It's four o'clock in the morning, I'm supposed to be studying, but I have 16 tabs open and only four of them relate to my final. I suppose my bed isn't conducive to studying either, but neither is anywhere else that has internet access. At least I have my covers here to coo and comfort me while I lie here in my self-loathing. I suppose I could remove myself from my computer, but according to 85% of my brain (which is probably the same percentage that got its thrills from watching Spongebob Squarepants as a kid), the very suggestion is scoff inducing.

Ahh <3

http://www.pitchfork.com/news/44843-video-trent-reznor-and-karen-o-cover-led-zeppelins-immigrant-song/#ooid=R2a2U0MzrI6rgFA1Btw2dE8WXdxmqfzC

I woke up this morning and one of my first thoughts went to the First world problems meme (never going on 9gag before bed again). So I entertained myself by thinking of more ridiculous first world problems such as, "my coffee makers broken", "my free subscription for spike has ran out", "sobey's doesnt carry the right kind of cheese" etc, etc. So anyway, I bump into my sister, who looks absolutely distraught. I ask her what the matter is, she looks at me with watery, tired looking eyes and says to me: My blackberry's broken, I can't go on BBM :'(

"What makes people weak? Their need for validation and recognition"-Paulo Coelho

I fall into the trap of letting the opinions of others validate me. We all do it from time to time. I know when my work is good and when it looks like something that came out of the uglier end of a mutant turkey. Why I need someone to confirm what I already know is idiotic and redundant. How about we stop worrying about who's looking and actually start focusing on the work itself, the rest, I believe, will come naturally.

"Think affirmatively"

The words "will" and "am" are a lot stronger than "might" or "may be". Being affirmative in your statements leaves no room for doubt. You become more comfortable and confident in your decisions. The confidence extends to other areas in your life. Things are more likely to happen. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Overbearing Parents

1. Learn to knock

2. If you raise your kids in a western society, please don't act surprised if they happen to adapt the culture.

3. Stop being paranoid.

4. God isn't airing your child's dirty laundry. Stop snooping.

5. Your daughters are not prostitutes just because she stays out past 11. There are other reasons to be out at night.

6. There are other careers out there aside from doctor/engineer.

7. Studying art doesn't mean your kids are going to spend the rest of their lives as a starving painter/musician/actor/etc.

8. If you're going to compare your child to someone else's, please make sure you know enough about the other person to not make yourself sound like an ignorant, gullible idiot.

9. The neighbours have better things to do with their lives than to meddle in your affairs. Again, stop being paranoid

10. If you stifle your child's social life, don't be surprised if they try to make up for it in spades when they have freedom or when they have social anxiety issues.

STOP being so insufferable. PLEASE, find a hobby aside from making your children miserable. All you're ensuring is long hours of psychological therapy in the years to come.

doodles of character designs

A series of character designs I was doodling during animation class today. I hope you enjoy them!

Image1:Girl

Image2:Man

Image3:HalloweenCharacterdesigns

Image4:expressions

Gotye- Easy Way Out- official animated clip

Our Lady Peace - Somewhere Out There

Kimbra - "Good Intent" [Official Music Video]

I'm not one for following particular artists, usually listening to what sounds good to me, but every so often there's one whose stuff I just fall in love with. I think Kimbra is absolutely incredible. What's even better is that she and Gotye, another artist that has a piece of my heart, collaborate in Somebody That I Used to Know (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY ). Ah-mah-zing duo.

Untitled pair

Looking back on our childhood tales, how many of them are as enchanting and more importantly, as innocent as we once thought they were? I created this pair to explore that question.

I left it untitled because I find coming up with names is more difficult than creating the darn thing. Also, I find titles slightly cheesy.

If you DON'T know what this is referring to, I shake my head at you. For those who do, this is by far the cutest thing I've seen all day. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had to have been my two favourite games of all time. Twilight Princess comes in at a close second. Yes, the first two both take first. I wish I could combine them to create one hybrid super game of awesomeness. Life would be complete.

Mushed up thought from last night.

There's a delicious sense of victory in overcoming a negative situation, but it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth if you think about it too much. There are far too many things on a daily basis that upset us. You sit there, drowning in a puddle of sorrow, feeling sorry for yourself not realizing that you are your own agressor.

Someone I met said something yesterday that changed my outlook on a lot of things. Hate is not the opposite of love. You expend about the same amount of energy towards both. Anger does nothing but make you out to be a babbling uncivilized baboon who throws childish hissy fits when things don't go their way.

So indifference is the answer.... Blissful indifference....

When we care about someone, we put them on pedestals. They can say or do no wrong. I realized that people are just people, fractured and flawed, not gods. There are some people you cannot change. They live by ideals that we might not agree with. That's their choice. You wouldn't like another to dictate how you live. So live by your ideals, and let them alone.

