Book Review: The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore

“It was hard to be a tsar. Russia is not an easy country to rule. Twenty sovereigns of the Romanov dynasty reigned for 304 years, from 1613 until tsardom’s destruction. by the revolution in 1917″ The Romanovs were actually the most spectacularly successful empire builders since the Mongols” , So begins an epic 300 yearContinue reading “Book Review: The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore”

Find the thing that you lose yourself in…and do that for the rest of your life

After much pussy-footing around and oscillating around the place like a pinball, trying just about every aspect of marketing and comms in the commercial world I realised finally what I knew all along….that I need to just simply do what I lose myself in deeply and conclusively. By that I mean I can simply dissapearContinue reading “Find the thing that you lose yourself in…and do that for the rest of your life”

Wild woman quote: Love

Thanks Tish for your wonderful reminder the other day of the legendary writer Clarissa Pinkola-Estes. In case you don’t know of her, Clarissa wrote the book Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of The Wild Woman Archetype, This book calls upon the eternal feminine qualities in each of us and asks usContinue reading “Wild woman quote: Love”

Product review: Palmer’s Shea Formula Curl Cream

Yet another great cruelty-free product, this one is far superior to its non-cruelty free competitors. I have tried many hair oils and frizz calming serums in the past but none actually do what they claim and stop my head from looking like a poodle that just walked out of a hurricane.  If you have frizzy,Continue reading “Product review: Palmer’s Shea Formula Curl Cream”

The challenge of ruling a diverse nation never changes

This very weighty and important subject is as relevant right now as it was in the 16th Century. That was when a Dutch engraving by artist Pieter van der Borcht the Elder managed to capture the complexity and challenging nature of geopolitics and ruling in a country with many different ideologies and in the midstContinue reading “The challenge of ruling a diverse nation never changes”

Every Picture Tells a Story: Dni Głogowa

One day while walking along the lovely Odra river in Głogow on a hot and sunny day, I came upon the Museum of Archaeology and History in Głogow. Teenagers were reenacting some kind of WWII scene. This was done in conjunction with a yearly festival they have in the town called Dni Głogowa or DaysContinue reading “Every Picture Tells a Story: Dni Głogowa”

Shadow Boxes: Beautiful Christmas Gift Ideas from Etsy Part 1

Shadow boxes are glass-front display cases that contain salvaged and created beautiful objects placed artfully at various heights to generate a depth of field. Some shadow boxes include mood lighting for added dramatic effect and can be used as a night light or as a piece of art in the lounge room. Others are contain nostalgicContinue reading “Shadow Boxes: Beautiful Christmas Gift Ideas from Etsy Part 1”

Words of the Day: Shit-Ring & Bubble-Butt Bot-Net

Recently, while working away on a project, I discovered that the only way to actually grow followers on Instagram in any sort of meaningful scale above 300 or so is to either buy these followers from China or Russia, or to  enlist the help of an infamous Instagram Bot. These are regularly banned from Instagram forContinue reading “Words of the Day: Shit-Ring & Bubble-Butt Bot-Net”

Film Review: The Distant Barking of Dogs

Another film that featured at the New Zealand International Film Festival was The Distant Barking of Dogs. It’s the story of a young boy and his family who live on the Ukrainian and Russian border, on a slice of disputed land that is being fought over tooth and nail, for years. The people in thisContinue reading “Film Review: The Distant Barking of Dogs”

Film Review: Ancient Woods

I saw this film at the recent New Zealand International Film Festival. The festival has grown and developed over the years and has become quite a magical event. I thoroughly recommend it if you are in Auckland. Ancient Woods is a Lithuanian production and it’s a magical foray into the flora and fauna living inContinue reading “Film Review: Ancient Woods”