Sounds Of Tokyo

Javier Aramburu is a professional photographer. He went to the cinema in Barcelona to see the well publicised film 'The sounds of Tokyo'. He was irritated even before he entered the auditorium, when he saw the publicity poster in the foyer showing a closed eye, beautifully made up with triple coloured eye-shadows. He immediately recognised it as his own photo published in 2008 in the fashion magazine 'Avenue'.

After a brief negotiation without satisfactory outcome, he presented the case in court against the film production company 'Mediapro' claiming credit acknowledgement and the 'moral' damage caused by plagiarism. If the judge decides in favour of his petition, all the posters in the streets and anywhere else will be taken down.

Isabel Coixet, the famous director, had admitted she had liked it very much, and had cut it off from a magazine to make a collage. Up to this point perfect. But the use of it as cover for the script and the cinema programmes is for commercial use, as publicity material in posters all over the world, even as a disc cover for the music tracks of the film in an album

I find it quite strange that with her respected status in the international film industry, and her work so closely connected with publicity, she had not bothered to find out whether there's an author behind the art work, and no doubt she knows too any photos for commercial use carry a 25 year period of copyright.

Tags:Tokyo,sounds,eyes

Current Mood: Contemplative

Fun Questions, Smart Answers, Or No Answers!

What does the Statue of Liberty stand for?
Because it can't sit down.

Which burns longer, a red candle or a white candle?
Neither, they both burn shorter.

If King Kong went to Hong Kong to play ping-pong and died, what would they put on his coffin?
A lid.

If you have a referee in soccer, and an umpire in cricket, what do you have in bowls?
Goldfish.

Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
At the bottom of the document.

How many books can you put on an empty shelf?
One. After that it isn't empty.

How many 2 cent stamps are there in a dozen?
Twelve.

 

A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 die. How many does he have left?
Nine.

Why can't a man living in the USA be buried in Canada?
Because he is still alive.

How many birthdays does the average man have?
Only one. When he was born.

Waiter, this food isn't fit for a pig.

I'am sorry Sir, I'll bring you some that is.

Can you answer the following questions??

** Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

** If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of the same stuff?

Tags:funquestions,smartanswers,unanswered

Current Mood: Amused

Can You Outsmart Your Foot?

This is sort of a physiotherapy. It takes just a few seconds.
It will boggle your mind and you will keep trying ...
Over and over again, to see if you can outsmart your foot
But you can't ... It's pre-programmed in your brain!

SO...TRY THIS ...

1) LIFT YOUR RIGHT FOOT OFF THE FLOOR
AND MAKE CLOCKWISE CIRCLES WITH IT.

2) NOW, WHILE DOING THIS, DRAW THE NUMBER ' 6 '

IN THE AIR WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND.

YOUR FOOT WILL CHANGE DIRECTION AUTOMATICALLY.
GIVE IT A TRY AND KEEP ON SMILING ... !!

Tags:PhysiotherapyFoot,Hand

Current Mood: Amused

When Something Works, Don't Change It

I don't remember who originally said "When something works, don't change it". It makes a lot of sense to me, and I have observed that rule as much as I could, especially when this something is in any way remotely to do with technology. Jay Leno, the veteran host of 'The 'Tonight Show' did change in 2009, or forced to, quitting it after 17 years, leaving room for the younger Conen O'Brien.

He returned 3 months later, on different time slot; but everything else was the same. The same format, same jokes, same band. The only difference was, it's worst. It's boring. On his insistence, the table for the interview in the past had been removed (was that the innovation?), giving the impression of improvisation and discomfort for both himself and his 1st guest Jerry Seinfeld.

Kanye West saved the show. Leno asked him what his mother would have been thinking about his bad manners - his mother died in 2007 on the operation table when she was undergoing a cosmetic surgery - West stayed silent for longer than the TV screen could bear, then broke down and cried. That saved Leno's 1st come-back show.

Tags:jayleno

Current Mood: Blah

New York - Formerly New Amsterdam

New York celebrated it's 400th anniversary on September the 9th in 2009, with a journey by boat through the Hudson River, to the discovery of the city. In a replica of the ship 'Half Moon', used by the explorer Henry Hudson in his travel in December of 1609, taking the same route that led to the discovery of the Dutch colony New Amsterdam. It was only later that the name had been changed to New York.

