It's snowing in Paris...

View of Square Saint Lambert from Rue Léon Lhermitte in the 15th.

Paris Love

Paris Love. 2009.
Acrylic & collage on paper.
50 cm x 65 cm.

Don't know where to park?

Put your Vélib vélo up a tree!



Former 42 Convention - Hôpital Boucicaut bus stop
rue Lourmel, end of rue Boucicaut, Paris 15e.

Nature's Design

Nature's Design. 2009.
Acrylic, soft pastel & collage on canvas.
40 cm x 40 cm.

The 46 Stages of Twitter

1. Hear the word Twitter. Scoff.
2. Hear it again from someone else. Scoff again.
3. Hear about famous celebrity who is apparently "On Twitter." Scoff, but make mental note to check it out.
4. Log into Facebook to comfort self.
5. Sign up for Twitter.
6. Give up because it seems dumb.
7. Loudly criticize others on Twitter.
8. Follow @johncmayer, @aplusk, @rainnwilson, @wilw, @mrskutcher, @oprah, and one other person you actually know.
9. Post tweet that is a variant of: "Trying out this Twitter thing."
10. Attempt to dig a little deeper into Twitter.
11. Notice rampant usage of words: "Tweet," "Twitter," "Twitterverse," "Tweetie," "Tweetdeck," and something called "RT."
12. Scoff again, this time in confusion.
13. Tell friends you "tried that Twitter thing, but didn't get it and it's stupid anyway."
14. Log into Facebook because that site at least makes sense.
15. Read story about Twitter somewhere.
16. Log back into Twitter.
17. Try to avoid saying Tweet, Twitter, Twitterverse, Tweetie, Tweetdeck, and ReTweet.
18. Respond to @rainnwilson.
19. Curse self for fanning out.
20. Log off for 4 months.
21. Come back, just to see.
22. Post something relatively funny.
23. Get RT'd.
24. Discover that RT means ReTweet.
25. Make it your life mission to get RT'd.
26. Install Twitter app on your phone.
27. No longer ashamed to say "I've gotta Twitter that."
28. Attend events with the sole intention of "Tweeting" them.
29. Pray to get RT'd.
30. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
31. Close computer.
32. Open computer. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
33. Think in 140 character sentences.
34. Compulsively check phone all day every day.
35. Tweet that you compulsively check phone all day every day.
36. Alienate actual people in your life in an attempt to impress ones you don't know.
37. Lose weight because you forget to eat.
38. Place phone by bed so you can check first thing in the morning.
39. Defend Twitter to the death from detractors.
40. Hear self, and vaguely recognize that you have become "That Guy."
41. Feel like, and start to behave like River Tam.
42. Vow to quit Twitter to preserve sanity.
43. Read this and change mind.
44. Think to self, "I should twitter that."
45. Recognize irony.
46. Twitter it.

(Source)

20 Glaciers de Paris

1. Amorino - 12 stores around Paris
2. Christian Constant - 37, rue d'Assas, 6e
3. Mister Ice - 6, Rue Descombes, 17e
4. Gelati d'Alberto - 12, rue des Lombards 75004 and 45, rue Mouffetard, 5e
5. La Tropicale - 180 Bd Vincent Auriol, 13e
6. Terre Adelice (BIO) At Alain Ducasse but also at GLOU, 101 r Vieille du Temple, 3e
7. Martine Lambert - 192, Rue Grenelle, 7e
8. Berthillon - 29-31 rue saint Louis en l'ile, 4e
9. Gerard Mulot - 76, rue de Seine, 6e, 93, rue de la Glaciere, 13e, corner of rue des Tournelles and rue du Pas de la Mule, 4e
10. La Marquisette - 31-33, avenue de Saint-Ouen
11. Dammann's Glacier - 20, rue Cardinal Lemoine, 5e
12. Angelina - 226 rue de Rivoli, 1er
13. Scoop - 154 rue St Honoré, 1er
14. Bac à Glaces - 109, rue du Bac 7e
15. GROM - 81, Rue de Seine,75006 and at MERCI, 11, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 3e
16. Glacier au marché des enfants rouges - 30 Rue de Bretagne, 3e
17. ALPEREL - on-line retail store
18. RAIMO - 61 Boulevard Reuilly, 12e
19. Deliziefollie - 7, Rue Montorgueil, 1er
20. Myberry - 25 rue Vieille du Temple, 4e

As recommended by Vingt Paris (source)

