workforce and logistics services. As a result, while some might talk of abandoning New Orleans following the disaster, it is inevitable and imperative that the city rise again from its watery grave. The US cannot afford to abandon the Port for economic reasons.This reasoning is put forth very cogently and succintly in an article by George Friedman: New Orleans: a Geopolitical Prize. Well worth reading.Leave a Reply
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Time Waster
I’m wasting too much time with these, so I thought I’d drag some of you down with me…Leave a Reply
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A’ima Bridge, Baghdad
And across the world from New Orleans, another human disaster. This time not from the forces of Nature, but the forces of human nature. Once again, I’ll leave the words to someone better qualified than I: Salam Pax.Leave a Reply
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Katrina – The Aftermath
I don’t have the words to write about what Katrina has done to New Orleans and the surrounding area. Instead, I’ll leave the eulogy to New Orleans in the hands of Howell Raines, writing in today’s Guardian.Leave a Reply
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