I moved flat this weekend - for the fourth time this year! But this time it's for good (at least for a very, very long time). All this moving is exhausting. I'm glad to have moved in time for Christmas though - it means I can enjoy Christmas day with my family without worrying about flat stuff. The new flat doesn't have the internet though which is pretty painful for me. How am I supposed to know what's going on in the world without the internet?
Well, here's what I've been reading this last week:
- This live, worldwide wind simulation is pretty awesome (and oddly therapeutic). Position the globe so that the Antarctic is in the centre of your screen and it looks pretty cool.
- Here's a fascinating article about putting a sculpture on the moon. It's a shame that the whole endeavour became marred with politics, money and scandal because I love art and I love the idea of art being a part of the space programme.
- Life-size Origami elephant?! Yes please!
- This article articulates what I have thought for a long time regarding the Lord of the Rings and, more recently, the Hobbit films - New Zealand, while beautiful, doesn't look like the Middle Earth that I had in mind when reading the books. Peter Jackson should have stuck with the landscapes that Tolkien had in mind when filming: the dank and old countryside of Yorkshire and Ireland.
- I love this article about writing about women in science. By focusing on their gender, we do a disservice to their contributions to science. This is obviously applicable to women in all male-dominated fields but this article is wonderfully argued.
- I've often heard/ read that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14. Usually this little factoid is trotted out every time someone wants to say something about body acceptance or the need for greater diversity in Hollywood or fashion. However, as someone who has seen numerous Marilyn outfits at assorted Hollywood costume exhibitions, I know that this is a lie. Marilyn Monroe was tiny! Here's an article looking at the myth of Marilyn's body size and why her love of books is more important than her dress size.
- There are so, so many articles every week about Millenials. However these articles are always about the Millenials living in the Western, liberal world (mostly America) and lack any kind of global context. This great (and somewhat depressing) article tries to remedy this oversight by looking at the Millenials coming of age in Syria.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Bits and Bobs
I've spent most of my Saturday napping. Hopefully you've been far more productive! Here's some interesting and have a wonderful week.
- The controversial Heidelberg Project turns a decaying community in Detroit into a colourful, surrealist, work of art.
- Anders Ramsell painted nearly 13,000 watercolours to make this 34-minute paraphrased version of Blade Runner. It's amazing and beautiful.
- The Beckham recently donated some designer apparel to a charity shop to raise money for the victims of the recent Philippines typhoon. Here's a list of the best charity shops to frequent when looking for designer gear.
- The Atlantic has a really interesting article about massive data mining and how it's changing employment. There's a section about names and CV bias that reminds me of a chapter from Freakonomics. I don't know if I find this sort of large-scale data analysis interesting or scary.
- While we're on the theme of large-scale data analysis - here's an interesting article looking at how anthropologists use twitter to study movement patterns.
- Do you want to read about the kinky sex lives of spies? Of course you do!
- Film special effects these days are pretty spectacular but here are some things that still don't look right. For me, I always think that flying looks odd in a film - no matter how great the other special effects are.
- The controversial Heidelberg Project turns a decaying community in Detroit into a colourful, surrealist, work of art.
- Anders Ramsell painted nearly 13,000 watercolours to make this 34-minute paraphrased version of Blade Runner. It's amazing and beautiful.
- The Beckham recently donated some designer apparel to a charity shop to raise money for the victims of the recent Philippines typhoon. Here's a list of the best charity shops to frequent when looking for designer gear.
- The Atlantic has a really interesting article about massive data mining and how it's changing employment. There's a section about names and CV bias that reminds me of a chapter from Freakonomics. I don't know if I find this sort of large-scale data analysis interesting or scary.
- While we're on the theme of large-scale data analysis - here's an interesting article looking at how anthropologists use twitter to study movement patterns.
- Do you want to read about the kinky sex lives of spies? Of course you do!
- Film special effects these days are pretty spectacular but here are some things that still don't look right. For me, I always think that flying looks odd in a film - no matter how great the other special effects are.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Bits and Bobs
Apparently there's going to be a big storm this weekend (the biggest since 1987) so here's some interesting reading for you to peruse while escaping the weather...
