Pinewood Design

Something to think about….

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

Source: http://bitsofwisdom.org/2009/10/21/interesting/perception/

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: Joshua Bell, Metro Station, musicians, Perception, violinist

 
KING of pop MICHAEL JACKSON died last night after a massive heart attack.

He collapsed and stopped breathing after an injection of a powerful painkiller named Demerol.

Jacko, 50, was said to be addicted to the drug – similar to morphine – and it is feared he took an overdose.

Paramedics who raced to his Los Angeles home after an emergency call found he had no pulse. And frantic attempts to revive him failed.

The Thriller star, who had been fighting skin cancer, was due to start a series of comeback concerts in London next month.

Instead, millions of shocked fans around the globe are today mourning a legend.

Emergency … paramedics’ monitor shows Jacko – a ‘50 year old male’ – was ‘not breathing at all’ when the 911 call was received

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: dead, heart attack, Jacko, Michael Jackson

Norway has emerged as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Singer and violinist Alexander Rybak, 23, smashed the record for the most points awarded during the competition.

Iceland came second in the vote, followed by Azerbaijan which took the third place.

The UK’s Jade Ewen, singing an Andrew Lloyd Webber song, ended in fifth position – a marked improvement on last year’s finish at the foot of the table.

For the first time, voting in the final was split between televoting and panels of musical experts, which was supposed to reduce the incidence of predictable and neighbourly votes.

A total of 42 countries voted on the 25 songs, with Norway scoring a record 387 points.

Alexander Rybak, who was born in the former Soviet Union, is a well-known musician in Norway.

A classically-trained violinist and pianist, he wrote his country’s winning entry, Fairytale.

The previous biggest points haul was scored by Finland’s Lordi with Hard Rock Hallelujah in Greece in 2006.

No country suffered the indignity of receiving “nul points” this year but Finland finished in last place.

Denmark’s entry – Brinck singing Believe Again – was written by Boyzone’s Ronan Keating and was performed in the Irish singer’s style.

Germany’s act featured US cabaret artist Dita von Teese, who used to be married to rock star Marilyn Manson.

Her costume was slightly more demure than her outfit at the dress rehearsal after she was reportedly told to cover up by the European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, because it was unsuitable for a family audience.

Graham Norton was making his debut as commentator for the BBC, replacing Sir Terry Wogan, who bowed out last year.

‘Greatest talents’

Speaking in the Russian capital, Norton revealed that he had spoken to his predecessor, who commentated on every Eurovision final from 1980.

“Terry rang me to wish me good luck,” said the TV presenter. “He advised me to resist having a drink until the fifth song,” he added.

Jade Ewen was chosen to represent the UK through a TV talent contest, with the winning song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Diane Warren.

Her fifth place was a highlight for the UK, which has had a dismal record in recent years, with 2008’s entry, Andy Abraham, finishing last with 14 points.

It was the second time in five years the UK had finished at the bottom, with Jemini’s 2003 effort famously scoring “nul points”.

Germany’s Alex Swings Oscar Sings! act was joined by burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, who was ordered to cover up for the family audience.

The UK’s entry Jade Ewen was accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the song. She ended a dismal spell for the UK by finishing fifth.

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: Alexander Rybak, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Azerbaijan, Eurovision, Fairytale, Jade Ewen, Moscow, Norway, pianist, RUSSIAN, Singer, UK, violinist, Winner

Amazing opening!!! That was beyond AWSOME!!!!!! I

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: 2009, Academy Awards, Hugh Jackman, Opening

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: 2009, Amanda Seyfried, Beyoncé, Hugh Jackman, Musicals are Back, Oscars, Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron

SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STAR SHIP ENTERPRISE. ITS FIVE-YEAR MISSION: TO EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS; TO SEEK OUT NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS; TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE.

After 5 television series – The Original Series (1966 – 1969), The next Generation (1987 – 1994), Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999), Voyager (1995 – 2001) and Enterprise (2001 – 2005), and no less then 10 feature films – The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis, we will finally be able to return to the fantastic science fiction world of Star Trek this spring, with the release of the 11th motion picture, simply named Star Trek. When you think you have seen it all, Star Trek will, all in tradition of many other sequel films at this moment, bring us back all the way before the beginning.

