doreyme

nerves of steel

I don't know how she puts up with all the bullying from the (predominantly) born rich not young not black not Chinese not Hispanic  (etc) not women men in suits whose votes...artists would make very poor judges, me thinks.  They're far too hot headed. 

Harve Presnell, RIP

Karl Malden, RIP

+ oh my, Michael Jackson, too

rest in peace, Farrah

a typical day's worth of scams

The first one, about my mail box being too full actually had me for a few moments.

What ingenuity these guys have.Too bad they don't use it  more selflessly.

Dear Webmail User,

This message was sent automatically by a program on Webmail which
periodically checks the size of inboxes, where new messages are
received.

Your mailbox has exceeded the storage limit set by your administrator.
You may not be able to send or receive new mail until your mailbox size
is increased by your system administrator. 

To help us re-set your SPACE on our database prior to maintain your
INBOX,you must contact your system administrator by replying this e-mail
and enter your: 

Current Username: { } and Password: { } to increase your storage limit.


You will continue to receive this warning message periodically if your
inbox size continues to exceed its size limit or between 18 and 20 MB.

Thank you for your cooperation.
System Administrator.

This one's pretty good too. 

Dear Friend,

 

 My name is Sarah Johnson, female, working with World youth aid organization (WYAO) California, U.S.A. We are organizing a global youths combined World Conference against Racism & Child Abuse taking place from 7th – 10th July 2009 at California in the United States and in Dakar Senegal from 14th – 17th July 2009. In our request to invite people from various countries around the world, I went in search of your e-mails on the web site as a means of contacting youths and organizations As a result, I picked your email from an N.G.O`s website.

 

If you are interested to participate and want to represent your country, you may contact the secretariat of the organizing committee for details and information’s. You should also inform them that you were invited to participate by friend of yours (Sarah Johnson) who is a member of the American Youths 4Peace and a staff of World youth aid organization (WCAR).

 

I believe that we may have the opportunity to meet if you may be willing to participate in this event. The benevolent donors from across the global and the Organizing Committee will provide round Trip air tickets and accommodation for the period of participants, Stay in the U.S., to all registered participants. If you are a holder of passport that may require visa to enter the United States, you may inform the conference secretariat at the time of registration, as the Organizing committee is responsible for all visas arrangements and travel assistance.

 

Phone:  + 1-516-303-0035

Fax + 1-506-312-4714

 

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

 

You may get back to me with my email address below.

Email:[email protected]

 

Sincerely,

Sarah Johnson

Variations on a theme....

IT Department,

You have exceeded the limit of your mailbox set by your IT Department,. And you will be having problems in sending and recieving new emails.
To prevent this, you will have to contact the Help Teamservice by 
email with your:

Current username:{    } and
Password:{    } to help increase your storage limit.

IT Department,
E-mail: [email protected]

Failure to do this, will result in limited access to your mailbox.

Regards,
IT Department.

while the Obamas encourage art that "defines who we are as a people"

shame on Canada

Harper + the  current Canadian government believe the arts are only of interest to an elite group and not relevant to "ordinary" folk +  close down museums eg. the photography museum in Ottawa, killing the portrait museum....Arg. 

while I'm at it...more Plateau ranting

...these ugly tombstone slabs have recently been plonked on the Main to "honour the Portuguese" + because it is important that the city of Montreal continue to integrate and represent the different cultural communities in a way that is open to others. To be able to find a symbol that is inclusive was a challenge for me because it had to address the question of diversity in Montreal.  So says Isabel Dos Santos, borough councillor.  Okay, so where's the "anglo" diversity?  Most of the anglos in Quebec live in Montreal + have for many centuries.  Why isn't their diversity "addressed". (Why aren't the words on the slabs trilingual?)  Not to mention the tourists.  

Plus.  

Has anyone considered what these slabs are going to be like in the winter?  They're low.  We get a lot of snow.  Like lots of snow.   And how about the summer?  How hot will these black slabs get?  

And what makes these benches "Portuguese" other than the Portuguese tiles slapped on the sides + some Portuguese (+ French) words?  And most importantly -- as the Plateau is chock-a-block full of artists, why wasn't there some kind of public competition or consultation with Plateau artists?  

How much did these slabs cost anyways?   Arggg. I'm sorry, they are just so ugly -- they belong in some suburban disco mall not in the "historic" "heritage" Plateau. We, the residents + taxpayers have to wangle with city hall when we want to change a doorknob or a window sill yet this uglification of the Plateau continues unabated by the city councillors themselves.  The money should have/could have been spent on our pathetic local playground.  The swings, teetotters, etc. that were okay for my kids have been removed + replaced with -- well, nothing.  Gee + school ends in a couple of weeks.  

