Tuesday 25 November 2014

Tangling it up - Zentangle #18

Zentangle #18

Tangling it up


    This string was offered up on the facebook page "Tangle Me a Dream" and I thought I'd give it a go.  It was fun to play around with the different designs, but what was most interesting, was seeing the different finished pieces that all stemmed from the same string.



Saturday 11 October 2014

Bloomin'

Zentangle #17

Bloomin'


     The summer put a bit of a cramp in my zentanglin' time, but alas, fall is, well, falling, and I'm able to get back to it.  This piece was fun because it was small.  I tended to go for big complicated pieces, and though the end results are more satisfying, the process of doing a smaller piece provides the instant gratification that I crave after hours of work.  


Sunday 18 May 2014

Zentangle Canadian Flag

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 16

Canadian Flag



            Wacky Zentangle’s facebook page put up a challenge to tangle your country’s flag.  Once I got the hang of the maple leaf (barely, and after many many MANY attempts) I was able to proudly do this piece.  

Note: I still haven't gotten the better quality pencil crayons.  Looking forward to having a few extra bucks to spend on the high quality ones. 

Zentangle Inspired Art Canadian Flag Maple Leaf



Monday 12 May 2014

Flower Tips

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 15

Flower Tips



            The facebook page “Wacky Zentangle” put up a weekly challenge for a flower inspired zentangle.  I remembered a beautiful piece by Pysanky Pittsburgh that had caught my eye.  I went back and searched it, (you can find it here) and used it for inspiration to create my own piece, though hers is far better (so you should really check it out). 


            Note to self: Use higher quality pencil crayons.

flower, zentangle, tips, zia



Friday 9 May 2014

Cadent Circles

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 14

Cadent Circles (Monotangle)



            The facebook page “Wacky Zentagle” put up a weekly challenge for a monotangle.  Which means I probably shouldn’t have used the circles since the tangle I chose was Cadent.  Ah well, there are no mistakes in zentangling, right?


            This was the first piece where I really used colour.  I felt like a kid again, with better, more expensive crayons (or in this case, pencil crayons) and paper… I booboo’ed by using marker to fill in the whole circle (second to last one) but other than that, I think it turned out fairly well.
monotangle, cadent, circle, zentangle, zia, zentangle inspired art


Monday 5 May 2014

Fantasy Garden 2

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 13


Fantasy Garden #2



            This is my second fantasy garden, and I’m loving the flowers.  I had the opportunity to use my new pens throughout this one, and I love the depth they provide.  The gardens are a blast to do, and since my honey got me a bigger canvas pad, I’m hoping to do some larger ones. 

fantasy garden, ZIA, Zentangle inspired art

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Spotting Dew

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 12

Spotting Dew



            I need a better scanner, since the shading is barely showing up on this one.  And there is a lot of shading.  I actually acquired a shading pencil and one of those white sticks that blends it all in.  I loved the effect and I’m quite disappointed that it doesn’t show up in the scan. 

            This was my first attempt at a “dew drop” effect.  If I were to wager on the main booboo in this one, it would be that I made the line around the drop too thick.  I’ve noticed in other pieces that the outline of the drop is usually very thin, to the point of being barely visible.


            Regardless, half way through this piece I started using my new pen set.  Good Bye Sharpies! Loving the new dimensions.
Dew Drop effect, spotting dew, zentangle, zentangle inspired art, circles,


Monday 28 April 2014

Fantasy Garden 1

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 11


Fantasy Garden 1



            I named this Fantasy Garden 1 because I imagine I’ll be doing a bunch more.  The Dragonair tangle is now one of my favourites.   The mushrooms were a lot of fun too, and I’m loving the vines and dangle-tangles. 
            
            It's hard to tell on the scan, but I added a little colour to the dragonairs in this piece.  I grated a pencil crayon with a knife and smudged it with a tissue and Q-tips to add a green tinge.

            I got some actual pens, not dollar store sharpies but I didn’t have the chance to use them on this tangle.  Having the 5 different sizes (.005, .01, .03, .05, .08) and some very funky micron color paint pens is allowing for some awesome effects, to be seen in future ZIAs.


Saturday 26 April 2014

Screwed-Up Circles

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 10

Screwed-Up Circles


            So this is one of the ZIA’s I screwed up, but I finished it anyway.  It did not turn out at all like it was supposed to.  I shouldn't have used the coiled rope design on the strings going through the circles, but I liked how well they turned out on the border so much that I wanted to keep using them.  It did NOT give the effect I was hoping for.  But… live and learn.

