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THIS SUNDAY: Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Class: Easter/Spring Equinox Edition

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We have just a few spots for Daisy Tainton's Spring-themed Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Class this Sunday!

Details follow; hope to see you there!

Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Class: Easter/Spring Equinox Edition
With Daisy Tainton, Former Senior Insect Preparator at the American Museum of Natural History
Date: Sunday, March 17th (Special Easter/Spring Edition!)
Time: 1 – 4 PM
Admission: $65
***Tickets MUST be pre-odered by clicking here
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

For this special edition, vintage egg displays will be available along with regular wooden shadowboxes of various shapes and sizes. Want something? Bring it! My selection is random!

1:18 scale is best when shopping for miniatures.

BEETLES WILL BE PROVIDED. Each student receives one beetle approximately 2-3 inches tall when posed vertically.

Today, join former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton for a special Easter/Spring-themed edition of Observatory’s popular Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop. In this class, students will work with Rhinoceros beetles: nature’s tiny giants. Each student will learn to make–and leave with their own!–shadowbox dioramas featuring carefully positioned beetles doing nearly anything you can imagine. A collection of miscellaneous dollhouse toys will be provided to finish your diorama.

Daisy Tainton was formerly Senior Insect Preparator at the American Museum of Natural History, and has been working with insects professionally for several years. Eventually her fascination with insects and love of Japanese miniature food items naturally came together, resulting in cute and ridiculous museum-inspired yet utterly unrealistic dioramas. Beetles at the dentist? Beetles eating pie and knitting sweaters? Even beetles on the toilet? Why not?

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/this-sunday-anthropomorphic-insect.html

Museo di Anatomia Umana (Museum of Human Anatomy), Pisa: Italy Trip Guest Post by Evan Michelson, TV’s "Oddities" and Morbid Anatomy Library

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Below, the fourth guest post by Evan Michelson of "Oddities" and the Morbid Anatomy Library documenting our trip through Italy researching the history of the preservation and display of the human corpse. Here, her response to the small but wonderful Museo di Anatomia Umana (Museum of Human Anatomy) of Pisa:

The Museum of Human Anatomy at Pisa is located at the school of medicine and surgery, just a few steps away from the Piazza dei Miracoli which contains the overly-familiar Leaning Tower - a 12th century campanile gone wrong.

The museum collection has an interesting history: Pisa was host to the First Conference of Italian Scientists in 1839 - a somewhat radical gathering uniting scientists from several disciplines. According to our guide, this was a philosophically Positivist convocation that was determined to make sure that science would have an important role to play in a newly unifying Italy. Scientists from the Papal States were not in attendance. Much of the current museum collection was organized for that gathering.

There were several "petrified" preparations in the collection (petrification being an Italian specialty), a fine osteological display, and a nice array of wet preparations. Of particular interest were the full-size flayed human specimens, whose vessels were injected with chalk (an odd method, but confirmed by several sources).

The mummy of Gaetano Arrighi, a convict who died in the early 19th century, seemed to have particular pride of place. His body went unclaimed and he was prepared according to a 19th century Italian recipe, but the results appear quite ancient. I fell in love with a particularly vivid, gesticulating infant in a nearby case, but the mummy certainly did have hi
s charms.

You can find out more about the Museo di Anatomia Umana, Pisa (Museum of Human Anatomy at Pisa) by clicking here. You can read future posts by Evan both on this blog and on her Facebook page, which you will find by clicking here. All images are mine, from the museum.Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/museo-di-anatomia-umana-museum-of-human.html

Santuario delle Grazie (Shrine of Our Lady of Grace), Grazie, Italy : Guest Post by Alessandro Molinengo, Nautilus Shop, Modena

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A few days ago, Evan Michelson (third down) and I took the train to Modena (home of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Balsamic Vinegar) to meet Alessandro Molinengo (top image), a long time internet friend and co-proprietor of the amazing Nautilus Antiques which we had both dreamt of visiting for some years.

After our visit to the shop, Alessandro--who is, it turns out, also an excellent tour guide--suggested we make a trip to check out an obscure church in the tiny town of Grazie, Italy which his business partner  Fausto Gazzi had suggested might interest us. None of us had been there before, so we hopped in the car and went.

This church--the Santuario delle Grazie (or Shrine of Our Lady of Grace)--was a real surprise and an utter, stunning delight, a museum of sorts enshrining arcane forms of worship, collecting, and ex voto usage. What interested Evan the most was the crocodile hanging high in the nave, a hold over from a time when churches would routinely display natural curiosities (see top two images). What interested me the most were the colorful and crudely fashioned statues which filled every available niche. Half of these depicted what appeared to be important church visitors of centuries past, while the other half felt more like a dime museum's house of horrors, peopled with a variety of stiffly posed martyrs meeting imaginatively gruesome ends. Equally fascinating were the thousands of wax anatomical (hands, eyes, breasts, and Bubonic Plague buboes!) ex votos snaking decoratively over every available surface (as seen in all images, but especially 4th down). This pilgrimage church, with its tinny piped-in liturgical music and wax torture museum ambiance, felt somewhere between a circus sideshow and religious Disneyland, less fine art than folk art full of ancient sacred expression in a language we could only barely understand. 