One good thing.  There is a municipal election coming in the fall.

read Josh Freed's column about the curious case of the disappearing playground

this is a new building, almost completed in my neighbourhood, Plateau Montreal

What do you think?  Was it the same architect?  The Plateau, more than once,  has been named one of the best neighbourhoods in North America.  It is, as determined by Stats Canada, a neighbourhood that has the biggest concentration of artists in Canada this is an old site but I've got a cold + don't have the strength to keep this up so I just don't get it.  Why are cold, brutal structures like this...with no balconies, no "green spaces" incorporated into the design...eg. a tree, not even one lousy tree?  Allowed to be built in this "heritage" neighbourhood?   We the taxpaying residents  have to follow extremely strict laws + regulations in the renovations + maintenances of OUR structures because we live in a "heritage" neighbourhood.  So what heritage is this building exactly?   Who approves designs like this? Somewhere, someone thought, wow, this will make a great addition to the neighbourhood.   Humbug. 

this is the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC

..that I visited recently.

J.G. Ballard, 1930-2009

an interview with the great JG a few years ago

Billy-Bob's coming here tomorrow. But Montreal will be busy, washing its hair.

in the lamenting of the death of a exceptional person, the tragedy of it, the injustice...there is in the passing a heartfelt sense that to honour the death of a good person one strives instinctively to become a better person...what else is there to do?

this isn't actually fair to the Sus domestica

=

Andrew Wyeth dies...

good NY Times piece about Wyeth

self portrait, Trodden Weeds, 1951...in egg tempera

Ground

Tempera must be applied to an absorbent ground that has a lower “oil” content than the tempera binder used^[5] (the traditional rule of thumb is “fat over lean", and never the other way around).^[6] Since the ground traditionally used is inflexible Italian gesso, it is preferable for the substrate to be rigid as well.^[7] Historically wood panels were used as the substrate, and more recently un-tempered masonite and modern composite boards have been employed. Heavy paper is also used.

[edit]Making tempera

1. Place a small amount of the pigment paste onto a palette, dish or bowl.
2. Add about an equal volume of the egg medium and mix well making sure there are no lumps of pigment. Some pigments require slightly more egg medium, some require less.
3. Add distilled water (usually less than a teaspoon per egg yolk), trial and error will dictate just how much water is required. more about tempera   

Art Pizzazz Phooey

There's an article today in the Montreal Gazette, our local Anglo rag, about some enterprising dude who sells 40x40" paintings for 359$  They are, to my eye, horrible.  I went to his site but I'm not putting it here because he got enough free press today.  He doesn't paint them himself, some real people do in China he says.  Well, to each his own and if anyone wants to spend 359$ on a painting of Madonna or a Klimt or Van Gogh "interpretation", fine.  It's your money.   However, I am pissed at Maxine Mendelssohn  the reporter who "broke" this important story and the Montreal Gazette for wasting more than one half of a full page on this dude's business when they habitually spend so little energy promoting local or Canadian art or art at all.   Montreal is supposed to be some hot cultural city.  Spit, especially in this neighbourhood, and you'll hit an artist.   But you wouldn't know it if you read the Montreal Gazette.   If we're lucky we get one review of an exhibition in one week.   So humbug.

RIP, the purrrer + the parser, Eartha Kitts, Harold Pinter

crassest Xmas 2008 commercial? Target, featuring kids doing a xmas play about Target. Humbug.

alas, still in the land of the flu

Whoa! Slavery! In the USA...Christians, sell your daughters...

Happenchanced on this site this morning.  Never seen anything like it. Can't believe it's legal.  It's basically an online puppy mill for young girls. Holy moly. check it out, yuck! cuz it's a joke altho it does expose crazy american marriage laws

speaking of sick dogs, yesterday yet another puppy mill got busted in Quebec

for shame

These puppy mills will keep existing until people stop buying puppies at pet stores which they don't seem to be stopping so maybe it's time stores were banned from selling puppies (and kittens) outright. Make them go to the SPCA or a reputable, licensed breeder or other animal shelter's like, locally,Angus's alma mater or  Rosie's.

Betty Goodwin, Montreal artist, RIP

about Betty G..

Michael Crichton, RIP

about his life

Studs Terkel, so long, RIP

see 4 yourself

2 more puppy mills raided in Quebec the last few weeks

when are morons going to stop buying dogs at pet stores?

