LITERARY QUIZ

“Books are but waste paper unless we spend in action the wisdom we get from thought.” - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Just something different today, here are some trivia questions relating to authors and books (answers are here)

SET 1

Some authors are rather coy about using their first names on their works and we refer to them by their initials and their surname. Can you name the first names of these famous authors?

A. A. Milne

C. S. Lewis

D. H. Lawrence

G. K. Chesterton

H. G. Wells

J. D. Salinger

J. R. R. Tolkien

P. D. James

P. G. Wodehouse

V. S. Naipaul

SET 2

Thomas Gray’s Elegy “Written in a Country Churchyard” contains these lines:

“*** **** *** ******* *****'s ignoble strife

Their sober wishes never learned to stray”

Thomas Hardy wrote a famous novel whose title is the asterisked quotation from Gray’s poem. What is the title that completes the poetic couplet?

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” contains the following:

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

He is trampling out the vintage where *** ****** ** ***** are stored”

And the title of a famous John Steinbeck novel complete the quote. Which one is it?

In Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, the following lines appear:

“How beauteous mankind is! O ***** *** *****

That has such people in't”

The asterisks obscure the title of a famous Aldous Huxley novel.

SET 3

The following are first lines of famous novels, which ones?

“The past is a different country; they do things differently there.”

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”

“Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. There are circumstances in which, whether you partake of the tea of not - some people of course never do, - the situation is in itself delightful.”

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

SET 4

Who wrote these famous novels?

“Madame Bovary”

“The Last Days of Pompeii” 

“Death in Venice”

“Murder on the Orient Express”

“The Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas”

“Don Quixote”

And who is the famous 19th century author in the illustration above?

DIWALI

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” - Plato

Diwali, perhaps the greatest and certainly one of the best known Hindu holidays has just been celebrated. The word Diwali means “rows of lighted lamps”. Houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called diyas. The holiday is also known as Deepavali and the “festival of lights”, is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every year. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November.

Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people's homes. After puja, fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Diwali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated. In India, people start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say special prayers to the goddess for a new successful business year.

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India, the festivities start with Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Diwali on the third day, Diwali Padva dedicated to wife-husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister-brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days after Dussehra.

On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

MOVIE MONDAY - SKY CAPTAIN

“My advice to young film-makers is this: Don't follow trends, Start them!” - Frank Capra

For Movie Monday today, quite a different film, which at the time of its release was quite controversial and I must say, I was not game to sit down and watch, after what I had heard about it. Firstly, I was told that it was a rehash of 1930s cliffhangers with gross deficiencies in plot, character development and a profound lack of humour. Secondly, it is a film that relies completely on digital techniques for sets (the whole film was shot with the actors in front of blue screens and the backgrounds were digitally filled in afterwards by superimposition). Thirdly, I was warned that the film is for “geeks” and not “normal” people (well OK, that wasn't much of a deterrent, I have been called geeky before!). And lastly, the title of the film was rather cumbersome and made one rather question the film content - I mean, who goes around calling their film, “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”? (2004). Quite by chance, as I was rummaging in a remainders basket in my DVD shop, I found the DVD and what attracted me firstly to it was the artwork on the cover. Then, given that its price was less than a cup of coffee and cake, I bought it on impulse. We watched it and I was wowed!

The first thing that was remarkable was the “feel” and “look” of the movie. It had a deliciously retro quality about it, which made it quite endearing. With muted colours, in shades of warm gray, glowing golden browns, subdued blues and understated reds, it is immediately evocative of old black-white films, but is quite genuinely a colour film. The time the movie is set in is definitely a time past, but it is a curious evocation of the future in times past. This is how people thought the future would be like in the past… Quaint!

