Hello A,
This is Damka , come to think of it, this game in proper english called checkers i was completly unaware of that.
I was researching about this place and I stand corrected, this place is actually called YMCA Peniel and not Tabcha. The YMCA Is actually a hospitality place to pilgrims, it looks really beautiful in the inside.
I’ve been there only once during my grammar school almost 13 years ago...

My studying are going pretty much ok, the medical field is pretty interesting though like I wrote previously, the studies even for being qualified as a medical secretary (what I’m applying for) are really hard. I got a final exam after Passover in April 11, I know I’ll be doing well in it but it’s just stressful a bit.
The body is really complex and everything works like clockwork, although sometimes it’s not. You can really see how the human body is complicated by say checking an atlas for the human body, this sort of book is really helpful and very interesting to read an explore.
My work is ok, it's been a bit stressfull lately, lots of work before the holiday.

My mom still hanging around with friends from Russia and watches the Russian channels. She is still very much connected to her past and always tells me stories about it so it’s nice.

Mika is very talented, I really enjoy listening to his music it’s very catchy and funky.
A friend of mine is going to see him on concert next month, I’m really excited to hear what she will have to say.
I’ve been doing some music research lately for a message board I’m part of, me and a friend trying to relive the music board there by putting bio’s of the most influential bands of our time. She is doing a research on gothic music and me on 60’s & 70’s rock music, so far I wrote about Pink Floyd, Beatles, The Who and Led Zeppelin.

Speaking of boards and my internet addiction, I can’t even remember how I was a year ago without my computer and internet, I mean I got a Myspace page, livejournal blog, 2 forums that I maintain, 3 forums I am a member, a fansite , soon will have another forum and a possible site. it's an addiction that has become an obssesion really, clearly i'm less online now because of school an work but still it can take over your life...in a way.

Shakespeare is great, love reading the plays and of course i've seen Romeo & Juliet. Baz Luhrmann's way of making movies is very unique, have you seen Moulin Rouge? i think it was such an entartaining movie.
I promise i'll watch Casablanca soon, it's really silly of me not to watch a piece of cinema history.
Oh i hope you'll like Walk On Water, its really a great piece of Israeli cinema, sorry it took a while till it got there.

A few weeks back i have seen a biography on the history channel about Andy Warhol. It seems to me that he was someone who certainly was outcast but also tried hard to be different and do things that are not usual and might be hurtful to some people. With all the criticism he got back then, it is silly that after he passed away the public gave him a legend status and all of his artwork became very well known. He also was responsible for discovering one of my favorite artists, Nico.

I remember seeing Matt Lucas in Shooting Stars here on BBC prime. It was so funny to see him there and later watching him on Little Britain. What a transformation.

Today is an important football match between England & Israel part of the Euro 2008 games. I'm not a fan of football but i think i'll watch it and try to understand what's going on ( no clue at all).

Well i gotta go study so have a nice weekend

Mici

Just stumbled across this picture i took in the pilgrim place - see what i mean, could be the bible...

Evening Mici (I think I'm going to call your Mici from now on - Mic in English is a bit too much the Irish builder, not that i've got anything against Irish builders but they're mostly muscley blokes!)

Hope your studying is going well - probably better if i distract you with this on a weekend. Are you enjoying the medical stuff? What would you do with your qualification - work in a hospital?

It's interesting when you say the body is so very complicated. From one perspective it's mind-blowingly complex, especially how the foetus develops. But looked at another way it's a bit like plumbing or engineering or building - quite logical how it works.

You haven't mentioned your job since your first post - how's it going?

I am a trustee of the 24 Hour Museum which has charity status. I advise on stuff to do with interactive media. The museum is about to undergo a pretty big overhaul.

Was very interesting to read about your family history. Do you mom and dad tend to hang out with Russians despite the tough life they had in Moldova?

The place we stayed in on the Sea of Galilee was indeed Tabcha I think - it was a place for pilgrims run by Germans as far as i can remember, a great peaceful spot - at moments, like being back in biblical times.