- I was an avid watcher of the webseries, the Lizzie Bennett Diaries. You should binge-watch them all right now. The Atlantic has an interesting article about the Lizzie Bennett Diaries and whether they represent a new form of interactive entertainment.
- The internet might love Benedict Cumberbatch and Jennifer Lawrence but that doesn't necessarily translate into success in Hollywood. Vulture looks at how internet popularity effects the careers of film stars.
- Read this amazing story of a young man searching for his mother in the Amazon.
- Banksy has been making waves during his month-long residency in New York. Check out this interesting article in The New Yorker which discusses our ability to assign value to art.
- This 19th century criminal slang is amazing! I am determined to use the phrase 'sluice your gob' in the near future... also 'tooth-music'.
- A guy at an entrepreneur's conference made a somewhat disparaging tweet about women who wear high-heeled shoes. I found this interesting because I work in an overwhelmingly male workplace and I often wonder how my sartorial choices affect how my coworkers perceive me. I work in a casual office and it would be perfectly ok for me to rock up at the office in jeans and a t-shirt. But I tend to dress more formal than is required because it makes me feel more professional and it creates a sort of demarcation between work and leisure time. From reading this article I'm now wondering whether my male coworkers interpret my smarter apparel as a sign of vanity or a lack of seriousness.
- Ben & Jerry's are releasing a limited-edition flavour in honour of the upcoming release of Anchorman 2. I feel like the world is now a slightly better place.
- A female model reaching the end of her modelling career decided to cut her hair off and is now making a successful career as a male model. Here are two interesting articles on her career move.
- Scientists (actual, legitimate scientists) carried out some mathematical modelling on a potential zombie virus outbreak. The conclusion is kind of grim. The article is amazing though and I can't believe I have only just discovered its existence.
- I was an avid watcher of the webseries, the Lizzie Bennett Diaries. You should binge-watch them all right now. The Atlantic has an interesting article about the Lizzie Bennett Diaries and whether they represent a new form of interactive entertainment.
- The internet might love Benedict Cumberbatch and Jennifer Lawrence but that doesn't necessarily translate into success in Hollywood. Vulture looks at how internet popularity effects the careers of film stars.
- Read this amazing story of a young man searching for his mother in the Amazon.
- Banksy has been making waves during his month-long residency in New York. Check out this interesting article in The New Yorker which discusses our ability to assign value to art.
- This 19th century criminal slang is amazing! I am determined to use the phrase 'sluice your gob' in the near future... also 'tooth-music'.
- A guy at an entrepreneur's conference made a somewhat disparaging tweet about women who wear high-heeled shoes. I found this interesting because I work in an overwhelmingly male workplace and I often wonder how my sartorial choices affect how my coworkers perceive me. I work in a casual office and it would be perfectly ok for me to rock up at the office in jeans and a t-shirt. But I tend to dress more formal than is required because it makes me feel more professional and it creates a sort of demarcation between work and leisure time. From reading this article I'm now wondering whether my male coworkers interpret my smarter apparel as a sign of vanity or a lack of seriousness.
- Ben & Jerry's are releasing a limited-edition flavour in honour of the upcoming release of Anchorman 2. I feel like the world is now a slightly better place.
- A female model reaching the end of her modelling career decided to cut her hair off and is now making a successful career as a male model. Here are two interesting articles on her career move.
- Scientists (actual, legitimate scientists) carried out some mathematical modelling on a potential zombie virus outbreak. The conclusion is kind of grim. The article is amazing though and I can't believe I have only just discovered its existence.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Cosmetics A La Carte 40th Anniversary
Last night I went to Cosmetics A La Carte's 40th Anniversary party. To celebrate the anniversary, there was an exhibition at The Redchurch Gallery looking at the history of the company. It was a lovely evening with some beautiful exhibits and, of course, a chance to have a play with the amazing range of colours A La Carte makes.
I have several items from the A La Carte range, all bought for me by my lovely brother, and they really are wonderful. I have very pale skin so it's great to go to the boutique in Knightsbridge and have the shop assistants help me pick out the best colours to suit me.
