Fifteen Minutes

I am quite happy to spend my break time looking at these photos by the Los Angeles Times.
They are part of a slideshow celebrating the paper's 130th anniversary.

Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel, 1953

Elvis and Priscilla Presley after their divorce is granted,1953

Goodbye kiss, 1952

The first troupe of the Sunshine Sammy comedies.

Even a 1936 police lineup looks glamorous!

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at Union Station after their wedding in Ohio.

Rose Parade, 1955

Betty Hutton entertaining troops at the Hollywood Canteen , 1945

Elizabeth Taylor at her wedding to Conrad Hilton Jr, 1950

Michael Jackson and his arm full of Grammys, 1984

You can take a look at the rest of the photos here !

Fifteen Minutes

This is a fifteen minutes with a twist. Instead of highlighting just one interesting read that I have come across I am going to pick and choose a couple of events that may interest you!

• You still have a chance to book Sunburn tickets at Book My Show . Its on from December 27- 29 . Squeeze in some more partying between Christmas and the New Year !
• There is now a Zone diet Dabba service. Want to lose weight without starving but dont have the time to plan and figure a menu that gets you there? This is your answer . Read more here on Brown Paper Bag .
• Getting irritated by the non stop rain outside ? Save yourself the bad mood and think about what the homeless people living on the streets are going through. And if you care enough to educate yourself about it read about sleeping on Mumbai streets in this article here by Mumbai Boss . 

Image via French by Design

Fifteen Minutes : The Burning House

Have you seen the amazing project " The Burning House" as yet ?
What would you take if your house is burning? It interviews different people and askes them to photograph what they would take!

see more at http://theburninghouse.com/

Fifteen Minutes : Georges Rousse

What an incredible artist and photographer. Georges Rousses is a photographer who alters the physical environment around him and then takes photos of the result.

He plays with perspective and light and shade. Can you imagine the effort behind taking these photos? On certain days I cant even hold the camera straight!

Yes, you can easily alter a space like this in photo shop within a matter of  minutes. However, people cannot explore the space and experience that "Aha!" moment when they stand at the exact point where all the lines and colours come together, to well, form the complete picture! And therein, lies the great difference.

If you are as intrigued as I am, you can go and see the rest of his work on his official website here . Trust me, its well worth the fifteen minutes!

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Fifteen Minutes : Abelardo Morell

How would you like to travel the world while siting in your office? Or be transported to the streets of Brooklyn while lounging on your bed? Sounds like time travel? It's better.. not to mention far simpler!
Take a look at the magnificent work of Abelardo Morell whose creative use of photography techniques immediately transforms a room.. and takes you across the world!

" View of the Brooklyn Bridge in Bedroom" 2009

Camera Obscura : View of the Times Square in Hotel Room, 2010

Camera Obscura : View of the Manhattan Bridge- April 30th/ Afternoon,2010

Boston's Old Custom House in Hotel Room,1999



Did I hear you say Wow! You can read more about his technique and projects on his official website here !

( Colour photos from here )

( Black and photo from here )

Misfit Mondays : Breakfast Club

Monday Morning blues setting in? Maybe this will help..

Wondering where to go for breakfast?
The guys over at Mumbai Boss did a great story covering breakfast places to suit your cravings.. from healthy yogurt smoothies, muesli with fresh fruit and Belgian waffles to fried eggs over grilled sausages, they've covered it all...

Read the full story here

Photo courtesy Suzette, as seen here

Fifteen Minutes : Martha Graham

When I opened Google today I found this wonderful animation by Ryan Woodward in honour of Martha Graham.

(photo credit: here )

The animated illustration was so beautiful that it made me curious to find out more... And what I found out was truly inspiring.

So who was Martha Graham exactly?

( from here )

She was the pioneer of Contemporary dance but more importantly she was a woman who lived her passions and fearlessly followed her dreams, defying critics to dance on stage till she was 76 years old.

These are a few interesting facts that I read about her that I thought might inspire some of you...

