SNEGOUROTCHKA

Numbers

2011-09-27T21:52:00.001+02:00

Apparently, someone missed the memo that I'm writing my thesis on Russian literature.j/k

Privatising Space Exploration

2011-08-21T19:34:00.007+02:00

(Oh hello post number 200! Here are some thoughts on private companies taking over space exploration. It's mostly thoughts, so do correct me if I am making any blatant mistakes).

Astrophysics and space flight engineeering makes a very fertile field for new discoveries. Pushed to the edge of our earthly boundaries, scientists are facing challenges that were previously inconceivable to us; how materials and organic entities behave in microgravity, how to withstand extreme pressure and heat, and how to escape our earth's incarcerating, gravitational pull towards the ground. The solutions to these problems have benefited our everyday lives, perhaps more than we are aware of. Mobile phones were based on technology developed when the Apollo astronauts became dependent on long distance telecommunication. Velcro tape, nutrients in baby food, the grills in the road that prevent hydroplaning and water filtering techniques are also offsprings of space engineering. (That the ballpoint pen was invented by NASA to write in space when the Russians used pencils is, however, a myth. Early american astronauts used pencils as well, but when the easily smudged graphite became inconvenient, a high pressure "space pen" was invented. This is not quite the same as our everyday ballpoint pens). These discoveries have been made available as they trickled down from a field of experimental ventures, to kitchens, pockets and sneakers all over the world.

Over the past few years, and noticeably once the monopoly on lower earth orbit was lifted, NASA has increasingly outsourced its business to external companies. In fact, NASA has always employed contractors, but now the space above us is exposed to economic competition. One potentially chilling side of this is that turning space flight into an economic venture where competition is the propellant may force new, innovative technology to remain behind closed doors. Keeping industrial secrets to gain advantages over other companies could hypothetically end in raging patent wars, inhibit free research, and prevent useful inventions from trickling down from orbit to regular huts and shackles. In a hostile fiscal climate, expensive space exploration requires some pretty solid justification. For instance, is the $1.1 billion spacecraft Juno, which is amongst other things carrying a $3.8 million camera that has no specific scientific purpose, really worth it? Something NASA frequently points out in its press releases is that this and other planetary probes aid in answering the fundamental questions of who we are, and where we came from. This may be the most easily recognisable scientific motivation for "common folks", as there really isn't a growing public concern about the status of Jupiter's core or how much oxygen there is in its atmosphere. In their speeches at the Juno Tweetup, NASA administrator Charlie Bolden and chief scientist at the NASA headquarters, Waleed Abdalati, capitalised on the "burning, burning human desire to explore", to take leave of our Earth habitats and answer the fundamental questions we have harboured since the dawn of collective consciousness. Science is energising, fun, and an exciting field that provides job opportunities for young people. But curiousity in itself is an abstract justification. The likes of microelectronics, weather satellites and water filters are however tangible and concrete, and continue to be a prerequisite for continued government funding.

Public interest in space exploration, and with it government funding, is dwindling. The small town of Titusville, located on the other side of the river of Kennedy Space Center has been disintegrating since the end of the Apollo programme. The city is facing another bout of abandonment as the space shuttle programme has been cancelled. Thousands of technicians are losing their jobs – people who have already worked for years in privately owned companies supplying NASA with launch services and maintenance and on the space shuttle for their entire lives. Two companies currently providing launch services, USA (United Space Alliance) and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are joint ventures of famed warfare and aircraft suppliers Boeing and Lockheed Martin. About 9000 (?) people have been laid off since the space shuttle programme ended in early July. One technician ended his own life, depressed by the prospects of losing his job, by throwing himself off the launch pad tower before the last flight of Endeavour, STS-134, in early 2011. The earlier shuttle workers were equipped with decent severance packages, but after vehicle specific work spanning three decades may require extensive re-education to return to work. Moreover returning the space shuttle to flight is not an option, as it is already long overdue for retirement. It is only tragically appropriate that the pieces of the disintegrated Columbia that my Texas pen pal would find in her back yard were already then, in my teenage mind, historical relics.

On the bright side, privatising space flight that has previously been under state monopoly may contribute entirely new solutions for low Earth orbit (LEO) transportation. In his report on the Challenger accident in 1986, physicist and Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman calls for an outsourcing of activities, for an agency that is run by bureaucrats rather than scientists and engineers and marred by chasing perfection to guarantee continued government funding. He claims the space shuttle was rife with expensive engineering mistakes already in its earliest phases, compromising safety in the process. Independent engineers can work out cheaper and more environmentally sound ways to put Earth objects and subjects into space, and refine fully reusable spacecrafts, which is undoubtedly beneficial. Meanwhile, manned space flight continues in Russia as far as servicing the ISS goes, and is explored in newly born space states such as China and India. The Russian federal space agency Roskosmos recently announced it will reduce its spending on manned space flight, but future American ISS crew members will still be catching rides on the Soyuz, at a price of approximately $55 million per head.

So, in absence of humans, we launch our interplanetary placeholders – small probes. Juno is on her way to Jupiter, and she is set to become the fastest man made object in history, reaching 160,000 km/h after her Earth flyby gravity assist in 2013. She is powered entirely on top of the crop solar cell panels, handpicked by the Juno engineers. Although they can power up to 19,000 W on earth, they reach only 400 W in polar orbit around Jupiter, less than it takes to power a hairdryer, and 200 W of that alone is spent on keeping the spacecraft warm. Imagine these solar cell panels in time becoming widely available on Earth? Let's hope these providers of technology are willing to be democratic, and share "the pleasure of finding things out" (as Richard Feynman puts it) as well as their revolutionary outcomes, with the rest of us. Perhaps space flight will never again attain the same splendour as in its Apollo heyday, but this may be a healthy sign of our appropriation of space exploration as an integral part of our no-longer earthbound society; a step towards making space and accompanying technology available for all.

Stweetstyle

2011-08-09T14:47:00.002+02:00

So, what do you wear to a NASA Tweetup? Personally the more pressing question was "How do you dress for Florida weather?" Because honestly, I had no idea. The temperatures rose to 40 centigrades when I was in DC last year, and I have suppressed all memory of it. I had to think of how to reduce the amount of sweat absorbed into my clothes, and the inevitable amount of sweat secreted in general. Kennedy Space Center requires long pants, closed-toe, flat shoes and no sleeveless whatevers for their operative areas, so on-site, the immediately obvious short summer dresses, or shorts with sandals, are not an option.

At the same time, this is a place for photo opportunities, and you'll be on NASA TV. Fashionista vs. geek conundrum. So how about we share some tips and tricks to be both comfortable, safe from stray, toxic splashes AND look decent when posing next to the countdown clock, or Bill Nye "The Science Guy"? And last but not least, to send Juno off in style?

My original Tweetup packing list. Revisions: if I could change anything, it might be the shoes. I should probably have gone for something in fabric or canvas, like plimsolls.

– Long, beige slacks with rolled up hems.The fabric is really light and soft.
– An airy, short-sleeved cotton blouse. Let there be drafts, and no fabric stuck to your underarms.
– A cotton cardigan, for air conditioned environments. (Did not need this on the "air conditioned" tour bus that wasn't air conditioned at all).
– Ballerina flats. They got really hot and smelly. Band-aids were also a life saver, as my feet get blisters if I as much as look at a pair of shoes.
– Straw hat, covering up that head, avoiding that heat stroke.
– Drop the perfume, bring on the bug spray. From what I've heard, the unofficial state bird of Florida is the mosquito.
– A big tote-bag for easy access to your electronic gear, all marked with name tags, of course.
– Other forms of sun protection: sunglasses and sunscreen lotion. I tanned more at the press site than I have done all summer in Norway, and I love my sunscreen lotion (just make sure you get some vitamin D before you put it on).

What did other people wear?
Appropriately, one trend emerging in the world of fashion right now, is star patterns. There were a lot of space-themed tees in the Tweetup tent, almost to the point of confusion, when you no longer knew who was actually working for NASA and who was just wearing the same embroidered polo shirt, bought in the KSC Visitor Complex' gift shop. These people are BIG on logos. Other recurrent trends were burgundy Juno Tweetup badges on turquoise ULA lanyards, various geek gear (some may have been surgically attached to their Tweeting devices) and red and blue 3D glasses. Indeed modern technology trickles into the world of streetwear. However, the fogged glasses that were worn by many outside is the most impractical trend since too tight pants or Marie Antoinette's panier underskirts.

The "operative area" outfit, inspired by Japanese tourists (I am pretty much at eye level with the Juno probe here. Behind the bug-eyed sunglasses that is):

Lovely ladies in 3D glasses:

…hell, let's get a room full of people in 3D glasses!

Photo by jsmjr.

