Sunday, March 31, 2019

Thought for the Day



5 x 5: 5 Pics and comments about 5 artists

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LIISA HIETANEN: 

Finnish artist Liisa Hietanen crochets and knits imitations of her friends and neighbours in a series which she has called Villagers. Amazingly accurate, she likes to get to know her subject before recreating them. Here are 5 examples: 


 



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DAKU 156: 

Daku is the pseudonym of an Indian street artist who frequently uses light, shadows and refl;ections in his works, as well as word messages. 

One example that is straight street art: in 2014 before India’s elections, Daku painted a large hand with an inked middle finger with the words “Mat Do”, which can be interpreted as vote or alternatively don’t vote. 


Recently Daku installed a text-based shadow work in Goa by having letters suspended on fishnet above pedestrians casting shadows on the street. The messages are about time passing, the work being called Theory of Time. 





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A BULL AND A FEARLESS GIRL: 

You know that statue known as Charging Bull, which is sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull, well. it started as guerrilla art that was installed unofficially by sculptor Arturo Di Modica. It became so popular that it has been allowed to remain permanently. 


The bronze sculpture is an iconic symbol of Wall Street that has become a tourist attraction in its own right. It is said that for good luck, one must rub the bull’s nose, horns and cods, the latter having become shiny and gleaming as a result: 


Charging Bull has often been a subject of criticism from an anti-capitalist perspective. The Occupy Wall Street protests used the bull as a symbolic figure to protest against corporate greed, and it has been likened to the golden calf worshiped by the Israelites during their Exodus from Egypt. 

On March 7, 2017, the night before International Women's Day, another bronze sculpture, Fearless Girl, was placed directly in front of Charging Bull.  


The statue was designed by Kristen Visbal and commissioned by State Street Global Advisers (SSGA) as part of a marketing campaign for their gender-diverse index fund. The plaque below the statue states: "Know the power of women in leadership. SHE makes a difference," with "SHE" being both a descriptive pronoun and the fund's NASDAQ ticker symbol. Fearless Girl was placed facing the bull, and seems to be staring it down. The city granted a permit allowing Fearless Girl to stay on the site for at least 11 months. 

Creator of Charging Bull, Di Modica, was not happy. He asked that the statue of the girl be removed, arguing that the piece exploits his work for commercial purposes and that it altered the perception of the bull from "a symbol of prosperity and for strength" into a villain, doing so for SSGA's commercial gain. Some valid comments.

After Fearless Girl had been in place for thirteen months, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that both Charging Bull and Fearless Girl would be moved to a location facing the New York Stock Exchange. 

Fearless Girl has drawn criticism as being corporate advertising, corporate feminism, as trivialising the pro-rights movement for women and in using a child for the message. Nonethess the statue has been as popular as Charging Bull. 


A report states that sculptor Visbal is making 1,000 miniature replicas about 56 cm/22 inches in height. It will cost $6,500 to own one. 

On February 14, 2019, State Street Global Advisors filed a lawsuit against Kristen Visbal, claiming that she has made and sold replicas of the statue in violation of her contract with the company. The suit claims the artist made at least three unauthorized Fearless Girl reproductions that could damage the company's global campaign in support of female leadership and gender diversity. 

Funnily enough, on October 6, 2017, State Street, the company that funded Fearless Girl, paid $5 million to settle a lawsuit from its female and minority employees who alleged the company violated equal pay rights. 

One final note: 

A replica of Fearless Girl was unveiled by Kristen Visbal at Federation Square in Melbourne before Women's Day on March 8, 2019. It is planned to stand there for four years, 


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PEETA: 

Peeta, also known as Manuel Di Rita, is a graffiti artist currently based in Venice, Italy. His works frequently display an interaction between letters, words, shapes, space, three dimensional volume and altered perceptions of reality, as the following mural examples show: 


 



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OLGA KAMENETSKAYA: 

Ukrainian artist Olga Kamenetskaya trns unrealistic painted faces on dolls and turns them into realistic images, creating something better and amazing in each case. See what you think . . .







Saturday, March 30, 2019

Quote for the Day

"Chinese sons think their moms fart Chanel No. 5."

