Animated Shorts Dump

A friend of mine just showed me a short animation which rocked my world and it soon had me digging through the internet for some of my old favorites. These are 2D traditional animation. I have a collection of 3D animated shorts which I also adore but I'll save those for another day.

The Reward

Le Royaume

"World Spins Madly On" Animation

Salvidore Dali & Disney Animation - Destino

The Switch

Beijing 2008 Olympics Animation

The TV Show

Jose y Maria

Feeling From Mountain and Water

Background: Feeling From Mountain and Water is really an artistic wonder. It's done using a traditional Chinese brush style which means it probably took ages to animated. I first saw this in my Asian Animation course in college and really fell in love with it. The other wonderful thing is that it has no dialogue- the story is told purely through the animation and it is accompanied by a Chinese instrument called a guqin. I must secretly confess I went out and bought a CD of guqin music after watching this...

Note: I'm going to come back and add some more commentary about these shorts when it's not midnight. ;)

"Boards don't hit back."

Some of my fondest memories of time spent with my dad when I was little involve the following things:

• Sunday brunches at the bagel shop
• Antique car shows
• Oldies music (especially songs like Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers)
• Swimming
• Bruce Lee

Epic boss battle

Aside from Robin Williams (who I adored in the movie Flubber), Bruce Lee was probably the first actor who I knew by name. And, since my dad thought he was awesome, naturally I thought he was awesome too. 

I soon realized that he was completely right, and not just in the way that little girls see their fathers as all-knowing demi-gods. 

Fun fact: Most martial arts movies speed up the action scenes to make the moves look faster. For Bruce Lee they actually did the opposite. Just so his moves would be visible, they filmed him at 32 fps rather than the usual 24. 

Naturally, I was super hyped when we got around to Hong Kong cinema in one of my film classes and we started talking about Golden Harvest, the Chinese film production company responsible for bringing many martial arts movies to the Western world and for making Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan household names. It prompted me to run over to the media library and rent Enter the Dragon and boy did I get all nostalgic while watching it. Sure, the plot seemed much cornier and transparent, and the violence more gruesome than I remembered (did this not bother 7-year-old me?). But a few things remained unchanged. Bruce Lee was still incredible to watch and his facial expressions were more amusing than ever. 

Another fun fact: One of Jackie Chan's first film roles was as an extra in Enter the Dragon. I'm pretty sure he gets his neck snapped by Bruce Lee in one of the numerous fight scenes. And I'm pretty sure he bragged about it to all his friends.

However, for the sake of making a point, I think it is most accurate to describe Bruce Lee as a martial artist who made films, rather than an actor who did martial arts. He was an incredible fighter and there are some amazing videos out there of his demonstrations (albeit, the quality is pretty poor) such as the "one inch punch." He was famous for his insane physical feats and for creating his own style of fighting but one thing that is often overlooked was the fact that he was also a philosophy major. After doing some brief research on the topic, I've come to admire how he took his philosophy and applied it to all aspects of his life, including his fighting and his teaching. 

Just some quotes of his I pulled off of wikipedia (read: I'm lazy sometimes):

• "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once. But I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
• "All types of knowledge, ultimately leads to self knowledge."

When I think of Bruce Lee, I think of a person in perfect balance. He always appeared to possess such a pure understanding of himself and his art. 

Sadly, he passed away at the age of 32 from an allergic reaction to a headache pill. It leaves you to wonder how much more he would have achieved. But like all great people who die in the prime of their lives, we have the bittersweet pleasure of remembering them at their best.

I'd really love to read up more on the topic of his life and his philosophy (mental note to self) and I know there are an insane number of books to choose from. Something else to add to the growing book queue.

But going back to my childhood again... I really have a lot to thank my dad for. He introduced me to many amazing things such as astronomy and martial arts and gave me my love for science and for learning. I really could not have asked for a better dad growing up.

And of course, now movies like Terminator or Blood Sport have a special place in my heart.

This face.

Aw man, this stuff was gold. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

Party Like it's 1922

"Gatsby? What Gatsby?"

-Daisy, The Great Gatsby

Before I write another word, let me start by saying that audiobooks are damned amazing. I regret not trying this medium sooner but the truth was I was being snooty and enjoyed looking at audiobooks as something made for illiterates and peasantry. Oh ho, I couldn't have been more mistaken. I found I actually understood and enjoyed the book much more thoroughly. It also helped keep my mind off the jerks on the highway during my morning and evening commute. A win on all fronts.

So why The Great Gatsby ?