Matching in turquoise in the VAB. Accessorised with smartphones:

Full on Juno gear! I'm jealous. She wears the all out fashion themes better than Lady Gaga:

Bill Nye, a true trendsetter as far as bowties go:

And this is my outfit for flying home, inspired by the space shuttle. The tote bag is from the gift shop at KSC, one of the nicest souvenir bags I have seen. This one can actually be worn without feeling too dorky. Keyword: too:

VAB

2011-08-04T14:28:00.005+02:00

Third largest building in the world by volume, pretty daunting and pretty awesome. I can't wait to see what's inside! Florida is humid like it's going out of fashion, but we're cool and dry and in the Tweetup tent, right next to the famous countdown clock.

Juno

2011-07-29T19:11:00.011+02:00

Everything feels terrible and strange in Oslo these days. You can only hope that there will be a day when you wake up and the tragedy isn't the first thing on your mind, or the sorrow that wakes you up in the first place. Nevertheless you simply have to go on, be strong. It feels better to live by a principle that says that you cannot change what has happened, it has passed irrevocably. There is no real point in regret and anger, you can only change things now, change them for the better, be better.

I am leaving for Kennedy Space Center in four days, it is a certainty, a sort of mental jolt, in the concreteness of it. I have to gather identification papers, make sure my visa waiver is valid, launder clothes, check the weather report, arrange flights, transfers and sleepovers. Crowds are suffocating, men in uniform frightening; yesterday we went to an island, and sitting there knowing you can't swim to shore had a surreal quality, fiction-like. I can't help but laugh at pictures and stories when I forget to be unhappy, or be glad that we're here after all. I feel like that is eventually more important than grief.

There is (almost unfortunately) a tinge of historical greatness to the victims of the terror; fallen comrades like those who fell for impressive causes, fighting cruelty, who were killed meaninglessly while standing up for something important. Killing for the sake of destroying a multicultural society seems absurd. If anything, growing up surrounded by several cultures has taught me to understand before passing judgment, it is one of my most precious experiences.

In Florida, the launch of Juno is going ahead as planned: she has been placed in the capsule, mounted atop a rocket, carried to the launch pad. Juno is going to explore Jupiter, covering 33 laps in polar orbit before plunging into the atmosphere of the gas giant. She is meant to solve the riddles of how Jupiter formed, what lies beneath the shroud of gaseous, turbulent clouds, and – at the very least give hints at – how the solar system came to be. The vastness of space that we're not even wired to comprehend, but must simply accept as fact, is one of those constant things that erases most personal turmoil and discomfort. It is huge, and we are so incredibly tiny, we're just going to have to do our best on our "mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam". The rest is a profound, confusing and fascinating adventure, like losing yourself in your favourite book, only it's something we can discover for real and a story that we are continuously writing.

NASA Juno Tweetup

2011-07-21T22:27:00.003+02:00

I haven't updated this thing in the longest time! It's not that I don't have much to say; rather a problem expressing the amount of it.

In June I registered for a NASA Tweetup event at Kennedy Space Center, of course thinking my chances diminutive. Lo and behold I was selected and invited to watch the launch of Juno and meet engineers, scientists and other NASA fans. 150 people from all over the place are meeting up to revel in our shared interest, soak up the fun, and learn lots more about NASA's current and future plans. It'll be my first time at a rocket launch, and fulfilling my life-long dream of going to Kennedy Space Center. When I was little my father always used to say we were going to see a shuttle launch when I turned 12. It never happened, and for obvious reasons, never will.

I'm already getting to know the other participants (or "space tweeps"), who are the most generous, helpful and enthusiastic people, and I'm looking very, very much forward to going there. I haven't had much money all summer, but damn well am I cracking my savings account open for this opportunity. Hopefully someone will be interested in helping me share the story with local media as well.

I'll probably be posting some thoughts around space and science in the upcoming weeks (or rather, fourteen days – that countdown clock takes my breath away every time!), from the layman's perspective of a humanist, anyway. Some of it may be in Norwegian, but I realise I have somewhat of a duty to impart on these grounds, too.

When I told people "So, today I got this email from NASA..." they all gave me this look of disbelief ("Oh no, she's gone really crazy this time"), but it's really happening! I think. I hope. I'm pretty sure.

This is Oslo

2011-05-29T13:55:00.004+02:00

B/W photos (the tinted ones were accidentally scanned in colour mode).

"Not so impossible"

2011-05-07T20:22:00.005+02:00

All the time I get too stuck on the associative meaning of songs, and most of the time they aren't positive associations. So after a few months, I realise I cannot listen to these songs anymore, they remind me of the terrible and dumb things surrounding that little piece of past only ever relived in memory. The best songs are those that transgress this, that stand being listened to over and over, that sound exciting even two or eighteen months later so that they no longer make me think of certain people, provoking certain feelings.

Thus I know I can always, always rely on Sufjan Stevens; I look forward to listening to these records in twenty years, how exciting it will still feel. His concert in Oslo a week ago is probably not only one of the best concerts I've been to, but perhaps one of the best and most beautiful things I have ever experienced.

Someone stole my phone, which I also used as an ipod, so I don't listen to a lot of music these days. Now that I finally emerged from the post-concert vacuum, I wish I could listen to music all the time I spend outside on buses, metro, cleaning houses, sitting out in the sun.

On another note, I've been travelling; I went to Copenhagen to visit a dear friend over Easter.

Persian Pop

2011-03-14T12:51:00.004+01:00

Neli was the artist name of an Iranian pop star in the 1970s, with a particular youthful and western look and musical style. Sweet like France Gall, her real name is Shamsi Ashtari, born in 1956. Having her musical career cut short by the revolution, she moved to London where she according to rumour runs a dental clinic.

+ + + songs and pictures.

Fewer Things

2011-03-01T20:46:00.007+01:00

One of the things I wanted to do in 2011 was to reduce the number of things I own and the amount of things I buy, particularly pertaining to wardrobe, but also bric-a-brac. I've always been frugal by nature, but living in a small space has made me realise that I need to question what is really necessary to own, and what is convenient. So far I am in a phase of planning and developing, list-making, sketching and discovering minimalist blogs (one of my favourites for fashion right now is Dead Fleurette); baby steps.

Earlier this year I also started budgeting, which I haven't done before (going mostly by gut feeling and bank statements – a dubious idea when you're living on sub-poverty line study loans), and I realised that by living this way I will actually be saving money, compared to when I was less conscious about every purchase, thus also focusing more on being ethical and environmental.

All the schemes I have laid out for myself are already explained better elsewhere, but I have one protip for cleaning out your wardrobe, especially if you get easily attached to things: Make a special heap for items you are not entirely sure about; the extravagant shirts that would be fun to wear for that one occasion, the dresses you never wear but keep for the memories, the things that are really kind of nice so you keep hoping to be able to pull it off one day. Put these items away, for example in a suitcase underneath your bed, or a box in the storage room. You probably have enough clothes to forget about the stow-aways pretty quickly. A few months later, you can look through your box or suitcase, and most likely realise you didn't miss these clothes at all. If you did, re-incorporate them into your wardrobe, and if not, donate them to charity or flea markets.

Next up is the bookshelf, which I am afraid will be more difficult to get through efficiently, and loose papers.

Funny Because It's True etc.

2011-02-27T21:15:00.003+01:00

The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions, by David McCandless

"A Nihilistic Vision of Beauty"

2011-02-16T20:10:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I feel awkward about posting pictures I've found without source, because they cropped up without source, or because I forgot, but at the same time felt too imperative to restrain; I make no money from this at all and why would I. But then it makes me ever so happy when people send me nice emails and messages and ask to be credited, because I'd more than love to help.

mylittlepony - Stories About Love

2011-01-18T11:03:00.002+01:00

Normally I'm of too much a pessimistic disposition to enjoy twee. But I really like this song.

mylittlepony - Stories About Love from APPARATET on Vimeo.

You can even buy their one-day-old album: CDON.eu - Platekompaniet - download from the label.

Maria Amelie

2011-01-16T23:51:00.005+01:00

Demonstrations for the rights of udocumented immigrants at Trandum.

I met Fröken Lila on the bus there, who is also a friend of Maria's. Small world and pleasant coincidences, even in dire times.

My Basic Wardrobe

2011-01-08T16:43:00.000+01:00

Snegurochka II

2010-12-23T02:25:00.006+01:00

Based on an old newsstory; but I found this amusing. From pagan deity to modern sex symbol: Snegurochka revealed via Sociological Images.

By the way, two years ago (exactly!) I had a post on Snegurochka; for new readers it's here.

Winter

2010-12-23T00:32:00.004+01:00

Мне нравится, что Вы больны не мной,
Мне нравится, что я больна не Вами,
Что никогда тяжелый шар земной
Не уплывет под нашими ногами.
Мне нравится, что можно быть смешной —
Распущенной — и не играть словами,
И не краснеть удушливой волной,
Слегка соприкоснувшись рукавами.

