March is Women's History Month

Okay, I'll admit, I just found out approximately 5 seconds ago that March is officially Women's History Month.  But hey!  At least I found out while it is still March.

Women's history, to be honest, is something that is not usually thought of in the battle of civil rights.  Martin Luther King is famous for his activism in racial equality, but Susan B. Anthony and many other inspiring women often go overlooked.  But women's rights are important.  About 50% of all humans are female, but yet so many misogynist comments are made daily about a woman's intelligence, looks, or sexuality.  The same are not said about men, or if they are, are not found to be degrading.  If you discriminate against someone because of their race, it becomes offensive and "taboo".  So why is this not the same when someone gets discriminated against for their gender?  Nobody can control what race they are, just like how people cannot control which gender they were born as.

Yes, women and men are biologically different (obviously), but both are humans, and they both deserve respect and rights that everyone is entitled to have, and the right to not be confined by gender stereotypes and double-standards.  Qualities, whether they be bravery and strength or calmness and sympathy should not be "divided" to either men or women specifically.

Everyone, no matter if you are a man or woman, should deserve equal respect.  But think about much women are discriminated today, and of the harassment they have to face daily.  Is this fair?  What can you do to change it?  And finally, remind everyone the importance of women's history and the women's rights movement.

Have a wonderful Women's History Month!

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor, beautiful actress and movie star, died yesterday at the age of 79.

  To say the truth, all I knew of her before my art and retro movie fanatic teacher was that she was in the advertisement for the perfume White Diamonds.  And then we watched a clip from Cat on a Tin Roof.

I'll admit, I was entranced.  She was truly a gorgeous movie star, as well as an AIDS activist in her later and life and good friends with Michael Jackson.  But her acting was what won me over.

When I got home, the first thing I did was to watch the full movie.  Her expressions, that careful, hesitant behavior in the first scene with Paul Newman-all were incredibly realistic and tense.  Even her Southern accent was spot on in terms of local color:  it added to the setting of the movie, but not too unrecognizable.  Actually, the acting throughout the whole movie is pretty spectacular.  The tense scenes, emotional breakdowns, and fits of yelling were all extremely real and emotional. 

In terms of story, I think the way the director pieced together the broken bits of their family was interesting.  You get Brick (Paul Newman), alcoholic, melancholy and apparently violent and not in love with his wife.  Maggie the Cat (played by Elizabeth Taylor), the suffering wife of Brick who is strong and constantly endures her hardships.  Big Daddy, the strong, powerful tycoon who favors his younger son Brick but has a strong temper.  Big Mama, Big Daddy's wife, who almost parallels Maggie: she too loves a husband who has fallen out of love or has forgotten how to love again.  The characters and their individual conflicts are revealed piece by piece throughout the movie, soon tying together to tell an intricate story of a family's complicated relations.  In the end, though, (SPOILERS! Non-explicit) what got me was the realistic portrayal of the news of death in a household.  To see the transience of life, and the love that makes life worthwhile, touched my philosophical side (okay, it made me emotional too).  The characters realize that death has to come, just the way that Elizabeth Taylor once said in an interview that she doesn't fear death.  May her legacy live on.


Interview here: http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/977-elizabeth-taylor-1932-2011


Images from yahoo.com, www.pennsylvaniatrustsandestates.com

Fall 2011: 3.1 Phillip Lim

I think I may always be a person who loves eccentric fashion.  However, the sky-scraping carved heels at Alexander McQueen and the opulent luxury of Chanel are too extravagant for "real life", which is why the casual minimalism at Phillip Lim appeals to me with it's simplicity.  Texture, draping and basic colors are the main focus of the collection, yet it doesn't suffer from being boring or monotonous.  One of the clever details that caught my eye was the tying of the scarves and sweaters.  This unusual detail is simple but makes but the clothing have a messily put together vibe, without being sloppy.  And the textures.  Tweeds, satins, cardigans, leather- gorgeous!  It adds a richness to the collection that you can almost feel (literally).

As a whole, I would say this collection is very refined and elegant-with a twist on minimalism and of course, modern.  I didn't totally go awaroq9qfg on it, but there a lot of elements I liked.  Can you look at that scarf, in the second look?  I want a scarf like that, to tie in a bow and attach to my ridiculously long, unbuttoned tweed vest.  Yep.  With the green pants too!

Japan Tsunami and Earthquake Relief

I think most of you have already heard about the 8.9 earthquake and disastrous tsunami in Japan already.  It was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, and many people have been affected by it.    To donate and give aid, visit these organizations:
Japan Earthquake Tsunami: How to Help

RIP Camera

Hello there!  This is your absentee blogger again, this time with another excuse.  Our camera broke a while ago, so photographs will be short in coming...

A while back a friend and I went to a restaurant.  While this may seem a simple thing in itself, this year had been quite busy for everyone I know and a visit with a friend was one sorely needed.  As we were walking back from lunch, it started raining.  We did not think to bring an umbrella, but before I could start worrying,  I realized that the sun was still out.  It was a beautiful sight.  Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the mist-like rain fall, but I did manage to take a quirky picture of a leaf:

I moved a leaf over and realized it had left an imprint on the ground!  And so the cameras were quickly whipped out.  I actually posted the picture to my Deviantart, found here: My account.  My friend's account is also linked from the picture there.

Posting might be delayed, but have a great day everyone!