20 Expressions Françaises

1. Etre à la bourre ... To be running late

2. A tour de bras ... Violently

3. Tomber dans le panneau ... To be mislead

4. Pleurer comme une madeleine ... To cry a lot, refers to Mary Magdalene from the Bible

5. Broyer du noir ... To be depressed / melancholic

6. De but en blanc ... Straight to the point

7. Casser le charme ... To free from illusion

8. Garder son sang froid ... Keep cool

9. Annoncer la couleur ... To clearly announce one's intentions

10. Jeter l'éponge ... Abandon

11. Quelle galère ... What a pain

12. Mettre de l'eau dans son vin ... To tone it down

13. Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps ... To not draw conclusions over minor details

14. Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse ... It's raining cats and dogs

15. Un froid de Canard ... It's freezing

16. Une tour de Babel ... A confusing / chaotic place

17. Se lécher les babines ... To lick one's fingers / To enjoy thoroughly

18. C'est du tape à l'oeil ... Flashy

19. Etre fier comme Artaban (or "un bar-tabac" popularized by comedian Coluche) ... To be really proud / pretentious

20. Au petit bonheur la chance ... Chance would be a fine thing

Things to do to maintain existing friendships & build new ones!

Call just to say hello
Say I love you
Go to a social event and don’t leave until you’ve met 3 new people
Search for a lost friend on Facebook
Don’t keep score: if a friend doesn’t return a call, call them again and don’t take the lack of the returned call personally
Organize a special weekend with friends

(Source)

Did you know...

Coffee grounds make great fertilizer!

Just sprinkle the grounds around the base of your plants, mix into the soil or add to your watering can and voila! Yummies for your plants to grow big and strong!

5 Tips for Sublime Sleep... According to Better Homes & Gardens

• Don't leave bright lights on after 8 p.m. Light tells your body that it's still daytime, therefore not time for bed.

• Don't exercise in the final three hours before bedtime. This has been shown to invigorate you.

• Don't stare at the clock. Turn it to face the wall if you have trouble falling asleep. Checking it every few minutes to see how little time you have left to sleep will only make you more anxious.

• Don't stay in bed if you find yourself struggling to sleep. Leave the bedroom and do something relaxing. Try again when you feel sleepy.

• Don't drink alcohol within four hours of bedtime because it will cause shallow sleep. And don't drink coffee or other caffeine-laden beverages from noon on. Your afternoon jolt may cost you: The stimulating effects of caffeine last up to 12 hours.

Edible Weeds

Dandelion: leaves and stems of the common yellow flower. Pretty bitter and can be eaten in a salad or cooked.

Lamb’s quarters: triangular leaf common in suburban lawns. Comparable to kale or Swiss chard.

Purslane: common in lawns, gardens and fields. Leaves, stems and flowers may be stewed or eaten raw.




Burdock: big, coarse plant with a hollow stem and toothed leaves. Popular in soups and stews with a similar look and taste to celery.

How to eat butter without directly taking a bite out of the butter brick...

Fried Butter Balls

Ingredients
2 sticks butter
2 ounces cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Peanut oil, for frying

Directions
Cream the butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper together with an electric mixer until smooth.
Using a very small ice cream scoop, or melon baller, form 1-inch balls of butter mixture and arrange them on a parchment or waxed paper lined sheet pan. Freeze until solid. Coat the frozen balls in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs and freeze again until solid.

When ready to fry, preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Fry balls for 10 to 15 seconds until just light golden. Drain on paper towels before serving.

(Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, thefoodnetwork.com)

Aspartame... Why should you consider avoiding it?

Aspartame is composed of 3 chemicals.

• Aspartic Acid: When the body breaks down aspartic acid, it creates a chemical that can lead to degeneration of neurons. This can have a significant influence on diseases such as Alzheimer’s, MS and Parkinson’s.

• Phenylalanine: Increasing phenylalanine can reduce serotonin levels in the brain making you more susceptible to depression. Elevated phenylalanine has also been implicated in higher cancer risk.

• Methanol: This chemical compound breaks down to formaldehyde - a deadly neurotoxin!

Using aspartame to support a low carb diet may not be that effective if you are trying to lose weight. Aspartame is shown to:

• Stimulate fat storage and weight gain

• Increase carbohydrate cravings

• Increase your appetite

• Ruin your body’s ability to count calories

• Double your risk of obesity

• Reduce bacterial flora in the gut by 50%

As a healthier substitute you can try stevia or agave nectar.