That New York is 404 years old, everybody knows. But I never knew it was called something else, nor whom by, nor the how re. the journey itself.

It doesn't say much about the standard of my knowledge in history, does it? I do now, never too late.

Tag:NewYork,NewAmsterdam

Current Mood: Accomplished

The Green Hat

A man came in the cafe this morning and sat at a table next to mine. Even I was flipping a magazine at the time, he had immediately captured my attention. No he wasn't good looking or had any physical peculiarity. It's the green hat he was wearing, and also a T-shirt, one of those that carry weird messages or declarations printed on the chest front. His says 'I am a damned fool', big in size and loud in colour, in Chinese. The text by itself wouldn't have drawn my attention; I have seen much more ridiculous, absurd or silly ones. But together with the green hat, it would have made all Chinese laugh out loud, and wink or gesture to their companions.

To tell you why I need to first tell you a little story, not exact story perhaps, but the significance of the green hat in Chinese culture. Not exactly culture either; let's say a rather deep-rooted black humour, the origin of which is even more absurd than it's century old belief. Briefly It's about a turtle whose wife had many lovers. The foolish and gutless husband turtle took to covering himself with the large green leaf of the banana tree, so he didn't have to witness the painful scenes of his wife's infidelity. With that any Chinese would rather die first before he would wear a green hat. It also follows logically the insult that a man would be called a turtle, the one that prostitutes his wife.

Now back to the man with the green hat. I don't know his nationality but quite sure he is neither Chinese nor Spanish. In theory his green hat, or rather his willingness to wear it, matters not at all anywhere else except in China. Adding the loud self proclaimed message of 'I am a damned fool', to me anyway, it's funny. Even though I don't believe in that ridiculous fable of the turtles.

I was tempted to tell this guy the story and the meaning of the message in Chinese. He most likely didn't even know the significance of either. But then what if he did but chose to ignore it or be defiant or unique? I decided to say nothing.

I have always found it odd that so many people like the kind of shirts with crazy messages on. Especially the ones with extremely vulgar statements. I think they ought to know the meaning of the text when it's in a foreign language, to avoid making a real fool of himself in certain environment.

Tags:greenhat,turtle,fool

Current Mood: Blah

How I Miss My Exwife! - My Fiction Story

It was more or less 8 O'clock in the afternoon on a summer day, with the setting sun over the horizon at the beach, still warm and brilliant. I was in my Hawaiian Bermudas, a bar T-shirt, and a straw hat. I was completely unpresentable, unshaven and with a hangover. Truth is I was a bit reluctant to appear in front of my only suspect like this. An antithesis of a private detective.

A couple of hours ago my friend Joan called to offer me a case. Since I installed myself in L'escala, I have not had any serious case in hand, apart from the one of the missing rowing oars months ago, when things were beginning to turn ugly. Clearly, to establish a detective agency in a quiet coastal town is destined for failure. Like George Michael's disc 'Listen without prejudice'.

My ex-wife reminded me just 2 days ago that I was 2 months behind the payment owed to her when she called 'reverse charge', and added several out of fashion insulting curses. "I have been very busy, Claudia," while I switched off the porno video. "Besides I got piles of bills here to sort out" crumbling noisily the pizza wrapper.

She finally hung up, but not without the threats to have me kicked out of my place first. Her called made me sad, and I began to miss her, including things about her that exasperated me most. The noises she made when she chewed on food, the way her dress is badly wrinkled and sometimes with the zip only half done up. The smell of her feet.

Putting on my only pair of socks, I decided to go out and earn some money, quick. Then I took them off and thought maybe I could wait just a day or two more. That's when Joan called me. " don't Don't even dream of it, pal. You know I never work in August. (Translation: I am desperate, any case will do)

"Don't you do that to me. You are the 1st one I thought of. Only you can do it. (Translation: All the good detectives are on vacation. You are my last hope)

I accepted. This time it's not about a little boy gone missing. A group of local Habaneras (Fishermen singers of ballads) has been assassinated. Their bloody striped shirts were found with the singers in them, where they were rehearsing. At the crime scene an accordion was found, Juan's.

