It's been 2 years since Harvey Pekar passed away. His last book, Cleveland, came out recently. A loving tribute to the city that raised him and buried him. An affirmation of the life he lived.
Here's my tribute to Harvey from 2 years back.
http://www.ideaship.com/CAA/uncleJAM/harveyPekar.pdf
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Yayoi Kusama
Infinity Net, her autobio first published in Japan in 2002, is the best book I've read this year.
Finally translated into English and published by the Tate Modern in conjunction with a major retrospective of her works, this book is heartbreaking like Patti Smith's Just Kids. The poverty and poetry of living for your art in NYC in the late 50s and 60s, Kusama knew only one way to live.
"no matter how I may suffer for my art, I will have no regrets. This is the way I have lived my life, and it is the way I shall go on living."
Finally translated into English and published by the Tate Modern in conjunction with a major retrospective of her works, this book is heartbreaking like Patti Smith's Just Kids. The poverty and poetry of living for your art in NYC in the late 50s and 60s, Kusama knew only one way to live.
"no matter how I may suffer for my art, I will have no regrets. This is the way I have lived my life, and it is the way I shall go on living."
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Why so serious?
Singaporeans have a very limited sense of humour. Now that should not be a problem, except for the fact that...... I don't know. I always felt that a sense of humour indicates a level of sophistication. There is no link between intelligence and sense of humour. But still, as a well developed country, laughter should not be a problem. Singaporeans say that the stressful local life make us unhappy and dull.
Let us take The Avengers movie as an example. The Singaporeans I have spoken to so far are only interested in either the action scenes or the special effects in the movie. It seems like nobody here cares about the humour. My sister watched the movie with her friends and said that she was the only person laughing throughout the film.
So it must be our culture. Humour in the United States is not culturally suited to Singaporeans. Singaporeans do get slap stick humour well though. But then comes the weird thing. I have been educated in Singapore all my life. How did I end up with an American sense of humour?
Let us take The Avengers movie as an example. The Singaporeans I have spoken to so far are only interested in either the action scenes or the special effects in the movie. It seems like nobody here cares about the humour. My sister watched the movie with her friends and said that she was the only person laughing throughout the film.
So it must be our culture. Humour in the United States is not culturally suited to Singaporeans. Singaporeans do get slap stick humour well though. But then comes the weird thing. I have been educated in Singapore all my life. How did I end up with an American sense of humour?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Morrissey live at Fort Canning on 8 May 2012
Setlist:
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow, 1984)
You Have Killed Me (Ringleaders of the Tormentors, 2006)
You're The One For Me, Fatty (Your Arsenal, 1992)
When Last I Spoke To Carol (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Black Cloud (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Shoplifters Of The World Unite (The Smiths - The World Won't Listen, 1987)
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Alma Matters (Maladjusted, 1997)
First Of The Gang To Die (You Are The Quarry, 2004)
Meat Is Murder (The Smiths - Meat Is Murder, 1985)
Let Me Kiss You (You Are The Quarry, 2004)
I Know It's Over (The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, 1986)
I Will See You In Far Off Places (Ringleaders of the Tormentors, 2006)
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow, 1984)
To Give (The Reason I Live) (cover of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, 1968)
Ouija Board, Ouija Board (Bona Drag, 1990)
Everyday Is Like Sunday (Viva Hate, 1988)
Speedway (Vauxhall and I, 1994)
Encore:
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come. The last single The Smiths released while they were still a band in Dec 1987.)
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow, 1984)
You Have Killed Me (Ringleaders of the Tormentors, 2006)
You're The One For Me, Fatty (Your Arsenal, 1992)
When Last I Spoke To Carol (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Black Cloud (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Shoplifters Of The World Unite (The Smiths - The World Won't Listen, 1987)
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Years of Refusal, 2009)
Alma Matters (Maladjusted, 1997)
First Of The Gang To Die (You Are The Quarry, 2004)
Meat Is Murder (The Smiths - Meat Is Murder, 1985)
Let Me Kiss You (You Are The Quarry, 2004)
I Know It's Over (The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, 1986)
I Will See You In Far Off Places (Ringleaders of the Tormentors, 2006)
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow, 1984)
To Give (The Reason I Live) (cover of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, 1968)
Ouija Board, Ouija Board (Bona Drag, 1990)
Everyday Is Like Sunday (Viva Hate, 1988)
Speedway (Vauxhall and I, 1994)
Encore:
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come. The last single The Smiths released while they were still a band in Dec 1987.)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Metropolis
Just watch it on DVD, 11 years after it was released. Tezuka was not keen for Rintaro to make an anime of it before his death in 1989. Rintaro dropped the idea until he talked to Otomo (who eventually wrote the script) in the 1990s and Mad House studio got involved in the animation as well.
The villain, Rock, also appears in other Tezuka manga - eg. Phoenix Vol 2. Part of the Tezuka Star System.
The villain, Rock, also appears in other Tezuka manga - eg. Phoenix Vol 2. Part of the Tezuka Star System.
Have you fallen in love with someone you shouldn't fallen in love with...
Phoenix Vol 2 - hero fell in love with alien, which got him alienated.
Phoenix Vol 5 - hero fell in love with robot.
Phoenix Vol 6 - mother made love with sons and grandsons.
Phoenix Vol 8 - farmer/peasant fell in love with woman from the future.
Phoenix Vol 5 - hero fell in love with robot.
Phoenix Vol 6 - mother made love with sons and grandsons.
Phoenix Vol 8 - farmer/peasant fell in love with woman from the future.
Unfortunate Lives and Kiasu Times in 1980s and 1990s Singapore
Since the previous post was about Mr Kiasu, there is an article on Eric Khoo's Unfortunate Lives and Mr Kiasu in the latest issue of BiblioAsia.
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BIBA_0704Mar12.pdf
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BIBA_0704Mar12.pdf
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