*Source*

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary (no, not Trooper's)

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies". I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow - but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

How to Tie a Tie

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

Mapparium - Boston

Built in 1935, based upon the Rand McNally political maps published the previous year, the Mapparium is a three-story tall glass globe that you can walk through.
The dome, composed of 608 stained glass panels produced by the Rambusch Company of New York, was designed so that visitors could examine a model of the Earth without the distortion of perspective that accompanies looking at a globe's exterior.
It opened to the public on June 1, 1935.

Rings Made From Crayons

Crayon Rings [2009]
Timothy Liles
Crayons
1 1/8" x 1" x 1/2"

$50 (for 10)
The Future Perfect

Is public shame the answer... ?

Bus stop ad for Fitness First in Rotterdam, The Netherlands... Publicly displaying the weight of the person who sits on the bench to wait for the bus.

"It's an attention grabbing ad..." say many online news articles concerning this ad, "...but one that might just cross the line into ruining the bus stop rather than just advertising via it."

What do you think?

Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab

Even though only on the market a short time (because of it's high price, not because if it's contents) in the early 1950s, this is the most elaborate Atomic Energy educational set ever produced.









The set came with four types of uranium ore, a beta-alpha source (Pb-210), a pure beta source (Ru-106), a gamma source (Zn-65), a spinthariscope, a cloud chamber with its own short-lived alpha source (Po-210), an electroscope, a geiger counter, a manual, a comic book and a government manual "Prospecting for Uranium."

Looking at it now, this toy, although healthy for the imagination, can be potentially hazardous to the health!

Do the children that used to play with this toy now have health problems, even if minute?

Were there many requests made for additional radioactive source replacements?

I have so many questions, but I think the biggest one of all is asking ourselves, which is better... Letting your children play with this toy as they did two generations ago, or not allow them to touch anything and lead them around on a leash.

How much is that cinnamon stick in the window... ?

All these cinnamon sticks...

... For only 2€50!!!

Buono appetito!

I don't think Europeans eat this way... But if they did, that would explain the diet pill craze!















Meatloaf with potatoes and ketchup for icing (above)
24 scoop ice cream sundae (right)

And to finish off... Don't forget to floss!

Doubly Disturbed

I recently discovered that an (older) self-esteem campaign by the Body Shop, featuring "Ruby" was removed for such reasons as:
"... her nude and nippless figure being exposed to the public would offend people (in the US and Chine)..."















Later in the week... I discovered these new products being sold at Yves Rocher France:

Starter Detox Minceur, Booster Minceur J-30, Réducteur Cellulite, Zones Rebelles, Ventre Plat


Both very disturbing discoveries... In any sense of a message being sent... Especially to those with fragile/influential minds.

Recycled Elephant Dung Notebook

40 multi-coloured page notebook 150 x 210.

Full of colour and fun and made from 75% elephant dung and 25% recycled paper. The aim of this paper is to educate local communities on the plight of the Sri Lankan elephant and for them to eventually live together in harmony. Winner of the BBC World Challenge 2006.

The handmade paper is made using a fibrous material, and is boiled and beaten to make the fibre pulp. With elephant dung paper, the elephant has done the pulping so it needs to be collected and then cleaned by boiling and steaming so all bacteria are killed. The pulp is then put in to a shallow mould. The coarseness of the paper is entirely dependent on the elephant's diet, again making no two sheets identical.

There is a more important side to Elephant dung products though. The raw paper is bought directly from theMaximus Conservation Trust. All profits from the making of the paper go directly back into the foundation which, at present, looks after 5 elderly elephants, and goes into developing relations between humans and elephants. Basically, as tourism and population grow, this is having adverse effects on elephant habitats with humans taking over traditional elephant paths. Humans then grow food which elephants eat, resulting in conflict. Maximus is paying villagers to collect elephant dung thus trying to get both parties to live together.

The Maximus Conservation Trust is in the grounds of the Millennium Elephant Foundation, a charity that cares for sick and disabled elephants as well as promoting the plight of the Sri Lankan elephant. The ultimate in recycled paper.

(source)

I bake, I might shake but I for sure share...

I just made some yummy chocolate chip walnut muffins... Want one?
I can send you one!
I'll just put it right in this tray... Wait!
I'm connected to the internet, are you?
Good good, it shouldn't be too long...
Ah no NO! What am I doing?! This will never work... It's a cup holder!

