writer's block--shakespeare style

Anna Cohen's animated short film tells the story of William Shakespeare with writers' block, and how his two "friends" (Romeo and Juliet) assist him in overcoming it. The animation was made using two animation techniques: stop-motion and Flash animation.

Reminds me of a writer (whose name I forget) who just before bed would ask his characters to help him with something puzzling him about their story and tell them he expected them to work on the solution so he'd have it when he woke up. 

I know it sounds weird and everything. But it works. I once asked a character what her name was and immediately she told me "Semolina!" as if it was quite obvious. Which I suppose it was--to her. (She is the clever cat in Handbag Friends.)

antique scary cures/health treatments

oh dear. if you were ever tempted to want to live in the past... you just have to look at these scary cures 

have a headache? look what you'd have to take instead of Advil--and imagine if you happened to get a headache WHILE WALKING DOWN THE STREET?

Sparklet Nasal-- completely cures head colds, c. 1900-05

and I don't know what she's selling below but I don't want it (it's clearlypretending to be toothpaste but then why the scary hat? and face? and what about the name BOTOT?... what were they thinking?)

Botot Dentifrices: Liquid, Powder, Paste, Soap, c. 1925

The Next To Go Fight Tuberculosis, 1919

via NYT

 

fabulous english country house libraries

See the full gallery on Posterous

which one would you like?

(no. you can't have them all.) 

I know one thing: my english desk (i think it's a partner's pedestal) would fit right in and feel right at home in any one of these room--even standing in the middle of one. Especially standing in the middle of one. 

More fab libraries here.

 

Amazing science art: Meteorite Warhol?

The American Museum of Natural History is putting on an exhibition called Picturing Science. It's over 20 large format images taken with advanced technology. (Which kind of doesn't tell you much when you think about it--I mean I think I wrote this very sentence using advanced technology, didn't I?--i.e. a mac?) 

The other important thing to note before we get to the point is that the exhibition is the idea of Dr Siddall who is a leech specialist. Ew don't want his job. Unless it's just to be able to answer "What do you do?" with "I"m a Leech Specialist." And watch the conversation die. And everyone go off their food.

But take a look at this. It is the mineral composition of a meteorite. Or is it a Warhol?

Fascinating that down to the most minute tiniest invisible details, everything in this world around us is shining and beautiful. 

John Calvin said: "There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice."

More here

The story of The OREO

It claims to be the most powerful cookie in the world. 491 million sold so far...

Note: the evolution of the Oreo embossing: 1912, 1924 and today

Hmm. For a cookie that's all about comfort and milk and coziness... it's being a bit suspicious. For instance...

Who invented it? 

No one knows. Apparently a William Turnier. But Nabisco can't confirm he ever worked for the company.

What does the design mean?

It could be just an innocent symbol--this circle topped with a two-bar cross with the word "OREO" inside--merely "an early European symbol for quality" as Nabisco claim--or it it a Cross of Lorraine, as carried by the Knights Templar into the crusades? Or is that dot with four triangles poking out not a four-leaf clover at all but... the cross pattee--also associated with the Knights Templar, as well as the German military and today's Freemasons. Aha! It's DaVinci Code Cookie!

Meanwhile in England... we have Custard Creams and Rich Tea and Morning Coffee biscuits. But they are just quietly going about their business and not nearly as suspicious and besides no one seems to notice them: not the lovely ferns on the Custard Cream (unchanged since their debut in 1910) nor the Art Deco cup on the Morning Coffee biscuits.

Which means either they just have Proper British Reserve or possibly are just much more effective spy biscuits than those show off Oreos.

Either way all this talk of biscuits and cookies must mean one thing: time to put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea... 

via The Atlantic

 

learning to see: the barnes foundation

Did you get to see it before it shut in June? If not here's your chance... an interactive tour of the old museum. (The Barnes Foundation was established by Albert C Barnes, opened in 1925 and is being moved to a new building.)

I went there a few years ago and loved it. The gallery reminds you of those Old Exhibitions from the 19th century where the paintings covered almost the whole wall--reach up to the ceiling. It's said to be one of the finest collections of 19th and 20th century paintings in the world. And it's all housed in a beautiful building.

What is distinctive about this collection though is that Albert Barnes chose and arranged the paintings in "wall ensembles" in the gallery--arranged intentionally to teach students how to see. 

The works of art come from different time periods, geographic areas and styles and are hung closely together and deliberately positioned in such a way to encourage you to compare and study. And it works. If you stand in front of each wall and wait, things you might have missed emerge, you start noticing what the paintings have in common, visual elements, shapes, colors, etc. 

A really cool way to learn to see.

Kind of like good writing--words put together, positioned in such a way that they open up a window on the world. And help you see. Which is the purpose of art--to make you see.

 

milky way

beautiful and awe inspiring

and what is happening just above our heads as we fill them with lists and worries and doubts...

mosaic of coolness

A lovely mosaic of Virginia Woolf's covers designed by Vanessa Bell--her sister.

via Woolfwriter via Maidontheshore