Feng Shui With A Hole In It

Feng Shui With A Hole In It

One of my (few) forays into the land of television is a design show called Love It or List It. It is actually a real estate show. One member of the two-person team, Hilary, is in charge of renovating a house for a family, while the other, David, tries to convince the family that their house cannot be salvaged (the way they want it) and they are better off finding a new home.

I often agree with the designer Hilary. Many of these homes are nice, some even great. They may have some idiosyncrasies, but what home doesn't? Often, the cost of renovating/refurbishing is much less then buying a new home. And often, the type of home David finds for them, that they can afford, is of a lower value and quality than the home they hope to leave.

Recently there was a Chinese couple which gave both Hilary and David a difficult time (to say the least). Both Hilary and David worked in a spectacularly creative fashion to give this couple exactly what they wanted: a home that followed all the rules and regulations of Feng Shui, with only a little over budget.

As I watched the show, I began to get the impression that many of these requirements are arbitrary and superstitious (and superstitions is up there with arbitrariness).

I cannot find the video, but here is a link which describes some of their "requirements."

Helen and Andrew Yee have lived in their large suburban home for 15 years. It was perfect when they bought it because it followed the Feng Shui principles of good energy flow. But the good energy came to a halt when the 3 kids came along highlighting a lack of bathrooms, poor sightlines, and an 80's main floor. Helen loves her house and wants to fix it, but Andrew wants a larger home and wants to move on. Will Hilary's renovations be able to wow this family into staying or will David take them away to a larger home that meets all the Feng Shui criteria?

The show was excruciating. Hilary came up with some good designs, and David found great houses for good deals. But, each effort was not good enough. Or there wasn't enough money to pay for the exact requirements.

From the quote above, and from watching the show, the decisions of this family was clearly not a Feng Shui thing, but based much more on what they wanted. They even got a non-English-speaking, Chinese mother-in-law to give her expert advice. She moved her hands around to show her displeasure or demands, but it wasn't clear what she wanted, or if it corresponded with what the couple was asking for.

So superstition, layered on top of fantasy demands, made this show a study in impossible clients. If I were part of it, I would have found a quick way out. "Find your own Feng Shui," I would have said - politely, of course. "Or go back to China where you can find a whole country revolving around Feng and Shui."

The other interesting thing about this couple is that they both had perfect, Canadian English (the program is a Canadian show). This means that they either were born here, or moved to Canada as very young children. "What do they really know about Feng Shui?" was my first question. My second observation was that Chinese families, even two or three generations down, don't really change. Or they accommodate their new surroundings to fit their cultural and belief systems.

So much for an integrated, multi-culti society, with people from the far concerns of the world calling themselves "Canadian" yet having no desire to fit into Canada's traditions, or any real desire to know much about them, and who will keep on propagating their own alien worlds. And the nice, pleasant and accommodating Hilary and David (how Canadian!) let them!

So back to my questions from the list above:

- What does a lack of bathrooms because of a growing family have to do with Feng Shui?

- How could the house have "good energy" when they first bought it, but no longer does.

- How did they not notice the non-fengshuiness of the staircase, the husband's office, the children's bedrooms sans bathrooms, etc., when they first bought the house?

- Why did the kitchen no longer had bad Feng Shui after Hilary gave them a beautifully remodeled kitchen, with a modern stove and appliances, without changing the "fire shouldn't be beside water" criteria?

- Why did they agree on the origninal plans (albeit on paper), but made a fuss when they saw the changes (as above)? Can they not read plans?

- With all the demands they made, how cannot they understand the very high costs they incurred?

- Etc.

Here is an interesting blog, where the writer returned from a trip to China, and found it full of superstitions. Here is one comment he makes:

A lot of the superstitions centre around wealth and the desire to make money.

This weird animal thing is a Pixiu. It is a Chinese mythical hybrid creature resembling a winged lion.

It likes to eat gold and silver. Unfortunately for the animal, it doesn’t have an anus. So what it eats stays inside (I’m not sure why it can’t throw up).

This is great for humans. If they have a Pixiu it will bring wealth to the owner that cannot escape...

Our guide informed us that they are a gambler’s favourite lucky charm. And you can’t just own one. You have to make it yours. You have to perform a ceremony. She informed us (in all seriousness) that once purchased you have to soak it in warm water for 10 minutes (to wake it up?) and then take it out and look into it’s eyes. Then it becomes your Pixiu and will help you win lots of money when you go to the bookies.

Yes, once an inanimate piece of stone has been carved into a Pixiu shape by someone and then “trained” by the owner, it will make the owner rich.

It is a well known fact that all bookies in China are broke as every gambler owns a Pixiu and they just keep winning. ;)...
And, of course, the ultimate superstition: Feng Shui. Even the skyscrapers are designed with Feng Shui in mind...

The building [below] must be positioned so that it has water in front of it (for food) and a mountain behind it (for protection). But then how will the dragon that lives in the mountain go about it’s business if you put a big building in front of it? Simple. Put a big hole in your big building for it to fly through.

Sliding Into Summer

Sliding into Summer in a Northern Country
[Photo by KPA]

Madonna: Modern Day Cybele

Group Orgy with Madonna and her Homosexuals

I wrote about Madonna's homosexual stilettoed dancers and her new music video Girl Gone Wild here. The dance troupe is from the Ukraine and calls itself Kazaky or Boys in Heels. Wikipedia describes them thus:

Kazaky (also known as The Boys In Heels) is an all-male Ukrainian dance group. Assembled by choreographer Oleg Zhezhel, the group has released several songs which have garnered popularity on YouTube. The group confronts gender norms by fusing masculine and feminine attributes together, most notably by regularly wearing stiletto heels.

Strange cultural and artistic phenomena often have ancient and mythic precedences. Madonna's homosexual men are like the castrated dancers of the Greek goddess Cybele, who danced around their goddess into sexual frenzy. Here is more on the cult of Cybele:

The cult of Cybele was directed by eunuch priests called Corybantes, who led the faithful in orgiastic rites accompanied by wild cries and the frenzied music of flutes, drums, and cymbals. Her annual spring festival celebrated the death and resurrection of her beloved Attis.

