Sunday, April 30, 2006

A Cherubs Tale

I wish I knew who the artist is that painted the above painting, just so I can give appropriate credit for the fine artwork. If anyone knows, please email me - I'll reward you kindly! I've always been intrigued by Edgar Allan Poe, as a person and as a writer, so here is one of his poems...

~ Israfel ~

In Heaven a spirit doth dwell
"Whose heart-strings are a lute";
None sing so wildly well
As the angel Israfel,
And the giddy stars (so legends tell),
Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell
Of his voice, all mute.

Tottering above
In her highest noon,
The enamored moon
Blushes with love,
While, to listen, the red levin
(With the rapid Pleiads, even,
Which were seven,)
Pauses in Heaven.

And they say (the starry choir
And the other listening things)
That Israfeli's fire
Is owing to that lyre
By which he sits and sings-
The trembling living wire
Of those unusual strings.

But the skies that angel trod,
Where deep thoughts are a duty-
Where Love's a grown-up God-
Where the Houri glances are
Imbued with all the beauty
Which we worship in a star.

Therefore thou art not wrong,
Israfeli, who despisest
An unimpassioned song;
To thee the laurels belong,
Best bard, because the wisest!
Merrily live, and long!

The ecstasies above
With thy burning measures suit-
Thy grief, thy joy, thy hate, thy love,
With the fervor of thy lute-
Well may the stars be mute!

Yes, Heaven is thine; but this
Is a world of sweets and sours;
Our flowers are merely- flowers,
And the shadow of thy perfect bliss
Is the sunshine of ours.

If I could dwell
Where Israfel
Hath dwelt, and he where I,
He might not sing so wildly well
A mortal melody,
While a bolder note than this might swell
From my lyre within the sky.

- Edgar Allan Poe

Friday, April 28, 2006

Nike With Style

[ Nike Rihanna - SOS Music Video Snapshot ]
I've always been impressed with Nike's advertising and marketing strategies - combining a blend of art and style to their message. Here is an example of one of their previous ads.

Nike's recent promo for their spring line of women's dance fitness apparel is a creative mix of dance, music and rhythm.





If the above music video does not play, [ watch it here ]

Monday, April 24, 2006

Amazing video of Toronto in 14 hours

This is an amazing video made by Sam Javanrouh from a view outside of his bedroom looking into the west direction of Toronto. Using a Canon G3 camera, he took 20 second timed images for 14 hours - a total of 2048 images were then compiled into a Quicktime Video.

The photos were taken on the 28th of September 2003 at 6:37pm to 29th of Sept. 2003 at 8:53am.

Its quite impressive when you consider what he has done using a fairly affordable and basic Canon G3 camera.

[ View time-elapsed video here ] [ View Sam javanrouh's blog ]

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Pomme and Kelly

Two 15 year olds from the Netherlands doing their comical rendition of Aretha Franklin's song "R-e-s-p-e-c-t."


[ View hilarity video here ]
[ View their blogget ]

Sunday, April 16, 2006

"Not Ready to Make Nice"

Call me crazy, but I actually like this song: "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks. :P
[ Listen to song here ] - [ Visit the Dixie Chicks website ]

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Amélie

Since we're talking about french films, I decided to make this recommendation. I thought "Amelie" was a fun, light hearted, inquisitive, sexy, "cute" movie. It centers on the life of Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou).

The following is a synopsis of the movie from Rotten Tomatos website:
"Amélie
is a young woman who glides through the streets of Paris as quietly as a mouse. With wide eyes and a tiny grin, she sees the world in a magical light, discovering minor miracles every day. A shy and reserved person whose favorite moments are spent alone skimming stones into the water, Amélie was raised by a pair of eccentrics who falsely diagnosed her with a heart problem at the age of six and so limited her exposure to the outside world. Now a free and independent woman, Amélie wears a bob that curls in every direction and dresses in red. With a job in a café and an aptitude for spying on her neighbors, Amélie entertains herself by enacting a series of homemade, kindhearted practical jokes. She returns a long-forgotten box of childhood knickknacks to its proper owner, she sends her father's garden troll on a trip around the world, and she creates a love connection at the café between the hypochondriac druggist and a beer-drinking old grouch. But when the day is done, Amélie finds one stone unturned, and decides to work her magic on the quirky object of her affections, Nino Quincampoix (Matthieu Kassovitz), whom she has never met."
[ You can watch the trailer here ] - [ Visit Rotten Tomatos Amelie website ]

C.R.A.Z.Y.

[ A Screen shot capture of C.R.A.Z.Y. movie trailer where the father accidentally drops the newborn baby ]
This recommendation comes courtesy of my "french double agent spy" friend. She insists this movie is a winner and after doing a little search, it looks like this movie won 10 of the 12 Genie nominations in 2006 - Canadians version of the Academy Awards. Its a french canadian drama (with english subtitles) about "A portrait of a family that depicts the often-extraordinary lives of ordinary people in search of happiness. "
[ You can watch the trailer here ] - [ Visit the official website ]

Friday, April 14, 2006

Somersault - "Love can turn you upside down"

Among the well over 20 awards that Somersault has won, they made history by winning thirteen of the fifteen nominations at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

I believe its first debut in the U.S. is this week!


The film is about a sixteen year old girl name Heidi who runs away from home on a journey of self discovery. Read more here (Internet Movie Database).

[ Watch the trailer (preview) here ]

Left and Right Brain Quiz

The following is my unscientific test results from:
http://www.blogthings.com/rightorleftbrainedquiz/

You Are 20% Left Brained, 80% Right Brained
The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Music Video: Howie Day - Collide


[ Press "play" button to view music video - Howie Day - Collide ]
Posting this song by request of Lis manis! ... Thanks!!! :)


Sunday's Reflections

[ "Reveries" Artwork by Maxfield Parrish ]

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to the tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One ray the more, one shade the less
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.

- Lord George Gordon Byron

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Sophie's World

She is forever standing
at our secret pond
beneath our loving tree.
Welcome late-spring breeze
lifting summer dress and hat
ever so slightly.

She is dropping a rose
frozen forever in time
it cascades from her hand.
Around her, the pond,
the cat-tails, the bird song,
all captured deliciously.

She is smiling playfully
as rose follows petals
to rest amidst lily-pads.
A buzz of bumblebee,
breeze dancing leaves above,
mid-morning sun seems to kiss her.

She laughs hearing her name
turns with anticipation
burned forever is the sight.
Even as life continues -
for that split second
her beauty is immortalized.

[ Immortal by Daniel James Burt ]

Sophie's World is also a book of the same title written by Norway's Jostein Gaarder. The book centers around the life of a 14 year old norwegian girl name Sophie who receives some mysterious and cryptic messages in the mail one day, changing the way she she looks at life and this world. This book made the European best seller, was adapted into a movie, and has been translated into english, as well as many other languages. Some argue that the translations do not accurately depict the sentiment of the original writings. [ View a detailed synopsis of the book here ]