the host

After seeing the preview months ago, I expected "The Host" to be a campy korean monster flick. And yes, the horror is absurd in certain parts if not thrilling...but I was suprised to find a dynamic mix of political commentary and some heartwarming/humorous dysfunctional family satire.

The origins of this mutant river monster was inspired by a real life scandal that started anti-American protests in South Korea back in 2000. In the movie, a U.S. military scientist instructs his Korean underling to dump thousands of bottled formaldehyde down the drain - which leads into the Han river. 6 years later, a mutant river monster emerges and starts to kidnap and eat humans. However, I enjoyed the fact that the monster wasn't one-sided in its villainy or monstrosity. It does kill and eat humans, but its also graceful in how it swoops and dives into the water. It can also be delicate as shown by how it handled the heroine when she tried to escape the sewer. The girl's father is a loveable clumsy slob who slapsticks his way into hero mode to save his daughter alongside his family.

It was refreshingly genuine and free of smart-ass one liners that pollute most American action/horror flicks. The effects were good - especially the rumbling sound effects -and I was thoroughly entertained.

cool chair

Modular chair
Uploaded by grrrrreg

spring forward music

My wife hates daylight savings time - simply for the reason that she'll lose an hour of sleep. This girl cherishes her beauty sleep. I know she works hard and everything, but don't the longer days and later sunsets make up for it??

Stephen Marley feat. Mos Def - Hey Baby
Stephen Marley feat. Damian Marley - Traffic Jam
Really looking forward to this album.

Amy Winehouse - Rehab (Desert Eagle remix)
Isn't it trendy for every celeb to be in rehab nowadays?

DJ Day feat. Aloe Blacc) - Closer
Nice cooldown vibe.

10 years later

Can't believe its been 10 years. I vividly remember where I was on that day.

job-related tracks

yes, the 9 to 5 can be a grind:

mark ronson feat. debbie nova & q-tip - Tomorrow

consequence - job song

kanye west - spaceship

friendship

Too bad the tiger will start looking at the monkey as dinner instead of friend in a couple months. Some friendships aren't meant to last.

beau sia's open letter to rosie

This has been floating around for a while:

and here's Rosie's response

george takei responds to tim hardaway

I'm sure you're all familiar with former basketball player Tim Hardaway's homophobic "I hate gay people" rant. Here's George Takei's response on Jimmy Kimmel's show.

And here's his hilarious roast of William Shatner:

smiley faces

I know this has been out for a while, but I still enjoy this video.

sunday sounds

This post is sponsored by the letter "K".

k-os - sunday morning

k-os - bed's too big

kelis - trilogy (synth/rock remix)

kanye west (feat. clipse & aura) - crazy

all star weekend slam dunk contest

I've always rooted for the little guy in the NBA, from Mugsy Bogues (Dunbar stand up!) to Spud Webb and Allen Iverson. But after the Slam Dunk Competition, I gotta say - enough of Nate Robinson! Ok, maybe I'm still sore that he stole last year's crown from my man Andre Iguodala (they should've just crowned him after his behind the backboard dunk)

...but last night was excruciating to watch him fail attempt after attempt in the final round until finally making his final try. At first it was frustrating...then I felt embarassed for him. Even his competitor, Gerald Green was rooting for him to finally make it. Dwight Howard really should've been in the final. The "sticker dunk" should've gotten him through on pure humor.

Yes, it was gimmicky....but the whole contest has become gimmicky. Nate Robinson himself is a gimmick, since he gets high marks for his short height alone. Gerald Green has the hops and his Dee Brown tribute was cool...but I was ultimately disappointed in his final dunk. In the end, I wished the judges (MJ, Dr.J, Dominique, Kobe and Vince) would take over.

kozyndan

kozyndan represents the collaboration of a Japanese illustrator and the photoshop artistry of her american husband. I love their work! Below is one of my favorite panoramic works with detailed shots underneath. A humorous twist on the Japanese salaryman's envy of schoolgirls.

"Kin-san's Business Trip"

Hiro / Heroes

Call me cheesy, but I love the show "Heroes". I'm not familiar with the comic book, but the show itself is very entertaining. Forget the cheerleaer...my wife and I both enjoy the Japanese duo of Hiro and Ando (they converse in subtitled Japanese). My wife is constantly amused by Hiro's highly amplified geeky way of speaking the Japanese language. Hiro is played by Masi Oka, who has an impressive background before he started acting. He was on the cover of Time at age 10 as one of the "Asian-American whiz kids", graduated Brown University, and was a digital-effects artist for George Lucas.

chéri cherin

"L'Esclavagisme (Slavery)" (2006)














"Demon-Cratie" (2004)












"Moke: Le Debut De La Fin" (2001)


I saw the "Africa Remix" exhibit last summer and was blown away by the energy and diversity of contemporary African art. The exhibit included paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, multimedia installations, furniture design, music, literature and fashion. I was particularly drawn to the artist Chéri Cherin. His paintings urgently capture the beauty of his homeland and the strength of people struggling to rise above the corruption and violence surrounding his native Congo.