And more on the word "eunuch":

[T]he word ‘eunuch’ has many meanings to modern scholars. It may...refer to transgendered individuals, and it has been used to refer to gay individuals... When a Galli, transgendered priestess of the Magna Mater, Cybele, was unearthed in York a few years ago, the skeleton was said to be of a eunuch; it was found surrounded by female accoutrements and clothing samples.

This site provides interesting and comprehensive information on Cybele and her followers, including the transgendered, sado-masochistic nature of the male eunuchs/homosexuals, and their frenzied, orgiastic rituals.


Fashion designer Anna Osmekhina designed Kazaky's "costumes." Her dress above (not used in Kazaky's performances) has ancient Greco-Roman goddess references, and it is snips and cuts suggest a sado-masochistic style, thus fitting well with her costume creations for the Kazakys.

Kasaky Fashion, by designer Anna Osmekhina
 
The stilettoed fashion of the blatantly homosexual Kazakys
 
The stilettoes of Madonna's dance troupe have multiple meanings. One obvious meaning is their evocation of penetration (through both the female sexual organs and the anus). Since this group of dancers is openly gay, penetration would clearly not be of the female anatomy.

Anal penetration, usually a homosexual sexual act, is a violent act. Here is what could/can happen:

Since the rectum doesn't produce natural lubrication like the vagina does, anal sex risks tearing the rectal walls or the sphincter...that presents a real chance of potentially lethal peritonitis due to leakage of fecal bacteria into the abdomen...A 2004 study by the American Cancer Association showed that women practicing anal sex had more than twice the risk of developing anal cancer...

Stilettoes also evoke sharp and dangerous weapons like knives. As I wrote here, one of the definitions for stiletto is "a small dagger with a slender, tapered blade," implying a covert and dangerous weapon. The homosexual movement is still, to a large extent, a hidden world (camouflaged as, say, fun pop dancers, or fashion-savvy commentators) but it is serious about changing, and destroying, our heterosexual society. However much homosexuals may praise females (or the female way of life), their ultimate purpose is to destroy the feminine and the female.

Christian history also figures in homosexual imagery. There is a clear analogy between Saint Sebastian and the convoluted body of one of Madonna's dancers (see image below). The dancer's body looks like it has been pierced with arrows, like the saint's body.

Left: Saint Sebastian
By: Il Sodoma (Giovanni Antonio Bazzi), 1525  
Right: A dancer from 
Madonna's 2012 video 
Girl Gone Wild
 
Perhaps the earliest, least ambiguous, homoerotic associations of St. Sebastian with homoeroticism occurred in the early sixteenth century:

In about 1525, Bronzino painted an unconventional Saint Sebastian with unmistakable homoerotic appeal...The arrows, moreover, are not abstracted symbols of his ordeal...but erotic emblems: one penetrated his body, the other is casually, but suggestively, held against the pink drapery, the saint's index curved around and almost touching the arrowhead...These characteristics...suggest that (the painting) may have been intended to have an ambiguous meaning - an image on the one hand religious, and on the other, homoerotic...

Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo) 
Saint Sebastian ca. 1533

Later on,

From the Renaissance on, Sebastian is most often depicted tied to a tree, sometimes by one arm, gazing heavenward as his flesh is pierced by arrows, which may number from just a couple to a dozen, depending on the artist's enthusiasm; his body is made porous and "feminized" by the experience. His reception to this penetration has obvious associations with male homosexuality.

In our gender-bending, brave new world, Madonna is the gay icon. Homoeroticsm has made it into the mainstream (or, better yet, the mainstream has homoerotisized itself). If there is any advancement in the homosexual, socio-cultural history of man, it is that woman (big girl gone wild) is now the icon of the gay male. And she needn't prove her sainthood either, since nothing can be more highly esteemed and more saint-like in our modern, feminist, world than woman.

Kazaky is making its pop culture rounds these days. Sean O'Pry, a male model described as "American" (some websites describe him as White/Caucasian) but who has Asiatic features (Russian/Ukrainian?) stars in the video advertizement for the new cologne Spicebomb by Viktor and Rolf. The cologne bottle is shaped like a grenade. The slick black and white video shows the grenade/bottle exploding orgasmically to Kazaky's song Love as O'Pry struts in homoerotic half-nudity to the pulsing beat. O'Pry is also featured in Madonna's Girl Gone Wild video.

It is a small, gay world after all.

Sean O'Pry, an "American" model, also 
described as White/Caucasian, with
Asiatic (Russian/Ukrainian?) features

At the end of the Spicebomb video, we are left with a blank, white screen, cleared of all signs of life.

Roadside Daisies

[Photo by KPA]

Madonna and Her Mirror

Official image for Madonna's new perfume "Truth or Dare"

Besides all the Freudian, erotic imagery (see article below), Madonna cannot
seperate herself from the cross. This is of coures, her own version
of the cross (and religion - I cannot call it Christianity). As I've written
before, people cannot do without religion, and have to create their own, joining
together what they already know, with what they desire. Why throw out
such a powerful symbol as the cross?
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Madonna has a new perfume out - actually it is her only perfume so far. She called it Truth or Dare, I presume after her film of the same name. The film was insipid and boring, and her perfume is no better. I got a sample from a perfume counter, to test it. There is a very strong, sticky, magnolia top note. The jasmine and lily (which I usually like in perfumes) are too faint, or are simply overpowered by the acrid magnolia.

Here are the notes:  
Top: Gardenia  
Middle: Jasmine  
Base: Lily

The official ad for the perfume (see image above) has Madonna, Narcissus-like, contemplating her reflection. Except, unlike Narcissus, it is not her beauty that she is entranced with, but has made her reflection into a Freudian, self-sexual-gratification.

Her new music video, Girl Gone Wild, is no better. When she is not alone in an enclosed box, humping the floor, she is gyrating with stilettoed homosexuals. The video is filled with blatant sexual imagery, from bondage to masturbation to group sex with homosexuals - how did they let her into their pile-up?

I used to like the early Madonna. Even her very first Like a Virgin was cute and innocent. She does have talent, which she showed in her Latin-beat inspired Papa Don't Preach and with (the well-photographed black-and-white video) Vogue, which is clearly the inspiration behind her new video. Her creative ability has spiraled in recent years. All that anti-Catholicism, homosexual advocacy, sexual perversion, etc. has spiraled into nihilism, resulting with her ugly and perverted new video.


