News for today's 2018: 07/05/11

Exercise My Freedom To Run!

7:45 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted amongst this blog post is my playlist for my race run. These songs are very inspiring to run a good race! If you’ve been following since the last race, you’ll notice that there aren’t many repeat songs between the two. This is some great music!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Young Blood – The Naked and Famous</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>  </b></div><div class="MsoNormal">After the success of the Jingle Bell 5KRun in December, I felt a surge of energy for running. Although I wasn’t pushing myself for pace and time anymore, I was still getting out and running for 30 minutes or more.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This was especially good for winter, since usually many runners decide to hibernate. I bundled up my warm weather clothes and tried to find the routes that were shoveled. To prevent running in the dark, I would bring my running clothes to school and change at 4, then run around that area instead of around home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moth’s Wings – Passion Pit</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I took advantage of the warmer days and also ran more during the weekends, when I could run in the warmest part of the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The first time I actually ran after the Jingle Bell was in January, and to my shock I ran four miles straight! Some days I was feeling great, and other times the cold couldn’t allow me to breathe. But I was proud of my winter running accomplishments.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the weather started to warm up, it was a wonderful change of pace. I didn’t have to fear slipping in unshoveled snow. I could still feel my face at the end of a run. And the bulky clothes (shorts, tights, sweatpants, t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, hat, gloves) started to be shed, and it felt like I had thrown off five pounds and could really move again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, that meant I could really challenge myself again in distance. I wasn’t really caring about time as much as before; I knew my pace was average (not stellar in the slightest, but good enough for me). My ultimate goal is to run the Princess Half-Marathon at Walt Disney World, and in order to complete that 13.1 mile race you need to keep a 15-minute pace. When I am having a good day I can run a 13-minute mile, so I’m trying to keep that pace right now. The idea of increasing my pace isn’t really on my radar at the moment; perhaps when I am able to run that Half-Marathon I will try increasing my pace. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You Are A Tourist – Death Cab for Cutie</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was just going about my normal running business a few weeks ago when my friend asked me about my Fourth of July plans. I didn’t have any, and she said she was doing a parade and fireworks on Sunday evening, followed by a 4-mile race on Monday morning. Did I want to come and run?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Usually I’m able to weasel my way out of these races she runs, stating that “I like to run my own pace” and “it costs less to run by myself” and “I really don’t need another t-shirt.” But this race only cost $18 and was early enough in the morning that the heat of the day wouldn’t be a big problem – especially since the forecast for that day was low to mid 80s. So I agreed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1901 - Phoenix</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I was stuck figuring out if I was physically ready to run four miles – in the heat! The last time I did a race, the temperature was 20 degrees. This was going to be about a 55 degree difference! I would need some new equipment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the first things I looked for was a good pair of running shorts…okay, that wasn’t what I was looking for. I was actually looking for a pair of black Spandex shorts to wear under a skirt I’d be wearing for a fancy dinner. I did find a pair at Kohl’s, and they were really great. Then I realized I’d be able to wear them running, too! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Light and Day – The Polyphonic Spree</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I also was interested in how to stay hydrated during my longer runs. I did some research on water bottles with my friends, and found that the little ones on belts were too bulky. But a larger handheld one seemed to fit pretty well. I managed to find one on Amazon.com relatively cheap, and aside from minor leaking, it does the job. Plus it has a pocket for my keys!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The days before the race I decided to run 4 miles and get myself mentally ready for it. I’d go out early in the morning to avoid the excessive heat that was coming (the temperature was going to hit 95 degrees in the afternoon). The problem was, as soon as I got outside, I saw black clouds to the northwest. Great – storms were going to ruin my long run. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Time to Pretend - MGMT</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead of doing the route I intended, I started out doing a smaller loop – while listening to thunder off in the distance and praying that the thunderstorm would stay out of town – and then got back to my house. I decided to just run the block around my house until the weather came. Then I’d be close enough to home to just run inside. Who knew? Maybe I’d be lucky enough to fit my 4 miles in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I do not own a GPS watch, so I just kept running. I ran and ran until I thought I’d gotten in enough mileage. I was exhausted, and when I went inside I realized I’d been out for over an hour. The rain had stayed away – actually, the severe weather that I’d seen in the distance had broken up before it hit my town! We barely got any rain. Usually this would irk me, but in this case I was grateful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crawling in the Dark - Hoobastank</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">How many miles did I ran? Actually, I ran over 5 miles – almost enough for a 10k! I was impressed. I felt ready for the race on Monday.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The night before I got six hours of sleep and felt pretty exhausted in the morning. I only had one drink early in the evening, and then nursed a bottle of water for the rest of the night. The parade and fireworks were a lot of fun!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We arrived at the race a little close – we grabbed our packets, and didn’t have that much time to take them back to the car. I’d filled up my water bottle with ice, and my iTunes playlist was ready. We settled in the back of the pack and I got ready to run!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There were over 1100 runners for this race. I made sure most of them were in front of me. As we began to run I just told myself, “Run your pace. Don’t be fooled by the other runners. Don’t try to keep pace with someone else!” So I got into my trot and watched people pass me by – including my friends, who are much more experienced runners than I am.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Poker Face – Lady GaGa</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We raced through very nice neighborhoods, and there were many people in their lawn chairs cheering us on. Many were dressed in their red, white, and blue finest, watching the sweaty runners go past their house. A few kids had squirt guns and hoses and would spray the runners. (Of course, only if the runners indicted they wanted to get wet.) I made sure to say thank you, even though I think it’s not a good idea to get wet for a run (something to do with the humidity or your body temp or something). There were also many sprinklers set up around the course. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This had been advertised as a “mainly flat course,” and I’d have to agree. Compared to the Jingle Bell in December, this was nothing. I could sense the inclines and declines, but it wasn’t anything too bad. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race – Fall Out Boy</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There were three water stops, and I didn’t stop running. My motto is “Slow and steady wins the race.” Emphasis on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">steady</i>. I am not big into stopping to walk, and sometimes it annoys me when people do it around me. There was a lady in a green shirt who’d run ahead of me, then walk so I’d catch up or pass her, and then she’d run past me again, and we did that about five times. It got annoying. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My water bottle was a huge help at the water stops – I’d open the top, dump the cup of water onto the ice, and keep going. The ice stayed in my bottle for half the race, so the first two water stops I had cold water! I finally figured out how to open it with my teeth too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Club Can’t Handle Me – Flo Rida</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">After two miles I was feeling good. I’d been running with the same group of people, so I decided to pick up my pace a little bit. So I increased my speed, and started passing the people in my group…and not seeing them again. Then I started catching up to the people that started out too fast and were now walking to the finish. Then I started passing a few runners who were taking a walking break! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I was passing people! </i>It felt very odd. But because I’d kept my slow pace at the beginning, I was benefitting at the end! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I hit the last quarter mile, which took place in the park, I really turned on the jets. I was determined not to wipe out on the trail or on the grass the finish line was on. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">California Love – 2Pac</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Right before the final stretch, I saw a dad with his 2-year old son ahead of me. The dad let the kid start running toward the finish, and that kid was fast for being two years old! In my head I was going <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oh no! This kid is going to cross the finish line before me and ruin my great race!</i> But then he stopped and turned around and headed back for his dad, so I had the final 100 meters ahead of me to sprint to the finish!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t feel as dead at the finish as I had in December, and that was great. I immediately went over to the snack table and grabbed three cookies and apple slices and found my friends. We sat on the grass and ate and talked until the results were posted. I hadn’t kept track of my time, but the chip timer on my shoe recorded that I’d finished in 49 minutes and 25 seconds – 4 miles in less than 50 minutes! My pace was an astounding 12.22 minutes per mile, which was great for the heat!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was very excited for my race, and felt I’d done it well. I know now that I can push my pace a little more and still have enough at the end. I don’t know when my next race will be, but I’ll keep you posted! </div>