Мне нравится еще, что Вы при мне
Спокойно обнимаете другую,
Не прочите мне в адовом огне
Гореть за то, что я не Вас целую.
Что имя нежное мое, мой нежный, не
Упоминаете ни днем ни ночью — всуе…
Что никогда в церковной тишине
Не пропоют над нами: аллилуйя!

Спасибо Вам и сердцем и рукой
За то, что Вы меня — не зная сами! —
Так любите: за мой ночной покой,
За редкость встреч закатными часами,
За наши не-гулянья под луной,
За солнце не у нас над головами, —
За то, что Вы больны — увы! — не мной,
За то, что я больна — увы! — не Вами.

– Марина Цветаева, (3 мая 1915)

New Times, Better Salaries

2010-12-16T16:13:00.007+01:00

Diary

2010-11-14T17:30:00.002+01:00

*

*

My Kind of Girl

2010-11-13T20:59:00.003+01:00

From superbomba on flickr.

Чтобы я не совсем потерялась

2010-11-09T19:26:00.004+01:00

Я человек, я посредине мира,
За мною мириады инфузорий,
Передо мною мириады звезд.
Я между ними лег во весь свой рост —
Два берега связующее море,
Два космоса соединивший мост.

Я Нестор, летописец мезозоя,
Времен грядущих я Иеремия.
Держа в руках часы и календарь.
Я в будущее втянут, как Россия,
И прошлое кляну, как нищий царь.

Я больше мертвецов о смерти знаю,
Я из живого самого живое.
И — боже мой! — какой-то мотылек,
Как девочка, смеется надо мною,
Как золотого шелка лоскуток.

– Арсений Александрович Тарковский, «Посредине мира» (1958)

As so not to forget myself entirely.

(this time around)

2010-11-05T11:41:00.002+01:00

According to Johan Harstad in today's Klassekampen (NO), the era of albums is over; you don't buy the records anymore, but you download singles from iTunes and make playlists in Spotify. And before I can determine either "yes" or "no" I was caught up in the strong associative content of music, how each song and album has intrinsic links to a book or a place or a person.

Last night (this took me by complete surprise, I found out the same morning) The Radio Dept. played a gig in Oslo, and I don't think there is any other band that has such a strong associative effect on me. Every song jolts you elsewhere, a million possible outcomes in every sound; eyes closed/open, smiling, crooked disappointment, trance-like. Even if they only played for an outrageously short 50 minutes and omitted 'David', it felt special, it's been two years since I had a ticket to see them in my hand and couldn't go after all.

This song is walking home in the middle of the night, drunk, disappointed and angry.

This song is the flat, obliquely lit landscapes of Flanders and Northern France, and the only song that made you feel good this summer.

This song is St. Petersburg and wet snow in November.

This song is meeting someone for the first time.

This song is just trying to come into existence from tepid, dense winter.

This is misplaced devotion.

This song is hot, lazy summers in Ukraine.

This song is just here and now.

(Youtube sound quality is kind of shit so you should buy follow Johan Harstad's example and buy the albums and cherish them like you cherish your books).

2010-10-30T18:13:00.002+02:00

Any way you run, you run before us

2010-10-23T23:36:00.005+02:00

The ticket to their Oslo concert is in the pocket of my notebook; this song is really lovely.

Beach House - Zebra from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

Homemade Space Balloon

2010-10-19T19:07:00.005+02:00

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

A Paraphrase on "Cut"

2010-10-17T17:53:00.001+02:00

I peeled a mango, peeled my own thumb; a bare and blueish little crater on my knuckle, spongy trickling blood, perfectly shaped like Australia.

04.10.2010

2010-10-04T15:50:00.001+02:00

The world is making my palms sweat.

J. Robert Oppenheimer

2010-09-15T01:06:00.001+02:00

Because I found this picture that I hadn't seen before, and who doesn't like a man who has become death.

Stroboscope

2010-09-13T09:01:00.008+02:00

Carl Sagan Forever

2010-08-31T20:50:00.002+02:00

Somewhere and some time this summer, I downloaded an audio-book version of Carl Sagan's Cosmos and subsequently told my mother about it. She lit up saying how she followed the series in the early eighties, and how my father, when they started dating, ripped an LP to a cassette with the theme music from the show. We couldn't find the LP (turned out my dad borrowed it from his friend), but we did find the cassette.

Also, the B-side is Lionel Richie - All Night Long:

EP

2010-08-22T20:55:00.002+02:00

SUFJAN STEVENS - All Delighted People

Unsettled; quell.

2010-08-16T15:41:00.009+02:00

Belgium

2010-08-15T22:10:00.003+02:00

In June I went to Belgium for the first time, during the elections; there was political tension, good food, good beer and beautiful people.

Paris II

2010-08-15T22:04:00.004+02:00

Coy

2010-08-05T20:47:00.004+02:00

All this irritating summer sickness.

The Intuitive Comprehension of Jiddisch Language

2010-08-01T09:12:00.003+02:00

PS, vote for Hannah in the Mad Men casting call competition!

Boards of Canada - Everything You Do Is A Balloon

2010-07-29T11:51:00.005+02:00

No Desires

2010-06-09T17:41:00.004+02:00

Larissa Mondrus - The Stars Are Waiting

2010-05-16T22:46:00.003+02:00

2010-05-13T15:24:00.003+02:00

Nijinsky, Lyubava and Noam.
From Flickr.

Kvinnehistorisk natt 2010

2010-05-13T14:29:00.004+02:00

Unfortunately I didn't get to participate because I forgot I signed up for a boat trip to Copenhagen (a different story entirely), but I entrusted my posters to Frøydis and I think it was very successful.

State of Consistency

2010-04-24T20:51:00.003+02:00

The lump in my chest is growing; it's tender, it moves underneath my fingers, beneath slip dress, shirt and blouse, evading my fingers.

The smell of my own skin when I haven't showered in a while is both comforting and saddening.

I'm moving into a fifth floor flat with no lift and no balcony; I think I'm going to have to stop smoking. And I will have to give you my new address.

Constructivist Architecture: Samara's Fabrika-Kukhnya

2010-04-21T23:35:00.013+02:00

I am finally getting around to writing about this - a forum post prompted me to get my move on. I cannot even remember how I came across the rather elusive subject - I think it was mentioned, briefly, in an article I was reading on the Soviet concept of "Factory Kitchens" - public kitchens that were established in the 1920s to provide proper nutrition to workers, and give women proletars the option of breaking free from the kitchen slavery at home. Ekaterina Maximova's 1931 "fabrika-kukhnya" (Factory Kitchen) of the Maslennikov factory in Samara is a constructivist wonder in the shape of a hammer and sickle, but as most constructivist buildings in Russia, and particularly provincial Russia, the preservation strategies have been less than ideal. Or more frequently, entirely absent.

Archnadzor notes in an article from March 2008 that "if such a building had appeared in a capital, it would have been esteemed, and entered the textbooks of architectural history long ago". (Though the sad state of similar constructivist buildings in other parts of the former USSR may call in question that the writer has namely post-Soviet capitals in mind; with honourable exceptions such as samples of Melnikov's oligarch-sponsored work and Kharkiv's polished Gosprom facade). Its purpose and shape nails several aspects and definitions of the era's art as industrial art. These architectural concepts were ideally employed for factories, workers' clubs, canteens, garages and modern working class housing projects, airy and sunlit, and even in Moscow a quarter built purposely to maximise sunlight exposure in all the flats; art became a practicality, industrialised, and intended to serve/stimulate etc. the masses. Housing projects were designed as a vessel to ease muscovites into the perks of communal living. The particular hammer and sickle layout reads like an ideological extravagance; similar projects were realised in Moscow and then-Leningrad - a school in a vaguely similar hammer and sickle shape, and a Red Army theatre in the shape of a star. The building thus "demonstrated the progressive aesthetical, engineering and ethical ideas of the Soviet avant-garde". It was also one of the first buildings in the Volga area with concrete lift slabs/floor structure (Archnadzor), i.e. a showcase of modern, creative technology.

The factory kitchen itself was located in the hammer, from which three conveyor belts brought the food to the canteen in the sickle. There were two floors, with airy mezzanines and staircases, and the building also housed a sports facility, reading room as well as the kitchen's administration. The interior and plan design formed an integral, dynamic part of the building's aesthetic impact; however, these aspects are rarely considered by the city council, considering their lack of expertise, and most of the original design - interior and exterior - was destroyed during extensive reconstructions in the 20th century.