Narcissus, by Caravaggio 
1597-1599 
Oil on canvas 
43 in × 36 in
 

Julie Chen's Anti-White Woman, Multi-Culti Talk Show - With Attitude

L-R: Black, Jewish/Lesbian, Jewish/Brit, Black, Asian
Who has the most "black attitude?"

In my previous post The Chinese Women/White Men Epidemic, I neglected to emphasize, although it should be clear from my presentation, that Julie Chen's failing show The Talk has a panel without a straight, white, American woman. The straight, white, American women she has (or had) on her show have some Jewish ancestry. Leah Remini is half Jewish from her mother's side and both parents of Marissa Winokur are Jewish.

Remini claims that she was fired from the original The Talk panel (here are her comments on her firing). Perhaps Remini's outspoken and boisterous Jewishness was just too much for Chen to handle, as she was often in contradiction to Chen's views and beliefs. Winokur, who seemed to have left the show on relatively good terms, nevertheless complained that there was "no time" for some of the segments she had planned (how can there be no time for a "Mom in the Street" segment?). Here are Winokur's complaints.

The lesbian Sara Gilbert is Jewish from both her parents. Chen chose her, and keeps her on her show, because she is the antithesis of the straight, white woman. Whatever she says or does will have no affinity for the straight, white woman.

Sharon Osbourne traces her Jewish identity through her father, which would not technically make her Jewish since the transfer of the Jewish racial and ethnic identity is through a Jewish mother, but she provides that diluted, superficial, ethnic Jewish mix to Chen's panel.

Chen is married to white/Jewish CBS CEO Les Moonves, so her Jewish affinity is personal. Yet, these authentic (or closer to the authentic) Jews on her show probably remind her that her own race has no association with theirs, and she can never be Jewish (or white). So why does Chen "act black" on her show, rather than Asian, white, Jewish or gay? I will try to answer that below.

Chen has filled her current panel with two new blacks. This time, she made sure that they would be the kind that would toe the line, unlike the no nonsense Holly Robinson Peete from the original panel, who says she was fired (along with Remini) for her outspokenness. These new panelists are desperate, forgotten black actresses who are trying to make a comeback on television. One is Sheryl Underwood, who is a relatively unknown stand-up comedian, and the other is Aisha Tyler, a second rate T.V. personality and actress who is mainly cast in supporting roles. Tyler is married to a white man, and is less of a "militant" black, and diffuses some of Underwood's belligerence. There are now two blacks on The Talk, one up from Robinson Peete, and make 40% of the current panel.

I recently watched the excruciation show, with Chen's untalented reign (and reins) lacking any humor, style or charisma. Then Chen suddenly started talking black, shaking her head and wiggling her index figure with "black attitude." Underwood, the black comedian, had a pleased expression on her face, clearly happy that her boss shows her solidarity by "turning black" once in a while. Tyler, the other black panelist, sat clueless and unaware of Chen's antics. Osbourne cackled with approval. I turned the TV off.

I think "acting black" is the the best strategy Chen can use to undermine, if not ignore, her adversaries: straight, white women. After all, she married one of their men. By siding with blacks around the common theme of white antagonism, she gains the trust and friendship of blacks, and can thus evade having to deal with white women. But this evasion is probably affecting her show's unpromising ratings, since it is white women who drive up the ratings of afternoon shows.

Acting lesbian (those other "haters" of straight, white women) would turn the fierce homosexual lobby against her. Any mimicry of gays by straights, however much filled with good intentions, could be a recipe for homosexual wrath. Chen cleverly avoids this ugly reaction (who knows what could set it off) partly by having a token homosexual (the lesbian Gilbert) on the show, and by promoting gay-friendly programs. And I doubt that Chen, as a straight woman, would want to have her sexuality questioned ("anyone" can turn gay, but one is born into one's race), so she won't go further than having a lesbian co-host and gay-friendly programs to avoid any stir up concerning her own sexual identity. She is not going to "act lesbian."

Chen flatters blacks by having two black panelists out of five on her show. And this enables her to "act black" all she wants. But this is filled with pot holes also, since she can never predict what could set off the wrath of blacks. But someone as clever as Chen can assiduously gauge how far she can go, and put limits to her "blackness."

Unlike turning into a lesbian, Chen can never be black, so she needn't fear losing her non-black identity or have it questioned while "acting black," as she might have her sexuality questioned if she "acted gay." So she can "act black" in superficial solidarity with all those blacks out there. And, since about half her panel is made of black women, her black critics would be more lenient with her impersonations, not taking insult, and even being charmed by her attempts. She's doing all she can to appease them, after all.

A white woman's head-shaking, finger-waving antics will never be appreciated by blacks (unless she humbles and prostrates herself repeatedly and humiliatingly, and even then she might only get mixed reviews), since she comes from that line of people who enslaved, then oppressed blacks. She is, and will always be, a racist, and cannot remove that blemish no matter how much she tries. And any white woman who "acts" white would be deemed a superior elitist (and, here we go again, racist), and would be shunned, mocked or even attacked. So, white women have always to downplay their (natural) whiteness. And of course, white women have become so defeatist, that they have also stopped defending themselves, and have come to accept (and even believe) the anti-white rhetoric and sentiment that surrounds them, and they readily take on these identity-effacing roles.

Chen, the Asian, plays around with all these dynamics like a pro.

Such is the war that is being waged on the West, where its multicultural population is aggressively dismantling it at its core.

The Chinese Women/White Men Coupling Epidemic

L-R: Les Moonves, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg
With their current wives

Murdoch Wives: (L-R) Patricia Booker and Anna Murdoch
Right: Nancy Wiesenfeld-Moonves

It was hard to find photos of Nancy Wiesenfeld-Moonves, but I was struck by her delicate beauty, compared with the "Dragon Lady" look of Julie Chen.
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The blog title uses strong language, but how can we (I) not comment on this phenomenon? These days, I see several white male/Asian female couples a day. It is intriguing why this is so. My theory is that white women are getting difficult to be around, partly because of feminism, and partly because white women are by nature more outspoken than Asians (which I think makes white women, sans the feminism, ideal companions for white men, since they become good sounding boards and encouragers of the adventuress spirit of white men).

