Art & Life for June 2005

Photo of the Month

I took this photo about 10 years ago and it is still one of my favourites: dappled sunlight, my old purple bike, and summer days that seemed to stretch forever.

Oh the humanity of it all…

This month's featured humanity is Ethics:

Scientists at Cornell University in Ithica, NY, have developed a self-replicating robot. The machines, which consist of several 4-inch cubes, are designed to build copies of itself, mimicking reproduction in living organisms. At the moment, the robots have no other purpose than replication. Team leader, Hod Lipson, reports that with a few easy modifications the modules could be fitted with grippers and cameras, with the intent of being used in hazardous situations or space exploration, where the ability to self-repair is vital. Self-replicating robots raise ethical issues - at what point are robots considered sentient; are robots our second-class citizens; should self-replicating robots be used to create weapons of mass destruction; what impact will the age of the robot have on human lifestyle. The list is endless. As Bucky Fuller once said, "Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons."

PS: Don't these scientists watch horror films?

Wine of the Month

Babich - Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2004

At a recent tasting chez nous, this was a huge hit. While the official tasting notes chitchat about a "lively bouquet combining herbal/fennel aromas with gooseberry and bell pepper" the wine tasters here called it a "tart assault" and "a summer wine -perfect for a picnic" and let's not forget "a dynamic mouth burst and a high citrus delight." Great with salmon with a salsa verde - mint, parsley and capers, or mahi mahi with a lime butter.

$18.90, 4/5 stars.

Cool Sites for Wasting Time

Secret Wall Tattoos

The secret life of hotel art! Pass your mouse over the bland, predictable hotel art and see what can be done with a little imagination, and a few markers.

Oh My God, There's an Axe in my Head!

Yup, someone has taken the time to translate "Oh my God, there's an axe in my head!" in over 100 languages. Just in case.

How to Sound Like a Wine Snob

A wine-tasting generator like never before! Provides trenchant remarks for your next oenological event.

Stuff That Disturbs Me

Grant accidentally brought home Colgate's Sparkling White Vanilla Mint toothpaste. While not a vanilla fanatic, it is not the taste that bothers me so much as the colour. When squeezed, the toothpaste oozes out and it is the colour of phlegm. Phlegm with little sparkles. As Grant said, "It's the colour of something that you put on a sore." Ugh.

Stuff I Love

This month? This month I am grooving on:

• The Arcade Fire's awesome song Haiti (Thanks Lenny!)
• Word Craft by Alex Frankel, a fascinating look at the world of brand naming (Thanks Zsolt!)
• The words "name rackognition" (the process of racking your brain in an attempt to recall the name of a person whose name you used to know but have since forgotten) and "shiftless" in its new meaning: a piece of writing in which only lowercase is used, or a person who is too lazy/too pretentious to hit the Shift key
• Starbuck's Komodo Dragon coffee, MAC's Silly Goose eye shadow, and Fairmount bagels

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