Dance: Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson - Girls Like

Dance Appreciation

Choreography: Eden Shabtai



via Tim Milgram

Cosplay... Is An Art: LA COSPLAY CON

via Digitized TV

R.I.P. Gene Wilder

Acting Appreciation

I must have been 14 or 15 years old when I ran into Willy Wonka on Rodeo Drive. 

My family and I were window shopping when I saw him walking towards us. I was speechless but he noticed me with a smile. That smile that makes everyone smile. It's that genuine smile. 

R.I.P., Gene Wilder.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/movies/gene-wilder-dead.html?_r=0

Shanghai Surprise (1986)

Film Appreciation

Released on August 29, 1986, British adventure comedy film Shanghai Surprise, starred Sean Penn and Madonna. The film, which was produced by HandMade Films and distributed by MGM, is based on a 1978 novel by Tony Kenrick titled "Faraday's Flowers."



Sources:

http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Shanghai-Surprise#tab=summary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Surprise

Jack Kirby

Art Appreciation

When you hear about comic book artist Jack Kirby, the natural response would be to associate him with the great Stan Lee. I mean, both co-created notable comic book characters such as the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk.

However, Jack Kirby contributed to comics prior to collaborating with Stan Lee and during their on-and-off professional relationship.

Born Jacob Kurtzberg on August 28, 1917, Kirby first collaborated with Joe Simon to create Captain America for Timely Comics--predecessor of Marvel Comics. Both Simon and Kirby joined National Comics Publications--later known as DC Comics. There Kirby teamed up with Dave Wood to create Challengers of the Unknown.

Then in 1961, Kirby joined Marvel Comics. There he collaborated with Lee to co-create The Fantastic Four, a team of superheroes similar to the Challengers of the Unknown.

You can learn more about Jack Kirby at his website, kirbymuseum.org.

via en.wikipedia.org

via twomorrows

via en.wikipedia.org

Sources:

http://kirbymuseum.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kirby
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/jack-kirby/4040-5614/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Characters_created_by_Jack_Kirby
http://www.newsfromme.com/writings/the-jack-faq/
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/27/movies/one-vision-1940-s-still-rocks-jack-kirby-heroes-thrive-comic-books-film.html
http://www.avclub.com/article/a-beginners-guide-to-the-king-of-comics-jack-kirby-102227

Henry Flores

Photography Appreciation

Honduras-born photojournalist and fashion photographer Henry Flores is best known for introducing the concept of paparazzi as an art form. Founder of Out of Sight Media and co-founder of Buzz Foto, Flores has photographed celebrities including Erika Jayne, Mischa Barton, Lindsay Lohan, and Angelina Jolie.

His photos have been published in People, Us Weekly, National Enquirer and OK! and have been exhibited in numerous galleries in Los Angeles.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Caroline D'Amore and Elmo via henryaflores.wordpress.com

Erika Jayne via henryaflores.wordpress.com

Tami Erin via imdb.com

Sources:

http://www.henryflores.com/
http://mediagrid.buzzfoto.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/henryfloresmedia
http://www.outofsightmedia.com/
https://twitter.com/HenryFlores
http://henryalbertoflores.blogspot.com/
https://henryaflores.wordpress.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Flores

Dance: Meghan Trainor - Me Too

Choreographer: JoJo Gomez



via JoJo Gomez

Alfie (1966)

Film Appreciation

Starring Michael Caine, Alfie is a British romantic comedy film. Adapted from Bill Naughton's novel Alfie, the story is about a womanizing man who shows little respect towards women.

The film, which was directed by Lewis Gilbert, won the Special Jury Prize at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. Michael Caine, was nominated for the Academy Awards' Best Actor in a Leading Role category.




Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfie_(1966_film)

Cosplay... Is An Art: INDY POP CON 2016

via RealTDragon

Don Zimmerman advice to Hispanic Students

Last week, Austin City Councilman Don Zimmerman made a statement during a city council meeting to a group of Hispanic students. What he said to those students caused an "uproar" from Hispanic leadership and the Hispanic community.

