No this message is not about the movie, it's about sunglasses. Not what you had expected, I guess. We have all seen people wearing sunglasses with the large frames and the reflective lenses, like this :
But what about the history behind these sunblockers? Their name comes from the teardrop shape which resembles the design of the Ray-Ban flying goggles that the company sold to the US Army and the Navy some 60 years ago. The Aviator became a well-known style of sunglasses when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach of the Philippines in World War II. Photographers snapped several pictures of him wearing these sunglasses for the newspapers. I have my own set of Aviators and I'm really happy with them. The first time I ever saw them was in the movie 'Top Gun' where Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer wear them almost constantly.
I don't know if you've heard about a UK band called 'Hurts' yet. The band is composed of a lead singer, Theo Hutchcraft, and a synth player, Adam Anderson. The genre of their music ranges from New Wave to Alternative Rock but I don't know which one is the right one. The band always plays in costume but the ones you would have seen regularly if you would have lived in the 50's. In BBC's 'Sound Of 2010', they finished fourth so we could say that the band is getting quite popular.
First of all, I'm not really into this style of music. Actually I should say that I wasn't really into this style of music. But then I heard this song on the radio and I thought it sounded rather good. Then I searched on YouTube for the music video of the song and I found out that there is something about the band that speaks to me. Is it the fact that they make their music by just the two of them, is it the way they dress or is it the way they sing in such a sincere way? Or maybe all of these aspects together? I wouldn't know.
If I had to guess I would say that you probably have never heard about the Wild Goat or Ibex. It's quite a rare sort of goat because it lives in places where normally animals wouldn't be able to survive, high near mountaintops. Sometimes it's even quite scary to see them jump recklessly from one big rock to another. But they are able to do so because of the shape of their hoofs : the inner side of their hoofs is hollow which gives them a good grip on rock surface.
So far the background information. I know this because I once did a presentation about the Ibex in primary school. While I watching a couple of funny movies on YouTube I saw a link to this video about an Ibex.
Last weekend I went to the memorial of one of my best childhood friends and they played this song. So everytime I hear this song it reminds me of him. When I got back home I looked it up and found out the singer's a gigantic Hawaian man named Israel 'IZ' Kamakawiwoʻole. He intrigued me as I saw the music video of the song and I wanted to know more of him.
Israel is an Hawaian singer who acquired fame after his album 'Facing Future'. He was raised on Honolulu and started playing music with his brother Skippy at the age of eleven, inspired by the great Hawaian musician of his time. While his star rose he became more and more known as an advocate for the Hawaian people for which he used his music.
When he was in his mid-thirties he began to suffer from obesitas ; at a certain point he had a weight of 340 kg. Eventually he died of breathing problems caused by his excessive weight at the age of 38 on 26 June 1997. The first day after his death 10.000 people came to greet him one last time.
What I really like about this man is that he sings out of his heart with just a tiny instrument (ukelele). That's something else than Madonna who sings live worse than my cat and that's when she has a good day...
A couple of days ago I was reading the morning newspaper 'Metro' while I was on the way to school and I saw an article saying : 'Death of Morel punishment of Allah'. I was quite shocked when I read this article because of the shameless comments on Morel's death.
What is Sharia4Belgium? Sharia4Belgium is an Islam extremist organisation. They strife to take action against 'the unfaithful', by which they mean anyone who doesn't believe in Islam. Their organisation has an ongoing investigation because of their inappropriate comments on the illness of Morel and after that, also her death.
A drawed reaction on one of Abu Imran's quotes. He said :
"The Shelter is an integration centre. Well, we have made it clear to
the Belgians that they would better integrate in the Islam"
Personally I find this comment quite disturbing. It's not that I'm a racist of some sort but people just shouldn't say things like that about someone who has just passed away and they certainly shouldn't say their deity is the reason for such an illness.
The original manuscript cover of 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'
About a year ago I read the book 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'. The first time I came across this personage was in the movie 'The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. At first I merely thought Dorian Gray was a made-up character for that particular movie. Until the movie 'Dorian Gray' came out in 2009. I recognized the name and I was bound to watch it. A few weeks later we got our lecture list from Mrs. Van Orshaegen and to my astonishment I saw the book 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray' under the classics section. That's when I finally got to the original story by Oscar Wilde.
A picture of Oscar Wilde
The book is about a young man named Dorian Gray. He inherits his ancestors house in England and moves in. After a certain time he starts meeting some upperclass people and two in particular : Basil Hallward, a painter and Lord Henry Wotton. One day Basil paints a portait of Dorian and Dorian innocently wishes his portait would age instead of him so he would keep his youthful beauty forever. His wish becomes reality and after that he would never again be that innocent and slightly naïve young man but a man with a passion for decadence and sin...
So I think it's quite obvious by now that I really like this story and I would recommend this book to everyone, especially since it's still available on our lecture list this year. As those who have heard about Oscar Wilde before know, he was homosexual and if you read the book (maybe even between the lines) you will notice his sexual preference. So the author has really put something of himself in this book. And of course, watch the movie !
Maximus : I knew a man who once said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."
Commodus : I wonder, did your friend smile at his own death?
Maximus : You must know. He was your father.
Commodus : You loved my father, I know. But so did I. That makes us brothers, doesn't it? Smile for me now, brother! (Commodus hugs him and viciously stabs him in the back)
Those who recognize this quote will know that it is taken from the movie 'Gladiator' (2000) by Sir Ridley Scott, starring Russel Crowe. The Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius wins battle after battle for Marcus Aurelius Caesar. Marcus' son Commodus has the ambition of becoming the next Caesar and is jealous of Maximus' succes. He kills his own father and blames Maximus, who escapes. Later he gets caught by slave traders and sold as a gladiator to fight in the arena. Soon he acquires fame and glory and is taken to Rome to fight in the Colloseum. There he will face his destiny and get a chance to avenge his family...
This movie is without doubt the best movie ever made, if you ask me. I've seen it 8 times already and it keeps moving me. The soundtracks are also very touching and made by Hans Zimmer, who has composed the soundtracks for movies like The Last Samurai, Mission Impossible and Black Hawk Down. Take my advice and watch this movie!