The plot, yes, is rather simple: In New York City, 1939, a fearless reporter, Polly Perkins (Gwynneth Paltrow) is investigating the disappearance of famous scientists around the world. When the city is attacked by giant robots she makes the important connection between the two events. She gets her ex-boyfriend, Sky Captain (Jude Law) to help her solve the mystery. He is the captain of a mercenary legion of pilots and a typical action hero. Robots attack the city again and Dex, Sky Captain's right hand man is able to locate the place where they originate. Polly And Sky Captain set off on an adventure in search of the evil mastermind behind these schemes, who is bent on creating a utopia and destroying the current world. Along the way they are helped by Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie) a military officer and ex-girlfriend of Sky Captain.  Real gung-ho, boys' own adventure stuff, which has been updated with a backward twist…

The appeal of the film lies in its multiple references to films of the past (for example, King Kong, The War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet, Lost Horizon, Star Wars, etc, etc) but also in its retro look and obvious homage to the old cliffhanger serials of the 30s. Saturday matinee stuff that many people remember from their childhood (either in the movie theatres or on TV reruns). I think what impressed me the most was the artistic merit of the cinematography, the digital artistry and the quite lush backgrounds and sets. Artificial, but well-done and blending quite seamlessly with the live action of the actors that was superimposed on them. There is a wonderful art deco feel throughout and the overall feel of the times of the 30s has been captured wonderfully. There is subtle humour there also, and also there is a plot, albeit simple.

Don't expect deep philosophy from this movie - it is after all, an escapist fantasy. Aimed at a broad audience, it may tempt even the film aficionados because of its experimental use of the film medium and its bold uniqueness. Kerry Conran, the director and writer, has shown originality and a freshness of vision. I enjoyed quite a great deal and would recommend it to all who wish to see something “different”…

FOOD FRIDAY - CHOCOLATE JAFFA CAKE

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”-  Charles M. Schulz

Feeling decadent today, had a hard week? Boss has been beastly to you? Kids have been driving you crazy? Traffic was horrendous on the way home? Had an argument with your other half? How about a chocolate cake recipe to make a yummy cake that will prepare you for the weekend? This is a rich and smooth, super-sweet cake with a middle layer of orange that complements the chocolatey flavour. Enjoy in small portions!

Chocolate Jaffa Cake
Ingredients - Cake
2 cups self raising flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Ingredients - Icing
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Several tablespoonfuls of Seville orange marmalade to join the cakes together in a sandwich.

Method - Cake
Preheat oven to 180º C. Prepare two 25 cm diameter cake tins by buttering and lightly flouring.

Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, coffee powder in the bowl of a mixer. Whisk through to combine until mixed well.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well-combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about one minute to add air to the batter.

Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and spread the marmalade over the surface of one of the cakes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and then place the plain cake on top of the cake with the marmalade. Place wire rack over the sandwiched cakes and upend, removing from and allowing to cool completely.

Method - Icing

In medium bowl, beat icing sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate.

Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable.

If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of icing sugar. Spread the icing over the cake and decorate as you wish.

Please share your favourite recipes using the Mr Linky tool below:

THE LÜSCHER COLOUR TEST

“Each of us is something of a schizophrenic personality, tragically divided against ourselves.” - Martin Luther King, Jr

The Lüscher Colour Test is a famous personality test that was devised by psychologist Max Lüscher in 1969. It has been used effectively in advertising, automotive and the fashion industry for many years now. You can try it yourself and the results you get are to be compared with an extremely large database, gathered by Lüscher and his colleagues over many years and trials. The results can be very revealing, maybe surprising, but hopefully very helpful to you as a means of gaining insight into your psyche.

I have often taken the test over several decades and have been surprised as how my personality seems to have changed and also how accurately the test reflected these changes, which I have perceived myself. It seems quite amazing that such a simple thing as selecting colours in terms of preference, can reveal much about our emotional and mental states…

You can take this test online yourself here:
http://www.colorquiz.com/
And you can find out more details about the test here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lüscher_color_test

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” - Confucius

It is Chinese New Year’s Eve today and tomorrow the Year of the Snake begins. The year will be 4711 of the Chinese Calendar. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. Chinese New Year is the main Chinese festival of the year and it is not a religious event.

