where the gin is cold but the piano's hot

It's the holiday season, and I want to share something marvelous with you: the gift of gin. What do you think of when someone mentions gin? I automatically start humming "All That Jazz." (No? Nobody?) Whatever it is you think of, it probably has something to do with old people. You are missing out, my friends. Here is a quick beginner's guide to gin-drinking.

Gin is not a very restrictively defined liquor. The number one requirement: It must be predominantly flavored with juniper berries and taste of juniper, although distillers often throw in anise, caraway, coriander, and other botanicals to achieve unique flavors. The vast majority of widely-available gins are made in the London dry style.

"Gin Lane": an 18th-cent. William Hogarth print

A Dutch doctor is credited with inventing the spirit as we know it. Its initial purpose was medicinal: The botanicals in the liquor were thought to treat a variety of illnesses. (Juniper-flavored liquor itself was used centuries earlier as a remedy for the bubonic plague, although we all know how well that one turned out.) Gin is cheaply and easily made, and became especially popular in England among the poor and degenerate during the 18th century. Concerned citizens were convinced that gin would destroy British society. Although it has declined in popularity, the word's negative connotations are still around, especially in the U.K. (Hang out with a poncy Brit  long enough and you're bound to hear him call someone a "gin-soaked trollop" eventually.) The ease of production also made gin a highly popular speakeasy drink in the U.S. during prohibition. So when you drink gin, you're actually participating in a long and illustrious tradition of debauchery.

Disclaimer: Gin IS one of those drinks that you'd better buy top-shelf or not bother drinking at all. When it's bad, it's really bad. Also, if you're a party girl that drinks just to get wasted, stick to the cherry vodka sours and shame on you. But if you like to have one or two good cocktails every now and again, I'd highly recommend you try one of the following:

Bombay Sapphire martini. Most people prefer their martinis with vodka, but I think that gin martinis are about a million times better. I've discovered I like mine extra dry with no olives, but to each his own.

Citadelle on the rocks. This French product is one of the best moderately-priced sipping gins out there. It includes 19 botanicals from all over the world (cardamom from India, lemon peel from Spain, grains of paradise from West Africa...you get the idea). Pour it over ice and enjoy.

Gimlet. This tasty little cocktail (basically liquor and lime juice) is good with any top-shelf London dry gin, or Plymouth gin if it's available. This one is good if you're feeling kinda noir; it was Raymond Chandler's drink of choice. Gimlets can also be made with vodka - Don't do it!

Tanqueray and tonic. This is the most classic gin cocktail and probably the biggest crowd-pleaser. Tanqueray is the best with tonic in my opinion. (Tanqueray Rangpur, which has a much limier flavor, is really great too, but most places around here don't carry it, alas.)

Fun fact: The gin and tonic has its roots in colonial India, where the British would mix quinine with carbonated water and gin to help protect themselves against malaria.

save the planet. drink scotch.

Interesting news from one of my very favorite places in the whole world: Drinking Scotch can help the environment. Yes, yes, yes - This is what I'm talking about.

Well, maybe not exactly. Turns out that two byproducts of the distilling process (pot ale and draff) can be used to produce a biofuel. And that biofuel can be used to power cars without even adapting the engines. Here's the description from the UK Guardian article, "Scottish scientists develop whisky biofuel":

The new method developed by the team produces butanol, which gives 30% more power output than the traditional biofuel ethanol. It is based on a 100-year-old process that was originally developed to produce butanol and acetone by fermenting sugar. The team has adapted this to use whiskey by-products as a starting point and has filed for a patent to cover the new method. It plans to create a spin-out company to commercialise the invention.

Don't get it? Me either. But who cares. This is sheer brilliance. And a great reminder of why I love the Scots so very much: Eventually they will find a way to incorporate whisky into every single aspect of daily life. Including driving to work in the morning. So, people, do  your part: Buy plenty of imported Scotch whisky to ensure these brilliant scientists have all the pot ale and draff they could possibly need in order to complete this important research.

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On a side note: I have long been confused about the correct spelling of "whiskey." I've always spelled it with an 'e', but I've seen it both ways. I finally decided to look it up, because it is very important to know these things. Here's the difference according to whiskydistilled.com:

You see, whisky (plural whiskies) shows that the product was made in either Scotland, Wales, Canada or Japan, whereas whiskey (plural whiskeys) shows that it was made in either Ireland or America.

