GREGSWORLD

Norwich Cathedral

2010-04-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Norwich Cathedral is 900 years old has always been the heart of Norfolk. The Cathedral has been a place for public worship and for private prayer. It is a very big cathedral which has a nice green garden in the middle of the Cathedral. The Cathedral itself has a small art gallery which has paintings and other crafts. I was very much impressed by how the cathedral looks from the inside and the outside. It is a very attractive building with lots of interesting features inside which make its history. It is a very big Cathedral and is definitely worth a visit.

One feature of the Cathedral is The Font in the Cathedral which is a copper vessel used for baptism. It is filled with water and is used as a symbol which is explained in the leaflet handed out to me. ‘Here God pours over his people his gift of eternal life in Christ and makes them members of the Body of Christ in the world, the church’. The Font is now an object used for baptism but somebody told me inside the Cathedral that it was originally used for making chocolate but was then given to the Cathedral. I was impressed with its size and aura when I first saw it

Norwich Cathedral also has a passageway up some stairs and this is called The Ambulatory. This is a passageway that leads to gold and silver plates and pots. The treasure was given by many parish churches. In medieval times pilgrims would have used this space for worship but now The Ambulatory is used for storage of gold and silver. You can see the treasury in a video clip that I filmed in this blog.

The Cathedral also has some other impressive features to it such as The Peace Globe and The Pulpitum. The Pulpitum is a meeting place of heaven and earth. I liked The Peace Globe because of all the candles it has on it that were very pretty. What I like about these different features is that even though they all have a religious origin, they tell a different story of what they mean and possibly what they will mean in the future. There are other features in the Cathedral which you can find out about.

Norwich Cathedral is a very important part of Norwich because of its long history and tradition. It is also very important because it is one of the city’s biggest features. It is a wonderfully crafted building that is very nice to see on a sunny day. Norwich Cathedral stands as one of many medieval churches in Norwich, over 30 in total.

Overall I really like my visit to Norwich Cathedral because I found the building fascinating. Cathedrals and churches create a very subtle and harmonious feeling which I like. It has lots of interesting features like statues, silver and gold pots, The Font and so on. The Cathedral is a very big place which I was really impressed with. If you are visiting Norwich I would recommend going to Norwich Cathedral as it is a great spectacle and a nice place to visit.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

Norwich Castle

2010-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Norwich castle has a very interesting and long history. It is today a museum and has a diverse range of displays. There are quite a mixture of art and exhibition sections in the castle such as Anglo-Saxon and Viking, Modern Art, Crome and Cotman Art Gallery, Natural History Galleries, Decorative Arts, Boudica, Special Exhibitions and the Castle Keep. Additionally I have also been to the Battlements tour and the Dungeon tour which are added features to the museum.

The castle was built in 1066 and is over 900 years ago. The castle has been a royal palace, a prison and also a museum. In the museum it says ‘But this castle was much more than a military base. It was built to show wealth, power and prestige. It was a royal castle, fit for the King. During the King’s occasional visit, the government of the country took place here’. The castle represented power and the King could show off his wealth best here. There was a room made in the castle to represent specifically the wealth and power of the King. The castle was a place where the King could show off his power and money.

The castle was transformed into a prison in the 14th Century. Throughout this time the prisons were always overcrowded and conditions were awful up until the 18th Century. The walls in the cells were crumbling and there were no roofs. Rich prisoners though could rent bedding. One interesting thing about the museum is that you get a good idea of life in the prisons and what the prisoners ate and what they did with their time. From 1822-1827 prisoners were made to work by walking on treadmills, making shoes and tailoring sacks.

Norwich castle was also a place for public hangings and at times crowds from around 20,000 gathered around to see the event. Hangings eventually stopped in 1868 because people’s attitudes towards it were changing and people now thought that it was wrong.

In terms of food, the rich prisoners would get a better quality meal depending on what they have to offer to the prison officer. By the end of the 19thcentury however regulations changed and everyone had to eat the same food no matter what your wealth was.

I enjoyed the Battlemans tour in the castle because I was standing 120 feet of the ground and got a very nice view of Norwich. From the tour I learned that Norwich has over 30 medieval churches which a lot more than London or anywhere else in the UK. I also learnt that the market place was a lot bigger in the past.

The Dungeon tour gives you an idea of life for the prisoners. There were several forms of punishment in the dungeons such as Iron masks which were used for women who talk and nag too much. This was around the 1700-1800 period. In worst case scenarios some prisoners were left in dungeons that had no light or windows and only had one bucket.

The Crome and Cotman exhibitions were very interesting. One painting that I really liked was by Miles Edmund Cotman which is in this blog, the one with the trees and bull. Miles Edmund Cotman and John Joseph Cotman were sons of John Sell Cotman who is regarded as one of the greatest British artists ever alongside J.M.W Turner and constable. He was also the leading member of the Norwich school of artists.

The Natural History Galleries contains stuffed animals such as lions, dears, a polar bear and tigers.

Boudica was the queen of the iceni people who lived in the northern part of East Anglia. The Boudica exhibition talks about the upsiring of the iceni people and the attempts to overturn the Romans. Boudica destroyed Colchester, London and another city before eventually losing the battle.

The Timothy Gunner Gallery and the Anglo Saxon and Viking exhibition were also very impressive but I did not get enough time to look around and analyse these.

Overall I really enjoyed my visit to Norwich castle and it has taught me a lot about the city I currently live in. It has a lot of variety and character and you learn lots from it, had a good day.

I obtained this information from discussions inside the castle or from the exhibitions in the museum.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

Crime genre- The Usual Suspects

2010-03-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

What are the conventions and features that make The Usual Suspects (1995) an identifiable crime film? Furthermore how does it challenge and play with conventions of the crime and thriller genre?

Gregory Rikowski

It has been generally agreed that genre is a word meaning a certain ‘type or ‘kind’ of film (Neale, 2000, p.6). There are certain conventions of the crime genre that make it familiar and identifiable to the audience (Neale, 2000, p.42). Aspects such as iconography ‘auteurism’ and other conventions place the crime genre into a particular ‘type’ of film (Neale, 2000, p.10, p.13). In this essay I will be arguing to why (The Usual Suspects, directed by Bryan Singer, 1995) has certain conventions and characteristics that make it different from other crime films. The genres of this film involve crime, mystery and suspense. Neale says that many of these genres can overlap and can cross over (Neale, 2000, p.72). The Usual Suspects uses different types of genres that complement each other. The clips from The Usual Suspects that I will mention will function to support my argument. It is said that The Usual Suspects uses suspense and the thriller genre to torment the audience (Mason, 2002, p.163). In general crime films are often thought of as having ‘victims’ of crime and also the life of a crime figure (Crime and Gangster films, p.1).

