I first heard of mash-ups in (what do you know) my Psych of Creativity class and it was a very interesting concept!
From Wikipedia: A mashup or blend (also mash up and mash-up) is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another.
The examples below are pretty impressive! And honestly are pretty good, I kinda like them a lot.=) I'm not sure I'd necessarily choose a mash up over the original songs in its individual parts but this is an introduction to a whole new interesting genre of music. ^_^
GirlTalk
This guy was introduced to the class by the girl who spoke about mash-ups: are they creative or do they merely violate copyright laws? I'm not sure if he's necessarily a pioneer but he makes music that isn't jarring and I like that.^_^
Other interesting examples:
Amuro Namie x LL Cool J: Mash Up of Violet Sauce and Headsprung
All I could think of was: Damn Amuro Namie is hot for someone who's a mom. Omg. I want to be that hot when I'm her age. X__X And this mash up is pretty damn good! I'm very impressed =P
Black Eyed Peas x Lady Gaga: Mash Up of My Humps and Pokerface
Doesn't this make one realize that all these clubbing tracks have very similar beats - probably why they can blend into each other so well? I guess what's another impressive point about this particular youtube video is that it doesn't just blend the music, but also the video. ^_^"
Madonna x Hamasaki Ayumi: Mash up of Die Another Day and Tasking
Hmm. I can't really hear Ayumi's song but maybe it's just me...
Interesting? =X
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Violet Sauce Amuro Namie] [mood : ~_~ senior's night dress shopping...] [food : black sugar milk tea!]
Seeing as the weather slowly transitions into spring (hopefully more quickly... the rain is getting annoying xP and the indecisiveness of the weather even worse), I thought it would be meaningful to change the template!
Words: 春の雪; 君を照らし出す月になれるなら ・ 夜空に星 散りばめて 君を捜そう (雪月花 - Gackt) Font: Online from various sources Brush: deviantart Photo: Mine Template: Spring 2010
The words translate into: 春の雪 - Spring Snow In tribute to the book I read because it's beautiful and I love the title.=P Plus I think snowing in spring isn't half bad, just don't rain. Please.
君を照らし出す月になれるなら ・ 夜空に星 散りばめて 君を捜そう Lyrics from 雪月花 by Gackt They roughly translate to: If I can become the moon that illuminates you, (I would) stud/scatter the nightsky with stars and look for you.
It has no real relation to spring, and I tried really hard to find lyrics that did, somehow, have a feel for spring but it just didn't work out (I tend to like depressing songs which seem to be mostly about winter or summer. O__o). And so, it was down to this song or In Flames also by Gackt. In Flames was a lot more depressing (at least the part I had all picked out and at the ready) than 雪月花 which has a more romantic vibe... And since tulips are all beautiful and romantic (somewhat anyway) I thought it'd work. Somehow. In the dark, mysterious regions of my brain.
So spring! ^_^ Maybe these images of spring will remind the sky to spare a thought for the poor humans on earth and bring us better weather.=) Tulips!!! I cannot wait to see them again, blooming gloriously along sidewalks... Sakura!!! Hanging down to shade you from the bright sun... Leaves!!! Greenery to lighten your step and make everyday a better one.
I think the coming of spring is one of the nicest times when it doesn't rain. Wee. ^_^
And that's it from me this weekend, with a tulip and a template.
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : 雪月花 Gackt ＋ 真夏の果実 サザーンオールスターズ ＋ いつかのメリークリスマス B'z] [mood : ^_^] [food : A nice hot cup of tea]
If starry space no limit knows And sun succeeds to sun, There is no reason to suppose Our earth the only one. 'Mid countless constellations cast A million worlds may be, With each a God to bless or blast And steer to destiny.
Just think! A million gods or so To guide each vital stream, With over all to boss the show A Deity supreme. Such magnitudes oppress my mind; From cosmic space it swings; So ultimately glad to find Relief in little things.
For look! Within my hollow hand, While round the earth careens, I hold a single grain of sand And wonder what it means. Ah! If I had the eyes to see, And brain to understand, I think Life's mystery might be Solved in this grain of sand.
Robert William Service
Poetry always examines existence, and the meaning of it. Literary expression doesn't solve the mysteries that surround us, but it does put those questions people have out there - and it's fascinating that time doesn't change all the wonderment people have for the world.
