Blog on Blog Action 3

Here are some funny blogs about hipsters and dogs. I can't remember where I found them/ who passed them on, but they are cute. Unlike my blog which is never funny and rarely cute. So not exactly competition. =)


http://unhappyhipsters.com is a humourous take on Hipster lifestyle and architecture.

http://hipsterpuppies.tumblr.com features adorable canines and sometimes biting commentary on Hipster chic.

flickr

flickr.com is a good photo hosting site that a number of my friends use to do what is basically a photo blog. Abby, is especially talented with her camera and I think you should check it out. One example I particularly like is from the night we went to see Bobby Long last week at Hotel Cafe. This is the lights in the club


Here photostream is HERE.

Art & Culture: Silent Film Goddess Lingyu Ruan

Lingyu Ruan was one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930's. Before her tragic death by overdose at age 24, she acted in 29 films, all of them silent. Her tumultuous life was dogged by massive pressure and gossip from tabloids, mostly resulting from an extended legal battle with her scoundrel of an ex-husband.

Maggie Cheung played her in the 1992 biopic Yuen Ling-yuk.

Below is a clip from her 1933 film 'Little Toys', one of only 8 of her films remaining in existence, the entirety of which, along with 'The Goddess' may be viewed on THIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL.



Part 1/8 of 'The Goddess' (Wu Yonggang, 1934) with English Intertitles

Cool Website:

Soul Pancake was created by Rainn Wilson for the purpose of exploring, sharing and discussing creativity, philosophy and spirituality. Quite simply fantastic.

Here is a great art video from the Soul Pancake website:


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Art & Culture: International Film

Gabbeh is a superbly arresting and visually stunning feast for the eyes. One of my top favorite films of all time.


Trailer for Gabbeh

Musical Flying Saucers

The Hang means "hand" in the Bernese language (pronounced "hu-ng") is a young musical instrument. It was created in Bern, Switzerland in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of The PANArt Company after many years of research on the steel pan and numerous other resonating percussion instruments from around the world such as Gong, Gamelan, Ghatam, drums, cowbells, and musical Saw.

This percussion instrument is comprised of 2 metal hemispheres bonded together: the top side contains 8 tone fields which together form the 'tone circle' (scale or mode). The circle surrounds the central dome, or DING, which sounds like a Gong. The bottom side has a hand sized hole, the GU, for resonance, which can be played like an udu or used to modulate the sounds of the DING (either with a hand or a wooden damper, a DUM).

The Udu-like sounds are produced with the air resonance, the sounds of the clamped shallow shells sound like bells or harmonically tuned steelpans. The inner note on the bottom dome is the bass note, and when played in a dampened way allows change in pitch like a talking drum. Seven to nine notes are tuned harmonically around a central deep note. The hemispheres are hardened by a process known as gas-nitriding (a thermal treatment process in which nascient hydrogen atoms diffuse into the steel and form nitride compounds with many of the alloys in the steel).

The Hang is typically played resting on the player's lap with the palms of the hand, thumbs and fingertips instead of mallets, so the sound is soft and warm. Depending on how it is played the notes can sound like a harp, bells, or harmonically tuned steelpans.

The PANArt Company was offering a number of Hang models and encourages each purchaser to participate in the design their own instrument since each Hangis tuned individually, which allows each person to choose their personal 'tone circle'. Word is that currently the creators are taking a break from making Hangs, so if you want to buy your own you may contact them via mail to be placed on the waiting list or hope to stumble on someone selling theirs.

PANArt Hangbau AG
Engehaldenstr. 131
3012 Bern/Switzerland
Phone international: +41 31 301 33 32
E-Mail: info@hang.ch



Hang

For more Hang vids see The Art of Fusion or Davide Swarup.

Cool Website: Safe Sex is Sexy and Stylish

In honor of the upcoming holiday when most couples (and many singles) will be planning on 'gettin wit it', I offer up for your perusal a great resource for Condom Reviews. Be cause the way to say 'I love you' is by letting your actions say 'I love you enough to be safe'.

Their best selling, most re-ordered, and Winner of Best Condom 7 years running is Crown Skinless Skin Condoms. They are made using the best technology to be thinner (0.00181"), without compromising strength, are odorless and tasteless. Slightly Wider and longer than average for comfort.


To the left is one of the 'Condom Couture' dresses created by Brazilian Artist Adriana Bertini for the Dress Up Against Aids Benefit and Exhibit.

And to ensure that you are just as stylish and sexy as you are safe, why not pick up one of these easy traveling Condom Boxes from Alessi (those folks who make those great stainless steel tea kettles) or for bedside a Condom Cube:

For those of use like to keep more accessories handy, perhaps an Adult Toy Box such as this one, which has a lock and key so you can be safe about being safe:

To Do: Los Angeles

For anyone living in or around Los Angeles, Lucent Dossier, a vaudeville cirque, preforms every Wednesday Nite at the Edison in downtown LA. Performers weave in and out of the 'audience' blurring the line between performance and reality.

Lucent Dossier was formed two years ago, with the intention to ”Bring light onto its viewers.” The name ‘Lucent Dossier’ loosely translates to ‘A Gathering of Light’. They have performed at various festivals through out the USA and Europe as well as with artists, such as Panic! At the Disco, 30 Seconds to Mars, Healer, and the Flaming Lips.

From their website:

Deep from within the Los Angeles underground art and music scene comes the LucEnt dosSieR Experience. Conceived in a blaze of collaborative creation this full production performance-art troupe embodies a newly awakened style of vaudeville glamour infused with their own magical blend of circus shenanigans. The unique inter-active choreography, inspired costuming, original music, mystical face and body artwork are all brought together by the spirited performers to create mesmerizing high-concept spectacles of human light.