Friday is time for the boys to shine, so here they are. Tito is the furry one. Kitsy is the nudist.
Friday Night Cat Blogging: Warm friendship
Blake Edwards 1922-2010
Yet another passing which saddens us. Thank you for so many movies, so many laughs, and more.
Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues, he will be terribly missed.
“The girl with the dragon tattoo”: dark and potent Swedish roast
“The girl with the dragon tattoo” – (2009, Sweden, 152 minutes – rated R)
This is a foray into the monstrosities men commit, with an unusual protagonist who herself has been mauled by such, yet has the brass to fight back…
A previous Swedish film, “let the right one in”, got us curious about cinema from that part of Europe: Sweden, Denmark, Norway and their neighbor to the Southwest, the Netherlands.
Watch the trailer:
We catch episodes of the police drama “Wallander”, either the Swedish version or the British production with Kenneth Branagh in the title role on a local station.
Continue reading ““The girl with the dragon tattoo”: dark and potent Swedish roast”
Another cool video: aesthetics in ballistics
This video’s not very recent, it was made by a German company manufacturing professional measuring equipment. It depicts high velocity ammunition impacting various materials in very slow motion.
At 10 minutes it may seem a bit long, but it has a strangely soothing quality. Enjoy…
De Felis Catus Mysterii
Reincarnation:
1
a : the action of reincarnating : the state of being reincarnated b : rebirth in new bodies or forms of life; especially : a rebirth of a soul in a new human body
2
: a fresh embodiment with tuna breath…
Hmmm….
Midnight Movie Madness: “Sukiyaki Western Django” avatar of Yojimbo
“Sukiyaki Western Django” – (2007, Japan, 121 minutes – rated R)
A gunfighter arrives in a small town divided between two powerful and vicious clans, the Whites and the Reds. You’re right: you’ve seen this before in “Yojimbo”, “last man standing” and others…
Watch the trailer:
What sets “Sukiyaki western Django” apart, then, is director Takashi Miike’s style. Visually, it looks like a very colorful dream, with that “photoshopped” quality many movies have nowadays, with high contrast and bright hues.
It has been called visually stunning, but I think that’s overstating it, just as “Avatar” felt to me like watching a fancy screensaver for almost three hours.
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Friday Night Cat Blogging: my lovelies
It’s Friday and time for the boys to shine.
We wound up getting a dog bed with high sides on it for the computer desk. Both cats like to sleep there, but they kept rolling off the desk. This way, they can sleep safely and I don’t have a heart attack when they crash.
It’s a bird, it’s a turkey: it’s Lastech on a plane!
I don’t like flying, it makes me nervous and cranky… I hadn’t flown since, oh, 2002. You’d think perhaps I would bring a book onboard and try to distract myself, but no…
I prefer to let my mind wander about the aircraft. How long has it been since they banned smoking on planes? Sometime in the ‘80s, wasn’t it? So why do they still have the “no smoking” icon overhead? And no flat screen TVs, old cathode tube units instead. Hmmmm. Just how old are those planes, anyway, I wondered, glancing nervously at the wing flexing at 39000 feet.
In this 1960’s décor of cream and gray plastic, I tried to imagine myself as Dave Bowman on the shuttle to the moon, but no dice.
Funny how some pilots are smoother than others, and how you can tell by the way they land and take off.
Continue reading “It’s a bird, it’s a turkey: it’s Lastech on a plane!”
Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: The Aquatic Gallery
Previously, I posted Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: Highland Tropics. You can find all the previous Conservatory posts here. This time we have made our way to the last section, the Aquatic Plant Gallery.
Anyone who comes to San Francisco should try to find the time to visit the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Opened to the public 1879, it is the oldest building in the park. It houses around 1700 plant species. The orchid collection is said to be one of the best.
The Conservatory of Flowers is located at 100 John F. Kennedy Drive. It is accessible for motorized and non motorized wheelchairs. Strollers are not permitted inside, but there is a place to park them while you explore. As it is a greenhouse, it will be quite warm and humid inside. As it can be rather cold outside, be sure to wear removable layers. It is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm. The cost is $7 for adults, $5 for ages 12-17, seniors 65 & over, and college students with school ID. $2 for children 5 – 11 and free for children 4 and under. Local residents receive a discount with proof of residency.
Note: On Sundays, John F. Kennedy Drive is closed to vehicular traffic. For those who don’t mind walking, you can just park on Martin Luther King Drive and walk to the Conservatory.
Today we’re visiting the Aquatic Plant Gallery. This section features lily ponds, carnivorous pitcher plants, and a whole host of bromeliads. I must admit that this was my favorite section, by far. I don’t know the names of a lot of the plants and flowers I’m posting, so if you know, feel free to comment and I’ll update accordingly.
Simon’s Cat ‘Snow Business’
It’s doesn’t snow here, but I know it does for some of you. I hope you enjoy the video. I’m sorry about the advertisement in the beginning.