"You know already that everybody was pointing his finger at you lot, Juan, the competition group" I said. Juan was puffing and blowing. "But I told you I have alibi."

What am I supposed to do, I asked him. He didn't know. Frankly I didn't either. Suddenly I remembered the smell of the hand cream of my ex-wife, even her feet. How I wished then I was back at our home, me in the couch watching football, waiting for her to come home after her work as a cleaner (fancily called 'Domestic assistant' these days) to make me dinner.

Tags:detective,exwife

Current Mood: Amused

We Are What We Do ...

When there's love, words are not important nor necessary. And when love is absent, words only serve to dissimulate it's sorry state in some occasions, and not even that in the rest. Our feelings, emotions and sentiments are often expressed in our eyes, our face, the hands and what's termed the body language. Most of the time much more effective and clearer than words. Believe it or not, we humans are rather transparent, despite what words come out of our mouths.

What's more, most of our body language and gestures are universal, that's why foreigners can communicate quite a lot with each other without knowing the other's language. Darwin was the first scientist in documenting human gestures like shrugging one's shoulder expresses impotence of a thing or a situation, raised one's open hands to show great surprise, or sweeping with an extended arm like a bullfighter to invite someone to enter, etc. He recorded all these in his book in 1872 ' Expressions of emotions in men and animals'.

Tags:gestures,bodylanguage

Current Mood: Artistic

Wordless Love

It's just a regular summer scene. People in the cafes are not the ones that go there only for coffee or some other refreshment. They all seem to have plenty of time and many brought with them pocket novels to read to pass the time, sitting in the open terraza sunbathing at the same time. The couple sitting near me are both reading a book. For ages there's not a single word exchanged between them. I thought at first surely they are too young to have said it all already to each other.

Then I saw it, which comforted and reassured me that everything is just fine. She, without lifting her eyes from her book and without saying a word, simply put her hand across to grab his gently, and he took it, raised it to his lips, kissed it, and gently put it down on his lap; his eyes too were all that time still on his book. All that in total silence, without as much as an eye contact. But things are absolutely fine between them. They had wordlessly shown their love for each other. Their casual gesture says it all.

Tags:wordless,love

Current Mood: Cheerful

The Dessert Spoon

I was invited to dine out unexpectedly last night, by phone. Unexpected as this friend and I usually go out for dinner only at weekends, and always in restaurants with reputation of serving excellent food, as he is nuts about fine food as I am. "I'll pick you up in half an hour.' and he hung up without saying another word.

I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, shedding the home clothes I had on my way up. I dressed hurriedly but taking care to ensure that I looked elegant enough to keep up my 'weekend only' image, so as not to clash with the posh restaurant settings. At home I am normally in jeans and baggy tops.

In the car on our way, I learned that the restaurant he had booked us in is 'La Llar' on the outskirts of Roses. My enthusiasm immediately dropped down to the carpeted floor of the car under my feet. I told him I had been there once before, many years ago, but had loved the place and hated the food just as much. He said the management had changed hands, the chef too, and that several of his friends had recommended it, and all said it was wonderful.

The restaurant looked even lovelier than I remembered. A 19th century country mansion converted to an elegant restaurant, with decors mainly antique, old fashioned features like old oak beams, stoned walls and paintings on the walls by famous old masters. But dotted discreetly here and there were some modern touches that mixed tastefully to please the eye without imposing their presence.

The food too was marvellous, served in enormous double plates (Never did quite understand why so many posh restaurants do that), and presented with such artful, and skilful, decorations of leaves and twigs, flowers and other artistic ornaments, sprays of some sort of presumably edible dust of something.

Every course came to the table looking like some of Picasso's paintings. They make you stared at them for ages and feel very guilty messing up the harmony of colours and shapes by eating it. The main item you actually ordered is exquisite, but the portion was so very tiny, I was sure a cat would have felt insulted and meowed it's complaint and protest.

We left the restaurant hungrier than before we went in, as by then it was 2 hours later, and our appetite had been cruelly awaken, teased, then unattended to and abandoned!