Never heard of Damka - what kind of game is it? My kids have suddenly got into card games - I bought the older one a pack of Simpsons playing cards on my way back from a trip to Glasgow and they haven't stopped playing with them. He calls Hearts "Love" by mistake - so he talks about "the Queen of Love" or the "three of Love".

Talking of hearts, I'm glad you found my short film "heartwarming" - that's why i called it Spark. There's actually quite a lot of backstory in it which probably isn't obvious - for example, the fella fixing the old man's cut leg has a terminal disease and the old man looks out for him, so there's a lot of warmth and tenderness behind that plaster.


I think I've seen Mika on a BBC TV programme called Later with Jools Holland (formerly of Squeeze). He is very particular and interesting. He reminds me a little, beside Freddie Mercury as you say, of Anthony of 'Anthony and the Johnsons'.

It's very illuminating to see a person like Robbie Williams, with so much talent, struggling so much with life. It makes you happy to just be a regular guy/gal and enjoy the Simple Pleasures of Life. Like sitting on the shore of Yam Kinneret watching the fishermen go by. Or looking out over the allotment and following the cycle of Nature.

Your phrase about Music being "like food to the mind" reminds me of a famous line from Shakespeare: "If music be the food of love, play on" - he had a good way with words, ol' Shakey. Did you see Baz Luhrmann's movie, Romeo & Juliet?

I'm going to have to stop talking to you if you don't watch Casablanca soon! ;-)
I've just received Walk on Water - it was not easy to get over here. I'll try and watch it over the weekend and get back to you about it.

I believe Matt Lucas worked really hard to get his break - I heard him on a BBC Radio show called Desert Island Discs and it was clear he committed to drama and comedy from a young age, about 15. I saw him live when he first started stand-up comedy at London's famous Comedy Store and he was truly embarrassing to watch. It's cool how he eventually found his voice.

You mentioned Andy Warhol in your last post - I've recently seen Factory Girl with Sienna Miller. It showed Warhol in a very bad light - very shallow and heartless. The movie contrasted him with a caring and profound Bob Dylan.

Today I've been in Milton Keynes, a strange town created as a 'New Town' in the late 60s, so a very artificial, planned place. It's famous for being full of roundabouts. What I quite like about it is that when you do find something of Beauty or interest there it's all the more striking. It's a bit like the French poet Charles Baudelaire's concept of 'paradis artificiel' - natural beauty enhanced by the artificial like the ribbon round Olympia's neck in Manet's picture above, and the bracelet and shoe.

Have a lovely weekend
A

Hi Arkangel,
Good evening, last week has been so busy in my end as well. My final exams are getting closer, so it's an intensive studying about medical stuff. After April 11 i'll be more relaxed and at ease as this particular exam really stressing me out, lots of material and not enough time to study. i have no idea how doctors go through this, the human body is so very complicated.
Thank you for the link of the 24 hour museum, i was browsing through it for a while yesterday. What kind of work do you do exactly in there? it looks very interesting.

I'm glad you enjoyed the clip from Modern Times, i haven't seen this particular detail you have mentioned, i'll have to watch it again. I really like the part in this movie where Charlie is a waiter and tries to bring food to an angry guest in the restaurant while trying to navigate through a crowd of dancing people, so unfortunate and very funny.

My family came from Russia 30 years ago and i was born in Israel, i really am not that interested in the Russian country, culture. i guess since it has never been part of my life as i was raised in the Israeli culture and way of life. I do find interest now in learning the language as my mom is mostly speaking to me in Russian but nothing more. My mom doesn’t miss it, she always recalls how life in Moldova (where she and my dad came from) was difficult, i don't think she will be thrilled to visit it as well.