            Also I tried my hand at the Zendala and that didn't exactly turn out either.

 I attempted to do a sort of paisley yin-yang symbol with the top left circle and though it looks pretty cool, I don’t think anyone would guess that it’s a yin-yang sign.  I’ll be trying that again on a larger piece in the future.


The good news is, I got myself some real micro pens (no more dollar store cheapies), a shading stick and some coloured micro pens.  I'm excited to start using them, they should allow for more intricate designs.  

circles, zentangle, zentangle inspired art,

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Switching things up/ Easter Baskettangle

Zentangle Inspired Art Part 9

EASTER BASKETTANGLE

           
            I ordered some Zentangle books from Amazon and they arrived yesterday.  Through them I’ve learned that my pieces aren’t actually Zentangles, but instead are Zentangle Inspired Art, (a.k.a ZIA).  So I’m changing the numbered titles from here on in.

            The books have been great for inspiration, technique and general Zentangle knowledge. I’ve learned so much in the little time I’ve spent with them.  Also, I’ve got a million ZIA ideas running through my head at all times now.  So many tangles, so little time. 


            Below is the challenge I did for Easter.  It didn’t quite work out as I had hoped, but the end result isn’t that bad.


Tuesday 22 April 2014

Cigarette Style

Zentangle Part 8

Cigarette Style


            I’ve officially botched two of my Zentangles to the point where I won’t be finishing them.  That’s tough for me, since one of the things I love about tangling is the feeling of completion. I never start one Zentangle before I’m done another.  Regardless, I trudge on. 


            I started “Cigarette Style” the same way I was inspired to put a clock in the mushroom in Zentangle Part 2.  I looked around my room, my eyes set on the object, and a Zentangle was created.  Because I’m new to Zentangles, I always want to try out new patterns, but found it hard to work those new patterns into the swirls in this piece.  So it was a challenge, but I do love the end result.


Monday 21 April 2014

Zen Hooters

Zentangle Part Seven

ZEN HOOTERS


While scrolling through google images of Zentangles I noticed quite a few animals, and a repeat of owls.  If you’ve been following my Zentangle journal, you’ll remember I can’t actually draw.  So I searched for a how to on drawing a basic owl base.  I found absolutely nothing easy enough for my feeble little talents to duplicate. So I screwed around with circles until I came up with these two little sweeties.

I admit they both look like they got into the wrong type of mushrooms on their nightly raid, but regardless, I think they are adorable.





Friday 18 April 2014

Scroll of Zen

Zentangle Part 6


Scroll of Zen




            This one was a lot of fun because I went pretty wild with the designs after the initial drawing of the scroll.  I had the chance to try out a bunch of new tangles.  One thing I have to say about Zentangling is that even though I know I made a few dozen mistakes, in the end, when it all comes together, they don’t matter.  There’s so much going on that the booboos don’t actually matter in the grand scheme of the design.  Not a bad lesson to apply to life.  


Wednesday 16 April 2014

Sun Burst

Zentangle Part Five

Sun Burst



            I got to play around with the patterns on this one, and it truly was exciting to do.  It was my first solid attempt at the weaved pattern in the bottom and the top right.  Many, many practice attempts before I put ink to paper on those, but because they were harder to do, I enjoy them that much more.


            “Sun Burst” resembles a lot of the samplers I see out there but with a twist, as it did come together quite nicely. I’ll be referring back to it often for inspiration.


Friday 4 April 2014

Eye of the Beholder

Zentangle Part Four

Eye Of The Beholder


It took me two nights to complete this one.  I wanted to fill it in further but found that the white space added its own effect.  I’m sure I’ll make more eyes, and fill them in differently.




Monday 31 March 2014

Her Wild Locks

Zentangle Part Three

Her Wild Locks

This one turned out far wilder than initially expected.  I’m totally pleased with it.  Her hair… wild.  Her Wild Locks took about 4 evenings to do.  I started out with the face, neck and shoulders in pencil, over and over, until I got it to look approximately how I wanted it, then I did the tendrils in pencil as well.  I traced over the pencil with a felt tipped pen and erased the lines underneath. 

            Filling in the tendrils was where the fun came in. 


            I’m pretty sure I’ll be framing this one at some point and will possibly be doing different variations on it as well.