Farewell to one of the most handsome, talented, generous hearted artists ever

Oh, those wacky racist American Conservatives...

 

check it out yourself

Meanwhile, back in Canadada...

Harper, not a huge fan of the arts, is lucky to be running in Canada. Here we have a multi-party system.  According to a CBC poll, 38% of Canadians would vote for the Conservatives if there was an election today. 28% would vote for the Liberals.  19% for the NDP, 8% for the Bloc + 7% for the Green party.  So 62% of Canadians would NOT be voting for the Conservatives but the Conservatives would win anyways.   One wonders why that 62% can't work in tandem to defeat the Conservatives.  How truly different are their platforms? (excluding the fed Blocs anti-fed stance)

Bizarro World, Sarah Palin's speech

check out the facts

another black kid in Montreal shot by a cop

It's disgusting.  Clearly, I wasn't there.  I didn't see it happen but what I see too often. Say, 8 out of 10 times.  A cop.  A car pulled to the side. Who's the driver? Some black kid.  Cops already seem to have a mean + crappy attitude toward teenagers.  Anecdotally, through my kids, they tell me how store keepers, metro "cops" + cop cops treat kids.  Like crap. It really is disgusting.  But black boys in this city?  Oh man, the local media is full of "the community this, the community that".  Like it's the "community's fault" cops shot a kid.  Hey, Mayor Tremblay, control your macho gunslingers.  

etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc

I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $5milliom(Five Million

Dollars)to charity through you for the good work of the Lord, and to

help the motherless,less privileged and also for the assistance of the

widows.So therefore, we have contacted the Federal Ministry Of Finance on your behalf and they have brought a solution to your problem by arranging your payment in total of US$800,000.00 in an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw money in anywhere of the world. Before my husband died last year there is this sum $7.2 Million Dollars that he deposited with one of the security Company here In Cote D'Ivoire. I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a BAL Of 36,000,000,If you are interested send me your private Telephone No YOUR CONTRACT/INHERITANCE PAYMENT OF $1.5 MILLION TO BE MADE TO YOU THROUGH AN ATM VISA DEBIT CARD I have a profiling amount in an excess of US$100.5M, which

I seek your Partnership in accommodating for me. I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $850,000.00 United States Dollars only 

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £500,000:00 (Five

hundred thousand pounds sterling) in cash credited to file ABY/754327854/03.

This is from a total cash prize of £5,000,000:00(Five million pounds sterling) Committee On Foreign Payment Matters in United Nation, has look up to make sure you receive your fund valued $8.3m. 

buses in montreal

today, being a green citizen decided to take the BUS downtown.  Not to mention the now huge parking fees to dissuade people like myself.    There is a metro but I am not a mole, so decided to bus it.  Now, it's only 20 minutes or so on foot but my feet were already tired.  I did an hour + a half walk this morning with Handsome + time is money etc, so public transport so encouraged by all seemed the way to go. HA. Not.  Must have spent 1/2  hr on St. Denis waiting for the fabled bus.  Once I got on it, oh my, what an East Berlin special.  What a hunk of caa-caa.  Ugly, uncomfortable, holding so few people...   Transferred, at the new Library, which, for some reason has construction issues.   Waited, waited, waited, waited.  Looked at some schedule posted on a pole, totally confusing , so took moleroute.  Surfaced.  The whole thing took at least an hour, compared to by car, oh...say 5 minutes? Meanwhile, city officials, not content to screw up buses, metros, now moving on to TRAMS.  Could they not make one thing work in this city?  In any case, not having a love on with Montreal these days....if it's not the weather it's the politics.  The never ending separatist crap really gets to me sometimes.   The west beckons....

Bo Diddley, RIP

it's a miracle

Suddenly my internet service is back, without the new modem, endlessly in the mail PLUS St. Laurent street is getting ripped up again. All last year it was hell getting home as the city fathers gussied up the streets + sidewalks to allow sidewalk terrasses, etc. + the auxiliary taxes + now gaz metro decides to change pipes etc. in forty place along our street. Is there accountability? Huge commissions about Mulroney's misdeeds a century ago but gross misspending of our nationalized utilities + it's oh well.

working

cleaning out the Jointe, preparing for upcoming show but MOSTLY, thank you very much Sympatico Bell, trying to get my internet server working. After countless of phone calls, false "try this" "try that" from various technicians, "buy this buy that" from various salespeople + a fruitless trip downtown, parking issues, etc. it's still not working...if it wasn't for my neighbour I wouldn't get e-mail at all...