I was born and raised in Tiberias, my brother is living very close to my mom and me and my sister lives close to Tel Aviv. Tiberias is growing a lot lately, it's funny that after the war, the tourism went up and people are coming here even more. My family in the USA resides in Arizona. Very nice place to be in, i really enjoyed the weather there as it reminded me a lot of the weather in Israel in the summer. Do you remember the place you were staying in while being in Tiberias? Was it Tabcha by any chance?

I think i'll leave sheshbesh to people who actually know how to play... like you :). the only game i'm good is Damka, i can get very competitive in this game, so you better watch out.

i really enjoyed watching the short film you made, it's very sweet and heartwarming. the area looks really nice, makes me wish i could come to London now even more.

Now to music, I had to share my new music discovery with you, his name is Mika and he is fairly popular in the pop music world. I am amazed on how he can sing in such a high note, and his voice reminds me a lot of Freddie Mercury's voice (who's music i miss very much). I'm lately going through a pop music faze, i usually don't like to listen to those catchy tunes but all of a sudden i am just can't get enough. Mika is one and then comes Robbie Williams....he is very talented i think, too bad he is such a troubled person.

You are absolutely right about music influences in an emotional way, to me it’s something indescribable, when you hear a song that is connected to a place you come from…it’s just something I can’t put into words. I had a discussion with a friend on a message board I’m part of regarding a similar effect. We were discussing about different kinds of music and how the lyrics and the melody can inspire you to do things or to think about things in different way, it’s like food to the mind, in a way.

I must admit I haven’t watched Casablanca yet. It’s a bit of embarrassing as it’s a classic movie and I should have watched it.

So Matt Lucas is a family relative, is he? That’s very cool, I find him to be a brilliant comedian and with David Walliams (who I like a bit more) it’s a perfect combination. I watch a documentary on them last week called The South Bank Show, it’s really interesting to learn where and how people or celebrities such as them started their way in showbiz and grew to be famous, there is so much luck involve in this and not so much people succeed to get their 15 minutes of fame as Andy Warhol once said.

Right now I’m reading a book called Jephte’s Daughter written by an Israeli writer called Naomi Ragen. i have just started reading it and it is very interesitng book about religion.

I have read most of John Grishem's books, i'm also a Stephen King reader. Dan Brown's books are interesting though i wish it didn't had the same pattern of a mysterious writing that needs to be solved before someone will be killed. I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code- the book that is. i thought the movie was one of the worst i've seen, the only good thing in it was Paul Bettany- fantastic actor.

Have a nice weekend

Mici

Hi Mic

Been a busy week and now I have a quiet moment to reply. I am on a train this time coming back from Brighton on the South coast where I have been working today on the 24 Hour Museum.

Really enjoyed watching the singing scene from Modern Times - like the globe one from The Great Dictator it captures Chaplin's balletic talent. I liked the fact you'd found the French version - did you notice the cutaway of his cuff with the song lyrics on was in French whilst the signs on the door are in English?

I love the scene in Modern Times when Charlie picks up the red flags fallen from the back of the scaffolding lorry, waves them to attract the driver's attention and ends up leading a workers' demo.

Now talking of red flags, interesting to hear about your Russian heritage. Do you feel any warmth towards that country? My grandmother, for example, came to Britain from Poland just before the Second World War and I feel less than nothing for that country. No interest in going there. No interest in the culture. Do your parents miss the Old Country? Or perhaps just the people from it?

Have you read Amos Oz's memoirs? (i forget the title, almost as forgettable as Good Night & Good Luck! - something about Love and Darkness) I seem to remember his family coming from Russia. I really enjoyed reading it, especially the parts around 1948. There's a story in it where as a child he accidently injures a young Arab girl in her garden when his family is visiting. The misunderstanding is very poignant and of course highly symbolic in the context of the history of the region.

Where in Israel were you born?
And where in the US did your family settle?

Here's a short film I made about where I live. It's a suburb in the North-West of London.

So on to weightier matters - Sheshbesh ;-)
What you have to understand about that game is it's the perfect mix of luck and skill. Whether you win is largely down to how confident you're feeling at the time deep down. It goes perfectly with a Turkish coffee or fresh mint tea, and a Camberwell carrot if you're that way inclined. (If you don't know what a Camberwell carrot is, you'll have to watch Withnail and I again.)

