The circle of Life

The Lion King Broadway Show

Simply TREMENDOUS!!

I was told by friends and I read the reviews about the show and the general consensus is that it is an amazing show. I was excited by the hype but also worried, I was and hhmmm... still am a big fan of the Lion King the film and I really didn't want my views of it to be tarnished in anyway. I took my mum to see the show for her birthday and day in London, and she still remembers all of the times when she had to sit through Disney films with me when I was young; so i really wanted it to be enjoyable for her. I can tell you now the hype is well deserved! It is single handedly the best show I have ever seen, we were both completely engrossed in it from the first note by the orchestra to the last dim of the lights. Our hands were red roar from the amount of applauds it demands and deserves. The opening scene is fantastic, the costumes were executed with brilliant imagination with every detail adding positively to the spectacle. The music all the way through was goose bump raising, with some songs that were not in the film that should have been.

I guess if your a fan of the film you are wondering is it better, worse or does it spoil the film? Neither it has enhanced it, now when I think about moments in the film i have to think about the show also, they run parallel for me. This is what I was most pleased about when leaving the theatre, it made me like the story of the Lion King even more.

The animals were all played by people however for the most of it you don't even look at them as humans, your imagination covers up the human aspect and just leaves you with the animal. Mufasa and Scar were outstanding, with their giant head pieces that came down when they wanted to show a certain emotion. There was also a leopard that gracefully sauntered across the stage in such away that I honestly was unaware of the person doing it.

Inspirationally imaginative and heart warming show that anyone will enjoy, whether your a fan of the film or not.

Some bodies poisoned the water hole...!!

Toy Story

With unforgettable lines like 'To infinity and beyond!', 'You are a TOY!!' and 'There's a snake in my boot.' Toy Story is a wonderful film that both children and adults can enjoy. It is an icon in the world of film, never before had a film been computer generated to the same degree, it's sophistication alone set it head and shoulders above the rest of the films around that time. Then there is the amazingly imaginative and engaging story line, it is a subject that anyone can feel and relate to. I feel it is a truly intimate idea that will provoke some vibrant emotions from anyone, after all what kid wouldn't love their toys to come alive when they are not around? In fact i am sure every single adult and parent who took their child to see this brilliant film would love the idea of their old action men, cabbage patch kids and lego people coming alive and interacting with them. Lets not dismiss from mind that amazing introduction to the movie 'You got a friend in me', where you really get a sense in that minute and half the delightful attachment Andy (the human boy) has for his favorite toy Woody. I am pretty sure this scene also rocketed Randy Newman's career again, gaining him an Oscar nomination in 1996.

Of course one of the main reasons for this blog is the exciting new installment of the Toy Story brand, Toy Story 3, and the other two films in 3D. I for one am very looking forward to the new films, in fact writing this blog has made me want to watch the film now and enjoy it all over again. After examining the films much more I am much more aware of how and why the film means so much to me, and why i like so many have enjoyed it over and over again.

Shambles

The Shambles

While in York we visited one of Britain's most well known streets, The Shambles. Tiny heavenly home made chocolate store, traditional sweet shop and a charming little gallery are all part and parcel of the attraction. The tops of the houses lean over giving you a sense of almost being inside away from the elements, limited light helps you feel at home as all the of the shops sparkle and illuminate the street. Doing some further research I discovered that these leaning buildings is typical of the 15th century. However this street was mentioned in the Domesday book, which dates back to over 900 years ago, and therefore it had made The Shambles one of the oldest streets in York. Recently, well in the 19th century, it was a street full of butchers, and the raised curbs on either side of the street creating a channel was used to wash all of the blood and waste down from the shops.

All in all this part of York is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area. You will not only be able to go in the unique shops along the street but also get an overwhelming sense of taking a leap back in time. However when i was there it was extremely busy, for a better atmosphere and much more relaxed where you can move at your own pace i suggest not going at mid-day.

York

The city of York

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the quite charming city of York. I have always been on the receiving end of praise for the city, but I have to say it really was a magnificent place. The architecture. culture and history all seemed so pleasant, we were more than happy to just mooch around taking it all in. Undoubtedly the whole experience was enhanced by the glorious day, the sun cast brilliant shadows and highlights all over the range of architecture around the city. The third picture down is Clifford's Tower and is apart of York castle. It was once the central stronghold of York Castle, and has survived turbulent centuries of fire, siege and attempted demolition. A remnant of the years of William the Conquerer and his northern campaign, it stands tall peering over the city. It stands up high and from the bottom it becomes intimidating and overpowering, taking this picture looking up at it I found it hard not to think about how hard it would be to try and actually attack this strong hold (back in the day).

York Minster stopped me in my tracks, my feet were fixed to the floor and all i could do was move my head and admire how immense it was. Both in scale and the intricate details that covered the minster. I hope that the pictures I have taken can portray it's brilliance. The Minster took around 250 years to complete, with work finally finished in 1472, it was a mammoth project with simply the best results. The main entrance tower is perfectly Bi-symmetrical and raises high up stamping its place and dominance in the city. In terms of its architecture it is phenomenal, highly complex, highly dynamic and highly inspiring.

