The title’s a line from a Friends episode which i really like. I miss the carefree days, when i could watch like 10 episodes a day on DVD. Now it seems like i’m going to be routinely happy in the day and a myriad of emotions at night.

That’s why i’ve been procrastinating for so long. My huge opening of this blog’s supposed to be like, really magnificent but i’m just finding it hard being coherent at night nowadays. So I’ll do it now. The Singaporean version of twilight(Edit: -.- this is referring to the time of the day).

The past few days were full of well wishers and fun with the gang. I really really missed playing Mahjong! But Cass wasn’t there so we had to do 3 player which i hate because i always finish my own wall first and i have to stretch to make the extra wall. And it just doesn’t feel right without all of us! But yeah, New Year’s Eve plans made, they shan’t escape now!

Wednesday was a day of Firsts for me.

First time speaking to Matt, Guowei-style (lmao)

And etc. I feel like a criminal entering the world again after a long term in prison. 

I spent Thursday cleaning my room and i really really wanna show you all what i dug up because it’s so approriate for this Starting Anew thing:

It was some sort of workout tying these stacks of papers and books up with raffia and bringing them downstairs. But the whole accomplished thing was there. BUT i’m not even done with JC stuff. My Dad saw them and went, Oh My God! you studied so much ah?

Hahaha Highlight of this post is…. Yesterday!

It was soooo cool, i spent most of the day at the salon getting this done:

Pardon the vacant expression. I have very little experience in taking self-shots. REALLY. gosh i hate it when people whom i’m not so close to, like Z., say stuff like, ‘Xinying, i know you like to camwhore.’ Double-U-Tee-Eff.

Cass has my full body shot and only when i got home did i realise how much my clothes looked like some Korean girl’s. Coz of the balloon sleeves! and O.L. skirt. and pumps. Aaaah i dno luh go see Cass’s blog (if she posted it) and review it yourself!

But Omg i felt so grown up and cool! Even if it was just for a day. i’d originally gone to the salon for a haircut and highlights session but i couldnt resist asking Michelle (the nice helper) blow dry my hair into waves. Cool change huh! If i had the skills and proper hair texture i’d make it permanent.

I promised to show how i kept my Online loots in my previous blog, so here it is!

I bet you’re thinking, wth is this weird box with that cheena looking device? Its actually my laptop cooler which my Dad had bought from (where else?) China. But that’s not the point!

Wahahahahaha:

All still in bag for preservation of it’s original quality because washing and stuffing into my drawers is such bad treatment. Gonna have fun unpacking and dressing up

I am still gonna shop online because 1. it’s so much fun and 2. it’s convenient and 3. why shop outside when you have great brands like Bonito Chico? BC’s hiring and i sooooo want a job working with them but it seems so hard-to-get! and if i applied i would be up against those people way past their A levels or Diplomas and probably have already had their first jobs. But it really really suits me given the immense amount of time i spend online and my love of organisation! Aaaah. See if i ever get the courage to type up sthg and send it to them luh.

Now for reminiscing..

I find that the A levels had not been as huge a deal to me as it was to so many others. There was no MOOD to study on any day i remember. i didn’t have the so-called Pia stage and i must confess that i really really believe that i’m not going to do as well as i probably appear to. It’s like, i spent alot of time trying to distract myself from a particular emotion by shopping online and staying away from a period of study longer than 2 hours. I had this feeling that all that we needed was probably already in our heads and that like, we could just, go ahead yeah? But of course we still needed that refresher thingy.

The A levels revealed to me, the most, how people could change tremendously within a span of what, 2 months? I saw the people too weak and cowardly to face the challenges in the future, i saw the people who ignored others’ wishes and prated on about their own, i saw the people who truly truly cared how others were doing and tried their best to make up for blanks. For the latter, i thank Naomi and Surong who’ve been great confidantes.

I think Surong’s probably the only person who knows me better than i know myself, and Naomi’s (like what Mr Ali said) like my teddy bear who’s always ready for a hug and a ranting session. i love them both!

I also began a Meteor Garden II roll, which was okay for my studies because i already knew it so well and i could do work with it in the background.

Here’s my favourite scene from it! True Friendship. Especially Lei’s recording at the end.

Ahhh, After 4 years of blogging on the same ground, this change feels good and manageable. I’m going to let xy-choo stay open for a week or so, for my fans (HAHA) to read my old posts and reminisce. Then i’m going to close it and those memories will be mine alone! Lol. Yup so, if you did like the way i blogged in the past, just take the chance to read it now because you won’t be able to read it again!

So arrogant of me but whatever luh.

_______________________________________________________

My review of WordPress: So far the attached captions on the photos look really turn-off. They throw off the proportions for all words! I’m warned.

There’s this thing where i can put Twitter updates in the column on the side but aiya i don’t think i’m cool enough for Twitter. HAHA

And i can’t upload multiple photos at once. But i guess it’s alright..

And so….. WELCOME TO MY NEW BLOG!!!!! and Happy birthday VERA!! Leave comments please!!! And those people i’ve not linked, it’s not that i’m de-friending you but like most of you have either changed address or have been on such a long hiatus that i dno if the address is correct anymore. So just ask me to relink!

Múrcia és un destí molt poc conegut. Ningú no va a Múrcia, a no ser que hi tingui parents. Ningú no pensa en Múrcia per passar un pont o unes petites vacances. I, si imaginem Múrcia a l’estiu te la seva lògica, tot i que Múrcia te platges maravelloses, i zones de la seva costa, com ara les compreses entre Mazarrón i Aguilas, son una passada. Però Múrcia és molt més que les platges verges de la costa rocosa o les platges turístiques del mar Menor. Múrcia és una ciutat agradable, amb grans atractius artístics, amb una regió al seu voltant amb tota mena de reclams turístics de primer ordre. Només en citaré alguns. A Múrcia capital teniu la Catedral, (a la foto), els carrers del casc antic, amb els seus palaus i esglèsies, plenes d’obres d’art, i museus com el Salzillo, amb els passos de setmana santa d’aquest artísta genial. La setmana santa es viu a Múrcia capital, i a tota la província, amb un fervor especial. Els actes són dignes de veure’s. Si parlem de la regió teniu Caravaca de la Cruz, i el seu santuari. O bé Lorca, una sobirana ciutat, plena d’art. O la militar Cartagena. O la blanca Águilas, a tocar del mar. L’interior depara sorpreses com la Sierra de Espuña, pulmó natural de la zona, el vall de Cieza, o Calasparra amb el seu arròs. El paisatge mineral i llunar dels voltants de La unión, zona minera poderosa, atrau als mineralogistes i als amants del turisme industrial. Per dormir us recomanem els hotels que les grans cadenes tenen a la capital. Sovint en palaus impressionants, molt bé de preu quan no hi ha executius agressius a la vista. Com ara el NH Rincón de Pepe, o l’NH Amistad. O bé cèntric com l’Hotel Arco de San Juan. O els preciosos AC-Hotels, com el Ciutat de Múrcia. Hem dormit a tots ells i us assegurem que són fantàstics. Per menjar aneu pels voltants de la plaça de Sant Joan i mengeu productes frescos de l’horta murciana. Tota mena de verdures a la planxa. Una delícia!.