The Asian women, as I've observed, appear more docile when with white men. But two of the loudest public arguments I heard in a street were between an Asian woman and a white man. I think this docility is an initial step towards "getting" the white man. But it is also a sustained camouflage throughout the relationship and even marriage (which must be really difficult to sustain, especially for the "feminist" minded, Westernized Asian women, and hence the arguments I was privy to in public). It is also a kind of passive aggressive competitiveness to draw white men away from white men. And why white men? I think it is a status/material thing. White men are more likely to provide better qualities of life for their families than Asian men would.

I've spoken (not written) about the materialistic inclination of Asian women vis-à-vis white men. I don't know if these Asian women (whether "Westernized"/Western-born or immigrant Asians) really love their white men, or if their primary instinct is to find the best provider around. And the best provider around is clearly (still) the white man. Of course, all women want men who can provide for them and take care of them, but the spiritual and love element in mating seems to me to be less so in Asian women (and Asian men too). I will try to investigate on this further. Asian forums and boards are often the best places to go, and I have so far found some evidence to support my thoughts that there is less romantic love in the couplings of Asians. So, more on this later, since I think that besides the interracial component, the materialistic component of Asian culture has profound implications for our civilization.

Several high profile white men have taken up Asian wives. They often divorce their first, white wives, to marry the Asian women. Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch, CBS Chairman Les Moonves, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg have Asian wives. Murdoch and Les Moonves both divorced their first, white, wives before marrying their second, Asian, wives, although both had affairs with the Asian women while still married to their first wives. Mark Zuckerberg skipped the white wife period, since marrying an Asian woman is no longer a social anomaly, but it will be interesting to see how his marriage fares with his Westernized and Western-born Chinese-American wife.

Below is some background on these men and their wives. I'm not saying that there is necessarily a direct association between character flaw and marrying out of one's race (and specifically marrying an Asian woman), but it is interesting that all three of these high-profile men behaved in dubious ways, using their prominent careers to advance their status.

1. Mark Zuckerberg

Zuckerberg may have built the most successful "social networking" site, yet Facebook is getting known for exposing the private information of its users. Of course, those who post private information on a public website (albeit with "friends" restrictions) deserve what they get. But, this is worse than that. Facebook participants, with the support of Zuckerberg and his group, "flame" users whose comments they don't like, and even spread their names and comments to their professional and personal contacts.

Here's what one user Safari Man has to say, from Lucianne.com:

I do believe people will eventually realize how dangerous (or at least disadvantageous) it can be to publish all sorts of personal details for the world to see. I cancelled by FaceBook account immediately upon learning they send a message to all my friends and told them how I voted on a poltical poll. Bad, bad, bad. Many people are going to find they cannot get a good job, or will at least lose friends. There have been murders spraked by FaceBook content. Our society hasn't yet learned the downsides.

Zuckerberg is an arrogant snot for not showing some respect. I was offered IPO shares and declined -- do not want to have anything to do with this punk.

And on a technical note, this is what user joew9 has to say, following the same Lucianne.com conversation:

I finally gave up [on Facebook] last night in utter frustration and decided to deactivate my account. I spent another 30 minutes just trying to figure out how to do it. The whole thing has become a kluge of features with no cohesive flow. It needs to be re-written into a simple interface. Especially one that informs the user just what is going to happen with a post or a like click. The friends list appears to be just random instead of alphabetical. You should be able to organize friends into groups. When you send a post you should be able to control in a very clear manner exactly who gets to see it. When you click Like you should be able to control exactly who gets to see it. You should be able to click on something and see exactly how your page looks to friends, non-friends, members of friend groups, etc. I'm done with this GUI. Apple needs to create a replacement. They write excellent GUIs. Even Microsoft would be better. With all the money facebook has you would think they would hire someone to write a decent GUI.

- Priscialla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife

She influenced his interest in China
Zuckerberg's wife, who is Chinese-American, is fluent in English, Spanish and Cantonese, according to the Daily Beast.

In 2010, he started studying Chinese to prepare for a trip to China with Chan, who has some family in China, he told Oprah Winfrey at the time. Though he didn't become fluent, he was able to at least communicate with his bride-to-be's grandmother.

2. Les Moonves

From Trendsbuzz.com:

In April 2003, Nancy Moonves [Les Moonves' wife] filed for divorce in L.A. Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences, according to her lawyer Dennis Wasser. Nancy and Les Moonves were already living apart.

In 2004, although his divorce from Nancy was not yet finalized, Les Moonves began dating CBS' The Early Show reporter Julie Chen. On December 10, 2004, Moonves got a court to grant an early divorce. Tired of waiting, Moonves' motion cited a "desire to return to the status of being single". Moonves foresaw a lengthy trial to settle the property and other issues. He argued that "terminating the marital status will aid in promoting settlement of this matter", and the judge gave his request the stamp of approval—leaving the divorce's alimony, child support and property division details to be determined later—so he could remarry. Just thirteen days later in Mexico, he married television and news personality Julie Chen.

- Julie Chen, Moonves' wife

Moonves, who is CEO of CBS, the channel which hosts his wife's Julie Chen's day time program The Talk, which is a copy of the popular and unpleasant The View, and said half jokingly, "I love my wife so much, and if this doesn't work I'll cancel you." Chen herself reiterated to her staff, mincing no words, "My husband can fire your asses, any day." Even Barbara Walters didn't use her "connections" to half-threaten her crew with crass "I'll fire you" jokes.

Chen did end up firing two talented members of her original panel: actresses Leah Remini (Jewish/Italian) and Holly Robinson (black), who probably wouldn't toe the line. Marissa Jaret Winokur, the talented Jewish stage actress who plays the overweight Tracy Turnblad in the Hairspray musical, left with the statement "there really wasn't room for my segments," which included "Mom in the Street."

Chen did refill her multicultural panel (that is part of the show's point, to showcase the wonderful "diversity" that is out there). She brought on board the uninteresting and unintelligent black woman comedian Sheryl Underwood, and the relatively unknown black actress Aisha Tyler.

The current "panel" and crew of The Talk is:

- Sara Gilbert: a lesbian activist actress who talks about "my ex-girlfriend" and "my children" on the show. Her "children" were clearly born via artificial insemination of some kind. This website describes her two children as: "Each of them [Gilbert and then "girlfriend" Allison Adler] is the biological mother of one of the children."

