Hans' Milieu

My dearest Milieunairs,

For a long while, I have deliberated a move from Windows Live Spaces to WordPress. That time has, excitingly, arrived.

In truth, I have been happy with the Windows Live platform. It has served me extremely well over the years and I do feel a tinge of remorse for changing blog providers. However, as I grow as an individual, my needs have evolved. Consequently, the change has become a necessity rather than a choice.

I will do my utmost best to transfer all original posts to the new Hans’ Milieu. Unfortunately, I cannot promise that all posts will make it through the conversion process *holds thumbs*.

From this day forward, Hans’ Milieu will be found at the following website address:

www.hanshaupt.com

This is not the end. merely the beginning of a new adventure. An adventure that I hope and trust you will continue to share and be an active part of.

Forwards to the next Milieu!

For those who do not know, Vocab101 is my daily attempt to find a new and interesting word which could potentially be used in everyday circumstances. The words I find range from the obscene, to the unbelievably true and, of course, the colloquial. Thus, Hans’ Milieu now has a ‘Wordy Wednesday’.

Each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will take place on Wordy Wednesdays and will contain all the words I have tweeted over the course of one week from the previous Vocab101 session (7 days, 7 new words). Furthermore, each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will contain additional new words which did not make the original cut, but are just as tantalising/disturbing!

Vocab101:

Hey Milieunairs,

• This weeks flavour: Pop Rock 

• Artist: Snow Patrol

• Album: Final Straw

• Song: Run

• Rationale: Recently the artist known as Leona Lewis released a song known as ‘Run’. What many people may not know, however, is that her rendition of the song is merely a cover of Snow Patrol’s original ‘Run’.
  
  I have been a fan of Snow Patrol ever since the song ‘Run’ aired in the season one finale of ‘One Tree Hill’. Yes, Snow Patrol has been around for quite some time. Many newer fans however, only discovered this gifted group when their first true commercial success, ‘Chasing Cars’, was used in the season one finale of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. I personally prefer Snow Patrol’s version of the song ‘Run’, but I have included videos of both renditions below, as well as a poll, so you can make your own decision.
  
  ‘Run’ is a beautiful song which reminds me of loved ones lost. It is a reminder that those who are no longer with us are never truly gone and that they will continue to live within our hearts and minds forevermore. Furthermore, it serves to remind us that those who have passed, no mater how hard it has been, would want us to carry on, to be happy and to never let our inner spark for life and love diminish.

 
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As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday's, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics. 

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

For those who do not know, Vocab101 is my daily attempt to find a new and interesting word which could potentially be used in everyday circumstances. The words I find range from the obscene, to the unbelievably true and, of course, the colloquial. Thus, Hans’ Milieu now has a ‘Wordy Wednesday’.

Each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will take place on Wordy Wednesdays and will contain all the words I have tweeted over the course of one week from the previous Vocab101 session (7 days, 7 new words). Furthermore, each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will contain additional new words which did not make the original cut, but are just as tantalising/disturbing!

Vocab101:

Hey Milieunairs,

• 
  This weeks flavour: Pop

• Artist: Michael Jackson

• Album: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I

• Song: Earth Song

• Rationale: ”On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles. Pending confirmation from toxicology reports, he was allegedly administered Demerol shortly before he stopped breathing. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. (PDT), and arrived three minutes and seventeen seconds later at Jackson's location. He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed. Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour further after arriving at approximately 1:13 p.m. (20:13 UTC). He was noted already to have been in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended his house. Jackson was pronounced dead at approximately 2:25 p.m. local time (21:25 UTC) (Michael Jackson via Wikipedia, 2009).
  
  Regardless of Michael Jackson’s tainted past, the man was an enigmatic legend. He single-handedly moulded and commercialised the genre of music we know as ‘pop’. It is also through his influence that the music video is what it is today and one of the primary reasons why we have MTV and VH1. From the young to the old, every person knew of Michael Jackson and has, at least once, at one point in their life, jived to one of his carefully mastered and best selling beats. I know that I have, on many occasions, bobbed my head, shaken my ass, grabbed my crotch, uttered a primal "ouwoo" and raised a faux white-gloved-hand to the heavens. Consequently, his death is not only a blow to the aging music industry, but also a major loss to millions of adoring fans worldwide, not to mention his “children”, family and friends. As a result, it is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to one of, if not the, greatest musician of our times. Rest in peace MJ!
  
