John Robert Colombo has just had another book arrive from the press and I went over to get a copy and see how the cover came out. You can read John’s blurb on A Rohmer Miscellany here, so I’ll take the opportunity to elaborate on the cover design.
Sax Rohmer was the world’s highest paid author back in the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for inventing the diabolical Dr. Fu Manchu. I used a rare photo of Rohmer to create his silhouette, throwing all of his features into mysterious darkness, except his pipe. To reference his Fu Manchu and similar tales set in East Asia, a dragon curls as smoke from the pipe.
John corresponded with Rohmer over an issue discussed and illustrated in the book. One of the treasures is a letter signed by Rohmer, using two strokes through the S on Sax. Yes, the dollar sign. He was proud of his financial success.

Thank goodness we’ve seen the last of the Hudak/Harris Conservatives. I’m not so thrilled that the Liberals have been handed a majority. I don’t believe that they deserve such trust.
Maybe the Liberal wrongdoers from the previous government will be prosecuted. I doubt it. Maybe Kathleen Wynne will run an honest government, respectful of public money. Will she? Or will a majority position tell Liberals that they can carry on as they did in the McGuinty days?
A Liberal minority would have been a better outcome, but well-founded fear of Hudak pushed us too far.

Although I used to work at billboard scale, little things for friends are more satisfying. Kash and Carlotta (Partners in Sweetness) were looking for something to write on the little plaque they were permitted to brand in front of their Niagara On The Lake gelato store.

Today Kash sent a photo. My little contribution sits between two star employees on the brand new bench. The plaque says, “Life is sweet. Have a seat”.
If you visit NOTL, do yourself a favour. Il Gelato di Carlotta. Here they are on Facebook.

The Luminato art festival has a “hub” in downtown Toronto’s David Pecaut Square. In addition to a big stage, the square is furnished with cardboard lounge chairs under cardboard umbrellas. Big, sculptural cardboard breakwaters add ambience and its quite a pleasant space to hang out in.
The pictures at the end of the slideshow are just updaters from the rest of my walk.
[metaslider id=7598]
On stage, Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq was doing some sound checks. I,ve never heard such a haunting sound before, especially live and by a solo singer. Amazing and stirring. My poor iPad movie isn’t much of a recording device, but you can hear that she sounds like at least two people, singing, chanting, growling. Backed up with drums and violins, her sound is most original and wonderful.

One bedroom, ensuite bath (outdoor) available for immediate occupancy. Beautiful garden setting in desirable Beach Hill. Won’t last, act fast!

Danica supplied the photo today when we went to hear 4 authors interviewed about their thriller murder novels. Norway’s Thomas Enger, Sweden’s Dan T. Sehlberg and Denmark’s Jakob Melander were billed as The Striking Vikings. Dutchman Herman Koch rounded out the panel, even though he’s a neighbour, not an actual Scandinavian. Glad they included him. He has a good sense of humour.

This complaint about internet censorship comes on top of the disastrous flood news.

Perfect weather. Sunshine and gentle breezes. Gifted entertainers, happy crowds, lots of good eats, colourful costumes, drums from all kinds of cultures. Let’s go back tomorrow for lunch.

She inspects the merchandise carefully, asks shrewd questions, then negotiates a bargain… in this case, a large jar of lotion for the price of a small.
And then she walks over to Queen Street and back with a bag of ice she purchased for the vendor. She noticed that his products were melting in the hot sun, so returned the favour of a good deal with a gift of practical kindness. This is the Danica I love.

I don’t know any car drivers who are patient with the TTC, but Danica saw humour in the sign, so I snapped it.
I suppose the thanks is intended to be for suffering torn-up roads during streetcar track construction, but the illustration suggests aggravations to come, from those 30 metre long, all-door loading streetcars.