Argument to Beethoven's 5th

No cue cards, no teleprompters, and no second takes--legendary funnyman Sid Caesar pioneered live television sketch comedy with his 1950s sitcoms Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. This classic sketch is "Argument to Beethoven's 5th," Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray play a married couple in a argument with pantomimed action and the dialogue is classic music.

The Lohanization of America



A mom takes her daughter to a tanning salon to make her look more like Lindsey Lohan for her school's graduation pictures. I'm absolutely outraged by this. The girl won't truly look like Lindsey Lohan until they put her behind the wheel with a bottle of tequila to wash down the Oxycontin.

Gary Parker's Portraits of Little People

Amazing photos.

The purpose of these galleries is to educate the public as to the many varieties of dwarfism as well as to reflect the huge spirits of the beautiful individuals who have so kindly agreed to be photographed for this project.

365 Portraits



From here:

I'm Bill Wadman, a New York-based photographer who after completing my first 365 Project, and then a weekly 52 Project, have taken it upon myself to shoot and post one portrait every day of 2007. The photo will have been taken that day, and each day will be a different person. Some will be in the studio, some will be in the wild. Hopefully they will all be interesting.

and a WTF??!!!

A teen employee in Albeta Tim Hortons posted a sign in the drive thru that said, 'No Druken Indians Allowed'. You know, as a 'joke'.

So of course a boycott of Tim Horton's has been started by aborignals in Albeta. The company of course has issued apologies..blah, blah, blah.

But the employee wasn't fired for this act. The statement from the company was this.

"I think it was one of those youthful things where she just didn't realize and she was made very aware of her actions and the consequences and was very remorseful," said Douglas.

"We decided it was in her best interests -- and a learning experience -- that we didn't terminate, but she has been disciplined and reprimanded."

Um...no. I'm sorry, but as far as am I concerned, this is requires termination. She may be remorseful and it may be one of those stupid things you do as a teen (although I don't remember being doing anything this hateful as a teen.) However, I do think that as a teen you have to start learning to responsible for your actions and realize that there are consequences. (And please...there's no shortage of low wage jobs in Alberta, I'm sure she could get another.)

A bit of Walter Sobchak philosphy is needed here.

'This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass.

Voytek, The Iranian Soldier Bear of Monte Cassino



From Iranian.com:

The cub clung desperately to his substitute mother all through the tortured journey across Persia, Iraq and Jordan, along vast distances that seemed to loose heart and succumb to the despair of barrenness. Sometimes the man would lock the bear in the warmth of his greatcoat so that it became part of him. In the evenings, as he sat with the other men around the fire telling tales late into the night, the bear cub would be rocked to sleep in the sound of his immense laughter. In time, the orphan lost himself in the lives of these strangers and entangled himself completely in the rhythms and cadences of their speech. From that time onwards he became wholly theirs: body, will and soul.

In this way, Voytek the Iranian brown bear from Hamadan entered the lives of the soldiers of the Second Polish Army Corps, transforming all their destinies.

In the months that followed, he won over the hearts of all who met him. The soldiers, who had all endured the horrors and hardships of Siberia, needed something in their lives to love, and the presence of Voytek was a wonderful tonic for their morale. Despite his brute strength, which grew day by day, he was always an amiable and a gentle giant. The soldiers treated him from the start as one of their own company and never as a pet. They shared their food with him, allowed him to sleep in their tents at night and included him in all their activities.

If the unit was ordered to march out, he would march with them on two legs like a soldier. When they were being transported to some distant location, he would ride in the front seat of the jeeps (or transport wagons) to the great amazement of passers-by. More than anything, however, he loved to wrestle with the soldiers, taking on three or four of them at a time. Sometimes he was even gracious enough to allow them the courtesy of winning. Over the next few years, he shared all their fortunes, and went with them wherever they were posted throughout the Middle East. He grew to be almost six feet tall and weighed 500 pounds.

glumbert.com - When graphic artists get bored

Women in Film




From the creator of "Women in Art" comes "Women in Film"

80 years of female portraits in cinema

The Insects' Christmas



A stop motion animation from around 1913 by Ladislas Starevich who is famous for using insects and animals as his films' protagonists.