So there you go. And feel free to speculate about why the spelling of this word is something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. 

daisy buchanan, the waif

In baz tackles gatsby, I discussed some speculation surrounding the casting of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrman's film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The verdict is in: Carey Mulligan will be playing Daisy. (This announcement is actually a couple of weeks old, but I've been away from blogging for a couple of weeks due to an end-of-semester homework deluge. I'm baaaack!)

I haven't seen Mulligan in anything other than a BBC production of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, in which she was stunningly unremarkable and pretty. Daisy is a very bubbly, dark, charming, ironic, complex character - I would've thought that an older, more experienced actress (like Natalie Portman or Rachel McAdams, grrrr) would be better. Or at least someone who doesn't so strongly resemble an adorable orphan wearing costume jewelery.

Oh, well. I hope it's good. Although I want to go on the record as being highly disapproving of this whole Carey Mulligan business.

snow white and the twenty-one dwarves

There are THREE Snow White films in the works as we speak.

the huntsman, a la disney in 1937

Snow White and the Huntsman: The Wrap reports that Johnny Depp has been offered the role of the Huntsman in this Universal film, slated for 2012. In this movie, the Huntsman will be a central Robin Hood-like character. He will act as Snow White's mentor, teaching her how to fight and stand up to her evil stepmother (who will likely be played by Charlize Theron - fabulous!). No word on who will be playing Snow White, but between Johnny and Charlize I don't think it will even matter.


Untitled (The Brothers Grimm: Snow White): Tarsem Singh has been confirmed as the director of another Snow White adaptation. The script for this one is going to more closely follow the original German fairy tale, which is verrry dark and much more interesting than the Disney version. (It ends with Snow White making her evil stepmother put on a pair of red-hot iron shoes and "dancing" until she dies.) Here's the trailer from Singh's The Fall, which is one of the most surreal, beautiful, and unsettling movies I've ever seen - I highly recommend it! If this is any indication of what his version of Snow White will be like, it's going to be amazing:

Snow White and the Seven: Disney has been planning its own re-imagination of Snow White. This version is a martial arts epic set in 19th-century colonial China, with seven Shaolin monks instead of dwarves, to be choreographed by the dude that did The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The project was first announced in 2005 and was shelved, but Disney is reportedly about to get cracking on it again. Hence, Snow White movie number three.

Wouldn't it just make sense for them to all pool their resources and make one REALLY crazy-good movie? I'm thinking Johnny Depp running around the forest with a bow and arrow looking all cute, with epic kung-fu-fighting dwarf monks and a slightly-maniacal Snow White? Yes, please. Or I'm cool with just going to see all three movies - That works, too.

happy happy diwali

I was first introduced to the Hindu festival of Diwali by a particularly hilarious episode of The Office. The holiday has also been in the news lately because of President Obama's controversial trip to India. But what is it, exactly? Since I'm going to the Diwali celebration in downtown San Antonio this weekend, I decided I better find out. 

Diwali is called the "Festival of Lights" because the celebration involves lighting candles and lanterns. The multitude of lights are supposed to signify the banishment of ignorance (darkness), and the welcoming of knowledge (light). The religious significance of Diwali varies according to region and may be associated with the gods Rama, Kali, or Lakshmi, but the overarching theme is the victory of good over evil. (I think everyone, Hindu or not, should be cool with that.) Diwali celebrations also include the three things that all fabulous holidays have: fireworks, gifts, and feasting. Yesss.

I think we're going to have a great time this weekend! This is only the second city-wide celebration (it got started when San Antonio signed a sister-city agreement with Chennai, an Indian city on the Bay of Bengal, in 2008). Here's some info. and the website:

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Hemisfair Park by the Tower of the Americas
San Antonio, Texas

6:00 - 10:00 PM

*Live Entertainment

*Temporary Henna Tattoos

*1000 Diya Candle Floats

*Authentic Indian cuisine

*Spectacular Fireworks Display

http://www.diwalisa.com/

releasing diya candles into the S.A. river

If you want to know more about Diwali, here's a good site.

follow-ups: kanye goes zen, 50 cent finds a kindred spirit, more u.n. haterade, and taylor hunts me down

There have been some interesting, occasionally bizarre, developments regarding some of the things I've blogged about over the past few weeks. Here are a few that have come to my attention: 

In a tale of dubya, I mentioned that Bush feels that being accused of racism after Hurricane Katrina was one of the very lowest points of his presidency. One of the central figures behind those accusations was Kanye West, who extended an olive branch to Bush during a radio interview on Wednesday. West said he regrets pulling the race card and can connect with Bush on a human level. I've gotta say, I'm impressed.

