Back in 2005 the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow decided to remove Alexander Kosolapov’s “Icon Caviar” from its exhibition about Russian Pop Art after receiving heavy criticism and even threats from local Orthodox church.

Here’s the picture of that infamous piece of art:

If interested, I recommend you read the following article about that art scandal that shaked Russians art-community some years back: BBC News

It’s just plain great to know, who is checking up my blog. Which audience. The old saying goes: keep your friends close. But keep your enemies closer. Well, sure thing. I might just do that.

Some Germans within the caviar industry asked me last week – in a not at all polite way – to delete a post. It was about some missguided info about them. Supposedly. Something they wanted to see vanished from the face of the earth. But hey! My blog is just that: my blog. And as much as you would like me having total control over the internet (thing again!), I cannot guarantee that this blogarticle will pop out the net anytime in the future.

So, this goes out to whom it may concern:

Lay back. Dont panik. And do yourself a favour: play! Its the internet. Its the 3rd millenia. Its the grey zone. Get updated. Or get out.

Nothing against the lifestyle of the super rich. But there’s a limit for everything. Not so much for the guys at beveryhillscaviar.com. They are offering ‘caviar’ (actually its salmon roe) for dogs…  

“Delicious gourmet treats for your dog. Discover your pets favorite new treat. Dogs love caviar so much that they leave the biscuit behind. Famous among celebrity clients, this caviar duo will be your pets favorite.

Your dog will surely love you forever after dining on this generous gourmet feast. This makes an ideal birthday gift for your dog. Celebrities and royalty throughout history have fed this elitist food to their loved ones and dogs.”

To make your pampered puppy happy

Here is a very informative youtube video (23min long) about caviar in general. Mostly about the Russian caviar industry and the Caspian Sea (states).

But there is also a short chapter about the Russian artist Andrei Logvin and his caviar-poster mentioned in an earlier post. Watch the video between 4:55 min – 6:25min…

ENJOY!

Andrei Logvin is a russian artist and designer from Moscow. He stirred up the local scene with his award winning advertising poster “Zhizn Udalas” about 10 years ago. It shows black caviar over red caviar. And it says in kirilic “life has been a success”. The work reflects the russian situation back in 1998, when the stock market collapsed and caviar became unaffordable for the most. Triggering a need to reflect on this national delicatesse and the must-have attitude of Moscow’s in-crowd. Of course, over the last 10 years many russians became very (stinky) rich and the impact of this poster lost its provocation.

But now, in the eye of the current economic crisis, as Russia’s finest (oligarchs) are struggling again to protect their remaining billions, this artwork might become their epitome of the Present Tense…

Inventions that the world doesnt need…?

Beverlyhillscaviar.com offers an imitation of caviar made out of gold flakes, white wine and lemon (so they say). Surely ideal to decorate sea food and sweets…Pricetag on a 2.6oz jar: 145USD.

See also this (almost funny!) interview on metacafe.com with the owners of lonestarcaviar.com and beverlyhillscaviar.com. You might tell your potential clients that all fish eggs fall under the ‘caviar’ category. But I highly recommend you to do that only in the US!

Bill, Beluga is ‘just as good as American Caviar’? From which lonely star does this fact come from? And what the heck is a ‘black sturgeon’? Just the oposite of the US ‘white sturgeon’ maybe?

“Bono R.I.P.

Shocking news is breaking that world-famous lead singer from U2, Paul Hewson a.k.a. Bono, was found dead this morning in a penthouse suite of a hotel in Amsterdam.

At 10:00 this morning  staff of the Intercontinental Amstel hotel in Amsterdam made the decision to enter Bono’s penthouse suite despite the “Do Not Disturb” sign hung on the door. The decision was taken after Bono’s missed an appointment to meet his new Dutch accountant to discuss important taxation affairs.

Upon entering the room staff were shocked to discover Bono submerged in a bath of caviar. Urgent attempts were made to revive Mr. Hewson but the emergency CPR attempts were hindered by the large quantities of Almas Beluga caviar which were blocking his windpipe.

Authorities arrived on the scene and do not currently suspect foul play, however enquiries are being made as to the whereabouts of the supplier of such a large quantity of Almas Beluga caviar, which famously retails for £25,000 per kilo, and samples of the caviar have been sent to the Nederlands Forensisch Instituut in the Hague for testing to rule out any possibility of poisoning.

Bono’s body has been removed to the city morgue and it is expected that cause of death will be either asphyxiation or the rarely seen ‘indulgence toxicity’,  however it has been advised that no statement on this will be given until a full toxicity test has been undertaken.

Hendrickje Brinkerhoff, a hair stylist in an exclusive salon a near to the International Amstel, said this afternoon that she had been delighted to serve Mr. Hewson on a couple of occasions recently. “I think it’s really sad,” Ms. Brinkerhoff said. “He seemed like a very happy man and had said that the people in Holland were so much better dressed than the Irish that he knew. He made me laugh when he said that but I wasn’t sure how he would take me giving him advice on his own fashion sense.” She later added “It’s funny, he wouldn’t take his sunglasses off even when I was washing his hair.”

Outside the Intercontinental Amstel hotel a sizeable crowd had gathered and many people expressed shock at Mr. Hewson’s death. Rykaard Groesbeck, a local artist, said, “That’s terrible. It seems such a cruel way to go, and what a waste of such expensive caviar!”

Geertje Schermerhorn, a student who was passing by, said, “That’s awful, and I was only listening to ‘Shiny Happy People’ this morning. The world must be much less happy now.”

As news of Mr. Hewson’s death spreads across the Internet, the Chief of Police (Hoofdcommissaris) has issued a fairly terse summary of the death: “On Wednesday the 1st of July 2009 at approximately 1000 hours, in the centrum precinct, police responded to the InterContinental Amstel at Professor Tuppelin 1 and found a M/W/48 unconscious. The victim was pronounced DOA upon removal from a bath filled with Almas Beluga caviar. Investigation continues.”

U2’s manager and other band members have so far been unavailable for comment.”

Obviously another 1st of April prank…!

The article taken from http://alex.leonard.ie/2009/04/01/shock-news-bono-drowns-in-caviar-filled-bath/

Thomas Watson invented the telephone. Yeah, what an invention! But this was – as we all know – a double tracked happening together with Mr. Bell. And therefor something to be expected back in these days. Now, another Watson came up with another idea, which is truly unique and unexpected!

Meet crazy kiwi Matt Watson, the worlds most offbeat fisherman there is. Since his appearance at the David Letterman show he became pretty popular. But for some he still might be worthy to mention. Matt might have had the same thought as the Old Man and the Sea: “To hell with luck. I’ll bring the luck with me.”

So, he fishes a marlin on a surf board (yes, thats right) - fighting over 90min and getting dragged out to the sea for about 11miles -, or on his very bored days he jumps out of a chopper, dives into the sea and grabs out another marlin. Check out these and other impressive footages of crazy Matt! 

Fishing out of a chopper

Fishing a marlin on a handline in a dinghy

Catching a marlin on a SEA-DOO

Matt’s official webpage

Remember that you are in the FunSpot section. I just leave it like that…

Video

Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun , and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial appearing in the paper on the 21st of September 1897 – 111 years ago! Since then it became history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial.

The Editor Francis Pharcellus Church replied:

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism
of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing
can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia,
whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours,
man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless
world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole
of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity
and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest
beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!
It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike
faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have
no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood
fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might
get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch
Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.
The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof
that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside,
but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man,
nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived
could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside
that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.
Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else
real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever.
A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times
10,000 years from now, he will continue
to make glad the heart of childhood.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!