What do your sister and brother do for a living? Do they also live in Tiberias?

My boys are 6 and 10. I forgot to tell you they have been in Tiberias when we went to visit their Irish-Israeli cousins. We stayed in a place for pilgrims on the North shore of the Sea of Galilee - very peaceful. The older one was talking to me about that place just a few days ago and saying how he wants to go back. We visited Tiberias from there for dinner one evening. Here's a picture I took in Nazareth on that trip.

Your recollection of the Independence Day celebrations in the US (Arizona? or somewhere else??) was very evocative. Music, and i guess especially national anthems, can do that for you - a very direct connection to the heart. An English writer/critic called Walter Pater, inspiration to Oscar Wilde, wrote: "All art aspires to the condition of music" which I take to mean that other art forms envy Music the directness of its connection to the emotions, having no concrete form between the art and its impact, no paper, no canvas, no bronze.

Talking of bronze, I bought a small sculpture when we visited Israel from Victor Halvani. It is of a pregnant woman, very simple and very resonant.

Back to national anthems, I have no love for our one - God Save the Queen. (It even looks stupid writing it down.) I'm a bit of a Republican i guess, can't stand the idea of royalty or the aristocracy. The Queen poos. Lords fail their exams. Ladies can lack basic human decency. There's nothing innately special about them, au contraire. A vrai dire, the Marsaillaise is more stirring to me. Do you know the scene in Casablanca when the French and the Germans have a battle of anthems in Rick's cafe and the French win?

I also found The Wind That Shakes The Barley disappointing - and it's a subject I'm really interested in. I think Ken Loach is very over-rated as a director. He makes a lot of dull films, often unmoving. Too much head, too little real heart. I believe a film must be a moving experience.

You might find it a moving experience ;-) to know that Matt Lucas from Little Britain is my cousin's step-brother. So that's not like my best friend (i've never met him) but it's a connection of sorts.

For the casting game, I've recently read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - have you ever read that? (If not, it's a great page-turner.) Otherwise it might be easier if you list a few things you've read (the only Dan Brown i've read so far is the DaVinci Code - i thought the movie was so bad it inspired me to write my first review on IMDB.)

I'm back in London now walking up my street so time to say:
Over+out
A

Hi Arkangel,
This is my favorite scene in Modern Times, i belive it is also the first time Chaplin spoke in a movie back then prior to The Great Dictator. Speaking of which, this scene always made me cry, i wish some goverments and leaders will take some of those words to heart and really think things through before starting wars all around.

The Ipod and other various MP3 players great invention, aren’t they? It is a really a way to disconnect from the world and be with yourself. I can’t go anywhere without my mp3 player, when I’m driving to school 3 times a week, it gives me a nice distraction from everything around me for at least one hour of bus driving. (Plus they very light and not has heavy as the compact disc player)

I believe Persia is actually Iran today, I don’t know if the population form Persia is big in Israel today. Israel is full with different nationalities, take me for example: I’m Russian, my parents came from Russia 30 years ago and I was born here in Israel.
I wish I knew how to speak fluently in Russian and write or read it. I didn’t know a word from that language until my visit 2 years ago to my family who lives in USA. There I learned how to speak the Russian language a bit better then I did before.

So you play Sheshbesh? I am very bad in this game; I never fully understood what the purpose of this game is. My brother is pretty good in this game and he even tried to teach me how to play it…..with no luck at all.
That brings me to how many brothers and sisters I have. I got an older sister who is 14 years older then me and one brother who is 9 years older then me. I’m literally the youngest and as everyone says usually about the youngest kid, the most spoiled one of the bunch (not true at all and I can proof it). How old are your kids?

