Keeping my brain alive

Boris Mikhailov Case History reminded how scary life can be…

The first decade of Post-soviet era was quite disturbing in a lot of countries which became free from Soviet communism… Homelessness, alcohol, drugs and most importantly messed up minds made this decade pretty horrible. I can’t remember any of this myself, but from little hints I understand the times weren’t sweet for my family either (a lot of crime emerged and the biggest and most cruel gangs in our history, too). 

Vaida Juknaite, a famous Lithuanian writer, wrote a non-fiction book ‘Issiduosi. Balsu’ (My Voice Betrays Me) about homeless young people in Lithuania. It was my first real shock therapy about happy childhood - for some there is no such thing. In its most cruel way. Although the book is about underprivileged children, for an inquiring mind it can reveal a lot about the first decade, too.

One my favourite movies shows (laconically) what life was just after the soviet collapse . It’s dark, it has no dialogue, and the most active scene is a grotesque party at the end. Its fiction, but nothing could seem nearer the truth, because the feeling is there - you can’t describe the emptiness in a better way. The film is called ‘The Corridor’ (1994) and its by an amazing director Sharunas Bartas. I have never been affected by a movie in such a way - its both so familiar and so distant.

Im sure there’s a lot of material regarding the first decade and I find really interesting, so let me know if you have any other good recommendations (in English or Russian) !

wzrd-ry:

uncertaintimes:

Barbara Sparks, Namaste, Kagbeni, Nepal, 1986

(via twilightzonedreams)

i love tate modern.

Bombay Beach - WATCH!!!   Magic Music with Magic pictures…

I again think America is the weirdest country ( of course watching Bombay Beach, In Memory of my Father and Into The Abyss by Herzog in the same week affected me quite a bit)

In my reckless lifelong rambling
I saw a man break one day
Such a saint, he only lived on paint
He only spoke in prose
Gave his life to save his soul

When he walked out one day
He said, “Please don’t believe them
They never understand the triumph the goal of victory
Tell them flippant things and starlet rings
And eyes and nervous laughter
But never say what’s on your mind.”

Who’s gonna take?
And who’s gonna swallow?
All these empty dreams back
What of tomorrow?

Wanting more for no abilities
Is this for whom we must provide?
Curse this thing that’s called achievement
Curse your striding bounds
Kill the fire in your eyes

Who’s gonna take?
And who’s gonna swallow?
All these empty dreams back
What of tomorrow?

You see it
But could you ever believe it?
Your fate
But could you really heed it?
Can’t help it
But can you bend your back like this?

Take your damn lies and go
I shrugged this world off my shoulders
Pretty crowds who speak and clouds
Great wits of conversation
Skim this life but never live

Milla J.

http://youtu.be/xFssAOKlgfI

Bless the peace after finishing work.

I got to know that Milla sings from learning that she was John Frusciante’s girlfriend (he was my guitar hero for some time) so I got her album ‘The Divine Comedy’ . I wasn’t sure what to think apart from that it is really innovative and distinctive. However i did not like it that much. But i have a tendency to always check how the musician is performing live and when i saw Milla’s concert in Austin I was blown away.

All the songs were performed differently - they became this new wave pop folk or somthing and  her performance was just amazing (from actors you’d usually expect over-acting ) - you can feel she gives it all to the audience.

and then i found out that actually she wrote these songs as acoustic stuff and it was the producer who decided to add all the effects (which of course aren’t that bad). As she was  just 16 or so, she could not relly argue with a pro producer, could she?…but well, i found the concert, recorded it and i still keep on listening to it after so many years. I actually think she might be a genius (of some level).

check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFCVCGEZUq0

(Source: nevver, via mindbottle)