First of all, Don Zimmerman is not new to controversies. The Austin American Statesman highlighted a few of those controversies last year, such as his comments regarding gay marriage, and suing the city of Austin over its campaign finance rules.

During the city council meeting, Zimmerman provided some advice to Hispanic students:

“I’d ask for everyone here, including the children, when you grow up, I want to ask you to pledge to finish school, learn a trade, a skilled trade, get a college education, start a business, do something useful and produce something in your society so you don’t have to live off others,”

This caused Texas House Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa to tweet:

The same advice Zimmerman provided is the same advice I received from my uncle, a lifelong Democrat and a Vietnam Vet, when I was in high school. My uncle, who is a Mexican-American with multiple graduate degrees from UT-Austin, suggested I learn a trade (e.g. refrigeration, radiologic technician, or electrical technician)--a skilled trade pays between $50,000 to $108,000. Additionally, unlike myself and probably many of my cousins, my uncles, aunts, and parents did whatever they could not to rely or live off others.

So, why does his comments raise controversy? Is it because he is White addressing Hispanics? Is it because he is a Republican?

Personally, I find no offense to his comments. If we were to dissect his comments and not read it holistically, it would read as follows with my interpretation in red and italics:

“I’d ask for everyone here [the audience]
including the children [the Hispanic students], 
when you grow up [learn from life],
I want to ask you to pledge to finish school [high school], 
learn a trade, a skilled trade [a tradesman specializing in a particular trade or craft], 
get a college education [higher education],
start a business [become a business owner and manager], 
do something useful and produce something in your society [give back to the community]
so you don’t have to live off others...[don't depend on others]"




Sources:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/council-member-don-zimmerman-courts-controversy-wi/nnK26/
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/zimmerman-under-fire-for-comments-towards-hispanic-students-1/302749248

@GinaForAustin @ndhapple @DonZimmermanATX

Jacob Collins

Art Appreciation

Born on August 11, 1964, New York City native Jacob Collins is an American realist painter known for his contemporary classical style in techniques and aesthetics.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Banjo via grandcentralatelier

Thinking Man via conchigliadivenere

Carolina via suggesteddonationpodcast

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Collins
http://www.jacobcollinspaintings.com/
https://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/jacob-collins-1964-american/
http://www.suggesteddonationpodcast.com/blog/2014/4/14/episode
http://grandcentralatelier.blogspot.com/2012/11/jacob-collins-new-works-exhibition-at.html

Cosplay... Is An Art: Denver Comic Con 2016

via Sean Caspian

Dance: Wicked Shame by G.A.R.

Choreographer: Anthony Lee

via URBAN DANCE CAMP

Space: Star Size

My heart was beating rapidly when I was watching this video that compares the size of planets, stars, and eventually the multiverse.

via morn1415

Lucien Hervé

Photography Appreciation

Lucien Hervé was a Hungarian-born self-taught abstract photographer, known for bringing together architecture and human interaction. He studied fine art in Vienna and worked in fashion in Paris before WWII.

After coming across and photographing Le Corbusier's splendid architectural design, the architect hired Hervé as his official photographer.

You can see more of his wonderful work HERE.

On the Roof of a Unit Housing in Marseille, France via restance

Sources:

http://www.lucienherve.com/
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/the-photographer-with-the-soul-of-an-architect-lucien-herve-le-corbusier/
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672599/a-stunning-survey-of-pics-by-le-corbusiers-trusted-photographer
http://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/lucien-herve-le-corbusier-s-favourite-photographer-/
http://www.tomorrowstarted.com/2013/05/lucien-herve-corbusier-in-india/.html
https://duranvirginia.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/10-photographers-who-helped-make-architects-famous/

Comedy: Raymond Orta

COMEDY APPRECIATION

This guy is from my hometown, McAllen, Texas, and he is quite funny.


via Made Film

Los del Rio - Macarena

Music Appreciation

Yes, I danced the Macarena.It was the early 90s and Macarena played at all dance clubs. The song was hard to ignore.