phila is one tough cookie

In farewell, herbie, I climbed on my rhino poaching soapbox. So I was pretty beside myself to hear about Phila the black rhinoceros, who was shot nine times during the course of two poaching attempts and lived to tell the tale. She's since been moved to a zoo in Johannesburg. A movement to make 50 Cent Phila's honorary godfather has been gaining momentum in South Africa, including petitioning Nelson Mandela to contact the rapper on Phila's behalf.

chishugi, another tough cookie

In a few things to be angrier about than the ground zero mosque, I shared some information about the mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and gave a little piece of my mind on the United Nations. Last night on BBC World Service radio I heard an interview with Leah Chishugi, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide who is now working with rape victims in the eastern Congo. She also has a bone to pick with the U.N. because she's seen this type of inaction before. She cited a specific incident last month, when U.N. forces sat idly by while Congolese women were being raped and murdered less than an hour away from their camp. Her words on the U.N.'s current role in the DRC: "It makes me angry, it takes me back to 1994 because they left us to die...I don't know what they're doing, what they're protecting. They should be protecting people." Here's the radio interview.

no one is safe

And some of you may remember haterade: taylor swift, in which I mentioned that hearing Swiftie's songs over and over and over again is one of the reasons that I rarely change my tuner from NPR anymore. Well, it finally happened. NPR was playing Taylor Swift this afternoon. Granted, they were just reviewing her album, but they must've played a full minute of one of her new songs, and it happened: my ear drums started bleeding. She's found me.

a tale of dubya

Am I the only person looking forward to George W. Bush's memoir, Decision Points? It comes out November 9, and I'm deeply curious about what he has to say. The Washington Post reported on a few advance snippets, including:

• Bush seriously considered dropping Cheney from his 2004 ticket, describing him as Darth Vader (ha ha).
• His response when the CIA asked him for permission to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? "Damn right."
• He describes accusations of racism in the wake of Katrina as one of the lowest points of his presidency.
• Bush stands by his decisions regarding Iraq. When it comes to the matter of the missing WMDs, however, he describes having a persistent sickened feeling.

Decision Points should make for an interesting read for both those who loathe and adore Dubya. My own feelings about him are very complex, and I won't bore you by attempting to explain them. Bush, at least, doesn't seem too worried about what people think. He wrote, "Whatever the verdict on my presidency, I'm comfortable with the fact that I won't be around to hear it."

And. in case you missed it:
- a report on an exciting upcoming movie project: baz tackles gatsby
- The Goonies 25th anniversary: ruth! ruth! ruth! baby? ruth!

ruth! ruth! ruth! baby? ruth!

Yesterday was the release of The Goonies 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray. Now this might be one of the most brilliant movies ever made, so I am tempted to buy it even though I think that these "Ultimate Collector's Edition" things are rip-offs.

Fellow Goonies fans might be interested to know that, despite rumors, there is no sequel being made (I think that's a good thing) - BUT a musical is in the works. Would you pay good money to see the Truffle Shuffle on stage? Yeah, me too.

baz tackles gatsby

gatsby and daisy (1974 film)

Baz Luhrmann (of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge fame) is making a new film adaptation of The Great Gatsby - yay! I am incredibly excited about this project. Luhrmann is an interesting director. I like to think of his style as exuberant; his critics might call it ridiculous. The fact that he is tackling Gatsby, a hallmark of American literature, is pretty gutsy of him. Luhrmann has gone on the record saying that he wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jay Gatsby and Topher Grace as Nick Carraway. They were in NYC reading the roles recently, and it's not official but the consensus is that they'll be the two male leads - Perfect!

if i were in charge

 Daisy Buchanan is another story. Luhrmann wants to see a wide variety of actresses read with DiCaprio before he makes his choice. Names like Keira Knightley, Scarlet Johansson, and Blake Lively are circulating. I want him to cast Rachel McAdams, personally. (Are you reading, Baz?) The most recent news places Natalie Portman in the mix. She would be fabulous, too. I have a feeling this movie is going to be amazing - I can't wait! And, for those fellow F. Scott fans out there, I will definitely keep you posted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

daisy?

oh, leo

dead drops (the hoes of the digital world)

Aram Bartholl, a German artist, has launched a new project called Dead Drops. Basically he's stuck five USB flash drives into walls around NYC and seeing what happens. People are invited to go to these sites to download and upload files. (Here's the story in his blog.) And, as Forrest would say, "You never know what you're gonna get."