Even though to some extent The Usual Suspects is typical of a classical Hollywood narrative in regard to the crime genre because of its logical and structured plot, it does have some key differences that can be looked at. Stephen Neale argues that most detective stories are resolved and that the criminal gets caught and punished (Neale, 2000, p.74). The Usual Suspects however is different because the story is unresolved and we do not know what happens to Keyser Soze or Verbal Kint who is hugely suspected in the end. The Usual Suspects has certain identifiable iconography uses such as guns, police cars, blood and hats (Neale, 2000, p.14). The film involves conflict between police and the criminals as well which is a common theme in crime films (Mason, 2002, p.163). What is unusual however is how the film conventions are being used. Audiences are familiar with seeing certain types of crime films that involve conventions which we are used to (Neale, 2000, p.9). Bryan Singer however makes this idea complicated. Crime and gangster films create a complicated moral scenario for the spectator (genre, p.1). The Usual Suspects has been linked very closely to Hollywood because of its stars and its connections and involvement with Hollywood, yet it is different from mainstream Hollywood filming (Neale, 2000,p.20). Fran Mason argues that because of The Usual Suspects’ mixing of codes like theft, suspense and conspiracy are used. They are so self-reflexive to an extent that these textualisations become the films narrative (Mason, 1996, p.164). The texts therefore overpower the narrative as a whole story. So the film The Usual Suspects therefore is not a straightforward narrative.

The criminal named Keyser Soze is a mastermind of a criminal who forces the main criminals to do a very dangerous job (Mason, 2002, p.163). When Kobayashi (actor Pete Postlethwaite) tells Verbal Kint (actor Kevin Spacey) and the other criminals about the job that is asked of them they become very fearful because of Keyser Soze’s because use of his high profile. It is almost like the criminals are becoming the victims of more of a dangerous organization, but are being paid for it. We know this because Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro) got shot trying to run away. Earlier in the film Verbal explains this to Dave Kujan (actor Chazz Palminteri) about Keyser Soze.

‘‘It was Keyser Soze, Agent Kujan. I mean the Devil himself. How do you shoot the Devil in the back?’’ (Faber and Faber, 1996, p.122).

Keyser Soze adds mystery and suspense to The Usual Suspects because he is shown as a criminal who knows the act of crime better than anybody else. Additionally the way he is talked about throughout the film is as though he is fictional and not real. Keyser Soze is mentioned by Verbal Kint, Dave Kujan, and Daniel Metzheiser (actor Ron Gilbert) and many others but we do not hear from Soze himself. Mystery in the film is also used through the music which is suspenseful and mysterious and adds to the notion of uncertainty. Near the beginning for example, when the credits are being shown, the music is being played with the camera tracking along a river in the dark, to suggest something dangerous and mysterious.

Suspense thriller films focus on victims of crime or on isolated criminals (Neale, 2000, p.82). In The Usual Suspects for example the main criminals in the film become more and more isolated, especially when there is only Dean Keaton (actor Gabriel Byrne), Michael McManus (actor Stephen Baldwin) and Verbal Kint left near the end. It becomes very suspenseful at this point. The criminals are a team yet at the same time they are very individualistic and a few of them such as Dean Keaton and Todd Hockney (actor Kevin Pollack) create divisions through not caring about any of the team members as people. The surprising element to The Usual Suspects was the scene near the beginning where all the criminals are put into jail because of a truck that has been stolen. Dean Keaton refuses the job offer From Stephen McManus and says.

‘‘No you’re missing the point. I don’t want to hear anything from you. I don’t care about your ‘job’. I want nothing to do with any of you- I beg your pardon, but you can all go to hell’’ (Faber and Faber, 1996, p.28).

Dean Keaton is the person who wants to be isolated the most and not to be involved with the other criminals. Keaton does eventually join with McManus’s crime job. It is surprising to hear Keaton talk in such an overtly offensive manner especially when he has done criminal acts in the past himself. It is almost as though he thinks he is better than they are. The victim in this film appears to be Verbal Kint who seems to be quite a weak and pathetic person throughout the entire film. Audiences often associate criminals with having certain characteristics. According to Stephen Neale iconography means the objects, events and figures in films, and also their identification and description (Neale, 2000, p.14). The Usual Suspects has all of the basic iconographic features which make it a crime film. By looking at Verbal Kints identification, he seems to be a genuine victim. We do not normally associate cripples or people with disadvantages physically as being criminals. Criminals are labelled as being strong minded and willing to take risks. Verbal Kint does not give us any indication to why he could be a criminal. Except for the end where the camera focuses and tracks with him. His legs start walking in a straight line and he is no longer a cripple. His wrist also seems to be fine. He then gets in the car with Kobayashi, who in Verbal Kints words is Keyser Soze’s worker.

In conclusion The Usual Suspects shows conventions and features that make it a crime film. It has guns, police cars, blood and hats. It involves conflict between police officers and the criminals (Mason, 2002, p.163). Near the beginning of the film in particular, The Usual Suspects where conflict is clear. It is also about a crime figure and a victim of crime (Crime and gangster films, p.1). Additionally The Usual Suspects fits in with the notion of being an identifiable genre film because of the fact that Hollywood is often associated with genre (Neale, 2000, p.9). The plot is very logical and structured which makes it mainstream. It also has familiar conventions that we see associate with a crime film like suspense, mystery and detective genres and sub-genres for example (Neale, p.72, 76, 82). The role of Keyser Soze has a big role to play. The Usual Suspects challenges and plays with film conventions with the way the story is told. In most crime detective films the story normally has a solution to it but in The Usual Suspects there are still some unanswered questions (Neale, 2000, p.74). We do not know what happens to Keyser Soze and nor who he is exactly. The audience is also unsure of Verbal Kint near the end and who exactly he is. Furthermore The Usual Suspects is not a straight forward police and robber chase film (Mason, 2002, p.163). This is because the criminal organization of Keyser Soze forces the main criminals to work for him. The job involves them risking their lives. This makes it complicated and not simply a police and robber chase.

Bibliography

Crime and gangster films. Submission of work, 2009. Access online: http://www.filmsite.org/crimefilms2.html. American Movie Classics Company, LCC.

Genre (No date, no author). Access online: http://www.northallertoncoll.org.uk/media/media%20web/genretheory.htm

Mcquarrie, Christopher (edited by). (1996). The Usual Suspects. Faber and Faber. London and Boston.