3 popular reasons for "splurging" on comfort foods

1. It has a fabulous "mouth feel” - The combination of sugar/fat or salty/fatty taste found in many of our indulgences stimulates our taste buds in a major way.

2. A connection to a past experience - Sometimes we're attached to the place we ate certain foods and that association makes us feel great.

3. Deprivation on a eating plan - Our best intentions to limit "problem" foods sometimes creates an even bigger problem, longing for those "indulgences."

Food stimulates at least three of the five senses: it looks good, it often tastes great and it smells wonderful.

There are no bad foods, just bad portions, and the most important part of choosing to indulge is how to budget these foods in your "caloric bank account".

Don't deprive yourself of what you like.

Vélib' casualties on the rise...

"...Fourches tordues, paniers cassés, carters tagués, des vélos noyés dans la Seine…Vélib’ compte aujourd’hui 11 600 vélos vandalisés et 7 800 vélos disparus de la circulation..."

10 Things You Can Quit Cleaning Right Now (And create waste!)

Here's a list I came across on iVillage, from a series of articles providing tips on how to be clean and organized... Although I may agree with some, some are just hazardous to long term health and others promote waste!!

1. Sneakers.
Just buy dark-colored ones and wear them until they fall apart.

2. Grill grate.
When you're done grilling, leave the grill going. Close the cover over the grate and let any residue cook off for 15 minutes. Throw that wire brush away.

3. Soccer balls.
Everybody expects them to be marred and mud splotched. Think of it as a badge of honor.

4. Shower curtain liner.
They're cheap. Throw your mildewed liner out and buy a new one every six months.

5. Pillow.
A washed pillow takes hours to dry. Throw it out and buy a new one every six to eight months.

6. Stove drip pans.
Use your grungy ones for everyday cooking, and keep a shiny new set to use when guests come.

7. Ventilation ducts.
Despite the advertising, regular professional duct cleaning is unnecessary.

8. Fireplace walls.
Everybody expects a fireplace to have blackened walls. And you'll breathe even easier if you give up fires altogether.

9. Waxing the car.
The newer finishes are so tough that cars don't need it anymore.

10. Making the bed.
Give it up - doctor's orders.

Collage is Awesome!!

Smoosh around leftover paint on palette paper.
Let dry.
Feel inspired and creative.
Cut it out.
Use fancy-pants gluing techniques...
And voila! Bring collagetic life to your painting!

Balasana - Child's Pose

Allow the tailbone to gently move back and down onto the heels. Sit on a block or a blanket if the knees offer resistance or are injured and feel uncomfortable.
This is a good yoga position to relax in during fatigue. The knees increase in flexibility and blood flows into the mind.

This pose stretches the knees and the lower back. It is a very good pose to do to get blood to the brain and is recommended if you have dizziness or extreme fatigue. You may want to open the knees a little more if you suffer from over acidity. This will create more room around the belly. It also allows deeper breathing.

Muscles tendons and ligaments in the knee are stretched. These are the patellar ligament, the articularis genu, the head of the popliteus, the tendon of the quadriceps femoris, the ends of the vastus medialis and the medial retinacular ligament, vastus lateralis and the lateral retinacular ligament. Further up the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus and upper hamstrings are stretched.

Practise morning and night.

Still Life - Abstractically Acrylic

Here is my 2nd work from my 2nd
"Acrylic Painting and Mixed Media on Paper"
class.

Egogoogling: "Yolanda is"

Top 10 results:

- Eighteen years old and six months pregnant, Yolanda is determined to raise her baby, finish high school, and stay off welfare.
- Experience is more necessary in dealing with women than in any other of life's affairs, and this episode with Yolanda is what you need to prepare you for...
- Yolanda is so talented that she can make old Christmas songs sound new. Christmas with Yolanda is truly an amazing work of art.
- Yolanda is a Supporter for 1 Cause.
- Yolanda is member #25 of Transplant Groups.
- Yolanda is the mother of 5 children, all grown and married. Thanks to Yolanda's efforts, all of her children went as far in school as they were able.
- In the liner notes for the CD, Yolanda is described as: "...a radical fairie, ... But Yolanda is also a shrewd political animal who lures listeners in with...
- Having walked through her own tunnel of darkness and discovering the light at the other end, Yolanda is eminently qualified to guide, teach and inspire...
- Yolanda is a fan of: Celebrities / Public Figures. Agyness Deyn! Dazed and Confused Magazine · Daisy Lowe · Coco Rocha · Lou Doillon. Music...
- Yolanda is the # 321 ranked first name in the United States.