Lunedi Lunacy

According to a recent survey our good cousins to the South consume approximately $2,000,000.00 USD worth of chocolate at Eastertide.  I could find no statistics for Canada but I wouldn't be surprised to find that we are not far behind.   So where does all this chocolate come from?  Well these days I'd think mostly China but back in the 1930s Walt Disney had another idea.  So sit back, gnaw away on that chocolate bunny (apparently the proper way is to eat him ears first) and enjoy the way Easter eggs use to be made:

April 21 - 1863: Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, declares his mission as "He whom God shall make manifest".

Lunedi Lunacy

At the suggestion of our friend Cathy we've recently signed up for a programme that supports youth employment and local agriculture:   Farm Works,  an enterprise sponsored by Operation Come Home.  We have bought a half-share in a farm plot and will receive produce from the plot over the summer and into the autumn months.  It seems like a win-win set up to me and I know Cathy received more than she could use from her plot last year.

That and the appearance of our local groundhog - Spring has finally sprung! - made this little guy's adventure seem appropriate as a bit of lunacy for a Monday in April.

Hopefully our young farmers won't run into any Geomyidae Thomomys and our resident little guy and his family won't meet with misadventure when searching for food.

April 7 - 1141: Empress Matilda, became the first female ruler of England, adopting the title 'Lady of the English'

Lunedi Lunacy

Since I'm in that mood here's a little Italian humour.

You're bipolar!

03 September - 301: San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus.

Lunedi Lazzi*

For my friend Harold, Sonya and the girls ...

And I believe it with my whole heart!

*a Lazzo or Lazzi was an interlude in commedia dell'arte that was guaranteed to bring a smile if not an outright laugh to the spectator's face. I think this lovely cartoon qualifies as that.

20 february -  1472: Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for Margaret of Denmark.

What the Dickens???

Been a bit busy at work this week so I haven't been able to do much in the way of celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens - and besides I'm on a Mitford kick right now.  However lest you think of me as an uncultured dolt who doesn't observe important literary anniversaries I present the following sent me by my friend Cathy.

Behind every great writer there's a nit-picking editor!!!!


08 February - 1879:  Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.

For Whom the Belles Toll

As the year drew to a close another great talent of the late 20th century was lost - cartoonist and illustrator Ronald Searle died on December 30 at his home in France.  He first created his infamous Belles of St Trinian's while a prisoner of war working on the Burma Railway in Changi. 

In an interview with the Guardian's Steve Bell he described his time there:

"I desperately wanted to put down what was happening, because I thought if by any chance there was a record, even if I died, someone might find it and know what went on.  At times I was so ill that I couldn't draw at all. You're doing 16 hours a day rock breaking and you're exhausted. You come back and have a bowl of rice. You have no light, but you have fire, a big fire keeping the mountain lions away, and snakes perhaps, and by the light of the fire, I made the drawings. I didn't have a watch or anything, so you just lie down in the tent until you were dragged out the next morning to go back to the rock breaking. And so all these drawings, some of them very bad, were all I could do in a state of exhaustion."

Ronald Searle: A Life in Pictures

Steve Bell

The Guardian March 9, 2010

After is return from the war his anarchical gang of schoolgirls brought him recognition and success including, in 1954,  the first - and best - of a series of films based on their riotous behavior.  Featuring the magnificent Alistair Sim as the addled head-mistress Miss Fritton and her gangster twin brother Clarence it also starred Joyce Grenfell, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Sid James and in her first film Barbara Windsor.  It was followed by four other movies though none ever quite lived up to the fun and frolic of the first.

In these two clips we see the staff and young "ladies" of St. T's at their finest, or at least as good as they will ever get:

But Searle's fame wasn't to rest of his naughty schoolgirls - he output was to include cartoons, travel books, the adventures of Molesworth, his particular take on his beloved cats, advertisements and commemorative medals were all to bear the distinctive spiky style of Searle's pen.  I was particularly miffed when I discovered that somehow in all the moves I've lost - sold? given away? - a hysterical look at the history of The Hudson's Bay Company  that he and Kildare Dobbs created to celebrate the 300 anniversary of that august institution.  Amongst the illustrations was a less than happy Queen Victoria, in her lap a pile of beaver pelts and on her face a look of regal distaste - all captured with a few strokes from the pen of a master.