As the Chinese use the Lunar calendar for their festivals the date of Chinese New Year changes from year to year. The date corresponds to the new moon in either late January or February. Traditionally, celebrations last for fifteen days, ending on the date of the full moon. In China the public holiday lasts for three days and is the biggest celebration of the year.

The Chinese zodiac follows a twelve-year cycle, each of the years being named after an animal. The Chinese believe that people born in a particular year take on the characteristics of the animal associated with that year. For example, if you are born in the Year of the Snake, you are likely to be charming and a good thinker. You love the finer things in life, so only the best is good enough. Snake people are good at making and saving money. While they are patient, charming and wise, they prefer not to rely on other people.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, here is some traditional Chinese music, 闗山月 – “The Moon Over Wall Gate at the Frontier”.

新年好 – Happy New Year!

ENJOYING BEING A HOMEBODY

“A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.” - Benjamin Franklin

Oh what a day in Melbourne today – Melburnians would probably say a typical Melbourne day! We really did get all four seasons into one, with rain, hail, sunshine, cold and then slightly warmer temperatures! Just as well I was busy at work and except for short foray to the bank across the road, I was quite sheltered from the changing and quite inclement weather with many meetings, and much desk work. However, Winter was certainly showing his teeth today just as he is departing…

When I came home this evening, I felt like a drink before dinner, which is something quite unusual for me these days. However, once every blue moon, a little apéritif is quite nice to enjoy prior to dining and especially so on a Friday. Here is what we enjoyed this evening:

DRY MARTINI BITTER
Ingredients
    • 2 measures of gin
    • ½ measure of dry vermouth
    • A couple of drops of lemon juice
    • 1 drop of lemon essence (or a tiny piece of lemon peel)
    • 1 drop of Angostura bitters
    • Stuffed green olive.
    • Strip of lemon peel

Method
Pour the spirits in a cocktail shaker, add several ice cubes and the drop of lemon juice, essence and bitters.  Shake until the martini is ice cold.  Drain into a chilled martini glass and keep this in the freezer until ready to drink.  Wrap the strip of lemon peel around the olive and secure with a toothpick.  Drop the olive in the martini and serve ice-cold.

This was very nice to sip while relaxing before dinner. For dinner tonight we had some steamed broccoli with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing, some cheese with crackers, and mushroom crêpes, washed down with some nice pinot gris. Fridays are very nice, especially in a warm house while it is wet and cold outside. After dinner, it’s time for curling up with a good book. Much better than being out and watching the football – grand final weekend or not!

MOVIE MONDAY - THE INVENTION OF LYING

“And, after all, what is a lie? ‘Tis but the truth in masquerade.” - Lord Byron

At the weekend we watched the Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson 2009 film “The Invention of Lying”. We had avoided seeing this film as we do not particularly like Ricky Gervais and seeing this film was co-written and co-directed by him and was one in which he had the leading role, did not seem like a particularly attractive prospect. However, at the video store I overheard a couple of strangers talking about films as they were browsing the shelves and they got into a discussion about this film. Both of them were most complimentary of it, so I had to turn around (to my shame!) to see what they looked like. Although they spoke well and seemed quite cultured, I still wanted to see what they looked like before I finally decided on whether or not to get this film to watch. They looked OK, non-descript, average, middle-aged men, quite ordinary really - just like me! So I decided to get the movie to watch it…

Well, we were glad that I had taken a punt and got the film, as we were pleasantly surprised by it. Ricky Gervais and his plucked, shaped eyebrows aside, the film was a thought-provoking comedy with more than a touch of satire thrown in. It explored the concept of truth versus lies, honesty and integrity, the “black lie” versus the “white lie”, the importance of being honest with one’s self and what ultimate truths finally matter in our lives in the long run. It explored the power of different kinds of love and to what lengths we go to in order to make the people we love happy.