Mason, Fran. (edited by). (2002). American Gangster Cinema. From Little Caesar to Pulp Fiction. Palgrave Macmilan, Great Britain.

Neale, Stephen (edited by). (2000). Genre and Hollywood. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. London and New York

Filmography

Singer, Bryan. (1995). The Usual Suspects

New Media

2010-03-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Assessment 1: In this essay I will be using the internet in order to explain why this form of new media is innovative. I will also criticise this claim in various ways.

Gregory Rikowski

Innovation is something which needs to be new and that has a significant social and cultural effects on the society we live in (Mansell, 2009, p.3). New media has a connection with older forms of mediums whilst transforming them into something new (Marshall, 2004, p.2). New media today is based on digital media and refers to technologies such as computers and cameras, whereas old media forms in the past involve mediums such as typewriters and cassette players (Gitezman and Pingree, 2003, p.11).

In this essay I will be focusing on the internet which is a form of digital media that is popular. I will be focusing on ways that audiences engage with this form of media.

Additionally the aim of this essay will be to discuss claims that new media is innovative and I will also be critical of this idea.

One way of understanding new media today is by looking at technology and the effects that it has (Flew, 2008, p.2). A way of understanding new media and the effects it has is by looking at convergence (Flew, 2008, p.2). Because technology is today based on digital information, this means that new media is combined with different attributes (Flew, 2008, p.2). Statistics show that internet users worldwide have been continuously increasing from 1991-2006 (Flew, 2008, p.8). In 1991 there was an estimates 376,000 internet users compared to 2006 where there was an estimated 394,991,609 users (Flew, 2008, p.8).Innovation today means that:

‘‘The ability to invent and innovate that is to create knowledge and new ideas that are then embodied in products, processes and organizations, has always served to fuel development’’ (Mansell, 2009, p.3).

New media today is based on digital media that combines and integrates data such as texts and sounds (Flew, 2008, p.2). One argument for the internet being innovative is that it is networkable (Flew, 2008, p.3). This emphasises computer communication and less on face to face interaction. Because of the internet you can now share and exchange information simultaneously which and you can now contact more than one person at a time. When emailing, for example you can email to more than one person at a time. Social networks like facebook allow you to write on your page so that your friends can see what your thoughts are. More than one person can read your message at a time. Before the internet was introduced this form of communication and interactivity was not possible (Flew, 2008, p.2). It could be argued that this type of communication is innovative because of its new dimensions. Some people however would argue that the use of internet in terms of networking is not innovative because it creates collective confusion and social disorder (Mansell, 2009, p.7). In regard to instant messaging for example you could be talking to somebody on the internet but another person may join in the discussion and interrupt what you have been talking about. It is also possible that when you are emailing to multiple people you could enter the wrong contact in without realising it thus creating confusion.

Another argument used to why the internet could not be seen as innovative is because it uses older forms of medium and so it can be questioned to what extent it is innovative (Marshall, 2004, p.4). In terms to Email for example it could be argued that it has been influenced by the telegraph, an existing old media form. Instant messaging was influenced by letters and text messaging. In order for something to be innovative it needs to be new and creative and the line between what is innovative and imitative can be vague (Mansell, 2009, p.3).

Another way of understanding today’s media in regard to digital media is to realise that it can be manipulable (Flew, 2008, p.3). This means that digital information can be changed easily and that it can be adaptable as well for all stages of creation, storage delivery and use (Flew, 2008, p.3). Ways in which digital media is manipulable and innovative is that it creates a new relationship between the authors and the texts being mentioned (Levy, 1997, p.366). Digital media can be changed and altered and it offers a new form of interactivity with the reader (Flew, 2008, p.3). This creates new forms of interaction and opportunities for participants (Mansell, 2009, p.7). The experience becomes more dynamic and it is more controllable and influenced by the user (The Digital Turn). Whilst searching on Wikipedia for example you may find that when you search for a topic, and when you search for the same thing over a different period of time the results may change. Websites can also be changed overtime and so can images, texts and sounds (Flew, 2008, p.3).

You could argue that the digital media being manipulable is innovative but you could also argue against this claim. For something to be innovative it needs to be original and Walter Benjamin argues that original pieces of work are more special than those which can be copied (Benjamin, 1985, p.680). He argues that mechanical reproduction today means that the concept of authenticity has become less influential (Benjamin, 1985, p.678). The internet for example is a copy and this means that it becomes less innovative because of this.

In conclusion I have discussed ways in which new media is innovative but I have also criticised it because of the fact that it relies on older forms of media (Marshall, 2004, p.4). New media is innovative in some ways because it is networkable. In regard to email you can send one email to lots of different people. One criticism towards the internet being networkable is that it creates social disorder and chaos (Mansell, 2009, p.7).

The internet being manipulable is positive because it becomes more dynamic and creates a new experience (The Digital Turn). It can be negative however because it is a copy which takes away its authenticity and becomes less innovative (Benjamin, 1985, p.678).

Bibliography

Flew, Terry (Edited by), 2008. New Media: an introduction (3rd edition). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Gitezman, Lisa and Pingree B. Geoffrey (Edited by), 2003. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press. London.

Levy, Pierre (Edited by), 1997. Collective intelligence: Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace. Plenum, New York.

Mansell Robin (Edited by), 2009. Power, Media Culture and New Media. University of Bremen, Germany.

Marshall, P. David (Edited by), 2004. New Media cultures. Oxford University Press. London; Arnold New York.

Mast Gerard and Cohen Marshall (Edited by), 1985. Walter Benjamin In Film Theory and Criticism. Columbic University Press. New York.

The Digital Turn: Week 3: University of East Anglia handout.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

Michael Jackson tribute at the O2. 1958-2009

2009-07-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday would have been one out of 50 concerts that Michael Jackson would have performed in. Instead of which, thousands of fans including me gathered together and celebrated the life of this wonderful man. I went with my mum and she brought her friend along with her. It was an ideal tribute to one of the greatest ever entertainers of our time. The fans wanted to give Michael Jackson the best possible send off. People were dressing up like Michael Jackson and wearing his hats as well.

Throughout the day people were playing Michael Jackson songs on big speakers. The song that was stuck in my head was ‘They don’t care about us’. Me and my mum had a memorable night which was full of emotion and a great spirit. I stayed at the 02 for about 4 and half hours in total. I also spent some time in the 02 arena which was incredible. There were lots of shops and restaurants inside. It was the first time I had ever been in the Millennium Dome.