Doesn't this whole thing seem kind of, well, dirty? Walking around New York inserting your computer into these projections on city walls and seeing what kind of cool/scary things pop up? Shouldn't loving computer owners be worried about digital STDs? No? I don't know.

I guess my speculation is pretty useless, since this "interactive art installation" is only in NYC. BUT he says he intends to expand Dead Drops into other cities. Could this project turn into a national digital orgy? Will it turn into a fabulous and inspiring sharing of ideas, or become a nightmarish Russian roulette of perversity? Are copyright infringements and lawsuits over pirated material about to ensue? With all of the controversy in the past decade over file-sharing, where does this fit in?  I'll be interested to see where this all goes. It might fizzle out or become huge - Keep your ears open!

And, in case you missed it, here's what else I've been writing about lately:

- Bizarre species of monkey discovered: how do you say "michael jackson nose" in burmese?

- I've forgiven Hermione for getting with my man Ron Weasley: love her: emma watson 

- Brown bears in Russia feasting upon the dead: zombie bears

how do you say "michael jackson nose" in burmese?

According to the BBC, conservationists have discovered a new species of monkey in Burma: Rhinopithecus strykeri.

Locals call this creature mey nwoah, meaning monkey with an upturned face, and say that they're easy to find: When it rains, water gets up the poor babies' noses and they can't stop sneezing. So - get this - when it rains, these monkeys sit with their head between their legs to keep the water out of their schnozes. Friggin adorable.

There's only about 300 of these funny little guys left in the wild. As is the case with many rare and wonderful creatures, their habitat is being destroyed. This time the culprits are Chinese loggers. Here's hoping the mey nwoah sticks around a little while.

love her: emma watson

Emma Watson (aka Hermione Granger) is 20 years old, living in student housing at Brown University, and has lived on a $75/week allowance throughout much of her career. She is also worth about $32 million. In her Vogue UK interview (she's the December cover girl), Emma reveals that she literally had no idea how rich she was until her father told her when she was 17. (Here's the article.)

I think that Emma Watson is a perfect example of child star who is doing things the right way. She's clearly very intelligent and level-headed, but I'm sure it also has a lot to do with having parents who won't sell her up the river for a little extra publicity. She seems to have made a conscious effort over the years to not become a fixture in the Hollywood scene or provide fodder for tabloids.

This is a far cry from Lindsay, Paris, Miley, and yes even "good girl" Taylor. Emma Watson has chosen to pursue higher education, spend/save her fortune wisely, and NOT embarrass herself by acting like a little floozy around L.A. And it's not because she's not pretty, talented, or famous - She's all of those things. It's because, on top of all that, she's got a good head on her shoulders. Kudos to you, Emma!

getting naked for putin

why do i feel like they're just going 'woooooo!' ?

Vladimir Putin visited Kiev yesterday and was met by topless activists from the group FEMEN. According to leader Anna Gustol, "We are protesting against the interference of the Russian leaders in the internal affairs of our country. After their visits, in Ukraine we see restrictions on media freedom and on the right to demonstrate, as is the case in Russia," she said. (Here's the full story.) I think this is a really important message - I don't know what it's like to have Putin trying to play evil puppet master with my country, but it can't be fun. My response: You go girl! But, um, why are you naked?

they don't know it's alllll part of his evil plan

I seeee said the blind man. Their protest is so outrageous that it's garnered huge international attention. (Another benefit: He can't have these girls whacked in the middle of night, as I hear ole Putin is wont to do.) It's getting people thinking about Russia's continued relationship with post-Soviet eastern Europe, which isn't a very healthy one. FEMEN's signs included WE WON'T SLEEP WITH KREMLIN DWARFS and WE WON'T BEND OVER THAT EASY: Fabulous.