Gilbert is listed as "Executive Producer" and "creator" of the show, and chose all the original panelists, including asking Chen to be the "head." This was a clever way of running the show without losing all those viewers who would be repulsed by her "lifestyle" and her lack of charisma if she had been its "spokes 'person.'" The show also gives her a sounding board, which she has used very effectively, to proclaim her various "lifestyle" choices, including having children while in a homosexual relationship.

- Sharon Osbourne: the foul-mouthed British import who is making the rounds on American TV talk shows.

- Sheryl Underwood: a black, "Republican," stand-up comedian, who nonetheless seems to support many of the ultra-liberal positions of the show, including accepting to be on the show with a lesbian, "mother" of two, co-host.

- Aisha Tyler: a relatively unknown black TV personality and actress. Chen/Gilbert probably brought her on board because of her interracial marriage, in accordance with the liberal "equality" mantra.

- Manny Rodriguez: the Hispanic director of The Talk who won "Best Long Form Video"Latin Grammy for directing the music video of homosexual Latin star Ricky Martin.

Below is a review of the show's ratings after the "shake-up" (or "shake-down" which might better describe the show's activities):

...The Talk ratings in July (1.9 average) and up slightly from the last in-season month in May (1.7 average). So no big audience surge for the new Talk panel, but no drop off either

These numbers belie The Talk's relatively low average of 1.83 million viewers per episode, compared with 4.42 million for The View. This gives some credence to the rumors out there that Moonves is financing The Talk to help his wife's career move along.

The original panel of The Talk:
L-R: British TV personality Sharon Osbourne, Jewish actress Marissia Winokur Lesbian Actress Sara Gilbert, Italian/Hispanic Leah Remini, Asian TV personality Julia Chen, and black actress Holly Robinson

Current panel of The Talk:
L-R: Sheryl Underwood, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne,
Aisha Tyler, Julie Chen

3. Rupert Murdoch

Probably to biggest and latest public figure scandal is surrounding Rupert Murdoch. Here is a brief description of his recent activities:

In July 2011 Murdoch faced allegations that his companies, including the News of the World, owned by News Corporation, had been regularly hacking the phones of celebrities, royalty and public citizens. He faces police and government investigations into bribery and corruption by the British government and FBI investigations in the US.[Source: Wikipedia

- Wendi Deng, Murdoch's wife:

When her family relocated to Guangzhou in southern China, she changed her name to Wen Di, enrolled in medical school but quit, and then befriended an American family, the Cherrys. Like her own father, Jake Cherry was a factory manager and an engineer. Wendi learned English from him and his wife, Joyce. Their friendship grew and the Cherrys agreed to sponsor the 19-year-old Chinese woman to come to the U.S. for undergrad courses at California State University in Northridge. There Wendi lived with the Cherrys, sometimes sharing a room with their young daughter. She eventually moved out, and two years later, in 1990, married Jake, who by that time had divorced Joyce. After a marriage that lasted long enough for Wendi to obtain her U.S. green card, Wendi divorced Jake, who is three decades her senior. (Jake had discovered she was having an affair with a younger man, David Wolf, whom Wendi later married but later divorced as well.)

Wikipedia continues about her relationship with Murdoch:

...17 days after divorcing his second wife, Murdoch, then aged 68, married Chinese-born Deng Wendi (Wendi Deng). She was 30, a recent Yale School of Management graduate, and a newly appointed vice-president of his STAR TV. Murdoch has two children with her.

I am not one to speculate, but the data shows that there must have been something going on before the "divorce," which implies that this activity could have been the cause of the divorce. In any case, Deng's "activities" tell us enough about her. Here is a quote from Anna Murdoch, his second (white) wife:

I think that Rupert's affair with Wendi Deng –- it's not an original plot –- was the end of the marriage [with Anna Murdoch]. His determination to continue with that.

Spring Flowers Fighting For Space

Lilacs and Cherry Blossoms
[Photo by KPA]

Sailing and Flying

[Photo by KPA]

Tranquil scene on Lake Ontario, at a small town called Port Credit. What struck me about this scene was the white sail of the sailboat is mimicked by the white wings of the seagull.

Etching of the East Room at the White House

I had blogged earlier on Michelle Obama and Jill Biden in the White House's East Room, and its "lovely canary yellow drapes." While looking for more information on the East Room, I found this etching from the website The White House Museum, dated "around" 1858. There are more archival photos of the White House rooms at the website, through various renovations and presidents.

Cow Rumps

[Photo by KPA]

I had taken a photo of these placid cows at the Toronto Dominion Centre (the banking center of Toronto) about a year ago, but focused more on the business men than on the sculptures. Above is a recent view of those lovely animals, beautifully sculpted by Joe Farfard.

Mayor Ford of Toronto Seems To Have Been Hijacked by Homosexuals, But He's Smarter Than That

The Toronto homosexual contingency is not only vocal but powerful. Toronto has the largest "Gay Pride" event in North America, with a week that turns the city into Sodom and Gomorrah, which eventually culminates with a parade that takes over, and closes down, the whole down town. Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto, incurred their wrath when he said that he wouldn't be attending the parade this year, since, as he announced last year, he planned to go to his brother's vacation home north of Toronto during the event.

Ford showed up, unannounced (after he had stated he would not attend), at a risible "Rainbow Flag Raising" at City Hall called International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia [transphobia?!] (here is their website), where he read a prepared statement against homophobia, and all other forms of discrimination. He then marched off the stage back to his office upstairs in City Hall.

Here's a facebook commentator at "Let Ford Be" who astutely says:

Brilliant move on the Mayor's part. Ahhh the element of surprise...can't beat it. No chance for any organized protest. Love it!

I agree with this commentator. Ford has simply given the group what seems like an acquiescence, yet he is not attending the parade of the priders this year, and hasn't changed his position from last year.

Still, homosexual groups are aggressive and belligerent. They want nothing less than "full acceptance." The mayor will have to be more adept at confronting them during the inevitable "pride parade" show downs in the future. He will have to realize, though, that these are not mere confrontations. Homosexuals are waging war, and the mayor needs to act accordingly with a long term strategy. There are enough citizens in Toronto and Canada who, I'm sure, will be on his side.

