Pictures of Cats as Queens

There's something about the ridiculousness of these pictures that feels very Looking Glass-world-esque to me. They also make me feel a little uncomfortable and out of place in a very good way.

Cats

Some interesting wikipedia finds about cats. Bolded are somethings that I feel could transfer into the Red Queen's character development.



A group of cats is referred to as a "clowder", a male cat is called a "tom" (or a "gib", if neutered), and a female is called a "molly" or "queen". The male progenitor of a cat, especially a pedigreed cat, is its "sire", and its female progenitor is its "dam". An immature cat is called a "kitten". In English of the early modern period, the word kitten was interchangeable with the word catling.


Although wildcats are solitary, the social behavior of domestic cats is much more variable and ranges from widely dispersed individuals to feral cat colonies that form around a food source, based on groups of co-operating females.[104][105] Within such groups one cat is usually dominant over the others. [...] Despite some cats cohabiting in colonies, cats do not have a social survival strategy, or a pack mentality and always hunt alone.[107]




Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling, snarling and several different forms of meowing.[10] In contrast, feral cats are generally silent.[108]:208 Their types of body language, including position of ears and tail, relaxation of whole body, and kneading of paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are particularly important social signal in cats, with a raised tail acting as a friendly greeting.[109][110] Tail raising also indicates the cat's position in the group's social hierarchy, with dominant individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate animals.[110]Nose-touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head.[105] However, some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular older cats may show aggressiveness towards newly arrived kittens, which may include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as Feline Asocial Aggression.[111]


Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to stalk, capture, and kill prey.[132]Cats will also engage in play fighting, with each other and with humans. This behavior may be a way for cats to practice the skills needed for real combat, and might also reduce any fear they associate with launching attacks on other animals.[133]

Mirrors for Amusement and Finding Yourself When Lost

I was recently at an amusement park where one of the attractions was a maze. The walls around you were either clear glass panels or mirrors from ceiling to floor. As you might imagine the glass walls made it difficult to decide if your next step would take you into open space or smack into a wall. I have to admit there were a few times I found myself wall to nose in a miscalculated step. The only time I was certain not to smack into a wall was when I encountered a mirrored panel. The mirrors became a sort of guide. Whenever I encountered myself I knew to try a different route. Getting lost in the maze made my reflection all the more reassuring because it was something I could recognize and use to proceed in a productive way.

David Bowie

I've really been digging his aesthetic and the early video effects he uses.
Here are a few favorites:

Space Oddity (1969)


Life on Mars (1973)


Rebel Rebel (1974)


Ashes to Ashes (1980)

Playing Chess

Images from Susannah

Sex, Drugs & Alice

Interesting article from BBC News about society's need to find "hidden meaning" in the Alice stories:

"People interpret books in a logical way as they do dreams. They want it to have meaning. Alice in Wonderland is not to be read as a logical book. There could be some hidden meanings in there, especially considering Carroll was a mathematician during his lifetime, whether he was aware of such meanings subconsciously or not."

Is Alice in Wonderland Really About Drugs?

Also, a nice slideshow showcasing the societal impact of the Alice saga over time:

In Pictures: Alice in Wonderland

Spirited Away Theme

Alice

female voice

Rabbit Heart [Raise It Up] (Florence and the Machine)



All to All (Broken Social Scene)



Honey Honey (Feist)



A Violent Yet Flammable World (Au Revoir Simone)



Oh My God (Cults)

mirror treehouse

mirrors

 

ambient adventures

Forest Crunk (Aesop Rock)



Windmill Wedding (Air France)



Cry! Baby! (Bibio)



The Cascades (Fleet Foxes)



Circling (Four Tet)



The Fen (Fruit Bats)

I can't find this song on youtube, but heres a myspace link (ha): http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=83109769&ac=now