Thursday 27 March 2014

To Zentangle Part Two

To Zentangle Part Two

     Yes there are a few watermarks on this, the dog jumped on it with wet paws.  And some of the detail was lost in the door during the scanning.  Otherwise, this one was a blast to do.  It took two nights to complete, while watching all of the Smurf movies.  Gotta love that Neil Patrick Harris.  I found the end result pretty trippy. 


Tuesday 25 March 2014

To Zentangle Part One

To Zentangle

What is Zentangle? Yoga for the Brain?

          Zentangle has become a lot of things to a lot of different people.  For me, at its most basic, Zentangle is something to do while I watch tv. Apparently, according to sources throughout the internet, it’s also a form of mediation.  I wouldn’t disagree.

            Let me start by saying that I can NOT draw.  Seriously. I’m the world’s worst artist and I admit to that openly.  I’ve always doodled, as I assume most people do when sitting on the phone or whatnot.  Spirals and tornados and trees and suns that look more like something a five year old would produce than the more mature designs of an adult. Let me take that back, that’s an insult to five year olds…

            I did my high school co-op with a junior kindergarten class a long, long time ago and as a special treat, the teacher set up project with a plate making company.  All of the children had the opportunity to draw a picture on a plate sized piece of paper that would be transferred to an actually plate.  Pretty cool huh? And as a helper, I had the chance to make one too.  So did the other girl I did co-op with.  When the plates came in, my fellow helper and I tore into the box, commenting on each plate.  She got a hold of mine and said “This one didn’t put their name on it. No wonder! My dog could draw better than this”.  Yeah. My drawing was worse than a typical 5-year old’s.  But, don’t cry for me Argentina, I had other talents and accepted my lack at artistic ability with self-deprecating laughter. 

            Then I discovered Zentangle.  As a highly anxious person, I’m always looking for new ways to relax and de-stress.  So I gave it a try, and you know what? It’s as easy as it sounds.  There are no mistakes.  You can screw up as much as you like and still, it’s art. Below is a picture of my first Zentangle.  It took me two nights of tv “watching” (it’s not like a lot of actual watching gets done) to complete this one. 


           
          The results: A fun picture to look at, less smoking, less munching during a show, and something to be somewhat proud of.  The next day I took a trip to the dollar store, bought a larger pad, a crapload of black pens, some pencils and a good eraser.  For under 20$ I now have a hobby that is supposed to relax me, ignite my creativity, provide me with personal insights and increase my own self-worth.  Not a bad deal. 

Friday 21 February 2014

Bubble Bath vs Bath Foam

Bubble Bath vs Bath Foam

The Proof is in the Bubbles




     There is nothing quite as exhilarating or relaxing as a good old fashioned bubble bath.  With the power of aromatherapy erupting in a cloud of sensational scents and the detoxifying effects of Epsom salts you can turn bath time into a full body rejuvenation.  So where has all the bubble bath gone?

     There was a time, not so long ago, when drug-store shelves were brimming with a variety of bubble baths.  Recently that epidemic has been replaced with a new product, guaranteed to be just as remarkable as it's predecessor: Bath Foam.

     Well, allow me to be the one to dispute this opinion.  Bath foam is kinda gross.  It bubbles up in the tub as much as bubble bath, but lacks the texture and consistency.  It feels like... well... foam. I, personally, do not want to relax and clean myself in a tub full of a substance that I fight with every time I try to take a new electronic out of a box.

     I've had store clerks tell me bath foam and bubble bath are the same thing.  They are not.  I've had sales clerks recommend shower gel as an equal alternative... have these people never taken a proper bubble bath? Finally, after over a year of searching shelves for a decently scented BUBBLE BATH (and no, Disney's Princess Bubble Gum scented bubble bath does not count) I came across my version of bathing heaven:  Bath and Body Works.
     Shelves upon shelves of BUBBLE BATH! Yes, actual Bubble Bath! Not foam! (Though one sales woman did suggest I use shower gel when the scent I wanted wasn't available in the bubble bath selection... pfft!)

    Now these glorious bubble baths are mighty expensive, at 18$ a bottle, but man-oh-man, when you pay for quality you get it.  (Also, they always have these 'buy 2 get 1 free' things going on so I've never actually paid full price.) 

    Let's take a closer look at the quality here.  First off, I've tried the sleepy time bubble bath and salts, and they work.  Beautifully.  But my absolute favourite product they carry is their Anti-stress line. 


