Check out the collection and more of their work here.

The grandfather of rap passed away today at the age of 62. Although many of you might have never heard his name, the man and the dandy cat are positive that everyone remembers his first hit ” The revolution will not be televised”

Rest in peace, and rest assured your message got through loud and clear!

This time around a major auction is being announced for the 18th of June 2011, the Debby Reynolds Auction. Now one needs to understand that for the better part of her life, Debbie Reynolds has been collecting movie memorabilia, and thus assembling a huge collection. She’s now putting that under the hammer, or at least a very considerable batch of pieces.

Having found out the man could not find it in himself to resist the urge to go about the catalogue and see what’s being brought in the spotlight. Needless to say this did not sit right with the dandy cat since it involved time away from petting and slaving. Well, at least he’s dandy.

Here are a few pieces that caught the man’s eye:

1915 Bell and Howell Model 2709 Camera expected to fetch $10-$15.000 (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Mary Pickford “Katherine” green velvet gown with beaded bodice from The Taming of the Shrew. - 1929, expected to fetch $12-$15.000 (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Marlon Brando “Napoleon Bonaparte” elaborate coronation costume from Desirée-1954. Expected to fetch $60-$80 000. (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Merle Oberon “Empress Josephine” Coronation from Desirée - 1954. Expected to fetch $20-$30 000. (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Marilyn Monroe “The Girl” ivory pleated “Subway” dress by Travilla, the most recognized costume in film history, from The Seven Year Itch - 1955, expected to fetch $ 1 - $ 2000000 (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Elizabeth Taylor signature royal ceremonial headdress from the Cleopatra - 1963, expected to fetch $30 - $50 000 (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Ascot dress from My Fair Lady - 1964 (c) The Debbie Reynolds Auction

Hopefully this got your imagination going, as the man would surely love to be there. There is a lot more going on with this auction, so please visit the official webpage here , download the catalog and feast your eyes.

For the time being the man shall return to tending for the dandy cat, as the latter seems eager to be adored!

Based in Eindhoven, Joon & Jung Studio came up with this ceramic encasing for speakers, which create a more natural, instrument like sound, that better mimics the live experience of an audition.

Just because we can’t get enough of Johnny Depp, he returns, in great form, as the iconic swashbuckler Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth installment of the series. And from this point on I warn you: here be spoilers! 

The stage is set, unfortunately in 3D so as to give us the dark and colorless experience, and we find Jack in London rescuing Mr. Gibbs, his loyal buccaneer,  from being hanged. And the plot is formed as the two are captured and brought before King George II, who wants Sparrow to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish find it. Enter some spice(rum) into the plot: heading the expedition is Jack’s old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa, now a privateer in the employment of the crown, with a new comical look, wig and all. Captain Jack doesn’t quite agree to the plan and makes his spectacular escape and this one takes the cake.

Enter more spice into the plot(it is a pirate movie and they need their rum): our flamboyant adventurer ends up going to the Fountain in a way he didn’t expect, kidnapped by Angelica (his old love interest, that personally didn’t strike my fancy) with whom he shares a past and a love-hate relashionship, on the ship of the most feared pirate of all time, Blackbeard, an ill tempered voodoo man who hangs out with zombies and makes the plot weirder.

As this is a predictable action adventure, the chase is on, the competion fierce, as both Captain Barbossa and the spanish navy are searching for the fountain.  And because the plot so far demanded more spice(and more rum) before they find the fountain they must gather vital ingredients of the potion required for the secret of youth: the two chalices of Ponce de Leon and a mermaid’s tear. Go figure! As Blackbeard schemes to ensnare a mermaid or a school of them, in nets, on an island beach we find out that mermaids are not all as sweet and friendly as Ariel, more like the weird children of spider-man and a non sparkly vampire (except one who gets captured and plays well into the love story subplot of the film).

Jack is sent on his own to find the chalices and teams up with Barbossa(a great pair for providing entertaiment and a good laugh for this part of the movie), who seeks revenge on Blackbeard. Enter some comic relief amidst all the adventure. And  they all end up at the fountain to have one last big fight  and settle the score.

The music score is already settled as Jack’s theme song stretches the lenght of the movie. The film ends with a lovely scenery of an island on which I’d like to be stranded with Johnny sometime, hold the rum!

“as only celluloid can deliver!”

Now, if you know where that one is from you probably should go do something else. If you don’t, well, the man can’t blame you, although the dandy cat will give you a dark and most unsatisfied look. (throw some sardines that should help).

However tonight we say welcome to a new member of the Esquire daily team, the Countess of Poppinshire. Her field of action is of course the celluloid delivered happy endings, or not. She’ll break things down for you, even when that is not what your expecting and remove glitter from travesties posing as movies.

