Criss Angel BeLIEve Show Wows

Visiting Vegas means a trip to see Cirque du Soleil. I saw the premiere of the new "Criss Angel BeLIEve" show, which will be in preview mode until the Gala Première on Halloween night. Like other Cirque shows, it was spectacular, incredibly clever, and artfully done. There are eye-popping effects done with video projection and Criss Angel, the headliner magician. The sets and costumes were beautifully designed, right up to the last detail, consistant with Cirque's ever-precise mastery of fabulous visuals and pulsating rythms. The story is a wonderful, magical journey. Here's the link to their neat wallpapers.

Elvis is Not Dead

Elvis is not dead... at least his spirit is very much here, in Las Vegas, where I happen to be spending a few days, visiting a friend. Upon arrival at the McCarran International Airport, I was whisked off to the car rental place in a shuttle bus, driven by an aging guy with big 70s cop glasses, and blow-dried hair: the first of a series of Elvis wannabes that I was to encounter.
This desert town is larger than life, and if I had to pick one word to describe it, that would be "excessive". Vegas is always open, an inexhaustable 24 hours a day. There are more lights, cars, casinos, and tourists than I have ever seen anywhere else. There are Paris replicas, New York, Egypt, New Orleans, and a host of other Febreeze-scented, dinging portrayals of various world landmarks. Altogether, Sin City is quite overwhelming for a quiet little Canadian girl like myself. For this girl, memories of lights, glitter, carpet deodorizer, cigar smoke, noise and action will, indeed, stay in Vegas.

A Dinosaur of a Story

Meet "Leonardo", a 77-million-year-old hadrosaur fossil, uncovered in Malta, Montana. Scientists say that he must have died at about 3-4 years old, and was naturally mummified in the sand that surrounded him, since then. What makes this guy particularly intriguing, is the fact that he is so perfectly preserved... so much so, that you can even see the last meal he ate, in his digestive tract.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science will be the first city to host our dino friend, in an exhibit that starts next week. Paleontologist, Dr. Bob Bakker delivers interesting insight, here.

Edible Art

To pretty to eat? WD-50, a trendy New York restaurant is where Wylie Dufresne pushes his culinary creativity. Food, in the shape of things squiggly or cubed and standing up tall are his signature in this nouvelle cuisine spa for the senses. I have not eaten here, but was intrigued by a friend's Facebook posting of photos from food they'd ordered, while dining there. It got me interested in reading more.

Above photo: "Knot foie".

Praizing the Praized

Praize 'n Raize is gaining ground. It was started by some guys in Montreal, one of which is my blogger friend, Harry, an ideas guy. I recently decided to try my hand at this app, now nicely integrated into Facebook, cool graphics and all. It's a way to bookmark your favorite hot spots around town, and share this information with other users... Kind of a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" review, of sorts.

Is This Building Sinking Into the Ground?

Is this parking lot straight or is it on an angle? You be the judge. According to Flickr's user, jpelletier (who uploaded the image), this stellar piece of modern architecture is located in Seattle, Washington.

Gorgeous Golden Migration

If you've ever witnessed a natural phenomenon, you know that it's quite awe-inspiring. Amateur photographer, Sandra Critelli, found herself in the midst of just such an experience: thousands of Golden Rays, migrating off the coast of Mexico, creating a fantastic mosaic of silent, gliding, fluid bodies. Here's the story.

Artful Politics

Something moves me when I watch this video. Perhaps it's the prayer-like chanting of voices (echoing Barack Obama's "Yes We Can"), or maybe it's the black and white footage which recalls a memory of a time when the world felt safer--a time that much of the world struggled for its rights... Perhaps something calls to me from my childhood, that compells me to watch this vid. Whatever the draw, the creative person behind Dipdive executed a most artful, soulful, and hip delivery of any political message that I've seen.