There were many messages on the wall at the back which were written and dedicated to Michael Jackson. The main stage at the back had some great dancers, such as Michael Lewis who did a fantastic job in capturing Michael Jackson’s charisma. At times there would be many fans standing on the stage calling Michael Jackson’s name and mixing with the crowd. I sang some Michael Jackson songs with the smaller crowd. Songs such as ‘Heal The World and ‘You Are Not Alone’ were a few I sang. There was also a massive screen high up at the back showing pictures of Michael Jackson from when he was a child and as an adult. I thought it was really beautiful when it was dark and fans were lighting candles and throwing lighted balloons into the air. There were also white and black balloons of Michael Jackson which were also released into the air. They were great moments.

The banners and pictures of Michael Jackson at the back were amazing. There seemed to be two main crowds of Michael Jackson fans on the night. Ones that were in the back and ones that were crowding around a smaller stereo. It was just around 15 yards from the back stage. From what I saw the fans were mainly young but there were some older ones as well. There were lots of people wearing Michael Jackson hats and costumes, to pay a great tribute. Some of the dancers were superb!

What has always gripped me about Michael Jackson was how mentally strong he was and how determined he seemed. He has a great positivity about his actions. He is a character of extremities and with him there is no middle way. Lisa Marie Presley had also said the same thing about him. Off course on the other hand however he was very vulnerable because of the fact that he did not have a proper childhood. This made him an easy target for the media and Martin Bashir. His vulnerabilities were being exploited. He was a very affectionate person with a lot to offer to the world. In time he will be recognised as a musical genius and his music will shine through; even more in years to come.

Back to the tribute night, it was full of great genuine fans who loved Michael Jackson. Towards the end of the night there was a minute silence to remember him. We all clapped together and cheered when the minute silence was over to celebrate his life.

My mum showed me a photo of the event in the Evening Standard newspaper today. I was on the right side of the photo as I was pleasantly surprised and shocked.

Overall it was a wonderful tribute to a true legend of our time. R.I.P. Michael.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009.

2009-06-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so I have been listening to Michael Jackson’s music more and more. I was devastated to find out that he had a heart attack. But what inspired me about Michael Jackson more than anything else was his incredibly loving attitude and his amazing songs. A personal favourite song of mine is ‘human nature’ which I think is such a great song for so many different reasons. It captures the inner innocence and beauty of Michael Jackson as well as his care and love for other people.

Throughout the past year or so Michael Jackson has really helped me in terms of overcoming my personal difficulties in my life. For this I cannot thank him enough. I have become a major fan of Michael Jackson because of his music and personality. He has taught me that nothing in the world is more powerful than love and art. He has changed me as a person forever.

I feel as though I can relate to Michael Jackson in several ways. He is the only person I know who understands what it is like to be truly mistreated and suppressed. His father and the media were a lot to blame for this. Michael makes me feel that I am not alone and that there is someone that cares. If I feel like I am in a crisis I know I can turn to Michael, who will be there for me whether he’s alive or dead. Jackson has not received much love in his life but this is why he wants to give love. I am surprised by how positive he was despite all the suffering and pain the world has given him.

Additionally I think the reason why Michael Jackson has such powerful and distinct dancing is not only because he is talented but because he was forced to dance by his father. My theory is that he partly dances to attack those people who have mistreated him. Michael Jackson talks a lot with his dancing. He reflects his anger and disgust by dancing in a forceful way which he has been recognised for; he dances in an eccentric and furious manner. Blood on the dance Floor is an example of a song which shows disgust for those that have offended him.

When I found out that Michael Jackson was playing in London I was so excited. I bought two tickets for me and my mother. I had a lot of trouble getting the tickets because of high demand for them. To see him live would have been something really special for me and for all of his other fans. I am extremely happy that I was wise enough to appreciate him whilst he was still alive. Perhaps if more people concentrated on his music rather than his private life then he would still be alive now.

Michael Jackson deserves to go down in history for the greatest ever pop artist, The King of Pop. Especially considering how diabolically he has been treated in his life. He is a true performer and is the greatest human being you could ever wish to see.

Michael Jackson was just simply a vulnerable talented man who had too many obstacles in his life. He tried his best to prove the media wrong about him and his poor health but in the end it was far too much for him. People like Martin Bashir completely destroyed his life and I cannot forgive Martin for this. Michael Jackson will always have a place in my heart and soul and nothing will ever change that. R.I.P. Michael.

Looking out
Across the night-time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs

2nd verse

Get me out
Into the night-time
Four walls wont hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way

3rd verse

Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are evrywhere
See that girl
She knows Im watching
She likes the way I stare

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
I like livin this way
I like lovin this way(instrumental section)

4th verse

Looking out
Across the morning
The citys heart begins to beat
Reaching outI touch her shoulder
Im dreaming of the street

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that wayI like livin this way

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414

Myspace Music

2009-06-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

I first came onto MySpace not knowing much about how it works. I joined mainly to write film reviews. I was pleased and surprised to discover lots of good bands on there as well. As I used it more I soon became familiar with it and the bands.

The first band that I went to see was ‘On Off Switch’ in March 2009. I saw them at a pub that was near King’s Cross station in London called ‘The Rats’. There are four members in the band. A drummer named Daniel Goudie, Kat Cheadle who is the vocalist, Robbie Sattin on Guitars and Chris Mathison who was on the Bass and synchroniser. They are a band that has a mixture of music genres. Elements of pop, rock, electronic and funk are all in the band which make them interesting. The singer Kat in my opinion is a great singer. The other members are also technically talented.

‘On Off Switch’ is only a small band but I think they have the potential to make it big. The crowd on the night was small but I think everyone could see the potential they had. The band is young and enthusiastic with lots more to offer as they are always producing new songs. I particularly liked ‘Chemicals’ and ‘OK Robot’- these were my favourite songs. The band is very energetic and they have similarities to groups such as K.T. Tunstall, Squarepusher, Madonna and Evanescence.

I came out feeling very satisfied and cheerful after the gig and talked a lot to my friend about them. I would definitely recommend them. Their MySpace address is: http://www.myspace.com/onoffswitch

The second band I went to see was ‘Mr Twist’. They played at 93 Feet East on 15th April 2009 in Brick Lane, London. The band was superb and played with other great bands that I had never heard of before. ‘Mr Twist’s’ influences are from bands such as Muse, Led Zeppelin, Biffy Clyro and Iron Maiden. They are quite an experimental band with a real passion for rock music. Their songs on Myspace are Break Before I Bend, The World Is Watching, Drink and Dial, Settle The Score and Lying On Demand.