In a motion comparable to a lot of countries' immediate pre- and post-WWII failure to preserve symbols of their era, the building was refurbished for the the first time already in 1944. The entire front facade was remade, and like a sarcophagus a classical style shell covered the face of the building. Some internal changes and coverings were also made. In 1998-99 the building was transformed into a shopping centre. Threatened by demolition several times, the building now houses stray dogs and the homeless, and in the TV-programme "Dostoyanie respublika" (see link underneath), it is mentioned that the government (federal as well as local) have neither will or possibility to aid the reconstruction of these buildings - a tragic example may well be the Narkomfin in Moscow, which figures on the UNESCO list of endangered buildings, whilst it is literally falling apart (with people inside, as observed by Owen Hatherley on a recent Moscow excursion). By 2008 there were plans of again transforming the Samara building, this time into an office centre. By February 2010, the plans of restoration had stagnated, and the building is facing, again, destruction.

Narkomfin:

There appears to be no logical conclusion; many constructivist buildings have been saved from destruction by prominent oligarchs' wives, which was the case with Melnikov's Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage in Moscow, that was subsequently turned into an art gallery. This is, however, no guarantee that sufficient expertise will be employed in the restoration.

Resources:

Архнадзор - Символ эпохи

arch_heritage - Photographic excursion of fabrika-kukhnya

Narkomfin pictures from Wikimedia Commons: 1 2

Radio Free Europe: Russian's Historic Hammer-and-sickle Building Faces Wrecking Ball

The New York Times on the legal battle fought by Melnikov's grandchildren

NYTimes.com image slideshow on Russian architecture (with Narkomfin interiors)

Russian programme on "constructivist Moscow". I love how the feature ends with action thriller music and dramatic zooming in on the conspicuously phallic City of Capitals-project:

The Bjästa Case

2010-04-06T21:42:00.008+02:00

This case has been gnawing on me for weeks, so I have to write about it. I haven't seen any reports on it in foreign media, which is funny because in all its cruelty it displays so much of our horrible dispositions towards rape, and the mentality of "all-against-one" that can ethically cripple a society entirely.

There is a 58-min documentary from Swedish television available here: Uppdrag granskning (until 9th of July), that goes through most of the things I have noted below.

Last year, a 14 year old girl in the small town Bjästa in Sweden was raped by an older boy at the same school. She was forced to perform oral sex on him at the toilet floor, where he had pinned her down. A few days later she went to the police, and her report was later found to correspond to the boy's eventual confession. And yet no one believed her. The teachers, the social workers, the local priest, school children and their relatives - even their parents, all stood behind the young boy who was convicted of raping a child. She was deduced to be a liar. Because he was too handsome, too kind to ever rape someone. He shouldn't have to

And the problems and prejudices are already overwhelming. So if you're good looking you can never commit a crime! Especially not something as horrifying as rape. It is a pathetic comfort. And if you're kind, with a day job, or a place in school, you must be functioning much too well to ever rape someone. And the final evidence must be that with his sympathetic demeanour, he shouldn't have to rape someone. God forbid any of us were ever in a situation where rape was necessitated. A 50-something year old parent made this claim in a phone interview with Swedish television. A support group for the perpetrator on Facebook quickly reached 4000 members, more than the number of inhabitants in Bjästa. Messages surfaced on the group wall hoping that "the cunt" (referring to the rape victim) should be raped and killed. Burnt at the stake. Raped with poles. Cut into small pieces and have every bone in her body broken. Because she was lying and spreading rumours, as the perpetrator was too handsome and kind to ever do something like that. He was too popular to be removed from the community and forced to do community service. Even after two courts convicted him due to the overwhelming evidence and concurrent confessions from the two parts involved.

At the summer leaving ceremony in the local church, the victim was absent. The local priest invited the boy, who had then been forced to change schools (sparking a strike amonst the pupils at his old school in Bjästa), to the ceremony, where he handed out flowers and hugged his old classmates. The priest, in an interview, claimed to not know he had been convicted, and named him "poor boy". And of course, poor boy, 15 and convicted of rape. Whatever compelled him to do so must be a heavy, painful psychological presence, especially considering this behaviour repeated itself. After the ceremony he raped another girl, a childhood friend. He was convicted again, based - again - on overwhelming evidence, even biological; they found his DNA in her underwear. And upon hearing this the priest said, again, "poor boy... and necessarily, the girl too".

So the first victim moved to boarding school, 500 kilometres from her hometown. The school never took any responsibility for one of their pupils having been raped in the school toilet, and they did nothing to effectively stop the harassment. The two afflicted girls were openly attacked in school corridors and on the street. The mindblowing apathy of small, Scandinavian communities - no one ever confronted this harassment. No one wanted to face the painful reality of their friend, son, brother, or fellow community member being a rapist. Because rapists are only creepy old men lurking in the shadows, raping women and children, dysfunctional and lonely beings dragging corpses around to be buried beneath the front lawn. And rape only ever happens between strangers, in the streets, by chance, or surprise. If only the statistics didn't disprove these two last sentences, I might just be able to excuse the attackers, and the passive bystanders.

(And then again, a human being isn't inclined to face reality if it is too painful. And a harrowing criminal case is a huge blow to a small community. Rumours are age-old and the collective mentality ever more so. But how could this overrule any, single voice of conscience? And it is tarnished by, of course, the pervasive classic, the misconception that the woman is always to blame for rape).

ETA: more excellent points, at Lisa Magnusson's blog.

North Caucasus

2010-04-01T21:19:00.008+02:00

Sadly I didn't have the time to link you to this site before I went on holiday - only last Thursday the Russia group of Amnesty Blindern (= university of Oslo) arranged a seminar on the outcome of Russian politics in Chechnya, with focus on disappearances and impunity - i.e. kidnappings as collective punishment, where the removal of productive citizens and family members force entire communities to their knees.

We were visited by, amongst others, Grigory Shvedov, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Knot (the site name is pretty much soi-disant). I would like to encourage you to read some of the articles on this site, leave a comment, get yourself engaged in the debates, even tell your friends. Most Russians are blatantly ignoring the conflict in Caucasus (and now, ironically, it is hard for them to do so, now that the Chechen guerilla "is bringing the war to their streets"), and the people of North Caucasus has a very limited voice. What people hear, is former rebel leader and president Ramzan Kadyrov, and the militant, Islamist opposition.

As desperation grows, even more Chechens are committing themselves to guerrilla groups that send their so-called Black Widows armed with strapped-on bombs into public places in Moscow and Dagestan. This is the only voice the government is willing to listen to.

And to think that your contribution, that is so small per se, could mean so much to a whole lot of people.

Caucasian Knot.

Envy

2010-03-24T21:13:00.011+01:00

« Mais, après m'être interrogé, je puis témoigner que, parmi mes nombreuses faiblesses, n'a jamais figuré le défaut le plus répandu parmi nous, je veux dire l'envie, véritable cancer des sociétés et des doctrines. » — Albert Camus

To be honest I am a terribly envious person. I envy the lives of others towards idolisation, to a painful extent. If I could swap lives with someone I would in a heartbeat; I would exchange my problems for yours and it would be good insofar as they would be different. I could take the good from yours that I perceive lacking in my own. Envy requires a certain kind of unhappiness, or emptiness; you perceive something to be missing and instead of letting it go and appreciating what you do have, you want to have what everyone else are having, or you wish to be better than them in some respect. Ideally you should be comparing yourself to those better than you, even though it has the potential to make you ultimately unhappy.

I have no idea how to make mine or any other's lives "better". I don't suppose there is a magic trick and all those baby steps seem hopeless and inadequate and outright silly. Would it really make you less anxious to exercise and read the newspaper? Or to spend more money on food? Or keep a budget or do things on time? What if these things were impossible to realise, or what if the feeling of malcontent were so permeating that even those unassuming activities turned dull and sour? I suppose this all ties in with my contempt for "new age" or "self-help" literature and methods. There is no "copping out". There is a lot of insanely hard work to be done and human beings aren't particularly inclined to do things the hard way, unless we get lost in the coils of confusion, or cornered, or endeavour to find a way out of a compromising situation.

Surprisingly (to me) I envy people with entirely different qualities; I envy people who, objectively, would be considered worse off than me. I envy those who have astonishingly similar histories, but theirs, for some reason, have turned out infinitely better than my own, and I have seemingly endless remorse for the potential that I have thrown or am throwing to the hounds. I envy cruel and bitter people because they are less emotionally impoverished, I envy those who are mean to me for their clear perspectives. I envy jealous girls for their motives, I envy people who bite. And in the end I am obviously the one to emerge naked and beaten. It is a game that cannot be won, but it seems too hard to bring back to equilibrium. And the solution isn't attaining all these things, but "coming to terms" with them. I've had periods when my envy and I have been good friends, he's been absent and I've moved on; but as envy is tied to my foot like a millstone the presence of it only grows as I grapple with the stark absence of basically everything else. There is an imbalance of perception as I cannot be one thing that is real and one thing that isn't real; one thing that can be explained, but in reality, is inexplicable. And envy is either real or unreal depending on whether a feeling is considered genuine.