The film has simple premise as its starting point: It is set in a fictitious parallel universe earth where everything is the same, with the exception of a small but significant difference. Lying and fiction do not exist. Everyone tells the truth including just about anything they are thinking. Nobody can even consider lying as a possibility as they are compelled by their nature and the wiring of their brain to tell the truth. Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is a bad screenwriter, about to be fired from his job at a film studio making documentaries (what else? There is no fiction). Mark is short, has a snub nose, is chunky and not handsome, but he loves Anna (Jennifer Garner) who is statuesque, attractive, successful and obviously out of his league (as she loses no time in telling him). When Mark loses his job he goes to the bank to withdraw his last $300, but on the spur of the moment and due to one misfiring neurone in his very special brain, he lies! As a result he withdraws $800 because the bank assumes their computers have made an error. As he sees the success his fib has given him, he begins his crusade of lying with amazing results that see him catapulted to success, fame and riches. However, it’s his “white lies” that have the most profound consequences that result in enormous social change. The questions remain, will Anna still reject him as an unsuitable match of poor genetic stock, will his lying get him in more hot water than he bargains for, and will the society that idolises him ultimately reject him?

Good supporting actor performances are given by Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan and Rob Lowe (the last-mentioned giving a good self-mocking performance as the “good genetic stock” choice of Anna). The film is well-shot, but wins no cinematography awards, its music is unobtrusive and the comedy is restrained and subtle, while there are some scenes in which pathos and poignancy predominate, with Gervais handling those scenes sincerely and with aplomb (I am being objective here!). The topic of religion as covered by the film may be offensive to some hard-liner fundamentalists, but sociologically and psychologically, the film’s premise dictates quite logically the way that this topic is covered.

I would recommend this film to most open-minded people who watch a comedy not to belly laugh at slapstick, but who rather want a little more depth to the gags, which will more often than not cause one to smile or gently chuckle. The film has much to make one think about, but it’s not ‘philosophy 101’ or ‘psychology 201’. It is a very good B-grade comedy that although of not broad appeal, ticks quite a few boxes and is enjoyable and entertaining. It could quite possibly be a good film to show in year 12 and get the class to discuss, the teens discussing the themes raised with much gusto, I should think.

MOVIE MONDAY: A WESTERN AND AN... EASTERN

“A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it.” - Alfred Hitchcock

We watched two films at the weekend, one relatively new and the other “vintage”. We enjoyed both of them although they were very different and represented two entirely different genres. We can recommend watching both of them, unless you are allergic to one or both of the genres…

The first was the classic 1972 Mark Rydell Western “The Cowboys”, with John Wayne in one of his best mature roles. This was a typical Wayne Western, but it had some surprises, as well as a delightful performance by Roscoe Lee Browne who played the black cook of the cattle drive. The film was big and bold and the cinematography was beautiful. It dealt with a coming of age of a group of young cowboys (aged 9 to 15 years!), who are hired by Wayne in desperation as he cannot get any cattle drovers on account of them running away to take part in the gold rush. Their job is to take a herd of cattle across the country, dealing with all sorts of dangers and villains in the process.

The film is typical Hollywood and in this case that is to its credit. There is a luscious music score, good performances, interesting plot, humour and pathos, light-heartedness and poignancy. John Wayne aged 65 years in this movie gives one of his best performances, I think. He interacts beautifully with his fellow-actors, especially the young boys, who are very convincing and give good performances all round. Bruce Dern makes a convincing villain, but the honours must go to the great performance by Roscoe Lee Browne, whose every scene is a stealer.

We thoroughly enjoyed this movie (which oddly enough we hadn’t seen before) and we can recommend it most highly. As well as lots of shooting, it does have a sad ending, so be warned.

The other film we watched was the 2010 Mike Newell fantasy “Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time”. This was an elaborate fairy tale seemingly straight out of the Thousand-and-One-Nights. The Disney studio, which was responsible for this movie, has a tradition of such fare and it does it well. The movie was inspired by the video game series “Prince of Persia”, so I’m sure we shall see one or two sequels, although at a budget of $200,000,000 to be made, it still has to earn a quid or two to break even!