Auguries of Innocence
To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour. A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage. A dove-house filled with doves and pigeons Shudders hell through all its regions. A dog starved at his master's gate Predicts the ruin of the state. A horse misused upon the road Calls to heaven for human blood. Each outcry of the hunted hare A fibre from the brain does tear. A skylark wounded in the wing, A cherubim does cease to sing. The game-cock clipped and armed for fight Does the rising sun affright. Every wolf's and lion's howl Raises from hell a human soul. The wild deer wandering here and there Keeps the human soul from care. The lamb misused breeds public strife, And yet forgives the butcher's knife. The bat that flits at close of eve Has left the brain that won't believe. The owl that calls upon the night Speaks the unbeliever's fright. He who shall hurt the little wren Shall never be beloved by men. He who the ox to wrath has moved Shall never be by woman loved. The wanton boy that kills the fly Shall feel the spider's enmity. He who torments the chafer's sprite Weaves a bower in endless night. The caterpillar on the leaf Repeats to thee thy mother's grief. Kill not the moth nor butterfly, For the Last Judgment draweth nigh. He who shall train the horse to war Shall never pass the polar bar. The beggar's dog and widow's cat, Feed them, and thou wilt grow fat. The gnat that sings his summer's song Poison gets from Slander's tongue. The poison of the snake and newt Is the sweat of Envy's foot. The poison of the honey-bee Is the artist's jealousy. The prince's robes and beggar's rags Are toadstools on the miser's bags. A truth that's told with bad intent Beats all the lies you can invent. It is right it should be so: Man was made for joy and woe; And when this we rightly know Through the world we safely go. Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine. Under every grief and pine Runs a joy with silken twine. The babe is more than swaddling bands, Throughout all these human lands; Tools were made and born were hands, Every farmer understands. Every tear from every eye Becomes a babe in eternity; This is caught by females bright And returned to its own delight. The bleat, the bark, bellow, and roar Are waves that beat on heaven's shore. The babe that weeps the rod beneath Writes Revenge! in realms of death. The beggar's rags fluttering in air Does to rags the heavens tear. The soldier armed with sword and gun Palsied strikes the summer's sun. The poor man's farthing is worth more Than all the gold on Afric's shore. One mite wrung from the labourer's hands Shall buy and sell the miser's lands, Or if protected from on high Does that whole nation sell and buy. He who mocks the infant's faith Shall be mocked in age and death. He who shall teach the child to doubt The rotting grave shall ne'er get out. He who respects the infant's faith Triumphs over hell and death. The child's toys and the old man's reasons Are the fruits of the two seasons. The questioner who sits so sly Shall never know how to reply. He who replies to words of doubt Doth put the light of knowledge out. The strongest poison ever known Came from Caesar's laurel crown. Nought can deform the human race Like to the armour's iron brace. When gold and gems adorn the plough To peaceful arts shall Envy bow. A riddle or the cricket's cry Is to doubt a fit reply. The emmet's inch and eagle's mile Make lame philosophy to smile. He who doubts from what he sees Will ne'er believe, do what you please. If the sun and moon should doubt, They'd immediately go out. To be in a passion you good may do, But no good if a passion is in you. The whore and gambler, by the state Licensed, build that nation's fate. The harlot's cry from street to street Shall weave old England's winding sheet. The winner's shout, the loser's curse, Dance before dead England's hearse. Every night and every morn Some to misery are born. Every morn and every night Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to sweet delight, Some are born to endless night. We are led to believe a lie When we see not through the eye Which was born in a night to perish in a night, When the soul slept in beams of light. God appears, and God is light To those poor souls who dwell in night, But does a human form display To those who dwell in realms of day.
William Blake
This is probably one of my favorite poems - an examination of people, and written with beautifully chosen words. The whole poem is incredibly long (not as crazy as Homer but still...) but yet holds within it little pockets of truth (what is truth? That's another question for another time...) about human nature.
No man is an island
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne
The examination of life cannot be lacking in an inclusion of how none of us are alone in this world. So much for individualism everyone - collectivism is our natural tendency to seek out other people and remember, other people matter.
A Dream Within A Dream
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow- You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand- How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?
Edgar Allan Poe
Even after taking into consideration all our relationships and selves, there's always the idea of the illusion of life all around us. Are things dreams? Are dreams real? Are we in existence or is it all just a fictitious sense of reality?
On Death
I.
Can death be sleep, when life is but a dream, And scenes of bliss pass as a phantom by? The transient pleasures as a vision seem, And yet we think the greatest pain's to die.
II.
How strange it is that man on earth should roam, And lead a life of woe, but not forsake His rugged path; nor dare he view alone His future doom which is but to awake.
