Wallpaper of the Week for August 12, EPSICLE SPECTRUM LAMBDA by Senior Designer Colette Boisvert, is a delicious rainbow celebration of history and physics. You see, the modern iced pop was invented in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson, who dubbed the tasty frozen treat the Epsicle ice pop, which later became the well-known Popsicle. Boisvert’s endless field of polychromatic Epsicles references the peaks and valleys of a sinusodial wave, or wavelength, commonly designated by the Greek letter lambda.  Genius!

Or, as I have been informed, I may have grossly over-interpreted the subject material, and Wallpaper of the Week #39 is, in fact, inspired by the New Kids on the Block single, Popsicle.

Hang tough this weekend. -JB

Velocity Wallpaper of the Week for July 22, Live High, by Herzing College intern Danielle Fewings, is inspired by the song by Jason Mraz, and continues our Summer Jams Series.

It should be noted that while Velocity fully endorses singing (warbling, yodelling, carolling, wassailing, etc.) and dancing of all kinds (the Running Man, the Charleston, the Watusi, the Mashed Potatoes, the Humpty Dance, the Bartman, etc.), we do not condone any form of stealing (bases, kisses, flirtatious glances, bags of money, hearts, etc.).

As Mraz-related wallpapers go, this one is pretty amrazing. -JB

Velocity Wallpaper of the Week for July 15, Summertime, by senior designer Colette Boisvert, is inspired by the song of the same name by the legendary composer George Gershwin. Featured in the DuBose Heyward opera Porgy and Bess, the jazz standard has has been recorded over 2,600 times by artists ranging from Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, to Janis Joplin and The Doors. The tune is based on an old Ukrainian lullaby.

This wallpaper makes me want to go on a rollicking road trip to Oregon with excellent people.

We would enjoy a picnic lunch of perogies and Beep. -JB

This year marked my sixth Folk Festival. I can only manage to keep track of how many Folk Festivals I’ve been to by Castle Boy structures. There’s the invisible year, the Rock It ship, Flaccid Jack’s Saloon, Good and Evil Castles, the Pyramid and now the Libary (intentionally misspelled). I have been lucky enough to become a Castle Boy, as we are known, and been a part of the last three structures. I have to confess that this last year has been my favourite. It was more work than the group of around 20 of us have ever put it. In the end, it was worth it. It always is.

In past years, we’ve told people we were building a library, so when we told them that again this year, they didn’t really believe us. Not only did we build a Libary complete with books, we built a library that transformed into a 1930s speakeasy. The bookshelves spun around to reveal liqour bottles, the tables flipped to show a roulette table. People gambled with our homemade chips, and if they were lucky enough, they got a free cold beer. We also planned to have a couple of members come in as cops with a paddywagon and try to bust the place. Before this happened, we got a crowd of a hundred to quiet down and read books. After months of planning, it was amazing how swiftly it all happened.

The music this year was great as always. Some highlights for me included: Trampled By Turtles, Tim Robbins, Funky Meters, Beats Antique and the Mighty Toots and the Maytals. Another big highlight was playing with my band, Four Pints Shy, up on the Castle Boys’ stage. I’ve never played music for that many people before and it was a hoot. I look forward to another excellent festival next year, with good music and good people.

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