Melanie Gaydos

I first saw Melanie Gaydos in the sci-fi Vesper (2022), where she plays a doomed 'jug' (genetically engineered human slave). After a swift google, I discovered she is a highly successful model with the condition ectodermal dysplasia (ED).

ED is a heritable genetic disorder which affects the development of various ectodermal structures (including skin, teeth, hair, nails, exocrine and sebaceous glands). There are at least 177 Mendelian presentations of ED. The condition was medically described as far back as 1792, and we know Charles Darwin was made aware of a case of 10 Hindu relatives with ED, by means of an 1838 letter from David Wedderburn (a humble disciple of Darwinism). With so many clinical presentations, it could make diagnosis difficult and since baldness and hypohidrosis (absence of sweating) are sometimes implicated, it does make you wonder about Prince Andrew doesn't it. 

For more on ED see:  Deshmukh, S., & Prashanth, S. (2012). Ectodermal Dysplasia: A Genetic Review. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 5 (3), 197.

As far as Melanie Gaydos goes, she has tenaciously challenged modelling orthodoxy with incredible bravery and style. She possesses an otherworldly allure which has spawned a number of unique creative projects which perhaps only she could inspire. I include some samples of her work below.  

LCD Soundsystem: New Body Rhumba (2022)

I recently watched Noah Baumbach's film White Noise , which is described as an absurdist comedy-drama, based on the book by Don DeLillo. For me it was a  David Lynch-like obscurantist meh-fest, yet with some delightful fluffy retro feels. Every time Adam Driver opened his mouth though, my inner Ewok kept screaming “You killed Han Solo” to the extent that it over-rode any critical appreciation of the film. The whole gig was rescued at the end by the minutely choreographed supermarket dance scene set to the track New Body Rhumba by LCD Soundsystem.

New Body Rhumba , the first single LCD have created in four years, has already been nominated by Critics' Choice Movie Awards (Best Song), North Dakota Film Society, Music City Film Critics Association, North Carolina Film Critics Association, Pandora International Film Critics , Chicago Indie Critics (all for Best Original Song) and Hollywood Music in Media Awards (Best Original Song in a Feature Film). No doubt it will be nominated for more film music awards, and might even win one of them at some point unless it dies of nomination-suffocation syndrome.

Whilst others have referred to its post-modern punky anti-capitalist lyrics, I was more flabbergasted by the great similarity of New Body Rhumba to the music of the B52s. And weirdly enough, whilst it is generally agreed that the B52s don't get enough credit for their services to punk-kind, it transpires that James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem founder) voiced this very opinion during a 2013 Red Bull Music Academy Lecture. So, tell me if he didn't at least once think to himself 'hey am I writing an 80's style B52s tribute song here?'. I would have no complaints if he did.

Bad Taxidermy Man: Jack Devaney

I wanted to be a taxidermist when I was at school. When I said that to the careers officer she openly laughed in my face. Yet I do feel I had the last laugh what with the collapse of the world economy and the rise of self-employed boutique businesses. If I had my careers interview in this day and age maybe I would have got a more sympathetic hearing; a box of dead birds and a start-up grant.

So, it’s good to see the disenfranchised making a career of taxidermy, no-matter how tenuous. I came across this article recently about Bad Taxidermy Man Jack Devaney who makes pencil cases out of taxidermized rats, complete with a pencil sharpener up their ass. I have included a link with Jack’s splendid collection of taxidermy mysteries, artwork, animalgamations and oddities which are very reasonably priced. People I know: be aware you might get a taxidermy fluffy keyring for a festive present at some point in the future.

https://worldaroundewe.com/

Various Sunsets

As 2022 draws to a close, I share some of my sunset photographs which I have taken over the last few years from different UK locations.

Domestixperiments of Samhuinn

"Samhain is the dark phase of the year's cycle when the mystery of transformation occurs. This process involves a descent and a death of something old in preparation for something new to be reborn. The descent into the Underworld or Otherworld can be understood as a journey into the unconscious and the spirit reals within each of us. The seeds of our ideas and future direction in life are incubated in our unconscious during the winter months, ready for rebirth in the spring. We can honour the cycle by being aware that each end and death of the old will bring opportunity for a new start as each beginning holds within it an end. This endless cycle of change is necessary, bringing renewal of cells, of ourselves, our understanding and our ideas. It means there are always new opportunities to start again, to stay healthy. Many illnesses are rooted in stuck energy patterns, emotional congestion, and hanging on to the past."

Glennie Kindred, from Sacred Celebrations: A Sourcebook. Gothic Image Publications (2001).

Wet Leg: Chaise Longue (French Version, 2022)

With a track called Chaise Longue, it makes sense to have a French version, but it should've been recorded first, right? 

Duck Raman

I adapted this recipe from the book Wagamama: Feed Your Soul, which is a recipe sourcebook of the famous Japanese restaurant chain. The original recipe calls for cod, but I substituted this with duck and it worked perfectly fine. There are a number of raman variations in the book, which also includes a host of fresh favourites, plant-based creations, rice & noodle dishes, sides, sauces and marinades. One of the advantages of this particular recipe is that it required pak choi, and I had a fresh batch from the garden.  

Ingredients:

4 duck fillets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
200g soba noodles
200g pak or bok choi
500ml Vegetable Stock (or use a good-quality stock cube)
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon white miso paste
2 teaspoons mirin 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon sesame oil garnish
2 spring onions, finely sliced
12 pieces menma
1 tablespoon chilli oil, to taste

Method:

• Place the marinade ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl and stir to combine.
• Add the duck fillets and coat well, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium heat until hot and place the duck fillets, skin-side down, into the pan
• Pan-fry the duck for 2–3 minutes until the skin is golden brown, then turn and cook for a further 2–3 minutes on the other side.
• Transfer the duck to a plate and set aside.
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then set aside.
• Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the pak or bok choi until it starts to wilt.
• Add the vegetable stock to the wok with the soy, oyster and fish sauces and stir to heat through.
• Divide the noodles between 2 serving bowls and add the broth.
• Top with the pak choi and cod and garnish with the spring onions, menma and a drizzle of chilli oil, to taste.

From the book: Wagamama Feed Your Soul: Fresh & Simple Recipes from the Wagamama Kitchen (pp. 137-138). Octopus. Wagamama Limited. 

Malham Cove

Been wanting to do this walk for a while. Real bucket list stuff. I had the pleasure of taking my nephew and introducing him to the art of perambulation. The journey from Lincolnshire was quite long, and we agreed that he would play rap on the way there, and I would play hippy boho retro space raga faery fluff on the way back. It kinda worked out. He was grooving to Mellow Candle and Caravan by the end, so thats a win. 

The map below is pretty much exactly the walk we did, although we started from a field to the south of Malham, which had been temporarily turned into a car park. We walked to Janet's Foss where there were a number of people taking the fresh waters of the falls, then walked up to Gordale Scar although we didn't proceed further that way. It was more of a reccie to see what was involved with the rock climbing/ scrambling. It doesn't look too daunting, although I have read differing estimates of its difficulty level online. One for the future maybe. Anyway we returned the way we came then turned right to walk over the tops, via the limestone pavement, then descended to the amphitheatre of Malham Cove. from there the return was very easy along Malham Beck and through the village back to the car. 

There are options for future walks. Gordale Scar obviously, but also Malham Tarn, to the north of that taking in the Pennine Way, and several other circular walk permutations. We successfully avoided the rain all day and even though it was the school holidays, there weren't too many people around. A tolerable number I would say. The whole valley was alive with the concert of blossoming limestone flowers, joyous acrobatic birdsong, and the certain knowledge that the apex of an English summer had arrived.