John Keats
How can we forget death. Or can death ever be forgotten? Apparently I'm not as fascinated with birth compared to death... But death is something that you can see in the future, whereas birth is something that is your own yet is something you will probably never remember.
Poetry is amazing.^_^ Maybe it's time to become more familiar with Chinese and Japanese poetry... *gulps*
Currently, because somehow (miraculously) I managed to finish work due this week (meaning I should start on next week's work which I have...), I'm trying to piece haiku together using phrases from lyrics in Japanese songs. =P
I know, this is such a nerdy, literary thing to do. I'm sorry...
Unfortunately, the nice phrases tend to come in 7 syllable phrases which doesn't really fit a haiku which is 5-7-5, but because I don't know renga (5-7-5-7-7) I can't write it. Hmm.
Hence this is the creative process... (Creativity doesn't just lie in the end product, but also exists within the creation of the final product - as I have learnt in my Psych of Creativity class =P)
7 syllables 星に願いを 真っ暗な夜 心は揺れる (technically 8 syllables but there's some leeway in haiku =P) 顔のない天使 空に返すから
5 syllables 夢を見た 心まで 粉雪(よ、ね、は、が、など) 世の中に 目を閉じて
...
Try-outs...
世の中に 星に願いを 夢を見た
目を閉じて 真っ暗な空に 夢を見た
心中 一人の孤独 空に返すから
柔らかな クリームを入れて 愛の味
(I'm starting to get distracted by thoughts of my food project for psych class...)
レイヤには ふわふわケーキ まめがある
オブーンに ケーキ食べちゃった 熱いのに
塩甘い 砂糖しょっぱい ケーキ苦い
And so on... I would continue because it's fun but I'm getting sleepy.=X And I would also explain them but I'm pretty lazy now... 读者们,不要懒惰，自己去翻译！
Other things I need to do include - finish a novel for class - work on Japanese project - work on Psych project - prepare for next week's classes - figure out how to study for JLPT in summer... (T_T) - figure out plans for summer ... more (T_T)
Hmm. I guess I'm not as free as I thought I was. O well. I guess I'd better utilize the long weekend that I've been blessed with! =)
This is the nth time I've re-read Paradise Kiss but I still love it every single time.
The expression of emotion, and the subsequent tearing at your heart is relevant (it seems) no matter what age I'm at. There are some manga that I cannot bring myself to read again because what I thought was brilliant has turned out to be pretty boring and angsty now...
I guess that's how brilliant literature stays relevant no matter which era it is in.
When I took part in an experiment on Friday, I was left with so much free time on my hands, that I managed to finish Mishima's Spring Snow (春の雪) which was super sad, and Soseki's Ten Nights' Dream (夢十夜) which was erm confusing. But I felt really productive because it's been so long since I've been able to finish a book. And because I finished these 2 novels, I've started on another, No Longer Human (人間失格) by Dazai Osamu which is already depressing and I've only finished the first part. O__o
Reading and watching depressing stuff apparently is a favorite pastime of mine.=P
I would let George lead me to paradise anytime. A brilliant fashion designer can do that. ^_^ [Getting those clothes from ParaKiss is another way =P]
Having been distracted by XW and xiaxue's ROM photos (they are truly awesome. I'm really amazed at how nice a wedding can look!), I forgot what I wanted to say -__-
Well, I think it's unfortunate that I'm reading so much less than I used to. [I just bought several new books from Amazon though! Hence 人間失格... やった！] But I think my love for stories will never die - manifesting itself in novels, manga, anime, dramas, movies... ^_^ They are all stories - whether created or taken from real life, dramatized or muted, deliriously happy or depressing... All stories have a way of gripping your heart and pulling you in the direction of its end... Allowing you to, just for a little while, immerse yourself in a world that seems to be separate, but not entirely, from your own.
And so comes an end to the St Patrick's Day celebrations, maybe it hasn't ended for those still partying outside, but for me having celebrated the first St Patrick's Day in my life... it was fun! And it's also over.=)
I'm still not quite sure what people do at St Patrick's Day besides drink... I am not a big fan of beer so I didn't drink any of that vile stuff... and I didn't drink that much either because I was the designated driving... But it seemed to me like any other drinking party. Except it was another excuse to drink besides a birthday or a karaoke party or something... =X
Maybe I'm totally missing the point. But anyway.
