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Sunday 31 October 2010
Should Obama health care cover gene transplant for novelty-fearing conservatives?
0 comments Posted by 2011 at 18:20The latest news about the gene which might influence people to become progressive when they grow up hit the airwaves this week:
LIKE IT? CLICK HERE TO READ MORENew research from U.C. San Diego and Harvard adds some fuel to the fire, stating in the Journal of Politics that a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4 may influence the sociological factors that determine a political mindset. The study's authors say this is the first research to identify a specific gene that predisposes people to certain political views.
The research focused on 2,000 subjects from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. By matching genetic information with maps of the subjects' social networks, the researchers were able to show that people with a specific variant of the DRD4 gene were
Having dispensed with the only real left wing writer (Rick Salutin), the Globe & Mail is struggling to decipher patterns in the Tea Party phenomenon in the US through the prism of its centre to centre-right columnists.Witness the conflict in yesterday's edition, between the views of Margaret Wente (article headed The masses are revolting, with good reason), and Jeffrey Simpson (article: Hard realtiies, voodoo solutions, GOP gains).
Wente writes that her best friends are shocked by the Toronto election:
The way they see it, the Visigoths have battered down the gates of Rome, and the Vestal Virgins had better scramble for cover. In the aftermath of Toronto’s election rout, their only consolation is that Rob Ford is probably too stupid and incompetent to completely sack the place. If only they lie low for the next four years, sanity will surely return to city politics.
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The other day i was at cvs and saw that there was a new Bazaar out that I hadnt seen yet. SO i started looking through it and all of the sudden i flip to page 197 and i see this whole page of Daphne and I! SO cool!! It was from backstage at Gucci! Was such a fun show! We were telling everyone we were twins, all of the photographers believed us and started taking pictures!
When it comes to securing a foothold in the modelling industry, the truth is that having the wrong attitude, or worse still, a bad one, can old you back even more than a dodgy runway walk.
If you’re interested in being a model, let alone a successful one like Arlenis Sosa (pictured), it’s easy to overlook this aspect of Modelling 101. We’re told with some regularity about the physical requirements the modelling industry demand of its new recruits.
Height, good proportions and photographable features all play their part in getting you signed, but paying attention to what you bring to the mix will mean the difference in getting hired and getting left behind.
Modelling is all about perseverance, but patience, discipline and self-confidence are the qualities that can turn your career into the stuff that dreams are made of. Modelling is for tough cookies, and if you’re not fully equipped to deal with the rejections that come with the territory, the climb to success will be made that much longer.
Patience
You’ve all heard that patience is a virtue, but nowhere is this more applicable than in the modelling industry.
Having ambition – and plenty of it – is certainly no crime, but it is important to realise that there’s no such thing as an overnight sensation in modelling. Fashion moves fast, but the process by which a newcomer becomes established is somewhat slower.
Think about your favourite models and research their back stories. The one thing they have in common is that virtually all of them started their careers from humble beginnings, and that’s no bad thing. Learning the ropes in a smaller, less pressurised environment can often be the making of a model’s career. Getting to be comfortable in front of a camera or walking down a runway takes time, no matter how much of a knack you might have for posing and strutting. It all takes time to learn the basics, and once you’ve mastered those, doing the trickier stuff will seem that little bit easier.
When working on the smaller jobs, it’s crucial to treat every booking with the same elation you’d normally reserve for Italian Vogue. Treat every assignment – and client- with respect because that’s how one booking leads to two, and two lead to four, and you get the picture. If you’re a delight to work with, word will spread. The world of modelling is smaller than you think, and people do talk. Do yourself a favour, and wow every client because great things can come from those humble bookings.
Ambition is a great tool to have: knowing where you want to be in five years is brilliant for keeping you focused, but if it gets in the way of how you perform in the here and now, you may have a problem. Reel it in a little, apply some smile and charm, and watch those bookings roll in.
Self-confidence
This may seem like an obvious point, but bear with me on this one. Being self-confident is pretty much a non-negotiable when starting out. You may not be convinced your walk rivals Carmen Kass, but having a solid grounding in the basics of projecting self-confidence is a must.
Head up, shoulders back: if you walk into a casting and get a case of wobbly knees, faking good confidence really does work. Look at how a confident person walks and stands: good posture, relaxed shoulders and plenty of eye contact. Making that first impression only takes seconds, so if you have to, grit your teeth and go for the Oscar in pretending to be self-confident, because it’s worth it.
If you find the call of the wobbly knees too much to ignore, however, just switch off that inner voice that tells you you’re never going to get this booking in a million years, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. If you’re asked to show your portfolio to a client, being able to have something to say (eg: a favourite photo, why you liked working with that photographer), will fill that awkward void. Listen and participate: if a client wants you to walk and you’re not sure what type of walk they want, don’t be afraid to ask. Asking questions isn’t a sign of weakness – far from it. It will show that you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you. Also when you’re paying attention, your quaking knees soon get forgotten. See how that works?
