Magic Panda Eye

Click for full-sized image.

© Liu Bolin, Courtesy of Galerie Paris-Beijing (from PDN Photo of the Day by way of Mick Hartley).

Liu Bolin, also known as ‘the chameleon man’ is a Chinese artist (b. 1973) who disguises himself in his surroundings, constantly playing along the boundary between visibility and invisibility. Using various media including sculpture, body art, painting, and photography, Liu Bolin creates performance art installations where he poses motionless for hours, completely swallowed up by the environment. He eschews Photoshop post-production, and makes meticulous use instead of painting and perspective–and many test shots–to capture the camouflage effects of his installations on film.

Liu Bolin’s solo exhibition, Hiding in the City, will open on January 10th in the gallery‘s Paris space and remain on view until March 9, 2013.

Fifty Three Year Old Teenagers

For any popular popular (sic) entertainer to proclaim their support for the Conservative Party – in definance of the easy credit in calling oneself “Left-wing”, with all the unchallenged positive virtues this attracts – is intriguing. And that includes Simon Cowell.

Yet, he seems to have reached for the outrage button too readily following Martin Gore’s announcement that:

In an interview with MusicWeek, guitarist Gore reportedly said: “I’m not advocating violence but I think somebody should shoot Simon Cowell.”

What a dimbulb. Gore is 53. But a credible incitement to violence it is not, regardless of Cowell’s need to beef-up his personal security following previous and unrelated threats.

Then again, Cowell did have a point when he called Gore a “weirdo” in response to:

He [Gore] added: “His influence on the industry over the last God knows how many years… It’s just like, so many people think that’s what music is.

Gore was in Depeche Mode.

Starbucks Ireland Misses the Past Nine and a Half Decades

Don’t Mess With Queenie

Much preferable to a reputed image of Maggie being lifted by breeches buoy, showing a flash of black suspenders.

Most Serious Allegation Since the Last Serious Allegation

Pasty-faced old anarchist, Francis Sedgemore displays unerring chivalry towards the Chairman of the Conservative Party. Matters have moved on, though.

The report he links to was when the allegations against Sayeeda Warsi were only claiming expenses on a property in which she was residing rent-free. What recipes are there now?

First Strawberry Flower

 

Here at Efrafa Warren, we are very fond of plants… especially those torn from the ground and served on a plate.  This is the first year I have attempted strawberries, and have started-off big with some three dozen in the home garden: plants which I skolled from another allotmenteer last autumn.

When I was laying them in October, a four year old boy came to enquire what they were.  On hearing they were strawberries, he declared that he might “borrow” some.

Yesterday, after the roots had spread-out over winter, I decided that it was high time to do serious weeding between each plant.  Taking an authenic East African jembe (almost three quarters of a century old, and still going strong), I filled three pails with weeds and then worked-in some additional compost.

I saw the first of the white flowers last night, and inspecting the patch this morning saw another two on the same plant.

Rhubarb Heaven

This was the end product in mid-May of a weekend of jamming and chutneying and ketchupping. Because of the intensely cold winter, the rhubarb corner at one of my vegetable plots was like the Day of the Triffids, which would have allowed me to produce three, fours times the amount.

I not am one for sweets and jams, but have been happily taking that which I did make on oatcakes and in yoghurt. The pickles and ketchup, which I just have started eating, however, proved worth the effort and wait.

Fresh Radishes

After a not-so brief hiatus, I have decided to get this blog going again. Since the last of the winter leeks were picked in April, nothing has been taken from the established allotment plot for eating except the tips of shallot leaves. Now radishes, which I had been intercropping with onions, are in full spate and being eaten aplenty.

This morning, I took more than I could eat in a few days because I was worried the onions were being crowded-out. Now it is a case of what to do with them, and I fancy roasting them and having alongside a stir-fry tonight. 

Financial restrictions as well mean that the leaves look enticing as well.  Not as obviously tasty as radish salad leaf, they still are palatable.  If eating raw – as I did in today’s sandwiches - some bruising will be needed to flatten the prickles.  Adding to cooked dishes, a flash boil for 45 seconds or so seems more than enough.

Nasty Throat Condition You Have There

Afrikaans rock.

Hit ‘em Up, Yeah!

Carolina Chocolate-Drops, my latest favouritest band.