Evan and I had so many questions about this baffling and fascinating place that we asked Alessandro to write a guest post about the church and its history. Following is his post; you can find out more about Allesandro's truly amazing shop (more on that soon!) here (the website) and here (his Facebook page). Stay tuned for a full post on this almost painfully (as I have not much money) wonderful shop, what I would call the Obscura Antiques of Italy.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace is a church in Lombard Gothic style, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is located in the small village of Grazie, close to the town of Curtatone, 9 km from Mantua.

The origins of the church back to 1200, where, on a small promontory rising from the maze of flora and reeds, stood a small altar with the image of the Madonna and Child in which the fisherm
en of the lake and farmers were especially devoted. The devotion of the people of the area was old and well established; in that time the lake environment was indeed a source of livelihood but also hard work, starvation and disease, superstitions and fears, and this strength of faith was very comforting. Towards the end of the fourteenth century, by the grace received, Francesco Gonzaga built a temple to the Virgin Mary, after the end to an epidemic of The Plague. The construction cost 30,000 gold crowns and in August of 1406 the chapel was consecrated.

Soon after the completion of the basilica, pilgrimages to the church gradually assumed popularity, intensifying with the poor people of the surrounding countries, nobles, and even the Emperor Charles V and Pope Pius II who all came to visit the sacred image of Madonna and Child. So began a series of donations that brought even the original architectural features of the amendment, some important families valances they built chapels for prayer attached to the convent or in the church to bury their ancestors.

From 1412 until the end of the century a convent, school, chapel, and library were added. In 1782 the monastery was closed and converted into a hospital. Thus began the decline of the Basilica. The Napoleonic invasion deprived the collection of votive offerings and many of its treasures, and the material contained in its rich library was dispersed or destroyed, and in 1812 much of the architectural complex was finally dismantled.

The interior is Gothic single nave, and the ceiling is a vault decorated with frescoes of flowers. Upon entering, one is struck by the richness of the walls and its hangings because of a stuffed crocodile that was once located in the Shrine in the fifteenth or sixteenth century now hanging from the ceiling (top 2 images). The middle part of the walls of the nave is lined with full-length wooden structure, with eighty niches arranged in two parallel rows, where many mannequins in various poses and situations representing episodes of danger averted by divine intercession are placed. Today only about forty statues remain. There is no wall, column, corner unadorned; decorations consist of rows of wax anatomical ex votos covering the walls not occupied by statues, drawing snake motifs around columns or below the arches of the niches. You see here ex-votos representing hearts, hands, eyes, breasts, and pestilential buboes (from The Bubonic Plague), which combine to offer the viewer a unique puzzle.

The life-size mannequins you see all around you, as well as their clothing, armor, helmets and weapons were constructed of papier-mâché, and most of them are attributed to Friar Francis Acquanegra, who created in the early 16th century. The statues were constructed of layers of paper and cloth hardened with plaster and painted with colorings and with honey added as a binder; subsequently, several elements were added that were created by casts; also, in some cases, wood was used for face, hands and feet (depending on the pose taken by the manikin), horsehair for hair and acorns for some particulars. As for the clothes, it was discovered that these were created from cotton fabric with hooks applied to statues and date back to the late nineteenth century.

Twelve suits of armor have been reassembled from various statues. It is in fact defensive Gothic-Italian armor made in 1400 that covered completely the rider as they are made from different pieces of steel composed harmoniously ensuring effective protection. Examples of armor like this are extremely rare, if they can find in fact only eleven pieces all over the world, which is why today they are no longer exposed to the monastery but were transferred to the Diocesan Museum Francesco Gonzaga in Mantua. Various hypotheses have been made about the arrival of such prestigious reinforcements in the monastery; they were probably a gift of the Gonzaga family, lords of Mantua, unlike other more modest pieces (but still going back to 1500 ) from other sources.  Under the niches are the metopes explaining in vulgar Italian the grace received as depicted in the dioramic tableau above. Sometimes the mannequins do not coincide with the metope below, a sign that over the years have been the first few shifts. 

A real star of the sanctuary is a crocodile (Crocodilus niloticus) embalmed and hung from the ceiling in the center of the nave. It is a real crocodile, not a model, in its entirety, which was added to the church in the fifteenth or sixteenth century and has recently been the subject of restoration. This is not the only Italian church where you can find such a strange thing; the church of Santa Maria delle Virgin Macerata also has a crocodile hanging, probable gift from Macerata returned from the Crusades.