In the 23rd Century, Earth is a member of the United Federation of Planets, a peaceful alliance of democratic worlds that runs a Starfleet of space vessels to patrol the final frontier of space. Young cadet James T. Kirk enrolls at Starfleet Academy, unknowingly starting a dangerous and exciting career that will bring him in deep space, and eventually will lead to meeting that person from a complete unknown civilization that will become his soul mate: Spock. Together they will embark in a battle against the Romulans from the future who are interfering with history and time.

Star Trek is in no way a remake of any of the previously released films. Star Trek: The Motion Picture starts where the series left off. And Captain James T. Kirk is promoted to Admiral and Chief of Starfleet Operations. The 2009 movie Star Trek goes way back in history. It even goes further back than the first aired television episode The Man Trap. How ever, this doesn’t mean we won’t see original characters back in this 11th episode of the Star Trek movie series. Thanks to the ingenious time paradox story, we will be encountering the original Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy who was responsible for giving life to the very first Spock back in 1966, and Captain Pike, played by Bruce Greenwood, who was the very first commander of the Star Ship Enterprise.

Full synopsis of this latest Star Trek adventure is still an unexplored area, but if we can believe the history of the legendary series and films, and the released trailer, it promises to be a new fantastic adventure for the real ‘Trekkie’, a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time.  Star Trek introduces the original characters of James Kirk, Spock, Doctor McCoy, Scotty, Uhura and Hikaru Sulu. Directed by J. J. Abrams, and starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy, will open in theaters in May 2009.

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: 2009, Movie, Star Trek

ON DECEMBER 21 2012 THE MESOAMERICAN LONG COUNT CALENDAR, NOTABLY USED BY THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION, WILL COMPLETE ITS 13THB’AK’TUN CYCLE SINCE THE CALENDAR’S MYTHICAL STARTING POINT SOMEWHERE AROUND 3114 BC. AND EVEN THOUGH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PERIOD-ENDING TO THE PRE-COLOMBIAN THEMSELVES IS UNCLEAR, MANY BELIEVE THE DATE IS A TURNING POINT OF SORTS. AFTER ALL, THE DATE WAS CARVED IN THE WALLS OF THE TEMPLE OF INSCRIPTIONS IN PALENQUE, WHERE IT FUNCTIONS AS A BASE DATE, FROM WHICH MANY OTHER DATES ARE CALCULATED.

http://movies.apple.com/movies/sony/2012/2012-tlr1_h.480.mov

Many esoteric sources interpret the completion of the thirteenth b’ak’tun cycle in the Long Count of the Maya calendar to mean there will be a major change in world order. Those with New Age believes, 2012 is also the year of spiritual transformation and apocalypse. There is disagreement among believers whether 2012 will see an end of civilization, or humanity will be elevated to a higher level. We like to believe one could happen parallel to the other. This last theory is a of course a guaranteed ingredient for a blockbuster disaster movie, which, if everything should happen as we are supposed to believe it will, will be the disaster movie to end all disaster movies.

2012.It will be a year like many others. The European Football Championship will be played in Poland and Ukraine, while at the same time the world is eagerly turning their eyes towards London, where only one month later the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as Games of the XXX Olympiad, ill kick off. Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee and several countries will have presidential elections. The annular solar eclipse will run a path of totality through the Pacific Ocean from Northern China to California and we will be able to witness the second and last solar transit of Venus of the century. 2012 is also the year in which 433 Eros, the second largest near Earth asteroid will pass Earth at the distance of only 26,778,019km.

In 2009 an increased amount of solar storms are the first sign that something is about to change in the near future (which is a good thing since the lack of solar storms at this very moment is a major concern for real time NASA). From here on, many mysterious events will take place, leading us slowly but surely towards the year of disaster: 2012. When people live their lives, unaware of the major disaster that is going to hit them, the leaders of the world are secretly planning their escape: they, along with the select wealthy elite from across the globe, will board specially built ships that can weather nature’s wrath. Everyone else will be left to perish and the people from the ships will be left to rebuild civilization and repopulate the planet, as if it was a modern day version of the Old Testament’s Arc of Noah.