I think this whole Putin protest thing is great. It also raises some interesting questions about FEMEN. Their main year-round purpose is to raise awareness and combat the sexual tourism trade in Ukraine (including protesting at the Turkish embassy, because Turks are apparently the largest group of pervy tourists). FEMEN's highly sexualized protests are pretty regular occurrences. I'm not sure what to make of it. They're objectifying themselves to advance a feminist agenda. It's either very counterproductive and misguided...or genius. Do what you do, ladies! I'm rooting for y'all.

another femen event (many happy faces in this crowd)

no more pants! no more pants!

sorry, boys. if you want hot feminists you gotta go to ukraine

the wonderful world of albert kahn

I'm in a history nerd tizzy over the photo collection of Albert Kahn, a Frenchman who amassed examples of the earliest type of color photography (autochromes) from all over the world in the early 1900s: Morocco, Germany, Cambodia, Iraq, Brazil, China, Benin, Syria, and more. The pictures are fascinating - sometimes beautiful, sometimes disturbing (like one from Mongolia; there's a woman with her head sticking out of a big wooden box, sentenced to death by starvation). I've included a few examples, but you've got to check out the whole thing (from Musée Albert-Kahn). BBC Books has recently published the collection in ridiculously-expensive-hardback form, and it's definitely going on my wish list!

a french cutie hanging out next to some rifles, circa WWI

chinese dude not looking stereotypical at all

my dutch kin (where i get my good looks)

hotties

swiss guard - as always, snazzy dressers

zombie bears

you know that feeling when you eat too many dead Russians and you just wanna take a nap?

Russian bears are eating dead people. Seriously, they are breaking into coffins and eating their contents. The dry summer diminished their normal food supply, so they've made the switch from berries and mushrooms to decomposing flesh and the occasional Komi villager. (When the going gets tough, the tough get going.) I am sympathetic to their plight, and therefore would like it to be known that, when I die, I wish to be dumped in the Taiga woodlands as bear food. I know they'll put me to good use.

farewell, herbie

they want to know why it had to be herbie

R.I.P. Herbie the black rhino. If you've been to the San Antonio Zoo anytime in the past 11 years, you probably know him. I don't know why God couldn't have taken one of the less-cool creatures (the giant hissing cockroaches come to mind), but life isn't fair is it? Herbie died at 18, although black rhinos are supposed to live past 40 in captivity. His death was sudden and seemingly inexplicable - I smell foul play.

All joking aside, this sucks for number of reasons, but the main one is that the black rhinoceros is a critically endangered species. Over the years their numbers have declined about 96%, mostly due to poachers and the demand for rhino horn from the Far East (particularly Vietnam). They think it's some kind of miracle aphrodisiac, when really it's just the rhino equivalent of human fingernails...no medicinal benefits at all. Way to go, Asia. There are only about 4,000 black rhinos left. (The white rhinoceros numbers aren't as bad, but they are also endangered.) And the situation is getting worse, not better.

Some good news is, although poaching is on the rise, so are efforts to stop it. In South Africa game reserve wardens have begun embedding GPS systems directly into the horns of the rhinos under their watch. This measure will monitor their movements, alert them to suspicious activity, and (hopefully) deter poaching. And, FYI, former supermodel Elle McPherson has endorsed eating rhino horns for wrinkles or some crap. So be sure to send a little haterade her way if you are so inclined.

but daddy, i want a tasmanian tiger now!

tasmanian tigers are long gone

A frightening new study has been published by Science journal. It would appear that, despite strong efforts on a lot of fronts, 1 in 5 animal species are threatened with extinction. Amphibians are the worst off because no one seems to care much about them. They're not as much fun to get outraged over as rhinos and panda bears, but who doesn't love frogs?

In an NPR story this morning, Duke ecology professor Stuart Pimm said, "Species extinction is rather like death and taxes. They are an inevitable part of life, but you just don't want them to happen at too great a rate." He goes on to reveal that animals are dying off at approximately 1000 times the historical rate. In other words, some extinction is normal and natural - This ain't.

You don't have to quit driving your car or never turn your a/c on to think that cutting down rainforests in order to build palm oil plantations, for example, is not such a good deal. Can't everyone agree that we want to have cool creatures running around the planet? Diplomats, conservation biologists, and Han Solo are meeting in Japan to discuss whether everyone's pulling their weight in slowing down the rate of extinction and trying to figure out what else can be done. Hope it works out for them...and us.

Costa Rica's golden toad =  no mas

baiji - Chinese river dolphin, declared extinct in 2006

haterade: taylor swift

My most recent wave of vitriol toward Taylor Swift has arisen because of her latest c.d. release, her appearance on the cover of People, and the news that she is dating Jake Gyllenhaal. (I'm not particularly fond of Jake, but he did date my girl Reese Witherspoon for a long time. You've made a big downgrade, pervo.) And now that Taylor Swift is dating someone who has a somewhat serious film career, I will be forced to see and hear her even more often than usual, which is just very unfortunate. I really wish that someone would smack her. Me preferably, but I would settle for someone else doing it and me being able to watch.

omg so hardcore

First of all, I don't think she's very creative or talented. There are a lot of very skilled and inspired female singer/songwriters out there who do the same thing Swiftie does except, um, much much better. So why exactly Taylor is so special, I do not know. I mean, yes her music is catchy...I suppose. But so is the Free Credit Report.com jingle. Actually much catchier.

