Out of Cortex

Walking, Seeing, Living

Anyone who knows me will testify that I am lazy. I don't like to work out (I am very surly when it comes to going to the gym, and poor Mike has to all but drag me), I hate walking up the hill to class, and I don't particularly enjoy doing most kinds of work. However, even when my feet are tired, I am usually in the mood to travel. My thoughts exactly (below). 

What usually stops me is that 1) travel is expensive, 2) I have no money, and 3) my travel buddy [Mike] usually has the same lack of luxury funds as I. But guess what I saw on Ideeli?

IRELAND CASTLE VACATION

 Including airfare, hotel stays for 6 nights, and a rental care, the grand total is a mere $1,119 (saving the buyer about $400 down from $1,599)!!!  Here's the plan...

Destination: Ireland Castles Vacation

Feel like you could use some of that famed luck of the Irish? Well, there's no better place to get a heaping dose than the rolling green hills of Ireland. This summer and fall, explore the Emerald Isle with this self-guided, six-night trip designed by Sceptre Tours, including a rental car and non-stop, round-trip flights to Dublin from NYC, Boston, and Chicago.

Start your adventure in Dublin, where you'll stay at the four-star Dunboyne Castle Hotel (located a quick 25-minutes outside the city). The modern, well-appointed hotel was originally built in the 18th century as the seat of the Barons of Dunboyne. After a traditional Irish breakfast of bacon, sausages, and eggs, hop in your car and drive the three and a half hours across the verdant countryside to rugged Donegal–stopping to take in the charming towns and castles along the way. In Donegal, one of the least touristy and most beautiful counties, you'll spend two nights at the five-star Lough Eske Castle Hotel & Spa, a stunning lakeside property considered to be one of Ireland's best hotels.

Continue south through County Sligo–known as Yeats Country for its strong influence on the poet W.B. Yeats–to the lively seaside city of Galway, where you'll spend two nights at Genlo Abbey (just three miles outside the city center). Be sure to have dinner at its Pullman Restaurant, housed in two old rail cars that were used as the set for the 1974 film Murder on the Orient Express. Then head back across the country to Dublin for a night at the restored 18th-century Fitzpatricks Castle Hotel, overlooking Dublin Bay, before you say farewell to this magical island.

The Essentials

• Roundtrip nonstop airfare to Dublin on Aer Lingus from New York (included), Boston (+$25), and Chicago (+$50)
• 1 night in County Meath at 4-star Dunboyne Castle Hotel, 2 nights in Donegal at 5-star Lough Eske Castle Hotel & Spa, 2 nights in Galway at the 5-star Glenlo Abbey, 1 night in Dublin at the 4-star Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
• Standard car rental for duration of your stay
• Travel Sept. 7 - Oct. 26, 2012 (included) and July 9 - Aug. 22, 2012 (+$200)
• Includes all mandatory airfare taxes & fees
• Offer price is per person based on 2-4 people traveling together.
• Select Sunday-Thursday departures, Sept. 8 - Oct. 31, 2012 OR travel July 8 - August 22, 2012, with select Sunday-Thursday departures, available for $200 more per person

Ireland is AMAZING, and this deal is just mindblowing. Gosh I want to go for a post-bar trip! Speaking of traveling (hmm, actually this is an unrelated segway...) ZOMG... Check out this awesome AMA on reddit with Steven Yeun! He seems pretty funny and down to earth. It makes me like his character Glenn on Walking Dead even more (he was already one of my favorites, as he is the most likeable and unselfish I think). For something totally unrelated except that it deals with some kind of animation/cartoon, check this out (mindblowing, right?!):

 

Speaking of cartoons, I also think this would be a really interesting talk to attend (see flyer below). Cornell does attract some good speakers. I just haven't been as involved with that kind of thing as I was in undergrad. Now I'm kind of regretting it. There is also another cool one on dining ettiquette (why at the law school, I have no idea...maybe because lawyers are sometimes slobs?) coming up too!