Never apologize for being who you are like a meek little mouse who has no spine. If you're a weirdo, embrace it. If you're a nerd, kudos to you. If you are a douche, I like douches, call me ;D! (just kidding) If you are a flake, hey, you're more fun. If you are a sloo, I would recommend that you get checked out.

But why do we label people? Why do we need absolutes to define us. What about douchey-nerd-sluts? huh? HUH? We are all a chimera of different personalities. I know its safe and easy to find a niche, but closing yourself off to other things because you feel like you have to conform to a certain ideal, that's not living, it's a farce.

Like I said, no apologies for being who you are.

I do, however, apologize for my atrocious grammar and incoherency. I've been watching too many westerns over the course of the past few days and them grammar things have done gone down the shit-hole.

This is what I'm listening to: Rock Mafia-The Big Bang --I'll explain why this is here below

So, one cold fall/winter day, whilst I was panting away on the eliptical at the gym trying to exercise away my problems I heard this song playing on the radio. I had no idea what it was called or what it was saying, but I knew that it was catchy as hell. It got me through insanity and back.

Now, when I listen to it, it always takes me back to where I was, mentally, but I can't detach from it. You know that song. Everyone has that song.

"I don't wanna dream, I just wanna live it."

I'm gonna sign off before I type anymore cray-cray babble. Good night everyone.

The White Stripes - A Martyr For My Love For You

She was sixteen and six feet tall
In a crowd of teenagers comin' out of the zoo
She stumbled started to slip and fall
Teeter-tottered on the top of patent leather shoes
I happened to catch her and said,
"maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you"

Maybe for you, now

But not as shaky as I must have seemed
Talkin' junk through her giggle, little teenage dream
And on the phone I could not compete
My dumb-love fake competence was getting weak
For a sec' I thought I sounded sweet
But sure 'nough in a gruff, faint voice
I heard myself speak

[Chorus:]
I could stay a while
But sooner or later I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we could share a kiss
But I feel like I can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/w/white_stripes/a_martyr_for_my_love_for_you.html ]
I'm beginning to like you
So you probably won't get what I'm going to do
I'm walkin' away from you
It probably don't make much sense to you
But I'm trying to save you
From all of the things that I'll probably say or do

I'll probably do

[Chorus:]
I could stay a while
But sooner or later I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we might share a kiss
But I feel like a can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now

You'll probably call me a fool
And say I'm doin' exactly what a coward would do
And I'm beginning to like you
It's a shame what a lame way to live
But what can I do?
I hope you appreciate what I do

I'm a martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you, now
A martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you

Tim Burton's "Vincent"

Tim burton always cheers me up :) especially this short!

"...and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/shall be lifted, nevermore"--best E.A.Poe line. Perfect way to end a delightful little film.

Linkin Park - Rolling In The Deep (Adele Cover - Live)

I have goosebumps...

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I finished this book and I'm hooked. I have to read the next book!! Seriously, I'm like a addict who needs her next fix. Then comes watching all of the movies! Oh, I am very very excited indeed! :)

Lisbeth Salander is deeply flawed, socially inept, de-emotionalized individual, which when coupled with her pristine (to her advantage and disadvantage) memory, amazing hacking skills, bad ass attitude and hypersexuality, makes for an extreeeemely intriguing character.

The book tackles a lot of important issues, mainly violence against women [which the author had apparently witnessed first-hand, and had written this series in response to. He even named the main character after the victim, Lisbeth] and it can quickly become horrifically graphic. Warning, it's not a light and pleasant walk through the park.

http://www.stieglarsson.com/The-Girl-With-The-Dragon-Tattoo

....Hooked....

I've finished the series since posting this blog and I must say, I wish so badly that there were more of the millenium books. For a series that was originally supposed to be comprised of (I believe) ten novels, we are left with a trilogy and wanting more. With the Swedish films watched, I eagerly wait for David Fincher's adaption. I'm not sure what to expect from it, being slightly torn between disgust at Hollywood's need to dig it's poison claws into something good and excitement at the prospect of a revival of the story from a fresh perspective. I am at least relieved that it's going to be a David Fincher film as Fight Club is one of my all time favourite movies, I can breath a little easier knowing that the story is in good hands.

Lee Ufan's mild majesty at the Guggenheim Museum - artnet Magazine

Lee Ufan's mild majesty at the Guggenheim Museum - artnet Magazine

An Introduction to ‘Mono-ha’ | TABlog | Tokyo Art Beat

An Introduction to ‘Mono-ha’ | TABlog | Tokyo Art Beat

Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyoncé

While I'm at it, I figured I might as well. Enjoy.

Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger.

To be completely honest, I haven't the slightest clue what Lady Gaga meant when she said that line in her and Beyonce's video to Telephone. I conclude that it means something along the lines of: always finish what you start.