Having wonderfully embraced this wonderful American psychology of having as much fun as possible, we also made a trip to Canton to have 鴨鍋 (duck nabe/hot pot)!!! 超～おいしかった。It was so good~ xD I'm glad I finally took the trip there though after all that coercion from my friends... ^_^ Going out once in a while, completely on a whim, and enjoying all the moments we have is nice.
Which is something I have learnt, once again, from 世界の中心で、愛を叫ぶ (Crying out love in the center of the world), a drama I just finished watching. (I'm almost done with Spring Snow too, yay!) It's one of the original dramas about a girl dying of some terminal illness and sending out floods of tears from its viewers. But more than sad at her passing away, it was more of a bitterness that these people couldn't be saved because they didn't yet know about a cure (in this case, bone marrow transplant for leukemia).
生きるって、どういう意味かな。死ぬって、どういう意味かな。
All that line screams to me is: 青春！ (seishun; youth) =X The unwillingness to accept being the way you are, and wanting to decide for yourself what you'll do in life... That's something most embodied by youthful teenagers who still have many years to go to build their lives and become people they aspire to become.
我长大之后。。。
I wonder how much longer it will be till I can no longer say something like that. When's that point in time when you realize that you've already grown up and perhaps reached the point where you can no longer change what and who you are? And what if that day never comes?
Ahhh all these weepy stories of youth!
And so ends St Patrick's Day. But more will come! And when they do, I wonder what I'll be doing?
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : ~.~] [mood : tired...] [food : 鴨鍋！]
Sam: So that when the world ends, you'll have enjoyed every minute before it. =)
Sontong: There are more, but sometimes the more grateful you are, the less you need to say.=)
Turning 22 is like a non-event since it doesn't have the cache of sweet 16, or getting some freedom 18, or even you're an adult 21. But out of all the numbers you could be, I think 22 is one of the nicest. It's a natural palindrome, a nice even number that isn't a prime, it's easy to write or type, and it just looks good in general. (I know, aesthetic value is important to me.)
So I guess I'll try to list 22 things, what I'm thankful for, what I hope for the future, and everything in between. ^_^
1) I'm happy that the weather (yesterday) is (was) great!!! It's kinda gloomy today but at least it's not cold.=D
2) I'm thankful for all the nice wishes I received via email and Facebook and text messaging and IM and cards and phone and ...
3) I love all the presents I received this year!!! ^_^
4) I'm loving the company I've had all year.=)
5) Everyone is happy and healthy (hopefully)!
6) There's lots of vegetables in the fridge. YAY.
7) Ann Arbor has a lot of free stuff for birthday people! =D
8) May the weather get better soon (then we can celebrate spring early!). 天気がよくなりますように～
9) Thank you for the wonderful dinner at eve~ ^_^
10) Wish we can play more drinking games before graduation! (or at graduation. Mwahaha)
11) I want to thank all the wonderful manga and anime creators in Japan because they provide entertainment, enrichment, and so much more.=D
12) Thank you also to professors who came up with more exciting psychology fields like positive psychology and psychology of creativity.
13) To my dear laptop & other technology: please continue working with me! よろしくお願いします～
14) Home cooked food. Yummy.
15) Thank all my travel companions for the wonderful Spring Break trip! I hadn't felt so relaxed in a while (or so stressed when I got back to finish my work..X__X).
16) Desserts in general! ^_^ Love food...
17) Being in Ann Arbor has been a very wonderful and fruitful period. =)
18) I'm even thankful for all the experiences that the years have brought, and look forward to many more!
19) I hope for awareness and action for nature, the environment, animals, and the Earth.
20) Love friends family and stuffed toys ^_^
21) For going on and on in this decade of my life..
22) I'm happy to be here and remember everyone: Other People Matter.
My Emotible!
starry-eyed: filled with such youthful hope and optimism that one's eyes twinkle even when it's dark
Wish List
ie: motivation to save money!
- clothes
- shoes [heels! boots!]
- the perfect tote
- coats/outerwear! [Soïa & Kyo, Burberry...]
- Gackt - nine*nine
- Gackt Photobooks:
1 The Gift The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour Document (2004)
2 Crescent Photobook (out of print)
- Cookbooks!
1 Thomas Keller The French Laundry Cookbook
2 The Nobu Cookbook
3 Emily Luchetti A Passion for Desserts
4 Alice Medrich Pure Dessert
- Anime/Manga
1 Rurouni Kenshin
2 xxxHOLiC
3 Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
- Proficiency at Japanese!
- Learn French for Food!