 

On another side note, I read this book titled "Why we Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows" by Melanie Joy, PhD (University of Massachusetts). It's this fascinating, and very sad, survey of the psychology behind eating meat generally and specific animals. She explores living conditions of the animals we raise to consume and to wear, while wondering at whether any difference exists between edible animals and non-edible animals (there aren't really any... take for example how affectionate and smart pigs are by comparing them to dogs and you'll see they're pretty much the same, only pigs may even be smarter). I highly recommend it... for anyone who claims to care for animals. It's inspired me to try and do my part, modestly yes, but my part nonetheless. I am going to work really hard to stick to an pescatarian diet from now on (except, like some animal rights people say, when eating birthday cake). 

 

 

Young Inside

I love this photo series titled "Reflections," by Tom Hussey. You can find more here. Strange, that these works of art are for a drug advertisement (for Novartis...the drug is called the Exelon Patch). The drug in question is a prescription medicine for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.

 

 

There is both something triumphant and something melancholy about this series that make it nothing less than poignant. What strikes me is that some of the subjects in the photo look back with pride, happiness, and joy. But others look wistful, as though missing their younger selves and the lively fullness of youth. Some are surrounded by remanants of their glorious pasts, while some are surrounded by seemingly empty boxes. Some have who look like family members, others do not. Some feel lonel and fragile, while others stand strong. There is one photo (below) that in particular makes me feel sad:

The woman's younger self looks as though she had been a nurse, whereas the older self now needs a nurse to help her with her walker. Sad to know that the nurse who helped others is now standing and looking at her reflection in a hospital bathroom. While she has the aid of this nurse, she isn't surrounded by family or loved ones. She is alone. And she is old. All the photos, regardless of the emotion they evoke, are to me wonderful.

 

 

To pull at viewers hearstrings with so easy a theme (mirrors and the past) is beautiful, no? Tom Hussey also has some baeutiful portraits and other works on his site, but these take the cake for me. Enjoy!

Keep Calm and Carry On

I found this very educational and interesting. But what else did I get out of this little short documentary other than the knowledge of where "Keep Calm and Carry On" came from? I got the burning desire to visit this bookstore. What is it about bookstores, good old fashioned bookstores, with the smell of paper and ink and glue, a misx of must and fresh parchment, that makes me feel so at home? And this place, situated in an old train station ... it teases the imagination about all the lost spaces and magic forgotten within.

 I definitely want to see this bookstore if I am ever back in England again. While I love my Kindle to death, there is something irreplaceable when it comes to holding a real, physical page-turning book in your hands. 

Re-Meeting Old Friends

That's how I feel when I read a book I haven't touched in awhile: I feel like I've remeeting old friends. There's something powerful and beautiful about it, especially if you know the pain and drama that the characters are going to feel, all the death they may witness or experience. It's hard to see them going down that fated path. How much books do for us by enriching our minds, our hearts and our lives. That's why I hate seeing people who can't take care of their paged friends, and that's also why I have so much trouble throwing books away or giving them away. I don't want to see them in the trash, and I don't want them going to a home where no one will love them the way I do. 

This short film, titled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo pretty much captured how I feel about books when I'm down. They can lift your spirits and change your mind. The film evoked a sense of sadness and tenderness in me, kind of the way that Toy Story 3 made me wistful for my childhood days. The Fantastic Flying Books reminded me of all my childhood books and toys, and I remembered how I couldnt throw away pencils or erasers because I felt bad for discarding such trusty items. My drawers became retirement homes for such odds and ends. I wonder what became of them after we moved, as I had been in the same house for 20+ years and my mom helped me pack all my things to move into our new home because I was at school. Sad. 

I realize that none of my more recent posts are very uplifting. I guess that's what being in Ithaca does to you! But I have a back-logged post coming up documenting a night of photos, taken by Sepe. For now, love your books! Cheers. 

A Different Perspective

I always wondered how dogs perceive the world. They can smell something from 1,000 to 1,000,000 times better than humans can. Their eyesight isn't better, but their noses sure seem to make up for it, no? Generally, their hearing can be better too (although it doesn't help if they have flappy ears like labs and beagles). Now, while I can't hear or smell like them, this cute video from Vimeo shows me the pure and wonderful sights of sniffing and romping that only dogs can enjoy. 

Beautiful Day at the Dog Park from Kelsey Wynns on Vimeo.