As though I just want your life as my own and find that honestly too much to ask.

Khitruk - The Man in the Frame

2010-03-19T00:03:00.005+01:00

SOYUZMULTFILM, who made all the famous Soviet cartoons, has its own youtube-channel!

"The Man in the Frame" by Fyodor Khitruk (born Labour Day in 1917, before it was uniersally known as Labour Day) from 1966 is actually quite funny, despite its overt symbolism. It's pretty daring for its time, both in visual language and subject matter. Unfortunately, I don't know much about its history.

As the protagonist grows increasingly important, I find that he looks quite like Mussolini; just when I was thinking that the style reminded me of the Italian cartoon about "the Line". There is something decidedly kafkaesque about it as well.

Khitruk went on to make the Vinni-Pukh cartoons; the Soviet adaption of Winnie the Pooh, and is also famous for Story of a Crime and Film, Film, Film.

From flickr

2010-03-17T12:35:00.004+01:00

Literary Gender Issues

2010-03-11T16:37:00.004+01:00

The funniest thing happened in class yesterday, and I feel that it highlighted so many gender issues that still exist in the field of literary studies (or amongst "intellectuals" in general).

We were reading and analysing some surrealist poems. Some of them were very erotic, explicitly so; very powerful with an extremely strong and confident narrator. In one line, the narrator mentions "my innocent sex". And we interpreted it as a display of dehumanised or disjointed masculine energy, because what man would call his sex innocent! It gave a very obvious image of shame, someone who lets their sex remain untouched by intellectual decision, or someone who (in the rest of the poem) is very aggressive and fatalistic, and disconnects himself from his sex, as so to leave it untouched by "dirty" reality (or to be witty; why else would they call it "family jewels").

And it strikes me that we, in the class, read no biography of the writer, who has a (relatively) sexually ambiguous name, and lo and behold - Joyce Mansour is indeed a woman! So firstly - we immediately, automatically deduced that the writer was male. And we read a lot of masculinity into the analysis - about manhood, sex and gender, power - and when the poems were less "masculine" (e.g. "innocent sex") we saw it as a loss of manhood, with the thus implied shame. Secondly, why on earth does the gender of the writer even matter - why do we put so much of the writer into the narrator, when they are perfectly separate (metaphysical) beings. A woman can assume roles and employ male narrators and protagonists as well as a male writer can impersonate his own, or the other, sex.

So in the end, I think the session would have turned out very differently if we had known that the writer was female. It would perhaps come across as daring and shocking that a woman in the 50s could write these things, but we wouldn't react with the same sense of shame and loss of power when the "feminine" elements were introduced. Most likely, they would be seen as definitely feminine, and the weakness and futility they expressed would be seen as perfectly natural reflections of being a woman.

It is atrocious and fascinating all the same; that the given name assigned to a work of art becomes the perspective from which you interpret it. And on one hand you should keep that in mind, but on the other hand, the artwork - with its narrators and implications - takes on a very much separate character from the writer.

Sin

2010-03-09T03:21:00.003+01:00

I am so envious of you; you have no idea.

С праздником!

2010-03-08T15:30:00.004+01:00

In spite of everything,
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Image: newswids.ru & bestkids.ru

Long Live Sparklehorse

2010-03-07T22:15:00.002+01:00

Oh no, oh no.

Joanna Newsom: new album

2010-02-15T22:05:00.002+01:00

The new Joanna Newsom album, gratuitously named Have One On Me, sounds incredibly good so far; some of the songs have been played live and swim around as bootlegs/YouTube-rips, and now her record label has published the track "Kingfisher" for streaming at the website. Listen here! Two other tracks were available for streaming over the past weeks, so you've got to be quick. Pedantic googling does yield results, though.

The entire album amounts to a triple CD set clocking in at over two hours! I'm all tingly and excited for her crooning and yelping and yawning and harping. Also, the cover is delightfully 2010, but evokes nostalgic reminiscences of those grand LP covers from the 70s and late 60s, too. Not to mention the font makes me think of the infamous movie poster for A Clockwork Orange, a mix of the glorious, the sinister, the animalistic, angelic and eclectic, which I hope serves as a reflection of Newsom's music as well.

Salinger

2010-02-14T23:26:00.002+01:00

It's been a while, but I haven't been around to post this. It is just too perfect.

Bunch Of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger

Sleep tight, old man.

January Things

2010-01-14T17:28:00.005+01:00

I have some news for you all.

a) Joanna Newsom's new album "Have One on Me" is scheduled for release the 23rd of February! Some of the new songs she has been playing at gigs since releasing "Ys" have been so breathtakingly beautiful, I hope some of they make it onto the album (allegedly recorded in Tokyo).

b) Some of my new favourite blogs:

Aknebrud - Norwegian design and illustration company.
Child of the Moon - with an obsession for the 60s, and an impressive ability to dig up rare photos of our (anti-)heroes.
Revel in New York - art and popular culture in New York, from hipsters to found, vintage photos, obscure films, music and artists.
And check out this article on CSD Architecten on Likecool.com, and one of their buildings in Antwerp.

Cute

2010-01-03T17:12:00.002+01:00

me: jeg drømte at i amazonas fant man bittesmå hvite drueklaser, og hvis man så veldig nøye på "druene" så de ut som kattunger.
og de var levende, og klissete, og vokste og kroet seg, og etterhvert forlot de klasen og fløy avgårde og viste seg å være bittesmå pandabjørner.
og så fulgte vi etter dem ettersom de vokste, de fløy ikke lenger, men de gikk oppreist som marekatter. og de gikk på en bensinstasjon og kjøpte pølser i brød.

Antique Photos

2009-12-31T01:41:00.003+01:00

My favourite antique shop, Arilds Antikk in Pilestredet, just across Blitz, is closing down. Before the holiday I went and bought these antique photos for a couple of cents a piece. I finally scanned them:

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T13:40:00.003+01:00

I hope you're all having a wonderful Chanukah, Christmas and Новый Год. Here is another lovely Russian cartoon to watch - also by Ivanov-Vano, Vkhutemas graduate and cartoon maker "patriarch" of the Soviet Union.

The story is based on Leskov's wonderful little story "Levsha".

Watch it here!

2009, and awkward literary sex

2009-12-21T16:29:00.007+01:00

I thought I should write a post about awkward literary sex, because this term I read Rabbit, Run by John Updike for class and it had the most beautiful sex scene ever, between Rabbit and Ruth, that wasn't awkward or pretentious - just fragile and smooth and slippery between the hands, full of round shapes and words. And Updike himself, only a few years ago, won the prize for "lifetime achievement" in Literary Review's "Bad Sex Prize". The Guardian 04.12.02 gives a taste of some of the shortlisted candidates of 2002:

"Weirdly, he was clad in pin-stripes at the same time as being naked. Pin-stripes were erotic, the uniform of fathers, two-dimensional fathers. Even Mr Hughes's penis had a seductive pin-striped foreskin."

"The experience is still painful, like having a fallen log hammered up one's backside with a mallet[.]"

"And then my body, like a cathedral, broke out into ringing. The hunchback in the belfry had jumped and was swinging madly on the rope." (Oh no you didn't, Eugenides).

"They were like two flamingos, each attempting to filter the nutriment out of the other with great slurps of their muscular tongues."

Also, mentioning Hitler during a sex scene is a horrible mistake (as is Chairman Mao).

Favourites pt. 6

2009-12-20T14:46:00.004+01:00

Even more and more.

1. Untitled, 2. audrey hepburn, 3. Don't Mess with Kerouac (IV), 4. Jack Kerouac III, 5. And the girls get drunk..., 6. Young Lovers, 7. Cafe Flirting, 8. Like Audrey, 9. At the bar, 10. Pout, 11. Kissing the Hand, 12. Gout de vin, 13. Eye Shadow, 14. Interlude, 15. Two Poodles Meet, 16. Prelude to a Kiss, 17. Moving, moving since creation, 18. The Procession of the Worlds, 19. Bedbril / Glasses for reading in bed, 20. ////, 21. buddah på loftet, 22. 1952 Mademoiselle, 23. Montgomey Ward - 1943, 24. Montgomey Ward - 1943, 25. Untitled, 26. 1950 Evelyn Tripp in Davidow, 27. Dovima 1953, 28. Ginsberg howl haust, 29. 2jrs1, 30. Untitled, 31. Untitled, 32. Untitled, 33. Untitled, 34. Untitled, 35. Berlin2, 36. riley&harstad

Wisdom Teeth

2009-12-10T12:31:00.002+01:00

A couple of nights ago I had this dream in which my wisdom teeth were budding babies, growing in the back of my jaw. And this morning after being roused by a lone Boeing humming over the roof of my house, I symbolically put a mirror on my desk and used a knitting needle to push back the skin covering the growing molar.

