Dressed in Your Pajamas in the Grand Salon

 

And now from trains to an even larger mode of transportation…

I saw this on Ruminations.com and it reminded me of a video I saw on someone’s facebook page recently:

 

Subsequently, when I was home recently picking up the General I got some more books from my old room and one of them was a coffee table all about the Titanic.  Upon seeing it my mother recounted:

“Oooooh yes, the Titanic.  We heard that ship sink every night for a month after you saw that show in New York. What you put those poor people through!”

Ever since I got a CD player in my room I have been in the habit of listening to music as I fall asleep and, yes, at a certain point all I would listen to was the soundtrack to the musical that my grandparents took me to when I was younger (I can still see that crows nest coming out of the ceiling right on front of me from front row balcony!)  Looking back maybe I should have had a CD player and a good set of headphones to lull me to sleep.

 

Artist: Maury Yeston/ Album: Titanic

Glory Train

 

There is a wonderful John Dominis photograph in Catherine’s office at the John Cleary Gallery (don’t miss the Renate Aller: One View, Ten Years opening this Saturday between 6-8) that reminds me of some videos I’ve been holding on to for a while.  So… two birds/one stone and all, I thought I would give you train spotters out there a shout out!

“Southern Pacific Engine, Donner Pass, CA” 1949

 

The first is actually the fifth in a thirteen part series of that gives us a “conductors view” of the 7.5 hour/300 mile journey from Bergen to Oslo:                                                                                                            [via io9]

 

Next up is video artist Graeme Taylor’s supremely slow motion “drive by” of the Bath Spa depot in Britain. I especially love that you can see the flickering of the halogen lights in the station beginning around :49.  

[via Gawker]

Artist: Randy Newman/ Album: Faust (Concept Album)

Sweet Painted Lady

 

Whenever I find an article or video online that I think I may want to post about later I always throw it in my favorites folder thinking “I should blog about this later tonight!”  Inevitably I never get to it, and as I added another one recently I was a bit overwhelmed with how many had accumulated over the last couple of months.  So in an effort to do a little pre-Spring cleaning you will probably be seeing more art-heavy posts for a while. That is, unless I have something interesting happen to me I feel worthy of blogging about. (Which basically translates to “it’s gonna be all art from here on out, baby”… wah wah)

Posts like these generally are divided into three types: 1. Something that I see reminds me of a saved site and I incorporate the anecdote as a introduction of sorts to the artist or video (I had been sitting on Saturday’ ink pictures for quite a while, and I already have the first day of Spring and April fools written). 3. I use it as a chance to put up a new banner photo.  OR 2.  Something becomes saved for so long that I get anxious I’ll forget it and I just post it.  Today’s post will be of the latter variation.

I don’t actually remember what led me to this blog post about artist, Desiree Palmen’s, fascinating painted clothing. 

“First she takes photographs of the scene then, back in the studio, she meticulously transfers the detail on to the cotton suit with acrylic paints. […] She makes cotton suits and paints the camouflage on by hand, painstakingly matching it to the chosen background. Either she or a model then poses in the suit in the chosen place.The scenes are photographed and filmed and then put on display.”

Basically I wish I had one of these at work painted like the candle wall or something so I could just hide when a needy housewife wants me to entertain her until her kids get off from school.

 

 

YOU ARE HERE(?)

     

 

 

 

Artist: Elton John/ Album: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

On a Turquoise Cloud

 

Last night the gang and I went out to Anvil Bar & Refuge for drinks to start off the week-long “goodbye Hester” celebrations before she hops back over the pond to her Redcoat roots.  Michele had raved about this place to me before (partially about their fantastic cocktail menu but primarily about the, how shall I put this… buxom bartender they had seen last time they were there).  Needless to say the place delivered on both counts.  As a bonus, they had one of my favorite cocktails, the Pisco Sour, of which I haven’t had a really good one since the last time I went to the Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor.  It made me very happy!

At Hester’s suggestion, Michele ordered the “Bramble”, a typically British concoction of gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and crème de mûre (a blackberry liqueur).  Hers was by far the prettiest of the drinks, which happened to reminded me of some photographs by Alberto Seveso I saw recently of colored ink in water.

By the time I snapped this picture the drink had mixed a little bit

 

But what it really looked like was… … …

   

   

 

Artist: Audra McDonald/ Album: Happy Songs

Television, Television

 

In honor of television returning from the holiday break (oh how I’ve missed you Modern Family and 30 Rock), I thought now was as good a time as ever to post this video I saw on Gawker with 60 of TV’s most famous catch phrases in under two and a half minutes.  Follow the link to see a listing of every one and it’s respective show.

60 Years of Television's Most Memorable Catch Phrases in 146 Seconds - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

 

Artist: Ok Go/ Album: Oh No

Soldiers’ Gossip

 

So I’m not sure if you heard, but on Christmas day the General encountered a bit of combat on the road and ended up losing a transmission in battle.  After a (not so speedy) rush to the doctor in Crockett the old warhorse is driving better than ever.  Plus, he even had some minor plastic surgery under the hands of my dad, who did an awesome job cleaning him.  And when I say “minor” I actually mean “major,” because I know how much dirt was on that floor.

Dad: “Did you know you have several license plates under the back seat.”

Me: “Huh? Oh yeah… it’s the Ballenger in me.  I’m contemplating maybe do something with them one day?”

Plus, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but apparently the rims of my tires were made of metal and not some hardened, clay-like substance.

So clean you could eat off them!! (Though, to be honest, I wouldn’t.  I think I ran over a possum on the way back)

 

[As a side note, this picture reminds me of one of Jennifer and me in Chicago at the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.]

 

 

Aaaaanyway, the drive back was just lovely and there was quite a sunset to gaze at along the way!

 

 

 

 

Artist: Steven Sondheim/ Album: Passion

Afterglow

 

I spent New Years eve this year with Brad, Michele and Hester at the home of their friends, Brad and Magen.  Best of all, we rang in 2011 with Tex-Mex and glow sticks, baby! (Throw in a Sondheim tune and that’s about my idea of a perfect evening.

Funnily enough, it was at a New Years eve party several years ago that I first met Brad and Michele through Mallory. I am so grateful for their friendship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (The extra !’s mean I really mean it)

Our hosts fixing fajitas and Brad apparently trying to get a kick-line started (my goal for this blog, as in life, is to make fun of him only 20% of the time)

 

Magen, showing us that everything’s better with guacamole (and Dos Equis); Brad giving us either his “Blue Steel” or a look of utter annoyance

 

Magen, her sister Leslie, and Andrew

 

   

THEY GLOW IN THE DARK!!!

 

At some point during the evening I heard Michele yelling from the kitchen: “Joseph! JOOOSEEEPH!!!  You gotta take my picture while I’m waving my arms, it’ll look aMAYzing.”  So I did…

… and it did?

 

Brad rockin’ the headband

 

 

Princess Michele of the Patron tribe

We rung in midnight with a toast of champagne (duh) and the intent to go around the room and announce our resolutions.  I say intent because we just ended up getting refills of champagne and headed out to the patio to celebrate!  Some of you may have been playing the “Um… hey guys, where’s Hester?” game with this post.  So as not to disappoint:

THERE’S HESTER!!! (Looking fabulous by the way)

 

So a big, hearty thanks to Brad and Magen for being such wonderful hosts, as well as an even bigger thanks to my date for the evening!

Taylor Tiger and Me

 

Plus, you know it can’t be too bad of a party when I got this on my facebook today:

Artist: Genesis/ Album: Wind & Wuthering