The Venue was quite big and was fairly packed. The band is definitely unique and worth seeing. They were on stage for around 45 minutes and played first. The band has four members including a drummer, vocalist, guitar and Bass. I briefly spoke to the vocalist after the gig and he thanked me for coming. ‘Mr Twist’ are full of energy and passion and you could see that they are playing to makes themselves feel good and to make other people feel good. I hope they make it big as I think they deserve it. It is a shame that bands like Mr Twist are not bigger than they are because the guitarist, drummer and singer are all very good and committed. They made my day a little bit more special and made me cheerful. Their MySpace address is:
http://www.myspace.com/mrtwistband

The latest band I have seen is ‘Kyoshi’. I went to see them at Greenwich, London on April 23rd 2009. The band members are Leanne on Vocals, Dan on the guitars, Chris on the Bass and Ben on the drums. Some of the bands influences come from Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley.

Kyoshi have a mixture of pop, ska and indie which make them fun and exciting. The bands best beats are ‘Bang’ and ‘Your Own Beat’. The support band ‘Esteban’ I thought were also great, but I thought Kyoshi were more interesting and different. The vocalist Leanne has a Lily Allen Posture and a similar singing style.

The band played around 30-45 minutes and showed their potential. They are a young band who could do well. The gig was free which made it extra special. The venue was fairly full and I think everyone enjoyed the music. I would recommend this band to anyone and I will see them again if they play in London. This band is very energetic and has potential. Hopefully they will be successful and will keep playing great music. Their MySpace address is:
http://www.myspace.com/kyoshimusic

I will continue to see more MySpace bands in the future. Considering how low the ticket prices are you get a great deal. Bands like ‘Kyoshi’ were free and I am sure there are more. If you are in a band and want to widen your audiences then MySpace is a great place to start. Or if you are interested in getting involved with other bands that can give you advice about music then MySpace is also useful for this.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414

Constantin review

2009-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Constantin – Live at 229 Great Portland Street

Constantin are an exciting new electro-pop band. They played their second live show at 229 Great Portland Street last Saturday. I was there for the show and I have written a review of this excellent band. They have asked me to write reviews for them which I have gladly accepted.

See:
http://www.constantin.uk.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=53

Constantin will be playing at the Water Rats, King’s Cross, London on 12th June.

Constantin’s web site is at: http://www.constantin.uk.com/

Constantin’s MySpace Profile is at: http://www.myspace.com/constantinspace

Posted here by Gregory Rikowski
The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com/

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414

Wonderful Town, 2007. Directed by Aditya Assarat

2009-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

I went to see Wonderful Town at the BFI Southbank in London on 30th April 2009. The film is directed by Aditya Assarat. This was the director’s debut feature. Wonderful Town was made in 2007 and was made in Thailand.

The film is concentrated within a small thai town that was destroyed by a tsunami in 2004. More than 8,000 people died in the process. Assarat demonstrates how a disaster can have terrible effects and how hard it is to rebuild not only a town but also a person. The Tsunami destroyed many homes and left the town in pieces. Throughout the film we get to see the destruction of the town and how it had affected the people living there. Na, (Anchalee Saissontorn, actress) one of the main characters had lived in the town her whole life. Ton (Suppasit Kansen, actor) another main character, is an architect but also a volunteer to help supervise the rebuilding of a beach hotel destroyed by the tsunami.

The relationship between Na and Tom starts off gently and slowly. The relationship then starts to become more intense as they start to show affection to each other, without much dialogue. We first start to really understand their love when Tom drives by and talks to Na. He then asks her to go out somewhere with him but she makes an excuse for this. We can see on her expression when he drives past that she wanted to say yes, but for some reason she didn’t. Tragically Na’s brother doesn’t like the fact that she is sleeping with Tom. He ends up killing Tom and getting revenge on him. He said to Tom In the film ‘Once a gangster, always a gangster’. He ends up throwing Tom in the river.

The film ultimately is quite pessimistic and shows that the type of area and situation you are in has a huge effect on your life. In this case, the tsunami, which destroyed much of the Thai people’s, lives. It also shows that love cannot last in a place that has been destroyed and scarred.

The great thing about this film is that it’s not domineering and it has a calming feel to it. Most films have a strong and powerful narrative but this film is more subtle and free flowing. Throughout much of the film you can also see the wonderful and beautiful landscape of Thailand. The town is full of beautiful trees and open landscapes. Overall I find this film fascinating and very calming. Nothing in this film is evasive. Overall I would give this film 8/10.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414

Sir John Everett Millais. Hearts and Trumps portrait

2009-04-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Sir John Everett Millais was an artist during the 19th Century. He was an Englishmen, born in Southampton who shows great character and perfection in his work. This painting named the hearts and trumps portrait is extremely vibrant and eye catching. The three sisters take up around half the room on the painting, leaving the other half to scenery and location.

I saw this portrait at the Tate Britain on 19th April 2009 where they also presented a large collection of his other paintings. Millais lived a fairly long life who had won himself a place in the Royal Academy Schools. One of his paintings which were not in the Tate Britain named Christ In The House Of His Parents was controversial because of the realistic portrayal of the holy family labouring.

Hearts and Trumps is one of my favourite paintings mainly because Millais makes the location and scenery look extremely exotic and very innocent. The flowers in the top right, the lake, the dresses and the colours are all examples of how colourful and how perfectly he expresses himself. He is successful in representing shade in a flamboyant and intricate manner. The women all look like they have a lot of time on their hands. Playing cards is shown in the portrait. They are all looking rather bored which may have reflected the lack of activities women had at the time. All of The sisters are also all wearing identical clothes and are showing similar expressions. The women in the left shows no interest in the painter but is focused purely on cards. The sister in the middle shows some interest in the cards but also some interest in her sister. Lastly, the sister on the right shows no interest at all in the cards and seems more interested in the painter and other things happening. Therefore, the sisters are all showing similar expressions but at the same time have a different focus. Sister on the right seems to be the most friendly and confident of the three. She even shows us her cards clearly which may indicate that she is the most confident and open. They seem to have competition between them all.

Overall I find the painting a fascinating piece of work that makes you feel calm and at piece. It shows the innocence and honesty of the human nature.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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The Cherry Orchard

2009-04-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Cherry Orchard was written by Anton Chekhov who was born in 1860, in Tanganrog. Chekhov was very well known worldwide as he was very successful with his plays. Anton Chekhov died only six months after the Cherry Orchard was written and he was a great play writer. I went to see The Cherry Orchard on Saturday 4th October 2008 at the Kenneth More Theatre.