Paperless Home

The Uhlik family has gone paperless. According to this New York Times article, Chris Uhlik (a Google engineer and founder of the Internet Archive) is well on his way to environmental bliss and harmony in his home, as are many other homes. He says that private homes are going paperless faster than offices, due in part to the cost of ink, printers, and so forth. That said, more electricity is consumed, as people turn to computers for their master copies... increasing the demand for that resource instead.

Speed Trap Alert!

Having just returned from a road trip down the Northeast coast of USA, this article on speed traps caught my eye.

No, I did not get any speeding tickets, but I suppose it would have been nice to know where the next police car lurked, in advance... just ask my navigator who had to bear the brunt of my sudden slow-downs, en route to our various destinations.

Groovy Graffiti

Delight your imaginative self with visions of Bansky, a Bristol artist who indulges in clever (my favorite word) artwork. Detailed stencils silhouette characters fit right with their settings, and yet, they stand out for their originality.

I love the casually-dressed woman sitting on the couch in her elaborate living room, and a large wall-papered elephant stares at her, while she sits reading, oblivious to the giant's prying eyes.

That said, each image is better than the next... so many wonderful depictions of society!

Bubble-Wrapped Olympics

Will spectators at the China Olympics swimming events be able to keep their eyes on the sport? Just over a month ago, China unveiled its new "bubble-wrap" swimming arena, capable of seating 17,000 spectators. The honeycomb-like ceiling of the arena will be lit up at night with LED lights, illuminating the structure, inside and out. Concerned about bird droppings? well according to the chief architect (in this Reuters article), birds won't sit on transparent surfaces, and whatever else should fall on the exterior will be cleaned by rain water. As for the interior, they plan on cleaning it by hand, twice a year. That's a whole lot of housework, if you ask me.

All That Snow: Design Your Own Wall

If you run out of place to put all the snow you've been shoveling lately, why not stack it upwards? This winter has been especially snowy in the east (where I live), and many of us just don't know what to do with the next snowfall... but apparently this Ottawa resident (a carpenter) figured it out: build a "fence"! Read the chilling details here.

Green Frog Gone Black

I feel sorry for this little guy. I mean, he was going about his business, catching flies, sunbathing, going for swims, etc, when an oil pipeline blew, and the next thing you know, he's covered in thick, black, sticky oil. What are his chances of survival now? Will be able to move quickly, in order to hunt his food (and not starve to death)? Or will the oil infiltrate his skin, and kill him first?

Poor thing. Here's the link.

Strange Naming Conventions

My dog's name is Pixel. Okay, some may say that's just a techno-cute name for a loving pet. Yes it is, but the name has become a term of endearment to my ears. He's there whenever I want genuine, uncomplicated affection. I love my dog, and so therefore, I now love his name.

The other day, I was out walking dearest Pixel, when it occured to me that some of the place names around here lack that neighbourhoody feeling. There we were, walking along the old road in the Central Experimental Farm. Now, who thought of that name? It's not everyday that there's a working farm, smack in the middle of a city. Couldn't they have given it a name that has a bit more charm, nostalgia, or even slight feeling to it? How about "Kenilworth Farm"? Too waspy? How about naming it after a famous musician such as Oscar Peterson ("the Peterson Farm")? I know that people in Montreal are clamouring to name something after the late musician, so why not this large expanse of beautiful land?

I mused this as I made my way back home, to the Civic Hospital Area (another politically correct, lackluster name), and wished that it too, could be named something like Ruskin (after art and social critic, John Ruskin), or Hamilton, or Parkdale... or any more engaging name. Maybe some Ottawan official will read this and perhaps give it some consideration, the next time they are involved in naming some important piece of our heritage.

Lunar Eclipse... Missed it Again...

I've only once witnessed an eclipse, that I can recall. It was when I was a kid, in elementary school. I remember the fuss surrounding it, and the strict instructions not to look *directly* at the sun. Well, guess who looked directly at the sun. Oh yeah--I did. I'm not blind yet.

