Monday, February 07, 2011

Monday Miscellany : Art, Wax And Fine Chocolate

ART : Google's new Art Project is a welcome attempt to make a number of high resolution works of art available to anyone who wants to look at them without the interference of either annoying copyright stamps or demands to pay inflated fees. The site works in one of two ways : you can either take a virtual tour of a number of world-class art galleries using the kind of click and follow technology used on StreetView, or you can look at individual paintings and zoom-in to appreciate amazing detail. The walk-through approach of the virtual tours can be a little annoying, at times it is a bit like walking through an art gallery with misted-up spectacles, but the ability to view individual paintings in almost limitless detail is fantastic. If you have not given it a try yet, do so. (The image is a detail from "Portrait of a Girl in Blue" by Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck).

WAX : I am pleased to report that the moustache styling wax has arrived and I am almost ready to start training my appendage. However, first I need to lose some weight as it has been pointed out to me that a curly tash at the moment would make me look more like the Laughing Cavalier rather than Errol Flynn. The diet is a depressing yet necessary move as if I attempt to go on holiday in my current state I would need to buy a new dinner suit. And I am assured that the United States is a nation of slim, healthy and active people and therefore I don't want to appear out of place. So whilst my moustache expands I am hoping that my waste will contract in inverse proportions.


FINE CHOCOLATE : My proposed healthy diet has been helped no end by reading a report in the newspaper this morning about new research into the benefits of chocolate. Scientists have discovered, the report states, that chocolate contains, gram-for-gram, more beneficial plant compounds, and more antioxidants than fruit. So I can ditch all those boring bananas and tasteless apples and break open a bar of Cadbury's Bournville. I need to make a rapid start on my new chocolate diet, before my moustache gets too large. : it wouldn't be befitting the image to have chocolate stuck to your moustache.

21 comments:

  1. When are you coming to the States, Alan? You know a bunch of us would love to meet you!

    Love the chocolate diet idea..I mean, it's our duty, right?...consuming as many antioxidants as possible!

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  2. Once your get here, you will notice that there is a larger percentage of the not slim, so don't beat yourself up. You probably are slim if you don't eat McDonald's hamburgers. Yes chocolate can solve a lot of problems.

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  3. Betsy : In June but we are on a cruise ship calling at various east coast cities. But the GLW retires this year and I am determined that we shall make a proper visit and hopefully meet as many of my blog friends as I can.
    Larry : Does that mean I don't need to diet?

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  4. Wouldn't that be fun! I'd travel to an east coast city to see you! :)

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  5. Wonderful of you to post about the Google art widget or device or whatever one cals a new thingamabob. It sounds great.

    Mustache wax...hmmm. My husband used to use it. Now he uses my cast off mascara. He's all about keeping the grey out.

    Chocolate? V Day a week from today. You have an excuse.

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  6. We should collect as many bloggers as possible for a pilgrimage to an eastern point. Maybe the Algonquin Hotel in NYC?

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  7. I always knew that one day chocolate would be discovered to be a health food! People like us are just forward thinking!

    The google Art Project ... lovely! Growing moustache ... ditto.

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  8. Did Nana Jo just say she was growing a mustache? lol

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  9. Mustache wax makes me think of Poirot. What's next, Alan, spats?

    I've known about the benefits of chocolate for ages and I try and reap the rewards on a daily basis. (A Toblerone is calling my name at this very moment.)

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  10. Silver Fox : The location is perfect.
    Nana Jo : I know what you mean even if Betsy chooses not to

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  11. Okay, then. We have a few months to coordinate this...

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  12. I wonder if there's a market for chocolate-flavoured moustache wax?

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  13. Never believe a stupid man's interpretation of what a clever man says - or something like that.

    It was one of Bertrand Russell's quotes and applies wonderfully to journalists' interpretation of what scientists say.

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  14. A chocolate diet would be bliss! The Art Project also sounds like bliss. Not sure about the 'tache.

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  15. The US is a nation of slim, healthy people?

    Is that sarcasm I'm reading? ;)

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  16. Anonymous9:20 PM

    This is a beautiful post to just look at, Alan. I like the way the layout looks. I followed your links though I don't have a mustache. I wanted to see the Google Art Project but could not find a way to copy an image and paste it onto my desktop. How did you do it?

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  17. Hooray for Google! There used to be an online art museum that i used to visit frequently, but had to stop when they imposed an exorbitant membership fee. I'm glad to see somebody has decided to pick up the slack.

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  18. I see nothing wrong with looking like a laughing cavallier frankly as long as you're not talking about an amused spaniel. Please send chocolate diet, the broccoli is killing me.

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  19. I so love Cadbury's bournville. In fact, I hate to say this but I ate an ENTIRE Fruit and nut today. Yesireee. i will be turning into a wax effigy in no time.

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  20. Whoever told you that the US was a nation of slim, active, healthy people was much less than accurate. Some of us are some of us aren't. Forget the diet! And I always thought chocolate was in the fruit/vegetable category. It grows comes from a tree, right?

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  21. Chocolate is a vegetable..doesn't it come from a bean...therefore healthy! I have not seen any skinny people for months here in Minnesota..we all have winter fat to keep warm:)

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