Mount Royal snow, Lachine Canal snow

the band of black soot stretches each time we visit that part of Lachine Canal. Yuck.

check it out

don't mean to be a control freak

but from now on I'm going to have to approve comments before they are posted. (This is all behind the scene, I get the comments emailed to me, I approve + then they are posted.) Alas, too many weirdo pervertos out there.

great minds at work

I refuse to get riled up about this act of small mindedness suffice to say the call of the west grows stronger

Spiral Jetty in danger

The Spiral Jetty, considered to be the central work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970.
Built of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, and water on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, it forms a 1500-foot long and 15-foot wide counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore of the lake.
At the time of its construction, the water level of the lake was unusually low because of a drought. Within a few years, the water level returned to normal and submerged the jetty for the next three decades. Due to a recent drought, the jetty re-emerged in 1999 and is now completely exposed. The lake level rose again during the spring of 2005 due to a near record-setting snowpack in the mountains and partially submerged the Jetty again.
Originally black rock against ruddy water, it is now largely white against pink due to salt encrustation and lower water levels.from Wikipedia Nancy Holt, Robert Smithson's widow, recently sent an email out detailing specific threats to Smithson's masterpiece, Spiral Jetty. If you want to send a letter of protest to save the beautiful, natural Utah environment around the Spiral Jetty from oil drilling, the emails or calls of protest go to Jonathan Jemming 801-537-9023 [email protected] Please refer to Application # 8853. Every letter makes a big difference, they do take a lot of notice and know that publicity may follow. Since the Spiral Jetty has global significance, emails from foreign countries would be of special value.

mean world syndrome

lately I've been thinking the world's going to hell in a hand basket. I can't read the newspaper or watch the news after 6 if I want to sleep that night. I turn on the tv to chill + with some scant exceptions, if it isn't total "reality tv" merde it's merde contributing to "mean world syndrome", an amazing concept/movement phrase I have not made up, a fine fellow called George Gerber did. Along with founding the Cultural Environment Movement, which is working to reassert democratic influence on the media. A man of my own heart. In his own words..."Most of the violence we have on television is what I call happy violence. It's swift, it's thrilling, it's cool, it's effective, it's painless, and it always leads to a happy ending because you have to deliver the audience to the next commercial in a receptive mood.
Our studies have shown that growing up from infancy with this unprecedented diet of violence has three consequences, which, in combination, I call the "mean world syndrome." What this means is that if you are growing up in a home where there is more than say three hours of television per day, for all practical purposes you live in a meaner world - and act accordingly - than your next-door neighbor who lives in the same world but watches less television. The programming reinforces the worst fears and apprehensions and paranoia of people.
Another consequence of watching a lot of television is that one comes to believe that the violence portrayed on television is normal - that everybody does it, and that it's a good way of solving problems.
A more pervasive effect is that television de-sensitizes viewers to victimization and suffering; they lose the ability to understand the consequence of violence, to empathize, to resist, to protest.

The third consequence, and I think the most debilitating one, is the pervasive sense of insecurity and vulnerability. Our surveys tell us that the more television people watch, the more they are likely to be afraid to go out on the street in their own community, especially at night. They are afraid of strangers and meeting other people. A hallmark of civilization, which is kindness to strangers, has been lost." to read more

Mount Royal Trees, 20 x41, oil on wood 2007,

not a new painting...painted this last year, but was at friend's house + it was on the wall + I saw it with stone cold eyes...it's not in my memory bank at all...so saw it fresh...very interesting experience...alas, it's much longer than the pic shows.

why do Canadian retailers keep gouging us?

Today I was almost backed into a corner (tiling, pipes,labour costs, etc) into buying a site specific faucet (gooseneck 3 3/8 tub vintage) for over $450. without the tax! Balked, looked on line, found a better one for $165 no tax, in California, shipping included. Shame.

the bike police

grumpella (me) gets her anti-bike maniac letter published in the Gazette today respect pedestrians + motorists (quite edited, I may add, my original was longer + more rabid).

you say shiite I say sunnis

let's call the whole thing...? In my dottage, I'm still surprised that people don't celebrate/cherish/honour what they have in common -- even here in Canada (reference to the traveling commission on accomodation of immigrants). Shared traits, common loves, compatibilties rather than obsessing about differences?

well madame marois of the 7 toilets

got elected today in the riding of lovely Charlevoix. To people outside of Quebec, Madame Marois is the new leader of the PQ, a political party dedicated to the destruction of Canada.