The film concerns itself with the King of Persia and his three sons, two of whom are his own and one of whom is adopted. The adopted son is the hero of the story, Dastan, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Gemma Arterton plays his leading lady, Tamina, who is the princess of a mysterious sacred city, Alamut. The King’s brother follows the three princes to Alamut to do battle with it as there is evidence that Alamut has a store of weapons that it is selling to the enemies of the King. The city is overtaken by Dastan’s strategy and bravery, and he takes as booty a magic dagger that has the capability of turning back time. However, all is not what it seems, and there is traitor amongst the three Princes – or is there? Alamut had no store of secret weapons (tongue in cheek dig at Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction?) and the Princess Tamina has to grudgingly side with Prince Dastan to recover the dagger and save not only the kingdom, but also the world it turns out.

The film was entertaining and was pure escapism and fantasy. However, as is the case with many Hollywood historical or quasi-historical films what history was shown was grossly inaccurate – but never mind, we won’t show this film in a history class. However, one does wonder, with a budget of $200,000,000 couldn’t they employ a historian to vet the film? But that’s Hollywood for you, the historian’s wages were instead used for the pedicurist who did the dogs’ nails!

One again we enjoyed this film, as it was full of humour, incident, action (some wild parkour sequences!), lavish costumes and scenery, fantastic CGI that blend imperceptibly with the real scenery and actors. The result is a polished, high quality bit of fluff that will keep many amused. Not having seen the video game (much less played it), I cannot comment on how accurate a depiction of the game the movie is, but as a movie it worked for me – within its genre.

A CHRISTMAS DO IN ST KILDA

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” - Ovid

We had our work Christmas function this evening. It was initially thought by all that the choice of venue was not ideal as it was in St Kilda, whereas our campus is in the City Centre. We usually have our Christmas do’s in the City, where it is central and people are familiar with the public transport and how to get home. It was a 40 minute drive from the City to St Kilda, and as much on the trams. Peak hour traffic close to Christmas on a Friday night was the reason for that, even though St Kilda is only about 6 km south of the City Centre.

Nevertheless, once everyone got there, it was good and we were able to have drink, relax, nibble on some food and generally relax and have a good time. The function was at “La Kitchen”, a bar/bistro and Breakfast Restaurant associated with the Cosmopolitan Hotel at 2-8 Carlisle St in St Kilda. These were my old haunts as we had lived around that neighbourhood, in Elwood during my secondary school years. The place ha changed quite a lot, obviously, but there was still the same feeling of familiarity, while nostalgia for days long gone overtook me. Several familiar landmarks are still there of course, like the Luna Park, The Esplanade, the Palais Theatre and the familiar streetscapes of Acland St, Fitzroy St, the parks and the hustle and bustle of this most cosmopolitan of Melbourne suburbs (until not too long ago, the red light suburb!).

“La Kitchen” is a centrally situated breakfast-only restaurant that mixes chic and homely stylings with its white-brown-red colour scheme wooden tables and chairs with a red retro ottoman, on polished tiled floors. An outdoor patio looking over Carlisle Street is an extra attraction special to La Kitchen. We were the only ones present as the venue was booked out for us. It ended up being quite nice affair, with an open bar, canapés and finger food, friendly staff and a chatty, sociable group of work colleagues, some family and friends.

I certainly did not stay until the end of the night as it was a late night last night and a very busy day again today. However, it was good to see everyone having a good time and as far as work Christmas are concerned, this was quite a nice quiet affair. I forgot to mention that we had an entertainer booked who amused the crowd with magic card tricks. Cute idea…

Another year nearly over, another year that has flown by!

ART SUNDAY - JULIAN BEEVER

“We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.” - Pablo Picasso


Trompe l’ oeil is a French term that literally means ‘deceives the eye.’ It describes visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object. Usually it applies to hyper-realistic art that is contrived in such a way that through the use of context and perspective it creates a powerful optical illusion that what is depicted ‘jumps out’ at the viewer in verisimilitude of life.