In ancient times they were seen with promiscuity figures of dragons, crocodiles or snakes and often, in the Christian era, were associated with evil, considered personifications of earthly hell, animals that lead to sin.

The placement of these animals in the churches thus has a strong symbolic meaning, as medieval churches also housed prehistoric fossils, therefore, the animal chained up in the vault of the church means to render it harmless, lock the evil he represents and at the same time expose a concrete reminder to the faithful against human susceptibility to error.

Related to the crocodile "of Grace" and its derivation were born many legends and theories; there are those who believe he was an escapee from the zoo of an exotic private house of Gonzaga; others believe his acquisition was of a more miraculous nature: two boatmen brothers were resting on the bank of the river when all of a sudden one of them was attacked by a crocodile. The other, asking for God's guidance, armed himself with a knife and was able to kill the predator.

It seems that the church in the past was literally covered with all types of weapons, flags and banners from the ceiling and hung dried boats, as well obviously the statues and "panels" in wax reproducing parts of the body that are still present.

Many of these objects are representative of an era, a way of life, habits of rural life of the place, and the social situation of the time. The ex votos depict hands and feet indicate miraculous healings likely to injuries while working in the fields (as also witnessed by the tools and the votive tablets found in other areas of the church), the eyes, the pestiferous boils of the plague, hearts, breasts to bring us to consider the importance of a mother to breastfeed at a time when there were no alternatives to maternal food.

An interesting note is the presence of the ball that allowed the promotion to Series A of the football team of Mantua in 1961. That’s was a real miracle!

You can find out more about the by the Santuario delle Grazie (Shrine of Our Lady of Grace) by clicking here. You can find out more about the Nautilus Shop by clicking here, and can "like" the shop on Facebook by clicking here. The shop is open on Saturdays from 3 until 7 PM or by appointment, and is located at via Cesare Battisti 60 in Modena, Italy

All images are my own, taken at the church. The text is, as indicated, written by the lovely Alessandro Molinengo.

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/santuario-delle-grazie-shrine-of-our.html

Nikita Review: A Life Saved and a Hostage Taken

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It was a "Reunion" indeed when Nikita and Amanda finally came face-to-face again. 

After a slow start to Nikita season 3 - with the search for the Dirty Thirty and Amanda as a foe - the show has regained its season 2 momentum these last few episodes.

Amanda started out as a weak replacement for Percy, but she has developed into a challenging nemesis for Division and Nikita. Initially, her resentment and focus on Nikita didn't really make sense, which muddled the story. But her motivation is finally clear now, even if highly convoluted. 

Nikita and Amanda

Nikita broke Amanda. I didn't see that one coming, did you? Amanda's behavior certainly has been worthy of a trip to the loony bin and Alex figured it out why. When Nikita spared Amanda's life, it didn't spark a renewed humanity, instead it awakened the worst within her.

Ari further explained that Amanda didn't see Nikita's act of mercy as a gift, but rather as a personal failure. That explains her desire to teach both Nikita and Alex lessons, like when she put a bomb on Cyrus. Amanda wouldn't kill Nikita then, but will she now? Perhaps eventually, but for the time being, she'd rather cause Nikita as much pain as possible.

The smackdown between Nikita and Amanda was definitely enjoyable to watch. It's too bad that Krieg showed up and interrupted Nikita. We'll have to wait to find out if she can bring herself to kill Amanda. Even with the lives that Amanda has taken, I doubt Nikita would have killed the unconscious Amanda. As disappointing as Krieg's arrival was, it provided for a heartfelt moment between the two women. Believing she was on the verge of dying in a fire, Amanda opened up a bit about her past. This wasn't her first experience with fire, but how that relates to her ending up in Division will have to wait.

I never thought I'd feel any sympathy for Amanda again, but in that moment Melinda Clarke did an amazing job showcasing Amanda's vulnerability. And, for a second, I felt for her ... maybe a few. Daddy issues? After not caring much for Amanda, I'm intrigued by her again.

The challenges of the new Division weren't an issue this week, but Amanda's belief that Alex will one day turn on Nikita as she did on Amanda adds to that "history will repeat itself" fear for the organization. Alex has turned on Nikita before, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that it will happen again, but it would be a shame to see. Now, that Amanda has Alex in her custody, will she use her mind manipulating skills on Alex? Whatever Amanda plans to do, it will certainly involve hurting Nikita.

The story of Stefan, his father and his protector was eye-opening for Nikita's future. Without Michael, Nikita could turn out to be Krieg with no desire to retire. I'd love to see Nikita be more determined than ever to marry Michael and live a happy life together. And, perhaps even experience the love of a child? Though, Stefan's situation also was a reminder of their dangerous work and whether they would want to raise a child under those circumstances. With Cassandra and Max in hiding, Michael's son could become a target just like Stefan. Foreshadowing? I hope not for a long time!