Here are some of the more obvious reasons:

• The movie is coming out.
• It has Leonardo DiCaprio in it.
• It's directed by the same guy who did Moulin Rouge.
• It's an American classic.
• Here, go watch the trailer: 

The not-so-obvious reasons:

• I didn't remember anything about the plot or why Gatsby was "Great." Something about eggs and billboards with eyes...
• I was a silly, young thing when I first read it.
• I rebelled against it later because I thought it ragged on wealth and capitalism.
• I like reading the book before seeing the movie .

The book was excellent. But not just excellent from a "well written" perspective. It was so painfully human at times that it just makes you ache. Let me bring up one of the main themes of the book, hopefully without throwing too many spoilers out there for people who haven't read it and plan on doing so.

<spoilers>

Perhaps the most striking of Gatsby's desires, the thing that propels him and ruins him, is his desire to relive the past. Actually, let me rephrase. It's his desire to recreate the past. 

As with most things, it comes back to love- Gatsby's relationship with Daisy, the beautiful beginning, the fantasy, the intruding reality. In a nutshell? He's dirt poor and she's wealthy and he has no means of supporting her. So the inevitable happens and Daisy marries a rich man while Gatsby is off at war. He returns to find out the crushing news and dedicates his existence to becoming a the man he wanted to be for her.

But the subtleties are lost in this summary of Daisy and Gatsby's love.

First off, Daisy isn't a complete gold-digging tramp. She waits for Gatsby but becomes nervous as time passes and the situation fails to be resolved. Feeling uneasy about her future, she picks what is most concrete to her- Tom, a man of extremely good means who has the intent of marrying her. Daisy briefly loses herself to grief over her betrayal to Gatsby a few days before her wedding, but she marries Tom, secures her future and enjoys a few happy years of marriage before trouble creeps into their relationship.

Second, and perhaps one of the most heartbreaking and important aspects of this book, is that when Gatsby finds out about Daisy's marriage he begins to dwell on their relationship to the point of obsession. His memories are reimagined and redecorated. A summer love becomes the love of a lifetime, a thing made beautiful and precious if only because of its brief life and the possibility it once held. It's what makes stories like Titantic so moving- a blooming love cut short by the circumstances. And our imaginations feel robbed of the "happily ever after" which would have undoubtedly followed had not empty pocketbooks or frigid waters ruined it all.

I can't help thinking that we are all guilty of this in some form or another. We take those moments of our lives which seemed hopeful and full of promise and remember them greater and more wonderful than they actually were. They take on that halcyon glow which memories accumulate like dust. And somehow when we try to relive them or to reconstruct them it feels false and offensive. Memories are dead and distorted things. They cannot be reanimated.

Gatsby creates the world he wanted to live in and he builds himself into the man he wanted to be but the moment has already passed. In the story, you feel his anxiety increase as every expectation falls short. He's nervous upon meeting Daisy again for the first time in years and the reunion is not quite satisfying. Something seems off. It's not like it was 5 years ago. She's different now and not just because she's married. But she's not the girl he kissed under the light of a full moon. So we watch painfully as his desperation grows. They have an affair (that is certain) but you know it's not what Gatsby wants and not what he's been working for after all these years. And then you realize he's grasping at what cannot be and that he'll always be the man standing before his mansion, staring at the light at the end of Daisy's dock, imaging what could have been had he been a different man when the time was right.

In film class we talked about the difference between horror movies and tragedies. The former is best summarized by "too soon." We're taken by surprise. Events transpire too quickly, our pulse shoots up and we feel fear.
But tragedies are the "too late." The things which were forgotten or missed or never came to pass until it didn't matter any more. The emotion we get is sadness, evoked by some barbed combination of loss and disappointment and irony. This is The Great Gatsby.

It also makes me think that we don't always fall in love at the right time. The right person, the wrong moment. I'm sure there are volumes written about such things but it's still enough to make you wonder.


TLDR;

To finish things off I leave you with another comic, old sport.

</spoilers>

Highballs anyone?

Not So Single Ladies

If your teenage years were about creating your own identity, angsting out while listening to Linkin Park, and bullying kids on MySpace, then your 20s is all about relationships and marriage. Oh, and careers too. But mainly marriage.

'CAUSE IF YOU LIKED IT THEN YA SHOULDA PUT A RI- yeah.

A good number of my friends have boyfriends who they've been seeing for years and years and with them it's not too much of a surprise (in fact, it's of some relief) when the news comes around that they're officially engaged. But every now and then you have those friends who take you by surprise and up and get married before you can even find out the guy's name.