Exercise My Freedom To Run!

Posted amongst this blog post is my playlist for my race run. These songs are very inspiring to run a good race! If you’ve been following ...

EUROPEAN UNION POLITICIANS INCREASINGLY OPPOSE INFLUENCE OF US RATING AGENCIES

3:28 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GPTP66s4ttc?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">US RATING AGENCIES EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO THEIR “CLIENTS” – BE THEY CORPORATIONS OR COUNTRIES </span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>Today’s European media reported what GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING BLOG posted on 4<sup>th</sup> of July</b>, namely that US RATING AGENCIES are not impartial, their influences to powerful, and that it is time to create a EUROPEAN rating agency.  The fact that the USA still is AAA rated, despite being almost in the same boat as GREECE, show that </span><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">they are</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">extremely</span></span> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">vulnerable to</span></span> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">their "</span></span><span title="Click for alternate translations">clients</span><span title="Click for alternate translations">"</span> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">-</span></span> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">be they</span></span> <span title="Click for alternate translations"><span class="hps">companies or countries</span><span title="Click for alternate translations">. Thus impartial ratings and evaluations are almost impossible.</span></span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN"> LACK OF COSMOPOLITAN INSIGHT AND GEO POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">Furthermore its seems that US Rating Agencies  lack cosmopolitan insight in order to understand different societies and display ignorance when it comes to consider multicultural behaviors.  </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">In the not too distant past for example US Rating agencies intended to downgrade AUSTRIA’S AAA rating, because of the countries bank involvement in EASTERN EUROPE, distorting the facts in order to pave the way for US investment. (AUSTRIA is one of the 12 richest countries in terms of GDP) After harm was done by spreading the new about downgrading, they corrected their evaluation.  </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="hps"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">CALL FOR A EUROPEAN EQUIVALENT TO US RATING AGENCY - ON THE INCREASE</span></span></b></span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">It is common knowledge that in the view of many minds, rating agencies are the secret cause of the financial crisis. Their profit - oriented behavior has harmed the markets and obscured the true risk. But state agencies are not the alternative. the dominance of AMERICAN rating agencies is destructive for EUROPE. Thus it is of vital importance to create EUROPEAN rating agencies, which should represent EUROPEAN interests, for US rating agencies hardly are genuine when it comes to represent foreign interests, other the those which benefit their own country. Such equilibrium would create more impartial ratings.</span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal;">Increasingly EUROPEAN politicians voice their concern over US rating agencies "uncontrolled development" in which rating agencies assessments have greater importance and impacts then political parliamentary decisions. They also stated that it is important that EUROPE does not depend on those agencies that seem to determine over EUROPE.</span></span></h1><span lang="EN"><br /></span>

EUROPEAN UNION POLITICIANS INCREASINGLY OPPOSE INFLUENCE OF US RATING AGENCIES

US RATING AGENCIES EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO THEIR “CLIENTS” – BE THEY CORPORATIONS OR COUNTRIES Today’s European media reported what GEOP...

Blog Giveaways!

12:50 PM Tukiyooo 0

giveaways Blog Giveaways!

Just wanted to share with you 2 giveaways happening at 2 of my favorite blogs.... 1. Honey I Shrunk the Gretchen - I love her posts - they&...

Jean Cocteau...born July 5, 1889...

6:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf9cinSC3AVrC_Wt73Im6EK8dZMWM-okdqAATkLuiev9Ebyf0rxn2oc2KiCbNhd_xVkqJcBhjHyXZYPXjcqVHNF4pEp88g566ULLd6kFwnCFjBniALKp8BBtUpBZyFyPHjOajXiHfjF6L/s1600/Cocteau+portrait+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf9cinSC3AVrC_Wt73Im6EK8dZMWM-okdqAATkLuiev9Ebyf0rxn2oc2KiCbNhd_xVkqJcBhjHyXZYPXjcqVHNF4pEp88g566ULLd6kFwnCFjBniALKp8BBtUpBZyFyPHjOajXiHfjF6L/s320/Cocteau+portrait+2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jean Cocteau, French filmmaker/poet/writer/artist and more (dramatist, boxing manager...), was born July on 5, 1889, into a prominent and bourgeois family in Maissones-Lafitte - a village not far from Paris. His father, an attorney and amateur artist, took his own life when the boy was just nine; young Cocteau was soon enrolled in a private school. After he was expelled in 1904, he ran off to Marseilles.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ujFXXf1hyphenhyphenQ0OK8pbnNfSBUUxeQJos_hfu9tMpd1pChNLcj5wlI0Kb8COn1-lF-y8DvW1e8nR67FA8VPVeGEGfmUhyfX1NYEa0UEKlv-9dv_YKY3H-iSxgznB6cbV11rUSW5GoCzAwH31/s1600/Anna+Pavlova+Vaslav+Nijinsky+Armida+n+slave+in+Armida%2527s+Pavilion+1907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ujFXXf1hyphenhyphenQ0OK8pbnNfSBUUxeQJos_hfu9tMpd1pChNLcj5wlI0Kb8COn1-lF-y8DvW1e8nR67FA8VPVeGEGfmUhyfX1NYEa0UEKlv-9dv_YKY3H-iSxgznB6cbV11rUSW5GoCzAwH31/s320/Anna+Pavlova+Vaslav+Nijinsky+Armida+n+slave+in+Armida%2527s+Pavilion+1907.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pavlova and Nijinsky</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 1909, Cocteau met Sergei Diaghilev, the Russian impresario who launched the Ballets Russes, a company whose principal dancers then were Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky. Diaghilev encouraged Cocteau to write for the ballet and it was he who famously challenged Cocteau, "Ettonne-moi!" (Astonish me!). Cocteau responded with the libretto for the ballet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Le Dieu Bleu</i>. Cocteau also first encountered Igor Stravinsky around this time. The composer was in the process of writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rite of Spring</i> when the two met and, while visiting Stravinsky in Switzerland in 1914, Cocteau completed his first novel, <u>Le Potomak</u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 1917 Cocteau met Pablo Picasso. Together they traveled to Rome and met with Diaghilev.  The two were soon involved in Diaghilev's production of the ballet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parade</i>. Picasso designed its sets, Erik Satie wrote the music, L</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">onide Massine (Ljubov in <i>The Red Shoes</i>) choreographed and Cocteau wrote the one-act scenario. Although the Paris opening was a disaster, the ballet</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> went on to become successful. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In another post-World War I venture, Cocteau founded a publishing house, <i>Editions de la Sirene</i>. The company published Cocteau's own work as well as scores by Stravinsky, Satie and a group of composers known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Six</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jean Cocteau's first film was the surrealistic <i>Le Sang d'un po</i></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>te</i> (The Blood of a Poet). Released in 1930, it was an early experimental reflection of his personal mythology. Cocteau also wrote what some consider his greatest play, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Machine Infernal</i>, in the early ‘30s. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 1946, Cocteau directed his sublime and bewitching film adaptation of the fairytale, <i>La Belle et la B</i></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ê</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">te</i> (Beauty and the Beast) starring Jean Marais and Josette Day. Director Ren</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Cl</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ment provided technical assistance, illustrator/designer Christian B</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">rard served as costume and production designer (with the exteriors evoking the<span style="color: #990000;"> </span>illustrations of Gustave Dor</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and the interior of Belle's family home echoing Vermeer) and composer Georges Auric (<i>Roman Holiday</i>, John Huston's <i>Moulin Rouge</i>) created the Impressionistic score.