Nahno McLein

I'm so excited.
In celebration of my 50th follower, I want to host a blogfest. My very first I have to add.

CSN Stores has even asked me to use one of their $20 gift vouchers as a give away. How could I say no to that? (PS: voucher works in America, England and Germany)

www.csnstores.com

So please come back tomorrow and I will put the details of the blogfest in my next post. It should be awesome, for I have a great idea that develops something I have seen today for music, and I'm pretty sure we writer'can do just the same and be amazing, too.

Be prepared for the 60x60 Blogfest from Sunday 6th to Wednesday 9th of March.

And thank you all for following again.
Nahno

My University in Leicester, UK, is hosting a one-week event called Cultural Exchanges (10th anniversary). There are workshops, readings and performances of renowned artists and celebrities. Something I wouldn’t want to miss.

It started off with the reviewer’s perspective of Guardian theatrical reviewer Michael Billington. Very inspiring. He can use the word “hell” in non-blasphemous ways; his choice of words is immaculate.

Today, a dance performance. (see video below)
Not exactly, it was Gabi Reuter’s ‘performing arts’ performance with three partners. Such an honour to see the world premier of “Tourist”. Especially since she works internationally, currently in Nottingham and Berlin (my hometown again, we’re everywhere).
Her show, presented by the international dance centre Dance4, is an abstract tourist experience with alien languages, slow motion and cunning themes. I overheard a visitor saying, “It’s abstract, so don’t put any meaning into it.” Some younger performing arts students didn’t quite get that and thus were disappointed, saying reluctantly, “I didn’t understand it.” Personally, I thought it was a truly artistic view on a tourist feeling misplaced.

Others were also fond of the interpretation. The start was strange and dreary with its total sound eradication whereby it was easier to focus on someone’s stomach growling (not mine). Quickly it became clear that the introduction was necessary to get the feeling for the abstract world, otherwise the alien language with only a slight resonance similar to English would have felt out of place. After the comical insertion of props such as a sky-diver’s outfit, a ranger’s costume and the recurring sliding-into-the-scene alpinist, the presentation became more interactive; then finally with the play on voices, sounds and indiscernible objects it turned into entertainment.

www.geograph.org.uk

The characters made fun of each other, used echoes as special effects and made the empty stage into a full visual movie via their reactions. The end scene ended with a story in English, describing the imaginary way through a black wall in the background and travelling with the key word “behind” back to Nottingham. Very powerful for residents of the area. My favourite twist was the underlying criticism about English semi-detached houses of one of the foreign performers: “You know, these things you have here in England.”

The rest of the week will include events such as creative writing presentations, a romantic-comedy conference and what I anticipate the most, a 60x60 concert, meaning that 60 composers from around the world each play for 60 seconds either electro acoustic or sonic art music.

Find more on Cultural Exchanges on: demoncrewreview.blogspot.com/

I am very excited about the Oscars tonight. For the last two weeks I have watched about every major nominated film, which was quite a task to be honest. There wasn't one that I didn't like, but I have to say some necessitate strong stamina. Such a load of human reality can bury the emotionally fittest of us.

So here are my predictions:

Best Picture: "The King's Speech” although I would give it to Inception

theanimationempire.blogspot.com

Leading Actor:
 Colin Firth in "The King's Speech”

I think he deserves it, but James Franco in 127 Hours was way more original.

Supporting Actor
: Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech”


Leading Actress: 
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

She was amazing. I was stunned. All the other women were incredible great this year, too.

Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"
I wonder why she only gets nominated for supporting role. She was not only the main character in the film in my opinion, but also the pulling factor. I guess she wouldn't stand a chance for the Leading Role Oscar, though.

cbsnews.com

Animated Feature Film: 
"Toy Story 3"
Art Direction: 
"Alice in Wonderland"
Cinematography: "The Social Network"
Costume Design
: "Alice in Wonderland"

Directing
: “True Grit”
It's probably gonna go to The King's Speech, but I don't see it as the winner. I guess I would like it to go to The Social Network.