Anamorphosis is a technique where a distorted projection or drawing appears normal when viewed from a particular point or with a suitable mirror or lens. The angle that one views an anamorphic drawing or painting may be crucial to viewing the image correctly, or alternative, one may not view it at all except through special equipment, such as curved mirrors, lens arrangements or special projection equipment.

For Art Sunday today, an exponent of both trompe l’oeil and anamorphosis, Julian Beever, who is an English artist famous for his art on the pavements of England, France, Germany, USA, Australia, Belgium and many more countries. Beever gives his drawings an anamorphic view, with his images drawn in a way that gives them three-dimensionality when viewing from the correct angle. Since the mid 1990s, this artist has created pavement drawings for over ten years, using chalks and pastels to create impermanent masterpieces that are soon washed away by the rain and erased by the shuffling feet of people on the pavements that he uses as his canvas. The pavement drawings have included both renderings of old masters plus a wealth of original inventive pieces of work.

Besides this pavement art, Beever also paints murals in acrylics, replicates the works of masters, paints in oils and creates collages. Some of his other works are drawings, typically with a musical, whose size may measure up to 7 metres long by 7 metres high.

Beevers’ art has mass appeal and is easily appreciated by a delighted crowd. He is often sponsored by advertisers, who pay for his efforts, this ensuring his art stays accessible and acknowledged by his public. He says: “My art is for anybody, it’s for people who wouldn’t go into an art gallery. It’s art for the people. Art shouldn’t be locked away in galleries and libraries and books. Art should be for everybody and not just art boffins, historians and so-called experts.”

And yet, there are some who consider his art as “just graffiti” and a defacement of public thoroughfares. Once in Birmingham his drawing was swilled away from the pavement due to a mix up with permissions from the local council. Beever takes it all in his stride and even if he has worked for a few days on one of his pieces, he doesn’t blink an eyelid as it gets washed away, as long as he has taken a photograph of it. “The important thing for me is to get a photo of it at the end. For me, I’m working towards building a photograph as my end result, and if I get that I’m happy.”

I like this artist. He has fun and he gives the viewers of his art great delight and pleasure. He demystifies art and brings it to the masses. He inspires and engages people who may otherwise have never gone into a gallery or a studio and he interacts with people in a positive and accessible way. Art is a firing up of the imagination, an invitation to journey to unknown lands, an adventure and a thrill. Beever’s escapades engage and stimulate the public. Here is a time-lapse video of the artist creating one of his pieces.

http://media.cnpapers.com/chalk/

TECHNOPHILIA

“Western society has accepted as unquestionable a technological imperative that is quite as arbitrary as the most primitive taboo: not merely the duty to foster invention and constantly to create technological novelties, but equally the duty to surrender to these novelties unconditionally, just because they are offered, without respect to their human consequences.” - Lewis Mumford

OK, I admit it, I am a technophile, a technology junkie! I was eagerly awaiting the announcement of Apple’s new iPad, today. Seeing how I am a dedicated Apple computer user and I have an iPod and iPhone, I thought that this new device would be a fantastic new addition to the armamentarium of my Apple toys. My Apple toys are all wonderful, they talk to each other and I can concentrate on my work without worrying about the hardware and the software. Compared to PCs, my Apple computer allows me to be more productive and I have fun while working (OK, Mr Jobs, my advertising bill is in the mail!).

When the announcement was made, I must admit that I was rather underwhelmed. I had secretly thought that I was going to be one of the first people to invest in one of these new iPads. After seeing it all, I quickly relinquished my urgent desire to obtain one and shelved my ownership plans for a couple of years, at least. My Apple MacBookPro, my iPhone and iPod deliver everything the iPad does and more. For me at least, the iPad broke no new ground and for a seasoned Apple product user, the whole release was a bit of a “ho-hum” affair. “Awww, but all of my toys do all of that, already!”

Now, if I were a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young thing just starting out and not having been exposed to so much technology and to so many Apple computers since year dot, I would be wowed by this iPad and would have pawned my grandmother to get one! Having been nurtured on Apple products since their inception and having set my expectations so very high, I am understandably disappointed.

