Marmalade.

Star Trak 4 Lyfe. Watch in Full Screen.

Obsidian.

Watch in Full Screen.

Leather.

Photo from Paris x 3.

Obsidian.

Photo from Rich White People.

Cinderella.

Today has a theme. Watch in Full Screen.

Hilarious.

Play close attention to his tattoos. Watch in Full Screen.

Pink.

All credit due to the owners of this photo.
RIP Jun Seba

Red.

Photo from Look Closer.

Obsidian.

Photo by Jak and Jill.

Blue.

Photo by Guerre.
I want one...

Honey.

Watch in Full Screen.

Thursday.

Every time I listen to the song Marvin's Room by Drake, it puts be in a weird mood. While I don't become depressed, furious or any form of being upset, I still feel a bit empty. I think the song makes me more eager than anything. While many of us can say that we've had our fair share of heart break, none of us can really relate to each other's emotion. However, whenever I hear Drake's voice proclaiming how he deserve's a girls love more than the one that she actually loves, it makes me think just how cool this guy is. The same goes for when I listen to any song by The Weeknd, (which you have to listen to if you haven't already!) or anyone else like them. When The Weeknd is talking about losing his girl to another girl in The Knowing, and how he's discovered her secret, but how he still loves her it just puts me in an emotional grind. As we all know, emotions are not 'cool.' It isn't cool to lose your girlfriend. It isn't cool to be lonely. Tears are not cool. However, the after effect is. Nowadays the brooding, dark and mysterious figures which populate the back of the bars, clubs and taverns are the ones that are the coolest. Falling into habit to fill some sort of void, that is something that we can deem cool though right? I don't know what it is that makes these people cool, but what  it shows us is that happiness is not 'cool.' Which sort of draws a rift between what it is that we want, and what it is that we need. (Haha, no pun intended.)

Anne-Catherine Frey... has no reason to be pictured here. I just want to be her friend. D=
Photo from A Truly Intriguing Subject.

I love my friends, many of them are like siblings to me, and I think that many of them are really 'cool.' At the same time, it was a process to become friends with them. It wasn't easy to become friends with a lot of them, while others was incredibly simple to befriend. I think their 'coolness' comes from their elusiveness. People are  animals, plain and simple. In the social jungle that we live in, being elusive allows one to protect themselves many times. Acting cold to strangers, and being unfriendly to most people prevents one from having to open up, or waste time on people that may either harm them or endanger them. It takes effort to befriend a 'cool' person. However, this self-defense system essentially sacrifices their friendliness. On one side we have being able to defend oneself from the tribulations that Drake and The Weeknd face in their songs, by being elusive and thus mysteriously cool. On the other side we have the opportunity to meet people who we want to befriend, and enjoy the company of people that we can trust. I've had many friends that have betrayed my trust. For that reason, it would make sense to limit my social circle, but it just makes my selection of 'real' friends rather small. There are very few people that really know the real me, and I like it that way. Of course, this isn't because of some sort of hidden aspiration to be the cool guy, but makes me seem either stoic or unemotional. The truth is, it takes effort to know me, and the same goes for anyone that knows the difference between a friend and an acquaintance. Obviously you wouldn't tell your entire life story to a person you meet at the store just so that they could be your friend, right? It takes time to open oneself up to other people. Media makes us believe that the harder it is to crack open that exterior, the cooler this person is, because they know the significance of solitude. Whether that's true is questionable, but I find it fascinating. 

Like minded friends.
Photo from Black Fashion

I guess it also makes friendships more valuable. CONTRADICTIONS.

Leshner.

Photo from Citizen Couture. Meet Fay Leshner. 

Every so often I come across an individual with such profound uniqueness that it subconsciously puts me in dreamlike state. It’s like submerging your body into one of your favorite painting or freeing your soul into music with no recollection of time. The feeling was no different when I came across Fay Leshner... - Jason Jean; Owner of Citizen Couture.

I concur.

Wednesday.

Haha, I didn't do much today, so I guess I don't have much to talk about. This is turning out to be a very long summer if I do say so myself. I've been doing some secretary work for my father, and have been having people call me and spill their souls about their current parental issues. They talk about things like child support, custody rights, lawyer fees, halfway homes etc. It's really sad stuff, but I can't help but think to myself that, it's not really sad. I don't know how sinister it is for me to say that these are responsibilities that these people have decided to engage, and that I can only hope that they thought about the severity of taking on a life. A child is more than just an accessory, they're a human life. It's not just feeding them every day and washing them every week, like one would with a pet. While this all seems like common sense, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff that I hear. Of course, I'm not allowed to divulge anyone's information, not would I want to, but after a while it starts to make one thing. I'm not trying to preach to anyone, because life is a beautiful thing, but at least be ready to accept the responsibility. Perhaps I'm just not ready for that sort of thing in my life now, but that doesn't mean others are not as well. I got word that a friend of mine from childhood recently had a child, simply because she wanted to. I thought it was a really spectacular thing to embrace, but at the same time I couldn't help but think to myself that I can't see myself doing the same thing. Moreover, my cousin recently was married just a few months ago, a cousin that is just a year two months older than myself. Again, a beautiful thing, but is it too soon? Perhaps we're in the stage of our lives that we are rushing to grow up, and show our significance from our adolescent counterparts. A man is defined by his actions, so does that mean we have to do adult things to be considered adults? It's a scary thought, but it's something that we have to face. Having a family isn't going to happen by sitting around and thinking about it. Perhaps my friends and family are just ready to start that stage in their lives, and I love them for it. I can appreciate their strength and I can admire their perseverance. 