Murcia es un destino muy poco conocido. Nadie va a Murcia, a no ser que tenga parientes. Nadie piensa en Murcia para pasar un puente o unas pequeñas vacaciones. Y, si imaginamos Murcia en verano tiene su lógica, aunque Murcia tiene playas maravillosas, y zonas de su costa, como las comprendidas entre Mazarrón y Aguilas, són una gozada. Pero Murcia es mucho más que las playas vírgenes de la costa rocosa o las playas turísticas del mar Menor. Murcia es una ciudad agradable, con grandes atractivos artísticos, con una región a su alrededor con todo tipo de reclamos turísticos de primer orden. Sólo citaré algunos. En Murcia capital tienen la Catedral, (en la foto), las calles del casco antiguo, con sus palacios e iglesias, llenas de obras de arte, y museos como el Salzillo, con los pasos de semana santa de este artista genial. La semana santa se vive en Murcia capital, y en toda la provincia, con un fervor especial. Los actos son dignos de verse. Si hablamos de la región tiene Caravaca de la Cruz, y su santuario. O bien Lorca, una soberana ciudad, llena de arte. O la militar Cartagena. O la blanca Águilas, al lado del mar. El interior depara sorpresas como la Sierra de Espuña, pulmón natural de la zona, el valle de Cieza, o Calasparra con su arroz. El paisaje mineral y lunar de la zona de La unión, zona minera poderosa, atrae a los mineralogistas y los amantes del turismo industrial. Para dormir os recomendamos los hoteles que las grandes cadenas tienen en la capital. A menudo en palacios impresionantes, muy bien de precio cuando no hay ejecutivos agresivos a la vista. Como el NH Rincón de Pepe, o el NH Amistad. O bien el céntrico Hotel Arco de San Juan. O los preciosos AC-Hoteles, como el Ciudad de Murcia. Hemos dormido en todos ellos y os aseguramos que son fantásticos. Para comer vayan por los alrededores de la plaza de San Juan y coman productos frescos de la huerta murciana. Todo tipo de verduras a la plancha. ¡Una delicia!.

Siz sevdin mi nasıl seversiniz?

İliklerinize kadar titrer misiniz mesela? Tırnak uçlarınızda hisseder misiniz yüreğinizin sesini? Beyniniz karıncalanır mı kimi zaman? Dizlerinizin bağı mı çözülür yoksa? Ya da sevdiğinizi  içinize sokasınız mı gelir ?.

…. Ellerini tutum ve  karanlıkta yıldızlar gibi parlayan gözlerinin içine baktım:

“- Ne düşünüyorsun? ” dedi.

“- Seni Seviyorum ” dedim.

Gülümsedi: “ nasıl? ” dedi.

“-7 yaşımdaki kızımı sever gibi,17 yaşındaki sevgilim gibi, 70 yaşındaki anam gibi ” dedim.

Sarıldık.

Bir çift güvercin kanat çırptı.

Ayrıldık.

Konuştuğu dili pek anlamıyordum. Onu  okuduğu barış türküleriyle anımsıyordum.Türkülerinin anlamını bilmiyordum ama hissediyordum.

1992’de, gece vakti saat üçte, Sultanahmet’ te ,o benim için söylüyordu türkülerini. Ben  sadece  ona söylüyordum Nazım’ın şiirlerini.

O , Joan Baez’ di.

Farklı dillerden konuşuyorduk ama ortak dilimiz sevgiydi. O gün ikimizin de yaşı  ondokuzdu. Gerçekte ben yirmidokuz, o kırkdokuzdu.

Nazım Hikmet’ in 90.Doğum Günü  etkinlikleri hafta boyunca sürecekti İstanbul Kuruçeşme’ de. Boğaz kıyısında toplanmıştı Nazım severler. Nazım’ın kaçmak amacıyla  kayığa  bindiği noktada buluşmuştu Nazım dostları. Nazım Rus şilebini usulcacık okşarken onun elleri, bizim yüreğimiz yanıyordu. Bindi, gitti…Balıkçı motorlarına doluştuk hepimiz. Peşinden gittik, yetişemedik. Dönüşte şiirlerini okuduk hep bir ağızdan.Genco Erkal okudu, Savaş Ay’da, Zeynep Oral’da.Ben de okudum:”Akdeniz’e bir kısrak başı gibi uzanan memleket” imizi. Beni en yürekten alkışlayanı duyumsadım o kalabalığın arasında.Göz göze geldik Joan’ la.

Motordan inerken  yardımcı oldum ona. Ellerini tuttum ve bırakmadım bir daha. Bugün dahi bırakmış değilim.

Nazım’dan şiirler, ogün Kuruçeşme Mülkiyeliler Evi’nde 24 saat sürecekti. Hep birlikte oraya gittik.Gece yarılarına dek şiirler türküler söyledik. Ben ve Erkan Coşkun  birlikte onun arabasıyla gelmiştik, saat 2.00 olmuş ve dönecektik. Joan Baez, Genco Erkal ve ressam Avni Arbaş’da gitmeye hazırlanıyorlardı. Bırakabileceğimizi söyledik.

Önce Avni Arbaş’ı bıraktık  evine. Sonra…Sonra Joan  Baez  “Sultanahmet Meydanı’na gitmek istiyorum” dedi. Gittik: Erkan, Genco, Joan ve ben…

Meydan’a varana dek Genco’nun çevirmenliğiyle anlaştık.Bende ates bacayı sarmıştı bir kere, anlaşıyorduk işte! Meydana geldigimizde, Joan Baez yürümek istediğini söyledi. Çıktı, biraz yürüdü. Sonra geldi, benimle yürümek istediğini belirtti.Benim de canıma minnetti. Uzun siyah paltosu, kırmızı kazağı ve kırmızı meşin eldivenleriyle muhteşemdi.

Elimi tutu, eldivenlerini çıkarttım elinden ve ben onun elini tuttum. Hava soğuktu, çırılçıplaktı ellerimiz. Ellerimizde bir telaş vardı ama sıcacıktı ellerimiz.Yürüdük Ayasofya’ya doğru öylece.”Poem, poem!” diyordu sürekli bana. Hiç bir dediğini anlamıyordum, tercüman da yok yanımızda!

“ Şiir ” demek istiyormus. 8-10 tane siir okudum ona. Dahası yok. Gerisini kafadan attım. Anlamış, gülüşmüştük sonra.