Even though the plot in The Cherry Orchard is fairly straight forward and the production was amateurish, the spirit of the play was captured beautifully. I found the use of Chekhov’s language revolutionary and exciting. The characters within the play are varied and all have their own unique status and position.

The plot is about an aristocratic Russian woman who returns to her estate. Just before she returns however she soon realises that the estate is up for auction to pay for the mortgage. The Cherry Orchard eventually ends up being sold as the family are left in tears. The Cherry Orchard was sentimental and especially for Ranyevskaya and her daughters Anya who is 17 years old. They return to find out the news as they are shocked and worried. The Cherry Orchard in the ends up being sold which upsets the whole family. It represents the downfall of the aristocratic way of living as the communist people were starting to take over.

The plot is a demonstration of dramatic changes and circumstances at the beginning of the 20th Century. Chekhov demonstrates a very powerful perception of events that captured its time in a symbolic manner. The society and the people’s lives were changing into a way which suited Russian communists and their ambitions. Socialist intellectuals were becoming more powerful which is portrayed by Trofimov, a student character in The Cherry Orchard. The artistic qualities in The Cherry Orchard make it a really powerful and alerting play that is excellently constructed and made.

The Cherry Orchard demonstrates the destruction from people and how elements such as love, art and culture can be easily destroyed. Subtleties within people are easily crushed by more dominant and forceful means.

Even though there weren’t many people in the theatre the play was intriguing and very entertaining. It was eye opening and brilliantly crafted.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1931. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian

2009-01-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was made in (1931), directed by Rouben Mamoulian and has influenced and changed the horror genre. I saw the film on New Year's day, 2009 at the BFI Southbank in London. I enjoyed the film very much and it raises many issues which I will discuss. The film concentrates in detail the status of the human mind.

The film is focused on a man (Dr. Jekyll) who struggles to break free of himself and tries to find religion as a solution. He has a split personality which was the result of a failed experiment which he had regretted. The film raises issues such as repression, individual moral conflict and also the battle between good and evil. The idea of individual moral conflict is used in the majority of horror films. Werewolves for example dominate the person and the person struggles to be their true selves due to having conflict between the beast of the wolf and their true characters. In consequence we are more fearful of their actions because of the anger and hatred these people/monsters have. We are fearful of Mr. Hyde because we can empathise with Dr. Jekyll and his good intentions that are being dominated by impulses and lust.

The film does emphasise high degrees of suppression on individuals and especially when it comes to sexual issues. One scene in the film which demonstrates this was when Dr. Jekyll meets a prostitute named Ivy Pearson who he finds attractive. He later arrives as Mr. Hyde who seduces her but she finds him hideous and tries to escape from him. He ends up destroying her life and he does not get the sexual pleasure and desires that he easily wanted. The film points out constraints on individuals and barriers society creates. The film also shows the faults of meddling with science and playing with the unknown. This in consequence creates uncertainty and distress. Mr. Hyde is a character who rebels norms and values of society but in the end suffers because of this. He wants to be free in the absolute meaning which creates tensions between him and Dr. Jekyll. As an audience we like and dislike the same person and we want Mr. Hyde destroyed. One particular example in the film when he behaves in a delinquent manner was the way he talks to Ivy Pearson and the threats he imposes on her in her house. He plays mind games with her by analysing her thoughts and he then starts behaving in a barbaric and disturbing way. He physically abuses her leaving marks on her back. He later leads her onto having suicidal thoughts. Later on in the film Dr. Jekyll arrives at her door as she bursts out in tears as she is terrified. He reassures her that Mr. Hyde would never come back. This promise fails however as Mr. Hyde returns later and kills her with his uncontrollable actions.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde differ in several ways. Firstly Mr. Hyde has no sense of morals and self control. Dr. Jekyll however has these elements in his life which makes him a likeable and respectable person. Even though we like Dr. Jekyll as a character, it seems as though Mr. Hyde is the real person that he would like to be despite their differences. He is against all suppression and constraints of individuals as he challenges the ideas of the world. I have never seen a film which expresses repression of an individual so well and how repression could lead that person to behave. Clearly the film deals with the psychoanalysis of a person. I think the film reflects the true repression of individuals but the scientific experiment that Dr. Jekyll takes upon himself made it clearer and more explicitly extreme.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not only a film about conflict but also about domination of individuals. Dr. Jekyll has faith within himself that he will conquer and solve the problem of the good and evil side of people. This attitude is a religious one but he does not recognise the social effects on a person. The film also reflects attitudes towards love and hate. Dr. Jekyll has much conflict within himself because Mr. Hyde seeks to destroy and hate people rather than to care about them. The destructive nature of Mr. Hyde over powers Dr. Jekyll and he soon dominates him. Dr. Jekyll sees people in terms of individuals and characters more than the way society moulds people. This idea leads him onto believing that he can fix many problems with the whole way people function. This film is very important in reflecting the ways in which people would like to be free and the frustrations they have. Overall it is a wonderfully crafted film with a sad ending. Dr. Jekyll is in the end killed because of Mr. Hyde’s uncontrollable and animalistic behaviour. He suffers because of this and ends up shot.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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Ham House

2009-01-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

The CILIP in London summer outing (which I was kindly invited to) was at Ham House in Richmond on 12 August 2008. It was a really interesting day and the weather was also very sunny. It was the first time I had ever visited Richmond and it was certainly a day to remember. Richmond was very unusual for a London setting because of how natural it was and how peaceful it felt.

I learnt that the Ham House building was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, whose family had remained at the building up until 1948. Up to this point much restoration and renewals had taken place such as electricity and heat installation in the building. It was given to the National Trust in 1948. I found out that a ghost/ghostly presence has been reported there.

The Ham House building is very much part of our British heritage and British History. I really like Jane Austen, so was very interested to find out that Jane Austen’s 'Sense and Sensibility' had been filmed in the building. I myself had guessed beforehand, when walking up to it, and around it, that the area looked like a Jane Austen setting. During the 17th Century this kind of location was central to Europe’s fashion and power. The house has changed little since it was first built. The building also contains many paintings and old furniture which is ideal for keeping the sense of old English tradition. The paintings and furniture collections are rare and the level of light is to avoid any damage to these collections. William Murray took charge of the Ham House in 1626 and remodeled the great Hall (now the Hall gallery) where he placed paintings. He was very fond of art and architecture. William Murray joined the Civil War and unfortunately died in 1655.