I hadn't been in touch with this girl for quite a long time but she had gotten engaged and so I flew to FL over the long weekend for the wedding. It was strange news to me- after all she's only a year older- but the full force of it didn't hit me until I turned around to see her walking down the aisle.

Here was this 24 year old girl in a wedding gown clutching her father's arm and moving with precarious steps slowly towards me, then past me, until she was finally delivered in a puff of gossamer and white lace to the tall, young man standing before us. It was surreal and at the same time I couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was as if all the festivities and traditions of the occasion fell short of the true meaning of what was happening in front of us. I was indignant but captivated - how can you know at 24 that this is the person you want as your partner in life? It felt childish. I felt childish. Like it was all some elaborate make-believe party and that surely she couldn't possibly be married after this. But maybe that's all there is to it. Maybe the magic is what comes after. And maybe it's not magic but it's the realities of life and living that lends itself to this feeling of being "married." So you throw a party, christen the marriage and send them off on their voyage.

NOW. In any case, the wedding itself was lovely.

A different flavor for each layer!

Some flowers to go. 

It was set in St. Augustine in the evening on the rooftop of a charming, older building which overlooked the water. Outside, they had strung bulbs overhead and it created a very romantic look- definitely not your traditional wedding, but it was an intimate affair and the emphasis was on all the right things (read: excellent food).

Charmant, non?

So back to my original argument, that your 20s are about marriage. Like I said, there's that career part too...then along came Pintrest and... well:

I'm not going to argue with those statistics. And another thing. When did all weddings start happening outdoors?

The Happy Couple

Bon voyage.

Life and Lemons

"Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!"

-Cave Johnson in Portal 2 

Surely, words we can all live by. Don't look at me like that. I'm allowed to quote video games.

Well, I have some recipes for the week but they both require a little background.
First off, I posted a little while ago about an upcoming hipster-themed party. The result, you ask? These babies:

Le Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

My only regret is that you can't have a peek at the awesome lemon custard filling. I was far too interested in eating them at this point and had lost patience. So the camera was put away and I spent the rest of my evening on the sofa munching away. I generally aim for humbleness when it comes to my baking but these were pretty damn good. And I must give credit to my friend who helped me make these- she's also a baker and completely nailed the lemon custard. 

For the cupcake recipe we used Martha's Lemon Meringue Cupcake Recipe as well as her Lemon Curd Recipe for the filling.

However, we used our own recipe for the frosting since I, in my infinite silliness, left the corn syrup behind. The meringue frosting was a very simple mixture of egg whites and sugar, beat to death (aka stiff peaks), lopped on the top of the cupcakes and stuck in the broiler for a few minutes. You will literally see the tips brown before your eyes so make sure you're watching them carefully- 500+ degrees will do that. 

We had buckets of fun trying to eat these without getting the meringue on our stick-on mustaches.

This second recipe- if you can call it a recipe- was inspired by my terrible morning. I had a package of Shin Ramyun sitting in my cupboard since I moved in and I was saving it for a rainy day or for whenever I needed some spicy comfort food. Today happened to be a rainy day and a day in need of comfort food so out came the emergency ramyun.

shin ramyun 4ever <3

I won't go into details about the morning but it involved rain, auto insurance claims, bumper-to-bumper traffic, missed meetings and general unhappiness. So, I'm not just going to post a picture of a bag of noodles and call it a recipe. That would be super lame. I'm going to post a picture of how I transformed these noodles into a more balanced - but still ridiculously high in sodium- meal.

A masterpiece

Ramen my way:

Step 1. Boil water.

Step 2. Add spicy packet.

Step 3. Add noodles and cook for 3 minutes.

Step 4. Find vegetables in your fridge (pictured: spinach and mushrooms). Throw those in. Cook.

Step 5. By far the most important step. Crack an egg into the pot. Cook until still squishy/slightly runny.

Step 6. Shovel into mouth with chopsticks until full belly is achieved.

Honestly, after running and ramen I feel heaps better and ready to tackle anything.

Working Out: A Love Story

Are those kettle bells?!

Ah, so here you discover one of my secrets. I'm a huge Kate Beaton (aka "Hark, a Vagrant") fan. The last thing I would want to do would be to put her lovely art here without due credit (click here for the full comic!).

I had just gotten back from the gym when I saw this and couldn't help laughing. Cinderella would have been heaps better with more bench pressing and less whining and weeping.

On the topic of working out (and I hate to post about the same topic twice in a row), I saw this intriguing challenge on the web:

Before you call me completely deranged, let me first ask you: have you ever SEEN Vermont in the Fall? LOOK AT THIS:

 AND THIS.

