tony allen-mills [tampen]

All photos by: Tampen

While searching for just-the-right photo for my last post, I came upon the photographs of Tony Allen-Mills, or Tampen, on Flickr. I don't think I'll have to look beyond his portfolio in the future.

Allen-Mills is a journalist who has taken up photography only recently, but his output is prodigious, and that is a gift to anyone who is touched by his photos.

He seems to have one of those lives that can invite envy, with a lovely family, homes on two continents, a successful career, and talent to spare.

I think his talent for photography is exquisite.

canada and kyoto

Photo: Katrina by Tampen

Note: this is a partisan post.

I did not vote for Stephen Harper and his Conservative party. His apparent desire to weaken the Kyoto Protocol is a frightening affair, at a time when Canada, as an industrialized nation, should be showing leadership. I'm glad he has a minority government, but can he be kept at bay?

For an excellent article outlining the situation on global warming, see "While Washington Slept" by Mark Hertsgaard, as presented in the green issue of last month's Vanity Fair.

Unfortunately, the sobering photo illustrations by John Blackford of imagined submergings, which accompanied the article, do not seem to be readily available online, although you can see a couple of them here and here, and some other renderings here.

catch-up

I've been neglecting this site, and don't want to.

I seem to have made myself busy doing other things.

I am still, however, unemployed and looking for a paying job.

I began working this week, Wednesdays through Fridays, for a two-month stint -- in an unpaid position -- for a major newspaper. Everyone keeps saying the industry needs good copy editors. Hopefully, this will get me on the inside track.

I began some serious volunteer time for a budding film festival Commffest, helping to secure submissions and providing some production assistance on their new magazine. Look for it in the St. Lawrence Market area by mid-June.

I began taking a creative non-fiction writing class on Wednesday evenings at Ryerson. Three assignments under my belt, and I love it.

I'm doing my weekly job searches and follow-ups, and any work concerning that.

But, I've been neglecting this blog and a sink full of dishes.

One down, one to go.

house of lords

Last week I went to my usual hair salon, the unusual, unfailingly manic House of Lords on downtown Yonge Street.

The music pulsates at high volume, the balloons drift in columns outside and in. The walls are covered with framed pictures of 70's longhairs and a sense of self-importance and self-congratulation fills the air.

Everyone is very hip and very happening.

I am getting my hair washed, next to another woman who is getting her hair washed. We lie with our faces up in this vulnerable, rather helpless position.

She begins a conversation with her male hair stylist, asking him about his recent weight loss.

"Oh, yes," he says. "I lost a lot of weight. I went from a size 10 to a size 6. I cannot find any evening gowns that fit now."

My male stylist, who has been mixing colour, returns and joins in the conversation.

"You can have mine," he offers. "I have a whole closet full. I know they'll fit you."

"Thanks, that would be wonderful. I can't find heels either."

"What size do you take?"

"Size 11."

"I have some that will fit you."

As I listen to this conversation, it does occur to me that women have many more socially acceptable fashion choices than men do. I think these men have more dresses than I do. I'm not sure I have an evening gown. These men are dressed in typical male attire now. Women have the social freedom to wear dresses, evening gowns, and slacks.

Still, I'm not ready for the images in my head . . .

. . . later, a young blonde man with carefully casual spikes walks back to the sinks with his hair stylist.

"So, why are you performing at a breast cancer benefit?" his stylist asks, perplexed.

"Because," says the spiked blonde, with a callous, casual pause, "it's the thing to do now."