Kaç saat geçti bilmiyorum. Bana bir saniye gibi geldi anımsamıyorum.Genco ile Erkan’ın  bekledikleri geldi aklımıza. Döndük arabaya. Ertesi gün yine görüştük.Yine buluştu ellerimiz. Sonraki gün konseri vardı Spor Sergi Sarayında. Bir kağıt çıkardı ve “bunları biliyor musun” dedi bana; kağıtta Türkçe “Yiğidim aslanım burda yatıyor” ve “Kapıları çalıyorum birer,birer / Çocuklar öldürülmesin teyze, amca bir imza ver” türküleri vardı.

Beraber söyledik, türküleri çalıştık. Konserde bu türküleri Zülfü Livaneli’yle birlikte  söyledi.Türküler zaten Livaneli’nin bestesiydi. Bir de şiir okudu Nazım’a…Kendisi yazmış. Refik Durbaş’ın Türkçeleştirdiği şiiri Genco Erkal okurken, gözyaşlarım akıyordu  içime. Ve ben,usul usul ağlıyordum 10 bin kişinin içinde…

***

10 yılı aşkın süreç geçti.

Şimdi senin kıtandayım Joan, sana  cok yakındayım. Yüreğimin sesini duyuyor musun!

Seni çok, ama çook seviyorum…

***

Siirin Türkçesi bende yoktu, bu kez  Toronto’da yaşayan gazeteci ozan Engin Aşkın  Türkçeleştirdi..

Ertan Gün

Hamilton / Kanada

egun@cogeco.ca

NAZIM’A  ARMAĞAN

Ben oradaydım Sultanahmet’ te

Oradaydım buzullu bir kış gecesinde

Pırıl pırıl ay gökyüzünde ışırken

Çıplak ağaçların dallarında

Genç bir adam da oradaydı

Benimle yürüyen

Tek bir sözcük bilmiyordu

Benim konuştuğum dilden

Tutuverdi elimi usulcacık

Yumuşacık kırmızı eldivenlerimden

Ve; patladı yüreği yüce bir coşkuyla

Musikiyle örtüşen bir öfkeye doğru

Şiirin kucağında bitimsizce büyüyen

Hüküm giymiş yılların suskunluğuna doğru

Koşuştu bahçelerde iki küçümen encik

Uçuştu gökyüzünde beyaz martılar

Ayasofya’ ya başımızın üstünden

Kanat çırptılar ve şiir bitti

“Nazım Hikmet! Nazım Hikmet!” diye haykırıyordu

“Nazım!” “Nazım!” diyordu yineleyerek

Hiddetli, hasretli, hararetli

Ben özlemle ağlıyordum oralarda

Akarken içime öfkenin sesi

Hiç durmadan yürüyorduk birlikte

Yürüdükçe yürüyorduk bir şiirden diğerine

Meydan okuyorduk suskun heybetiyle duran Sultanahmete

Ay oradaydı, ben oradaydım

Nazım oradaydı

Bize kalan tüm şiirleri oradaydı

Oradaydı o bitimsiz öfke

Oradaydı özlemle sızlayan yürekler

JOAN BAEZ

14-01-1992/İSTANBUL

Se você gostaria de saber mais do que sua prefeita faz, tome cuidado, ela deve estar processando alguém e o próximo pode ser eu (de novo??) ou até você! (por que não?)

Não contente em processar jovens estudantes e jornalistas ousados a prefeita Dárcy Vera agora resolveu processar alguém mais à sua altura, o escolhido foi ninguém menos que a multinacional da internet Google, o maior site de buscas do mundo.

O motivo é nobre, tentar transformar Ribeirão Preto na China, uma ditadura onde não se pode acessar informações e sites como youtube.

E neste caso tudo começou com um vídeo postado neste site, com o título ”boca de cabrita acaba com história do Brasil“

Youtube, um dos sites mais visitados do mundo, e que atualmente é de propriedade do google, é o grande alvo da ação, que objetiva a retirada do ar de um vídeo onde a inteligente(?) prefeita, numa entrevista ao vivo em um rádio, confunde Tiradentes com Dom Pedro, ao dizer quem gritou a celébre frase: “independência ou morteee!”

Alías aqui em Ribeirão o grito estaria mais pra um: -”dependência ou processo!” gritado por uma hitoriadora rosa sentada em uma cabrita.

Jorge Daher

ps. apuramos que além da retirada do youtube do ar Dárcy pede uma generosa indenização ao Google por danos morais.

Branje brez meditacije je sterilno;
meditacija brez branja je nagnjena k napakam;
molitev brez meditacije je mlačna;
meditacija brez molitve je neplodna;
molitev, kadar je goreča, pripelje v kontemplacijo;
kontemplacija brez molitve je malo verjetna, celo čudežna.

“Hungry Man”

November 22nd, 2009

There is no question that I have been highly critical of Dexter this season, which isn’t to suggest that I wasn’t also critical of season two (where the conclusion fizzled) or season three (where things felt as if they wrapped up too neatly): this is a show that I have always felt struggled in the balance between the parts and the whole, and this has been especially clear this season. While I’ve enjoyed the majority of the story surrounding the Trinity Killer, and Michael C. Hall is delivering as compelling a performance as ever, I’ve found myself watching episodes out of obligation more than interest, and fastforwarding through anything not involving Trinity, Dexter, or Deb.

If we follow that strategy, “Hungry Man” contains perhaps the best connection yet between Dexter and Trinity, offering glimpses of two theoretically similar Thanksgiving dinners that in reality tell two very different story or, more problematically for Dexter, two very different stages of the same tale. The problem is that this isn’t actually a new theme, having effectively been the purpose of the Trinity story since we meant “Arthur,” and despite some really fantastic execution throughout it (like seasons before it) feels a bit too on the nose, thematically.

However, when you have a show that likes to meander about as it does and (in my opinion) waste our time with storylines that are irrelevant until the show decides to deliver a bombshell like at the end of this episode, I’ll take compelling contrivance over mundane mind games any day.

What bugs me about showing the dangerous side of the Mitchell family is that it was so inevitable. The storyline has always been an extravagant excuse to investigate Dexter’s family more carefully, a conveniently Miami-based serial killer who happens to also have a family. Over the past number of episodes, the show has created excuses for Dexter to see what Arthur is made of, discovering last week that he’s not even close to stable and discovering this week that his family has consequently suffered. And in those scenes the show has created a lot of legitimate dramatic tension, as Arthur/Trinity is unpredictable in a way that Dexter simply isn’t. We know how Dexter responds to situations, and we’re so far inside his head that the show has felt the need to more consistently use Harry as a second voice in order to diversify his inner monologues. To have a new character who is similarly complex to be able to investigate is both useful for Dexter (who loves self-inflicting psychoanalysis) and for the show, and Lithgow has been a great addition as a result.