 AND THIS.

Okay, you get the point. 

Brilliant foliage aside, I know 50 miles is nothing to sneeze at and I wouldn't dare to attempt this without running a marathon or two but now that I know such a race exists it's definitely something I wouldn't mind putting on my "goals for the next 10 years" list. 

Ultras are an entirely different beast simply because of the sheer amount of time you're spending on your feet. We're talking 24 hours of running if you're well-prepared and all trained-up. Just for those that are curious, here's Runner's World training plan for an ultra which, according to their wisdom, you can complete in a mere 16 weeks (assuming you've done some marathons). Psh, 16 weeks. It can't be THAT hard... right?

For anyone else interested in crazy distance running or if you just want a book that makes you shake your head in wonder at what the human body (and mind! running is very much a mental battle) can accomplish, you should turn to Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall:

For me, this was the first time I had ever heard of an ultramarathon and it blew. me. away. It also got me rethinking my workouts that's for sure. But honestly, when it's all said and done, the important thing is that you run because you love it. It would be awesome to say that I've done an ultra (heck, even a marathon) but what's the point if you hate every moment of it? Cliche as it is, do what you love. And if you don't know what that is, try something new, go explore. 

Running goodies

Best Running Apps from LifeHacker - I have Zombies, Run! and adore it.

Workouts from Runner's World - They always have good articles

RockMyRun.com - For making awesome playlists. I am way too dependent on my iPod.

And if all else fails....

Fit and You Know It

As far as New Year resolutions go, there are two types of people in this world: Those that make them, and those that don't. I must confess that I fall into the former category and so I've put together some goals, most of them fitness related.

First, let me present:

The Warrior Dash

The Warrior Dash is extremely:

A. Messy

B. Dirty

C. Exhausting

D. Full of Beer

E. All of the Above

It will also be the first obstacle race I've ever done and I'm fully prepared to come out of it bruised, burned and covered in mud- in fact, I would feel cheated out of $90 if I didn't. There's just something so satisfying about feeling utterly exhausted and I'm also a junkie for any test of physical fitness or endurance. That being said, I'm also having a hard time pulling myself away from my computer right now to go hop on the treadmill.

Preview of coming attractions:

As for my other race, I've signed up to the do Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in DC (yes, I'm aware that there is also a *marathon* but we're not quite there yet, alright?). I've powered through 13.1 miles before back in June but since then I've stopped running distance and I've been hovering around 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week.  I feel like it's barely enough to keep me at my current fitness level so it's time to turn up the juice and start prepping for this race. 

Now, motivation is a big factor and a lot of people struggle with finding the right reasons for getting in shape or improving their fitness. Yeah, you'll look better naked. But it has to be more than that. My own motivation comes from knowing I have the strength to do something and knowing that I've pushed myself and earned the accomplishment. You can't cheat when it comes to fitness- it's all about hard work and dedication and your willingness to get your butt off the sofa and into your running shoes no matter what's going on with the weather or with your life.  

So, with that, I leave you with a picture of Demi Moore doing one-handed pushups:

GET TO IT.

This party? You've probably never heard of it.

Welcome to the age of the hipster. Yes, I'm talking about those misunderstood guys and gals walking about in their grandmother/father's clothing or some duds that they found at a thrift store. Other features include a intense dislike for mainstream culture, a penchant for hanging out in grungy underground bars and music clubs, and The Glasses.
For Reference:

I first became intensely aware of these growing trend while I was out in California a few years back. It was (and still is- I'm making myself sound old) the golden age of Silicon Valley and everyone with a Computer Science degree was headed West to start a company and earn their fortune. 

Alright, maybe not quite like that....

But picture in your mind, a world populated by some of the most interesting and intelligent people you'll ever meet. They're mostly young, mostly crazy, and definitely out to have a good time while they're racing to create the next big thing in social media/apps/tech. The startup culture is a fast paced, build-it-now-fix-it-as-we-go, innovative, fun-loving, jean-wearing, late-rising, whimsical, terrifying state of existence. You're chugging beers at work on a Friday but you're also completely dependent on the good graces of the VCs and whoever is putting cash in your pocket. Of course, that's only until the $$$ starts rolling in. For many, it never does and you see a lot of companies flash in and out of existence- bright sparks of ideas which are quickly extinguished by the apathy of society. But the techy hipsters are there, using apps you've never heard of (any might never hear of), listening to music you've never heard of on turntable.fm (which was invite only before it became too mainstream), and wearing the shirts of startup companies you've definitely never heard of. 