My time in the army was kind of fun, I enjoyed meeting people who later became friends; I don’t go back to the army at all as I don’t need to. I miss that time, I miss the uniform. It’s a nice memory.
I remember after my army service has finished, I flew to visit my family in America for the very first time (I was there twice), i was traveling around mostly in Arizona, saw places and the Grand Canyon. Before I left back to Israel, the local Jewish community center has celebrated the Israel Independence Day, I went there with a friend and it was very special. It’s amazing that when you far away from home you suddenly realize how much you appreciate and love the place you come from. There was a moment in the end of the celebration that the Israeli anthem was playing and I started to cry everything just struck me- that I miss home and everything else.

I have seen Munich, I was very disappointed from this movie and the way it was made. Spielberg was criticized a lot here for not being to sensitive towards the victims family and made this movie as a Hollywood movie. I haven’t seen One Day in September yet.
Yesterday I watched The Wind That Shakes The Barley for the first time. I must say I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I thought. but Cillian Murphy was really great in his role as Damien.

I haven’t seen the filming of Aviva My Love, I wasn’t even aware there was a movie that was filmed in Tiberias until it came out to the cinema.

Good Night & Good Luck is a good movie, Robert Downy Jr. had a small part in it, not like in the movie I’m watching now Kiss Kiss Bang Bang… he is really funny in it. True, Robert had a setback in the past few years with all the addiction probalms he had, it’s great to watch him coming back to the cinema this days.

Amazon is a great tool for the online shopping of unnecessary things. I’ve done few purchasing from there lately, the last one was made today, preordering Little Britain Live DVD and getting the 3rd season of this show. Can you tell that I’m obsessed with it? I love this sort of humor that is a bit vulgar and weird.

To the game now, i can't think of a book at the moment, so was there any good book you read recently?

Have a nice weekend

Mic

Hi Mic

A few days off the old PC is probably no bad thing. A chance to get back in touch with the body, the ground and fresh air. That said I'm writing this on the London underground (the Tube) on a Blackberry screen with an iPod wrapped round my head and no fresh air to be had, just the rush of air that heralds the arrival of the train. Do you know the Jam song Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (A distant echo of faraway voices boarding faraway trains...)

Following on our conversation about Purim, are there many exiles from Persia living in modern Israel? I'm not even 100% sure what constitutes Persia - Iraq, Iran? anything else?

I only have one Iranian friend here in London - Mansell, the father of my younger son's friend. We recently went to his mother's funeral which was an interesting if sad experience. In a very English cemetery - Victorian Gothic chapel, a variety of native trees, and of course the rain - we attended a full Islamic funeral followed by a meal of Persian delicacies. I'm not sure how many nationalities reside in London but it's certainly hundreds - including the odd Israeli!

There's one Israeli fella that I know in my neighbourhood, Daniel, my backgammon victim ...I mean partner. I love the game (you guys call it sheshbesh no?) He is married to a local artist/photographer. We originally met them through the local school at the bottom of my road where my older son went to.

So you can see I do have children - two boys. They're both technically Irish - their mum, my partner, was born in Northern Ireland which gives them both the right to an Irish passport. One of them has Charlie as his middle name - after Chaplin.

So how many brothers and sisters do you have? What ages? Do they also live in Tiberias?

It was very interesting to hear about your time in the army. Did you enjoy it at all? Did you make any friends in the army? And is that it now, do you ever have to go back at all?

I’m going to order Walk On Water from Amazon and I'll report back when I've watched it. I really like thrillers.

Talking of Mossad, did you see Spielberg's Munich? I thought it was a really interesting movie, not least for its timing. Last year was a good time to reflect on the chicken-and-egg cycle of violence and revenge, and how people lose their souls in it.

Also did you see One Day in September, the feature documentary about the Munich massacre made around 2001ish? I remember my grandfather getting me a book about the Olympics that year which you filled up with stickers which you could get from the petrol station. As a kid I knew nothing of the horrific events which played out in the athletes' village - all I knew was the sport and medals. I guess my parents shielded me from the tragedy.

