August 13, 2011 – Map of Hitchcock

If Hitchcock were a place, what would the map look like? In Hitchcock, Monaco is featured on the coast, Mt. Rushmore is in the center and some of the major cities include London and New York and of course San Francisco. Just north of San Francisco you’ll find the little town of Bodega Bay.

For many people, film is the first and perhaps only means they will have to travel to far-flung places. The “reality” that the movie industry creates about places is another issue. San Franciscans know that issue well and I have explored that in other pieces for the 2011 Project. All those issues aside, today we honor Alfred Hitchcock, born on this day in 1899. Hitchcock was one of the first filmmakers to really take us places.

May 5, 2011 – The Dandy

In the old days, if you did not have enough reasons to smoke, some cigarette packs came with little trading cards. They were in collectible series on a variety of historical and manly topics. I have seen cigarette cards on subjects ranging from automobiles and steam engines, Peoples of the British Empire, Cricket Players, etc. One of the oddest series had to be the cards depicting famous dandies.

George IV was one of the most famous and fabulous dandies of all time. According to the details on the back of the card he spent over £10,000 annually on his wardrobe, he even appeared in court in “a coat of pink silk and a white silk waistcoast.” George IV wracked up huge debts, a horrid arranged marriage and died obese and possibly addicted to laudanum. Somehow I imagine it would be like having a 19^th Century Merv Griffin as your monarch.

Dandy is a term and a type that is disappearing in our culture. Make no mistake, the metrosexual is far from being a dandy. That was just a brief fad that the cosmetics industry foisted on a bunch of dupes. And, any bad moustache in a v-neck t-shirt and tight jeans who thinks of themselves as a dandy, is only fooling himself. Being a poser is for amateurs. A dandy requires a level of commitment that few young gentlemen seem to be up to today. Considering the staggering student loan debt and lack of jobs for college graduates, it might be better if we encouraged more lads to choose a “career” as dandies.

April 20, 2011 – The Queen

Tomorrow is the Her Majesty’s birthday. What do you get for an 85 year old woman who, well, has everything? I am not particularly concerned, but I can imagine her family is always challenged. I picture Charles and Camilla schlepping around an Ikea outside of London. Mulling over a new set of plastic containers for her corn flakes. It can’t be easy.

As Her birthday is tomorrow, you might wonder why this piece today. Well, being the Queen, she doesn’t even really celebrate tomorrow. Her official birthday is in June. And while she is born on the cusp, you have to wonder if having an official birthday with a parade is just an Aries thing.

And, at 85, for most of her subjects, as well as the rest of us, she has always been the Queen of England (plus all those other places). Like the Elizabeth centuries ago and Victoria, the British make those queens to last. Happy Birthday Ma’am!

April 6, 2011 – We see a nest

There are hoarders and then there are artists who collect things along the way because they know “they’ll use it some day.” In my big box of collage fodder I found this tattered, small, school book titled More sounds to say a product of “The Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme.” I do like the use of the word scheme here. A price sticker on the book indicates I paid 5p. I haven’t been to the U.K. in 10 years. Even I am a little surprised that I would have schlepped this back in my luggage. But some of the illustrations are pretty cool (stay tuned for more).

And today, on this spring day, we see a nest. We can say nest. It starts with n .

January 22, 2011 – Swinging London

There have been vestiges of Swinging London seeping into my world the last few weeks.

I recently happened on the trailer for Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blow-Up. The trailer is brilliant. It promised “the dazzle and madness of London today.” A friend and I tried to watch the film on DVD. Alas, I just don’t have the patience for the artsy slow bits. Maybe when people used to smoke in movie theatres, this was easier to endure.

Last night I was watching an episode of one of my guilty pleasures. Yes, I love Midsomer Murders. It’s formula, a bit corny and just plain entertaining after a long day. The episode I watched last night had a particularly glamorous, elderly actress. She was camping it up as a penniless member of the gentry living off of borrowed money. True to form, she came to an untimely end. Apparently rural England is just full of rather quaint murderers.

This morning, I was so curious that I had to see just who that actress was. It was Honor Blackman. No wonder she was so fabulous! Perhaps her most famous part was as one of the greatest Bond Girls — Pussy Galore. So, with some groovy British radio playing with a nod to Honor Blackman and somewhat influenced by Gilbert & George, I was inspired today by Swinging London