Note to self: People on Flickr who tag photos of actual rainbows with 'Gravity's Rainbow' have clearly not read Gravity's Rainbow.


Also, in a review of Slow Learner:

"Funny and wise enough to charm the gravity from a rainbow."
-Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

What the fuck does that even mean?

Watching

It was the time for revolution, but those of us who had prayed for it so long were the ones who could not tear ourselves away from the safety of our rooms to dig into the dirt and dust. We watched as our comrades were arrested and beaten and felt a sense of guilt, for their actions and because they were not ours. It was when the violence became real that we we no longer sure whose side we were on.

In the Snow and Other Things

It is far too cold to stay outside. You have retired indoors already, and turned on the light in the study. I can see it from where I'm standing in the yard, can see how the lamps are reflecting off the leather books, burnt orange and red and yellow, blurred in the window, melted, warm. And I with my boots and coat, standing under the dark trees. My breath shows in the air, disappears into falling snow, and I know that I have grown cold. That it is far too cold to stay.

On a Cake by Cake Basis

cake > Cake

also,

Case > case (unless case = 'of beer')

The Simulacrumb 2: Special Cupcake Edition

I thought that for this installment I would focus on cupcakes, since they are so delightfully delicious and probably one of the cutest looking things that you can eat (jellybeans are pretty darn cute, though not as tasty).
We'll start with Inedible Resembling Edible. First up we have a cookie jar that I almost bought once, and have regretted not buying ever since:























This tin disguises cookies to be better than they actually are.
Second, how great are these cupcake earrings? Because I am only half a girl, my first thought is that there should be more edible jewelery. And not those half ass candy necklaces. I would certainly wear more of it.






















Alright, enough of that. Let's get to stuff you can actually eat. Here we have a terrific example of Edible Resembling Inedible. I think this particular cupcake goes above and beyond any expectations I had for character portrayal in sweets.
























Cupcake cupcake cupcake starts with C. . . . !!

The best example of the simulacrumb I've seen in cupcakes though, goes to these two beautiful examples of Edible Resembling Alternative Edible. Someday I am going to make these. And I will feed them to all of you, my dear readers.
























Ice cream cupcake. It was so obvious. Amazing.
And of course, because we live in America:

















The sesame seeds are an especially nice touch, I think.

Putin' Around Moscow

This is so old, it's not news;

but I still think about it.

This picture is of Reagan andGorbachev hanging out in Moscow with some Russian tourists.  it is also, Skynews reports, a picture of Putin, then a KGB agent, pretending to be a tourist.  That's him on the left, with the camera.

Skynews:

In an interview, Mr Souza recounted being surprised at the "pointed" questions these supposed tourists asked the US leader.

They included searching enquiries on the state of human rights in the US.

The identity of the man on the left of the photo - complete with camera round his neck - was later revealed and "verified" to Mr Souza as none other than Mr Putin.

The planting of KGB officers as bystanders was a common practice in Soviet times.

A Russian politial analyst disputes this:

"Vladimir Putin was a major serving in Dresden and he wasn't important enough at that time to be brought to Moscow", said Andrey Piontkovsky.

Mr Putin served as a KGB officer in the East German city of Dresden.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Russias-Vladimir-Putin-Snapped-In-Disguise-While-Working-As-KGB-Officer-During-Reagan-Visit/Article/200903315244360