The Spanish dance song appeared in Los del Río's 1994 album A mí me gusta. It's considered by VH1 as the #1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time.

The music video features Los del Río, Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruíz Perdigones, singing with ten beautiful girls, choreographed by Mia Frye, dancing the Macarena.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macarena_(song)

If People Acted Like Telenovela Stars

I grew up in the Valley. You might know it as the Rio Grande Valley. It's an area located in deep South Texas along the U.S. Mexico border. Still lost? If the United States was shaped like a cow (which it kind of is without the hind legs) the Valley would be the preputial sheath of the cow. Got it? Good.

We only had basic cable at my house, when I was young, and the stations I remember watching with the housekeeper and my parents were the news in Spanish, cartoons in Spanish, and telenovelas.

Telenovelas are soap operas but with a lot of Latin flavor. The thing about telenovelas is that the drama is a bit more... well... dramatic.

Pero Like on BuzzFeed best explains telenovelas.


via Pero Like

Donald Trump's ABC Interview on July 31, 2016 regarding Khizr Khan

I try to avoid posting about politics. I mean, this is an art blog, not a politics blog, right? But I think speech-writing and oration is a form of art, and this issue is extremely important to just ignore.

Khizr Khan addressed the 2016 Democratic National Committee. The Pakistani-American attorney lost his son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, who prevented a suicide bomber from entering the Baqubah base in northeast Baghdad in 2004--a true American hero.

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has made some strong statements regarding banning and preventing the entrance of Muslims during the past year.

Khizr Khan, with his wife, Ghazala, at his side, took the opportunity before the DNC and American public to confront and asked Donald Trump:

He vows to build walls, and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you: have you even read the United States constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. [he pulls it out] In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law'.

Donald Trump turned to Twitter, played the victim card and rebutted Khizr Khan's comments, "This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!"

He went further and questioned why Ghazala stood silent behind her husband, during an ABC interview, "His wife … if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say... She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say."

Trump's supporters and even his campaign spokeswoman turned to the Internet and news channels to defend the Presidential candidate.

Theodore Shoebat and Walid Shoebat accused the attorney of writing an article in the early 1980s promoting the defense of OPEC and being involved in introducing Islamic Sharia Law in the U.S. The Shoebats even went further to accuse Captain Khan, the American war hero, of being a Muslim martyr and being a double agent for the U.S. and Al-Qaeda.

Katrina Pierson went on Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room to defend Donald Trump and his comments regarding Khan. Defensive, Pierson asked Blitzer, "But just out of curiosity, what exactly is Mr. Trump supposed to be apologizing for, just so that I'm clear?"

Resorting to the Shoebat's article, Pierson stated, "If you watch that interview, Wolf, it came up because of the reports that he was discussing that it come out about Mr. Khan having this fee for service of bringing in Muslims and writing laws or law briefs for Sharia Law. How is that a far fetch assumption?"

Speaking of far fetch assumption, Ms. Pierson did insinuate that--although, this occurred in 2004 under President George W. Bush's administration--President Obama and Secretary Clinton are to blame for the death of Captain Humayun Khan, "It was under Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton that changed the rules of engagement that probably cost [Captain Humayun Khan] life. So, I don't understand why it's so hard to understand why Donald Trump was confused about why he was being held responsible for something he had nothing to do with..."

PERSONAL OPINION:  I have to say this is an absolute embarrassment. This wouldn't have gotten this "out of control" had it been a better qualified presidential candidate and campaign staff. To continuously be on crisis management must be exhausting to his campaign.

Cosplay... Is An Art: Animefest 2016

via Animefest CZ

Dance: Happy by Pharrell Williams

Choreographer: Sori Na

via 1MILLION Dance Studio