However, my problem is that this episode goes too far to vilify Arthur, to take him so far away from Dexter’s current position that he becomes simply a cautionary tale rather than a complex individual to be dissected by Dexter and by the audience. It’s one thing to shatter his image of the perfect family by suggesting that his son resents him for the emergence of his violent tendencies, or to suggest that he is over-protective of his daughter to the point where he locks her in her room and has effectively turned her into both a creepily sexual 15-year old and a replacement for his dead sister. I think those cracks in the perfect family were both really interesting (especially with the daughter, who until this episode seemed a waste of the acting talents Vanessa Marano showed on Six Feet Under or Gilmore Girls), and they created consequences that wouldn’t be visible from behind a tree in his front yard, Dexter’s first vantage point into this family.

And yet, when Jonah went off during Thanksgiving dinner and Arthur went on a murderous rampage choking out his son and throwing his daughter across the room, the scene went too far. Yes, the scene was an enormously compelling piece of drama, and we’re conditioned to gasp when Dexter reveals the Dark Passenger to Arthur in that moment, but it makes things far too easy, which is the same thing that has happened in every past season. In Season Two, Lyla was a lifeline for Dexter, someone that he was able to talk to about his problem (albeit veiled in the context of Narcotics Anonymous), and killing someone who offers him solace would have been an intriguing moral dilemma; of course, she turned into a kidnapping arsonist psychopath, so all questions of morality disappeared. The same happened in Season Three when Dexter found Miguel Prado, someone who could be a friend and confidante who knew about his problems but understood and even assisted with it; however, he was revealed to be a corrupt attorney who was using Dexter to kill innocent victims, which made Dexter’s decision to kill him less morally complicated and more “satisfying.” It was a “Hell yeah” moment on a show that, late in each season, loves shifting into that mode.

For once, I’d like to see one of Dexter’s foils actually remain complicated to the point where Dexter doesn’t know if he should kill them. I’m aware that Trinity doesn’t make a great candidate for this considering the fact that he has murdered nearly 100 people in his lifetime, but having Dexter witness it first hand in such vivid detail creates too simple a trajectory. Dexter is at its best when it is investigating moral complexities, in particular within Dexter, and that ship has officially sailed: from now on, we’ve switched from being compelled by the intricacies of this friendship to a sort of bloodlust, hopeful that Dexter “gets another kill” (a common complaint amongst some fans is that they aren’t satisfied unless Dexter draws blood). The scene was enormously compelling, don’t get me wrong, but it also signals that the compelling series of episodes more carefully investigating Arthur have passed, and a serial killer is effectively all that’s left.

I thought that this hour was one of the best so far this season in terms of connecting Trinity and Dexter’s experiences, and Harry’s observation that Rita was, at one point, also just a cover for his true identity is spot on. Dexter has been holding onto hope that Arthur somehow figured it out, but in this episode any sense that Arthur has anything under control was eliminated as soon as his family was revealed as so tragically flawed. While it involved one of the subplots I fastforwarded through (Elliot and Rita’s transgression), it was interesting to see how Dexter returns to his family and sees what he believes to be happiness (Cody volunteering thanks for Dexter, the same thanks that had to be coerced out of the Millers) when in reality Elliot has whispered in Rita’s ear that Dexter isn’t around as much as a real father should be. It allows Dexter to believe his family is different when, based on what we know (and what Dexter should know, considering Rita’s less than stable past) there is every chance that ten years down the line they could be just the same.

But, unfortunately for the season as a whole, this is as far as this investigation is really going to get, if we follow the traditional patterns of the season structures (which, as noted, to this point have been almost slavishly adhered to). While we learn that Christine is Trinity’s daughter, and Deb puts together that she was likely the person who shot her and killed Lundy, we’re entering into the part of the season that completely demystifies the villains in an effort to allow Dexter to be a hero. Now, killing Trinity is avenging the thirty years of murders, protecting against future murders, protecting the Miller family, and protecting himself (now that Arthur knows his inner demon); there’s nothing complex about that, an inevitability tied as much to Lithgow’s guest star status as it is to the show’s ongoing pattern.

And if this was all surrounded by a more compelling set of ancillary storylines, I’d probably be less likely to complain about it, but forgive me if Batista/LaGuerta and Quinn/Reporter aren’t doing it for me.

Cultural Observations

• I do think that Jennifer Carpenter deserves a lot of credit this season. She was really solid in her scenes with Cody/Astor tonight, and more importantly did a good job of various revelatory moments that wouldn’t have worked without a good performance (as she’s basically acting with herself).
• However, I thought Masuka at Thanksgiving dinner was a huge disappointment: instead of letting him loose comically, they tied him up in Rita and Elliot’s drama, which could potentially lead to long-term hilarity but actually makes me less likely to care about the character moving forward. Did Masuka really need to be connected to that storyline?
• I’m going to presume that the title is as much a reference to the TV Dinners (which defined Deb and Dexter’s post-Mrs. Morgan Thanksgiving traditions) as it does to Dexter/Arthur’s hunger to kill.
• I thought Deb’s realization that the killer is working on a school pattern makes sense, but wouldn’t the bludgeoning have taken place during the school year, thus making Deb realize that he’s Miami-based? I know that she was at Thanksgiving Dinner and not in front of the board, but it was just something that she didn’t get to follow through on.

Adeline, Eleanor, Amelia, Theodora, Beatrix, Sidony, Madeleine, Clementine, Henrietta, Ione, Lila, Delphia, Adele, Adela, Dora, Vera, Evelyn, Greta, Ingrid, Fern, Opal, Finola, Olive, Lyra, Willa, Angeline, Petra, Mina, Pearl, Mehitabel, Ellen, Keisha, Thora, Lucinda, Ramona, Naomi, June, Sarai, Thea, Evanthia, Thomasina, Tilda, Mirabella, Iole.

What do you think of these? which do you like? dislike and why? which could you see on a child born in the next couple of years?

This 19th of December edition of the Amsterdam labelnight ‘Redevice invites…’ @ Studio 80 features the scandalously underrated Sub Static and Karloff Rekordings label-boss Falko Brocksieper. In order to keep up with our reputation of providing a playground for more experimental and absurd techno approaches, we’ve also invited Vera Heindel, San Proper & Kouam Djoko. Talk about letting those dogs out.
Here’s an exclusive interview plus mix avec Falko, to get the juices flowing.

Could you tell us about the founding of Sub Static and Karloff Recordings. What was your role in both labels?

Sub Static was founded in Cologne in 2000 when I met my long-term partner MIA. Our aim was just to create a small platform for our music and ideas. However this soon became a more serious occupation, as we increasingly enjoyed to work for international content and reputation. It led to the desire to release an even wider range of electronic music we loved, so the sublabel Karloff Rekordings was established in 2003.
At times we had approaches to grow the labels to a higher business level, but after all the basis of our motivation and qualification was always just to release and promote our favourite music.
Mia and I never had clearly defined roles in the label management, so anything within A&R, promotion, administration, accounting was my daily business. I also did all of the graphic design.

One of our favorite mixes of the year is the MNML SSG MX36 you did, which features half-forgotten gems from the likes of Mouse On Mars, Robert Hood & Plaid. Could you tell us something about your musical roots and artists that have most inspired you?