Ham House has a fascinating library (which had been donated to it) which is extremely old and well preserved. It also has a complicated history. We had a chance to see the library and there was a presentation of the library which I found very interesting. The presentation involved a women showing us old books and giving us an idea of how the library was used. She said it was a ‘Gentleman’s Library’ and that the subjects in the collection represented the interests of the donor gentleman. She was very knowledgeable and obviously really enjoyed her work. There has also been an article written about the Ham House library by Mark Purcell which is named ‘The library at Ham House: National Trust Libraries 2’. It covers the period 1610-1900 and can be obtained from the British Library.

The Ham House building additionally has gardens which are extremely pretty. Amazingly the garden was one of a few formal gardens to survive the English landscape movement. It has a very pleasant and calming atmosphere which compliments the building itself. The walk from Richmond to the house, along the River Thames is beautiful and generally was very pleasant and enjoyable.

I took some photos of the Ham House gardens and along the River Thames as well and one of these pictures is on this blog.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

Herbie Hancock

2008-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Herbie Hancock

I have liked Herbie Hancock ever since I first heard his music. I really started to get into his style and music a lot when I saw ‘The Miles Davis Quintet’ DVD which featured Herbie Hancock on the piano. It featured other great Jazz musicians as well such as Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter. That DVD inspired me to get into Herbie’s music even more. My brother then bought another DVD called ‘Future 2 Future’ where Herbie Hancock is the main man. The music on the DVD was pretty funky and just makes you want to nod up and down. He plays a lot of songs in particular from his ‘Head Hunters’ album and his ‘Thrust’ album. He had a ‘Herbie Hancock quintet’ at the time and played with some excellent musicians.

Herbie Hancock is very experimental and like Miles Davis wanted to get different types of audiences. At the time, and still today there are plenty of black Jazz musicians but not many black people go to see Jazz. Herbie played Jazz at a time when it had grown the most. The 1960s had so many other great Jazz musicians including; Chick Corea, Chet Baker, Keith Jarrett and Eric Dolphy. They all have their own styles. The great thing about Herbie Hancock is his ability to make his music sound so simple, yet so cool and challenging. Miles Davis also played very simply. He and Herbie are extremely experimental and technical as well. The wonderful thing about Jazz is that it can appeal to so many people whether its people of art or practical people. It has similar qualities to film in a way because they both have a lot of intensity and a climax which drags on. Herbie’s music always keeps you on the edge and always makes you want more. You keep thinking that the song is going to end but it doesn’t. I have five of Herbie’s albums which are; ‘Head Hunter’s’, ‘The Herbie Hancock Trio in concert’, ‘Round Midnight’, ‘New Standard’, and ‘Thrust’. They all vary and all have their own unique qualities.

When I saw Branford Marsalis at the Barbican I saw a programme saying that Herbie Hancock was playing with his ‘Sextet’. I immediately wanted to go and booked up the tickets. I saw him on 19th November 2008. The Barbican is a great venue for art and culture. He played quite varied music, ranging from his funky Jazz to more subtle and sweet Jazz. Herbie Hancock really understands Jazz well and has played it for so many years now and with some revolutionary Jazz artists. When I saw him at the Barbican I felt so cool and I just reacted completely to his music by nodding a lot and just feeling great. I would highly recommend his music to anybody. The concert had a bit of rock in it as well which was unusual for Herbie. All of the musicians he played with were fantastic and they all played excellently. Herbie Hancock said on stage that ‘nobody plays the harmonia like ‘Gregoire Maret’ and he was absolutely right. I have never heard anyone play the harmonica that works with Jazz. I never really thought it could work. Additionally all the drummers in Jazz I have seen so far have all played mind-blowing solos and this concert was no exception. It was jaw dropping to hear drums played so technically and so fast. They constantly get you on the edge and concentrate your mind intensely. The ‘Herbie Hancock Sextet’ on that night included; Herbie Hancock: Acoustic piano, Keyboards and electronics, Terence Blanchard: Trumpet, Lionel Loueke: Guitar, Gregoire Mare: Harmonia, James Genus: Acoustic and electric base and Kendrick Scott on drums. These people really can play extremely well. Herbie Hancock is one of my favourite Jazz musicians and expresses his own style really well. He also has great intuition and takes the initiative well with his music. The man is a great entertainer as well as having a solid understanding in his field of music. When he speaks on stage as well he is perfectly calm and looks as though he has performed at so many concerts. He also likes to smile a lot. He looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world. I hope to see him play again sometime and just relax to his music. Herbie Hancock never disappoints and you can see that he puts 100% effort and commitment in his music. He is an accomplished musician and a great influence for anyone interested in Jazz.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

The Ockress

2008-12-13T03:47:00.001-08:00

The Ockress

And so it came to pass that The Ockress was launched upon the world …

The Ockress is a mythological story about a young man named Perlone who is identified by circumstance as ‘the Chosen One’ of a religion that dedicates itself to a number of Gods, Indomnias being the most influential; a religion that is named quite simply as ‘the Faith’.

HOME: http://www.theockress.com/

SYNOPSIS: http://www.theockress.com/synopsis.html

THE PAGES: http://www.theockress.com/thepages.html

THE FOREWORD: http://www.theockress.com/foreword.html

The Ockress was written by Victor Rikowski

Designed by: http://www.wearedesigners.co.uk/

© The Ockress, 2007-08. All rights reserved.

Victor Rikowski’s MySpace Profile, Victor, at: http://www.myspace.com/theockress

Victor Rikowski’s Online Publications, at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=pub&sub=Online%20Publications%20Victor%20Rikowski

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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The Sleeping Beauty Ballet

2008-12-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Sleeping Beauty Ballet

The Sleeping Beauty was performed by The European Ballet which I witnessed myself at the Kenneth More Theatre.

Act 1

The Christening

I saw The Sleeping Beauty Ballet at the Kenneth More Theatre on October 2008. The plot starts of with a christening of the Royal infant daughter, Princes Aurora. The fairy Carabosse was insulted by the fairies good wishes on the Princess and cursed that Aurora will grow up, but will die. The princess is assured she will not die, but is instead put into a deep sleep. A kiss from a prince would awaken her from her sleep.

Act 2

Scene 1- The Spell

On Aurora’s sixteenth birthday she is given some flowers and as she dances, she pricks her finger. She faints but recovers, yet nevertheless after a short dance she falls to the ground and appears to be dead. Carabosse’s curse on her was true. The lilac fairy arrives and casts a spell on the princess, sending her to sleep.