What happens next will really be determined by Amanda based on what she decides to do with Alex. Based on the preview, it looks like a sacrifice will be made in order to get her back. If Sean finds out, could that be a breaking point for him regarding Division? With Owen out of commission due to his inability to control himself, they will need Sean to keep his emotions in check.

Did you feel empathy for Amanda at all during the fire? Would Nikita have killed the defenseless Amanda? Will Owen ever learn to control himself?

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/nikita-review-reunion/

The Mindy Project at PaleyFest: Dream Guest Stars, Possible Hook-Ups

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Mindy Kaling and the cast of The Mindy Project were featured at PaleyFest last night, with the show's star first admitting she will appear on The Office finale and then comforting any fans that worry the series would end if her doctor were to settle down.

"It would [still] be tumultuous,” Kaling said of her character in a long-term relationship. “I’m 33 and I’d like to get married and have some kids, so it’d be great to see that reflected in the show. Or, when I have the experiences, to write about them on the show.”

The Mindy Project at Fest

Among other tidbits shared at the panel discussion:

  • Dr. Jeremy Reed was written for an American, a "Bradley Cooper-type," to be exact, according to Ed Weeks. He added that he threw a condom at the casting director during his audition. It clearly worked.
  • Could Betsy and Morgan ever hook up? "I think there is romantic possibility" there, said Ike Barinholtz.
  • What about Danny and Mindy? “Our writers room is pretty divided. Half of us want to see them hook up and the other half say no. It’s gotten a little heated a couple of times," said Barinholtz, adding that "heated" for a sitcom pretty much involves a raised voice or two.
  • Producer Matt Warburton told me on the red carpet that Chris Evans would be his dream guest star, but Kaling has someone else in mind: Danny McBride... as her character's loud, brash and gay best friend.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/the-mindy-project-at-paleyfest-dream-guest-stars-possible-hook-u/

Pretty Little Liars Round Table: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"

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It's that time of the week again, Pretty Little Liars Fanatics.

Following "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," staff writers Teresa Lopez, Nick McHatton, Leigh Raines and Carissa Pavlica chat here about Spencer's sanity, the missing body, Wilden's reappearance and the news that Toby's mother was once a Radley resident. Lots of revelations to discuss, so join in!

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

Wilden wasn't the dead man. Whose body was wearing the helmet?

Teresa: Toby? I feel like if it was Toby, the show would lose the opportunity for a dramatic confrontation between Spencer and Toby. Perhaps it was Toby, but he wasn't really dead. Spencer never checked his face or his pulse, and the police can't find a body.

Nick: It's either Toby or some random guy we might have saw once before.

Leigh:I think it's part of what I said last week. Mona paid somebody to imitate Toby and get a fake version of his tattoo. She had that wad of cash. It's probably just some random person that is entangled with the A-team.

Carissa: I'm getting closer to thinking along the lines of Teresa's answer now. Toby and Mona had it timed, and Toby knew Spencer well enough to believe Mona's distraction would keep her from removing the helmet. They were right. I've shifted to the nobody is dead theory. Thanks, Teresa!

PLL Roundtable

Why was it so important to Wilden to get his car back?

Teresa: I think if he reported it stolen, then his bosses would check the tape and now he was harassing Ashley. Or, even better, maybe he has CeCe's body in the trunk. She hasn't been seen since she told Emily all about the night Ali died.

Nick: That car has been everywhere Wilden's been, and it's recorded every moment of it most likely. Wilden is just as likely to have a guilty past as anyone else on the show, and he wants to keep his past hidden.

Leigh:Who knows what was in that car! Wilden is so shady. For starters he probably wanted that video of Ashley hitting him for insurance against Hanna and the liars.

Carissa: Teresa and Nick are both onto some great trains of thought here. What else might be hiding on his car recording could put Wilden into hot water, and if there IS a dead body floating around (or sunk at the bottom of the lake), and it's in Wilden's trunk, he WOULD be the next dead man!

Spencer was hiding from herself. What did you think of that development?

Teresa: Snore!

Nick: Spencer is always portrayed as the reliable one in the group; the one who is always planning and the one who can help the most, but it's a stressful persona to uphold. Toby actively going against her completely wrecks Spencer, and that kind of a betrayal requires some kind of emotional release and reprieve. I really can't blame her for wanting to be alone and not herself for even a little while. All of that said, I'm still convinced Spencer has a plan she's not letting on about.

Leigh: Spencer is losing her sh*t, no other way to put it. She is so confused about whether or not Toby is dead and how she was betrayed. I think she just wants a break from it. Her mind is definitely spinning. I agree with Nick that she might still have a plan up her sleeve.

Carissa: It proves just how far she's fallen from the strong girl she was only a season ago. That she pictured her friends in the room with her when she made her admission that nobody can count on her made me wonder if her brain needs more of a rest than it's going to get.