She likes poppies and Cheshire cats, and if it weren’t for the New Zealand sites, I’m pretty sure you would have seen her in the shire!

The Countess should pop up any time soon, and till then enjoy the commercials and please turn off your mobile phones!

To welcome Lady Amaranth and her new section Platform 9, 1800hrs a short video about a very famous train.

First of all, I would like to thank the dandy cat for the welcome post. I hope the memory of the pink slipper did not traumatize him too bad.

And now, to get to our first story, a certain feeling of London came to me while experiencing last month’s weather. Although both my trips to Great Britain have been blessed with sun, when it comes to gloomy, rainy weather, some of us tend to think of the Queen’s Kingdom.

And speaking of the Queen it’s interesting how, when we hear „the Queen” we tend to think of Elisabeth II, even if there are several other monarchies in Europe.

England, for I have only visited this one of the United Kingdom, is one of the countries that is very dear to me. I remember the trips to London with sweet nostalgia, and the images of Union Jack or soldiers with ridiculously big hats make me smile.

It may have a lousy weather most of the time, an awful traffic especially in London, kids that don’t mind throwing some garbage in the streets, and football hooligans rivaled only by the Italian ones, but it also gave me – I don’t know about others – goosebumps, both times. I did not feel like I was in mainland Europe anymore and I’m sure it was not because I had to look the other way when crossing the street.

The Brits have smiled to me, and said „thank you” when I removed myself from the middle of the side-walk to let them pass, the streets are clean every morning, the „subway voice” kindly reminds you to mind the gap between the train and the platform, in London, and I loved the fish and chips.

London never actually sleeps, and the main museums are free for all. You don’t have to pay a fortune for some general culture. And if you’re not the museum type, there’s everything else: from neighborhoods like Notting Hill with its Portobello Road for antiques lovers, to Camden where you can practically find anything you might need, or not need, and bargain for it to the lowest price with the very non-English sellers.  If you are not the „walk all over till your feet refuse to carry you” type, you may also sit on the grass in a park, or if it’s too chilly, find yourself a nice pub and have that very English afternoon tea. If you are the clubbing type, the offers are countless, but all clubs will very nicely invite you to go to sleep at 2 o’clock in the morning.

London gave me the feeling of an entire country in one city. It is in incredibly crowded with everything, from young people dressed in a fashion we would call at least weird, to the very rushed, serious looking business people, from the naïve looking, mouth dropped, taking lots of pictures tourists, to the slowly having a walk and enjoying it elder citizens. You can lose your eyes among the souvenir shops, or trip on the street because you’re watching all around except where you’re going.  It has shown me the meaning of royal city (Buckingham) and of some sort of medieval fair (Camden).

It was the only feeling of dizzy crowded place that I would happily return to anytime. I will never be able to say I have seen all of it, no matter how much time I spend there. I shall always feel that London will always have something new to reveal.

Journey tips: * Museums like British Museum, National Gallery or Tate, are free (with voluntary donations if one would like to). Exhibitions are open every day (except national holidays) and on Fridays they are open until 9.00 PM. (for further information check the museums’ websites)

* Toilets can be found in most public places, and are clean, but I especially enjoyed the on from Tate Modern Gallery.

* For some notable views over the City, there is always London Eye, and to avoid the very long queues you may reserve and even buy the tickets online . Unfortunately, I am terribly afraid of heights.

* If you’re on a short trip and are not afraid to ruin your hair, there is always the tour of London with all the main attractions, on those special Double Decker buses with guides in several languages. ( The Original Tour, The Big Bus Company, The London Tour Bus) If my memory does not fail me, children under 16 enjoy discounts.

* Another tourist attraction is the Buckingham changing of guards. Those hats are impressive at any hour.

* I have not tried many pubs myself, but they are found almost everywhere, with a special recommendation for the Sherlock Holmes Pub .

* For transportation I warmly recommend the subway. It is the fastest, you can hardly get lost with all the maps everywhere, and the Underground employees are happy to help with information.

And if you have the time, and trained feet, try walking along Portobello road by day, the Tower Bridge and London Tower, Covent Garden, Camden Road or take a walk along the Thames on whichever bank appeals to you most.

However the man decided there was something into all this and thus enlisted the help of Lady Amaranth. An older acquaintance of the dandy cat, Lady Amaranth has taken it upon her to do a weekly travel section, or so it goes in the beginning.

Young and eager, she posses the previously unheard power of controlling the dandy cat, which otherwise cannot be bothered, with the use of a single, fluffy, pink slipper.

Prepare your luggage then, your travel documents and such, for later this evening, she will be making her first appearance.

Stay tuned for she is inbound, on the late train from London.

As for the man he’s off to find an evening edition of the Times.