Ibiza Global Radio

www.ibizaglobalradio.com

This is definitely for those of you who are into your music (a lot of house) and who haven't had the chance to get away to Ibiza this extremely drab English summer. It has everything from house, electric and Ibiza dance; and not so much of the big fish little fish kind. You can listen to new, up and coming sounds via a live stream giving you an insight into the non 'chavy' side of ibiza. The side that keeps new people going, and those season veterans returning to the island in search of the years new vibes.

There are Spanish presenters who pop up to let you know what's going on, and they occasionally break into English to help us out. Unlike the ordinary radio stations that we are forced to suffer over here, they DON'T become a reason to turn over the station in desperate search of some music, they play music! The only thing is you have to put up with some advertisement every now and again, that goes on for quite a while, well for little more than they should put it that way.

The web site is very easy to navigate and is engaging, it looks cool (i mean in the sense of a feeling of coolness). There are very tranquil and emotive pictures of the island behind each page or click of a button, that just make your imagination take you to that moment. The picture above with the peer in it and the clear turquoise sea is far too tempting, I just feel like getting my bank card and making a rash plane ticket purchase over there. This is with out a doubt the intentions of these images, and i think it does a tremendous job along side the music of helping you just take your mind away to some where you would rather be.

I have taken a particular shine to the house vibes session thats on there. It is going nicely alongside working, chilled out enough to not make you want to start raving, but is upbeat to keep your juices pumping.

I think the only problem with the site, is the fact that you can't listen to previous sessions that you may have missed. This stands out only because of the luxury that bbc iplayer has given us, being able to listen or watch back up to 7 days of entertainment. If it could maybe begin to introduce this into its arsenal then it would be even better.

Dyslexia

Designer: Felix Lobelius

This is a piece of work by a young designer working in Australia. He designed an awareness campaign for dyslexia, which he goes on to describe as 'a condition with lacking public attention'. Definitely a just statement, as most people are unaware of the many different levels of dyslexia, as its not simply people who can't read or write correctly. In fact the dyslexia can be substantially compensated for with proper therapy, training and equipment. And i think it is a very positive thing that establishments like universities, schools and even some work places offer the help and equipment needed to progress and function more easily.

Anyway back to the design... The poster design is an invitation to solve the riddle, 'Everything in its right place', its requirement for the viewer to get involved is quite obvious. The message conveyed is also extremely clear, the fact that you can't immediately read the copy is the intended message. You are placed quite convincingly into the shoes of someone who has dyslexia, which is extremely emotive and forces the audience to have some level of sympathy. The large out of place 'O' is the invading culprit, and because of its size and being near the central line of the design it is very hard to ignore. Along side the back to front letters, changes in orientations, angles and variations in size, they all add up to that overall feeling of empathy and understanding. The ironic campaign title is a fitting message, that finally drives home the message and gets the audience thinking about dyslexia.

If you fancy having a look at some of his other work then here is the link www.felixlobelius.com/

HHmmm....a Browser??

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http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/06/24/what-is-a-web-browser/

What is a browser?

Google conducted interviews with a random selection of people in Time Square, New York asking if they knew what a web browser was. They found that fewer than 8% actually knew. Most people often assumed that a browser was a search engine, like google or yahoo. It was quite interesting to see how people can use something almost every day and not actually know what it is.

The writer of the article describes how people have no idea what a browser is or appreciate it because they just use what ever already exists on their machine. He goes on to explain how people don't know or care about what browser they use, but i think this is due to lack of advertising. The general public are not the sort to go on to forums, search the internet or read articles about the latest technology; especially when it comes to web browsers. If browser creators really want theirs to become the new big thing and take a decent portion of the market, they really need to advertise it more. Somewhere that the public will be subject to, tv, internet, transport, booklets, etc...

Spezify

www.spezify.com

Spezify is an innovative style of search engine. It displays your search as randomly placed windows on a flat plane, which you navigate using the click and drag method (classic). This makes it a much more engaging search, both visually and through the curiosity it creates due it being new. It also allows you to narrow your search down, with key or linking words in the top navigation. A very important feature as it would be very difficult to identify the relevant info amongst the millions of pages on the internet.

The design of Spezify is very simple, the page design and the opening page give a sense of a large space, as if it were a warehouse of information. There is a feeling of endlessness, and then when you search for something you're provided with a range of pictures, text and videos to choose from.. I particularly like this style, apposed to the general layout of the average search engine, displaying reams and reams of text, and with those dreaded numbers that say how man thousands of links there are for you to search through.

On the negative side, and it's only a slight one, is that the level of hierarchy for the search findings isn't always apparent.

Overall this is a fresh change to the total domination of google. Where it is nice to have this option in some cases i can't see it gaining a large portion of google's customers.

The first blog of summer