The following picture is the dessert in it's actual size, surrounded by, again, vegetation, mounted puffs of cream, techni-colour dusts and a mint leaf. The edible part was heavenly, but the best part was the spoon. Doesn't it look lovely? I had a wicked urge to steal it, to compensate for my indignation of being left hungry. But such daring misconduct needs constant practice and rehearsal which I don't have. The thought of it entertained me for a few minutes though. 

Tags:spoon,restaurant

Current Mood: Artistic

The Biggest Candyland In The World

I love America. Have been there many times, to many parts, but always feel more at home in California. Whatever my intended destination was, I always made a point of at least stopping over in there, near San Francisco, even if just for a few days.

I was there just 4 years ago, to see the very unique and world famous Lombard street (the crooked street) converted into the biggest Candyland in the world. It was to celebrate the 60th birthday of this popular table game. The street was painted in many enormous rectangles of colours, so that all the children can participate in the game in it's gigantic version.

Candyland is apparently more than a game in America. It's a cultural icon. The popularity of the game is due to it's simplicity, that doesn't even require the player knowing how to read, enough just to know how to count a few numbers.

Like most games, what's required more than anything else is imagination.

Tags:candyland, lombardst

Current Mood: Accomplished

Is Computer Feminine Or Masculine?

Well I think the computer is bisexual if, unlike the English language, nouns are designated as masculine or feminine as in most Latin languages.

I will prove my theory by examples and back them up giving 4 reasons to each gender to demonstrate it.

It should definitely be feminine, because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and ...

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your pay-cheque on accessories for it.

It should be defined as masculine, because:

1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but they are still clueless;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and ...

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you'd waited a little longer, you could have got a better model.

There you have it. It's bisexual.

Tags:computer,bisexual

Current Mood: Amused

The English Language - 2

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on!

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

Tag:EnglishLanguage-2

Current Mood: Amused

The English Language - 1

I thought you would all enjoy the following ...

Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning. A homograph that is also pronounced differently is a heteronym.

You Think English is easy?? I think a retired English teacher was bored ...

1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture..
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Tag:EnglishLanguage-1

Current Mood: Amused

Remembering ...

Summer me, winter me. And With your kisses, Morning me, evening me. As the world sleeps, far away, star away, Forever me with love, Wonder me, wander me. Tags:summer,winter,you,me

Current Mood: Artistic

Jacquelinne - Nude And Immortalized

Jacqueline Onassis, photographed totally nude? The very unusual photo does exist, but none of us, the general public, would ever get to see it. After all, she was the first lady of America and this in the United States,is sacred. Jacqueline had the reputation of indulging her friends and she gave a photo of herself, nude and autographed, to Andy Warhol as a gift.

This is one of the 610 boxes of treasured odds and ends accumulated by Andy Warhol, and the museum in Pittsburgh bearing this artist's name, has begun to catalogue these treasures. Other unusual objects found included a piece of wedding cake fossilized, and 17,000 dollars in coins.

However, taking advantage of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the museum invited the first ladies to view these small treasures of a great artist. Perhaps some of the ladies might be inspired to pose nude and be immortalised, by some renown artist of the present day?

Tags:nude,jacquline,immortalized

Current Mood: Artistic

Football And Me

Many Barcelona citizens who are familiar with the streets were surprised yesterday when they saw the statures of the fountain of Gran Via, (in the centre of the city, near the very confluent Rambla Catalunya), wearing wrist-bands of the famous football team Barca. Tourists who noticed it too were taking photos of this strange scene. This soon attracted many people stopping there, looking, pointing, commenting, and no doubt all were wondering who had taken the trouble putting them so high up on the fountain.

It's not hard to guess, most likely a fan, a fanatic of the team. More difficult is how they got up there having to wade through the fountain and climb up to the top of the rather tall statues. Somebody had challenged and somebody else had responded I think.

This reminded me of something that happened to me when I was living in London. One evening I was on my way through the area which is nicknamed Theatre Land, and stopped in front of a theatre looking at some publicity stills in the foyer. A group of noisy young men, seemed to me all had had a beer too many, were passing by there, easily recognisable as football fans for the same scarves they all wear. As boys would always be boys even they were not children any more, they whistled and asked me to join them!