I had started on a novel many years ago and worked on it tirelessly until about two summers ago, then one day it was gone. Stolen.

I sit here bitterly, thinking about the individual who was pathetic enough to break into another's home and take what's not their own. That story had become part of my life. The morning after that happened, I rewrote the last chapter I had written entirely from memory, and tried to write tidbits here and there of others until I abandoned the pursuit altogether.

A note to thieves. This may be a completely pointless thing to say, considering that you probably have a very skewed moral compass (I understand that it probably comes with the occupation), but please really think about what you take beyond the fact that it's a source of quick cash. Yes, I sound naive. Yes, I sound stupid. I'm merely trying to demonstrate the futility with which you can reason with people who clearly have no concept of ethics.

I have changed quite a bit since then and the story seems to have nearly diminished, like a tiny spark at the back of my mind waiting to be ignited, but this time, it's changed as well. I only hope that I'll have the chance to pick it up again and attack it with a new vigor. Until then, I can only hope that it doesn't burn out because you know what they say: Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger.

City And Colour - Fragile Bird (NEW 2011)

After being scarred many eons ago by Save Your Scissors, I was a little apprehensive about approaching this band again, but here they are. On repeat.

I love the mellow vibe of this song. Definitely one to have on your iPod.

1. I believe this is close to/or along Wall St.
2. dancers

Just so you know, I love eyes. I love drawing eyes and photographing them as well. These eyes belong to my pseudo-bro, Gurav. He has such pretty eyes, and lashes any girl would kill for. :)

Swans and Snippets

Okay, clearly my sporadic posting isn't in any way, shape, or form, consistent. SO I'm creating a day. Wednesday, if any of you wonderful homo sapiens bother to read this, will be my post day.
-----------------------
Sometimes life can be interesting, sometimes its about as mundane as watciing a puddle of water dry. Today, its a drying puddle. Please excuse my typos, I'm not wearing my glasses. I have the visual range of a mole. Okay, maybe it's not THAT bad and maybe my eyes are closed as I type. Anyway, what did i do keep myself occupied? Umm, I watched Black Swan last night. Darren Aronofsky and Clint Mansell together are a cinematic orgasm. I will never forget the first time I heard Mansell's Lux Aeterna score as the leitmotif of Requiem for a Dream. It was transcendental.

Nina's inner battle to find herself and let it go is something that we all can at times relate to (top that off with an overbearing parent--you basically have the lives of almost 90% of South Asian children, le sigh). This movie is dark and thrives off of its ability to discomfort, to unnerve, and to question reality/delusion (and therefore which is a truer depiction of her world). Like the princess trapped in the swans body, self-sacrifice/death is the only way Nina could escape her physical bounds and become a free transcended being (like Lester from American Beauty) and in that moment, they see pure, untainted beauty.

Of course this is a movie, don't let this give you any ideas. If you're not happy with life, surround yourself with positive things, people, etc. Trust me, it works.

*********************************************************************************



From here on, it's two random snippets of soul purging from my moments of boredom.
-----------------------------------------------
They told me I was honest
But honesty never saves the day
They told me I was a prude
But I’m too much of a fool to stay chaste
They said too much about me
So what more can they say?
-----------------------------------------------
There’s a ghost hanging over me
Trapped between the bars of my consciousness
I try, and I try
To bring it back to future
But the ghosts of my past won’t let me go

In Limbo

Interesting short that I found while youtube-ing Gotye's Hearts a Mess. Take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYOmy05UQMo&NR=1

Aleph

I know I haven't been posting regularly as I had intended lately, but I've been drowning in projects. I'll admit, most of my stress was facilitated by my procrastination, but it's not my fault that the weather makes me sleepy, is it? Alright, I'm done making excuses for myself, time to move onto a few of things that I've seen within the past week.

Attended the Beyond Sharkwater lecture:

In case you dont know what Sharkwater is, allow me to elaborate.

For filmmaker Rob Stewart, exploring sharks began as an underwater adventure. What it turned into was a beautiful and dangerous life journey into the balance of life on earth.

Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.

Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Okay, maybe I took that off of the film website, but guys the message is important. Shark finning is a really big deal. Shark finning is basically dragging in sharks, cutting their fins off, and tossing the rest back into the water. Why? for shark fin soup, yeah SOUP. Basically, the fin is used to add texture to the soup and really does nothing for the taste. We're disrupting the food chain by killing off the top predator. The entire ocean biodiversity is effected if this unnecessary killing continues. I've posted links below for both the documentary and also for more info on shark finning. Please check them both out!

http://www.sharkwater.com/

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/news08.htm

I got to meet the director, Rob Stewart! He's an amazing person, who's so passionate about his cause, I feel so lucky to have met him, even if I DID make a complete airhead of myself. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Luminato

k.d. lang concert @ Pecaut Square, the belle brigade, siss boom bang--

A couple of lang songs that I'm listening to at the moment.