     Slipping into the tub with this combo is like slipping into a cloud in heaven.  A wet cloud, but a cloud nonetheless.  My skin immediately felt smooth to the touch.  I couldn't stop rubbing my silky legs! And the bubbles, oh the bubbles! No foamy crap, no frothing garbage, real tried and true bubbles! Heavenly!

     I'd love to find a product of this quality that I don't have to drive an hour to find and that isn't as costly, but in the meantime I'll have to stick with this one. 

     So if you're like me, and relish in the sweet sanctuary of a good bubble bath, but have been fighting the bath foam imposters, know that you are not alone dear friend.  There is help out there for those of us have been denied our right to bubbly-goodness.  It's expensive, but it's out there.

     HINT: If you use expensive scented bath salts, buy a big portion of Epsom salts at any store, which are super cheap, and mix them with the scented stuff.  I stretch out one of the jars shown above into 3 jars with Epsom salts.  You can still benefit from the detox of the Epsom salts with the quality essence of the costlier stuff.


Wednesday 19 February 2014

Light Her Fire: The Right Way

Light Her Fire
The Right Way

     Yes, yes, we all know smoking is a terrible habit.  If you abhor smoking and smokers, there is no reason for you to travel further down this written path. Move along.



      For those of you who aren't fuddy-duddies when it comes to another's choice of oral fixation, do not stray.  Here's the how-to of lighting someone else's cigarette.

#1 - Close into your ignition target as if you are a blocking the wind.  Even if you're indoors.  Any excuse to get a little closer is always nice touch.  No need for bodily touching though, your target needs a light, not an excuse for you to get your bump and grind on.

#2 - Ignite your choice of fires, (lighter, match, illusionist's stick up your sleeve ) at least a few inches away from the target.  Let's not set their hair or fur-coat on fire here.

#3 - Bring that lit flame about an inch away from the cigarette, let your target close the gap between their unlit end and your smitten spark.

#4 - MOST IMPORTANT: Don't pull away until they're finished! Never extinguish the flame before your target is satisfied that a true haul as been achieved.  Otherwise they are left feeling like dehydrated fish sucking on that dart for a moment of satisfaction, leaving you both feeling no less than foolish.

  Like a solid handshake, or being able to make eye-contact, the proper lighting of someone's cigarette denotes a sense of character and self-confidence, so go forth and light accordingly grasshopper.

Image Credit: http://www.moviegupshup.net/

The Saga of Yoga and Yogurt


Day 1
(How much left to lose: 60 pounds)

            I stepped on the scale this morning completely naked and YOUCH!  Time to stop blaming those extra pounds on my pyjamas being of extra-thick fabric.  Especially since I don’t wear pyjamas. So a losin’ we will go.  Now I’m not interested in getting all skinny and such.  Okay well that’s a lie, who wouldn’t want to be an ideal weight? But the truth is, I don’t have unrealistic goals.  My unicorn disagrees, but he’s a dumbass. I would be completely pleased with being in shape, and flexible.

And hence begins the Saga of Yoga and Yogurt. I used to do yoga… sporadically. In other words, I’d do a few poses and be proud that I could be all twisty and bendy and stuff.    I used to eat yogurt too, I’d buy a 12 pack and always wind up throwing out about 6 of them three months after they expired and I finally cleaned out my fridge.

Now to take on a different route to perfection. And you  (yes YOU!) have the ability to observe my impending fall into despair and failure.  

Friday 31 January 2014

The Grammy's 2014 Highlights

 The 2014 Grammy Awards

     If you didn't catch the Grammy awards this year, boy did you miss out.  Over the last few years I've found the Grammy's catered to either specific genres (that I so wasn't into) or specific age groups, (for which I grew out of as soon as I got my driver's license).  But this year, oh this year, they catered to everybody, every age group, and all musical palates.

    This awards show had very little to do with actual awards.  It was all about the performances.  And though I would have picked a host with a little more clout than LL Cool J., the entertainment portion of the evening was divine.

    To launch the show last Sunday night was this leggy performance of Drunk in Love by Beyonce and Jay Z.  Have a look for yourself, chick has legs!  (If you're wondering what the bleeped out lyrics are, it's "How the hell did this sh!t happen".


 

     After a quip from LL Cool J. and an award presented by Anna Kendrick and Pharrell Williams, which was pretty cute, to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis for Best New Artist, Lorde took the stage to perform her killer-hit, Royals.  Now if you haven't heard this song yet, you are living in a box below ground - because I live in a box above ground and even I've heard this tune.  And it's catchy.  I originally thought it was some sort of tribute to the show Gossip Girls, until I saw Lorde perform it here at the Grammy's, after this performance I thought it might be better suited for The Walking Dead.  Regardless, killer performance.




   So after the creepy realization that Lorde isn't actually some Britney Spears/Aguilera wannabe, Hunter Hayes, this child (Seriously the kid looks like he's 12 years old, though he's apparently 22) takes the stage and moves the audience by belting out this inspiring song.  If this performance of Invisible by Hunter Hayes doesn't give you chills and goose-pimples, go see your doctor, because you are likely dead inside.




     We get bored by an actual award acceptance at this point, Daft Punk and the robots win for best duo/group performance.  They beat out P!nk.  WTF!??!  Anyhow, after that lame moment, and another lame moment where Steve Coogan plugs his new movie while introduce Katy Perry, a vortex opens and takes us into a crazy, witchy, dark world where Katy Perry performs Dark Horse.  This was a visually stunning performance, but all around it left me with a feeling of "Meh. What's next?"



 
     Following Katy Perry's show, Robin Thicke takes the stage with Chicago where they perform a medley of Chicago tunes.  Now I've heard a lot of things about Robin Thicke that made me dislike the man, things like the lyrics to Blurred Lines.  So I expect a total schmuck to be taking the stage, but instead we're greeted by a lovely gentleman, who does justice to a  classic band like Chicago.  Sure he ends it with the Blurred Lines song, sending his gentlemanliness right out the door. But his opening performance? In two words: tasteful and talented.




   
    When the audience stops going wild for Thicke's enthusiastic finale, Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr. sing one of the cutest songs I've heard in a really long time.  Cop car had every couple within earshot holding hands and smiling.





  Insert a sweet performance by John Legend to break things up and allow for a bathroom break.  Other than the sweet look on his wife's face during creative camera shots, this video can totally be skipped.




     While everyone is coming back from their bathroom break, Kevin Hart and Charlie Wilson give out the award for Best Rock Song to Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and everybody else for Cut Me Some Slack.

     And now back to our regularly scheduled excitement! Or not.  Well sort of.  Taylor Swift takes a seat at the piano and perfectly belts out a tune that would be perfect to listen to on days when you are spiralling into an abyss of depression and want to feel like someone understands you.  A lot of anger there too.  And whiplash.  Maybe it's just me but I think she's trying to invoke the glorious Stevie Nicks in this piece; the raspy voice, the flowing gown, the feathered hair.  Keep trying Taylor, you have a long way to go to reach the divinity that is Stevie Nicks.





    At this point, I can barely stay in my seat because I know, I know, the first of the two reasons I tuned into the Grammy's is taking the stage, or in this case, takes the sky.  Don't miss this one, where she does her amazing acrobatics while singing Try, followed by a steamy dance scene - not enough for you? No problem, I was craving more too, and P!nk delivered by skirting-up and joining Nate Reuss from Fun to belt out Just Give me a Reason. 
    
     Though this was another unbelievable performance by P!nk I don't think even she can ever outdo her 2010 grammy performance of Glitter.  But regardless, give it a look-see.





   Yet again we interrupt this show to bring you an award.  Lorde wins for Best Pop Solo Performance for... you guessed it, Royals.  Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

     Ringo Starr then performs Photographs.  Remember how I mentioned earlier that this show caters to all age groups and not just the teeny-boppers any more? I wasn't kidding. The crowd is having a blast, including Yoko Ono.  Crazy.




     And another award... Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z win Best Rap Collaboration for Holy Grail. Yay.  Yawn.  Oh wait, what the hell is goin' on?  The energy shifts completely as Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragon take the stage. We are talking about some intensely crazy, super-enigmatic, high energy vibes happening.  Talk about rockin' the roof off a place!

    This performance was raved as being the best show of the night on social media.  Though I'll admit the intensity was sublime, I had other ideas.


 

    Notice how Taylor Swift is like the only person dancing? Normally I would say "You Go Girl" but I find she moves like Steve Urkle from Family Matters.  Shrug.  Maybe it's just me. Oh and the guys from Imagine Dragon spend the rest of the show in their white suits covered in smoke and red dye from the machines. Rock on dudes!

   That was pretty damn powerful, right? Well, feel terrible for this young lady, Kacey Musgraves who has to immediately follow this act with a twangy country song.  It's kinda sad too, on its own merit, Follow your Arrow is actually a pretty cool song.  In fact, she beats out Taylor Swift with this tune later on in the evening...





    Poor girl.  Anyhow, make room for Julia - Frikkin -Roberts!  Wait, WHAT?  You got it! Julia Roberts stunningly take the stage. "But why is a high-calibre actor like Julia Roberts at the Grammy's?" You ask? Who cares!?! It's Julia - FRIKKIN -Roberts! She could stride on stage at a prostate cancer convention and still be right where she belongs.  But that's not why she's there.  Miss Roberts is there to introduce a tribute to The Beatles that will air in February, exactly 50 years from the day the foursome made it big.  Pretty cool actually.

    Know what else pretty cool? Watching the remaining Beatles perform live at the Grammy's.  And you know what? I'm not the only one who thinks so.  Check out the audience going absolutely wild.  (Sorry for the quality, I actually couldn't find a decent version of this.  Go figure.)




    We interrupt yet again to announce that Bruno Mars won Best Pop Vocal Album, for Unorthodox Jukebox. Heh, cute title.

    As the quality of the videos here get crappier and crappier you get a real sense of what age groups are posting these videos.  The older bands aren't getting any social media time.  Either because the young'ens aren't interested in these classic musical gods, or it's now past their bedtime.  Either way, this chicky got chills when Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton took the stage.  (My guess is that Blake Shelton's presence has something to do with insurance purposes and the likelihood that he's certified in CPR.)

   When Merle starts up with Okie from Muskokie I thought I had time warped back to being 5 years old in the back of my parents Oldsmobile on the way to some godforsaken place.  It was amazing to see this part of the show, and like the crowd, I sang right along to the songs of the grand ol' opry.

   Now take a moment, a serious moment, to contemplate this.  Yes, this is a Deep Thoughts Moment.  Okie from Muskokie came out in 1949, that's 45 years ago.  Mama Don't let you Babies Grow up to be Cowboys was released in 1975, 39 years ago.  Merle Haggard is a whoppin' 76 years old, Willie Nelson is 80.  80!!! And everyone in that audience, despite age, race or musical genre was singing along to those songs.  That's pretty damn impressive.



   

    Remember Kacey Musgraves? That poor little country girl that had to follow Imagine Dragon's awesome performance? Yeah, don't feel bad, not many people do.  Anyhoo... she wins that award I mentioned earlier, beating out Taylor Swift for Best Country Album with Same Trailer Different Park.  Heh heh, cute title.

    Now here it gets interesting, notice also that the video quality improves.  We have Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder performing Get Lucky.  I really hope Pharrell sees this performance and learns to take his finger a quarter inch further away from his nose when he's holding a mic.  I'd also like to add that I have a sneaking suspicion that the Daft Punk Robots are actually Milli Vanilli in disguise.



   

   Okay seriously, best audience ever! Gives me faith in the human race to see all of those different walks of life enjoying the same party.  To quote Almost Famous, "Music will save the world!".

   And now for the mash-up awesomeness of the evening.  A brilliant performance of a number of Carole King's hits and Sara Bareilles Brave brought to us by these two wickedly amazing artists.  Cyndi Lauper introduces them, and I gotta find out what her skin treatment regimen involves, because damn, she looks better than she did when Girls Just Wanted to Have Fun.  Totally feeling the sisterly love here.



   
     And song of the year goes to.... Lorde for Royals.  Jarod leto takes the stage looking fine as ever and does a beautiful tribute to Lou Reed.  I admit, I teared up a little.  But Jared, if you're listening, I'd take a walk on the wild side with you any day, handsome.  And as if that scene wasn't cool enough on its own, Jared then goes on to introduce the second reason I tuned into the Grammy's.  Metallica Baby!!!  They rock the house down with Lang Lang doing their massive hit: One. My honey and I were head-banging like it was 1989.  Taylor Swift won't be the only one with a little whiplash injury come the morrow. (Skip to 00:38 seconds to avoid the gibberish)


 
   
    It's gotta be mentioned here that when Steven Tyler, (who genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself tonight) gets on stage with Smokey Robinson and spontaneously sings a really spectacular version of You Really Got a Hold on Me.  So cool.  Another award. Sigh.  Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams win Record of the Year for Get Lucky.  Whatever.