Scene 2- The vision

Prince Desire is hunting in the forest. He sees the lilac fairy. The fairy shows him to the way to the princess and then he is given a vision of princess aurora

Scene 3- The Awakening

Desire awakens the princess with a kiss. The spell is broken.

Act 3- The wedding

Aurora and desire get married. The lilac fairy appears to bless the marriage.

I had a really good view of the Sleeping Beauty Ballet from the front so I felt really engaged with it. I felt all the emotions they went through in the performance. The joy, the love, the anger and the beauty were all shown through out the Ballet. The elegance and flexibility of the ballerinas shows the dedication and commitment to their ambitions. Ballet in general I think feels extremely magical and subtle. It’s a very delicate and perfectionist piece of art. Sleeping beauty felt very magical and limitless. It was also very colourful and bright. I felt like the performance took me away to a dream world and I didn’t want to leave it. To me Ballet seems to be about co-ordination, expression and discipline. I could follow the synopsis fairly comfortably, even though it was a ballet. It just shows the power of action and the power of expression and movement. Ballet reflects the true human being instead of the false one which we live in today, in capitalism. It’s more to do with the feeling rather than the thought. Watching the Ballet made me realise that it’s about discipline but in a free way. Ballet is a very free art. Stories such as Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast presents some interesting ideas such as the conflict with good and evil, which in the end the good wins. This creates different kinds of emotions from very extreme angles. This is beyond the human emotions because of its use of magic and religion.

The Sleeping Beauty Ballet was a truly beautiful performance and reflects the wonders of people and what they are capable of. It was truly inspirational and a delight to witness such perfection.

I obtained the synopsis from the programme I bought from the Kenneth More Theatre.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

Partenope

2008-12-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Partenope is a three act musical opera performed by Handel. It was one of the first operas I had ever witnessed before. On 7th November 2008 I saw the opera and it was an extremely powerful and enjoyable event. Handel’s opera emphases the problems in love relationships and how love can be cruel and harsh. The main characters are Emilio, Partenope, Arsaca, Armindo, Rosmira disguised as Eurimene and Ormente. I saw the opera live at the Coliseum theatre in London. Within all of these characters, love relationships get mightily confused because of the mix up of love in which they get themselves caught up in. Arsace, Eurimene and Armindo all begin within loving Partenope. Partenope is seen as the main character who speaks her mind, regardless of whether or not she hurts anybody. Partenope starts off loving Arsace but ends up rejecting him because she hopes to go with Armindo. Arsace wanted to run of with Rosmira.

In the end the characters end up in love and end up happy. What this performance shows more than anything is the unpredictable nature of love and emotions. Our instincts and our feelings can change depending on the situation. Partenope shows the conflict with love and friendship and the cruel nature of love. More than anything the performance showed deep passion and deep expression. The characters actively and verbally express to let themselves go wild. The opera shows how unfocused and wayward love can be. At the same time it can also be an overwhelming desire that is to powerful to neglect. I think also the opera showed the conflict that love can cause and that it’s not free and as beautiful as we might think. There can be two people loving the same person for example. This can lead to violence and hatred in the process. It’s our desires which make us behave in a certain way and feel in a certain way. The threat and violence is shown in Partenope when Emilio offers Partenope marriage which she refuses. Emilio threatens her in the process. Partenopes story does stereotype in some way. Those men such as Emilio are being violent to her and abusing her which shows the patriarchal dominance in some way. To some extent the opera treats men like active wolves and women as innocent and passive. All the characters show their affections for each other, but in the process are entangled. I suppose however during the 1730 when Handel wrote the opera, a completely male dominant society would have been perfectly normal. In the end the characters end up happy and the problems resolve themselves.

Handel’s music is brilliantly performed and blends with the words superbly. He mixes subtle pieces with louder and some with more disturbing pieces. His music is challenging and gripping and makes you feel for his characters on stage. The music drives you to feel for a character when he or she is fulfilling there passions expressively.

Overall the performance was excellent and Partenope is a great example of what opera is about and what kind of questions it raises. Not in terms of logical and rational but in terms of the human nature and the human form.

I obtained the synopsis information from a useful programme I bought from the London Coliseum theatre.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk/

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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Terry Pratchett- The first Discworld novel

2008-12-12T13:40:00.001-08:00

Terry Pratchett

'The Colour of Magic'

Terry Pratchetts first Discworld novel ‘The Colour of Magic’ is a story with a lot of humour and excitement. It’s a science-fiction fantasy novel that has some similarities with Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings. The characters in his book are quite original and well thought out. For example, Rincewind the Wizard is a coward who somehow manages to get out of all difficult situations and has much fortune.

Terry Pratchett gives his characters quite bold personalities and they all vary. Two- flower, who is a native tourist, moves on hundreds of little legs.

One of the things Terry Pratchett did for me was that for the first time in my life he encouraged me to have a big imagination. He makes you think of lots of different colours that are quite bright and cartoon like. Colours that come to my mind are blue, yellow, gold, red and black. The novel explores endless possibilities and endless ways of being. Also the creatures he creates eventually become unsurprising because in science-fiction fantasy there are so many different ways in creating characters in terms of shape, form, personality etc. This novel is a great example of that and so much happens in this book. For example towards the end Rincewind falls off the edge of the Discworld and miraculously survives.

Terry Pratchett’s humour throughout the book is very bold and mocks in many ways the human mind. In the book for example a conversation goes on.

‘You find chokeapples under a chokeapple tree’ he said. ‘You find treasure under altars. Logic’

His humour comes often by mocking his characters and making them appear to be stupid and clueless. Yet at the same time they seem to get by in life and be quite successful. Terry Pratchett mocks rationality because he makes his characters unfocused in terms of their actions and they seem to just get themselves caught up in situations which they did not intend to be in. Rincewind the wizard did not intend to leave his hometown. He got thrown out of his University because he could only do one spell. He is portrayed as a helpless old wizard.

You get a feeling for Terry Pratchett’s books by his covers. It’s not always true when people say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ because this book is that. The book cover gives you a feeling of the content inside. If you’re interested in novels and want to get started then this book is ideal. ‘The Colour of Magic’ entices you and encourages you to have a big imagination. It is full of strange creatures and strange landscapes. The Discworld itself is supported by four elephants and a turtle on top. This book is great if you like things such as myths and magic and a world which is distant from how we know it.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414

First Blog

2008-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

This Blog

In this blog I will be focusing on my interests which involve culture and art. Aspects such as films, music, opera and other activities which I enjoy and love.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog and hope it will be very interesting for you.

Gregory

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=92945414