partly cloudy

Animated short from the beginning of "Up" - which I missed because I was late to the theater. As we all expect from Pixar, the piece is ingenius and beautifully done.

oren lavie

This morning I saw that Smilupe shared Oren Lavie's video "Her Morning Elegance" in a piece about how the video had been ripped off in a commercial for a Norwegian company. I was immediately entralled by the video, which is shot in stop motion animation (which always makes things more interesting to me) and follows this woman in her bed (which sounds crazy but you have to watch it to understand.) The concept intrigued me initially because the way it is filmed is similar to Adele's "Chasing Pavements" video (which leaves me breathless every time I watch it) and I thought it might be by the same director. Lavie actually directed "Her Morning Elegance" and Matthew Cullen of Motion Theory directed "Chasing Pavements." In addition to singing and directing, Lavie is an accomplished playwright and songwriter from Tel Aviv. Read more about him here and here. Everything I've heard so far is smooth and beautifully poignant. I immediately got the album and I expect it to be on heavy rotation in the future as it's the kind of music you want to put on while you're destressing at the end of the day.

Soon she's down the stairs

Her morning elegance she wears

The sound of water makes her dream

Awoken by a cloud of steam

She pours a daydream in a cup

A spoon of sugar sweetens up

And she fights for her life

As she puts on her coat

And she fights for her life on the train

She looks at the rain

As it pours

And she fights for her life

As she goes in a store

With a thought she has caught

By a thread

She pays for the bread

And she goes...

Nobody knows

transformations

"We can never exert the influence over others which we can exert over ourselves. If we are better, if we show love, patience, and understanding of the weaknesses of others; if we seek to never criticize but rather encourage, others will do likewise….” (Shoghi Effendi: Lights of Guidance, p. 83)

"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill." - Matthew 5:21-22

Start taking steps today, however small, to transform yourself for it's through the transformed individual that our communities are able to transform. Respond to all that negativity in your life with love. You never know who's watching you and looking for positive examples of how to change their life. We have to start learning from each other's mistakes and stop waiting until tomorrow to take the first step towards a fresh start.

Rest in peace JBR.