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  She was the first dancer ever to perform at the White House.


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  She was the first dancer ever to travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and the first dancer ever to receive the highest civilian award of the USA: the Presidential Medal of Freedom


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  . In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the Key to the City of Paris to Japan's Imperial Order of the Precious Crown


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  She said, "I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable."


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  Graham's dance style is based upon contraction and release of the body. She despised the term "modern dance" and preferred "contemporary dance". She thought the concept of what was "modern" was constantly changing and was thus inexact as a definition.


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  For a majority of her life Graham resisted the recording of her dances and would not allow them to be filmed or photographed. She believed the performances should exist only live on the stage and in no other form. At one point she even burned volumes of her diaries and notes to prevent them from being seen.


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  In her autobiography, Blood Memory she wrote: "It wasn't until years after I had relinquished a ballet that I could bear to watch someone else dance it. I believe in never looking back, never indulging in nostalgia, or reminiscing. Yet how can you avoid it when you look on stage and see a dancer made up to look as you did thirty years ago, dancing a ballet you created with someone you were then deeply in love with, your husband? I think that is a circle of hell Dante omitted."


• 
  
  "When I stopped dancing] I had lost my will to live. I stayed home alone, ate very little, and drank too much and brooded. My face was ruined, and people say I looked odd, which I agreed with. Finally my system just gave in. I was in the hospital for a long time, much of it in a coma."


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  Graham not only survived her hospital stay but she rallied. In 1972 she quit drinking, returned to her studio, reorganized her company and went on to choreograph ten new ballets and many revivals


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  In 1998, Time listed her as the "Dancer of the Century" and as one of the most important people of the 20th century.


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  The most requested dance materials at the New York Public Library have to do with the work of Martha Graham

What an inspiring lady! And who knew i would come across this by a just opening Google and wondering about the illustration!

[ source of information : here ]

Fifteen Minutes

This site is hilarious!

Hop on to here to keep smiling !

Fifteen Minutes

Hello all! If you have fifteen minutes and would like to learn something new as well as have a chance to make a difference have a look at the following!

( picture credit : Toybank )

Toy bank is an NGO that takes old toys as donations and then re-distributes them to needy children. What a fantastic idea! The only criteria that they have is that the toy should be in good condition! Toys that promote violence are not allowed ( so no guns ) and neither are those that have a gender bias ( so no Barbie dolls ).

It's such a beautiful idea and just shows what a big impact such a small effort can make. To know more, go here ! And go ahead, find the toys that you no longer use and pass them on to the kids who will give them a whole new lease of life!

P.S. : Also, did you know that " Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child."

I didn't! I just learnt that from their website!

Fifteen Minutes

Are you feeling grumpy, disillusioned and weary of the world?
Well, have a look at one of the most heart warming blogs ever!
 This guy has writtennotes to his future wife.. things that he well do and that he wont and just his thoughts on random subjects... i know it sounds a little funny, but you HAVE  to see it! it'll definitely make you smile :)

See it  here ! Have a good week!

Fifteen Minutes

These wonderful photos were taken by Mitchell Kanashkevich .
L.O.V.E. !
If you have fifteen minutes you must see the rest of his work! The colours, perspectives and sheer energy that is embodied through his work will refresh and inspire you!

All the above images are from his blog. You can see many more amazing photos here !

Fifteen Minutes

If you have fifteen minutes to spare and would like to see something that brightens up your day the posts in this section are for you!

I came across this beautiful paint ad recently and it made me smile. Thought i would share it with all of you!

Go check it out here !

Fifteen Minutes

If you only have fifteen minutes to spare this and you want to see something beautiful and inspiring which will refresh you, the posts in this section are for you...i hope you enjoy them!

Jordan Matter's " Dancers Among Us" series features dancers from the Paul Taylor and Martha Graham Dance Companies doing everyday out and about things in NYC while dancing.

If you would like to take a look at some more of these marvellous photos go to this link :
Dance Photographs - Dancers Among Us Annmaria Mazzini Jordan Matter Photography