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2N6Nmf-tVDo" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Marlene Dietrich reportedly was with Cocteau when the film was first screened at a studio in Paris and, at the end, after the beast had transformed into a prince, she called out to the screen, "Where is my beautiful beast?" (I felt the same the first time I saw </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>La Belle et la B</i></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ê</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">te</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">). </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">  </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 1950, Cocteau directed another of his great film works, </span><i><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 12pt;">Orphée</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Orpheus)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. A contemporary reading of the myth of Orpheus imbued with Cocteau's pet motifs, Jean Marais starred as modern-day poet Orpheus who descends into the Underworld to retrieve his wife, Eurydice. No subtitles are necessary for the following scene..</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KCYcWpMDWLQ" width="425"></iframe></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1960 brought Cocteau's last film and the final installment in his 'Orphic Trilogy' (along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Blood of a Poet </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Orpheus)</i>: <i>Le Testament d'Orph</i></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>e</i> (The Testament of Orpheus). An intricate 'home movie,' the film starred Cocteau as an 18th-century poet seeking divine wisdom and included cameos by everyone from Pablo Picasso and Yul Brynner to Jean Marais, Mar</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">í</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">a Casares, Jean-Pierre Leaud and Fran</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ç</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">oise Sagan.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-69nCOxM52BWkyOCWBRfb5D2P9PEYj1aUaAAqTAdnGrQErk8kyCnldN1POc6azLusfqdYu_pFrbLD4A3ReuskwbNi_EtHYVM3ya1lkNyyRKQ0syCN0dtpRl6Gp7Orv15R2ifjFt_fyse/s1600/Piaf+le+bel+indifferent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-69nCOxM52BWkyOCWBRfb5D2P9PEYj1aUaAAqTAdnGrQErk8kyCnldN1POc6azLusfqdYu_pFrbLD4A3ReuskwbNi_EtHYVM3ya1lkNyyRKQ0syCN0dtpRl6Gp7Orv15R2ifjFt_fyse/s1600/Piaf+le+bel+indifferent.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cocteau led a high profile life all his adult years. Friend and collaborator of Picasso, Stravinsky, Satie and Diaghilev, he was also an intimate of French icons Collette and </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">É</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">dith Piaf. In 1940, Cocteau had written a hit play for Piaf, <i>Le Bel Indiff</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">è</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>rent</i>, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and in the early '50s he wrote an article that was instrumental in reviving her career. It was Cocteau who, in 1948, introduced American <i>wunderkind</i> Truman Capote to Collette. Cocteau had told Collette about Capote, "Don't be fooled...he looks like a ten-year-old angel. But he's ageless, and has a very wicked mind." Collette and Capote bonded and he cherished the gift she gave him that day for the rest of his life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jean Cocteau died at age 74 at his chateau in Milly-la-Foret, France, on October 11, 1963 after learning of the death of </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">É</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">dith Piaf. Legend has it that Cocteau heard the news, remarked, "Ah, la Piaf est morte. Je peux mourir aussi..." (Ah, Piaf is dead. I can die, too) and suffered a fatal heart attack.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">David Thomson has aptly described Cocteau as "a comet passing over French cinema, throwing a vivid light on the landscape..." </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_oWSDLLZO0I5j2PRdkaXE-6B4NFpIBaf3IvjOwPCEItsUxVafKeZUIh3JjYXvfHOjVyv948X73z8EbJ2UueIkNtOWTnkifTvQTmlbD9Q8xudEC4ak067yk7c1efIVoRJ4hAYWNMOl7Io/s1600/Testament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_oWSDLLZO0I5j2PRdkaXE-6B4NFpIBaf3IvjOwPCEItsUxVafKeZUIh3JjYXvfHOjVyv948X73z8EbJ2UueIkNtOWTnkifTvQTmlbD9Q8xudEC4ak067yk7c1efIVoRJ4hAYWNMOl7Io/s320/Testament.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Le Testament d'Orph</i></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: x-small;">è</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>e </i>(1960)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>