Pictures from Soviet

2009-12-10T01:25:00.003+01:00

Life in the 60s
Life in the 50s

Pictures, part I
Pictures, part II
Pictures, part III

"Kronisk"

2009-11-25T23:09:00.003+01:00

I'll use my 201st post to direct you all to my brave and sweet friend Giulia's blog: Kronisk. It's in Norwegian, and it brings up details from life with a chronic disease, helping the grateful normal to understand what it is like to not be 100% on par, all the time.

Ugly Book Covers II

2009-11-22T18:26:00.007+01:00

Here is another installment of Ugly Book Covers! These are all from a second-hand bookshop in Nijmegen, and I feel like I am cheating by going straight to the suspense and crime section.

This one is about NAZI EXPERIMENTS. And probably some naked women. I'm sad my camera didn't capture the sparkling, metallic font the title was written in.

Sorokin, the best name, almost like Pushkin

2009-11-11T00:12:00.002+01:00

If this was a tumblr this would be properly linked up and found, but through dearest Flamme's blog I came across Vladimir Sorokin's tale of his Norway sojourn. And I was working the Thursday night he was in Oslo, finished my lecture 20 minutes before time, ran all the way home and to Litteraturhuset and caught the last 20 minutes ("the juicy bit"). Exhausted, awkwardly breathy, but very content. I have so much infinite respect for Sorokin and his style wraps around your brain like cold cloths, this is a recommendation - 1-2-3 go read.

On Parricide

2009-11-10T21:08:00.003+01:00

Violette Nozière, not only subject of a poem by André Breton, but an enfant terrible (or perhaps exemplaire) of the French judiciary system. Convicted to execution for killing her incestous, abusive father and her mother (who survived and eventually reconciled with her daughter) by poisoning and subsequent gassing, her death sentence was reverted to life imprisonment in 1934, at which time she was 19 years old. She was then sentenced to 12 years forced labour and released in 1945.

She was a case extraordinaire amongst the French surrealists as well, who dedicated a book to her defense, and with Breton writing this poem about her (that I fell in love with in French class today).

2009-10-28T15:04:00.001+01:00

New Flickr favourites!

*

Vintage Pharmaceutical Ads

2009-10-27T13:30:00.007+01:00

What fascinates me about the history of pharmaceuticals is the development of psychoactive drugs in the 50s and 60s; a veritable revolution, but the drugs over time proved to be dangerous, addictive and having horrible side effects (think tardive dyskinesia). A lot of the medicines proved fatal in even small overdoses, and are used for this purpose today, in capital punishment and euthanasia.

Most images from Deco Dog and whispering ibis on flickr.

Dancing With Myself

2009-10-12T17:12:00.001+02:00

I keep hoping that I have some, undiscovered genius.

50s Misogynistic Futurism

2009-10-12T06:11:00.002+02:00

Mad, Mad Men

2009-09-29T23:15:00.004+02:00

The Footnotes of Mad Men is an astonishing piece of work/blog, that is being turned into a book (and well-deservedly so).

The other night I dreamt that Don Draper was a famous 60s movie star, we met in a time warp house (in which I also met Ian Curtis, and well you wonder I never get out of bed).

Maman a tort

2009-09-05T16:41:00.004+02:00

Lovely, absurd, nostalgic, French electropop.

Also I don't know if the film Reprise was just horribly cliché, or if it seemed so novel when it appeared that since all its elements have been assimilated into pop culture and seem predictable and silly now. It made me horribly depressed anyway, it's just something about crazy people and true love.

"Coco & Igor" picking up the thread left by "Coco avant Chanel"

2009-09-04T17:33:00.003+02:00

Last night I had a mini movie marathon at the cinema, as I decided to see both recent films about Coco Chanel back to back (in chronological order of subject matter, conveniently). I really liked Coco avant Chanel, actually. It was somewhat sentimental, very traditional, but quite moving. I don't really understand the critics that claim that the film portrays Chanel as a product of men. Her knowing glance, sitting in the mirror staircase at the end, proved to me (as though she said) that "Yes, this is it, and this is my empire". And had she been the dreary widow of a British coal speculant, or the hobby hatter wife of an aristocrat, there would never have been those knowing, assertive glances or mirrored staircases or little, black jersey dresses.

Coco & Igor was quite different, much less a portrait and more a crystallised myth of lust and attraction's machinations over creation. I didn't like it as much; the characters seemed flat, Chanel was too calculating, Stravinsky taciturn and of little motivation (although more flatteringly portrayed than the "crazy composer" hyperbole pictured in BBCs Riot at the Rite).

I give over.

Mash It Up

2009-08-28T16:16:00.006+02:00

Bat For Lashes: Daniel vs The Cure: A Forest (Thriftshop XL's Obvious Mashup) from Thriftshop XL on Vimeo.

Thriftshop XL has been making fantastic music and visual mash-ups for what is presumably a long time. It really serves to display the similarities of pop songs from all decades; 40s go with the 80s and 80s go with the 90s, how indie goes with r&b and the latter goes with French cartoons.

Paper Soldier

2009-08-11T15:53:00.002+02:00

Christiane F.

2009-08-11T15:01:00.004+02:00

3 links for a Wednesday night

2009-07-30T00:06:00.003+02:00

Nice story about Britain's Teddy Girls, with their rolled up jeans, pencil skirts and Edwardian velvet lapel jackets.

The New Yorker on "the translation wars" within Russian literature.

Under the title "Hey Oscar Wilde - it's clobberin' time!!!", artists have rendered their favourite literary writers or characters.

Redstone Press - A Russian Diary

2009-07-29T17:37:00.005+02:00

In the amazing bookshop at Centre Pompidou I found next year's planner. It features facsimiles from Russian children's books from the 20s and 30s, and has a short story by Andrey Platonov in it. Come on 2010!

It has a cute little pocket.

From here:

Old Movie Opening Credits

2009-07-23T10:59:00.007+02:00

Hooray hooray, I have for the longest time had a wish that someone would make graphic design and book covers inspired by Saul Bass' and Maurice Binder's movie opening credits from the 50s and 60s, and it seems the chaps over at Yokoland finally did for my friend Linn Strømsborg's coming debutante novel! I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the cover of the book yet (all I know is that I'm simmering with excitement to read it), so here are some samples of Bass' and Binder's style. (The book is being published on Flamme Forlag on ~~11th of August~~ 27th of July).

PS, this is what it looks like - pretty cool, non?

Magnificent Kate

2009-07-22T06:49:00.004+02:00

A childhood soundtrack, school outcast, singing weirdo symbiosis.

Natalia Khuseinova Estemirova

2009-07-15T21:13:00.004+02:00

Natalia Estemirova was kidnapped in Chechnya today, her body perforated by bullet wounds was later found in Ingushetia.

I suppose the issue isn't what is right or wrong, it isn't Medvedev or Kadyrov or the legacy of Anna Politkovskaya, but rather the entirely absurd notion of having to imperil your life in order to have an opinion. Russia is a rickety machine in many ways, but fairly modern after all. And still, it is far too easy to abduct and kill someone just because they might unearth information about your own dirty conscience.

Machine - There But For The Grace Of God There Go I

2009-07-15T17:04:00.001+02:00

Lisztomania

2009-07-14T23:53:00.004+02:00

I always forget that this groovy song comes from these boys from Versailles. So I'm posting it here to remember.

Women in Nouvelle Vague

2009-07-03T16:17:00.006+02:00

I love the Nouvelle Vague, I love their portrayal of youth and political opposition, the choppy filming, sounds and narrative that reads like a lofty book and the rebellious young men, the music, the unexpected moves that are like modern novels. But one thing that irks me, is their problematic relationship to women. Truffaut, it is said, hated his mother (as evident in Les 400 ooups), and Jean-Luc Godard too must've had his troubles. The women in these films are erratic, selfish and poorly developed - they are rebellious in the Bonnie and Clyde sense - murderous, ignorant and stupid. Some are even infantile, like Odile; Elle est complètement idiote cette fille encapsulates so much of their sentiment. Or Jean Seberg as the naïve foreigner, who becomes nothing more than a criminal accomplice (like Odile). The fickle character of Chantal Goya in Masculin, féminin - and Jeanne Moreau in Jules et Jim wouldn't be so serious if she weren't entirely juxtaposed to her male counterpart's intelligence, and independence. There is so much tragedy in the throes of Pierrot le fou, but it is a two-egged sword, the misery is brought on by the woman. I miss independent women, independent, intelligent women capable of making their own decisions. The films portray tragedy, but it is a lonely madness these women are subscribed too. Of course, different from the glamourous 1950s women, doll-like in appearance, they are still not positive depictions. You could probably say a lot about how the ideal woman permeates cinema, different today from yesterday, but even though la nouvelle vague showed transition, these girls still had a long way to go.