What first got me into techno was trance, mostly european stuff, in the early 90’s. However at the time this wasn’t even a clearly outlined genre, neither was it cheesy or commercial. It simply meant – techno that is monotonic and trippy. When I got my first set of turntables and started to spend more time in recordshops I soon discovered the music of Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Dan Bell, Woody McBride.. alot of mid-90’s minimal techno, mostly from the states. And soon after there was stuff like Aphex Twin, Mouse on Mars, Two Lone Swordsmen, Mille Plateaux & Rephlex stuff…. also alot of electro. Then even more techno – Cristian Vogel & Brighton crew, Maurizio, Kompakt… It’s been exciting times musically, which intensified for me even more when I moved to Cologne in 1997 to study at the Academy of Media Arts.
It’s this spirit of the 2nd half of the 90’s that I tried to capture in the recent mix you mentioned. Part of the spirit is also the health, complexity and mysticism of musical culture at that time — it seems like a very short time window between the farreaching innovation of electronic music, and the start of desktop producing, discogs, downloads and information overkill.

You originate from Cologne, but you operate from Berlin since 2004. Has this move influenced your productions/DJ-sets in a significant way?

I can’t really say how much influence this or the other city has. I think for the main part, moving to another place always changes your way of thinking, and gives you a new perspective on many things — which was also what I was looking for when I decided to move.
What I can say is – approving the clichee – Berlin has been and still is a very inspiring & vibrant place to live and I have no desire to live anywhere else.

You’ve been pretty productive lately when it comes to releasing. Do you have a lot of unreleased material stored up somewhere?

No, piles of unreleased material is what i never had, unfortunately. However this year has been quite productive indeed. Last year I finally released my 2nd album and was touring with my first live set, both helping me to get a fresh approach on the new productions that came out this year.

Any future plans we should know about?

Right now I’m working on a completely new live set, enabling me to be a bit more flexible and improvisational. It’s also giving me ideas for a couple of new tracks already. You can expect some new releases of me in early 2009, but it’s too soon now to announce any particulars.
Also I’m in the studio again with Benjamin Fehr, recording new material as ‘The Result’. Our first release came out this summer on his label Catenaccio. Another EP will be out soon on Brouqade Rec, as well as remixes on TicTacToe and the remarkable NervMusic from Moscow.

Tracklist:
01. Basic Soul Unit – ‘Hope.unity.vision’
02. Falko Brocksieper – ‘Never Mind’
03. Soul Clap – ‘Beauty Sleep’
04. Rene Breitbarth – ‘Pump’
05. Hakim Murphy – ‘Jupiter Poop’
06. Seuil – ‘Lost In The Soul Shower’
07. Dan Ghenacia & Djebali – ‘Eightball’
08. Motorcitysoul – ‘Vivid [Roman Flügel's RMX]‘
09. Khan & Brigitte Fontaine – ‘Fine Mouche’
10. Wasted Chicago Youth – ‘Shake Them Gears’
11. Hell feat. P. Diddy – ‘The Dj [Jay Haze RMX)’
12. Dollz At Play – ‘Oscura Wand In Paris’
13. Ambivalent – ‘808 Clap’
14. Dinky – ‘Epilepsia’

Right click to save…
OTAM Mix 19 – Falko Brocksieper – ‘Decemberumbrella’

seja um distribuidor representante forever living products em :cuiabá, campo grande, ribeirão preto, são paulo, curitiba, joinville,porto alegre, rio de janeiro, belo horizonte, salvador, recife natal, são luís,visite: http://www.foreverliving.com.br/distribuidor/187/coletti/

Cher Joris,

Vingt-trois jours que je suis ici et je ne t’ai rien écrit. Je mentirais en te disant que j’ai manqué de temps. Les journées sont parfois longues et d’un terrible ennui. À certaines heures, lorsque le ciel tourne à l’orage, il vaut mieux suspendre sorties et observations, sans quoi la pluie nous lave de ce baume infect dont on s’enduit le corps chaque matin par précaution : une odeur de sueur et d’oignons surs que le camphre peine à couvrir. Je ne m’y habituerai jamais, pas plus qu’à certains coins de la ville que je ne traverse qu’à reculons, quartiers où les murs des maisons — quotidiennement aspergés d’urine — empestent les latrines. Des confins d’humanité dont je traîne les relents jusqu’au soir. Faute de mieux, voilà ce que certains ont trouvé pour contenir le mal. Trois semaines, c’est le temps qu’il m’aura fallu pour lire dans le regard des bêtes et commencer de déchiffrer les rites et marottes des gens d’ici, pour mesurer l’ampleur de ma tâche, immense : le pays compte sept collines dont les coordonnées laissent présager quelque secrète corrélation. Combien de mois me seront nécessaires? Je n’ose y penser sans être pris de vertige, partagé entre exaltation et abattement.
J’ai rapidement trouvé de quoi me loger, grâce à la bienveillance d’un enfant débrouillard qui, dès le lendemain de mon arrivée, me présentait ma logeuse. Je signais aussitôt un registre et pour un loyer dérisoire, prenais possession de mon appartement. Certes, je ne manque ni de place ni de confort, mais crois-moi, n’envie rien à ma vue : les versants grimaçants du Hochwanner qui, de nos lits, nous effrayaient chaque soir de notre enfance, m’apparaissent rétrospectivement, au regard du charnier qui se dresse en face, comme de bien douces et émouvantes visions, qu’il ne me déplaît plus d’agiter en esprit pour vous rappeler à moi. Et puis ce meublé l’est assurément trop, encombré, habité pour ne pas dire hanté par ses propriétaires — un couple et leurs deux garçons — , comme si on les en avait chassés pour m’y installer. Au sentiment désagréable que j’ai de partager leur espace s’ajoute celui de la promiscuité. Je vis parmi leurs objets, entouré de leurs photos personnelles… Pas un tiroir qui ait été vidé, pas un endroit qui soit épargné de leurs souvenirs patiemment amassés, pas un mur, pas un meuble qui n’ait oreille et œil tendu ou posé sur moi. Tout y est resté en l’état, d’un usage suspendu à l’attente de leur imprévisible retour, jusqu’à la chambre d’enfants jonchée de pièces de puzzle et au centre de laquelle trône un bien curieux et pathétique tigre à bascule, une bête naturalisée — gueule ouverte édentée — dont les pattes ont été grossièrement montées sur un piètement métallique. Rares sont les nuits où je ne rêve qu’ils font irruption au beau milieu de la nuit, dans ma chambre, la leur, pour me chasser de leur lit et me jeter à la rue, à la merci de fauves à dents de smilodons.
Tendre frère, je mesure chaque jour la distance qui nous sépare, je ne t’oublie pas dans mon silence et tâcherai de t’en dire un peu plus très bientôt, mais surtout, ne fais pas état de ce courrier à Véra, tu l’inquiéterais inutilement. Dépose sur sa joue le plus affectueux et anonyme des baisers.

