Random | Anime vs. Cartoon vs. Computer Animation

I hit an odd labeling conundrum. Is it anime, cartoon or computer animation? What is a difference? See, I saw Afro Samurai, Blood+ and The origin of O-Ren as anime, Serge the Seal and Hipsters in Space as cartoons, but La Marche des Sans Nom as computer animation. It is a case of “when you see it, you know what it is, but cannot verbalize the difference.” I also stumbled upon FanNordicRavenna’s YouTube video that is comparing and fleshing out the difference between anime and cartoons. I have to agree with them, but is my third group justified? Computer animation nowadays, and a lot of the other stuff gets done digitally too, has a different look and feel to it, so I would say yes. What’s your take?

Travel | “… and the unicorns danced”

Image of narwhal from
Brehms Tierleben

Following is a passage from Tim Ferriss’ “The 4-Hour Workweek” that inspires a “mini-retirement”:

“ The Bora-Bora Dealmaker Baffin Island, Nunavut  Josh Steinitz stood at the edge of the world and stared in amazement. He dug his boots into the six feet of sea ice and the unicorns danced.                Ten narwhals – rare cousins of the beluga – came to the surface and pointed their six-foot-plus spiral tusks toward the heavens. The pod of 3,000-pound whales then fell into the depths once again. The narwhals are deep divers – more than 3,000 feet in some cases – so Josh had at least 20 minutes until their reappearance.                It seemed appropriate that he was with the narwhals. Their name came from Old Norse and referred to their mottled white and blue skin                Náhvalr – corpse man.                He smiled as he had done often in the last few years. Josh himself was a dead man walking.                One year after graduating from college, Josh found out that he had oral squamous carcinoma – cancer. He had plans to be a management consultant. He had plans to be lots of things. Suddenly none of it mattered. Less than half of those who suffered from this particular type of cancer survived. The reaper didn’t discriminate and came without warning.                It became clear that the biggest risk in life wasn’t making mistakes but regret: missing out on things. He could never go back and recapture years spent doing something he disliked. Two years later and cancer-free, Josh set off on an indefinite global walkabout, covering expenses as a freelance writer. He later became the cofounder of a website that provides customized itineraries to would-be vagabonds. His executive status didn’t lessen his mobile addiction. He was as comfortable cutting deals from the over-water bungalows of Bora-Bora as he was in the log cabins of Swiss Alps. He once took a call from a client while at Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier. The client needed to confirm some sales numbers and asked Josh about all the wind in the background. Josh’s answer: “I’m standing at 10,000 feet on a glacier and this afternoon the wind is whipping us down the mountain.” The client said he’d let Josh get back to what he was doing. Another client called Josh while he was leaving a Balinese temple and heard the gongs in the background. The client asked Josh if he was in church. Josh wasn’t quite sure what to say. All that came out was, “Yes?” Back among the narwhals, Josh had a few minites before heading to base camp to avoid polar bears. Twenty-four-hour daylight meant he had much to share with his friends back in the land of cubicles. He sat down on the ice and produced his satellite phone and laptop from a waterproof bag. He began his e-mail in the usual way. “I know you’re all sick of seeing me have so much fun, but guess where I am?” “

Food | Yakibuta Ramen by Cooking with Dog

There is 3-minute ramen, staple of many a student, and there is real ramen. My fav “chef”, Francis from Cooking with Dog, narrates the recipe dutifully demonstrated by his “assistant” (note to self: find out “assistant’s” name) this time for real Japanese ramen dish that originated in China. Yummy!

 

Beauty | Rebel Belles at style.com

From style.com

Can ladies raise some hell? Yes, according to style.com slideshow, on screen they can.

We have The Better Half Belle (Faye Dunaway as Bonnie), The Undercover Lover (Pam Grier in Foxy Brown), The Killer Clone (Daryl Hannah as Pris), The Good Girls Gone Bad (Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as Thelma and Louise Sawyer), The Runaway Rambler (Patricia Arquette as Alabama Whitman), The American Psycho (Juliette Lewis as Mallory), The Rebel With a Cause (Lori Petty as Tank Girl), The Web Wizard (Angelina Jolie as Kate a.k.a. Acid Burn), The Savvy Survivor (Uma Thurman as The Bride), The Righteous Ones (Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz as Sara Sandoval and Maria Alvarez), The Punk Provocateur (Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander), The Young Gun (Saoirse Ronan as Hanna), and The Wild Child (Kara Hayward as Suzy).

Thirteen isn’t quite enough, I say.

Femme Fatales, and I throw them in the rebel bucket, have a long cinematographic history; Dominique Mainon and James Ursini’s Femme Fatale: Cinema's Most Unforgettable Lethal Ladies counts well over thirteen, starting with Theda Bara who portrayed Carmen, Camille, Salome, Madame Du Barry and Cleopatra pre-1930s Hollywood repression a.k.a. Code. 

Polling for off screen Rebel Belles.

Last Week of Summer № 7 ● Music | Rae & Christian ft. Veba Swan Song (For a Nation)

Random thoughts. Random remembrances. Yes, what was that song? “Northern.” “Soul.” “Northern Soul”? Can hear it. Can see putting the CD in a player. The light in the room was… yes, there were two possible locations with that light. Actually, just one. So the year must’ve been 1996? No. Later. 1997? Breathing. Something to do with breathing… Exhale? Swan? A name “Rae”? What was the other one? “Christian”?

Artist/s: Rae & Christian, Veba

Album: Northern Sulphuric Soul

Year: 1998

Song: Swan Song (For a Nation)

So close!

Inhale.

Next summer is only nine months away.

And there is always the equator and the southern hemisphere.

Last Week of Summer № 6 ● Entertainment | Cramming it!

Bill Hicks – Mandatory Marijuana | The Streets – The Irony of It All | Lil Kim feat. Mr. Cheeks – The Jump Off | Richard Pryor – First Black President | Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop – the “Amen Break” | Eddie Murphy – Italians & Rocky | Margaret Cho – Beautiful | Zoe Jakes - Tribal Fusion Belly Dance

Last Week of Summer № 5 ● Music | Feel Good Hit of the Summer courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age

It’s the last week of summer. It’s Friday. Do I really need to add more?

 

Last Week of Summer № 4 ● Music | Luscious Jackson Naked Eye

What ever happened to…? Named after a basketball player active in the 60s, they quietly reactivated in 2011. Matthew Perpetua wrote about it in February 2012. Now, that is definitely a quiet reunion – 2011 and we hear about it in big music press in 2012?! Rockers! In true fashion of current times, and to be honest very much in line with the ethos they have always exuded, Luscious Jackson released their new single “Are you ready?” via internet and bypassed dealing with a music label. Very luscious! This is how I got hooked:

Last Week of Summer № 3 ● Music to the Rescue | So the summer romance is over? Cee Lo has the remedy.

Cee Lo Green with Purrfect
Portrait by Art Streiber

There is a lovely, i.e.censored, version of this song that Cee Lo Green also performed live
on Jools Holland’s show, but the original is just that more satisfying.

 

Last Week of Summer № 2 ● Movies on Music | Human Traffic’s Koop – the Ultimate Vinyl Pusher

Now let’s perk up a bit. It’s not over yet, and Tuesday is a prelude to Friday night, yeah?

 œ

New record anyone?

Yes, know what you are getting.

Know the artistic economics of the goods.

Know their high potential to corrupt.