Here is Ford's brief statement at the City Hall [Source: CTV News]:

Toronto is a society open to everyone, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, two-spirit and transsexual community, who are an important part of this city's diversity.

Toronto is an active participant in the fight for elimination of all forms of discrimination and is committed to the equal treatment of all people and their right to live in conditions of dignity, respect and peace.

Here is an arrogant commentator at the "flag raising" event who comments on Ford's presence (around the 2.12 point in the CTV News link above):

I've been feeling very hostile towards him since the beginning. But it's a real barrier to overcome, and he overcame it today. I think it's a historic day.

Ford making his statement at City Hall. Behind him, obdurately standing for the "gay community" are:

Left: Councillor Janet Davis
[S]poke after Ford. She’s a PFLAG member and spoke about her own 'coming out' last year when she revealed that her son is gay. [Source: City News Toronto]

Right: Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam
[C]ame out as a lesbian in high school, at the age of 16 and has been an activist for both LGBTQ and Asian Canadian community issues, serving on the Chinese Canadian National Council and helping to found Asian Canadians For Equal Marriage. [Source: Wikipedia]

Center (behind Ford's left shoulder): Councillor Gord Perks
Born: 1963 (age 48–49)
Nationality: Canadian
Political party: New Democratic Party
Spouse(s): Sarah Winterton
Children: 3
Residence: Toronto
Occupation: Environmentalist
[Source: Wikipedia]

Carla Is Not Making Any AlliesWhile Valérie Is Not Watching Her Dress

With a husband who lost his presidency bid, one would think that Carla Bruni would try hard to give him (and her) a good exit name and image.

I wasn't the only one to notice (and comment on) Bruni's shabby outfit at Hollande's inauguration, and the possible reasons behind Bruni's appearance. Here's what Tiberge, the blogger with a wealth of information on all things French, wrote:

But what a surprise to see Carla Bruni-Sarkozy dressed so badly! She was always elegant, whatever one thought of her. Here she looks so bad, it can only have been deliberate, as a slap in the face to those who she feels betrayed her husband.

I wrote in my blog:

I think her appearance, both physical and sartorial, is an affront at the new Prime Minister of France, as though she is waging a battle against him and his wife.

Tiberge also posts the dress that Mme la Présidente is wearing to the inauguration.

Actually, the split/slit didn't bother me too much. I think it was a sartorial mistake, possibly a missing or loose button. It seems absurd that Trierweiler would ruin a decent looking outfit with a slitty/slutty gap. Plus, the slit is just too high up to be a deliberate cut of the dress.

Bruni's odd appearance is far stranger. But, it isn't the first time I've critiqued Bruni's dress. Here, I am surprised that the then leading lady of France would not show off the beautiful French designs, and instead opted for an ill-fitting ensemble.

The Aggressive Drabness of Carla Bruni

Carla Bruni and Valérie Trierweiler
at the Élysées Palace

Carla Bruni came out looking like this for François Hollande's inauguration. Bruni may have the excuse that she recently gave birth to a daughter (although that was now over six months ago), but she simply could have stayed home if she didn't feel ready to be in public. But, many mothers don't gain tens of pounds during pregnancy, and many of them shed their pounds relatively quickly.

I think her appearance, both physical and sartorial, is an affront at the new Prime Minister of France, as though she is waging a battle against him and his wife.

I thought that Hollande's "partner" came out looking attractive and smart. I understand she has a very liberal background, yet she somehow managed to look classic French at this important public appearance.

I don't know what this says about France. French perfume and fashion are still the best in the world. French restaurants cater to the gourmand. And French cities are still the most beautiful. None can beat the beauty of Paris.

Perhaps all this sustained beauty can finally usher in all that could be (has been) good about France, and Hollande's vicious socialism may awaken the French out of their trance so that they can save their civilization. I really do have some hope.


The above image shows François Hollande's inauguration parade as his motorcade drives up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Behind him is the Place de la Concorde, with the Obelisk de Luxor at its center. Even the foggy, rainy day cannot diminish the grandeur of the street, and the monuments that surround it.

Spring Flowers at City Hall

Toronto's Old City Hall
[Photo by KPA]

Spring Flowers and a Bit of Toronto History

The Toronto Coach Terminal
[Photo by KPA]

The Toronto Coach Terminal, built in 1931 by architect Charles Dolphin, still stands as part of Toronto's history. It was once considered a grand building, but is now dwarfed by the downtown skyscrapers, and the inside has lost the grandeur of its heyday. Still, the building stands out in its own way on the boring strip of Dundas and Bay, and the interior is light and airy enough to make traveling by bus an exciting adventure.

Toronto Coach Terminal
[Source: Urban Toronto]

Toronto Coach Terminal in 1931, then known as the
Gray Coach Terminal, built in the Art Deco style by Charles Dolphin
[Source: Wikipedia]

Coach Terminal Opening in 1931.
Ribbon ceremony with W.H. Price, acting premier of Ontario
[Source: The Toronto Star Photo Gallery]

A Grey Coach Lines bus waiting to departing 1932
[Source: The Toronto Star Photo Gallery]

A Grey Coach Terminal Interior, 1931
[Image Source: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71,
Item 9035, via Wikipedia]

A Grey Coach Terminal Interior, Now
[Image Source: Canadian Public Transit Board]

My First Insights into Conservatives, Back in 2009

My background isn't politics. It is a fairly recent interest. I got to it in a round about way, as I began to try to understand why art and design have deteriorated in our age.

So below is a rather astute, if I may say that about myself, observation back in 2009, in a forum I used to post on, hosted by David Yeagley.

The "conversation" at some point revolves around a disruptive forum participant. It is a pleasant group, we "LOL" a lot, and seem to respect each other. The disruptive participant was basically run off the forum, or more precisely, she couldn't handle the demands on her to provide logical, credible and interesting points, and left of her own will.

I also left shortly after, not because I was "run off" but because I found the topics to be too Indian-centric (although that is the prerogative of the site after all), but also erroneously critical of white culture, and whites in general. I found from the site and the discussions all the "Indian Wisdom" I needed to show me that Indians haven't really accommodated to, nor accepted, Western society and culture, and will for ever be living in their enclaves, despite the great lengths whites have gone to make their lives easier and to integrate into society at large.

