Sleevefacing!

After getting an invitation from my friend Dustroad, I submit hereby the proof of me taking part in this game (hilarious!). Sorry if most of the photos are blurry, we could not stop laughing! Do try this at home, it's guaranteed to make you erupt into fits of incessant giggling and feel like a child again! Recommended!

Blogger game: favourite pair of shoes!

After Dr. mad's invitation, I am posting a photo of my favourite pair of shoes: my Adidas Stan Smith in white leather, with green trim. I bought them last fall, and have been wearing them since then at all my social engagements (or most anyway). They go well with everything, fit almost any style of dress (from super casual to sportive to more dressed up) and are very comfortable, elegant and, yes, now a classic since they have been produced since 1965.

My Stan Smith pair

The Stan Smith was introduced in 1965 as the first all-leather tennis shoe. It was originally endorsed by Robert Haillet. In 1971 it was renamed after tennis great Stan Smith. Since then it has become one of the best selling shoes of all time, having sold over 30 million pairs. Adidas writes in their website:

The Adidas Stan Smith with green trim.

As part of the Tournament Edition, this is a 1-to-1 reintroduction of the Stan Smith originally introduced in 1977. The original version was a slight variation of the Haillet shoe, with Stan's signature on the side - the Stan Smith tongue logo became an icon all on its own over time. Featuring super-soft leathers, sophisticated perforated leather lining and laser etching sign off on the tongue, this is presented in a variation of the iconic Adidas white/green tennis colourway.

Stan Smith was the world's No. 1 ranked tennis player in 1972. During his long career, Smith won 39 singles titles and 61 doubles crowns. He was one of a long list of Tennis Players to endorse Adidas products, including Ilie Nastase and Rod Laver whose named model shoes are also currently available, and Ivan Lendl who has yet to have his shoe re-issued.

Stan Smith in Wimbledon in 1970

What is the main reason behind the Stan Smith's enduring popularity? I think it is the stylishness and cool, clean and understated design, especially in its original white leather lace-up form. They look good and sporty without making the wearer look sloppy. The Adidas branding is minimal (always a good thing), with the Trefoil logo on the top of the heel section and on the tongue, and the ubiquitous three stripes in the form of punched ventilation holes on the side of the shoe, instead of coloured stripes as in most of their shoes. Minimal is good, no? Also, the pricing is good, compared with modern designs that are here today, gone tomorrow.



Over the years, Adidas has changed the form the shoe took, introducing different coloured leather, velcro 'strap-over' models, a version with the Trefoil logo on the side in place of the stripes, and a version in nubuck. Many of these variations are available today, but the original classic design is still far and away the best. Why mess with a classic?

The black Stan Smith in Adidas' USA catalogue

And of course one of my all-time favourite on-screen characters wears - what else? - Stan Smiths. In Blade Runner, Rick Deckard wears a black boot design of the shoes, with the logo erased, one of the many retrofit examples of design one can find in that film. Fans of the film still argue if it is indeed Stan Smiths or Officials (worn by NBA referees back in the 80s) but I do like to believe they are the one and only Stan Smith!

Deckard in trouble - you can see the shoes here.

The closest look one can get of the shoes in the film - to me they do look like Stan Smiths. And yes, that's the famous origami animal he is picking up.

Love songs

Dear friend Natassaki invited me to another blogger game: with which song I would say "I love you". The rules are as follows:
1. Pick one or two songs with which you would say "I love you" to your other half or someone that you're interested in.
2. In case you pick two songs, one must be with a male singer(s) and the other with female singer(s).
3. There is no distinction between solo artists or groups. Choose what inspires you the most.

So the very first one that comes to my mind is of course k d lang's "Infinite And Unforeseen":

After
Always
Love becomes
A dream
Infinite and unforeseen

It takes you by surprise
There, before your eyes
A place you've always been
A place you've always been

It takes you by surprise
There, before your eyes
A place you've always been
A place you've always been
Infinite and unforeseen
Infinite and unforeseen

Here you can listen to it:


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And the second one, from a guy this time: Richard Hawley's "Tonight The Streets Are Ours"

Do you know why you got feelings in your heart
Don't let fear of me then fool you, what you see sets you apart
And there's nothing here to bind you, it's no way for life to start
Do you know that
Tonight the streets are ours
Tonight the streets are ours
These lights in our eyes, they tell no lies

