Hot Wheels - Watch this:

Fashion Show on the Edge: Rick Owens

Now THIS is fashion to revel in. Watch all the way, it gets better and better and don't forget to look at the clothes.

Curious Pursuits

Some people get to play with their imagination all their lives and collaborate with other professional enthusiasts. I sometimes envy them. Here is a collaboration of the poet Anne Carson, Merce Cunningham dancers, Harvard University, and some other artists who bring it all together into one curious end.
I found it here.

More of the same

We should look for inspiration here, where mayors have their priorities right.

Whale of a Tale

I have to share, many have seen this already but for those who have not - watch how a small group on a tiny boat saves a whale from death, and the show of thanks they get in return:

3 Positives

1. Rush tickets to see the Twyla Tharp dance "In the Upper Room" with the National Ballet. They had some difficulties as it is a challenging piece but the dance is uplifting, interesting, mesmerizing. The Balanchine and Robbins pieces, although technically well done were not as compelling. Still, This is a great way to see performances that normally would be out of my reach.

This next one is just a bonus, I did not see it in reality, I wish they'd do it here - Enjoy! The older way of ballroom dancing, with a Twyla twist, as she is known to do:
2. Cabinets in the kitchen. Not operative kitchen yet but progress made.

3. Summer outings in this vibrant city, on the bike and on foot, with hats and fun dresses.

A Man After My Own Heart

Bill Cunningham is the subject of the wonderful documentary of his life, named Bill Cunningham, New York.
He is a street fashion photographer since he stopped making hats when he was drafted to go to war in Korea. His hats were good. His love of fashion is the love of his life, and he spent his 80 years immersing himself in the images of what women wear.
It's a fascinating story.
He lives his life in a monastic way, tiny studio at the Carnegie Hall (until very recently) without family, or a kitchen or a closet. He wears the same clothes all his life, by the way.

The film ends with this simple touching statement by him:
He who seeks beauty shall find it.

Accentuated Positives

For the weeks past:
*) Jazzy mother's day outing at the Rex, with Club Django.
*) 2 films at the TJFF: Leonard Cohen's pre-singing days, and a nostalgic "Intimate Grammar".
*) Fabulous Sat. night dinner with great company and excellent food at Asian Legend.
*) Hard fun ballet classes with the fab Ballet Bob.
*) We'll have to see about this one: joining the age of constant technology - a cell phone. So far I still say - I can do without. But it's here and it works.
*) Blooms in gardens around the city and in mine, sunny days and warmer nights, winter is over at last.
This is my most favourite song of L. Cohen. There were no songs in the film, only early poems. Still, this is him at his best:

The National Parks Project

Good idea, bad, bad result.
Last night I narrowly got in to see this film at Hot Docs, after standing in the rush line for an hour and a half and then whisked in by an industry insider, I thought myself lucky, until the film got on.
It's a collection of 13 short film which were supposed to bring together filmmakers and musicians to be inspired by some of the most remote and wild and exquisite places on earth.
What we got instead, save for very few, was what one spectator called bravely during the Q & A which followed, an abomination and misrepresentation of nature, and ultimately produced the worst crime of entertainment - a bore.
The brave nature lover who stood up at the end and told the producers and director what he thought about their films was right.

The opening film was good - it was about Gwaii, and it had sensitivity to the splendor and wildness and ancient environment, it had love for the softness and sensuality of what makes that area so special, it had inspiration, and it had humility before nature.
The film about Mingan was also quite beautiful, as were the ones about Waterton and the remote arctic parks.
In parts it was embarrassing to watch. One director admitted he felt no connection to nature, which was clearly evident in his piece, Misty Morning. This one was particularly offensive.
The absolute worst was about Gros Morne, which I was looking forward to, since we are planing a visit. The park itself was nothing but a backdrop - we sat there looking at a red headed girl masturbating on her guitar on some rocks, not inspired by the nature abound her, drowning the sounds of nature in screeching electric guitar while her hair is blowing in the sunset. We also got quite a long glimpse of the computers the musicians used to mix their music on the shore.
The end result is a provincial, self indulgent and mutilated version of a good idea. What a shame.