Mona thinks she has all the puzzle pieces. What are the odds she's seeing the full picture herself?

Teresa: I don't Mona has all the puzzle pieces, but she certainly seems sure of that fact. Mona has already tried to act as though she was just a puppet in someone else's scheme, and I think that might be closer to reality. No one really knows all the answers (not even the writers, yet).

Nick: Mona lacks context. She might have all of Ali's journals and thoughts, but she doesn't have the friendships nor does she have memories the liars have. Mona may have information on what Ali's past was like before her death, but journals never tell the entire story. Ali parceled out many clues, vague allusions, and half-truths to the girls that probably never made it into the journals.

Leigh: Also agreeing with Nick on this- while Mona has all this evidence, she's still missing the friendships and pieces of the whole puzzle. Mona is still totally crazy, she is still trying to hurt these 4 girls. The odds are that she has some more information that could be useful to the girls, but she's definitely overstating what she thinks she knows.

Carissa: If Spencer is as sane as Mona, like Mona said, then Spencer is in for a rough ride. I don't think Mona has a clue what Ali was all about. She may have a picture on her puzzle box, but it's more of a Picasso than a Rembrandt.

How do you think the news of Toby's mother being in Radley and Eddie knowing them will enrich the overall story?

Teresa: I think Toby's mother being in Radley will really speak to his motivation to get back at Ali and the girls. There has to be some connection between his mother's institutionalization and how dedicated he is punishing the liars.

Nick: It offers a connection between Mona and Toby that's been missing, and it can offer hints or reasons why Toby decided to play on the A-Team.

Leigh: Yes, I thought this was definitely an interesting development. Maybe Toby and Mona are more kindred spirits than we know. It couldn't help that the girls were always calling Mona crazy. I can't help but think back to Toby saving Spencer's life when he knew she was in Mona's car and bringing back Dr. Sullivan. It still makes me wonder if he's all bad. Did he know because of his mom how close Mona was to really going off the deep end? I need more Toby answers!

Carissa: I'm wondering if there might be a generational story coming up. Something that plays to the parents doing his mother wrong and his mother ending up in Radley. It would be a great motivation to get back at the liars, and to team up with Mona, who was put into the same position (although she got herself in there all on her own).

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/pretty-little-liars-round-table-will-the-circle-be-unbroken/

Grimm Review: A Tentative Truce

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After months off the air, Grimm finally returned with "Face Off."

And it picked up right where it left off in “Season of the Hexenbiest.”

Grim Fight

“Face Off” was really a culmination of payoffs all of us have been waiting over a year for. Juliette and Renard’s actions are beginning to make some sense, Adalind continues to be a great villain, and, most importantly, Nick and Renard finally tip their hands to each other.

Juliette and Renard’s fun times were incredibly difficult to watch. I was mostly suffering from second hand embarrassment as their aggressions towards one another kept escalating and growing more awkward. The intense feelings they share is one thing, but it ended up translating into what looked like the beginning of BDSM gone wrong. They clearly needed a safe word when the bullets started flying.

Leave it to Rosalee to piece together what’s afflicting Juliette and Renard after being back in town for all of a few hours, and, might I say, it’s wonderful to have her back in the mix with the boys instead of on the phone far away. Naturally, the purification potion is causing Juliette and Renard to have feelings they cannot control, and if something isn’t done soon one of them will end up killing the other.

Adalind continues to work with the royals, and is now working the next part of her plan: pregnancy. However, the paternity of the baby is questionable because of the expediency of it.  Is Grimm trying to say Renard is the father even though it only feels like a few days, at most, have passed since her encounter with Renard? Adalind used to be a creature, but she’s human now, and pregnancy tests usually take some time to show up positive.

This leads me to wonder if Adalind is actually pregnant with a different royal child.

Nick and Renard’s meeting, aside from being cut short, was everything I could have hoped for and more. The reference back to the pilot with the house in the woods played up the perfect amount of symmetry. Nick is no longer fearing who he is or what he’s seeing, nor is he alone in all of it; he’s figured out how to survive on his own terms.

In typical Grimm fashion, we were left with very little answers during this meeting aside from Nick getting his key back; nevertheless, one of the more pressing manners is to stop Juliette and Renard’s fatal attractions so heading back to the spice shop to get it all under control is probably for the best.

Finally, I really want to single out David Giuntoli. The man was awesome tonight as he took Nick through the emotional ringer as Nick went through rage, heartbreak, and more. He did some of his best work tonight.

A Few More Thoughts and Questions:

  • Monroe is still the best sidekick ever, and his reunion with Juliette was adorable.
  • Will the purification potion show what a Grimm looks like (if they have one)?
  • Juliette suddenly seemed to care about Nick again as he’s suffocating on the spice shop’s floor.  Are her memories of Nick finally returning now?
  • Renard inside the trailer feels so wrong.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/grimm-review-a-tentative-truce/

Blue Bloods Review: A Bonnie & Clyde Ending

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"Protest Too Much" featured almost everyone taking their concerns a little too far.  