Victoria and Albert show an atypical ebullience in "Always With It" a cartoon Searle did in 2007 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of London's V and A. 

Today's Guardian has a slideshow highlighting some of Ronald Searle's work and his life here.

03 January - 1987 - Aretha Franklin is the first women inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Whether the Weather

It was almost zero and there was a mist rising from the canal this morning when I took the kids for their walk. It was a reminder that the cold nights and cooler days are just a foretaste of the winter to come. But this short cartoon by Konstantina Zafiri, created for the animation course at the Department of Graphic Design, T.E.I. of Athens, is a tongue-in-cheek but none the less potent reminder that some climate change is not seasonal.



Thanks to Gary for passing this one on.

17 settembre/September - San Roberto Bellarmino

C'est trop cool l'amitié*

I posted this Pat et Stanley clip a few years back and then the video was pulled. As we prepare to move on I've been thinking a great deal lately about friendships and thought it was time to post it again.

For non-French speakers here's a rough translation:

Stanley (the dog): You still feeling down Pat?
Pat: Yes
Stanley: Come on buck up, I've arranged a little surprise.
(Fireworks)
Pat: Wow! That's great! How did you do that?
Stanley: Its nothing. Just a little imagination and lots of friendship.
Pat: Its real cool - Friendship.*

You got that right Pat!

18 febbraio - San Flaviano di Costantinopoli

Lunedi Lunacy

Sort of says it all does it?

Click to enbiggen!

Click to enbiggen!

From Doghouse Diaries

04 ottobre - San Francesco d'Assisi

Rossiniana

Though his name is not as exploited as say Mozart's is in Salzburg there is no mistaking that Rossini is a "native son" of Pesaro. His image appears in many places and there is even a Rossini Torta that can be brought home in a decorative tin as a culinary souvenir of your visit. But this being Italy there is a certain light-heartedness to it all. There is an honest affection for the man who though perhaps its best known citizen is only one of many Pesaresi who have contributed to the world of music (Renata Tebaldi, Cristiano Mozzati0) and athletics (Massimo Ambrosini, Valentino Rossi).

While wandering the back streets of town looking for the old Synagogue we passed by an interesting building that we had remarked on once before. It has all the appearances of a church as indeed it was in the 12th century but its 21st century incarnation is as Casetta Vaccaj, a very pleasant wine bar and cafe. I'll be writing a bit more about it later but what caught my eye there was a poster for an art exhibition they had a few years ago. It featured the work of Filippo Letizi, a local artist and animator who now works out of Berlin.

His drawings of The Swan of Pesaro echo that affection for the bon vivant, gourmet, wit and genius of the man. These particular designs are on a collection of aprons and shopping bags which he did for the two sisters who own the Casetta and reflect Rossini's love of things culinary.


Anyone who has been to Pesaro will recognize the beachfront, the Piazzale della libertà with Arnaldo Pomodoro's lovely Globe of Peace fountain, Casa Rossini, Duomo, Piazza del Popolo and the main shopping street. They are all leading up to the Teatro Rossini in this promotional video Letizi did for the town.

Letizi Pesaro

fil3tto | MySpace Video

For me it captures the charm of one of my favorite places in all of Italy.

13 agosto - Santi Ponziano e Ippolito

Lunedi Lunacy - Another 12 Days of Christmas!!!!!!!!!

We got a theme running here so let's go with it!


28 decembre - Santi Innocenti

All Gaul!

Fifty years ago today the world was introduced to a little guy with blond hair, a big droopy moustache and horns. He, his best friend Obélix, Idefix the dog and the villagers of a small town in Armorica began outwitting Romans - amongst others - October 29, 1959.

I first encountered Astérix le petit Gaulois in French class and I can't imagine a better way to learn a language.


Joyeux anniversaire Astérix, Obélix et toutes le gang!

29 ottobre - Sant'Ermelinada

Lunedi Lunacy

In honour of our taking to the open road and in sort of a continuation of last weeks Walt Disney theme here's a road song from The Goofy Movie - in Italian!


Catchy little tune isn't it? For an English version just go here.

