Adobe’s Type team has developed a typeface called Kazuraki, inspired by the calligraphy of 12th century poet Fujiwara-no-Teika. While it may not be wise to use this for book content, it’s worth a spazz at the idea that it could be used on movie posters, movie titles, book covers, and many other pieces of copy.
It’s gorgeous.
More info at the Japan Society of Northern California.
I can’t remember when I first saw a Mario Testino photograph, but I do own his book PORTRAITS, which is big and pretty and has loads of pretty photos too. I love it.
You know Testino, right? If you don’t, think of any model of celebrity… and he’s probably photographed him. He’s photographed everyone but me, it seems. That’d be awesome, be photographed by Mario Testino. Come on, Mario! We can have food together in Lima. It’ll be fun. LOL
So now it will be a Mario Testino day~~~
I love his photography best when he goes simple. I really seem to not be able to stand most his high fashion photography though. I always feel it’s forced… like when he shoots Natalie Portman, and I love her. And she’s got some awesome photoshoots, but her Testino work doesn’t seem to click.
But I do love his almost naked composition, over-exposed, natural light, grainy and slightly out of focus. There’s something about that style that makes me tingle. Many of those last photos of Princess Diana are like that. They’re gorgeous.
That’s it for the first batch, check back for the 2nd~~~
Gift ideas for those who love Sci-Fi and don’t know what to give their friend who don’t love Sci-Fi as much. Yes, this is pretty much a pimp and filler post. LOL, but just putting this out there.
My story with Y: The Last Man is a bit curious. I’m not a person that is used to reading comics (or manga) – it was never my thing. I have bought the seldom Buffy comic (prior to Season 8) but just because it was Buffy. It was a chore when, my then roommate told me to read Y: The Last Man. Why? Because he made me do it. He had bought like 6 Volumes of it, and I began to read. I was surprisingly hooked.
It is that good. You don’t need to love comics or sci-fi to get hooked.
Yes, it’s about a guy that ends up being the only man left on earth after a mysterious global blood-burst episode. Yes, there’s a lot of women… and some of them are crazy, but it’s still good.
Y: The Last Man – 10 Volume List
I read somewhere online that they were planning a movie of it, and Shia (yes, that Shia) was rumored to be Yorick. Please, no. Please, be original. Don’t give the dude one more franchise… of sorts.
There’s also a fancy “deluxe” version of the first 3 volumes…
Yes, you can buy these if you’re trying to get someone to like Sci-Fi.
Trust. It worked on me. Also… buy them for me? Ha!
kawaii xD
Can’t tell the language though. Is it Dutch?
I’m not very familiar with Dutch…
Take a look at all the pages through this project page.
Most people know I’ve cut most (if not all) my ties with Harry Potter fandom — thank Kamisama! Where would my life be otherwise? — Anyway, I ran into these covers re-designed to look like Classic Penguin Books. These are oh so pretty!
why is that? how is that?
I’m not particularly fond of Mr. Vargas Llosa, but I ran into these covers, which are way cooler than the version of his books that I’ve seen lying around bookshelves.
Titled in English as Saving Fish from Drowning (not the literal translation), Amy Tan tells the story of a group of American tourists traveling to Myanmar that are reported to have disappeared. Telling the story is Bibi Chen, the leader of the touring group who mysteriously died before the trip. Of course, Bibi is traveling with them and knows stuff before it happens because she’s a spirit.
I haven’t read such a bad book since I graduated high school. You know, when the school reading guides point what you should be reading, so you feel like you HAVE to read it. It’s a horrible way to read, and this book reminded me of that feeling. And it’s not like I hate the book because it’s over 600 pages — because kamisama knows I’ve read Order of the Phoenix 3 times when I was a Harry Potter fan, but the book combines a few elements that I hate…
1. your typical mindless tourist (especially the American ones) who think they know better than anyone. Case and point, Wendy who pretends to visit Myanmar “touring” while also talking to students and finding more against the Myanmar government. Not only is she endangering herself, but the people traveling with her and who have no idea she’s one of those self-righteous Human Rights defenders. If you don’t like the way the country handles itself, just don’t visit the country and don’t waste your money.
2. Irresponsible journalists who only care about selling the story, because that was Belinda’s intentions… to sell the story, win a Peabody and Emmys. Screw the lost tourist, the Myanmar Army can shoot them if they want, right? Even if they’re not with the rebels? I hate those self-righteous defenders of the truth, when all they can do is report the events subjectively.
3. I know people are stupid, but couldn’t the characters be more easy to relate to? By the time I wanted to care about people like Heidi, I just didn’t care. Harry was an idiot. From the moment they decided to ditch the official itinerary, I decided to ditch them. I said it out-loud, I hoped all of them died.