Erin & Her Witness

With the Citizens for Police Accountability staging a vocal protests outside his windows, I loved how Frank reacted in this Blue Bloods quote…

 You know, if we had a balcony and some water balloons we could really have some fun. | permalink

That was almost as funny as watching a bunch of adults dangle a giant donut, sprinkles and all. But they weren't Franks biggest problem.  hat came later in the form of his disgruntled daughter. 

I liked Whitney. She was gorgeous, smart and had a sense of humor. The best part was how not just Frank, but all of the Reagan men reacted to her. Every one of them clearly remembered, "the hot blonde with the cane," as Danny put it and they'd apparently only met her once at Erin's 40th birthday party.

As for Erin, she really needed to lighten up. Yes, having her father date one of her friends wouldn't be ideal but Frank's been alone a long time. The guy deserves to have a little fun and like he said himself…

 I know I'm not spring chicken but I'm pretty sure I'm not dead. | permalink

I felt badly that Erin's over-the-top reaction caused him to back off and tell Whitney they had no future. 

Danny was back on the partner merry-go-round but this time I wasn't nearly as dizzy. I liked Detective Jordan Baez and the fact that she and Danny's relationship apparently went back about 10 years. I wished we had gotten more details about that but at least we were able to avoid all of the getting to know you awkwardness yet again.

As much as I like Danny's chemistry with his female partners, I found it kind of ridiculous that he'd be partnered with four woman in the span of as many months…but then again, this is TV.

Bonnie and Clyde…or Sylvie and Dylan... made me roll my eyes. That they tried to pawn off their bank robbing as a protest against the bank's CEOs was laughable. As if the CEO's would somehow be punished if these two made off with a few grand. I'm sure their rhetoric sounded good for the newscasts but people rob banks for one reason. That's where the money is.

Danny's contentious relationship with the FBI grew tiresome fast. There seemed to be plenty of fault on both sides. Having Jordan be a former FBI liaison fell flat as it never really got woven into this story line with any purpose.

Should Detective Baez stick around or should Danny get back on the partner merry-go-round? And was Frank right to walk away from Whitney? What's your opinion on this week's Blue Bloods?

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/blue-bloods-review-a-bonnie-and-clyde-ending/

Street Anatomy SXSW Panel Talk!

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Street Anatomy will be a panel talker at SXSW Austin 2013

Will you be joining the thousands of happy peppy people at SXSW starting on Friday? If so, add our panel talk to your schedule!

Presenting Complex Information with Simplicity
Monday, March 11th, 3:30–4:30 PM
Omni Downtown, 700 San Jacinto, Austin

Presented by Tristen George, Creative Director at Abelson Taylor
and Vanessa Ruiz, founder of Street Anatomy

Tristen George and Vanessa Ruiz present at SXSW Presenting Complex Information with Simplicty

#sxsw #simplicity

Complex stories and information can often be difficult to explain. Presented poorly, they can come across as too dense or intimidating to understand. And that can leave you and your audience frustrated.

Join our panelists as they explore various digital and artistic approaches to simplifying complex data and subject matter while still conveying that information in an engaging way. Using examples from the healthcare and medical industry, they will demonstrate how technology, dynamic visuals and interaction design can take complicated information and present it in a dynamic and understandable manner. They will also discuss how design style and artistic vision can transform a topic as intimidating as anatomy and physiology into an approachable conversation with a fresh understanding of the topic.

This panel will help you rethink how you visualize your complex information and inspire you to consider new ways to tell your story.

 

I’ll be specifically talking about simplifying complex information through the point of view of a medical illustrator and show how artists are pushing the boundaries with anatomical art, giving us a new perspective on our own human bodies.

Check out a lovely interview with SXSWState by  for more info on what I’ll be talking about.

 

Hope to see you at SXSW!

 

 

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/streetanatomy/OQuC/~3/UY3VAxPRbzM/

The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peek: The New Ripper?

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As evidenced in these Vampire Diaries photos, Elena Gilbert is about to undergo a physical transformation.

But before she dyes her hair pink, this cheerleader will bathe herself in red.

On next Thursday's return episode of this CW thrilled ("Bring It On"), Stefan tries to have a serious conversation with his ex. The reason? A certain deceased student and Elena's role in her passing. The warning issued? Do not end up like the old me.

Will Elena heed these words of wisdom? Or are we looking at a female version of The Ripper? Watch now and visit our Vampire Diaries spoilers section for more on what's to come:

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/the-vampire-diaries-sneak-peek-the-new-ripper/

Shawn Hatosy to Get Reckless on CBS

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The future of Southland is in the air this week, following two of the show's stars signing on for new projects.

