Marilyn's Photos - Jan 20 2026 - Valentino

 

The last of the 20th Century fashion designers is dead.  Valentino.  There will be no replacement for him, like there is for a pope.  He was considered like an Emperor of the fashion world. His designs were called “sumptuous.”  He had his own signature red, very much like the way Tiffany has its own blue.   He also had a signature “tan” that looked more orange or mahogany than any person should be in my view.  It is described in the articles as being perpetual.   There are many Valentino dresses on Oscar-winning actresses.  He had his own winning streak. His work was considered elegant, incorporating traditional feminine elements such as bows, ruffles, lace and embroidery.  There likely weren’t many famous women of the 20th century who didn’t wear his dresses.  And then there was that red. It is considered a poppy red and is now named Valentino red - the Pantone colour mixes 100% magenta, 100% yellow, and 10% black.   Isn’t this picture stunning!  You can see his mahogany skin tone, and then those luxurious dresses all lined up.  Their arms look like they are in supplication to the Emperor.  There are lots of sponsored red dress content today under the title: Valentino Garavani ,  A cape detail cotton dress is $4,196.00 reduced from $6,170.  Or go to his website HERE.  There’s a short chiffon red dress there for $12,000. I wonder what colour the RCMP uniform is?  It is known as “Red Serge” and is called traditional scarlet.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Marilyn's Photos - Jan 13 2026 - Ig Nobel Idea

 

The Ig Nobel Prize has been with us for a few decades.  I hadn’t realized that Erich von Daniken, who has recently died, was awarded this “honour.”  I can immediately think of someone who might be awarded this honour in the Peace category.  Do you know who I mean?  The Ig Nobel is a satirical prize and its purpose is to promote public engagement with scientific research. Wikipedia says its aim is to “honour achievements that first make people laught, and then make them think.”  Well, it isn’t clear to me that laughter could be a response to an Ig Nobel Peace Prize.   Most of the Ig Nobels are for genuine scientific achievements with an unorthodox, obvious or humorous slant OR to various fraudsters, politicians, media figures, or promoters of pseudoscience.  That last category was likely the one for Erich von Daniken’s fame. There is a scientific humour magazine - Annals of Improbable Research.  Go to that website HERE now. See the headline:  “The straight poop: New study finds square feces may deliver information” - now that alone is a funny headline. The Ig Nobel Prize money is a whopping 10 trillion Zimbabwean dollars ($40.00 US). There is a person who has been awarded an Ig Nobel and a Nobel Prize.  “Sir Andre Geim, who had been awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2000 for levitating a frog by magnetism, was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 2010 for his work with the electromagnetic properties of graphene. He is the only individual, as of 2025, to have received both a Nobel and an Ig Nobel.” Do you think it is more or less possible to see an an Ig Nobel Peace Prize soon given that Google can’t figure out the difference between between the Peace Prize and the other Nobel Prizes - physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, literature and economics.  Maybe people’s smartness isn’t that unlike Googles. I see a scenario where an Ig Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Trump, and he’s extraordinarily happy - except when he finds out what 10 trillion Zimbabwean dollars are worth. Here’s another favourite image - this one in Frank Kershaw’s garden - a beautiful trellis art feature.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

March 30 2024 - Famous Easter Joke(s)

 

Are there any famous Easter jokes?  Would it be in the Comedy Hall of Fame? There's a National Comedy Hall of Fame and a Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame.  There are a some jokes, but it isn't a library of the most famous jokes.  These are the two I'll include:  Seinfeld:  "Proof that we don't understand death is that we give dead people a pillow."  Bob Newhart: "I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for those who like country music, denigrate means to 'put down." So back to Easter - historically, Easter was known for a tradition of laughter - risus paschals.  It was a medieval tradition where priests provoked the laughter of their congregations on Easter Day by telling crude jokes, making obscene gestures and putting on slapstick comedic performances.  That was stopped by the Pope in the 1600s.   Who would have guessed that Easter once had a lighter side.   I  have found the most famous Easter Joke: Three men died and are at the pearly gates of heaven. St. Peter tells them that they can enter the gates if they can answer one simple question. St. Peter asks the first man, "What is Easter?" He replies, "Oh, that's easy! It's the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and are thankful..." St. Peter shakes his head, and proceeds to ask the second man the same question, "What is Easter?"  The second one replies, "Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, texchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus." St. Peter looks at the second man, again shakes his head in disgust, and then peers over his glasses at the third man and asks, "What is Easter?" The third man smiles confidently and looks St. Peter in the eyes, "I know what Easter is. Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus was crucified on a cross and then buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder." St. Peter smiles broadly with delight.  Then the man continues, "Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out...and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter." here's a nice abstract pansy.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca