Wednesday 22 December 2010

memories of snow


Throughout school, my literature teachers kept telling me that the poets use snowfall (and other types of precipitation) in their poems to convey a feeling of uneasiness, almost claustrophobia... I have no idea why they would do such a thing. The only thing I have ever thought of during the heaviest of snowfalls I witnessed was how cozy that felt. I always bitch about the snow and about the salt people throw on the sidewalk and that keeps ruining my shoes, but, the truth is that whenever the snow melts away.. I miss it.

What's true with people, is (in this case) true with snow... they fade, but memories remain...






R

Tuesday 14 December 2010

A good day for science

Remember that episode from "Dexter's Laboratory"? The one when he kept saying "Today was a good day for science"... until it wasn't anymore.

Today was not by any means a bad day. It was somewhat peculiar, though. I find it strange how lonely city life is becoming. Maybe it has always been this way and I just failed to notice it before. This makes life sad in some way but it also makes it so peculiarly wonderful when human interaction does spontaneously occur. Today, for example I helped an old lady carry her bags from the supermarket while we made small talk and she rewarded me with three tangerines which I later ate without sharing with my colleagues just to brake even on the scale of goodness of the day.

If you think that my life must be incredibly boring if I have to blog such an event, you have no idea... it's actually infinitely more boring... tomorrow's going to be better though... I have classes all day. Boy, just imagine the fun that awaits me. Oh, well... I'll just send this into the void before falling asleep to another episode of Friends (don't judge me! I'm only human!).

Good night, dear void! I hope we'll have another talk sometime soon.


R

P.S. I am writing in Romanian on this blog: dă-i foc!
I've been only writing about photography and photographers, but... more to come..

Sunday 28 November 2010

winamp test

Alright... a few updates regarding this blog and the (3 or 4) readers of it (including myself)... From now on, I'm going to write only in English... that is because I will write in Romanian on another blog (to be disclosed at a future date). The posts will continue in the same random order and on the same random subjects.. no change there, eh? I encourage you to also comment in English, but that's really up to you... there's no international audience to be offended...

Without further ado... I was tagged by Erika in the Winamp Test, which involves me opening my Library in Winamp, setting it on shuffle and then giving the titles of the songs that come up (randomly!!) as answers to questions about, well.. me. It's a way of finding out what your music says about you.
Well, not really... but it should be fun, anyway...

The official rules:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesnt make sense. NO CHEATING! (even if it's an unknown song - put a youtube link)
4. Bold the questions and with the answers, give your own comments on how it relates to the questions.

1.How are you feeling today?
Yeah.. that's a nice way of putting it... I fell pretty good, though... Does my Winamp really know me? We'll just see about that....

2.Will you get far in life? (a bit nervous about this one... what's with the big questions, eh?)
The Last Goodnight - Pictures of You
That's clearly a NO. Oh well.. you can't win them all.

3.How do your friends see you?
Gnarles Barkley - Smiley Faces
Any comments, guys?... I know this is not true on Mondays, but maybe for the rest of the week...

4.Will you get married?
Metallica - Whiskey in the Jar
This means 'Yes, and it's gonna be fun..."

5.What is your best friend’s theme song?
dZihan and Kamien - Homebase
Interesting... :-?

6.What is the story of your life?
Yeah.... as Yuri used to say (in that video game about his revenge), 'The mind is quicker than the eye.' It's a pretty cool song, though... I like where this list is going...

7.What was high school like?
Metallica - Phantom Lord
It wasn't so intense, really... But this song captures some of the days I enjoyed throughout high school..

8.How can you get ahead in life?
François K feat The Alchemist - On the Way
Just as long as you're on the way... you're good ;)

9.What is the best thing about your friends?
Ocean's Twelve OST - What R We Stealing
The best one yet!!! =))

10.What is in store for this weekend?
Sabres of Paradise - Smokeblech II
oooo... smooth... I like it! This weekend's going to be great. The next one, I mean... this one is already over. Come to think of it... I'm visiting my grandparents next weekend... it is going to be smooth, indeed...

11.What song describes you? (the one I've been waiting for...)
Piero Umiliani - Crepusculo sul Mare
Waaay too smooth to describe me....

12.To describe your grandparents?
Metallica -Sad but True
The title doesn't really fit, but the song... oh, yeah!! It's just so powerful however you look at it...

13.How is your life going?
Finley Quaye - Dice
It sometimes feels like a game of chance...

14.What song will they play at your funeral? (I really don't care, because I won't be able to listen to it, but let's see..)
Ich+Ich - Pflaster
they chose well.. it's all I'm going to say...

15.How does the world see you? (great! I've always wanted to know...)
Tom Petty - Square One
Really???? Oh, c'mmon!

this is such a disappointment...

16.Will you have a happy life?
Outkast - Ms. Jackson
=))... I guess this means 'Yes, but you're not going to get along with your mother-in-law'

17.What do your friends really think of you?
Metallica - The Prince
I really hope that's not true...
no way to find out the truth, though... unless I learn to read minds... I'll google it... :D

18.Do people secretly lust after you ?
Frank Sinatra - Pennies from Heaven
can this thing be more ambiguous???

19.How can I make myself happy? (don't even think about what I know you're going to think about!)
REM - Mad World
Mad people are sometimes happy... I don't know if that's the thing for me, though...

20.What should you do with your life? (this is the last one... phew... it took a while)
Metallica - The Unforgiven
:-<


So.. that's it... this was fun..

I have to tell you, though... I cheated just a little bit... I didn't use ALL the music I have on my computer. I left out jimi hendrix and jazz piano history, because I only listen to those on special occasions... I used the music I listen to most. It might have been interesting to stumble upon a song I never listened to, but it's too late now... this is how my Winamp test turned out...
Who wants to be tagged next?

R

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Facts vs. Fiction

'You never kill anyone that you want to kill in a war.' (Ernest Hemingway, 'For Whom the Bell Tools')

I was talking with a friend the other day... he said he didn't like horror movies mostly because they are so full of violence and well... the first thought that popped into my head was... 'don't read a history book, then!'. I touched on that thought (using other words, of course... [yes! I CAN be polite.. I don't have to say EVERYTHING that pops into my head just the way it does... I don't always have the energy to do so, but that's another matter entirely]) and as I was poking around the subject of violence in human history, he said that one day he was actually appalled by a documentary on national television... something about religious wars at the end of the Middle Ages... there! My theory has just been confirmed. Plain history can be just as horrifying as a horror movie. You just have to take a look at it.

Sometimes I just wonder what makes the concept of war so attractive to us... is it just because it's an excuse to unleash violence and then make of it an act of courage...? I think it just might... the only time people tend to agree that it might just be okay to kill another person is in war. That thought is so frightening to me I can barely stand it, but it is true.. I remember thinking at some point (I was 4 or 5) that a war wouldn't be such a bad thing... I mean... I could have the opportunity to kill someone and get away with it. I can't say it wasn't appealing in what is now to me in a very frightening way, but so it was. And it must be true for others... I remember the last line of 'The Hurt Locker'. It went something like 'Because war is a drug'. If it is, it has the ugliest side effects...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_7r6eALGyg [careful with the lyrics...]

R

P.S. As I was trying to put down a few thoughts on Hemingway's novel I came up with this:
Words drip out of a pen
Making an unbearable noise.
Writing with blood is the tool of my trade!

Does it make any sense?

Monday 18 October 2010

adriana & the bear




Yeah... I got fed up with shooting myself, so I got Adriana and the bear to help... they're quite photogenic both of them.... I'm trying to find a name for the bear.... any suggestions are welcome..
















R.

Friday 8 October 2010

light-up yoyo


some yoyo shots from the last week shoot....










I've started to work on some looping tricks as well... I'll get the hang of it pretty soon...

R

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Desktop fun

A few more shots from last night...








It's amazing how much fun you can have with a tripod, a few low-intensity light sources and something to bend the light.


R

Saturday 22 May 2010

Roadkill




Nu am mai iesit de multa vreme la o tura de poze doar ca sa ies la o tura de poze. Mai alaltaieri, insa, am facut un ocol destul de mare in drumul meu spre casa, doar ca sa mai fotografiez un subiect - doua. Am incercat si o metoda de "imbatranire" a imaginii cu ocazia asta. Nu mi se pare ca a iesit nu-stiu-ce, dar macar am mai pus mana pe aparat si cursorul pe healing brush.

Comentariu offtopic: Ma simt la fel ca porumbelul din imagine. Am prins o raceala acum vreo doua zile si buruiana afurisita nu vrea sa moara. Pe langa asta, s-a facut frumos dupa aproape o saptamana de ploaie si (cand toti prietenii mei au iesit la o rola, o bicicleta, o poza sau o bere) eu trebuie sa stau acasa si sa simt cum mi se desprinde calota craniana. Reality sucks!

Cam atat de data asta... Ma duc sa imi suflu nasul.

Bonus:



R

Saturday 1 May 2010

Eu cand vreau sa fluier... suflu si-n iaurt

Mbuun.... Am tot auzit de filmul asta... "Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier" si ieri... am hotarat sa ies de sub piatra sub care am trait pana acum si sa merg sa il vad. Pentru a sprijini si eu putinul film romanesc care mai exista, am decis sa merg sa il vad la cinematograf. Am platit bilet si tot (foarte mandru de mine!). Am mai luat si cativa prieteni cu mine.. Nu de alta, dar asa ne mai putem da si noi rotunzi ca avem preocupari intr-o oarecare masura culturale.
Ca sa completez escapada culturala, voi face ce face omul modern cand vrea sa se dea cult pana la capat... voi scrie un entry pe blog. Frumoase lucruri blogurile... iti dau posibilitatea sa spui publicului larg ce gandesti, chiar daca unele lucruri nu prea merita gandite, ca sa nu mai spun spuse altora. Iti dau iluzia ca parerea ta conteaza si ca merita sa fie comentata de altii. Nu e intotdeauna cazul, dar asta e parte din distractie.
Inainte sa scriu asta, am mai google-it cate ceva despre film si despre piesa de teatru din care a fost inspirat scenariul si am gasit destul de multe pareri bine articulate, cum ar fi asta. Mai sunt o gramada de astfel de parareri pe internetul lung si lat. Am mai auzit si ca e amatoriceasca productia si bu-huuu, ca lipseste coloana sonora si lumina artificiala, lucruri care ii rapesc din stralucire filmului. Cred ca, daca as mai citi cateva postari, as gasi pe cineva care sa se planga ca nu are nici efecte speciale, ca niciunul dintre personaje nu este impuscat si ca niciuna dintre masini nu se transforma in robot.
Vreau sa mentionez, inainte de a-mi spune parerea ca nu sunt un expert cand vine vorba de cinematografie (si, intre noi fie vorba, nici cand vine vorba de orice altceva), insa sunt un consumator de film si am dreptul sa imi spun parerea. Mai mult, am dreptul constitutional sa ma iau la harta cu oricine. (nu e formulat asa in Constitutie, dar e garantat)

"Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier" este unul dintre cele mai bune filme (nu doar romanesti!) pe care le-am vazut de ceva vreme. A reusit sa ma tina lipit de scaun (nu unul foarte comod, as putea adauga) fara sa foloseasca esplozii sau efecte speciale sau softbox-uri sau Morgan Freemani. Mi-au placut momentele de tacere. Am inteles si eu in sfarsit ca personajele din filme se mai gandesc la ce vor face in continuare, ca isi infrunta demonii interiori din cand in cand. Mi-a placut ca nu am reusit sa prevad ce urma sa se intample. Mi-a placut ca nu eram foarte sigur de finalul filmului. Mi-a luat cateva secunde sa imi dau seama ca filmul s-a terminat acolo pentru ca de acolo era clar ce avea sa se intample. Nu mai avea cu ce sa surprinda. Ce rost are sa faci un film in care poti sa prevezi ce se va intampla in continuare, un film a carui actiune poate fi inteleasa direct din trailer? Asa ceva se intampla in Avatar... E o poveste care s-a repetat de nu stiu cate ori pe parcursul istoriei umane si care acum pur si simplu e repovestita in varianta cu oameni albastrii. Ceea ce iar nu e nimic nou pentru ca imi aduc aminte de un episod din South Park in care unul dintre personaje trece cu un buldozer peste satul strunfilor. Cred ca asta ar fi cea mai buna descriere pentru Avatar. Un sat de oameni albastrii e distrus pentru resursele care se gasesc in zona lor. A se adauga efecte speciale.
Apoi, cred ca folosirea luminii naturale a fost o decizie foarte buna. A facut totul sa para mult mai plauzibil. Adica serios... cate evenimente din viata de zi cu zi se petrec la lumina perfect echilibrata a softboxurilor cu lumina continua folosite in studiourile de stiri? Si nu e singurul film in care se intampla asa. Nici in The Hurt Locker nu se foloseste prea multa lumina si sunt destule secvente "shaky", filmate fara trepied (si chiar nu cred ca ar indrazni cineva sa numeasca The Hurt Locker un film prost). Montajul e "amatoricesc" nu pentru ca nu au avut buget suficient sa cumpere doua trepiede si un softbox, ci pentru ca acest montaj te face sa te apropii mai mult de actiune, sa simti mai acut tensiunea.
Aaa... si citeam pe un blog ca romanii sunt numiti tigani de catre francezi si nemti tocmai pentru ca in filmele romanesti apar multi actori de etnie rroma care interpreteaza personaje care fac numai tampenii. Sincer, eu nu prea vad cum ar putea fi facut un film despre un penitenciar de pe langa Dunare in care sunt inchisi doar intelectuali si aristocrati. Aia era Bastilia.
Una peste alta, filmul e bun, insa nu e pentru oricine. Poate fi considerat plictisitor de catre spectatorul care se asteapta la efecte speciale si la esplozii si oameni albastrii, dar pentru cineva care apreciaza ironia fina si povestile la care nu le poti ghici urmatorul capitol, ar putea fi cel mai bun lucru pe care l-a vazut de luni de zile.

Filmul ruleaza la Cinema Dacia de sambata. Nu stiu pana cand, dar sunt sigur ca cei care vor sa il vada au la dispozitie vreo doua saptamani. Cred ca Cinema Dacia e perfect pentru filmul asta. E vechi, construit pe vremea lui nea' Nicu', numai bun pentru un film cu productie (intentionat) "amatoriceasca".

E de notat faptul ca in film se injura de cateva ori, asa ca nu e, cu siguranta, un film pentru copii sau pentru cei sensibili.


R

Monday 8 March 2010

this is just sad

No, I didn't mean pathetic... I meant I've been watching and listening to so much sad stuff, I should be ready to kill myself, oh just... any minute now. Let me expand this a little....


I went with some friends the other day to see this performer at a club in town and he did a couple of covers of Romanian folk songs. I've been listening to one of the songs ever since and it is what I consider one of the saddest things ever written in Romanian. One of the verses goes like this:

Later on, I grew up to be lad
And fell madly in love with a girl.
I don't know why,
One day she died
And another day she was buried.
(my attempt of translating it)

It doesn't sound like much in English... but with the guitar and the beautiful voice... it just spoke to me at a level I never knew it could. Anyway... the song is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYIvYt313a8 Warning: If you speak Romanian, listening to this song may cause you to lose the will to live. By clicking on the link you assume full responsibility of whatever will happen after. You may also already know the song. I think I had listened before I did the other day, but it didn't speak so much to me back then. No idea why!

And then... today I watched "Atonement", which seemed the perfect thing to do because the weather outside matched the weather in the first part of the movie. I felt I was there and it was where I wanted to be. The movie is great, but it's so sad... again, without being pathetic. I'd like to write more about it, but spoiling a movie isn't my thing... I will say this, though: This movie may also cause you to lose the will to live. Watch it at your own peril!

So.. after listening to the song for a couple of hours and watching the movie, I'm off to take bottle of pills and just stop feeling sad about anything.

R

P.S. Relax, if it doesn't work... I'll blog about it. I need something to write about, anyway....

P.P.S. If you wonder why I wrote this in English, don't. I don't know and the only answer I can come up with is "Because I could".

Saturday 13 February 2010

Movie heads-up: The Age of Stupid

O constanta a existentei umane a fost lupta pentru resurse, indiferent ca a fost vorba de cirezi, apa potabila, chestii stralucitoare, sol fertil sau (in cele din urma....) petrol. E oarecum ironic faptul ca lupa pentru petrol e ceea ce ar putea sa-l distruga si pe pierzator, si pe invingator.

"Incalzirea globala" e din ce in ce mai des rostita de prezentatori tv, de politicieni, de alti oameni faimosi... insa... ajung sa ma intreb.... cat de reala e incalzirea globala pentru oamenii pe care ii vad in fiecare zi, pentru colegii mei de facultate, pentru prietenii mei, pentru familia mea... si pentru mine. Cat de reala e incalzirea globala pentru mine? Ma va afecta vreodata? Se afla, intr-adevar, omenirea pe calea spre autodistrugere? Nu stiu. Un lucru este, insa, sigur... consumul aflat mereu in crestere va epuiza, in cele din urma, resursle limitate de care dispunem.

Am vazut recent un film, o colectie de filmulete, mai bine spus, care m-a facut sa inteleg cat de limitata este puterea mea sau a oricaruia dintre noi cand vine vorba de a opri procesul de incalzire globala care nu ar putea distruge planeta, dar care cu siguranta ne-ar distruge pe noi.

Imaginati-va urmatorul scenariu: Un om incearca sa construiasca un parc de centrale eoliene undeva in Anglia. Comunitatea se opune pentru ca "morile de vant" ar strica privelistea si ar avea efecte negative asupra economiei din zona. Toti sustin ca sunt ecologisti si ca le pasa de impactul pe care il au actiunile lor asupra mediului inconjurator, insa centralele eoliene nu au ce cauta in oraselul lor. Cum, Doamne fereste, sa le fie stricata privelistea de catre monstruozitatile alea rotative? Consiliul decide in favoarea comunitatii (Desi, de cativa ani buni incoace, oamenii de stiinta continua sa se agite in legatura cu incalzirea globala si cu modul in care ar putea duce la disparitia speciei noaste). Parcul eolian nu e construit.
Din pacate, nu e un scenariu imaginar... e un caz real. Sunt multe lucruri absurde legate de modul in care traim si in care alegem sa ne consumam resursele. In filmul "The Age of Stupid" veti vedea doar cateva. (Stiu ca dau spoilere in acest entry, dar nu stiu cati vor alege sa vada filmul). In cele din urma, concluzia e ca, daca ne autodistrugem, poate ca o facem pentru ca, la un anumit nivel, nu ne consideram demni de a ne continua existenta.

"Hemingway wrote that the world is a fine place and is worth fighting for. I agree with the second part" - Se7en, the movie. (Replica rostita de Morgan Freeman la sfarsitul filmului)


R

Friday 15 January 2010

Movie heads-up: Bottle shock

Am ajuns la un moment dat să mă plâng oarecum că nu mai apar filme bune... "Păi uită-te la unul vechi, atunci...." s-a trezit să spună papagalul imaginar pe care îl port pe umăr.... "Quaaack!... unul vechi... quaaack!"

Avea, desigur, dreptate, cum toţi papagalii imaginari tind să aibă când vine vorba de nevoile cinematografice sau literare ale stăpânilor lor. Aşa că.... am decis sa revăd Bottle Shock, un film despre...
greu de spus despre ce anume... hai să spunem că e vorba despre vin...
despre o revoluţie în modul în care este privit vinul de altă origine decât cea franceză, despre cum a ajuns Napa Valley să fie cunoscută ca un loc în care strugurele este transformat în nectarul zeilor, despre cum o gaşcă de hippioţi au reuşit să îi bată pe francezi la ce erau ei mai buni... la viticultură şi vinicultură.

Filmul e plin de ironie fină şi de umor... de detalii legate de fabricarea şi savurarea unui vin, ei bine... cam de tot ce are nevoie un film ca să fie cu adevărat bun...

Anyway, 'nuff said... voi doar vedeţi traileru-ul.. apoi filmul... şi apoi spuneţi-mi cum v-i s-a părut....


R