Ahhhh, to be a dog. Sometimes I think it sure would be grand, but on the other hand, your life isn't really in your hands (paws). Everything is controlled by humans, pretty much, including when and where you can sleep, eat, and do your business. Speaking of the totalitarian human regime, see other news from the film "The City Dark." Our energy consumption (among other human related problems) is also didicating something else: what species live and die, and the fate of the earth.

 

Tying this in with overpopulation? Seems pretty dire for all the creatures out there, no? And that includes us as well. I wonder if, as people say, our future generations will wonder what we were thinking, sucking black stuff out of the earth and killing each other for it. I wonder if we'll have future generations at all. 

Nature's Mermaids

As I'm sitting here in Ithaca, bemoaning the fact that it's muddy and cold, that I have to go back to class, that my classes will require much more work than a checked-out 3L ought to put into them, that my apartment is no where near as comfortable as home, that things cost so much here which makes me spend so much money on things I need but won't end up keeping, and that I don't have good meals prepared for me almost every night anymore, my spirits are lifted slightly at the beauty of these wonderful creatures. 

Sirenia Shadows from Built By Wildman on Vimeo.

Manatees are so graceful and gentle that no wonder sailers used to think their tails belonged to elegant mermaids in the shallows. The manatees pictured here are the West Indian manatees of Florida. Sadly, they are endangered and losing ground fast as more sailboats and pollution and humans in general destroy their habitat. I wonder if a manatee ever saved a sea-water-logged and dehydrated sailor from the depths. Dolphins allegedly have. I wonder what motivates them to save us. I don't think they would help if they knew we slaughtered their kind in so ruthless a manner, and on so large a scale.  

Well, I do need a mermaid or dolphin to save me from drowning in the morass that is my reading. While I don't have such creatures to aid me, I luckily do have my friends. I'm glad that I'm happy to see some people at the law school, at least. 

Cheers. And save the manatees!

The Next Six Months

Although I hate it, I also think I will miss Cornell a little bit. Yesterday, Mike and I flew in from Los Angeles. After traveling for about 8 hours, we made it safe and sound. The weather is good and there is very little snow lying around, so that is nice (although I almost wish there would be that kind of unearthly beauty I associate with a heavy snowfall).  Anyway, when we landed, I got to see my new home for the next six or so months and Mike's "new" place as well. I say "new" because the houses we're in are pretty old and a bit janky. Then we began the laborious job of taking all our junk out of storage and starting to set up our respective abodes. 

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Poor Mike had to carry all my heavy things. Thanks to Justin and Kyle too, who came to help Sam move. Sam, by the way, has maybe double the amount of stuff I have. Mike has maybe half of what I have. Oh man. Despite the large amounts we have left to do, and the fact that my place is really small, I think my place won't be too bad once I settle in. It's still in the midst of being set-up, and I still don't have internet. Good thing Mike lives so close and I can bum off his internet. We're a bit further from Sam, Natasha, and Angie. I went to see Sam's place, which is more expensive than mine but so much nicer and newer! I almost regret living in this other place, but oh well. I'm saving about $1,000 total, so I guess that's a good thing. Looks okay on the outside, right? 

 

In other news, I was reading about SOPA and PIPA to procrastinate with moving in, and I'm hoping that Congress will give up on it. The Senate has postponted its test vote. We'll see! To celebrate this hopeful end to restricted internet, enjoy some ethereal and dramatic music made by Mother Nature's (natural) records. 

 

YEARS from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.

Isn't that super neat? School starting on Monday is definitely not so neat... But cheers to the weekend!   

New Finds: featuring Nocturna

There is this movie that came out awhile ago that I want to see, called Nocturna. It's this Spanish-French animate film that just looks so adorable. In some ways it seems dark and in other way's it seems beautiful and perhaps a little bittersweet.  

NOCTURNA from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

In other news, from Vimeo (where else?!)...

dilla The Film from mikey sauls on Vimeo.

 

Preguntas Hermosas from Süperfad on Vimeo. This makes me think of sentences I used to make up with the most descriptive and beautiful words I could think of, when I tried to invoke emotions I hadn't named yet. It also reminds me a bit of Pan's Labyrinth. 