I don't mean to advocate looking at the sun when there's an eclipse, because quite possibly, one could go blind doing so. As I recally, it was really a sneak peak, in the truest sense of the expression... I held my hand over the place where the sun was, and then oh-so slowly, moved my hand away to reveal where the eclipse was reportedly taking place. I didn't see anything unusual. But then it happened, and the light went out of the sky.

Recently, there was another lunar eclipse. My brother called me from the West coast, to ask me if I could see it. This time, it was taking place in the night, and it wouldn't damage my eyes to gaze at it.

I peered out my window, but could see nothing from below the eaves of my house. I noticed the neighbour's young daughter out, all bundled up in a -25 degree weather snow suit. That was enough for me to decide that I would wait until the next eclipse to come my way.

Exotic Species Imitate Art

Fan of glass blowing? Well check out these eclectic samples of fine workmanship... brought to you, courtesy of Mother Nature.

The transparent, tuberous stems boast exotic-looking "fauna", among which, sea creatures such as starfish and anenomes frollick. These are the chilly Antarctic waters, just off of Tasmania. Photos were taken at a depth not previously explored, leading voyage leader, Martin Riddle, to think that new species may even have been discovered. How exciting!

Sea and Food

"I'd like to be under the sea In an octopus' garden in the shade" ... Well, Ringo Starr can now eat his heart out, in this underwater heaven on earth known as the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island--one of the more unusual in the Hilton hotel chain. Inside this glass-domed room, one can marvel at schools of fish while dining on fine "Maldivian-Western fusion cuisine".

Clearly, this kind of restaurant would be near impossible to maintain year-long in a northern hemisphere. Indeed, it is located in the Maldives. Make your reservations early, for it apparently fills up quickly. Also, the restaurant's underwater life span is an estimated 20 years, and it has already been in the water since 2004.

Human Goldfish

Care for a little swim? well how about this hotel's cool pool, located in Dallas, Texas. It's part of Hotel Elan's spectacular urban offering. I'd venture to suggest that the splash experience would be much like swimming in an aquarium... So no below-the-water's-surface hanky panky, and... er.... don't loose your trunks, unless you want all the world to see you in your birthday suit!

Yet Another Wooden Bike...!

Okay, since I've started this blog, I spend a fair amount of time looking up new (and hopefully interesting) material to write about. On my informational journey, I think I've uncovered a new (at least to me) phenomena: the wooden bike. It seems that--while I was so busy with my urban life--I'd never noticed these hand-tooled creations before. Much to my surprise, I've now uncovered a third one in as many weeks. Photographer, Harley Palangchao, says this pic was taken in the Phillipines.

This is the meaning of freedom, and according to what the near-naked, buffed riders are (or are not) wearing, there's not a whole lot of protection, should they take a spill--I mean, look at the first guy's hair, and the blur of the bushes behind them... Clearly, these mean machines pick up speed!

Visual Vertigo: the Panoramic Way

Ever wondered what it must be like, to sit in a private, first-class cabin of one of the world's top notch airlines? Well, get a little closer... check out Singapore Airline's Airbus A380, in this cool panormamic experience, courtesy of gillesvidal.com. In fact, he's got the entire launch of the airline's fancy new fleet addition covered, with a number of top-to-bottom, 360-degree, high-res shots... you can litterally see all around you, from the press conference, to the exterior, to the desirable, swank first class.

Also see his Venice pics (nice!), and Mouammar Kadafi's Paris visit... Neat-O!

A Very Gehry Good Idea

Contemporary Canadian architect, Frank Gehry has created giant, out-of-this-world designs. His weird, larger-than life, organic shapes are reminiscent of Paris' Restaurant Le Georges, a top-notch Parisian gem, located at the top of the Centre Georges Pompidou, and boasts one of the best views in all of the city.

Back to Gehry though... his exhibit, an ocean and continent away from Paris, is called Experience Music Project. Located in Seattle, it captures the spirit of enormity... Enormity of thought, and perhaps, making those who wander through it feel rather miniscule. Revel in giant organic shiny shapes.