Which traditions and cultures does Late Wedding explore?

Did you see any of the shooting (as in production not bullets or missiles!) of Aviva My Love?

Back to Chaplin and The Great Dictator - I love the sequence where Adenoid Hinkel dances with the globe, I guess that's the most famous one but it captures Chaplin's physical grace as a comedian as evinced by The Tramp in everything from how he rollerskated to how he kicked butt.

I did see Richard Attenborough's Chaplin when it came out and remember enjoying it. Think I'll get that from Amazon too as I'd love to revisit it. God knows why I'm promoting the said online store so much here but, for all my reservations about its impact on real bookshops, I suppose it is one of the best ways to access the older and obscurer film titles at this juncture.

Robert Downey Jr's career took a bit of a sad nose-dive after the promise of Chaplin. I saw him recently in Goodbye and Goodnight or whatever George Clooney's movie from last year was called - good film, bad title if you're not American and can't remember the tv show from which it derives.

Let me suggest a game to include in our next entries. Picking up from your point about the Dan Brown book and casting, let's see if we can find a book we've both read but which hasn't been made into a film yet (or not recently) and both do an imaginary casting.

Over&out
A

Hi Arkangel, No worries about writing late, it happened to me as well. I’m writing this post 2 days after seeing yours; I’ve been staying away from the pc this week and resting as I am a bit sick. It’s nothing serious only a minor case of flu and I feel a bit better now.

I’ve always wanted to make a tattoo, but like I wrote before I’m such a chicken.According to the Jewish religion tattoos are a big taboos but mostly people who are strictly religious look upon that, to the non religious public it is fairly popular, same goes to piercing.

Purim is a really fun holiday, it’s only last for a day and in this day we commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.
I am a very proud aunty for 5 wonderful nephews and nieces, I’m the youngest one among my brothers and sisters. Do you have children?

I’ve been in the army, I finished my service 5 years ago, the army service is a mandatory in my country and once you finish high school you usually get recruited. My part wasn’t that exciting; I was a secretary for my whole 2 years of service.

I’ve heard of David Benchetrit but had never seen any of his work.
There are 2 Israeli movies that I most like, those 2 movies had a big success in the international cinema world and you maybe familiar with them.The first one is Walk On Water, this movie tells the story of an Israeli mossad agent that was sent to kill a former Nazi agent. This movie is full with lots of twists and turns.The other one is Late Wedding, this one tells the story of a bachelor that his family wants him to get married as he already 31 years old. it fellows the tradition and different cultures in Israel.
There is another Israeli Movie that i like called Aviva My Love. this movie was filmed in the town i live in. i remember the premier for it was during the war this past summer, and it was held in the municipality shelter. the actors and the director ( who was born in Tiberias) came here to celebrate this movie in such a rough time.

Charlie Chaplin was always a favorite of mine, The great Dictator is a masterpiece. Have you seen the biographical movie made on him With Robert Downy Jr.?
Peter Sellers is another one that i greatly appreciate. he was a crazy man but he made such great selection of movies. The Pink Panther series is priceless.

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment; it is written by Dan Brown and called Deception point. It’s a thriller and a very fast pacing one.
When i always read a book like that, i usually think who will act the parts or who will direct it if it will become a feature film.

Weekend is almost here, it's amazing how the time flies when you busy, isn't it?

All The Best,
M

Hi Mic

Sorry not to get back to you quicker. I used to get an email when posts went up on our blog but that didn't happen this time - not sure why.

I spotted the tattoo in the photo during the summer down at Brighton on the south coast of England. It was on somebody watching a basketball match down by the beach. I once heard Jewish people technically aren't allowed tattoos because they deface the body - do you know if that is true? Are tattoos popular in Israel nevertheless?

Purim sounds like fun. Do you have many nephews and nieces? And what is it actually celebrating?

I don't think we have any public holidays coming up until May Day, the first day of May, marking the beginning of Spring.