Regardless of the predictable story and happy end – which by itself is surprising taking into account the vast majority of earth’s population is about to be wiped out – the film 2012 promises to entertain us with spectacular special effects. Whether the film is an answer or valid addition to the discussion about what really might be happening in 2012 remains to be seen. But does it really matter? Because by the time we might be able to make a comparison, there might be nothing left to compare to.

2012, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson among others, will premier on July 10, 2009. –B-

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: 2012, Movie, sony pictures

Late star Jeff Buckley scored his biggest ever hit last night when Hallelujah shot to number tow in the UK chart.

It finished just behind the version of the same song by X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, It is the first time that two versions of the same song have taken the top two positions in the chart for 51 years.

The last time such a feat occurred was in 1957 when Tommy Steele and Guy Mitchell held the top two positions with Singin’ The Blues when the charts were in their infancy.

Buckley’s 1994 version of Hallelujah, from his only complete album Grace, found a new lease of life thanks to an online campaignin response to the track being given to the X Factor victor. Buckley, who drowned in 1997, was not the only star whose archive version of the track made the chart – Leonard Cohen, the song’s author, was at number 36 with his original performance.

Burke’s track sold 576,000 copies in a week making it the fastest selling single by a female solo artist, beating another X Factor winner Leona Lewis’s A Moment Like This. Buckley sold 81,000 copies of Hallelujah simply on download.

Join the campaign to make Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah the Christmas No1

Jeff Buckley for Xmas no 1 | Facebook 

Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ – from his 1994 debut ‘Grace’ – is currently at number 43 in the charts, climbing six places from number 49 last week (November 30). The song has not been re-released physically.

There are several protest groups on social network sites such as Facebook urging fans of the song to buy Buckley’s version and boycott the ‘X Factor’ one

See the video by clicking on the player below.

I heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don’t really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah

hallelujah…

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

hallelujah…

baby i’ve been here before
i’ve seen this room and i’ve walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah

hallelujah…

well there was a time when you let me know
what’s really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there’s a god above
but all i’ve ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it’s not a cry that you hear at night
it’s not somebody who’s seen the light
it’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah

hallelujah…

Buckley’s version needs to be heard by a new generation before they start believing EOGHAN QUIGG, or whoever wins the ITV1 talent show, is the first person to sing it.

Fans of Buckley — who drowned in the Mississippi in 1997 — have launched an internet campaign to get it in the charts.

It is already on the verge of the Top 40 and with your help can become a surprise Christmas hit.

So if you love it or haven’t ever heard it, get downloading — it’s absolutely incredible.

I am mildly amused by SIMON COWELL choosing a song for his winner with the line: “You don’t really care for music, do you.”

But there is nothing wrong with new interpretations of timeless songs and it’s a great choice for The X Factor winner.

Buckley’s version is, of course, a cover too. But before kids start asking their mates if they’ve bought “that Eoghan Quigg song”, the best version of this classic needs to get out there.

Buckley earned his first US No1 posthumously in March after JASON CASTRO performed the song on American Idol.

If the Yanks can turn Buckley’s version into a chart smash, so can we.

From Fackbook:

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: Alexandra Burke, chart, Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, music, UK, video, X Factor

 

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: advert, Big Brother, Charlie Brookers, Dawn Of the Dead, Dead Set, Divina, E4, Prank, tv, zombies

Take That are gearing up for their latest comeback with news they will debut their new single, Greatest Day, exclusively online tomorrow on http://aol.co.uk/music.

Devoted fans will be able to watch the full video, ahead of the single being released on November 24th 2008.

The boys filmed the clip on top of a 60 storey building in the downtown area of Los Angeles.

It was directed by Meiert Avis (who has previously shot videos for U2, Damian Rice, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan).

written by Pinewood Design \\ tags: Greatest Day, Take That