This is random, because I haven't seen any documentaries, which is a shame.
Documentary (Feature) "Inside Job"
Documentary (Short Subject) “The Warriors of Qiugang"


Film Editing
: “Black Swan"

businessclarksville.com

Foreign Language Film
: “Biutiful"

Makeup
"The Wolfman”
Original Score “Inception”
Original Song "Tangled”
My absolute favourite. I so hope it gets an Oscar.

Animated Short Film: 
"Day and Night"

Live Action Short Film: 
"The Crush”
Sound Editing
: "Inception"
Sound Mixing: 
"Inception"
Visual Effects
: "Alice in Wonderland"
Just to say something different. Probably goes to Inception.
Adapted Screenplay “Winter's Bone" - Great film.
Original Screenplay "The Kids are Alright"
That's more of a hope. I guess it goes to King's Speech again.

Last thing to say: I'm very bad with predictions.

Who haunts - you?

2.bp.blogspot.com

Today I had a workshop in a beautiful church. A huge building with endless empty wooden benches and colourful windows. The chanting of a men choir reverberated constantly from the walls. Creepy setting. Just what we needed for our ghostly session.

i-love-cartoons.com

Last week we went on a "ghost walk" around our old English city (more of a town, but as they 'lately' built a cathedral, it can name itself city now). A tiny, gaunt old lady told us various stories surrounding quite a few buildings in Leicester city centre. Some of my classmates even believed to have seen the hooded hunchback that supposedly follows passengers when they walk home from the famous market through a long alley. His distinct footsteps shall be audible from behind all the way down. Similarly freaky was the monk that comes around the cathedral corner and points at the person in a group that won't have to make any plans for birthdays anymore.

A good ghost story, according to Noel Carroll, uses a variation of "onset" (first manifestations of the unnatural), "discovery" (learning about the unnatural), "confirmation" (convincing of the unnatural) and "confrontation" (approaching the unnatural). These seem to be very useful starting points.

More crucial, I would say, and it is partly hidden in his suggestions, is the need to evade clichés and deal with the hesitation between the natural and the supernatural, because a reader will naturally struggle to belief. This way one can build up the uncanny, a term in the German language describing both the scary and the homely. A contradiction that has more in common than you might think.

How do you make the supernatural believable? Is it about setting, character or voice?

i-love-cartoons.com

Another special Sunday post:
This time with one of my short stories in full. Most of the things that happen are based on actual events. At some point my imagination went so far astray that I couldn't distinguish between reality and story anymore. This is a truly fantastical experience as a writer.

Did something similar ever happen to you?

teenagewasteland.de

Prologue:
Laura ran through the foyer, past the empty tables of the bar, past the information desk and jumped towards the button between the lift doors. She stood with her plump arms on her knees, breathing heavily. The doors on the other side glided open. She crossed the wet laminate floor and threw herself into the lift.
The place was empty. She wished her parents would not spend the whole day inside. Others went out onto the piste despite New Years Eve, too. The lift stopped. She crawled out of the cabin onto the blue carpet of the floor foyer and lifted herself up, straightening her skirt. She turned out of the lift niche when she dropped her keys. Immediately she jumped after them.
What was that? Her eyes scanned the floor and rested on a chest in the middle of the foyer. The four plants, two of them as tall as her standing, were moved. They surrounded the chest now. There was also an old desk on one side and a cupboard next to the vending machine.
She crawled to the chest and let one hand slide over the dry and rough surface. The dark wood smelled sweet and sticky, somehow like resin. At the front side she found a black punctured hinge. The cold iron sat firmly on the flat bolt. In the centuries the lid had deformed so much that the pieces barely fit anymore. With a loud rattle, the hinge came loose. Pulling it upwards, together with the heavy lid, she peered into the hollow space. It was empty. Just an empty chest. She dropped it with a loud thud, pushed herself up on one knee and hurried down the corridor.
...