First, Benjamin McKenzie took a role on CBS' The Advocates. On that series, he will play an ex-con who teams up with a female attorney to fight for the underdog.

Now, Deadline confirms that Shawn Hatosy will star in Reckless, a Charleston, South Carolina-based drama that centers on two lawyers who must hide their attraction for each other while clashing over a police sex scandal.

Hatosy will play a detective on the pilot.

Shawn Hatosy and Charles S. Dutton on Criminal Minds

Both projects are in "second position" for McKenzie and Hatosy, meaning they will return to Southland if TNT orders a sixth season.

But this certainly isn't a positive sign for that series, which has only been averaging 1.3 million viewers in 2013.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/03/shawn-hatosy-to-get-reckless-on-cbs/

The Decorative Tomb Skulls of Tuscany : Pisa’s Camposanto Monumentale

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Above are a few decorative tomb skulls--and a corpse-themed tomb sculpture--that Evan and I encountered yesterday at Pisa's Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). Sadly, Buonamico Buffalmacco's magnificent fresco "The Three Dead and the Three Living and The Triumph of Death" (1338-39)--also housed by the Camposanto--was much damaged by allied bombing in 1944, though what remains is wonderfully evocative; you can see what remains and learn more about it by clicking here.

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-decorative-tomb-skulls-of-tuscany.html

The Hypodermic Syringe Mariana Silva

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Mariana Silva Hypodermic Syringe on Street Anatomy

Mariana Silva Hypodermic Syringe on Street Anatomy

Mariana Silva Hypodermic Syringe on Street Anatomy

I love when anatomical illustration combines with interesting design to create engaging information. Sarasota based designer Mariana Silva created this chart, ”highlighting information about the hypodermic syringe, it’s culture, technology, people and setting. Below, a timeline based on the same visual system, showcasing the different evolutions of the syringe as well as its place in history.”

Mariana is currently a very talented design student at the Ringling College of Art + Design. Check out her work at marianasilva.net!

 

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/streetanatomy/OQuC/~3/kvTKvuYzkzg/

Palermo’s Capuchin Catacombs: Italy Trip Guest Post by Evan Michelson, TV’s "Oddities" and Morbid Anatomy Library

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Below you will find a second guest post by Evan Michelson of TV's "Oddities" and the Morbid Anatomy Library which will document our three-week trip through Italy supporting our book-in-progress exploring the history of the preservation and display of the human body in Italy.

Here, she waxes poetic on Palermo's rightfully renowned Capuchin Catacombs, best known to some as the final resting place of Rosalia Lombardo ("The Sleeping Beauty") and to others from Marco Lanza's The Living Dead. We were both more than happy to pay a sizable "photography fee" in order to have over two hours alone--all restriction gates opened, front doors locked to the public--in this dark, quiet, wonderful, overwhelming, sad, and, we both agreed, utterly perfect place.

Above is a photo of Evan with her favorite--piece? specimen? artifact?--from a workroom in which the mummies are restored. Here, we were able to get close enough to touch stacks of mummies in dusty wooden coffins donned in rolling swaths of antique Sunday best, floral wreaths topping grinning skulls, hands folded demurely in white gloves. Not to mention a fully costumed child skeleton in a crate (see above) and the odd skull.

More (many, many more!) images to come in the book, but we promised the keeper that we would restrain ourselves from online use. But let me say this: as those who have been will assure you, neither words nor photographs really suffice to communicate the grim magnificence of this place; A focus of both Evan and I's pilgrimage longings for decades, it not only did not disappoint but astounded. We both agreed it was the most spectacular, most overwhelming, most perfect macabre site we have have ever had the luck to experience.

A few days ago Joanna and I visited the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo; they have been an obsession of mine for many years - a grotesque dream.

We had the whole place to ourselves for two hours, every gate unlocked, the doors shut behind us. In my imagination it had been only a few chambers, but the whole complex is actually quite large and it houses thousands of mummified corpses, all dressed in their finest; they are hung on the walls, laid out on crude wooden slabs and stuffed into elaborate coffins; they line corridors and adorn special chapels. To say that it was stunning and overwhelming would be an understatement - we were both giddy and disbelieving. There I was, in the place of my dreams; it was a profound experience that transcended every other deathly place I've ever visited.

It was the clothing that did it, that and the somewhat crude method of mummification practiced by the monks. The result is mummies in every state of decay: some not much more than skeletons, others with their faces artfully peeling away; there are only a handful that are eerily well preserved. They all wear gorgeous linens, laces, silks and woolens, their feet in lovely shoes, their hands stuffed into dainty gloves. The effect is uncanny, fascinating and strangely personal. These are real people, their post-mortem body language a grotesque parody of life. Long after the muscles stiffen the skin continues to shrink, harden and slough away, giving rise to hideous and comical expressions alike. The stuffed, hanging bodies, obeying the call of gravity, slump and lean in intimate ways.