Of course women are allowed to be mean, antagonistic - I'm not calling for entirely positive, idolising perspectives, because by all means, they are as bad! But they, or rather the 50s glamour girl, is as bad as the infantile nouvelle vague woman because she is entirely homogeneous. Women shouldn't be defined as women per se, but rather a part of humanity, with as much potential for character development as a male character. Evidently, this was barely underways in the sixties (like we all know from the misogynistic attitudes in the TV-series Mad Men). And as much as I will profess my love for le cinéma, it will be with the bitter aftertaste of anything produced before my time, lingering in stereotypes, misogynism, racism, homophobia and inequality we blush and shuffle our boots at today.

Gunvor Hofmo: Fra en annen virkelighet

2009-06-30T15:21:00.006+02:00

I am (in my depressing reading endeavours of summer) again rediscovering Gunvor Hofmo's poetry. I think she is, unjustly so, not well known outside of Scandinavia - she writes in the vein of Kafka, Baudelaire or Dostoevsky's darkest callings - the sensation of being sixteen and finally discovering a voice that invokes the same despair you feel confronted with life. Having lived through the war, losing her best friend to the gas chambers and tumbling through the fifties doubly condemned for her sexuality and madness, she produced what others characterised as "screams". Sad, but utterly honest (and then again, I always had a penchant for Weltschmerz).

Syk blir en av ropet om virkelighet.
Altfor nær var jeg tingene,
slik at jeg brant meg igjennom
og står på den andre siden av dem,
der lyset ikke er skilt fra mørket,
der ingen grenser er satt,
bare en stillhet som kaster meg ut i universet av ensomhet,
å av uhelbredelig ensomhet.
Se, jeg svaler min hånd i kjølig gress:
Det er vel virkelighet,
det er vel virkelighet nok for dine øyne,
men jeg er på den andre siden
hvor gresstrå er kimende klokker av sorg og bitter forventning.
Jeg holder et menneskes hånd,
ser inn i et menneskes øyne,
men jeg er på den andre siden
der mennesket er en tåke av ensomhet og angst.
Å, om jeg var en sten
som kunne rumme denne tomhetens tyngde,
om jeg var en stjerne
som kunne drikke denne tomhetens smerte,
men jeg er et menneske kastet ut i grenselandet,
og stillheten hører jeg bruse,
stillheten hører jeg rope
fra dypere verdner enn denne.

(1948)

On a different note, Tove Ditlevsen is actually Michael Jackson.

Raoul Wallenberg

2009-06-28T19:17:00.007+02:00

Raoul, studying to be an architect in USA.

Sitting outside today I finished a book about Swedish diplomat and righteous gentile Raoul Wallenberg (whom Albert Einstein outed as his candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize), who after contributing to saving the largest remaining Jewish community in Budapest from deportation to know fates, was arrested by the soviets and plunged into the abyss of their camps. Where Eichmann and the Nazis were painstakingly organized and noted every name of a deportee, the Soviets were scatterbrained - "disappearing" someone meant pushing them into the dark and never having them see the outside of the barbed wire fence again, not even noting their name or death, lost in confusion and disease.

He may or may not have died, he may have died in 1947 or 1965 or 1987 - his belongings were returned to the family 1989, sightings of him - or a "swede" - or some "foreign diplomat" - were made in Lubyanka, Vladimir, Vorkuta and Wrangel Island in these four decades. His considerable commitment to saving 100,000 didn't mean he himself should not come to share the fate of another million (or ten).

Feminist Heroes, pt. 2

2009-06-08T01:38:00.005+02:00

Aside from more classic totems of beauty inspiration, such as Audrey Hepburn, Audrey Tautou, Anna Karina, Coco Chanel; there are some women that means to be desired because of that extra pang in your chest you feel when you look at them, their hypnotic power, their exuding confidence, the feminine grace with the "stomach and heart of a man", that luckily overshadow entirely that you couldn't really care less for their face or what they're wearing.

Lauren Bacall:

Film noir starlet, Bogie-sidekick, naughty and nice all at once. I wish I had her attitude.

Dostoevsky's Grushenka and Nastassia Filippovna:

In Dostoevsky's novels, the harlots are always the ones with their chin up, the attitude, standing up for themselves and themselves only (not selflessly like Sonya Marmeladova, but more because they're not dependent on anyone else, alternatively struggling to break free).

Virginia Woolf:
Orlando.

Akhmatova:
I have a framed photo of her on my wall, people tell me she isn't pretty, but she could be Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Zappho; she makes me want to be a 1920s bohême and tortured soviet soul.

Le sacre du printemps

2009-05-29T17:56:00.004+02:00

On this day in 1913, Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring/Le sacre du printemps premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, to the shock, dismay and subsequent revolt of its audience. (Vaslav Nijinsky, the choreographer, had to walk out in front of the stage and clap the beat with his hands, as the dancers couldn't hear the music through the shouting and whistling of the Parisians).

Stravinsky and I have a long history, starting from the clip with the dinosaurs from Disney's Fantasia, that thrilled my five-year old budding paleontologist. For the unfamiliar, the ballet has little to do with paleontology, but is based on a dream Stravinsky had about pagan Russia, and a young woman dancing herself in a ring of elders as a sacrifice for the spring gods.

Action and pictures speak louder than words; this is the first part of the Joffrey Ballet recreation - costumes, choreography and scenography based on the orginal:

Riot at the Rite is a 2005 BBC docudrama about the premiere, made with trademark BBC lavish. The entire film is viewable here.

Hans Richter: "Rhythm 21"

2009-05-23T18:21:00.002+02:00

On Yooouuutuuube.

Cecil Beaton

2009-05-19T17:31:00.005+02:00

The Art of Words

2009-05-12T01:07:00.004+02:00

The other day WebUrbanist published The Art of Words: 15 Creative Typography Artworks, which is well worth another fifteen minutes of your internet time.

Boards of Canada is like tuning the AM radio in dark nights, when you don't know what you're looking for but you end up mesmerised by some soothing, foreign voice.

Regina Spektor, "Far": tracklist and new single!

2009-05-09T18:52:00.004+02:00

Regina Spektor published the tracklist for her new album and a new single on her MySpace!

Far:
1. The Calculation
2. Eet
3. Blue Lips
4. Folding Chair
5. Machine
6. Laughing With
7. Human of the Year
8. Two Birds
9. Dance Anthem
10. Genius next door
11. Wallet
12. One more time with feeling
13. Man of a Thousand Faces

"Laughing With" is a beautiful, melancholy track which chronicles people's different relationships to God, from fundamentalists to those seeking comfort in faith during emergencies (No laughs at God in a hospital, no one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor). It is a surprisingly religious track from Jewish Regina, whose previously "religious" tracks have been poking fun at how close-minded and judgmental religious people can be (such as in "Baby Jesus").

I'm one of those irritating purists who didn't even buy Begin to Hope in sheer disappointment, after those quirky and idiosyncratic albums that preceded it, I'm one of those who listen to bootlegs for the most part and cherish those one-of-a-kind copies of The Virgin Queen and Mustard Musketeers. In her new album, due 23rd June, Spektor for the first time (I think?) has recorded songs that haven't been played in shows for years before. And yet with the recording of Blue Lips, Human of the Year, Two Birds (possibly A Lesson in How Fleeting Preservation Is?), Dance Anthem, One More Time With Feeling and Man of a Thousand Faces I'm thinking we might see the most beautiful, melancholy and grand album yet, and back to Regina and the piano by themselves.

"Björk-meets-Pushkin"s new album can be pre-ordered from amazon in both ordinary and special editions.

The Virgin Suicides

2009-05-06T01:01:00.002+02:00

Possibly the most haunting soundtrack ever.

I love the book, and the film too. Probably because they all work together in this perfectly evocative sympathy that rings some profound bell in my teenage self.

No masterpiece, I'm sure, but rather this fondness for the odd narrative and disjointed timelines, and words like a cat lapping milk.

Elegance and Crudity

2009-05-05T13:17:00.002+02:00

Some lifted from My Vintage Vogue.

Passing on the word of Lindy Hop

2009-05-04T21:32:00.005+02:00

Miriam from Miriams kafferep already blogged about the recent death of Frankie Manning, so did Sociological Images, with an interesting angle on the origins of Lindy Hop and trans-racial borrowing.

Frankie Manning can be seen in the clip below, as the dancer in overalls. He also choreographed the scene.

Lindy Hop constitutes a celebration of jazz, swing, acrobatics, but as explained in the post by Sociological Images, presents a rather strange appropriation of black culture by white people. As it is explained, the lindy hop scene from Hellzapoppin' was, like most other films from the era, made so that the scene with the black artists could be edited out when shown to white people sensitive to positive representations of African-Americans.

Rest in peace, old man.