4. OBHWF effect. The ending was bad, like conveniently bad.
I mean I can’t remember (since finishing high school) reading a book that made me lose interesting so fast. I hated all the characters, they were pathetic, and whoever described this as a “comedy of errors” is certainly crazy. I would detest having to travel with this bunch of people. I mean, really? Peeing on the ruins? It’s stupid decision after stupid decision, and that’s the worse characters you could possibly have, unless you plan to kill them.
The book is over! But I still think you should have killed 85% of your characters.
By the by, that North American in Peru? She killed people, she should be sentenced to it as well… just so whichever of the characters who mentioned it knows.
2/5
This is the Spanish edition of Haruki Murakami’s book also titled with the same name. It tells a bizarre real-time (think of Fox’s 24) story surrounding a 19-year-old named Mari who sits at a random Denny’s restaurant in the middle of the night, when a dude comes by telling her they’ve met once before, he’s a friend of Mari’s older sister, Eri. At the same time, Eri is seen in a neverending sleep, as if she never wanted to wake up again.
To be honest, I didn’t really get the chapters that described Eri’s bizarre sleeping sequences. At first, it was kind of scary, but it just didn’t do much for me in the end. I did really enjoy Mari, though. I wanted to know more about her… perhaps because I can relate effing around at a Denny’s in the middle of the night. Sometimes I would go there — maybe call a friend, or stop by a friend who lived around it — get something to eat or drink and waste time. I would also go on the longest walks around town with a friend at 2am, taking photographs or ending up at the local playground sitting on the swings. I still miss those.
Anyway, I digress. What I wanna say is that I could see a bit of me in Mari, so I wanted to read more about her. I thought all the stuff related (people, not incidents) to the Love Hotel was very interesting… Kaoru, Korogi and Komugi. And Takahashi made me laugh.
I gotta admit that this would play out nicely on a movie, though. While reading it, I was imagining Yu Aoi as Mari — I know she’s way too old for the role, but she can pull it off LOL — there was also Eita as Takahashi (tall, skinny and a feeling like you can tell him stuff), Shizuyo Yamasaki as Kaoru, Mikako Ichikawa as Korogi… and I had a dilemma whether to choose Asami Mizukawa or Kou Shibasaki as Eri. The good thing is that in the book everyone says Mari and Eri are very different. Mari is never considered gorgeous like her model sister Eri, so I could get away with any of the two. You could sense that Mari is pretty, but not in the “omg-she’s-so-hot” kind of way. I feel like Shibasaki would fit better as an older sister to Aoi’s Mari, however, Mizukawa is 2 years older than Aoi (same age difference with the characters) and I think fits better the whole “hot” factor. Plus, both Shibasaki and Mizukawa have shared the screen with Eita already. xD
As for the Chinese character, I dunno. Maybe Sandrine Pinna? I know it’s a pretty small role, but she’s sorta the same age as Aoi. I think it’s a tough role though, but it’d be interesting to see what the on-screen chemistry is on that particular scene at the Love Hotel. As for the other Chinese dude, I was thinking Chen Chang~~~ as for the office worker guy, I know he’s supposed to be in his 30s, but would I be pushing it if I’d say Abe Hiroshi feels like a good choice?
I want this movie made. Ha! With this cast! Make it happen Murakami-san!
Take that Revista Integracion *laughs*
Anyway, turns out the Swedes have been doing this thing called Project China for a few years now. This year they have made a 148-page-downloadable book called “31 days of Watching China Change,” which is a far better read than anything Revista Integracion can come up with.
They talk about Economics, and how the financial crisis has affected China and its people way of thinking. They also talk about the environmental impact of the crisis in the country and overall life.
You can download the PDF from the Project China website.
Design is a bit dull though…
Otherwise known in English as “South of the Border, West of the Sun,” it tells the story of Hajime who meets with a childhood friend he hasn’t met in the last 25 years. Her name is Shimamoto, and Hajime is contemplating leaving his wife and daughters to be with her.
To be really honest, when I was reading 20-year-old-Hajime, I felt I was reading myself. Except I’m not a dude. But I did feel that way. Actually, I could also relate with the fact that he was an only child. The way his head worked, his personality… it reminded me of me.
However, unlike Hajime… I think ahead. LOL — I really didn’t know whether to shout at him, or roll my eyes when he began cheating on Izumi. But I’m also forced to admit that I was actually hoping he would get together with Shimamoto, and I actually had to stop reading the two last chapters because I was feeling his desperation. She is never coming back, and she’s trying to erase everything that will remind you of her.
I wanted to know what was up with Shimamoto, I was expecting a big revelation, instead I got a bucket of cold water.
Other than that reading experience? My moral compass (do I really have one? After all, people have already called me a Fascist) tells me that Shimamoto was wrong, but as she explains… she couldn’t help herself. She had to see him, and she had to talk to him. I wonder if the book would be as “popular” if it were written in the perspective of a woman going about her teens cheating on her boyfriend with his cousin, and then cheating on her husband with her childhood crush.
I love to hate or hate to love that last chapter on the emptiness. 4/5