My favourite item from the A La Carte range is a lipstick called Tulip, a vibrant blue-red. I get inundated with compliments whenever I wear it.
Bust inspired by Lady Gaga.
I have several items from the A La Carte range, all bought for me by my lovely brother, and they really are wonderful. I have very pale skin so it's great to go to the boutique in Knightsbridge and have the shop assistants help me pick out the best colours to suit me.
My favourite item from the A La Carte range is a lipstick called Tulip, a vibrant blue-red. I get inundated with compliments whenever I wear it.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Bits and Bobs
Here are some things I've read this week that I found interesting...
- Bush opened his presidential library this week. Here's an interesting article about presidential legacies and how our perceptions of success change over time.
- This is a pretty trippy piece about Tilda Swinton and fashion as art. Really makes me want to go to Paris.
- I'm always complaining about how expensive it is living in London. Here's an interesting article about the relative costs of living in cities to put it all in perspective.
- Is Jane Austen a pioneer of Game Theory?
- The Boston Marathon bomber has being charged with "use of a weapon of mass destruction". Here's the best explanation I've come across explaining the charge.
- Bush opened his presidential library this week. Here's an interesting article about presidential legacies and how our perceptions of success change over time.
- This is a pretty trippy piece about Tilda Swinton and fashion as art. Really makes me want to go to Paris.
- I'm always complaining about how expensive it is living in London. Here's an interesting article about the relative costs of living in cities to put it all in perspective.
- Is Jane Austen a pioneer of Game Theory?
- The Boston Marathon bomber has being charged with "use of a weapon of mass destruction". Here's the best explanation I've come across explaining the charge.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Maps as Mediators of Memory
GPS, Satnavs and Googlemaps have seemingly
marked the demise of the humble map. At the mere touch of a button, a person
can immediately ascertain his or her current position and receive instant
directions to any desired location. Maps, in contrast, are unwieldy and
complicated, requiring actual effort to decipher. It is also a well-established
fact that a map, once unfolded, can never again be returned to its original
folded state, causing significant mental anguish to all who vainly attempt to
fold a map into submission.
I can’t remember the last time I used an actual hard-copy map to navigate anywhere. Yet, despite their apparent uselessness, I love maps. And, apparently, I am not the only one.
Academics have long been discussing the importance of maps beyond their main purpose of visually representing an area. They cement national identity, affirm global political power, and tame unexplored territory. But more than that, maps are a physical embodiment of how we, as individuals and communities, relate to our surroundings. In many ways, maps reveal far more about the creator than they do about the space they seemingly portray.
In Becky Cooper’s book, Mapping Manhattan, maps become autobiographical projects, expressing graphically people’s histories and memories. Life events, feelings and whimsical invented futures all feature in the maps showcased. Some are beautiful, some thoughtful, and some plain weird. But what’s really striking is how alive they all seem.
As maps become more and more obsolete in assisting in navigation, these other uses will become more prominent. That ripped, wrinkled, unfoldable sheet of paper stuffed in your glove compartment will soon transcend the humble and become art.
I can’t remember the last time I used an actual hard-copy map to navigate anywhere. Yet, despite their apparent uselessness, I love maps. And, apparently, I am not the only one.
Academics have long been discussing the importance of maps beyond their main purpose of visually representing an area. They cement national identity, affirm global political power, and tame unexplored territory. But more than that, maps are a physical embodiment of how we, as individuals and communities, relate to our surroundings. In many ways, maps reveal far more about the creator than they do about the space they seemingly portray.
In Becky Cooper’s book, Mapping Manhattan, maps become autobiographical projects, expressing graphically people’s histories and memories. Life events, feelings and whimsical invented futures all feature in the maps showcased. Some are beautiful, some thoughtful, and some plain weird. But what’s really striking is how alive they all seem.
As maps become more and more obsolete in assisting in navigation, these other uses will become more prominent. That ripped, wrinkled, unfoldable sheet of paper stuffed in your glove compartment will soon transcend the humble and become art.
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