I just didn't Ga-ga-get it!

Okay. First of all, let it be known that I am a BIG Lady Gaga fan. And up until Sunday night's Grammy performance I pretty much thought she could do NO wrong... But then she arrived in that giant egg, ala Mork from Ork ("Come in, Orson"). However, I will admit that I was just as intrigued as everyone else was by the elaborate stunt. I mean, that WAS a pretty great way to make an entrance! It did beg all sorts of questions, though. Everything from like, how did she get in there? And, how is she breathing? To, what if Gaga's gotta poo-poo? Surely, her team thought of such things ahead of time and took the necessary precautions. Right? Let's hope so.

What?! I do NOT get the hat.

When it finally came time for "Gegga" to hatch, I felt it was a bit anticlimactic. At some point between the time she'd made her grand entrance and when she appeared onstage, Gaga obviously traded in her previous mode of transport for one with dramatic, interior track lighting and a sliding moon roof. Thereby allowing her smooth "eggs-it" and transition into her number, 'Born This Way'. But when she stepped out, WHAT was with the big yellow hat?? I expected Curious George to come crawling out after her! And the Madonna 'Blonde Ambition' ponytail... Puh-lease! She sure worked THAT into the dance choreography! I swear, she swung that tail around so hard and so often that I thought for sure it was gonna fly off and hit Aretha Franklin in the face! And she wasn't even there!!






Ugh, that ponytail...




























I must say, the Lady has a pretty slammin' body, and it was quite evident thanks to her tight, barely-there, latex wardrobe. But WHY did she (and all of her dancers) have to sport that weird, pointy, body modification look? The sharp shoulders and jagged facial features just seemed over-the-top to me. And besides, isn't 'Born This Way' supposed to be an anthem about being proud of WHO and WHAT you REALLY are? The way you were BORN, not the way you try and MAKE yourself for whatever reason? Don't get me wrong, I'm ALL for creativity and drama. That's what drew me to the Lady in the first place! It's just that I think she's sending out mixed messages, here, with this one. You know?






Love those glass pipes, but what's with the multiple
heads on the organ? Again, with the mixed messages...























When it was all sung and done, I couldn't help feeling like Gaga had phoned the whole thing in. The performance just hadn't seemed Grammys-worthy to me. And after having shown up in an EGG, I think lots of people were probably expecting something a bit more FANTASTIC. Overall, I'd say this egg turned out to be pretty rotten!


~ All photos via Google Images ~

Retro Book Fair: 'Vision - How, Why, and What We See'

Hello, all! I know that it's been quite a while since I've written a legitimate post, so I thank you for your patience and loyalty. You know how life can be sometimes... It can really make it hard for us ADD afflicted to focus on ANYTHING, let alone a blog! But enough about that!

I'm excited to share with you a new (old) children's book that I recently got at a local used bookstore. The book is titled, 'Vision - How, Why and What We See' and it is one in a series of books called the 'Golden Library of Knowledge'. 'Vision' was printed in 1962, and I think the charming illustrations (by Weimer Pursell) depict that. Here, take a look at some of them, beginning with the book's cover...






I really dig this cover!
The combination of the colors used
and the stylization of the image make
it very pleasing to the "eye".



Outer organs of the eye serve a primarily

protective purpose.

The convergence of the telephone lines, the decreasing
size of the poles, and the haziness of the more distant
buildings help to create perspective.



Why does an apple look red? First of all, you are

probably looking at the apple in good light. If

you look at it in very dim light, the apple will

look black for the sight-receiving cells in the

retina that "see" color are the cones, and cones

are useless in dim light.

To see red, you must have good color-sensitive

cones. Many animals and some people have

cones which are able to see small details distinctly,

but cannot recognize some or all colors. They are

said to be color-blind.

  

White light entering a prism breaks

down into the colors of the spectrum,

as seen above. It is possible for an

inverted prism to recombine the

spectrum into white light again.
























Color-blind people are unable to see

the red O and purple X, above.



Many birds have keener vision than we have.

The hunting birds - vultures, hawks, and

shrikes - can spot very small animals on the

ground hundreds of feet below them.





The Snellen Eye Chart, above, was

designed to aid all who train in

testing distance vision against an

accepted norm.



So did you have fun learning tidbits about vision in the Golden Library of Knowledge? I thought you might! Be sure to come back next time Retro Book Fair stops by the circus... I have a pretty good feeling even more vintage fun is in store! Meanwhile, have a wonderful weekend, everybody!!

~ All images taken from the book, 'Vision - How, Why, and What We See' by Janette Rainwater. Illustrated by Weimer Pursell. Published by Golden Press, New York. ~

Guilty Pleasures SOUND + VISION: 'Shampain' by Marina and the Diamonds

Guilty Pleasures SOUND + VISION: 'Hollywood' by Marina and The Diamonds

Guilty Pleasures SOUND + VISION: 'Oh, NO!' by Marina and The Diamonds

Vintage Drugstore Carnival: 'Ovaltine'... To wake up GAY in the morning!

"Why be content to waken tired, listless, or low in the morning - when you should be gay and radiantly alive? Why not follow this simple plan thousands are using for sparkling morning freshness? Just drink a warm cup of Ovaltine at bedtime each night."

So, where's the disclaimer that states side effects include an increased desire to participate in same-sex frivolities before lunch?


~ Image taken from the postcard book, "Just what the doctor ordered": Health and Grooming in the Classic Age of Advertising. Published by Prion Books Limited, London. ~

Who, me? I got an award?

I'm sending a great big (((HUG))) and a "Thank you!" out to Lisa, aka Tikimama, over at Atomic Tea Party for this very flattering award. It's so nice to get awards like this periodically because aside from reader comments, you really don't know how you and your blog are being received. And it just feels really good knowing that someone thinks I'm "a great read!"