   Now the party really gets insane.  Like REALLY gets insane, in the coolest way ever.  The dazzling Queen Latifah introduces Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' performance.  I hadn't heard this song before, but man oh man, I had no idea that these guys had it in them.  That amount of depth from the group who brought us Thrift Shop was not expected.  Brilliant, really. They perform Same Love which preaches love and tolerance for same-sex coupling. It's bloody beautiful. Then 31 couples of all walks of life get married right there at the Grammy's. The ceremony is officiated by Queen Latifah while Madonna sings an old favorite, Open Your Heart.

    It is one of the most touching moments in entertainment history.

 

    It's pretty much all downhill from there.  There's a nice little memorial to those in the music business that passed away in 2013.  I shed a tear for George Jones and sang along to The Everly Brothers' When Will I Be Loved.  Another award went to Daft Punk for Album of the Year.

    The whole night was themed towards tolerance, love, anti-bullying, meshing of age groups, genres, and coming together as one.  If you missed the Grammy's on Sunday, I hope my article was helpful  in catching you up on what seems to be a musical breaking down of walls. Pink Floyd would be proud.

    One other thing worth mentioning (well, sort of) is Pharrell's hat, which was so... well... weird, that it got it's own parody account on twitter before the show was even over.

Saturday 25 January 2014

Hold on to your Hormones

The Wolf of Wall Street




So picture a typically ambitious and testosterone-driven man’s most detailed wet dream.  Got it in your head? Good, it probably resembles the movie The Wolf on Wall Street.  So there ya go, no need to watch the movie.  Unless you want to see how it all goes wrong.  In that case, by all means take the three hours and bury yourself in this creative debauchery.

I don’t think there are many virile men out there who wouldn’t love this long escapade into money, drugs and loose women. A warning to the women though: expect your man to be in alpha-male mode after gnawing on this meaty film.

The acting, well the acting is superb. Leonardo DiCaprio tears to shreds and devours every aspect of our main character, Jordan Belfort.  A variety-pack of carnivorous actors ravish the screen with little to no effort in this mash-up cast.


And finally, kudos to the man who needs no accolades, Mr. Martin Scorsese – giving men what they’ve craved for decades, a movie so filled with testosterone that his audience can’t help but wonder how the crew doesn’t jump out of the film and attack them in typical ‘roid-rage fashion.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Same Ol' Woody

    Blue Jasmine - Movie Review



     I've always had a distaste for Woody Allen.  I never really "got" his films, and because of that, I always felt like I simply wasn't cool or hipster enough to "get" them.  Maybe I'm not. (Also, that affair with his adopted daughter was big news when I was a kid and didn't exactly grace him in my books.) Regardless of his so called "genius", his movies, and his being in general, have never done a thing for me.  Blue Jasmine was no exception.

    The only reason this movie got any stars at all from me is because of Cate Blanchett's amazing performance.  That woman is unbelievably talented.  Nonetheless, the movie stunk about as badly as blue cheese dressing drizzled over 3-day old tuna that's been left out in the sun.

   Okay maybe it wasn't THAT bad... It does have a great cast and the characters really do reel you in, but to what end? None at all. I've sat through my share of bad movies with crappy endings and no story wrap-ups lately but really, this one takes the caviar.

    Save yourself the time, don't bother with this film unless you are studying how to act, (or how NOT to complete a story), and go fishing instead.  In shark-infested waters. With someone you detest. It may not be the best day you've had but it most certainly will come to a more definite conclusion than this film.

Monday 13 January 2014

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - A Review

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

A review







     Ever take the last piece of chocolate out of the box, expect it to be awful, then are pleasantly surprised when it's delicious? You wanted caramel, but were happy to find a tasty nugget instead? That's The
Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

     I watched the film following a re-watch of Tropic Thunder - Now let me just say, I usually detest Ben Stiller movies, but was up for a night of mindless entertainment. They don't call it Friday night for nothing'. But this was no typical veg-out movie.

     Walter Mitty is your basic self-conscious, insecure sucker with a penchant for daydreaming. Lucky for the viewer, those daydreams are brought to us with film-sequences reminiscent of a good superhero movie.

     Ben Stiller's character finds adventure, excitement, and himself on a journey to the movie's best part: Sean Penn as the uber-mystical photographer. Though it wasn't quite as uplifting as Larry Crowne, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a great film to watch if you're looking for something along the lines of The Big Year.