Lately I watched a few Asterix’s films (it’s kind of difficult to get the comics in Cardiff…) and I really enjoyed it. As I mostly watch Japanese animes I did not expect to find Franco-Belgium cartoons so clever and untertaining (especilly the songs :). Besides, I was astonished to see how much Asterix embodies some typical French behaviour and culture. Though it is in French I realy advise you to watch some!
Enjoy!
I am pretty sure you have all heard Smash Mouth before. Though this band is not incredibly famous, their song “All Star”has been used in Rat Race, Mystery Men and of course Shrek. I am not a huge fan, but I like their energy, and I find the singer quite charismatic and original. They also manage to bring some diversity and softness though their genre is quite common. Learn more and listen to 
Isn’t it amazing?
Here you can find more about the:
I often wonder what is the point in being the best, especially the best in guiness book stuff. As if one had to proove that he is unique by licking his elbow… To me this is an absurdity. I feel the same about some sports and other kinds of competitions. I can understand the happiness and feeling of achievement that Phelps or Bolt had, but I cannot avoid asking what is the point. Though I hate to loose and tend to boast everytime I win at any games, I cannot understand their quests of being the best. How can one be ready to dedicate a part of his life to running 0.1 s. faster?
To me, this video illustrates perfectly the absurdity of such a quest. This is not beautiful at all, it is the at the opposite of any art creation, it is just about mechanical useless training. This exploitation of our bodies to constantly improve our performances make me think about men turning slightly into machines, only interested in their “productivity”.
Lately I rembered about a few cartoons I used to watch some years ago. A few researches on youtube and I found old episodes. I feared to be genuinely melancholic about the time when these cartoons were incredibly entertaining to me. Well, I was not so disappointed, I had quite a lot of fun actually! It is great to look at things with a “new” eye (especially the Japanese and comics cartoons :). Most themes are musical sins and actions scenes often seem very very slow. Some plots tend to reach the essence of stupidity while some daze me by their complexity and strangeness. There are also some cartoons that will always amaze me by their talents (Pink Panther, Tom & Jerry, Wacky Races, Hey arnold, Recess…).
I was so enthusiast about this experience that I did some research on the internet and found websites that gathered all the major cartoons. To my surprise I realized that I had seen episodes from most of them. Though I had never genuinely followed any series I had still been watching about a hundred different cartoons. It really struck me! My parents tended to prevent me from watching tv. How come I could have spent so much time watching this crap? I still cannot believe I used to love pikachu!
Although most cartoons were a delight and a door towards imagination, it still brings a bitter taste in my mouth. I wish I had done something else with my time. In fact those cartoons are a part of my identity. I guess that is also the reason why it is so funny to watch them again. The self-derision, the delusion about how I used to imagine the world, the nice memories it brings back…
Here are the
I collected. It is a very efficient test to see if we are from the same generation.
Enjoy!
Find loads more here:
“I don’t need no doctors!”
A great song by Ray Charles played afterwards by John Mayer and John Scofield. It is incredible how many bands are playing it now. I hope you’ll like it!
I am becomig more and more amazed by the impact of the voices. Your voice is a part of your identity, it expresses extremely well your emotions. The way you articulate, the pauses you make, the tone, the accents, all of that reveal much about you.
A voice is the core of the charisma. You just have to listen to these old dictators’ speech to understand the power of a voice. Yet, I would rather talk about the beauty of voices. Not necessarily a singer’s voice. But those day-to-day voices. The joyfull countryside accent, the softness of a whisper, the funny pace and intonations one has after a few beers… Of course there are some voices that you will carry with you during your whole life. Obviously your mother’s voice (9 months in the amplifier :), your father’s (and the rest of the family), friends’ and lovers’. We can even match colours and memories with voices.
What amazes me the most is that one’s way of life alter their voices. I guess that Louis Armstrong did not sing “What a wonderful world” in the same way when he was young. Alcohol, cigarettes, shouting, crying, silence, all these habits change the voice. A Chinese phrase says that eyes are the mirrors of the soul, well I think that the voice reflects one’s personality and past.
ps: I started a pearltrees about the
that struck me (Disney’s voices, actors, maybe some singers…). I would appreciate if you could tell me about the voices that struck you.