Here is what I say about conservatives:

I remember saying a long time ago that Nora Brinker [the forum participant who left] was not really a conservative. It's a long story, but it's in the forums somewhere.

The problem is that conservatives have shifted ground so much that they have gotten closer and closer to liberals.

Hard to tell who is who anymore, except to say that people are more liberal than conservative these days.

Quebec Style Fascism

Nadeau-Dubois, the fascist with the almost-angelic face

[The above photo is posted at the Globe and Mail. I think it is a great portrait. We can see Nadeau-Dubois' arrogant superiority in his expression. The rock behind him, which symbolizes his unrelenting, stubborn position, looks bright on his half, but the other half is dark and foreboding, giving us a glimpse of his character and position.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quebec's student "revolt" looked like the whining of spoiled brats, but it is becoming much larger than that.

At one time, Quebeckers marched on their streets to try to achieve some modicum of independence. But they always tried to latch on to Canada in some way, and their "independence" quest was never a complete detachment from Canada, but something that would give them their own "identity" under the umbrella of a larger Canada. They, in effect, demanded all the "good" things from Canada, while obtaining what they wanted: Their own independent French culture to thrive alongside English Canada.

This perspective has rubbed off in a big way on the newest generation of Quebec's demonstrators. The marches are their dissatisfaction at how they are being billed for their university education. Here's some background on these protest marches, dubbed as "strikes" by the media [Source The National Post]:

The Quebec Liberal government wanted to increase tuition fees at post-secondary schools by $1,625 over five years. The hike worked out to $325 per year, although the government has since offered to modify the increase to $1,775 over seven years. In an attempt to assuage demonstrators, the government explained the hike works out to 50 cents per day after factoring in the tuition fee tax credit...

Striking student groups...argue tuition fees in other provinces are already too high, and Quebec’s increase would erect another barrier to education...

Even if the tuition hike goes through, Quebec students will still have cheaper fees than any other province in Canada. For the 2011/2012 school year, Canadian undergraduates paid an average of $5,366 in tuition, according to Statistics Canada.

B.C.: $4,852
Alberta: $5,662;
Saskatchewan: $5,601
Manitoba: $3,645
Ontario: $6,640
New Brunswick: $5,853
Nova Scotia: $5,731
Prince Edward Island: $5,258
Newfoundland and Labrador: $2,649
Quebec: $2,168

[...]

CLASSE (Coalition large de l’association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante), a group that represents about half the students on strike, is ultimately pushing for free, universal access to post-secondary education.

Quebec students currently pay about half of what other Canadian students pay on average.

The official news describes this "movement" as being the organization of a few "radical" groups. Yet, we saw thousands of students on the streets of Montreal, which hardly constitutes a "radical" group. Granted, there is a small, violent component to these demonstrations, but its members would not be doing all the violent protests, including physical damage to buildings and streets, if the majority doesn't allow them to continue. However quiet and "civilized" the majority seems, it is accepts the radical component of its movement.

I saw an interview of the leader of this group. He has small stature, delicate features and a quiet voice. But his language is frighteningly violent. He is a true fascist. His name is Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. Here is a brief background on him:

With his private-school education and generous university scholarship, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is hardly your typical struggling student. But as the Quebec student strike over tuition fee increases drags on, the telegenic 21-year-old history major has become the most prominent face of the protest movement...

[H]is writings and speeches leave little doubt that he sees himself waging a battle not just to keep university cheap but also to overturn the economic order. In an April 7 speech, which he began with his fist raised in the air, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois declared that the student strike has “indelibly marked” Quebec history...

Speaking following a protest outside Premier Jean Charest’s Montreal office Tuesday, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois said that his fiery speeches are meant to convey the message that "this struggle is not strictly for students but is part of a broader struggle."...

In editorials in the organization’s newspaper, Ultimatum, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois clearly staked out his position as far back as 2010.

"From today, from tomorrow, and every day until 2012, the resistance will be more firm and the indignation will rumble more," he wrote. "The pressure tactics will increase along with students’ anger, with the anger of the entire Quebec people: disruptions of MNAs offices, economic disruptions, national protests, etc. And this until the government backs down."

I've said before, privately and publicly, the only solution to the Quebec problem is to isolate the province and remove it from the Canadian confederation. No alliances, economic unions, half-hearted political compromises. The consequence of this compromise and accommodation has been characters like Nadeau-Dubois, with their endless incitements of marches and demonstrations, which could very well turn to regional civil unrest at some point in the future.

Simply say to them: 'You're on your own. Welcome to the North America." Let fascists like Nadeau-Dubois deal with the consequences.

The Adoration of Michelle

Honoring Military Wives and Mothers

[Images from:
- the Daily Mail
- the Obama Diary
- Pro President Obama]

Michelle Obama was at the White House on May 11, "In honor of the upcoming Military Spouse Appreciation Day...and in support of military families celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 13." Jill Biden, who was also present, stands placidly, and adoringly, behind Michelle, as Michelle makes her speech with gesticulations and forceful expressions. The young "military boy" who greets Michelle (in the above photo) is taken in by Michelle's exuberance, which is something that would scare most kids away. He must be responding to all the glowing adulation he hears about her at school, on T.V., and surely at home. I don't think I would have liked having my head clasped in that manner, but the young boy seems enthralled, as does the "military wife or mother" behind him.

The Daily Mail informs us:

In the spirit of spring, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden colour co-ordinated this morning while honoring military mothers and wives at the White House.

The first lady and the wife of Vice-President Joe Biden, who both have distinct signature styles, came together in what was either a grand coordinating coincidence, or clever sartorial satire.

While the first lady bared her arms in a yellow cowl-neck dress which had a contrasting textured gold skirt, Mrs Biden wore a simple yellow cardigan over a bow-detailed shift dress, in front of a matching White House curtain.

The Daily Mail, perhaps because it is a British publication, adds subtle, disapproving remarks about Michelle bare arms (no U.S. publication that I know of has tackled Michelle's bare arms so far, and even the Daily Mail doesn't quite go there), while quietly praising Jill Biden's outfit.

I don't think the yellow was a color coordination between the two ladies, but what their stylists probably thought would fit well with White House's East Room decor of those lovely canary yellow drapes. And Jill Biden's outfit is a canary yellow, fitting well with the gold yellow drapes, while Michelle Obama's is the puce green/yellow she seems to have an affinity for.