However, I'm digressing. This post is supposed to be about the hipster party happening tonight at my friend's house and the preparations for it. 

For dessert:

My beverage of choice for the evening:

A costume! Let's explore the anatomy of a hipster.

You'll need a combination of at least 3 of the following:

• The scarf
• The topbun
• The glasses
• The weird patterned shirt/collared shirt
• The weird patterned or high-waisted pants/shorts
• Skinny jeans

I bought these glasses yesterday for about $10. I adore the wood frame!

And, of course, a playlist by yours truly of songs nobody has ever heard of (maybe?):

1. Loud Pipes by Ratatat
2. Ambling Alp by Yeasayer
3. These Are Listed Buildings by Los Campesinos!
4. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths
5. Life Magazine by Cold Cave
6. Big Difference by Tokyo Police Club
7. I Turn My Camera On by Spoon
8. Sun Hands by Local Natives
9. Don't Know You At All by Blood Feathers
10. Pachuca Sunrise (Alias Remix) by Minus the Bear
11. Rocket (Penguin Prison Remix) by Goldfrapp
12. Stay Close by Delorean
13. Shadow People by Dr. Dog
14. Despicable Dogs by Small Black
15. Norway by Beach House
16. Your Woman by White Town

But can we please pay some tribute to the original hipsters?

Damn Straight.

The Pecan Affair

Recipes for the Week:

So, I have a confession. I'm madly, truly, deeply in love with pecans. If this romance was a movie it would unfold in the typical fashion of an opposites-attract, love/hate chick flick. I detested all things pecan growing up and saw them as the black sheep of the nut family. Mind you, I love most nuts- almonds, pistachios, cashews, etc. But man, did I hate taking a bite of a cookie or a piece of chocolate to find a pecan in there. But then, a few months back in a tiny cafe, I gave pecan pie a second chance. Now it's all I can do to keep from putting pecans in everything I eat. So in honor of my new favorite nut I decided to get a little edgy by trying out this recipe:

Pecan Crusted Chicken

I knew from the first taste that this was EXACTLY what I wanted to eat for dinner, and for every dinner after that (at least until my pecan obsession ran out of steam). I was pretty skeptical about the combination of chicken and cinnamon but it was positively delicious. For once being adventurous has paid off! Other pros include: super quick, super easy, and requires only basic ingredients (besides the pecans- but I have bags and bags of those now).

Disclaimer: The picture above is not mine, nor did it come from the recipe site. However, I swear this looks exactly like what came out of the pan.

I also ended up having another culinary adventure involving Italian sausage and gnocchi. A friend and I sort of put together our own recipe which we'll probably never manage to recreate exactly but the combination was heavenly. A smattering of peppers and bay leaves and red wine may have played a part. The result is pictured below:

Of course we all know the real hero here is the Italian sausage, let's not kid ourselves.

Other food adventures:
-Tacos
-My Mom's chicken lentil soup (now sitting in the freezer)

I've also just ripped open a package which contained the deep fryer I got for Christmas. Donuts anyone?

Love & War and All Things Between

On Places to Visit in DC:

Ebenezer's Coffeehouse 

I stumbled into this delightful coffee house one foggy, raining evening and was immediately charmed by it. The inside was so warm and cozy and I would have stopped for a coffee or one of the delicious looking pastries but I already had plans and was way behind schedule by that point. I was heading to a Josh Garrels concert over on Barracks Row (well named for the location of the Navy barracks) right across from the watch towers.

Despite being 45 minutes late, the venue was intimate enough so that we were able to see him quite clearly even with only leftover balcony seats to choose from. I was also able to meet him and get my new album signed:

The film that accompanied the concert was incredible- beautiful camera shots and a nice flow. One of my favorite moments was when they were playing on the beach and you could see the waves rolling over the base of the music stands. It definitely felt as if the music belonged to nature, like the forest and the sand and fields were not just the setting but the medium for the sound. I was also impressed by how well Josh could express himself, not just in his lyrics but in his interviews.

The music itself definitely lies mostly in the folk category with a heavy Christian influence. I'm finding myself drawn to this type of music more and more and I'm even surprised by how popular folk rock music is becoming (just take a look at Mumford and Sons and Of Monsters and Men). I also just bought an EP CD by a band called Monsters Calling Home. They do a beautiful, heart-wrenching cover of Mr. Brightside.

I also love the artwork on the cover of my new Josh Garrels CD. I'm a huge fan of doodling (and nautical themes) and I usually end up expressing it by doodling on the CDs I burn:

Psh, who needs label printers?