Scenes I Love: Across the Universe
Here is one of my favorite scenes from the movie Across the Universe. Every time I watch it, I can resist Jim Sturgess and his adorable smirk. He is a doll. The musical stylings of the Beatles doesn’t hurt either. Have a watch!
Words of Wisdom
I read part of this excerpt today on imskyhigh blog. It immediately caught my attention. It really spoke to me. Take the time to read the whole thing and you will inevitably be inspired by the wise words. Enjoy!
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
copyright © 1999 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.
Cinema Sessions: “The Social Network”
I made the decision to see “The Social Network” at midnight. Great decision. Roger Ebert perfectly describes it saying:
David Fincher’s film has the rare quality of being not only as smart as its brilliant hero, but in the same way. It is cocksure, impatient, cold, exciting and instinctively perceptive.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Whether or not this is how Zuckerberg really acts or not, Jesse did a great job. He was obnoxiously intelligent, insensitive, superior and unknowingly hilarious.
This is Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin. Saverin was Zuckerberg’s best friend and business partner. Saverin is able to handle Zuckerberg’s brash personality with class, and is easily the most likable character in the whole movie.
Justin Timberlake portrays the founder of Napster, Sean Parker. He is charismatic, but hard to trust, kind of like a used car salesman. Timberlake does a great job making you uneasy. Although it is hard for me to see Justin Timberlake as anyone else but himself, he did a fabulous job.
The movie kept me interested and entertained throughout, whether it was Jesse’s perfect portrayal of Zuckerberg or something else . Overall it is an interesting story, whether completely true, or slightly exaggerated. Go see it, its definitely worth your time.
“Let me stand next to your fire…”
Lord’s of Dogtown is one of my favorite movies. I think i have a thing for the 70′s… Regardless, I realized yesterday that one of my favorite scenes in this movie is so trivial to the plot, but nonetheless delightful. It is the scene where Jay (Emile Hirsch, who by the way is wonderful) is dancing to Kathy (Nikki Reed) in the front yard. Now, maybe its the fact that I have a soft spot for the surfer type, or that he is dancing to a great song by Jimi Hendrix, but no matter what the reason, watching Emile Hirsch groove will no doubt make you smile.
Characters Who Inspire: Penny Lane
Almost Famous is one of my all time favorite movies. Not only does it play to my own fantasy of becoming a Band-Aid, but it also stars the fabulous Kate Hudson as the lovable Penny Lane. Penny Lane is lead Band-Aid. She is cool, can hang with the boys, has great taste in music, and a style that is bohemian, girly, and effortless all at the same time. This is not to say she doesn’t have her faults, she is human. The reason Ms. Penny Lane is so inspiring is because of her optimism, free-spiritedness, and willingness to throw her heart into everything she does. Anything goes with Penny Lane and that is something I admire. 
Here are some quotes from Penny Lane that speak to just the kind of person she is:
- “We are not Groupies. Groupies sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music, we inspire the music. We are Band Aids.”
- (To WIlliam) “You’re too sweet for rock and roll.”
- “Famous people are just more interesting.”
- Penny: “Look – you should be happy for me. You don’t know what he says to me in private. Maybe it is love – as much as it can be…” William: “Somebody who sold you to Humble Pie for fifty bucks and a case of beer! I was there! I was there!… Look- I’m sorry. “
Penny: ” [sniffs] What kind of beer?” - “I’ve made a decision, I’m gonna live in Morocco for one year. I need a new crowd. Do you wanna come?”
- “When we go to Morocco, I think we should have completely different names and be completely different people.”
- William: “That groupie”? She was a Band-Aid! All she did was love your band. And you used her, all of you! You used her and threw her away! She almost died last night while you were with Bob Dylan. You guys, you’re always talking about the fans, the fans, the fans; she was your biggest fan, and you threw her away! And if you can’t see that, that’s your biggest problem. And I love her! I love her!”
And my favorite quote from Ms. Penny Lane:
“I always tell the girls, never take it seriously. If ya never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If ya never get hurt, you always have fun. And if ya ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.”
Inspiring! My mission is to be more like the free-spirited, open-hearted Penny Lane. And for those who want a little more here is a clip from one of the best scenes in the movie:
The Bucket List… or The Buried Life
I was completely unaware of MTV’s show “The Buried Life” until Sunday afternoon when I found myself watching a marathon of Season 1. As ridiculous as the show gets at times, the boys, who by the way are all really good looking and quite hilarious, are committed to living their bucket list and helping others do the same. The show is inspiring. Not only is it on the list of things that pushed me to make this blog, but I am also in the process of creating my own list. Just the exercise of writing my wants, dreams, desires, etc. on paper is refreshing. I am excited to get started checking it off!
I was curious as to the background of these boys and their project, so I went here to find out more, particularly about where their name came from. This lead me to the marvelous poem by Matthew Arnold, “The Buried Life”. Here is an excerpt:
But often, in the world’s most crowded streets,
But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;
A thirst to spend our fire and restless force
In tracking out our true, original course;
A longing to inquire
Into the mystery of this heart which beats
So wild, so deep in us–to know
Whence our lives come and where they go…
This poem speaks to the purpose of this blog, and the fact that deep within us is the desire to find our true selves, and follow our hearts wherever they may take us. You can read the whole poem here. I highly recommend it.
l’amour de la musique: Tuesday’s Playlist
As you saw in my post from Monday, I love music. I have decided to make Tuesday’s a day where I share my current playlist, or songs I cannot stop listening to. Enjoy!
- “Beneath the Surface” -Kings of Leon
- “Awake My Soul” -Mumford & Sons
- “Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters” -Elton John
- “You Got the Love” -Florence + The Machine
- “Soldier On” -Temper Trap
- “The Mixed Tape” -Jack’s Mannequin
- “Silvia” -Miike Snow
- “Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk” -Rufus Wainwright
- “I’m Alive” -Celine Dion
- “Syrup & Honey” -Duffy