I don't now remember what exactly I said, something to the effect of a capital NO perhaps, but with a smile. Without giving any further thought I turned back to look at the pictures. One of them walked right up to me and draped his scarf round my neck. I pulled it off and extended my arm to return it, but he waved and said that's for me, with his pals cheering behind him.

I am not a football fan but I still have that scarf, the only thing remotely connecting me with football

.

The wrist-bands on the statues were removed after a few hours by nobody knows who, so this picture of the statue is rather unique.

Tags:football,statue,armband

Current Mood: Cheerful

The Answers We Seek ...

Sometimes what we seek seems so inaccessible or unreachable, yet the answers are often simple and right within our sight. Sometimes the answers can be found in your own room ...

Roof said: Aim high
Fan said: Be cool
Clock said: Every minute is precious
Mirror said: Reflect before you act
Window said: See the world
Calendar said: Be up-to-Date
Door said: Push hard to achieve your goals.

Some of the best music was composed by Beethoven, he was deaf;

Some of the best poetry about nature was written by Milton, he was blind;

One of the greatest leaders was Franklin Roosevelt, he served from a wheel chair.

Turn scars into stars ...
Possible is inside the imPOSSIBLE

Tags:impossible,possible

Current Mood: Accomplished

Marilyn, Michael And Warhol, Who Is Worth More?

In the Art Gallery Vered of East Hampton, in the state of New York, a portrait of Michael Jackson painted by Andy Warhol was sold for more than one million dollars. 'Respecting the request of the buyer, his name and the exact amount he paid for it were not announced.' revealed one of the 2 partners of the gallery Janet Lehr. She added that they were all happy  how the auction was developed and concluded. The portrait, of 76,2 x 66 cm, in which MJ appears young and smiling, wears the red jacket which he wore in his famous video-clip 'Thriller'. It's commissioned by the magazine 'Time', that had used a version of this on yellow background for their cover of the magazine on the 19th of March 1984. The original version is exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery  of Washington. Although the sale had fetched more than a million dollars, up till now, the portraits by Andy Walhol that had been sold for the biggest amount was that of Marilyn Monroe, titled 'Lemon Marilyn', sold for an impressive price of 28 million dollars, by the auction house Christie's in New York in March 2007. I can't help but wonder whether it's not Marilyn or Michael, but Andy Warhol that the collectors paid for those colossal sums of money? Tags:Michael,Marilyn,Warhol

Current Mood: Artistic

The Organist

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness, and her kindness to all.

One afternoon, the Pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to take a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her Hammond organ, the young Minister noticed a cute glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The Pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and it's strange floater, but soon the curiosity got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

"Miss Beatrice" he said. "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.

"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? "I was walking through the park a few months ago, and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet, and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know, I haven't had the flu all winter!"

Tags:flu,organist

Current Mood: Amused

Genius Or Madman?

Blas is 20 years old. He speaks equally fluently Spanish, English, German, French, Portuguese and Swedish. But he is incapable of catching double meanings. On one hand, the incredible talent and on the other, socially incapacitated.

Together with the protagonists of 'The Rain Man; or 'Forest Gump', or that of 'The curious incident of the dog at midnight', the book of Marc Haddon. All these people have 2 things in common: possessed outstanding talent for concrete or specified topics, activities or applications, but totally incapable to connect normally with other people. This is the syndrome of Asperger, also called 'syndrome of the sage'. Known names suffering this include Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol and Steven Spielberg.

The parents of Blas began to notice that something was not right with their son when he was 3. He showed astonishing ease of speech with words and phrases not appropriate at his age, and had fixation on certain concrete themes. Although very intelligent, his social behaviour was weird. He preferred to be alone, didn't show any emotions with parents and tended to throw tantrums. His learning was not balanced. At that time very little was known about this medical condition, even psychologist, psychiatrist and neurologist didn't give any clear diagnoses. Finally a psychologist who had been in America knew something about this abnormality Blas was linked to when he was 12. Similar to autism.

They achieve amazing results working on something alone, not so much in groups. If people in general take some effort to understand the disease and those who are affected, things would be much easier for all and their talents would also be better employed and utilized. All I know is, there's only a very thin dividing line between a genius and a madman. Depending on each person's view and mentality, morality as well as ethics to decide, and even so one might still be wrong.

Tags:madman,genius

Current Mood: Accomplished