And I'm sorry, but I can't really take anyone who writes heartbreak songs after the demise of like a 5-week romance with one of the Jonas brothers seriously. Get a grip, girl. Keep that crap to your diary, don't make the rest of us listen to it over...and over...and over. Taylor Swift is one of the main reasons that I no longer change my tuner from NPR and AM Radio. (I'm not joking. There are several factors in my abandonment of music radio, but she is definitely one of them.) If I stray beyond there, I might hear one of her songs for the 1458th time and my ear drums will start to bleed. I just. Can't. Take. It. Anymore.

And, by the way, am I the only person who is driven crazy by these asinine lyrics: You were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter/ And Daddy said stay away from Juliet. These words have haunted me ever since that song came out and I've been repeatedly subjected to it. I would love to ask Taylor what exactly she's talking about. Does she know what either a scarlet letter or The Scarlet Letter is? Does she understand that it is completely unrelated and makes no sense in her song, not even in an abstract metaphorical sense? This may be nitpicky and petty, but I don't care. It bugs me. Taylor should lay off writing her obnoxious music and pick up a book or something.


Ok, I got it off my chest. I know I'm being mean. But it's not exactly like she's minding her own business. Mind you, I make an actual effort to avoid her but cannot. So she started it.

this my neighbor, nursultan tuleiakbay

Khoja Ahmed Yasavi Mausoleum, built by Tamerlane in 1390



Navruz (an ancient holiday marking the spring equinox) celebrated in Almaty







When researching places that the Peace Corps could send me, I read something to the effect of: "You are just as likely to be sent to an urban center in Kazakhstan as a rural area of East Africa!" Well, I kinda freaked. My mind jumped to exactly the same place as I'm sure yours is now: BORAT, that incredibly over-the-top movie that I suppose most PC-minded people find very repulsive. I love it. There are only a handful of movies that have ever made me laugh harder than this one. And, of course, it made Kazakhstan look absolutely wretched. So, my first thought: "But I don't WANNA go to to Kazakhstan!"

My initial impression of Kazakhstan, of course, is a perfect example of I shouldn't get my information from movies. I've done a little background check on the land of Borat. It's the country that gave us the domesticated horse, the location of several UNESCO world heritage sites, and is helping lead the way in the nuclear nonproliferation movement. It is actually a very beautiful, diverse, and culturally rich country. I wanted to share with you some of the things I've found.

development project in Aktau, a city on the Mangyshlak Peninsula

Kazakhstan Mountains

Kazakh falconers

Altai Mountains: thought to be the site of the mystical Buddhist kingdom of Shambhala

Arasan Banya (bath house)

All of this, of course, got me thinking: How many other places do I just write off because one goofy movie/book/comedian makes it look silly? None, now.

If you're interested in learning more about Kazakhstan, here's one of the best articles I found on it.

cool not-so-conventional art

"The Creatrix"

I've just discovered Mark Ryden's Wondertoonel collection, which has an awesome creepy Tim Burton thing going on. His work is too unsettling to hang all over the walls (for me at least), but it's definitely very interesting. He describes his artwork as "the visual debris from contemporary pop culture," which I think is a pretty good way to put it. He currently has work on display in Los Angeles, but I'm hoping he makes his way to Texas soon. His website, http://www.markryden.com, is definitely worth a visit.





British artist Jason de Caires Taylor and MUSA (Museo Subacuatico de Arte) are doing their best to save the coral reefs near Cancun. Taylor created these statues (made from a unique cement that encourage coral growth) based on casts from local Mexican people. As you can see, the ocean is pretty barren in this spot - Here's hoping it works!

I've also just become familiar with Brooklyn graffiti artist Dain, who after a couple of New York shows displayed his work at a museum in Paris over the summer. The snobby French didn't run him out of town, yay! He's apparently quite an enigmatic man. He's elderly (that surprised me) and therefore really inspired by old Hollywood glam he remembers from the 50's and 60's.

And, for good measure, a little bit from E.H. Shephard, Pooh's illustrator. Aw.