LEONARDO Live

...drove 30 miles for this, a one-night-only showcase (in Michigan and other parts of the US) of Leonardo da Vinci's works, live from London's The National Gallery.





"the greatest geniuses sometimes accomplish more by working less"- Leonardo da Vinci on why he would go on for days without working on 'The Last Supper'

Rogue

"Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its own excuse for being." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Rhodora"

1Q84

Contrary to what people (including some of my friends) thought when they first heard of the book, 1Q84 is not an offshoot of 1984, the dystopian novel that George Orwell wrote decades ago. The title might delude us into thinking that they might be really similar somehow, but the reality is, they're really very different in so many ways.

Or are they?

Haruki Murakami is known to be quite a story-teller with a very wild and fertile mind. In this particular novel; he uncorked his thoughts bottled up inside his brain to let the words flow like fine wine and turned a seemingly simple story (which is quite full of nonsense if you are a realist) into a great surreal fantasy love story.

1Q84...

The characters Tengo and Aomame have a big full plate to eat and digest in front of them. With Tokyo as their playground, they need to get over the obstacles that fate has outlined ahead of them in order to solve the puzzles and answer the questions that have been long simmering and hibernating inside their heads for quite a long time.

1Q84..

The question marks-

The 17-year old mysterious Fuka-Eri and the relationship of the maza and dohta. The paradox of the Little People and the Air Chrysalis. The riddle of the two moons; the large yellow one and the smaller, misshapen green one. And the power of the human touch and the extraordinary things that people will undergo and the sacrifices that they will do to finally find their one true love.

1Q84.

And of course, the graphic and weird S-E-X-U-A-L 'insertions' in the novel that only a Japanese male could conjure are worth noting, too.

Yes, I have toiled, lived, and dreamed in my own supernatural world, a parallel universe of sort for weeks. Ah, the hours that I had to spend and the labor that I had to endure just to get through the 925 pages of what seemed like a journey into the world of black magic and wet dreams.

But I am awake now.

1Q84-2012.

Hinahanap-hanap kita...

...seen on the January 10th episode of Jeopardy! in the "Sounds like a Capital" category.

It seems like a double entendre to me, if you know what I mean.

Butter Fingers

The 900+ page "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami is the last item from my so-called 2011 last quarter recreational book stash to distinguish them from the obligatory technical and scholarly tomes that are the accepted parts of my day-to-day existence.

Not seen in the photo were Paulo Coelho's "Aleph" and Patricia Cornwell's "Red Mist", the latter I was able to finish on the first day of the year. But IQ84 will have the distinction of being the first book that I will start and finish in 2012.

Sorry folks, this nonsense is just a silly exercise to actually exercise the joints of my chubby fingers in preparation for my resolve to resurrect my blogging mojo back from self-imposed hibernation.

When hell freezes over in my cerebral cortex, I will let the dumb ice melt and thaw...

Then I will write -- err, type.

Once in a Blue Moon: A Juan Luna on eBay

In this day and age, who would have thought that we can still find a Juan Luna painting not in the hands of wealthy private collectors or hanging inside the gallery of established museums?

Well, there is one on eBay right now, the bidding of which will end in less than two days. The bid is now up to $12,000.00 and counting...



The said painting is entitled, "Joaquin Pardo de Tavera- Age Four- 1888" which according to the seller goldeneye, he was commissioned by a US- based descendant of the Pardo de Tavera clan to dispose some of the family's heirlooms which also included old medals, badges, etc. Thus, a note to the skeptics, the provenance of the painting can easily be traced if you ever win the said auction.

However, the said painting has some imperfections (watermarks) and has undergone some restoration in the past by or under the aegis of another famed Filipino Alfonso Tiburcio Ongpin. Still, and being a history buff, the historical value of this work of art is quite significant. It would be awesome if a Filipino will win the auction and return this rare piece of art to the Philippines where it belongs.



And if only I had the money to compete with the other bidders, I would certainly do it in a heartbeat. Yes, reality bites in this case and so I will just be contented watching in the sidelines but not before putting a one- time bid (despite knowing the futility of ever winning the painting) which probably contributed to the bidding frenzy. Thus, I can say that I was part of history when a Luna got sold on eBay.

How's that for showing a bit of a mean streak or in this case, painting envy? hehehe

Oops, Victoria Secret has done it again

A heavenly and uplifting sight, indeed.

What can I say but...

Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima and her gorgeous $2 million gemstone- studded bra is a sight to behold.

So, let us all shout our hallelujahs for the miracle that is the bra! And sing our hossanahs for the beauty that is Adriana Lima.

Obladi, Oblada!

La-la-la-life goes on...

BRA!