Month: October 2013

GORE-tex… Mmmwwwwaaahahahaha!

[Note] Kathleen’s “Muddy Buddy” comment relates to the rainsuits her grand daughters wear in England.
Here’s a cute example.
Here are Kaitlin and Charlotte in their Muddy Buddies. Costumes by Chrissy.

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By Helen Andersen. These small pieces all date from the 80s.

First slide: Abandoned Mine, Salmo
Second: Mt. Newton, Saanichton
Third: Mt. Newton X Rd.
Fourth: Fun Thing 1
Fifth: Fun Thing 2
Sixth: Invention #1

TV ads for McDonalds coffee clearly attempt to win over customers of more expensive coffee outlets. How’s the product?
Smart graphics. It’s fresh, that’s for sure. They are going through buckets of the stuff this freebie week.
Time to taste… Hmmmm. It DOES taste different… and yet familiar. Where have I encountered that taste before? I know… Tim’s!

Already viral, but worth repeating…

Chief Blair wants automated cameras to enforce more traffic laws because technology can hand out tickets more cheaply than expensive police officers can. Police force numbers will decrease by… what’s your guess?

Jack watching TV, from a Helen Andersen sketchbook. 1963, when Helen was signing her work “Andy”.
This is one of the stronger “people pictures” in Helen’s sketchbooks. I am enjoying going through the sketch books as much as the individual pictures. Many of the Vancouver scenes bring back memories. She sketched a lot of industrial scenes in those days… construction, commercial fishing boats, sawmills. Studies of people appear more rarely, probably because it’s hard to get people to sit still. TV watchers provide an obvious opportunity.

Reflections of a moody sky helped my photo of the silicone horror show. The theatrical store actually has figures like this in the window all year, but aren’t they perfect for the annual celebration of all things tacky?

More from the same window…

Porter Airlines wants to grow, fly its passengers on jets and serve more customers. Good. It has outgrown its small, regional airport on Toronto’s waterfront. Time to move the business to Pearson Airport.
You can vote here.
Unfortunately, Porter wants to expand the Toronto Island runway farther out into the lake rather than go to the bigger airport. The company is lobbying hard and pressing with PR and advertising to get their wish.
Because Porter is relentless in its self-interested ambitions, public interest needs relentless support, too. Let’s keep our revitalized waterfront free of jets (laughably called “whisper jets” by Porter PR). Massive increases in car traffic to our waterfront airport will only add to congestion and air pollution. Jets themselves would further add to air pollutants.
Compared with the numbers of residents and tourists who enjoy our waterfront, Porter fliers are a small minority. No matter how much they like Porter’s exemplary service, their pleasures are not more important than those of the rest of us.
As rail service will soon take fliers from downtown to Pearson Airport in 25 minutes, Porter customers will be able to take a Porter jet out of the big airport. Maybe Porter at Pearson would have a positive effect on competitors there. Wouldn’t that be nice!

The Lubicon Expect Fair Play From The Government, by Helen Andersen. Oil pastel on paper
Helen labelled this piece a diptych and the two parts were matted together as you see in the original frame. A new frame was required and I managed to crack the first piece of glass and muff the cutting of the double opening mat on my first attempt. The frame in 40 inches wide.
With Danica’s help, the job eventually worked out and the result is very impressive. Members of the Lubicon First Nation are shown in full regalia, with protest flags adding more colour.

Little Hayden Walker can draw on her Korean side to celebrate her age without waiting for her First Birthday (which happens to be Canada Day).
Hayden’s delightful smile says nothing about the sleepless nights she gave Mom and Dad (Julianna and Brendan) during the first part of those 100 days. Her feeding demands are less frequent and she sleeps for longer periods now. Happy kid. Happy parents.
Baek-il
During this celebration, the family worships Samshin. They make her offerings of rice and soup for having cared for the infant and the mother, and for having helped them live through a difficult period. They give thanks to Samshin and also pray for jae-ak (wealth), longevity, and cho-bok (traditional word for “luck”).