Hush sweet lover--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQoF0CIKRbc&feature=fvwrel

I confess-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amM3Z2YgcKI

Soulpepper theatre

This was my first time in the distillery district during the day. It was beautiful. The brick buildings that were once used in the brewing process now had the most curious shops, theatres, restaurants, cafes, galleries etc etc. If you do decide to check it out, remember to stop by SOMA chocolate and gelato. My last time was during Nuit blanche of 2010. It was an interesting experience no doubt. I dont even know how I got there, but somehow at 2am or so, I was sitting around a fire amidst a circus of steampunk, post-apocalyptic performance artist with someone I briefly knew. Strange how things turn out.

So anyway, I got to check out the Soul Pepper theatre and saw Aleph, I've posted the link below. It was definitely an interesting experience to say the least. Apparently an aleph is a point where all points of the universe interject. [I guess a kind of worm hole. I don't pretend to understand exactly what and how a wormhole works, but this how I've learned to make sense of it: ask yourself, whats the shortest distance between two points drawn on the same side of a paper? Is it a line connecting the two points? What if you fold the paper so that one touches the other?] The show definitely went into some strange, thought provoking places, but isn't that one of the best parts of theatre?

The second show that I saw at the soulpepper was Virtuosic Toronto. It was a ~20 minute long performance that took a video of a job, and layered it's sounds and processes with dance and acoustics that kind of recreate it in a more conceptual way? I'm not explaining this very well.

Virtuosic Toronto

Musicians Waleed Abdulhamid, John Millard, Aline Morales and Greg Oh, and dancers David Cox, Troy Feldman, Anisa Tejpar, and Brendan Wyatt, create music and choreography set to film footage of everyday Torontonians doing their jobs with a high level of artistry.

...that's better.

http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/index.php

http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/directory.php?cat=CAFES

http://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/11_season/the_aleph.aspx

http://www.soulpepper.ca/

http://www.soulpepper.ca/media/144975/advisory_

_soulpepper_summer_repertory_schedule_-_updated.pdf

Alice's adventures in wonderland at Luminato!

Luminato is a great Toronto wide festival that brings the arts to the fore for about a week so that the general public can experience, develop interest, and perhaps even be involved in it.

This is a couple of things that I'd like to check out during the festival

Alice's adventures in wonderland

http://www.luminato.com/2011/alice

Sargasso

http://www.luminato.com/2011/sargasso

Confluence

http://www.luminato.com/2011/confluence

One Thousand and One Nights

http://www.luminato.com/2011/1001nights

Garden of roses

http://www.luminato.com/2011/denis

I'm still browsing the site, so I'll post more once I've found more things to pique my interest.

Krasner

Saw a couple of Lee Krasner's work too. It's really quite unfortunate that (up until recently) she hadn't gotten the attention that she deserved (both because she was a woman and because she was married to Pollock). It was hard to be a woman in a man's world unless you could make yourself asexual in some way. Lee chose to initial her work with L.K., which is sexually ambiguous.

Have you been to The Bean?

Looking at Noguchi's work reminded me of Anish Kapoor, the artist behind the massive stainless steel Cloud Gate that sits in the AT&T Plaza, otherwise known as the "bean" (see picture above, like really, you can't miss it). Anyway, here is a link to some of his works. I love that he often works in gargantuan scales (I'm fairly short, so what's large to you is colossal to me). Check it out, it's phenomenal!

http://www.anishkapoor.com/684/Leviathan.html

Isamu Noguchi!

I discovered Isamu Noguchi (I hear you scoffing, I know, I'm late) at the Abstract Expressionist New York Exhibit (100 masterpieces from MoMA) at the AGO. Though magnificent, his work was completely over shadowed by the Pollocks hanging in the adjacent room (seriously, it was as if I had died and went to heaven...I stared at Number 1A and sighed happily for a good ten minutes). However, Noguchi's work crawled his way back into my life. Without knowing it, I had actually photographed and admired his work long before knowing who he is while in Manhattan last month.

http://www.art.com/products/p14660432-sa-i3108061/amanda-hall-red-cube-sculpture-1968-by-isamu-noguchi-at-140-broadway-manhattan-new-york.htm

I am now completely and utterly in love with his work. I mean, check out these floating fountains!

I really want to know the inner machinations for these two. Just incredible in general, especially against the night sky.

I've fallen in love with his sculptures. They're so raw and timeless because of their abstraction. They take on a character of their own, silent, indiscriminate, but seemingly aware of their own presence within their context. I'll post a couple of sculptures that I like below so hopefully you can see what I mean.