Music Monday: Kyla

Houses

Having lived in condominium units my whole life, I have always wondered how people live in houses and the spaces in their houses.

Image from Madhava.com.

Falling Slowly

Once (2007, dir. John Carney) is about a street musician (The Guy, played by Glen Hansard) meeting a Czech immigrant (The Girl, played by Markéta Irglová). For an entire week, they write, rehearse, and record songs that reveal their unique love story.

I wanted to find out more about this film when the song “Falling Slowly” won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Song. After Glen Hansard made his speech, Markéta Irglová stepped up to the microphone to make her own speech, but was accidentally cut off by the orchestra. Host Jon Stewart brought her back onstage to deliver her speech:

Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just the proof that no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.

A few weeks later I was wandering the mall when I saw the film on a shelf and I grabbed it.

Below is the video for “Falling Slowly.”

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat

Keyboard Cat is an Internet meme that consists of 1984 footage of a cat wearing a blue shirt and “playing” on an electronic keyboard.

From Wikipedia:

The clip, originally posted to YouTube as “Charlie Schmidt’s ‘cool cat’”, has gained popularity by being appended to blooper and other viral videos as if to “play” that person offstage after the mistake or gaffe in a similar manner as getting the hook in the days of vaudeville, usually accompanied with the title Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat or a variant.

Keyboard Cat was further popularized by Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart during a toss, and also when Green Day played off Stephen’s most famous injury.

Below the cut are some other Keyboard Cat videos. You can also view a collection of videos here.

Introductions

I was introduced to Louise Glück on my very first class as a lit major. My professor in Advanced Writing assigned us to read and analyze this poem.

The Sensual World

I call to you across a monstrous river or chasm
to caution you, to prepare you.

Earth will seduce you, slowly, imperceptibly,
subtly, not to say with connivance.

I was not prepared: I stood in my grandmother’s kitchen,
holding out my glass. Stewed plums, stewed apricots–

the juice poured off into the glass of ice.
And the water added, patiently, in small increments,

the various cousins discriminating, tasting
with each addition–

aroma of summer fruit, intensity of concentration:
the colored liquid turning gradually lighter, more radiant,

more light passing through it.
Delight, then solace. My grandmother waiting,

to see if more was wanted. Solace, then deep immersion.
I loved nothing more: deep privacy of the sensual life,

the self disappearing into it or inseparable from it,
somehow suspended, floating, its needs

fully exposed, awakened, fully alive–
Deep immersion, and with it

mysterious safety. Far away, the fruit glowing in its glass bowls
Outside the kitchen, the sun setting.

I was not prepared: sunset, end of summer. Demonstrations
of time as a continuum, as something coming to an end,

not a suspension; the senses wouldn’t protect me.
I caution you as I was never cautioned:

you will never let go, you will never be satiated.
You will be damaged and scarred, you will continue to hunger.

Your body will age, you will continue to need.
You will want the earth, then more of the earth–

Sublime, indifferent, it is present, it will not respond.
It is encompassing, it will not minister.

Meaning, it will feed you, it will ravish you,
It will not keep you alive.

From The Seven Ages (Ecco Press/HarperCollins)

Efren Peñaflorida is 2009 CNN Hero of the Year

Congratulations to Efren Peñaflorida for being named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year!

From CNN.com:

Efren Peñaflorida, who started a “pushcart classroom” in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed Peñaflorida’s selection at the conclusion of the third-annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday night.

Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

Efren Peñaflorida gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education. His Dynamic Teen Company’s 10,000 members have taught basic reading and writing to 1,500 kids living in the slums.

Here is Efren’s speech upon accepting the award:

Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.

The video of Anderson Cooper presenting the award to Efren Peñaflorida is after the jump, or click here to watch.

Finding New Music

Thanks to the Internet, television, school, work, and recommendations by other people, I’ve discovered a lot of new songs and new music to listen to. I used to be restricted to pop music, but I’ve started listening to jazz, folk, country, even New Age.

One of my favorite hosts of fake news, Stephen Colbert, has some of the most interesting musical guests on his show, The Colbert Report, some of whom are the host’s personal favorites.

Last 9 March, he interviewed Lisa Hannigan on his show, an Irish singer and songwriter, initially known for her collaborations with Damien Rice before striking out on her own in 2008.

Stephen Colbert supposedly found Lisa Hannigan in YouTube while looking for something or someone else entirely (“Let’s say, Sean Hannity singing folk songs”). Her performance of “I Don’t Know” in an Irish pub led to Stephen Colbert telling his producers to find Lisa Hannigan. Lisa also performed “I Don’t Know” in the show, a single from her debut album Sea Sew.

“I Don’t Know” is a great song, about someone observing another somewhere-in a train, in a restaurant, the library, the coffeehouse-and invents an entire life story based on very little information.

The videos of “I Don’t Know” are after the jump.

Photos: Airplanes

Or rather, my pictures of mostly airplane wings.

What brought this on? Today I went to the Lufthansa Technik hangar in Villamor Air Base to cover for Mabuhay the blessing of the new plane of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range). It’s the first 777 to join PAL’s fleet. It arrived in Manila late last night from Seattle.

I met up with Thessa dela Paz of PAL and she showed me around the plane (no, I won’t be spilling details on what I saw! ), and while walking around, I remembered my first plane ride. And that whenever I ride a plane, I want a window seat as much as possible.

More pictures after the jump.

Signs

Last Thursday I evaluated for the last time the poetry recital of a class of a teacher of mine. The students were mostly science majors. After the recital, the last group showed the film “Signs” to the class. It’s a simple, short film about communication, directed by Patrick Hughes and stars Nick Russell and Kestie Morsaai. It is also one of the winners of the 2009 Cannes Lions.

Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

This was one of those things I stumbled upon that made me a fan of Stephen Colbert.

From Wikipedia:

On April 29, 2006, Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C. Standing a few feet from U.S. President George W. Bush, Colbert delivered a controversial, searing routine targeting the president and the media. The cable television personality spoke in the persona of the character he plays on Comedy Central’s popular The Colbert Report, a parody of a conservative pundit in the fashion of Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity.

The transcript of the routine is available here.

EDIT: OK, since I can’t embed the video here, please click here to watch.