Michelle Obama (or her stylists) cleverly recycle her outfits. Above, in the bottom image, she is wearing the same skirt and top for a similar function in 2011 (and her stylists love to dress her in that same puce green/mustard yellow). Jill Biden, who was also at this 2011 military function, opted for a lovely red suit, albeit with those spiked heels. And forget about Michelle's arms, it is her foreboding shins that overshadow them.

Let's Move Michelle, in lime green for energy,
and with sympathetic on-lookers.

On Beauty

[I cannot find any information
on the cover painting. I'll keep looking.
If anyone has any ideas, please let me
know at cameralucidas@yahoo.com]

Roger Scruton has written a book he simply titles Beauty which came out in 2009. I only recently found out about this book. I give similar importance to beauty. My blog has a whole category on beauty. My book looks at beauty in the bigger context of art, culture and society. I think beauty is important, but I think it is part of many other related, or conflicting, subjects. Scruton has decided to concentrate on beauty alone, which I think leaves it isolated from culture and society. I find that modern beauty lovers tend to isolate beauty. They also personalize beauty, making it some kind of fetish or personal quest. People's internal, personal monologues, without the checks and balances of the external and the spiritual worlds, are suspect, and sometimes turn to horror. So, at times, as we see in the modern world of the avant-garde artist, beauty actually turns to ugliness.

Scruton has two chapters which seem to address this: "Judging Beauty" and "Artistic Beauty" but I don't think either goes far enough to address the beauty-turned-to-ugliness phenomenon that is overwhelming our modern world.

I have two sections in my chapter on Beauty in which I address this. They are: "Rejecting Beauty" and "Elimination of Beauty."

Still, I guess great minds think alike :-).

Below are Scruton's chapters on Beauty:

1. Judging Beauty

2. Human Beauty

3. Natural Beauty

4. Everyday Beauty

5. Artistic Beauty

6. Taste and Order

7. Eros and Art

8. Sacred Beauty

Chapter on Beauty from Camera Lucida: Views on Art Culture and Society, which I've divided into the following sections:

- Synthesis of Beauty

- Beauty in the Worship of God

- Beauty and the Transcendent

- Beauty and Humanity

- Beauty, Truth and Goodness

- How to be a Beautiful Movie Star

- Beauty: I will be your mirror

- Rejecting Beauty

- Elimination of Beauty

It is interesting that Scruton, as an art critic, doesn't seem to be interested in how beauty is created (by man, or even by God). He also omits the dangers of narcissism in beauty, which I try to address in "I'll be Your Mirror." I like the title of his chapter "Natural Beauty" which I think means the beauty actually found in nature, whether a human being, an animal or a plant. But he doesn't have any views on "Rejecting Beauty" and ultimately "The Elimination of Beauty." Again, as an art critic, I think Scruton believes that beauty is eternal and universally desired. Yet our own culture is pursuing the incredible project of ridding us of beauty, and quite successfully too, something which he doesn't seem to address.

I will try to get a hold of this book soon, and write my own review of it. It might even give me some ideas.

The Coffee Houses of Our Discontent

Timothy's

Timothy's mall kiosk, for coffee-on-the-go

Timothy's underground kiosk. Nowhere to sit

Jean-Paul Sartre, Boris and Michelle Vian,
and Simone de Beauvoir at the Café Procope,
circa 1948
[Image Copyright: Yves Manciet]

Left to right Ernest Hemingway with Lady Duff Twysden,
Hadley Hemingway, and three unidentified
people at a cafe in Pamplona, Spain, July 1925.

[Photograph in the Ernest Hemingway Photograph
Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
and Museum, Boston.]

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Laura Wood (from The Thinking Housewife) has a post on "artisanal" pizza, which really rang a bell since I read it just as I came in from my local mall.

I generally hate going to the mall, but there are times when I have no choice. After finishing my errands, I sometimes sit in one of the "coffee shops" and have some coffee while reading a (Vogue) magazine.

My choices are between the "international" Starbucks, or the Canadian alternative Timothy's (or Timothy's World Coffee, as it describes itself, which is a misnomer, since it now caters only to Canadians). Timothy’s has quite good, plain coffee. But there's a long list of dark/medium/light roasts of various exotic names and all those liqueur flavors to choose from, as is now common in coffee chains like Timothy's and Starbucks. Timothy’s interior is distinct, with dark wood furniture and paneling (which looks like cherrywood) and a dark blue color theme. It is easy to recognize from afar, like one can recognize a McDonalds or a Kentucky Fried Chicken (or a Pizza Hut).

Timothy's is the perfect "artisanal" coffee shop. It tries to look intimate, yet it is completely generic and pre-fabricated. One Timothy's is like any other Timothy's.

And a mall is a mall, despite attempts to "humanize" it. Stores in malls, which are all part of larger chains, try to look intimate and unique, but are just spaces behind glass boxes. Timothy's fits right into a mall. About 3/4 of Timothy's coffee shops are in malls or indoor/underground shopping complexes.

Timothy's is always crowded. Some patrons sit for extended periods of time sipping coffee with book in hand. Others type frantically on their keyboards while staring at glaring monitor screens. It's never clear if they are writing the next masterpiece or browsing through their email. Those that come to socialize don’t stay long. What can they talk about, anyway, that would warrant a long conversation while drinking cold coffee (refills are rarely available, unlike local diners or restaurants)? Many simply have their coffee "on the go" opting for a styrofoam cup they can carry and sip from as they rush about.

There was a coffee culture that flourished in Europe from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. There were the Viennese Coffee Houses and the Parisian café society, where a cosmopolitan group of famous artists created and discussed their works. Some revolutions (or revolutionary ideas) even started in coffee houses. Shop owners seemed happy to have these colorful characters around. I doubt any of Timothy’s patrons are working on a literary masterpiece, or planning the logistics of a Cultural Revolution. And what can one imagine or create in the hollows of a city’s underground, far from the bright reality of the outside world? Better to sit, if only briefly, in the hidden depths of an almost friendly coffee shop, and forget one's discontents.

The coffee fetish is strong, and I do admit that I am a reluctant member of that group. But I could put it to good use, and start a whole analysis of coffee in modern culture, like The Thinking Housewife’s periodic pizza reports.