- Awkwafina as Peik Lin Goh, Crazy Rich Asians film



Sydney Suburbs continued: canada Bay, Canley Heights, Canley Vale

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CANADA BAY: 

Location:

Canada Bay is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Canada Bay. Canada Bay is also a bay on Parramatta River between Concord and Five Dock. The suburb of Canada Bay sits on the southern shore and is bordered by the suburbs of Burwood and Croydon. The City of Canada Bay takes its name from the bay but its administrative centre is located in the suburb of Drummoyne. 

Name origin: 

In 1837-38, rebellions against the British colonial power took place in Lower Canada (now southern Quebec) and the neighbouring colony of Upper Canada (now southern Ontario). After the rebellions, John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, Governor General and Lord High Commissioner to British North America recommended that Britain grant responsible self-government to the Union of Upper and Lower Canada. As a result, the Province of Canada was created from the former provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada. 

Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, two Irish and 58 French Canadian rebels were deported to Australia. At the request of the local Catholic bishop, they were brought to Sydney. Imprisoned at Longbottom Stockade (which was located at what is now Concord Oval), the convicts broke stone for the construction of Parramatta Road and collected oyster shells for making lime. In 1842, the French Canadians were allowed to work outside the prison. Between 1843 and 1844, all received pardons and, except for two people who died and one (Joseph Marceau) who settled in Dapto all returned to Canada. 

Many parts of Canada Bay are a reminder of this history: Exile Bay, France Bay, Durham Street, Marceau Drive, Polding Street and Gipps Street. Bayview Park has a plaque that honours the exiles and marks the point of disembarkation. 

The City of Canada Bay was formed in December 2000, by the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils. 

Gallery: 

Funnily enough, the City of Canada Bay (left) and Canada (right)look remarkably similar on maps. 

The City of Canada bay 

The foundation of trenches from Longbottom Stockade being uncovered during construction of a new grandstand at Concord Oval, 1984 

Wymston, at Chiswick, built by Dr George Fortescue, amongst the first surgeons appointed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Built in the early 1880s, it was demolished in about 1922. 

Canada Bay 

Cabarita Pool, 1923 

The original Palace Hotel, opened in 1886 at the end of Tennyson Road, where the River Quays Marina now stands. The hotel was demolished in the mid-1920s and a new hotel, still named the Palace, was built further up Tennyson Road, nearly opposite the entrance to the gasworks. The gasworks entrance was also the Mortlake tram terminus. 

Mortlake Gas Works 

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CANLEY HEIGHTS: 

Location: 

Canley Heights is a suburb of Sydneylocated 31 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the South-western Sydney region. 

Name origin: 

Canley Heights takes its name from its nearby sister-suburb, Canley Vale. When Sir Henry Parkes settled there in the mid-19th century, he named his home Canley Grange, after his birthplace Canley Moat House in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, England. 

About: 

Canley Heights mostly consists of low-density residential and commercial developments. Its commercial area is centred on Canley Vale Road, the main street in the suburb, which features convenient stores, dollar stores, and as well as a variety of ethnic restaurants (generally Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai), which usually open up until late in the weekends and would offer a 'nightlife' for the residents and visitors alike. 

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 10,974 residents in Canley Heights. 40.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Vietnam 28.7%, Cambodia 7.1%, Iraq 2.7%, New Zealand 2.1% and China 1.7%. 20.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Vietnamese 39.3%, Cantonese 6.7%, Khmer 6.3%, Mandarin 3.1% and Min Nan 2.9%. The most common responses for religion in Canley Heights were Buddhism 38.4%, Catholic 19.3% and No Religion 18.1% 

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CANLEY VALE: 

Location: 

Canley Vale is a suburb of Sydney located 30 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the South-western Sydney region. 

Name and history: 

Aboriginal people from the Cabrogal tribe, a sub-group of the Gandangara tribe, have lived in the Fairfield area for over 30 000 years. Canley Vale was once a woodland area and was originally part of the Male Orphan School Estate. 

In the 1800s, Sir Henry Parkes (1815–96) settled in the district in a mansion which he built near the railway line between Fairfield and Cabramatta. He named it Canley Grange after his birthplace in Warwickshire, England. He named the railway station Canley Moat House and had his own private landing beside the line. 

"Vale" means valley or dale. Cabramatta and Canley Vale were regarded as a single community and from the 1920s it was known as Cabravale. In 1899, the municipality of Cabramatta and Canley Vale, which had been established in 1892, was redivided, and the two separate wards were gazetted on 8 January 1900. In 1948, they became part of the Fairfield local government area. 