I know what you mean about addiction - it can be difficult tearing yourself away from these screens. Mind you, if I had sunshine and blue skies outside I'd find it that much easier!

One of my friends, Thomas Gibson, was in Kubrick's last movie (he's an actor) - Eyes Wide Shut. When he came over to London (from New York) to shoot his scenes he was only given the pages with his lines in, not the whole script. And Kubrick took whole days to light scenes so Thomas just had to hang out in his luxury apartment in Mayfair, poor thing. I met Thomas years ago on a lively night out in Madrid when he'd just finished Far and Away, also with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise - we just hit it off, interested in similar stuff.

Modern Times is pretty much my favourite movie. I'm a huge Chaplin fan. A great artist and a fine human being. Hitler accused him of being a Jew. He said "I don't have that honour". He's a fellow Londoner, from Kennington, just south of the Thames.

Are there any Israeli film-makers you particularly like or that I should look out for? I've got a dvd somewhere called Avanim which i was given - have you seen that? (I watched the beginning ages ago, was enjoying it, but have never got round to finishing it).

I met an Israeli documentary-maker a few months ago over here. His name is David Benchetrit and he showed a film called ‘Dear Father, quiet, we’re shooting’ about conscientious objectors - a pretty radical film. Can't imagine anything like it being made in any Arab country, nor in many Western democracies come to that. Israeli TV helped finance it even though it is pretty anti-establishment.

Have you had to go in the army yet? It's difficult for people from countries like mine to get their heads round the idea of a nation where every individual has to contribute to security by serving compulsorily in the army. I've no idea how I would cope with that. I guess you just get on with it...

Over&out
A

good evening Arkangel,

I would like to start this post with a recent picture of me, taken before going to work (and eventually missing my bus). I'm very much familiar with the mental adjustment you have mentioned...as a teenager i used to have a big crush on some radio presenter and from hearing his voice i could imagine him to be a very good looking man, then i saw him briefly on the television and it was the end of my infatuation over this guy.

The tatoo in the picture, it's really cool one, is it yours? i always wanted to make one but i'm such a chicken and needles are my worst nightmare.hahaha

Today is Purim holiday; it is very similar to Halloween. Lots of kids dressing up and exchanging sweets, this holiday doesn’t pass the adults, though this year i decided not to dress up as anything, i couldn't think of anything special in particular. My nephew dressed up as Superman with a sword- he loves swords, such a sweet 5 year old kid.

The weekend here is coming to it's end, the weather is rather nice, lots of sun and blue sky. I’ve spent most of the day doing practically nothing but sitting in front of pc all day, it's an addiction.

Yesterday me and a good friend had a long discussion about Stanly Kubrick and his art. Kubrick was one of my favorite directors and I really cherish his contribution to the movie world. I always think he was one of the directors who saw the future so close to him with movies such as Dr. Strangelove and 2001.
He even went further with A Clockwork Orange which you can apply to our world today.It’s amazing how every movie that he made was perfectly combined with music, colors and customs. Every moment, feeling and situation was well made and thought provoking.

I had a chance to catch few movies on DVD and on some movie channels today.
In the morning, Modern Times was on, then I’ve watched the sweet Little Miss Sunshine, this is such adorable movie yet a sad one. I’ve seen a bit From the Departed, Leo Dicaprio & Matt Damon are simply outstanding in it.
I haven’t seen The Wind That Shakes The Barley yet, I’ve seen some of Ken Loach movies over the years but I’m certainly not a fan.
Breakfast On Pluto is a very special and dear movie to me, Cillian was great in it, Neil Jordan did a fantastic job with the script and directing. Simply wonderful.
300 is a movie based on a Frank Miller illustrated novel, you can watch the trailer to it in here.

Music wise, I’m always changing my test, right now I’m into indie rock music but few months ago I was a hippie at heart with Pink Floyd, The Who & Beatles. Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder are 2 more of my favorites.
David Holmes is great, i like his work very much.

Have a nice weekend,
Mic.