First, I don't know why, but when I try to post in Radmila's blog it won't let me put a title. You know I wanted to put something very clever and witty here as a title; it was going to be the funniest title you had ever scene and it would have gotten nominated for 'Best Blog Entry Title of the Universe' and then the whole world would bow before my Blog Entry Title Championship feet. But I guess it won't happen.

See, this is how life screws me.

Anyway....monday has already started off on the wrong foot because I've read the that Charles Nelson Reilly passed away. Can I tell you why I loved CNR (btw, that's what us real fans call him 'CNR' - we wear it on shirts and ball caps just as a little 'in' thing.).

I loved CNR because

1) He was just gay. He was one of the first people on television that I remember being gay. And he just did it with this sense of, 'I'm witty, I'm talented, I'm charming and oh yes I'm gay - deal with it.'. It seemed to allow the world to take a chill pill.

2) I loved Match Game and I loved the way the stars interacted - especially Charles. The way he was on that show made you think that there was always going to be a fabulous cocktail party back at his place after the show.

Click you here.

3) I loved his pipe. It reminded me of my uncle Wally.

Good bye CNR, I know you were more than game shows, but you always had the best 'blanks'.

You know summer is coming in Toronto when these guys start making their appearance north of Eglinton.

Japanese Human Art

Sunday Click Around

Hello!

It's my last click around before The Mister and me leave, and I must say it's great to visit my own blog and see posts already there!

I have to thank Cynical-C and Jacqueline again for taking over for me while I'm gone.

I love Square America because I love old photos of people. I could sift through old photos all day long and never get bored. I can look at a photo of strangers and build a whole life behind it.

Chocolate—A Minister's Daughter, is a great idea, and what she does looks pretty delicious and innovational, but is it wrong of me to wish she'd wear a hairnet and vinyl gloves?

People used to get mad at me when I said that I thought Billy Idol had the voice of a lounge singer...but a lot of those songs from the 80's could, and have been turned into lounge music. Damn, Paul Anka did a whole album turning what we thought was "cutting edge" into Vegas lounge music. Here's an Old Spice "Ahoy" commercial using "Hungry Life a Wolf". It just goes to show you that even the things you thought were "the coolest" will end up selling cars, GAP or Old Navy or diapers when your kids have kids (or sooner).

Ok, that last one made me think of Diana Ross.
Ever wonder why Diana Ross's kids all have the Ross last name? Is it because Miss. Ross is a control freak? Is it because she's an egomaniac?
No, it's because you can't keep up with which kid belongs to which man, and her last name hides the crossovers since the timelines often don't match the marriages or the husbands.

The Sopranos like vowels.

Ballroom dancing or Cha Cha and little kids, you have to love it.

I want to see this version of The Wizard of Oz.

Because we're a culture of excess and entrepreneureal pioneers, and have more money than sense...if you're getting a divorce, why don't you purchase a coffin for your wedding ring?
This will bring "closure" and help you "end cycle" on your complex emotional issues regarding the breakdown of your marriage. Duh.

I loved Etch-A-Sketch when I was a kid.
Here's an online version.

Dopplegangr is another one of those kind of mean humour sites like Hot or Not.

Aw, Shoot
Style Invitational contestants sent in their best photos featuring kitchen utensils and/or small household tools to The Washington Post.

The Top Ten Pioneers of Striptease.
Back in the day when women weighed more than a buck five.

TransformingLives.ca is a very powerful website bringing light to mental health issues. The personal stories are something everyone should watch.

Ok kids, that's it for now....

Duke Ellington and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers





I see Jacqueline's "breakdancing, past and present" and raiser her a Duke Ellington and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

I saw this on facebook and had to share.

I especially like the shot of the Nicholas Brothers with the staircase. I've seen it before but it still blows me away.

glumbert.com - Breakdancing: Past and Present

Landing at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras

Landing at Toncontin International Airport in Honduras

A video of a plane landing in Toncontin Airport, one of the most dangerous in the world.