Johannes

Couture and Vera at the Weigh-ins

This past weekend was UFC 105 at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.  On the card was a number one contender fight between Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and Mike “The Quick” Swick with the winner to take on GSP as soon as he becomes healthy.  The Co-Headliner for the night was a light heavyweight bout between Randy “The Natural” Couture and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.  Also on the bill where fellow Brits Ross Pearson and James Wilks who were making their UFC debuts since winning the Ultimate Fighter Finale back in June.  Lastly UFC 105 had the return of Michael Bisping to the octagon after being knocked out cold by Dan Henderson at UFC 100.  Let’s see how I made out in my predictions.

The first fight of the night was Ross Pearson vs Aaron Riley.  This fight was definitely a test for Pearson and he passed it with flying colours.  Pearson managed to take control of the first round by allowing Riley to be the aggressor, patiently waiting for Riley to attempt his strike before moving inside and landing some solid punches.  He was also able to dominate in the clinch and mix up his strikes very well between kicks and punches.  The first round easily went to Pearson 10-9.  In the 2nd round we saw more of the same, while it was clear that Riley knew he had to step it up if he wanted to win the fight. Pearson was able to complete a repeat the performance of what we’d seen in the first round.  Near the end of the 2nd round Pearson landed a devistating knee, badly cutting Riley.  After the referee stopped the fight so that the cut could be inspected, it was quickly decided that Riley could not continue, giving Pearson the win.

The 2nd fight of the night was between TUF season 9 welterweight winner James Wilks and season 6 contestant Matt Brown.  The first round of the fight basically set the tone for the rest of the fight.  Being a very well rounded submission specialist it was no secret that Wilks wanted to take this fight to the ground. Wilks, however, was largely unsuccessful in his attemps to take Brown to the ground in the first round.  This first round was really tough to score but in my opinion Wilks came out on top barely taking the round 10-9.

The 2nd round started off with a little bit more action when about 30 seconds into the round Wilks was hit with a big knee from Brown, which looked like it could have been the beginning of the end for him. Somehow though, Wilks was able to escape the threat but at a visible cost.  From this point on it seemed that Wilks had lost a step and Brown more than took advantage.  With just over a minute left in the fight Brown was able to use his superior striking skills and land a series of strikes which forced Wilks to take the fight to the ground.  The round ended with Wilks being saved by the bell after getting caught in a late-round triangle.  This round went easily to Brown, 10-9.  With both fighters in a deadlock at 19-19 the 3rd round was do or die.  Unfortunately for Wilks it was obvious that the 2nd round had taken a lot out of him and Brown was able to capitalize.  Mid-way through the round Wilks attempted desperately to land a Kimura leaving him vulnerable to a full mount and the eventual end to the fight via strikes.

The 3rd fight on the card was one that one that many people were anticipating , the highly publicized return of Michael Bisping to the octagon for the first time since his UFC 100 beatdown at the hands of Dan Henderson.  One thing that I noticed right off the bat was that Bisping didn’t look as lean coming into the fight, an indication that he might be getting more comfortable fighting at 185.  His opponent Denis Kang is well-known in MMA circles outside of the U.S. and would prove to be a big test.

Bisping throwing a high leg kick

In the first round just 90 seconds into the fight, Bisping was quickly put to the test after being knocked down by a hard right from Kang.  Bisping; however, was able to recover and gain his computure, putting on a clinic on how to execute transitions while on the ground.  Kang was able to pass Bisping’s guard on more than one occasion but almost as soon as he passed, Bisping would get back into half guard and soon back into full guard.  The round ended with Kang securing an edge on the hometown hero, 10-9.  The 2nd round was a different story.  Bisping came out like a man on a mission, quickly taking Kang to the ground, showing just how relentless he can be with the ground and pound technique.  After Kang made it back to his feet, Bisping took him down agains, this time causing more damage than the first time he’d taken the Canadian to the ground.  Although Kang was able to get up from the attack once again he was cut badly and was visibly shaken up by the on-ground exchanges.  The third time Kang was taken to the ground would be his last.  Bisping made sure that he wouldn’t get up again, landing punches until the referee was forced to stop the fight and award Bisping the victory on home turf.

The 4th fight of the night was, as mentioned, a number one contenders match between Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and Mike “The Quick” Swick.  The fight started with Swick going hard at Hardy and paying for it, getting caught by a right hand that made him buckle.  The rest of the round was more or less uneventful with both fighters grappling up against the cage trying to get position over the other.  Although the round was very close I had to give it to Hardy 10–9 as a result of the initial exhange, though it could have just as easily been 9-9.  The 2nd round saw Swick get hit hard and for a 2nd time had him buckling at the knees.  It was clear he was hurt, but the warrior pushed on.

Dan Hardy

Surprisingly it was Hardy that then pushed Swick up against the cage in an attempt at a take down.  Swick was able to stop Hardy’s attempts and looked much better than the previous round, landing three straight right hooks on Hardy before getting caught with a left.  The round ended with Swick taking the brunt of the damage giving Hardy the edge once against 10-9.  The 3rd round was a must-have for Swick who probably needed a knock out to win the fight. The round started with both fighters standing toe to toe and exchanging strikes back and forth before Swick got caught again allowing Hardy to take him to the ground.  The rest of the round worked in Hardy’s favour ensuring him a title shot against GSP.  The decision in the end went to Hardy (30-27,30-27,29-28) making him the first Brit to fight for the title in UFC History… good luck with GSP.

The 2nd headlining fight of the night was a light heavyweight fight between Randy Couture and Brandon Vera.  A victory for either fighter would put them both on the road towards a title shot.  The fight started with Vera landing a nice head kick but Couture was able to implement his strategy and grapple and wrestle with Vera up against the cage, which is more or less where the fight would stay until the end of the round.  The round was pretty even, but the decision went to Couture, 10-9, for successfully implementing his game plan.  The 2nd round was a different story.  After the fight continued up against the cage again the referee separated the fighters and Vera was able to land a vicious kick to the body followed by knees that caused Couture to back away and drop to the ground.  Vera dropped into Couture’s guard, but was unable to do much before eventually bringing the fight back to their feet.  The round ended with Vera securing a 10-9 over Couture.  The third and final round was much like the first with the fighters grappling against the cage, but this time Couture was able to land some good punches and elbows to the face of Vera.  After they are separated, Vera was once again able to land a number hard kicks to the body and with minutes left in the round took Couture down to the ground, where the fight ended.  Although it appeared that Vera had done enough to get the victory, in the 2nd event in a row the judges appear to have taken a win away from Vera, awarding the fight to Couture.  Although the night did end in some controversy, the event did have some very good fights and was a welcome warm up for UFC 106 scheduled for this upcoming weekend.

Look for my predictions on UFC 106 soon.

