some kind of wonderful

Penny is a finalist in the Spirit of Youth awards. Everyone should vote for her, and check out more of her beautiful work here.

happy halloween

why burn your bridges when you can blow your bridges up?

one little present

T is so adorable! A couple weeks ago he gave me a redeemable voucher for "one little present", and then last night after dinner I received my gift: The Family Moskat, by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Perfect for a rainy Sunday on the couch, proving yet again that he is the sweetest boy in Geneva!!

dreaming of holidays...

things i wish i was in sydney for #2

Atari and Xavier started a photography magazine. I'm so proud of you guys! I can't wait to come home and party with my favourite homos.

sometimes i feel like i'm getting a little frosty myself

I had a scare with the little man this weekend. He's going to be okay, but these times always put things in perspective. We get so caught up in the highs and lows of everyday life that we forget to do the simple things like tell our people that we love them.

Tell someone you love today that you love them, even if you say it all the time I bet they will be glad to hear it.

things i have made

love is a micronation

I have always been totally crazy for micronations. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and wrapped up in people's wacky hopes and dreams and ideologies. Some of them only exist in the imagination. I like that they exist almost in opposition to conventional notions of nationalism - they are communities defined by ideas (however bananas the ideas sometimes seem), the citizens come together because of a common ideal. While macronationalism so often seems to be about instilling a false sense of 'commonality' that is really about affirming the differentness of other people. But maybe really I just like them because they are cute and small and stand testament to a crazy beautiful optimism in people. 

This is Sealand, which was established in an abandoned WW2 gun platform in the North Sea in 1967.

A stamp from the Kingdom of Elleore, just north of the Danish island of Zealand. Elleore standard time is 12 mnutes behind Danish time.

An aerial shot of and a representation of the flag of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

The Republic of Rose Island, that was established - and shortly thereafter destroyed by the italian government - just off the coast of Rimini in 1968.

A map of the Hutt River Province, not so far from my hometown in Western Australia.

friday night in Grottes

Last night A, J, the German and I went to an opening at Duplex. Yummy cocktails, walk-offs and late night debates about faith and meaning. A good time! And I also got to discover the eerieness of watching autobiographical video art while sitting next to the artist.

where i lived, and what i lived for

I found this excellent website with an archive of great open source and public domain films. Lots of fabulous old home movies, documentaries & self-improvement films. So I had no choice but to put together a video for a song that I just can't get out of my head..

the more things change

I started tonight with a feeling of homesickness...

this helped.

pin up girl (or boy) lampshades

these Lady Luck Lampshades are so excellent! i NEED to have one.

 

things i have made

this one is a birthday present that I have been holding on to forever. I finished it during some long evenings at the WIPO SCP last week... your tax dollars at work.

baked goods

Alfajores, adapted from Viva Vegan and distributed at the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents: sugar powered negotiations!

you or someone like you

love is a ukulele

the streets are always there for us

The Shout Out Louds are playing October 30 in Lausanne.

Who will go with me?

phoenix

BBC Radio One is currently streaming a program devoted to Phoenix and their influences, which samples an array of excellent tracks including Elliot Smith, Gainsbourg, Dinosaur Jr,  Philip Glass and the Dirty Projectors.

What 26 tracks have most influenced you? I feel a mixtape coming on.

sourires, rires, bisous

shiny. pretty. things.

how cute are these? if only someone had a baby shower coming up...

check them out here.

aiuto; or to win and be won: for absent friends

Only what is entirely lost demands to be endlessly named; there is a mania to call the lost thing until it returns.

Gunter Grass

london, still

I spent the weekend in london with my lovely parents: art, beautiful walks, tasty indian food and so many nice cups of tea.

banana bread

the easiest, yummiest, breakfast (!) in the world.

Recipe for Tracey

Ingredients

2 large very ripe bananas, mashed

125 grams margarine

1 cup sugar

egg replacer for two eggs

11/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soymilk

1/4 cup soy yoghurt

Sift the dry ingredients together. Cream margarine and sugar. Stir the bananas into the creamed margarine and sugar. Add the margarine mixture to the sifted dry ingredients, and mix in the soymilk and yoghurt. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 55 minutes. Serve immediately - or it gets even more delicious the next day.