absolutwillie

Author: absolutwillie

  • squee: cute overload

    one of my favorite sources of daily smiles: dailysquee.com

    dreaming of kittens - owen

  • coming attraction: a single man

    Tom Ford made a movie!!
    Naturally, I have to see it.
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCxRO67gyk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]

  • snap survey: school scam

    from cool cats to rug rats: what was the naughtiest, most rebellious thing you did in school?

    (answer under comments, please)

    Posted by ShoZu

  • matt alber sings "end of the world"

    wow. tom posted this video over on my new life – and it is positively dreamy!

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTvJdpkdLiw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]

  • if you can't find the book you want…

    you’re probably shopping at the:

    thanks Ma ;0)

  • my weekend: the Wang Yeh boat burning festival

    those who follow me on twitter (or glance at my twitter update-feed to the right), know by now that i finally got to experience DongGang’s famous boat burning festival. the triennial event is touted as being one of the biggest of it’s kind – which i tend to believe quite easily. according to the Taiwan News, roughly 100,000 people flocked to my old town to participate in its 300 year old tradition.

    The eight-day festival opened with a mysterious and complicated ritual on the beach of Jhenhai Park. Five Wang Yeh gods joined the one enshrined at the temple for a four-day procession around DongGang before they boarded their wooden ship on which they “sailed” around the fishing port’s streets to expel evil spirits and plagues.

    On the seventh day, the temple offered the gods a feast of 108 Chinese dishes accompanied by fine wine and liquor to thank them for warding off evil during the processions over the previous week.

    The ritual culminated on Oct. 17 when the elaborately carved wooden boat was set on fire to symbolize the Wang Yehs setting off to heaven, taking with them the evil spirits and diseases they absorbed during the processions.

    to give you an idea of what it was like, here are some random snaps (also collected from friends) and videos:


    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yft-qFgK2T0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5HY-bV_rM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk92T5vZ2wQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6yhgbFVbmw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k4gXu3pUH4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    what i didn’t expect – and was really interesting – was the deafening silence right after the boat was lit. according to tradition, no festive sounds were allowed, lest the Wang Yeh turn around to see what the commotion is about. so after days of fireworks, local opera, gongs, bells, bands and whatnot – there was nothing…

    creepy, but cool at the same time.

  • link-love: Owl City's "fireflies"

    this little gem of a song unceremoniously swept me off my feet today and rooted itself firmly at the top of my list of songs to purchase.
    (fan-generated video below, as the official version can not be embedded)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3gg2cVfxg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]

    A little bit more about this spoonful of magic, from Associated Press:

    Owl City music turns online popularity into sales
    (AP) – 23 hours ago
    MINNEAPOLIS — A young musician who recorded his album on a computer in the basement of his parents’ Minnesota home is finding success in the music business.

    Adam Young records under the name Owl City. His album “Ocean Eyes” came out at the end of July, and by this month it has sold nearly 100,000 copies. The single “Fireflies” is a top seller on iTunes, and is climbing the Top 40 and alternative music charts.

    Young started out by posting some of his songs on his MySpace page. Now he finds himself signed to a record deal with Universal Music, where he joins the likes of Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

    do yourselves a favor and check out the awesome Owl City website – and then spend some time on Adam’s MySpace blog. i’m intrigued enough to follow him on twitter – for his words – and revisit his MySpace for gifts like this:

    go out and get yourself a (legal) copy of “Ocean Eyes” and other cool merchandise.
    if “fireflies” is anything to go by – you’ll thank yourself forever.

    PS. i’m thoroughly enjoying streaming the other tracks from the official site! wondering if the physical CD (case and insert) is also a sublime adventure of discovery?

  • justice served cold

    remember the fellow who broke Ben’s nose, gave me nightmares and inherited my kids?

    his attitude got him fired yesterday.

    i’m not saying, i’m just saying…

    Posted by ShoZu

  • spot check: where does your mind go?

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVogg_0Hhus&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=320&h=265]
    i haven’t laughed this hard in months!
    (now also available for men – but that video isn’t as funny… except for the guy saying: “I haven’t been pumped like this for days”. deadpan.)

    buckets of thanks to cb over at mangina monologues (not for the feint of heart) for a truly gut-toning guffaw!

  • do you follow the postsecret project?

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zA54vb-eCY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=320&h=265]