War infects all our lives; recently it feels that this has increasingly become ‘our way of life’. It is rare to be given the opportunity to shoot a video that is deemed controversial. All I tried to do was make people think about the everyday life we live in our comfortable existences, and the contrast to that through war.
Everyday + 2 years
Tue Oct 10 22:40:02 +0200 2006
daBlog » Media
Here’s another video of a guy who took a picture of himself everyday, but he’s raised the bar by doing it 2 years longer than Noah
Stupid Girls
Fri Sep 22 19:02:00 +0200 2006
daBlog » Media
My brother sent me a link to an article today about the Indigo Girls, one of my favorite groups. He forwarded it to me mainly because it turns out they are huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans! Who would have thought? (Well, perhaps I did a little. After all I know Amy is a huge Sandman fan.)
But I hope you’re not thinking I’m referring to the Indigo Girls as “stupid”? On the contrary! Their social awareness and activism is certainly something I would like to emulate myself. But I mention this because the article also mentions they recently collaborated with P!nk, another one of my favorite female artists whom I admire not only for her gritty vocal prowess, but also for her outspokenness and ballsy political posture. Take her song, which apparently caused a bit of a stir back in April (and on which the Indigo Girls guested), “Dear Mr President”
Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
I have yet to check out her latest album (which came out in March this year), but her video for the song “Stupid Girls” is noteworthy for its sheer audacity.
A survey earlier this year revealed astonishing results. Girls aged between 15 and 19 were asked which careers they wished to pursue. 63% said glamour modelling and 25% lap dancing. Are these girls smart enough to comprehend P!nk’s message?
Everyday
Mon Sep 11 07:57:00 +0200 2006
daBlog » Media
By chance, I found this awesome video on YouTube, by photographer Noah Kalina, who took a picture of himself everyday for 6 years and compiled his results into an interesting timelapse experiment.
It’s nearly 6 minutes (I know, might as well be 6 years!), but it’s mesmerizing and you may just find yourself staring at Noah for the entire length of it. Turn up those speakers too; the soundtrack is just as engaging.
Neil Gaiman's Sandman
Sat Aug 05 22:32:00 +0200 2006
daBlog » Media
I’ve been a lover of comics for as long as I can remember. My mom may even still have old issues of my old well-worn superhero comics (usually sans covers), which I would occasionally grab on trips to Safeway. Later as a teen, jumpstarted by my Robotech obsession, I started collecting comic books more seriously, investing in plastic sleeves and relatively expensive mylar bags to preserve my treasures. I also ventured outside the typical superhero realm, taking great pleasure in reading graphic novels which dealt with more serious and mature material.
“Neil Gaiman’s Sandman” is most definitely one of them, and one of the best I’ve ever read. I had bought the first volume, Preludes and Nocturnes, years ago, which is a collection of the first 8 issues. I had actually tried on numerous occasions to read it, having read that Sandman was one the premier titles to own in the comics universe, but ironically (or maybe not so, given the title!) I would fall asleep. Not that the material wasn’t any good. I just couldn’t get into it, similar to how the first 50 pages of a good book are a bit tough to absorb at first. However, a week ago, I decided to give it another try, and, well, I’ve reached that tipping point. Now I must read the rest!
What’s so great about it? It’s creatively written and meticulously planned out. In fact, there have been a few moments when I’ve had to stop and say to myself, “Wow, this is bloody brilliant!” I don’t want to give away any of the good stuff, but in summary, the series is about Morpheus (a.k.a. the Sandman), ruler of the Dream Realm, who is removed from his world by cultists seeking immortality and held captive for decades. The book follows the affects of his imprisonment and the inevitability of his escape. Sounds simple, sure, but Gaiman has written some pretty trippy stuff in here that will not only tap into your own dream experiences but maybe expand your mind a bit.