Est-ce que vous aimez les mangas de combats ? Ouaaaaaiiiis

Est-ce que vous aimez quand les héros ont la classe et quand les filles ont des attributs que l’on ne voit dans la réalité que dans les films interdits aux petits garçons ? Ouaaaaaiiiiis

Est-ce que vous aimez quand les personnages peuvent envoyer des éclairs et fracasser des murs ? Ouaaaaiiiiis

Alors Veritas est fait pour vous !

Couverture du 3eme tome

Après cette introduction aussi inutile qu’handicapante pour ma crédibilité, rentrons dans le vif du sujet. Veritas est un manwha (manga coréen) de Kim Dong-hoon et Yoon Joon-shik de type shounen. Il raconte l’histoire de Ma Gangryong, un adolescent qui ne vit que pour se battre afin de devenir le plus fort (le concept bien connu du c’est moi qui ai la plus grosse). L’histoire commence lorsque, en train de se faire tabasser par une bande d’autres étudiants, notre héros est sauvé par un inconnu qui écrase facilement ses agresseurs. Impressionné, Gangryong demande à son sauveur de devenir son maître, et va découvrir un monde ou des techniques comme le « lightning fist » est possible (lightning fist = poing électrique pour ceux qui ne parlent pas la langue de Shakespeare et des Beatles et de Kate Moss même si c’est pas tellement pour ce qu’elle dit qu’on la connaît). Les choses s’accélèrent lorsque, quelques temps après le départ de Lightning Tiger – son maître, des envoyés d’une organisation viennent lui annoncer la mort de son mentor. Il se retrouve emmené – légèrement de force cela va de soi – dans une école spécialisée appelée The Reunion où d’autres élèves apprennent les arts martiaux les plus puissants de Corée. Commence alors son périple pour devenir encore et toujours plus fort, tout en découvrant l’équilibre fragile de l’école, dominée par la toute puissante (et super mignonne en plus) Vera Linus. Aidé par ses amis (enfin en tout cas par ceux qui s’opposent à Vera), il se lance dans sa course à la force dans cet univers où se côtoient des élèves aux pouvoir incroyables…

Tome 1 de Veritas

Veritas est mon coup de cœur du moment. Les dessins sont impressionnants, toujours impeccables, avec un style réaliste très poussé. L’histoire est beaucoup plus complexe que l’on pourrait le croire au premier abord, avec des zones d’ombres sur le passé commun des personnages que l’auteur lève habilement, en gardant de la place pour des développements futurs prometteurs (introduction subtile de nouveaux personnages hauts en couleur). Les personnages sont d’ailleurs à mon avis le gros point fort de Veritas. Ils sont nombreux à jouer un rôle important, avec une grosse personnalité, et des motivations aussi diverses que les raisons de boire une bière en été et croyez moi il y en a beaucoup. Quant aux combats, j’en parlerais bien mais rien que d’y penser des larmes de joie inondent mes yeux et mon clavier fort heureusement waterproof, et je préfère vous encourager à aller voir par vous-même.

En plus, et je me répète mais c’est important, on se laisse vraiment emporter dans l’univers Veritas et on aimerait pouvoir lancer des éclairs comme Gangryong – d’ailleurs c’est moi ou en ce moment les héros qui ont la classe utilisent l’électricité ? Lorsqu’on met ensemble Aiolia du Lion (Saint Seiya), Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto) et maintenant Gangryong, on a de quoi mettre un terme aux problèmes énergétiques et illuminer tout Paris en plein hiver ! Mais je m’égare et je vous retiens alors que vous devriez déjà être en route pour lire Veritas…

Ich treibe eigentlich gerne Sport, aber manchmal sind mir dumme Dinge passiert. Zum Beispiel letztes Jahr beim Sporttag unserer Schule: ich rannte um den Tennisplatz, jemand stellte mir ein Bein und ich bin hingefallen. Das Jahr darauf wollte ich mal probieren mit den Stellzen zu gehen…ihr könnt euch ja vorstellen was dann passiert ist, oder? An einen anderen Tag spielte unsere Klasse Hockey, ich schoss ein Tor, jemand hatte seinen  Schleger auf dem Spielfeld vergessen, aber ich blieb noch rechtzeitig stehen, rannte weiter und stolperte über meinen eigenen Schleger. Das sind drei Beispiele die uns sagen: SPORT IST MORD!!!!!!!!!

Ich treibe eigentlich gerne Sport, aber manchmal sind mir dumme Dinge passiert. Zum Beispiel letztes Jahr beim Sporttag unserer Schule: ich rannte um den Tennisplatz, jemand stellte mir ein Bein und ich bin hingefallen. Das Jahr darauf wollte ich mal probieren mit den Stellzen zu gehen…ihr könnt euch ja vorstellen was dann passiert ist, oder? An einen anderen Tag spielte unsere Klasse Hockey, ich schoss ein Tor, jemand hatte seinen  Schleger auf dem Spielfeld vergessen, aber ich blieb noch rechtzeitig stehen, rannte weiter und stolperte über meinen eigenen Schleger. Das sind drei Beispiele die uns sagen: SPORT IST MORD!!!!!!!!!

Dear Diary,

 ”Pacquiao o Cotto,Couture o Vera?”

Nobyembre 15, Linggo, bumaha ang internet napakaraming opinyon mula sa mga pinsan ko. Di ako nakapaghintay na gumising ng maaga para magsimba. Sakto alas singko sa orasan, kahit antok tuloy pa rin ang araw. Live streaming… Halos isang oras akong naghanap ng matinong live broadcast ng laban ni Pacman at Cotto o di kaya’y Couture at Vera.

Minalas ata ako, walang nahanap blocked na kasi halos lahat. Kaya TV nalang, bahala na daw huli sa aksyon basta di masali sa tensyon. Halos mapuno ang mga lugar na may live broadcast sa Gensan. Tahimik ang mga kanto pati mga kapitbahay nakikinig na din sa radyo.

Ako, nakaupo sa silya at nagsusumamo…Vera dapat yung panalo! Wala parang nadudungisan na ang UFC. Mula kay Shogun ngayon sa kapwa Pinoy na. Nabigla nga si Couture sa lakas ng sipa ni Vera. Pero ang panalo si Couture, baka nanalo yun dahil matanda na rin siya.

Para kay Pacquiao, matatawag na siyang 7th wonder. Pitong titulo, asa ka pa! Sino daw susunod sa linya? Wala na talaga akong masabi kay Pacman buong mundo ay parang hawak na niya.

Ahh basta, di pa ako tapos sa aking mga gawain. Ningas kugon kung ituring…Sa susunod na siguro ako magbibigay ng tula.

Anyone catch UFC 105: Couture vs Vera? Boy oh boy… in what is becoming a blemish for the UFC, the judges yet again fail misserably at their jobs. I’m a huge Couture fan but this should be such a hollow victory for him. Just a quick recap for how judges score a bout:

Judging Criteria
Judges are required to determine the winner of a bout that goes to it’s full time limit based upon the following criteria:
-Clean Strikes
-Effective Grappling
-Octagon Control
-Effective Aggressiveness

Round 1 really didn’t have much going on but if someone had to win that round it should have gone to Couture for pushing Vera to the cage and holding him there for a good portion of the round.

