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Last night, I went to a screening of Banksy’s first film, Exit Through The Gift Shop. It was the talk of Sundance—the premier film of the festival. It was originally a documentary about street art but it became so much more. To even call it Banksy’s film is debatable, though he does have a huge part in turning it into what it is. I suppose in that way, that it mirrors much of Banksy’s art anyways—taking something and completely flipping it on its head.
Tham & Videgard Arkitekts did up this apartment right nice. They took some Swedish design classes and then dropped acid. Superb. I love how the white furniture, regardless of style or era, fits right in because of the fusion of colors. If I lived here, I wouldn’t walk to the bathroom. I would skip. Could you have a bad day if you lived in this apartment? I doubt it. If you threw a party here, it’d turn into a rave, no matter what. And you know who goes to raves? Babes.
More pictures of this incredible space after the cut.
I finally got around to watching Moon last night. It’s gotten pretty great reviews ever since it premiered at Sundance last year, and I was really excited about it when I saw the original trailer, (not to mention that the poster is amazing), but it just ended up being one of those things that just slipped through the cracks. I’m very busy, you see. Photoshopping captions onto cat pictures takes up a great deal of my time.
I randomly came across this young lady’s work on Flickr. Her stuff reminds me of stills from a French New Wave film or maybe a classic James Bond movie that’s set in Turkey. Perhaps it’s the colors and perfectly framed subjects. Either way, James Bond is what’s up.
Tablet computers have largely been a failure so far. Having an entire OS on a touch screen (with stylus input) is just awkward and terrible. Even with this, the idea of an Apple tablet has been around for years. It’s what the iPhone’s idea and technology came from. If anyone could succeed in creating one, it’s Apple. Low and behold: the iPad. It’s a tablet that essentially runs an extended version of the iPhone/iPod Touch OS.
First things first. What a horrendous name. Can we move away from this whole “i” thing? iPad? Really? MadTV already did a skit about that one. It sounds like a Chinese knock-off brand of Maxi Pads. And since MadTV is a big enough knock-off already, it’s double-y unoriginal. Moving on.
The hardware is pretty. I wish there were less of a bezel, but I understand why it’s there. It makes sense. It’s super thin and fits into Apple’s design aesthetic nicely. The screen is of a pretty high resolution so videos and photos and the web in general look amazing on it.
Using the iPhone OS was a smart move. It keeps it simple and allows it to be really good at what it does. However, the homescreen does not look too hot all extended like that. Such an awkward use of space. Functionally, it’s fine I suppose, but I expected a little more “Apple elegance.” However, when one of the included apps are open, it looks beautiful. Unfortunately, even with the quick little processor they have in the thing, there is still no multitasking. That is a damn shame. Hopefully they are just saving it for iPhone 4.0. They better be. Being able to run all the apps in the App Store out the gate is a nice feature too.
I wasn’t sure if I was sold on the product when I was just looking at pictures, but watching a video of it changed my mind a bit. (Try to ignore the change-the-world propaganda.) Starting at $499, they actually priced it right, too. It’s cheap enough that it would probably still be worth it to get one. It still needs some things to be a complete winner in my book. A front facing camera (video chat would be incredible on it), multitasking, more of a tweaked UI to make it look like more than a giant iPod Touch, Flash, and it has to feed me my Ritz crackers when I just don’t have the strength or motivation to do it myself.
It’s a good start, for sure. I’ll certainly be jealous of people I see with one. It’s a great mobile device. However, just like the iPhone, I think it’s going to get much better over time.
Edit: The more I think about it, the more I think this will be a success in the home. Especially for those who don’t necessarily need a laptop. I see this device as being perfect for sitting at home, reading books, magazines, surfing the web, and listening to music. If Apple does the right thing, I think it’ll eventually be integrated in the whole home network idea a la Apple TV and there will be streaming content involved. It still needs Flash support, a camera for skype, and multitasking, but if the print industry really adapts and creates the concepts they’ve been showing off, this could be a pretty big deal. Instead of curling up in your Snuggie and reading a book, you could have your iPad.
This is a beautiful music animation done by Takuya Hosogane. The music used is Le Petit Prince by cubesato. Don’t bother looking for the mp3 because it doesn’t exist. Somehow nobody on the internet has it. Not even for a legitimate download. The kind where you exchange moneys. This song is the dragon I’m currently chasing. Either way, the video is mesmerizing, amazing, and smashing. It’s smeshmarazing.
Imagine.
You are on a journey of self discovery through the evergreen-laden woods of the north west. You are as far away from the rest of the world as possible. Your clothes are damp from your own perspiration and the ever present mist that pervades this area of the country. It’s nearing dusk. Tired, you stop to rest in an inviting rocky nook blanketed by pine needles. You lay down and your eyelids, heavy, begin to close. You wonder what brought you to this point in your life. What is it that prompted this trek? Life is difficult, sure. But is it necessary to go to such dramatic lengths to figure it out?
As you ponder these things, a slight melody floats by on the wet breeze. Old memories of past days, you think to yourself. You hadn’t listened to music for weeks, which seemed like years. There was no means to. You had made sure to leave everything behind. However, the melody persists, gaining in volume, until you can distinctly hear the notes, the rhythm, the gentle ups and downs of voices. Neither memory nor dream, this was real. But from where? You sit up, adamant to find the source of the sound. Who would be out here? Another seeking what you seek? No. There were multiple voices. A range of instruments. Not a person, but people.
You gather your pack and walk down a ridge and peer through a line of trees into the valley below. You see the source of your intrigue. A cabin’s glow interrupts the blue twilight. Perhaps because of the sight, you become more aware of the music. Soft and inviting. It seems to beckon you. Is this why you came out here? To find this place? Is your answer kept within the walls of that seemingly impossible structure? Something pulls you there. You have to see.
As you descend the hillside, your pants become wet from water condensated and hidden under the leaves of ferns. Unimpeded by the annoyance, you continue, your eyes set on your destination. Your feet the percussion, each step seems to coincide with the picking of a guitar. A soundtrack.
You’re almost there. The cabin is small, but seems to grow larger and larger the closer you come. The hymns emanating with more purpose. It seems like destiny.
Finally, you arrive. It must have been hours since you were on the ridge laying in the pine needles, yet the last evidence of the day’s light is still visible just above the hillside. You stand at the door feeling small. You don’t knock. The door opens. Did you open it? You can’t remember. The golden light envelopes you, pulling you in. The warmth of the fire fills you with a nostalgic sense of home. The music doesn’t stop.
There, in the middle of the single room, sit five figures in a circle. They pay your intrusion no heed and continue their song—this gospel of the wilderness. It’s as if they were expecting you. Were you late? Afraid to disrupt anything, you gently place your pack on the ground, careful to not make a sound. Your boots, wet from outside, leave a small puddle on the old wood floor. You sit in the lone open chair and simply listen. The muted and delicately finger-picked guitars. A tambourine. Their wavering voices. It seems to come from somewhere so far away.
And it all becomes clear.
That’s what Fleet Foxes sound like. Or they sound like five guys from Seattle that smoked some weed and wrote a great album. Whatever floats your boat.
Fleet Foxes // White Winter Hymnal
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