And that drive that TomTom told us would take 3 hours and 37 minutes actually took 6 hours and 30 minutes but that included an almost three hour lunch stop in Ancona at the very fine Osteria Teatro Strabacco. So we were really only on the road for 4 hours. And surprise surprise the traffic on the Strada Adriatico was no problem - no construction and no jam ups. We went along at 120 most of the way. Obviously sunday is a good day to travel.

10 agosto - San Lorenzo

Lunedi Lunacy

Long before he became a too cute for words marketing tool Mickey Mouse was an actual cartoon character with a mischievous (and un-Politically Correct)nature and a few vaudeville routines. Released in March 1929 The Opry House was the first, but not the last, time that Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 was used in a cartoon. And as I'll be commenting later today on the Carmen I saw this weekend its appropriate that it includes a few selections from that much loved opera.



03 agosto - Santa Lidia

Lunedi Lunacy

Jay Ward and Bill Scott were bloody geniuses! Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Doright, George of the Jungle, Mr Peabody and of course: Super Chicken!



"You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!"

13 aprile - San Martino Papa

Lunedi Lunacy

Wouldn't I just love to be doing some of these exercises with a few of those great Spanish wines I've been seeing this weekend. But sadly I've restricted myself to one small glass at dinner. Yes I know I shouldn't but damn it you can't have tapas without a splash of wine!

Thanks to my friend Cathy in Ottawa for this one.

23 marzo - San Turibio de Mogrovejo

Lunedi Lunacy

I sent this around to some of my friends but still want to share. Funny how Calvin had things pretty much figured out 15 years ago. And the big time analysts were surprised by events of the past few months???????

Just right click to "embiggen" as they say. Is that really a word? According to the Urban Dictionary it is a word oft used in Springfield but frequently misspelled as enbiggen.

5 gennaio - San Giovanni Nepomuceno

Lunedi Lunacy

I'm pretty sure everyone has seen this one except me, but I'm going to share anyway.



'nough said!

22 dicembre - San Demetrio

Sharing

One of the great things about being in a blog community - even a very loose one, hmm doesn't sound quite right but you know what I mean - is the talent that you encounter almost daily. It may be the ability to use words or a pencil or a camera. But it is that ability to communicate thoughts, memories, humour and ideas through whatever medium that constantly amazes and delights me.

Even in busy Pesaro the Saturday Market in Centro is quiet during Ferragosto. I wonder where the residents of a seaside resort go in the summer when the rest of the world is flocking to their beach?

I overheard the conversation between this lady and the fruttivendolo (greengrocer)- she needed enough eggplant to feed eight - her son, his wife and the bambini where coming for Sunday lunch. He, of course, assured her he had just the ones she wanted!

As in most small towns here bicycle seems to the be major mode of transportation in Centro. And of course its easy to stop and have a Saturday morning gossip when you cycling through town.

• Lorraine has two brilliant posts in a row this week - not to say they aren't all brilliant just that... there I go sounding not right again! And speaking of the right she uses her remarkable facility with words to address the Religious Right and a possible (?) double standard. And this must see video has become an instant YouTube classic. I sent the link to quite a few friends and they've been spreading it around - the link I mean! Damn think I'll just give up on words today.

I am still slightly surprised when I see a pair of Mormon boys walking through the centre of an Italian town. As with most small towns the Centro Storico of Pesaro is closed to traffic. I'm not sure what the red carpet was for but it gave a festive air to an already festive city.

Rossini was born on the the ground floor of this palazzo. He very seldom returned after he left in 1796 at the age of 4. That, of course, has not stopped the sale of Rossini memorabilia in Pesaro but at least its more tasteful than the Mozartiana sold in Salzburg.

• And Speck uses words and her talents as a cartoonist to tell us all about her Labour Day Weekend (sorry Speck I just can't type labor) and an encounter with some people on the run from Gustav. And that first cartoon should be gracing the editorial pages of a major newspaper.

While hundreds of holiday makers crowd the beach seeking that perfect tan that will be the envy of their neighbours come September ...

... others just sit in the park looking out over the Adriatic and pondering the passing world.

04 settembre - San Tesauro dei Beccheria

Lunedi Lunacy

Its been a while since I checked in with my favorite Hippo Pat and his buddy Stan.



And another one because I love these two:



05 maggio Santa Irene