Empty Words

2009-05-04T02:15:00.006+02:00

This year's "Fritt Ord" (Free Word) award, which is a yearly stipend and honour-and-laud prize, was awarded to philosopher and writer Nina Karin Monsen for her "thoroughly reflected and independent contributions to a freer, public debate" (sorry, my bad translation). She has, in both debates and fiction, been writing about how homosexuals are comparable to mentally retarded, how disgusting and vulgarised they are, and how no child should grow up without same-sex parents. Not only are her views appalling, but giving her a prize? and 400.000 NOK? I can understand that she, too, should have the right of freedom of speech, but does this mean that next year's prize should go to the Neo Nazis for their bold and liberating approach to the immigration debate?

There is a petition you can sign to protest here: Link

And on May 5, when the prize is ceremoniously awarded in the opera, LLH (The Norwegian LGBT Organisation) is arranging a protest on the opera roof, with appeals, entertainment and awarding of the "Empty Word" prize.

Bullet Point List

2009-04-29T15:44:00.008+02:00

Sign the Petition to Preserve the National Gallery!

There is a proposition up that discusses moving the Oslo National Gallery to another building near the seaside, together with other museums. The National Gallery has a long history in its current building, with the French tea salon and beloved paintings like Munch's "The Scream". What would people say if they had suddenly decided to abandon the Louvre, or Guggenheim museum?

The petition suggests exhibiting modern and contemporary art in the new building, whilst preserving the classic paintings in the old building at Tullinløkka. (And believe me, that place is a veritable tourist magnet in summer).

Sign, sign, sign!

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I found most amazing thing at a flea market; a booklet on the Oslo suburbs, drabantbyene. I have this incredible fascination for Oslo's architectural history, especially the suburbs. Before WWII most of the area surrounding Oslo was farmlands, fields and forests. In 1935 or 1937, at the height of the Stalinist purges, the Oslo City Council allegedly sent a delegation to the Soviet Union to study buildings, and a lot of these plans were set into life after the war. The concrete and brutalism was not taken lightly, these were the first "sleeping cities" of their kind in the country and criticised for being cold, forbidding, suppressing human nature etc.

They have their beauty, though.

It isn't Russia, it's Veitvet!

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Le petit nuage posts the loveliest, strangest, most evocative things.

Quick Guide to Vintage Clothing

2009-04-27T16:19:00.007+02:00

Definition
Vintage clothing generally refers to items from the period between 1920 and 1980. Anything older is considered antique, items from the 80s and onwards (or younger than twenty years) are considered modern.

Buying
Maintain the attitude you have when buying vintage as when you buy new clothes. Don't buy something just because it's cute, quirky or crazy if you know you won't wear it. Buy things that you can see yourself wearing for many years to come, treat your clothes with tender love and care and they will hopefully last you! There is a reason these clothes have survived all these years, and if you take care you can give them a longer life.

Don't be afraid to peruse antique shops, second-hand, thrift stores, vintage shops, market stalls, estate sales, your great aunt's attic and flea markets. The most wonderful items often hide in the most inconspicuous places.

There is also the pending danger of overpricing. Some stores, especially in Oslo, often charge more than 500 NOK for a vintage, mass-produced day dress that has clear signs of wear or is not even than 20 years old. Bargaining is often permitted! The price is, by an experienced seller, set according to age, quality, label, signs of wear, and purpose (evening dress or daytime frock).

Dating
As C14 isn't really an option in this field, dating a vintage item can prove a major challenge. One thing to look out for are zippers. Plastic zippers were generally not used until the 60s (but there are a lot of exceptions to this rule - people would change the zippers, either from metal to plastic to modernise the item, or vendors will change from plastic to metal to make the item appear older). Before the late 30s/early 40s, buttons were more common, often in the side seam. From the late 40s you get side zippers, gradually being replaced by back zippers by the 60s.

Simply looking at the style and cut can be a pitfall. Especially in the 70s and 80s you saw a lot of vintage revival, i.e. fashions from the 20s through the 40s were copied. Again, look at the closing methods, the tags, if any, (a good idea would be to familiarise yourself with tag styles) and last but not least - the material. From the 50s and onward, more contemporary-feeling fabrics were used, often synthetic "plastic" fabrics such as polyester. Use tactile methods. Does the fabric "feel" old? Crêpes, rayon, acetate and other fabrics that are sort of heavy, cool and fragile often indicate that the item stems from the early 50s or earlier. (20s and 30s fabric is, in its turn, often very lightweight, and even more tender care is required).

If you look around, you will develop an eye and feel for fabric. There is something unique and precious about holding a piece of clothing in your hands that is more than half a century old!

1940s size tag

1940s-50s high fashion tag

1950s tag

1960s tag

1970s tags

Vintage Fashion Guild has a great Vintage Fashion Timeline, and an infamous label resource, that you can find in the menu on the left of their page.

Alterations
Personally, I very often alter vintage items. I have a small chest and waist, so in order for the clothes to fit right I need to take it in. Skirt lengths were also different, and I often raise the hem and inch or two to make it more wearable. Personally I believe that anything that will make the item wearable and loved again is permitted. It's better to alter something and wear it, than let it sit in storage for another 40 years. HOWEVER, remember that any alteration you make will, potentially, lower the value of the item. For instance, if hemming, it is better to fold the fabric instead of cutting it off, so that the hem can be let back down. If you're not sure about your own sewing skills, it might be better to hand it over to a professional tailor. This also goes for expensive, well-made, couture or designer clothes. Leave it to the professionals to enhance and preserve the value of your items.

Sizing
Vintage sizes differ considerable from today's. Do not go by size tag only! You might find that you're a couple sizes bigger in vintage than in modern clothing. When they say that Marilyn Monroe was a size 16, she might've really been more of a contemporary 10. Go by measurements and fit. An efficient shopper knows his or her measurements, and brings a tape to measure clothes in antique stores and flea markets that have no fitting rooms.

Cleaning
Cleaning vintage garments always poses a slight risk. Especially with items older than 50 years, or that are especially frail or tattered. Contact with water, weight, soap, skin or storage facilities may cause the item to literally disintegrate.

Washing machines didn't become commonplace until the early 60s, so anything older should be hand-washed. This, of course, also goes for newer items in frail condition or made from wool, silk, nylon or rayon. Fill a basin with lukewarm water (no hotter than 30 centigrades) and a tiny bit of mild soap (e.g. liquid detergent for wools and silks). Leave the item to soak for about 20 minutes, or longer if the item is particularly dirty or you think it can handle it. NOTE: chiffon should never be soaked, as it can cause the material to fall apart! Rinse several times in cool water, making sure that all the detergent is gone, and hang to dry. If an item is very old and heavy, such as a beaded flapper dress, made of silk or chiffon, it shouldn't hang at all - dry flat on a towel or out in the sun. The weight of the wet garment may cause the shoulders to tear if hanged. Store in special textile boxes, or neatly folded and wrapped in muslin paper.

It is in any case advisable to use a padded hanger.

If the item has stains, try dampening the spot and rubbing gently with mild soap in circular motions. Some spots may be impossible to get out due to actual, chemical disintegration of the fabric. Google spot removal for a plethora of tips on removing difficult spots!

I've never dry cleaned a vintage garment, because most dry cleaners I've been to use machines to launder clothes. These machines use very high temperatures and chemicals that may damage the garment. Some of them even refuse to treat antique textiles. If you know a dry cleaner that specialises in vintage textiles, they might be worth checking out.

Wearing
Vintage and thrifted clothing has been spotted on many runway and red carpet celebrities, like Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Chloë Sevigny. One of the most fascinating things about vintage clothing is its history. You'll wear a garment that has been worn and loved many, many years ago, when times and attitudes were different. You'll often see old pictures of women dressed to the nines at all times, with elegant hats, high-heeled shoes and white gloves. This is not to say that you should do the same, but proves how versatile a piece of clothing can be.

Pairing a vintage hat with jeans and a simple tee looks great for a night out, or wearing a vintage sun dress with modern shoes and purse keeps your look unique without appearing dated. Cropped boy blazers, elegant skirts and timeless trench coats are all wardrobe staples that you find in abundance in vintage shops. There really isn't a "secret" to wearing vintage clothing, what matters is finding something you like and wearing it your way.

Vintage designer items are also popular. You can find designer pieces for a fraction of the original price, and the hallmark of something really well made is how it never goes out of style. Some clothes by designers of bygone eras that aren't well known today can be found for a steal. Do note that label falsification, sewing labels from other garments into clothes in order to raise their value and other kinds of fraud occurs frequently. Google it, and be critical. Also note that some designers that may be held in high esteem today, have had beginnings in cheaper designs, of lower quality.

This guide is written mostly from personal experience, if I'm guilty of cryptomnesia, let me know and I'll give appropriate credit.

Kletva

2009-04-27T01:04:00.001+02:00

Summer Come Quick

2009-04-17T01:37:00.002+02:00