Café allongé / Happy hour- FILM COMPLET/COMPLETE SHORT FILM from kawastudio on Vimeo. Creative. I am diggin' the French thing right now. Reminds me a bit of Amelie's coffeeshop.  

 

Second Souffle from Clément Morin on Vimeo. Ladybug, don't do it! 

  

A bicycle trip (Short-film) from lorenzo veracini on Vimeo.

 

Tous des Monstres from Tous Des Monstres on Vimeo. Really disturbing... and sad. 

I'm a monster from Headless Productions on Vimeo. I like this monster much better indeed! 

 

 

 

Procrastination 101

So I followed up on my interest in discovering some new artists (indicated by my last post) and I spent a few hours today searching. I was definitely looking for some animated shorts, and boy did I find them. If you ever want to spend as much time as you can doing things to keep you from working on something with a deadline, then check out Vimeo, because it has all these interesting and wonderful shorts posted. I am so taken by all the talent! Here is a sample. 

ShapeShifter from Charlex on Vimeo. I like this one because it is visually fluid and interesting, very stylized and almost... smokey? I can see an automobile company like BMW wanting to use something like this as an ad!

 

One Rat Short from Charlex on Vimeo. This one made me so sad! It makes me think that there are so many little critters in this world, but we only think of big stories, celebrity love, and other such glamorous things. But even the smallest creatures can experience love, or at least attachment and familiarity. This one was simple, and poignant. I loved the juxtaposition of the soft, breathing animals and the crisp, efficient machines. One seems to have more purpose than the other, but at the end, the tables are turned. So sad!  

 

The Monk & The Monkey from Brendan Carroll on Vimeo. Visually fun! Makes me think of the Monkey King stories from childhood. I love the colors and the message (good kid short, I think). 

 

Between Bears from Eran Hilleli on Vimeo. I'll be honest, I don't really get this one but something about it left me wanting more. 

 

This one time... from nelson boles on Vimeo. Very cute! Makes me wonder what kind of world this is... and whether I can teach my dog to save me from marauding beasts. 

 

Nothing To Fear from Simon Russell on Vimeo. Loss, with nothing to fear. Watch all the little written signs; they go by fast, but they're an integral part. Blank defense gives way to vulnerable misery in light of false hopes and empty charades of happiness. Orwellian, indeed. You'll get it when you see it. And it'll get you thinking.

 

Second Wind from Ian Worrel on Vimeo. Love between a cat and his human. I wonder what kind of terrifying mill this is. I love stories of loyalty between man and animal. I can't help personifying pets, and this kind of epitomizes the stories I make up in my head. 

 

Lovely. I am just so impressed by the creativity and ingenuity. Vimeo is awesome! 

New Finds: featuring Sabrina Cotugno & Hannah Ayoubi

So I found this amazing animator named Sabrina Cotugno from Los Angeles whose work I really enjoy. She is talented and fresh and has this nice sense of humor about her work. 

The Thirsty Gargoyle from Sabrina Cotugno on Vimeo.

The Thirsty Gargoyle is Mike's favorite of her films, but I also really enjoyed Paraphernalia and Night Parade as well (the green bug is the same one that Mike helped me suck up into my vaccum cleaner during our first year, and I still feel guilty about it...by the way, Mike was wailing about how we seem to become vegan as we explore our love for animals and living things more and more, but he is terrified of becoming vegan because "beef....how can you let go of beef?!?!?!?!" but I told him I can't let go of cheese, so being vegan is probably impossible). 

Anyway, I also love this film from Hannah Ayoubie... it's cute, short, and gets to the point... that we're not meant to be alone as long as we walk this earth. 

Vampire Gastelbrau from Hannah Ayoubi on Vimeo.

  Alllso kind of loving this from Aniboom: 

 You know, there are just some amazing artists out there. While I think the animation for this one from Aidan Gibbons can use a little polish, I think the overall feel of it is lovely. I wish I could tell each of these artists how much I enjoy their work. It's truly inspiring and sometimes I wish I had the time to explore all my interests in art, although I  definitely think I lack the talent of these guys that I've mentioned above!