Tamara Drewe Movie Trailer Official (HD)

This film has it all: love, passion, jealousy, loyalty and betrayal. It's a real exploration of modern relationships often portrayed with humour and perception. I would also recommend it to all those admirers of Thomas Hardy.

ee cummings ~ pity this busy monster, manunkind,

One of the most creative poets of the 20th century  ~

pity this busy monster, manunkind,


not. Progress is a comfortable disease:
your victim (death and life safely beyond)

plays with the bigness of his littleness
--- electrons deify one razorblade
into a mountainrange; lenses extend
unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish
returns on its unself.
A world of made
is not a world of born --- pity poor flesh


and trees, poor stars and stones, but never this
fine specimen of hypermagical

ultraomnipotence. We doctors know

a hopeless case if --- listen: there's a hell
of a good universe next door; let's go


e e cummings
http://www.poemhunter.com/

Moments of Happiness

It's interesting to think how we seem to live for moments of happiness, then we retreat and it's back to being alone again. What was it Milan Kundera the Czech writer once said? "Happiness is the longing for repetition."

You're never too old

I couldn't believe it earlier on when I was at the gym this afternoon. I was just in the middle of my routine when this old chap walks in; he appeared to be in his early 80's. Naturally I thought or more precisely I assumed that he had left the crowd watching the badminton tournament going on next door. As it turned out we started chatting and he was telling me that his wife had recently passed away and that he used to work out quite regularly. I offered words of encouragement saying that my mother still goes to keep fit classes at nearly 75 years of age and my late father used to do ballroom and Latin American dancing and managed to win various medals in it too. The gentleman later claimed that he was going to get back into training and I thought yes why not, just do what you can and go at your own pace. After he'd gone I was thinking about all those marathon runners who are still jogging well into their senior years so there you go~let's have some respect for these guys who just seem to keep going and going and why not.

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is one of my all time favourite photographers. His compositions from the 1930's and early 40's, generally of Yosemite National Park in California, are so well balanced and thought through. It's incredible to imagine how such evocative images were created on a manual monochrome camera. Perhaps photography was an art form then and able to stand alongside landscape paintings.

                         http://connect.in.com/ansel-adams/wallpaper-gallery-22773-2.html

Stories as Psychology

Here is a writer who involves the reader in his narrative. Just like Helen Dunmore's latest novel, "The Betrayal" Kazuo Ishiguro's work is more about psychology than language. He seems to have a real insight into human behaviour as the reader gradually pieces together the reasons for his characters' actions as they progress through one of his novels. What is not said becomes as important as what is said as thoughts or feelings are either implied or understated.

I have read a few stories written by former colleagues who were English teachers and their writing appears as cerebral word games almost like cryptic crossword puzzles. If the story has no heart or the characters are lacking in psychological depth then why write fiction; after all why do we read if it's not to understand the behaviour and feelings of others and perhaps those of ourselves?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/writers/12224.shtml

‎"Those who seek power are not worthy of that power."

I'm reminded of the famous line on power from Plato's work: The Republic ‎"Those who seek power are not worthy of that power." Yes those who are obsessively driven by ambition or a lust for power seem to miss the point entirely and isn't the point people and their behaviour and emotions? I'm sure that once we learn to listen to each other and accept each other's views then we can create a better society.

A City Night

I love the atmosphere that this photo creates. It's interesting how it's in black and white too which reminds me of the film "Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona" in which Cristina who is wishing to pursue her new hobby of photography is encouraged to abandon her digital camera in favour of a manual one ~ Food for thought ~

The Illusionist~such a beautiful film

I was so impressed with the animation, the story, the characters and the settings in this film. It's one of those films that leaves you with a sense of warmth inside.

Singapore~A Beautiful City

Singapore is one of my favourite cities and this captures the essential vibrancy of its people. This year they are celebrating the Youth Olympics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11083336

Blowing Bubbles ^^

Pure Colour

This is beautiful and is the reason why I prefer painting to photography for capturing the essential mood just as a writer attempts to draw out the soul of a character.

A Good Read

I've just started this novel and I'm impressed. I like the way that the story evolves from the characters' minds so the author keeps herself at a distance. The tense atmosphere of the setting too helps to create a three dimensional view of Leningrad in the former Soviet Union. The author has done her research too as there is an extensive bibliography at the back of the novel; how often do you see that nowadays? So it's a definite recommendation. It also seems to be a very domestic novel almost like a Vermeer painting with its intense focus on the domestic setting of the growing family so it's quite an education too for me. 
Anyway it's time for lunch and then the cinema to see The Illusionist a French animation that so many people are talking about now.  

Bank Holiday Weekend

It's great to have a long weekend; an ideal opportunity to tidy up the flat. This seems to be an ongoing task with me as work and research take up so much time. I guess that's the problem when you live in a world of books and learning, other things can be neglected. Perhaps these are more important too as time is continuing on. Anyway it's time to have lunch and enjoy the rest of the day.

Blank & Jones - Le Grand Bleu (Ambient Mix)