Jean Cocteau, French filmmaker/poet/writer/artist and more (dramatist, boxing manager...), was born July on 5, 1889, into a prominent and bo...

July Goals

3:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<span style="color: black;">It's time to check in on how I did with meeting (or not meeting!) my goals for June, and outline my goals for July.</span><b style="color: #660000;"> </b><br /><br /><b style="color: #660000;">My goals for June</b>:<br /><br />1. <b>Pass Anatomy/Physiology:</b>  <i>Pending</i>. Both professors said the grades should be posted this weekend, so I'm still waiting on that yet.  I will definitely share the outcome as soon as I know!<br /><br />2. <b>Plan Meals:</b> <i>Fail</i>. One nice thing about writing your goals down is that you can go back and reassess them after the time has passed for which you wanted to meet them.  I love how naive I was to think that the month of June would be so laid back that I could actually plan my meals each day!  I was not home a single weekend during this month, which is when I do my menu planning!  Not to mention a move and school - this just didn't happen.<br /><br />3. <b>Find a New Gym:</b> <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/06/weigh-in-new-gym.html"><i>Check!</i> We are the proud members of Gold's Gym!</a><br /><br />4. <b>Meet My First Weight Loss Goal:</b> <i>Fail</i>. I'll save the excuses I've already used up above, but this goal WILL be met for July because there will be no reason NOT to meet this goal!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #990000;"><u>My goals for July</u>:</span></b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.e-acai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Weight-Loss-Goals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.e-acai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Weight-Loss-Goals.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.e-acai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Weight-Loss-Goals.jpg">Courtesy</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />1. <b>Go to the gym 5 days a week.</b>  This will consist of 40 minutes of cardio and 1 day per week of weight lifting.<br /><br />2. <b>Meet my first 10lb goal. </b>I can do this.  I'm 7 pounds away.  I. will. do. this.<br /><br />3. <b>Plan my meals.  </b>By doing this, it will help me stay within my daily Points+ range.  Also, it will help me start going through my cookbooks, as is <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/hungry-girl-cooking-eggamuffin-101.html">another goal of mine</a>. <br /><br />4. <b>Take my lunch to work every day.</b><br /><br />5. <b>Divvy up my Points+ balance for each meal and stick to it.</b>  I have a tendency to just eat whatever I want when I want, regardless of the Points+ value.  Sometimes this works to my benefit, most times it does not.  I plan to use a variation of <a href="http://gettingnshape.blogspot.com/">Christina's</a> method and see how that works for me:<br /><br /><blockquote><blockquote>I get a total of <b>41 Points+</b> per day.  They will be divided out as follows:<br /><ul><li><i>Breakfast</i>: 10 Points+</li><li><i>A.M. Snack</i>: 5 Points+</li><li><i>Lunch</i>: 10 Points+</li><li><i>P.M</i>. Snack: 5 Points+</li><li><i>Dinner</i>: 11 Points+</li></ul></blockquote></blockquote>Wish me success!!