Bewildered by Leslie Cheung, one of the best MV of all time

Bewildered (the name of the music video for the song “Dreaming of the Inner River” from the album “Forever Leslie”) is one of the best music videos I have ever seen.  Although Leslie did not write the song, he clearly identified with the music and lyrics and has created a video that is achingly bittersweet, charged with memory, pain, regret and, in the end, transcendence.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvwGkldKD_QRead more

Candidate for the Worst MV of All Time!

I've seen a lot of music videos in my day.  MTV premiered in the US when I was in my 20s and it was something of a novelty, so we were all watching to try and figure out what a music video was and, more importantly, what it could be.  In the 80s the budgets were minuscule by today's standards, but creativity and an iconoclastic attitude about the medium led to a handful of (at least at the time) intriguing offerings.

It seems that things were different in Hong Kong.  Even a star as big as Leslie Cheung ...Read more

Ashes of Time Redux--A Modern Epic

The flag is still.  The wind is calm.  It is the heart of man which is in turmoil!.

I just came out of a screening of "Ashes of Time Redux", the film that Wong Kar Wai reworked more than a decade after the initial release of "Ashes of Time", that legendary (though little seen) film set in the world of jianghu (martial arts fantasy).  Before I even made it out of the theater, a word was already swirling in my brain, stabbing at my consciousness:  epic.  Yes, epic!  I kept thinking of Homer’s Ili...Read more

Fall 2008 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The sunny weather the past couple of days enticed me to go out and take some pictures of fall in my yard.  Fall carries the memories of summer past, winter that is coming all too soon, and the promise of spring to follow.  If you just look for the clues, they are all around you.

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Hong Kong--Hidden Kitchens, Fabulous Food

I just finished watching this wonderful program on Hong Kong's hidden kitchens produced by Gourmet Magazine.  The focus is on the private kitchens, which are not formal restaurants.  You apparently can find these places only by word of mouth.  And speaking of mouth, the food that they showcased on this program, the work of several of these chefs who are not professionally trained, is simply mouth-watering.  Click on this link and you can watch the 30 min program.

Enjoy!

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Rage Against the (Fashion) Machine

Word is out—this season the in-shoes have heels that begin at 4 inches and climb to the vertiginous (and truly unwalkable height) of 6 inches.  Couple a 6 inch stiletto with a 2 inch platform and it’s a wonder any woman can walk from her bedroom to a waiting cab.  The argument is being bruited about, yet again, that these super high heels represent power dressing.  Give me a break.  Any man w...Read more

Of Gardens, Sculpture and Museums - Part 2

So, you might ask, after reading the previous entry (Of Gardens, Sculpture and Museums - Part 1), where are the gardens and sculpture? 

The weather was magnificent--warm, but not hot, sunny and with low humidity.  After suffering through heat and humidity since early May, it was a real relief to have 5 days of glorious weather.  Many people don't know this, but there are a number of gardens on The National Mall.  There are two sculpture gardens attached to the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn M...Read more

Another Poem

In the midst of a million things going on today, this poem came to me.  Only one rewrite, and I think it's about done.  Some days it just happens like this.  (We won't talk about the other days.)

I am a gong

    a chime

    a bell

vibrating

before I am struck

the universe is full

my heart is empty

room enough for a life

Of Gardens, Sculpture and Museums - Part 1

I took a little break the week of September 15th and spent a few days in Washington, DC.  I visit DC at least once a year because it is only 5 1/2 hours drive from where I live in North Carolina.  The museums, in particular, are wonderful.  Since discovering Leslie Cheung, I have met a very big fan of Leslie who lives in the DC area and we always get together to eat good food and, what else, discuss Leslie, while I'm there.

This trip, the weather was fantastic and, while we did see our share of museums a...Read more

New poem

Skin like cinnamon

Revealing its secret

Not to the eye

But only to the tongue,

Liquefying in the mouth

Before being ingested

As the sweet nectar

Of pleasure’s flower

Two beautiful men inspired this poem.  Male beauty is something that I personally feel is not appreciated nearly enough in contemporary Western culture.  So here I am doing my part to redress this wrong.