This photo was taken in a disused restoration room - abandoned a while ago when the money ran out. The baby in the box is just one of many children brought here to spend some portion of eternity dressed in its Sunday best, welcoming curious strangers.

You can find out more about the Palermo Capuchin Catacombs by clicking here. You can read future posts by Evan both on this blog and on her Facebook page, which you will find by clicking here. Top three images are Evan's; the rest are my own.

Stay tuned for more posts from our new convent lair in Florence!

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/palermos-capuchin-catacombs-italy-trip.html

Saint Rosalia, Patron Saint of Palermo, Goth Women?

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Saint Rosalia is the Patron Saint of Palermo; I would also like to nominate her as patron saint of Goth women. Why? See above for a few statues depicting her in the traditional fashion--as a young, beautiful woman, bedecked with a crown of roses, reading a book in her solitary lair with only a human skull for company, or clutching a human skull in her black robe. Simply does not get more Goth than that. Not even in the Catholic church.

More, from Wikipedia:

Born: 1130, Palermo, Italy
Died: 1166 (aged 35–36), Mount Pellegrino, Italy
Feast: September 4; July 15 (Festino)
Attributes: Depicted as a young woman, sometimes holding a cross, book, or skull. She is also seen wearing a crown of roses.
Patronage: Palermo; El Hatillo; Zuata Anzoátegui

Saint Rosalia (1130–1166), also called La Santuzza or "The Little Saint", is the patron saint of Palermo, Italy, El Hatillo, Venezuela, and Zuata, Anzoátegui, Venezuela.

According to legend, Rosalia was born of a Norman noble family that claimed descent from Charlemagne. Devoutly religious, she retired to life as a hermit in a cave on Mount Pellegrino, where she died alone in 1166. Tradition says that she was led to the cave by two angels. On the cave wall she wrote "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ."

In 1624, a horrible plague haunted Palermo, and during this hardship St Rosalia appeared first to a sick woman, then to a hunter to whom she indicated where her remains were to be found. She ordered him to bring her bones to Palermo and have them carried in procession through the city.

The hunter climbed the mountain and found her bones in the cave as described. He did what she had asked in the apparition, and after the procession the plague ceased. After this St Rosalia would be venerated as the patron saint of Palermo, and a sanctuary was built in the cave where her remains were discovered.

Both images from random churches in Palermo. More to come soon!Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/saint-rosalia-patron-saint-of-palermo.html

Galileo’s Fingers (and a Tooth): Italy Trip Guest Post by Evan Michelson, TV’s "Oddities" and Morbid Anatomy Library

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Below, the third guest post by Evan Michelson of TV's "Oddities" and the Morbid Anatomy Library documenting our trip through Italy supporting our book-in-progress on the history of the preservation and display of the human body.

In this post, she responds to some very unique science age relics (see above) housed at the amazing Florence Science Museum (now the Museo Galileo):

These two reliquaries contain a total of three fingers and one tooth from the revered mathematician, astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei - the father of modern science and one of the greatest theoretical minds that mankind has ever known. He is a secular saint and a "martyr to science," a man convicted and imprisoned by the Inquisition for the crime of Copernicanism; he advocated for a heliocentric model of the solar system - the idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun. This was heresy according to the Roman Catholic Church, and it took 300 or so years for the Vatican to finally relent (somewhat) and issue a half-hearted apology. It is an egregious chapter in Western cultural history, and it highlights one of the central schisms between faith and science.

I have wanted to visit these particular digits for many years, and I fully expected my knees to go weak. Strangely enough, nothing of the sort happened. The power of Christian relics are both devotional and emotional - they conjure up the presence and the physical reality of the Saint; they allow the faithful to understand and commune with the very human aspect of a person who has been elevated to a more abstract state of high holiness. A secular figure such as Galileo generally needs no such reminder: we know that he lived, and we know what he accomplished. His fingers and that one tooth seemed improbable and curious - less like objects of reverence than slightly whimsical (and grisly) souvenirs.

A case on the other side of the room, however, contained Galileo's personal scientific instruments, including two telescopes of his own design. Galileo was (in addition to everything else) an inventor, and he was the first to improve on an original Dutch design by boosting the magnifying power of a spyglass considerably while creating a non-inverted image. He then trained these simple tubes at the Heavens. It was at that moment that modern astronomy was born; our solar system and our galaxy became comprehensible. We understood for the first time that the Milky Way that spills across the night sky is made of stars. I looked upon those unassuming tubes of wood, glass and leather, and finally I felt an overwhelming awe.

You can find out more about the Museo Galileo by clicking here. You can read future posts by Evan both on this blog and on her Facebook page, which you will find by clicking here. The images are mine.

Source:
http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/galileos-fingers-and-tooth-italy-trip.html


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