Gallery: 


Sir Henry Parkes 

Sir Henry Parkes (1815 – 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and longest non-consecutive Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia. He has been referred to as the "Father of Federation" due to his early promotion for the federation of the six colonies of Australia, as an early critic of British convict transportation and as a proponent for the expansion of the Australian continental rail network. 

Parkes delivered his famous Tenterfield Oration in 1889 which led to his instigation of a conference in 1890 and a Constitutional Convention in 1891, the first of a series of meetings that led to the federation of Australia. He died in 1896, five years before this process was completed. He was described during his lifetime by The Times as "the most commanding figure in Australian politics". Alfred Deakin described Sir Henry Parkes as having flaws but nonetheless being "a large-brained self-educated Titan whose natural field was found in Parliament".


Friday, March 29, 2019

Thought for the Day



Funny Friday


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The ides of March have come and gone, tempus fugit.  For those not up on their Latin, it is not a rude expression, it means time flies.  As Groucho Marx reputedly said (although the expression predates him), time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

So time flies and here it is Friday, time for some fun . . .  indeed, not only is today a fun time, it is also fund about time.

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Caution: risque humour ahead.

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Funnies:

A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city’s major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. “Yes?” “Excuse me, sir,” the jogger said, “do you have the time?” The man looked at the car clock and answered, “8:15”. The jogger said thanks and left. The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger. “Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?” “8:25!” The jogger said thanks and left. Now the man could see other joggers passing by and he knew it was only a matter of time before another o ne disturbed him. To avoid the problem, he got out a pen and paper and put a sign in his window saying, “I do not know the time!” Once again he settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window. “Sir, sir? It’s 8:45!”

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Mary had a little watch,
She swallowed it one day.
So she took some castor oil,
To pass the time away.
But even with the castor oil
The time refused to pass,
So if you want to know the time,
Just look up Mary's arse.

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A guy goes to the Council to apply for a job,

The interviewer asks him, "Are you allergic to anything?"

He replies, "Yes, caffeine. I can't drink coffee."

"OK, have you ever been in the military service?"

"Yes," he says, "I was in Iraq for one tour."

The interviewer says, "That will give you 5 extra points toward employment."

Then he asks, "Are you disabled in any way?"

The guy says, "Yes. A bomb exploded near me and I lost both my testicles."

The interviewer grimaces and then says, "Okay. You've got enough points for me to hire you right now. Our normal hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can start tomorrow at 10 a.m., and plan on starting at 10 a.m. every day."

The guy is puzzled and asks, "If the work hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., why don't you want me here until 10 a.m.?"

"This is a Council job", the interviewer says. "For the first two hours, we just stand around drinking coffee and scratching our balls. No point in you coming in for that.

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Hillary Clinton died and went to Heaven. As she stood in front of Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates, she saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.

She asked, "What are all those clocks?"

Saint Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie, the hands on your clock will move.

"Oh," said Hillary, "whose clock is that?"

"That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved indicating that she never told a lie."

"Whose clock is that?"

"That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have only moved twice telling us that Abe only told 2 lies in his entire life."

"Where's Trump's clock?" Hillary asked.

"Trump's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan." 

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Him:  I want you to suck my clock.
Her:   I’s not a clock.
Him:  It will be when you put two hands and a face on it.

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From the vault:

While proudly showing off his new apartment to friends, a college student led the way into the den. “What is the big brass gong and hammer for?” one of his friends asked. “That is the talking clock,” the man replied. “How’s it work?” the friend asked. “Watch,” the student said then proceeded to give the gong an ear shattering pound with the hammer. Suddenly someone screamed from the other side of the wall, “KNOCK IT OFF, YOU JERK! IT’S 2 AM!”

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Limerick of the week:

Explanation:  Worcester is pronounced Wooster

There was a young lady of Worcester
Who complained too many men gorcester.
So she traded her scanties
For sandpaper panties,
Mow they goose her much less than they yorcester.
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Gallery:






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Corn Corner:

Q: What did the second hand say to the hour hand as it passed by?
A: See you again in a minute.

"Please help me, Doctor, I keep seeing into the future!"
"Ah. And when did this start?"
"Next Tuesday afternoon."