Those people, they got nothing in their souls
And they make our tvs blind us from our visions and our goals
Oh the trigger of time it tricks you so you have no way to grow
But do you know that
Tonight the streets are ours
Tonight the streets are ours
And these lights in our hearts, they tell no lies

And no one else can haunt me the way that you can haunt me
I need to know you want me, I couldn't be without you
And the light that shines around you
No nothing ever matters more than my darling
But tonight the streets are ours

Do you know how to kill loneliness at last
Oh there's so much there to heal dear and make tears things of the past
But do you know that
Tonight the streets are ours
Tonight the streets are ours
And these lights in our street are ours
And tonight the streets are ours
And these lights in our heart, they tell no lies

And the video clip:

Of course, I have to add one more: it may be corny for some, but for me it's one of the best love songs ever for many reasons: Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You".

Guess mine is not the first heart broken,
my eyes are not the first to cry I'm not the first to know,
there's just no gettin' over you
Hello, I'm just a fool who's willing to sit around
and wait for you
But baby can't you see, there's nothin' else
for me to do I'm hopelessly devoted to you
But now there's nowhere to hide,
since you pushed my love aside I'm not in my head,
hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you,
hopelessly devoted to you
My head is saying "fool, forget him",
my heart is saying "don't let go"
Hold on to the end, that's what I intend to do
I'm hopelessly devoted to you
But now there's nowhere to hide,
since you pushed my love aside I'm not in my head,
hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you,
hopelessly devoted to you

And a live rendition of it:

This is the Oscars live performance in 1979 (she was ill when she did this)

I can spend many many hours putting up loved songs but I think these are OK for now. I hope you enjoy them!

Another blogger game! Books this time.

One cannot say not to these. Again dear DustRoad (how can one not love this name?) invited me and five other fellow bloggers to play an utterly useless but funny game:

1. Grab the book closer to you.
2. Open the book at page 123 (if there is no page 123, grab the next book that has that many pages)
3. Find the fifth period (that is from one full stop to another if you have forgotten) of this page.
4. Post the next three periods, that is the 6th, 7th and 8th periods of the page.
5. Ask five more people to do the same.

The book nearest to me at any given time for the last months is this:



It is a collection of essays by exhibition professionals (curators etc) edited by Paula Marincola and published by Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative.

So on to the game:

Of course, the agendas of assimilation versus difference become transparent with hindsight. Yet as Steyn also points out, this strategy was accepted by a people whose very survival depended on acceptance within a host community. She continues, " The Jews of Whitechapel, with all their diverse cultural identities, were invited to become spectators of a culture already complete, presented and represented to them and for them by their trustees."

This particular essay, titled Temple/White Cube/Laboratory was written by Iwona Blazwick and is about the Whitechapel Gallery in London.

So on for the invitations: I call for the esteemed collaboration of my friends: Indiktos, Natassaki, Ritsa, Meniek and Tzotza (who still has not finished her previous assingment!).

2007 Top-20 Countdown - waiting for the results of the jury...

...and while we wait, let's play a game, proposed by one of the participating blogs, Po Po Culture and particularly one of the writers, Mr. Arkadin:

1. Go to Wikipedia, and press random article. What comes up will be the name of our group - mine is:

Story Of The Book Kings (I love it!)

2. Again press random article and you get the title of their album - mine is:

Tubing

3. Press random article for 10-15 times, thus getting the necessary song titles... mine are:

1. Le Jour (disambiguation)

2. Overcast!

3. George Brown (Financier)

4. Snow White

5. Daniel d'Auger de Subercase

6. Willard Rhodes

7. Babušnica

8. 1930 Atlantic hurricane season

9. Chartzufim

10. Fleur van de Kieft

And here is the cover, designed for the game especially from me!!! With those titles, group name and album title, the group will play ambient electronica with trip/hop influences and dubstep loans! Great idea Mr. Arkadin!

Enter Sandman

A dearest friend and blogger, Elafini, asked me to participate in a fun game between bloggers: where would you like to see the name of your blog? Well, for starters, my favourite comic of all time:

Then another Sandman hero comic:

Even a famous song/cd by Metallica:

I guess everyone of a certain age knows The Mr. Sandman Chronicles Song:

And this tug boat cruising down the Mississippi river is not a bad idea either:

And finally an episode of a favourite tv series:

So let me invite to play, in my turn, Maryam, Indiktos, Enteka, Meniek and Museum Eyes (especially you just in case you start blogging properly!).