Father and Daughter
Photo by The Satorialist

Well, that's all I really have to say for today. Maybe I'll have something more beneficial to say tomorrow. Haha.

Desert.

All credit due to the owners of this photo.

Mushaboom.

All credit due to the owners of this photo.
The second Canadian of the day. There's only one thing that can match up with Feist's flawless musical ability: her beauty. Not only is she gorgeous, cool and foreign, but she's been on Sesame Street! You know she's the kind of girl you take back to mom!

XO.

If you still haven't DLed 'House of Balloons,' you're really missing out. Watch in Full Screen.

Monday.

Today was a rather unproductive day at home. My day literally consisted of starting a new workout, reading some blogs, talking to a few friends and downloading music. That means that don't really have much to talk about today, but after missing two days this weekend, I can't start to fall into the habit! For that reason, I'm going to write a BS entry about one of my favorite things: international film. While I am not the most avid filmhead, I know a good movie when I see one, and I know that most of the movies that I've seen from other countries are pretty darn good! In fact, my favorite movie, Prague, is an indie from Denmark that has crazy amounts of drama, suspense and love. While the reason for being my favorite movie is not hidden in it's country of origin, I still love it nonetheless. I highly suggest that if you get a chance, to get it from Netflix and watch it with a friend who knows how to appreciate subtitles. Yes I know, most people don't like international movies because they don't like reading subtitles. It makes sense, it's hard to read both emotions and words at the same time, I agree. However I feel that in many other languages, even in Danish, emotions literally explode off of the screen. I've seen a few American movies where the acting has been good enough to allow the script to flow from the page and into an imaginative reality. However, only a few. Even my most loved American drama's have trouble making their scripts seem as authentic as many international actors and actresses. Perhaps it's the mystique of having a language that I am unfamiliar with spoken in such a powerful tone that really draws me in. However, it's not just the acting that really reels me in, we obviously have great actors here in the US, but also the stories as well.

Screenshot from the french film Angel-A.
All credit due to the owners of this photo.

I attended the Cleveland Film Festival a few years back, and had the pleasure of seeing a very simple Japanese movie. While the name escapes me (it's been like, five years), I do recall the story. It was about a big shot photographer who comes to visit his family in his one-horse hometown after his mother's death. While there, he is reunited with an old flame who he had once had feelings for. However, it would turn out that his older brother, who still lives in the town has also developed feelings for this girl. No doubt a typical love triangle, the story turns sour when the three are out for a walk, and the main character moves ahead of the group for some reason. At this point, the older brother confronts the girl, explaining his love for her, only for him to reject him. We are then presented with a slight twist in the story: her demise. Though just in time to see, it turns out that the younger brother witnessed it all. From this point on, the movie becomes a tragic confrontation for the young man. Having to choose between keeping his family together with the protection of his brother, or getting revenge for the girl that he had begun to love. While I'm sure this doesn't sound all too unique, it is driven home with a very unique cinematography and excellent scenery, which is something that we are honestly lacking here in the states. Movies all seem to be the same thing for the most part. It's as if cinema has become a creature of habit. If it breaks away and does something different, then we hail it as one of best movies out. Hell, even if it doesn't do anything different, it will still be hailed as one of the best movies out. (Avatar?) Well I'm not going to stand on my soap box and pronounce all American movies trash, but I will say that it's good to ground oneself with movies that you'd never expect. Get a good insight into the cultures that populate the world. What better way to do that than watch a movie? If you can't speak, read or understand the language, then watch a movie, throw on the subtitles and learn to multitask, because otherwise you're missing out on something spectacular.

Artwork from Akira Kirosawa's Yojimbo.
All credit due to the owners of this photo.

You haven't lived until you've seen an Akira Kurosawa film. 


P.S. That being said, most people won't like Akira Kurosawa films. Haha.

Freedom.

Watch in Full Screen.

Platt.

Photo from Citizen Couture.
Meet Lauren Remington Platt. This woman has it all. The face of an angel, remarkable style, an education from Colombia University, CEO position of her own company and most importantly: youth. The founder of the exclusive Vensette.com, Lauren is off to a good start. With the exception of not having accepted my marriage proposal of course.