Projecting confidence is crucial. Don’t listen to that little voice in your head: if you’ve booked a casting, let alone a job, you’re there for a reason. You’re in with a shot and it’s up to you to make the most of it. Rejection will happen, of course, it does to everyone. You may receive knock-backs for jobs you thought you were perfect for, and by the same token, you could get booked for a job you assumed you’d never get. The key to accepting rejection is to not see it as a personal slight against you. Casting directors often have very specific criteria and you may meet 10% of the brief, or 90%. If it’s not 100%, it’s unlikely you’re getting the job. It seems unfair, but it shows that rejection boils down to box-ticking rather than your hair being the ‘wrong’ colour. There is no ‘right look’ in modelling anymore: don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your failure to scoop a job is because you don’t fit in. Modelling is a game of numbers: if you have what it takes, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself at the right casting at the right time.
Discipline
Not the most thrilling of topics, but discipline is probably the most important quality a model can possess. Those who succeed don’t do so through random flashes of brilliance; they win contracts and editorials because of consistency. Again, not a word that gets the pulse racing, but in a business where time is money, being reliable is music to a client’s ears. They want someone who turns up on time, ready to work. Someone who turns up late, bleary-eyed, grumpy and none too co-operative will not get a second chance with that particular client.
Modelling can often involve long hours (unsociable too: some of the best light for outdoor shoots is at the crack of dawn). To survive travelling, long demanding shoots and endless go-sees requires you to be in peak physical and psychological condition. To get to the top, some sacrifices have to be made. Foregoing a wild night out before a major casting or shoot = good idea. Getting wasted and hoping breath mints and Touche Eclat will hide the evidence? Not so good.
The first mantra a model learns is to be on time. If you know you’re someone who always arrives 10 minutes late, adjust your watch back 15 minutes and go by that. Being constantly late isn’t cute when you’re representing not only yourself but your agency. If you’re going to unfamiliar locations, get yourself a smart phone and download navigation applications. Make that first impression a good one, by respecting that the client’s time is precious.
If you’re lucky enough to become a little more established in the industry, don’t fall into the trap of becoming complacent. Top model Kate Moss nearly lost her entire career when her partying became a problem. As big a name as Kate was, winning back clients still took her a long time, because restoring a damaged reputation is a lot harder than building a good one.
Discipline, however dry it sounds, is probably the thing that separates a good model from a great one. If you’re serious about not only making it in modelling but sticking around, this is the quality it pays to master. Don’t be fooled into thinking that modelling is the soft option: it may take discipline to make it to the top, but it takes even more to stay there.
HELEN TOPE
Saturday 30 October 2010
Published in Vogue Paris March 2004
Scans by Fasion Gone Rouge
Friday 29 October 2010
Thursday 28 October 2010
The latest EKOS poll is an interesting one, with insights into the Tories dismal international policies and actions, and also into the Liberal Party's problem in BC.
Right now, the NDP and Greens have a lock on voters under 25 – they split these 70-30 and leave not single crumb on the table for the Tories or Liberals. The NDP has also romped home with a significant 52% of voters aged 25 to 44. This is a pretty dismal showing by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Official Opposition, neither of whom seem able to appeal to younger voters. How can either party wish to gain traction and boost their standings if they remain locked into the older age groups for the next few years? Something is wrong here.
Now look at the overall results: the LPC gains a paltry 19.2% support in this vitally important province.
Published in Numéro October 2009
Fashion Gone Rouge
Wednesday 27 October 2010
With this program, The Cat would have voted for Rob Ford for Mayor
0 comments Posted by 2011 at 13:39Forgeddabout his roughness, his lapses with accuracy, his memory problems, let's look at what Rob Ford has promised to do.
There is a pretty good list set out in the Toronto Sun.
And The Cat likes a lot of these items.
As for those who are now saying that Ford won't be able to implement much because in Toronto a mayor is just one vote on the council, perhaps they should consider this: the wave that swept this guy into power is still out there, waiting for action. And any councillor who decides to oppose this mayor on some of the major items had better think very seriously about whether that wave just might change course a bit, and sweep him or her out of office come the next election.
The Vogue Paris 90th Anniversary Masquerade Ball. An explosion of fashion fantasy!! Feathers. Laces. Sheer dresses. Sleek black lingerie. Tiny lingerie. Transparency.
Tuesday 26 October 2010
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New York 6th Avenue and Bleeck |
Here are some pictures of the newyorker blogger Photodiarist. Her works move me. A newyorker Inspiration. My suggestion? Check out The Photodiarist for a new yorker perspective.
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