The origin of the name Toncontín is unknown. This airport has received much criticism for being one of the most dangerous in the world due to its proximity to the mountains and for years efforts have been made to replace it with Palmerola airport in Comayagua, currently a United States airbase.

(via Nothing to do with Arbroath)

The Prince Juliana Airpot at St Maarten is not as dangerous as Toncontin but makes for one scary approach if you are relaxing on the beach looking up.

The Little Rock Nine



The most difficult walk to school ever!

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, on May 17, 1954. The decision declared all laws establishing segregated schools to be unconstitutional, and it called for the desegregation of all schools throughout the nation. [1] After the decision the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) attempted to register black students in previously all-white schools in cities throughout the South. In Little Rock, the capital city of Arkansas, the Little Rock School Board agreed to comply with the high court's ruling. Virgil Blossom, the Superintendent of Schools, submitted a plan of gradual integration to the school board on May 24, 1955, which the board unanimously approved. The plan would be implemented during the 1958 school year, which would begin in September 1957. By 1957, the NAACP had registered nine black students to attend the previously all-white Little Rock Central High, selected on the criteria of excellent grades and attendance. [2]

Several segregationist "citizens' councils" threatened to hold protests at Central High and physically block the black students from entering the school. In response, Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists on 4 September 1957. The sight of a line of soldiers blocking nine black students from attending high school made national headlines and polarized the city. On 9 September 1957, "The Council of Church Women" issued a statement condemning the Governor's deployment of soldiers to the high school and called for a citywide prayer service on 12 September. Even President Dwight Eisenhower attempted to de-escalate the situation and summoned Governor Faubus to meet him. The president warned the governor not to interfere with the Supreme Court's ruling.

Women in Art



500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art
(via The Presurfer)

Glacia from Norge Thingy reporting in. Nod up to Chris.

I'm actually overwhelmingly honoured to be asked to contribute to this blog, which I think is one of the best out there.

I think Radmilla and I are similar in the sense that we both like to blog about our everyday lives and our city. But how we differ and what I really admire about her is her outspokenness and saying what she feels without worrying about opposing opinions and actually encouraging discussion.

So to that end, I'll promise to be more edgy and 'real'. First order of business:

1. Toronto cyclist, STOP riding your bikes on the sidewalk.

2. Guy in the SUV who honked at me because I was standing not far enough back from the street for you to plow your Earthdestroyer2000 through...screw you.

3. Fellow dog owners, pick up after your pooch.

4. To the youths who live in the apartment beneath my townhouse, stop being all young and cool with your 'chillin' and stuff - it's bugging me.

Wooo! That felt great!

Glacia sucks back another 10 am vodka, lights a smoke and thinks, 'I'm really gonna love this.'

Good luck on your trip Radmilla and Mr. R! I think Chris and I have got your back.

Oh, and all comments can be sent to glacia at gmail dot com.

Chris from Cynical-C here

Chris from Cynical-C here. I hate introductions so for those of you who don't know me or are not familiar with my blog, feel free to read this post about What People Have Said about Cynical-C to get a feel about how much trouble Radmila's blog is in for the next couple of weeks.

I want to thank Radmila for trusting me with her blog. When she honored me the other day by asking if I would be so kind as to guest blog for her while she was in Spain, my first reaction was "Hell no!" Then I remembered that she was kind enough to guest blog for me when I was away and realized I had no choice. (Mental note: Only choose people without blogs to be a guest blogger next time I go away. Paying them back a favor would be something easier than guest blogging for them like housesitting, giving them money or hiding a murder weapon)


So it looks like we're stuck with each other while Radmila and the Mister are cavorting in Europe. My blogging style seems to differ with Radmila's quite drastically. She actually puts effort in her blog posts where as to I just throw things at a webpage and hope something sticks. Since Radmila's blog is highly personalized, I think I will stick to posting some of the more interesting links that are on the net. Feel free to email me at cc@cynical-c.com if you have any comments or complaints.

Now if I can only figure out how to work blogger. Radmila, how do you publish this post?