Rounds 2 and 3 were pretty much the same thing from Couture. However Vera landed some effective strikes in both rounds and rocked Couture in both rounds with some clean strikes. Couture really didn’t do much of anything except try and hold Vera in place. Points for him for octagon control but Vera showed effective aggressiveness and landed clean strikes in both of those rounds.

Midway through the second round, Vera landed a high kick followed by another left leg kick to Couture’s side. Another body kick, followed by a big right and a knee to the chest and Couture was on the ground.

The judges got the score right but the decision completely wrong. It should have been 29 – 28; the winner being Brandon Vera.

I don’t even think Couture felt that he had won. He had the look of someone who was quite disappointed and in all honesty I thought he was possibly entertaining the notion of retirement before they announced him as the winner. Couture didn’t defend his win with much conviction and his explanation for the score was that “I controlled the tempo of the fight. It probably wasn’t the most exciting thing to watch.”

Unfortunately this isn’t the first time the judges have gotten it wrong. One only needs to go back to UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun to see poor judge scoring.

I blame this on the mentality that ‘one must beat a champion to become a champion‘. Of course you have to win… but I feel that people take this to mean that one must dominate a champion to get on top. We need to get rid of this though process. The fights should be judged as any other fight… the criteria used should be the same regardless of status.

As Bruce Buffer would say… “It’s Time“… Time for change. C’mon Dana White… it’s time to get competent judges or otherwise train them properly. I barely have a background in fighting and yet could do a much better job than any of these guys who you have judging the bouts. Even Joe Rogan is disgusted by the outcomes from these past two fights.

Filipinos are renowned for two things: Lumpia and Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao v. Cotto:
Cultures clash as Puerto Rican, Miguel Cotto, squares off against the Pride of the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao. This definitely won’t be a stroll in the park, as Cotto is known for having some heavy hands. Nonetheless, I got Pacman taking the fight via (T)KO in the 5th.

UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera
Despite my undying love for Captain America, I think Vera can take this one. If Vera stays aggressive, I got Vera with a (T)KO in 2.

That is all. Let’s get it!

Oh, one last thing. Happy Birthday to my dear friends Tony Shoeprano, Keisha, Komron, and Hesh who are celebrating their birthdays today. I’ll see you guys later tonight. #:Hat

*Tale of the Tape courtesy of Synamatiq.

Verdict: A very funny film with a big heart about the unemployed. 4/5

Story

The film is about a corporate downsizer who becomes obsessed collecting a million frequent flier miles.  

Review

You are probably thinking now, how can a film about a person who fires people for living be an entertaining film? Well firstly it is made by the same director from “Thank You For Smoking”, which is another corporate satire about the smoking industry and the Oscar-Nominated film “Juno”. So you already know that you are in good hands. Secondly, it has the fabulous George Clooney, who has some sort of a career re emergence in the past couple of years with films like “Michael Claydon” and “Syriana”. Of course, given our current economic climate, this is quite possibly one of the most important films to see this year.

Over the past decade, there have a few directors who have emerged from the independent film scene to the Hollywood in search a short time, directors like Paul Greengrass, Christopher Nolan and of course Jason Reitman. In which these guys have emerged on the Hollywood A-list of directors over a course of 1 or maybe 2 films, and since then they have never disappointed. To be honest, it has to be a tough ask from the director to make one great film after another, but with “Up In The Air”, Jason Reitman has grown into a one of the best directors that Hollywood has ever produced. He takes, in a way, a clichéd story but makes it feel fresh and relevant, in which a corporate downsizer realises that there is much more to life than just travelling. Heard this story before, well I am sure that all of us have, but Reitman refuses to give us the happy ending that we all want and staying true to the characters themselves, which doesn’t make us, as an audience, feel short changed in any way. The style, pace and editing of the film is marvellous, it make you feel as if you are gliding through airports, so we get a piece of what it is like to be or to be with Ryan Bingham,  and equally showing the madness of airports, that I am sure, we have all experienced. The opening credits deserve a mention, the opening aerial shots marvellous, credit Director of Photography, Eric Steelberg for this.   

It is crucial for a film like this to have good performances, to help us believe in these characters, and I have to say, they give some stellar performances. George Clooney is just brilliant as Ryan Bingham, who is essentially a loner, which is the life style that he has chosen, to help him cope with the challenges of his job. But Clooney oozes the screen with his used charismatic presence, which is particularly useful when he is firing people on screen and his no-nonsense approach to life in general is quite infectious; you buy into him from the very first scene. But equal to task are the two female characters played brilliantly by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Vera Farmiga plays Alex, who is similar to Ryan, whom she spends, most of her in the air, and there is a funny scene in which they compare their own frequent flyer mile cards. Anna Kendrick plays Natalie, who is a perky, ambitious corporate downsizer who is paired with Ryan. I was surprised to hear that these two female characters where in the book, because they didn’t feel forced in any way. So it is a testament to the writing of Jason Reitman and his writing partner Sheldon Turner for creating these charcters. It is a rarity in the Hollywood to have 2 strong female characters that are reduced to their own stereotypes, and so it is nice to see that a film defines that expectation. It is also nice to see actors like the ever reliable J.K. Simmons and Sam Elliot in small but pivotal roles in the film. 

But the best thing about the film is that, it never forgets its subject matter. Dealing with the unemployed during this time is a very risky thing to do, but the way the film deals with this theme means that our sympathies are with the characters straight away including Clooney’s, Farmiga’s and Kendrick’s characters. Even though, the issue of unemployment are used for the purpose of comedy, which is shown in a quick montage with Zack Galifianakis which is very funny indeed. But the film pulls itself back, with the use of documentary footage of real people of have lost their jobs, and they talk about their experiences is harrowing and is used effectively in the film. We are there first hand to feel what is like to get fired and the film doesn’t forget that people will destroy themselves if they do lose their jobs, which is haunting in itself. But, I guess the what sums up the whole film is during the credits, because there is a song being which is so moving and relevant to the film, that it has to be listened to. 

I do have a few minor problems with the film, which relates to an earlier point, and that is the story is clichéd in a way. This is based on the realization of Clooney’s character of what he has missed out on in his life. It felt that the film had to go down this route to it to continue but thankfully the film doesn’t give into the usual Hollywood ending. The other factor is that the film is pretty much and American Airlines advert. I realize that they had to finance the film, and this was one of the concessions they had to make, but after awhile it was quite annoying.

But don’t let these minor problems put you off a fantastic film like “Up In The Air”. It’s very funny, witty, and intelligent about its subject matter, and never forgets what it is truly about. Expect this to be a major player on the 7^th March 2010 for the Academy Awards.