First, I want to thank Elizabeth Müller for freeing her awards and giving me the sunshine award. Second, many thanks to Donna Hole for saying I had one of the best blog sites she has ever seen. I really feel honored. I dedicate this to you both today...
Finally I present to you:

http://www.favouritemedia.co.uk/

This is the best way to get to know me better. It is an even better way to misjudge me by my preferences. You'll see what I mean. I'd be surprised if I can find one person that does not find at least one thing in here they don't like at all.
But: see for yourself, have fun as always and try to find something.

Books:
HP
LOTR,
The Boy in the Book
Werther (Goethe)

Black Magician Trilogy (Canavan)
The Age of the Five Trilogy (Canavan)

Strangers (Koontz)
By the Light of the Moon (Koontz)
The House of Leaves (Danielewski)
Das letzte Geheimnis, Henningstadt, Rosarote Herzen, Rainbow Road, ERAGON, Ritus, So lange du da bist, IT, The Swarm, Magma, Hobbit, Ducktales, Maria Magdalena, Homo Faber, The Wheel of Time Series,

Writers:
Dean Koontz,
Wohlfgang Hohlbein,
Trudi Canavan,
Robert Jordan,
Clive Barker,
J.K. Rowling,
Tolkien,


Film:
Beautiful Thing

Sex and the City
Stardust
Barfuss (Barefoot)
KeinOhrhasen + Zweiohrkücken

The House at the Lake,
Black Swan
Boondocks Saints
The Last Song
My Sister's Keeper
AUGUST RUSH

RENT
The Devil Wears Prada
ONCE
Son of Rambow

LONDON TO BRIGHTON
Lucky Number Slevin
Das Magische Schwert
Tangled

She's the Man, Shrek 1-3, Transformers, I am Legend, Das Vermächtnis des Geheimen Buches, Die Vergessenen, HP 1-7, LOTR 1-3, X-Men, Transporter 1-2 , The Golden Compass, Elizabeth, , Cloverfield, Final Destination 1-4, Resident Evil 1-4, Star Wars 1-6, One Way,  Step Up 1-2, Bend It Like Beckham, Sommersturm, Ocean's 11,13, Brokeback Mountain, Cruel Intentions, The I Inside, Chaos, Lion King, Das Perfume, Inception, Avatar, Twilight 1-3, E.T.



TV Series:
CHARMED

PRIMEVAL
ALIAS
GHOST WHISPERER
Vampire Diaries
Glee
Fringe

Sex and the City, Buffy, Angel, Desperate Housewifes, Grey's Anatomy, The O.C., Nemesis, Eureka, Lost, Private Practice, Supernatural, Blade, 4400, One Tree Hill, Invasion, Jericho, Queer as Folk,  Brother&Sisters, Sabrina, SURFACE, Germany's Next Topmodel, DR.HOUSE, Medium, Friends, WIll & Grace, Smallville, Dragonball

Music:
LINKING PARK

Avril Lavigne
Alanis Morissette
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Shania Twain

Beyoncé
Lady Gaga
Cranberries
Owl City


Oasis, Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay, Britney Spears, Dido, Ich und Ich, A-teens, Anastacia, Black Eyed Peas, Enrique Iglesias, Fergie, Gwen Stefani, The Killers, Lindsay Lohan, Nelly Furtado, Rihanna, Sarah Connor, Plaine White T's, No Angels, Silbermond, Take That, Westlife, Kelly Family, Reamon, The Fray, James Blunt, Sugababes, , Glee Cast, Duran Duran, Leona Lewis, Scorpions, Katy Perry

Shocked? If not, just keep reading the blog and you will be at some point.

Finally, on this Special Sunday post, I present to you the amazing Mozzarella poem.

This week truly turns out to be a LOL-week (laughing-out-loud-week) on my blog. The pure purpose of this poem is to be fun. An Ode turns the attention to the small things in life that we rarely appreciate. For two years now, I have dedicated most of my daily nutrition intake to Mozzarella; life just tastes, feels and works better with the power-filled protein bomb. So it was time to honour its powers in a poem.

www.labellamozzarella.com