Much of the disappointment comes from my constant use of my MacBookPro, which I carry about everywhere (I don’t have a desktop computer at home or at work) and this laptop computer does everything I wish it to do on a nice, large, high resolution display. Who needs Apps when one has all the programs that one needs? When one does on it everything that one needs? The internet is accessible everywhere, Skype allows me to talk to anyone I want, I have a DVD drive (grizzle, grizzle – where is that BluRay drive Apple?) that can let me watch movies, or record my own DVDs. I have on it iTunes, iCal, Safari (as well as another three web-browsers), Office, Adobe Creative Suite, my music software, my eBooks, etc, etc.

If I had a clunky old desktop PC running Windows or Doors and having to click left button or right button or search the hard disk for hours to see where my stuff was saved, I could understand that the iPad would be a magical, heavenly, fantastic; a leap into the future. If I had a black and white Kindle with its limited usefulness, I would leap at the iPad and switch to it immediately. If had an old mobile phone or a old iPod, I would quickly ditch them and move towards the Apple solutions of iPhone and/or iPad.

Now if the iPad came with solar charging (;-), and iPhone capabilities in terms of making phone calls, if the iPad were equipped with powerful new apps that were different to the iPhone and Apple apps already in use, if it had a few hundred gigabytes HD storage, if it had a DVD (preferably BluRay drive), I would be queuing to get one. All that of course together with the reasonable under $1,000 price!

Oh, to have a jaded palate. It’s such a tyranny of old age and experience!

technophile |ˈteknəˌfīl| noun
A person who is enthusiastic about new technology (a “technology junkie”).
DERIVATIVES
technophilia |ˌteknəˈfilēə| noun
technophilic |ˌteknəˈfilik| adjective
ORIGIN: From Greek tekhnē ‘art, craft’ + Greek philos ‘loving.’

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTIES

“When the wine goes in, strange things come out.” - Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller


Pre-Christmas parties are notorious in the workplace as they can often degenerate into a complete shambles where bosses may make complete fools of themselves, where sexual harassment often rears its ugly head and where many a staid co-worker is outed as the “wild thing” that has been suppressed all year under that cool office-efficient exterior. I have no problems with Christmas parties as I tend not to drink much, circulate a lot and generally ensure that while everyone has a good time, things don’t get out of hand.

This evening we had our work pre-Christmas party. It was in Melbourne’s Greek Precinct on Lonsdale Street at Tsindos Greek Restaurant. We had quite a lot of people there – about 100, which made for a very noisy and crowded do, but fortunately the weather today was cool, which made a difference. It all went well and people enjoyed themselves. It is important to have several of these social functions all year round, giving people a chance to interact and let their hair down. It is also an opportunity for the employer to thank the staff for all their hard work during the past year and for staff to enjoy themselves in an environment where the usual “rules” of the workplace are relaxed, but where they nevertheless are with their workmates.

The party this evening went very well and everyone had a great time. The theme was “wear a Christmas hat” and the best three hats were given prizes. This created a fun atmosphere and many people had gone to a great deal of trouble to adorn their head with all sorts of flights of fancy. This of course contributed to the levity and the mirth.

The food was Greek and was accompanied by an open bar where the alcohol flowed freely. It was comforting to see that most people stayed sober and the most excessive of excesses was that some got up to dance. Here is what we had:
•    Dolmades – stuffed vine leaves, with a fragrant herb-flavoured rice and meat mixture;
•    Keftedakia – small, round, deep-fried meatballs;
•    Spicy prawns – Tossed in a seasoned flour mixture and fried;
•    Chicken drumettes – Tender chicken pieces marinated, seasoned and grilled;
•    Kreatopites – Fried pastry parcels filled with a seasoned meat mixture;
•    Selection of meat cuts, marinated and grilled.

I gave a brief speech (nothing worse than a long speech at these functions) and the winners of the best hats were given their prizes. Everyone had a good time, there was much laughter, collegiality, and enjoyment. Another year is drawing to a close…