  For my salute to Michael Jackson, I chose the Earth Song. This is one of my all time favourite Michael Jackson songs and has unmistakably influenced the person: I am, continue to be and will undoubtedly become.

Michael Jackson:

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday's, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Yesterday, The Red Carpet screened Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to 2007's Transformers and the second film in the live action Transformers series. Subsequently, the film is also known as “Transformers 2”.

For starters, the movie is long, so be warned. The movie is long enough that no matter how much you are enjoying the onscreen action or using your eyes to undress the lovely Megan Fox, who clearly did not get enough screen time, you end up wondering when the movie is going to end. Rounding in at a whopping 150 minutes, this fast paced action movie can, at times, crawl along. The movie is unfortunately plagued with unnecessary ‘fillers’, like an all-spark-transformed-remote-controlled-monster-truck, dry humping Megan Fox’s leg. Granted, given the opportunity, many guys would give their left nut for that opportunity, it was simply not needed and could have been excluded.

Undoubtedly, one of the best aspects of the movie would have had to have been the visuals and special effects. If you thought that the first movie was an explosive feast, wait until you see this iteration of Hasbro’s beloved franchise. There is often so much carnage occurring at one time on the screen that, in my opinion, it is not possible to take it all in on the first viewing. We all know that Michael Bay is known for his over the top implementation of action sequences. However, with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Mr. Bay has done the impossible… he managed to out do himself! Seriously, this movie is an action fiends delight. There were actually moments in the movie where I obtained ‘dry eye’ from my lack of conscious blinking.

The movie does not have a very strong story nor is the acting anything to rave about. If those points matter to you, then avoid Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at all costs. However, if you are looking for a movie which has unadulterated action, comedy and is great fun to watch, then do yourself a favour and go watch this movie!

The Red Carpet gives Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 08/10.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Through Twitter, I have begun to tweet a topic that I have tentatively labelled as ‘Vocab101’.

Vocab101 is my daily attempt to find a new and interesting word which could potentially be used in everyday circumstances. The words I find range from the obscene, to the unbelievably true and, of course, the colloquial. I have been enjoying the experience so much, that I have decided to dedicate a weekly blog post to this new endeavour. Thus, Hans’ Milieu now has a ‘Wordy Wednesday’.

Each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will take place on Wordy Wednesdays and will contain all the words I have tweeted over the course of one week from the previous Vocab101 session (7 days, 7 new words). Furthermore, each Hans’ Milieu edition of Vocab101 will contain additional new words which did not make the original cut, but are just as tantalising/disturbing!

So, without further ado, I present to you the first batch of Wordy Wednesday Vocab101-isms.

Vocab101:

Hey Milieunairs,

• This weeks flavour: Alternative Rock

• Artist: Ours

• Album: Mercy... Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy

• Song: Mercy

• Rationale: I am a big fan of MUSE. Consequently, I have been scouring the net for a band which has a similar sound and repertoire. Although I have yet to find such a band, I was lucky enough to discover the musings of a band known as Ours.
  
  “When you first hear Ours, you will likely get strong flashes of Jeff Buckley. Listening to Jimmy Gnecco's voice [lead singer of Ours] and inflections it is hard not to, the similarities are as clear as day. In addition to Buckley, I heard touches of The Cure and Radiohead all blended together in this art rock mic. Despite the comparisons, Gnecco is still able to carve out his own direction and differentiate himself. The song writing is a thing of beauty, with flowing guitars, smooth rhythms, and an expansive soundstage, Ours moves with an ebb and flow that is all of its own” (Chris Beaumont, BlogCritics, 07/04/08).
   
  I chose the song Mercy, because I believe that everyone will, at some point, either be merciful towards another or be shown mercy through an act of humility. In some ways mercy may have a direct correlation with forgiveness. I believe in forgiveness. To forgive is to pave the way to absolution. Even so, I am of the opinion that not all things forgiven need to be forgotten. Consequently, one must always try to learn from past experiences and attempt to move on. As the adage goes ‘what does not kill you, can only make you stronger’.

As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday's, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

I am now officially 24 years of age.

This year my birthday fell on a Friday. So, to celebrate, I went out with my parents, Aunt Magalie and Freddy, to the Butcher Shop in Nelson Mandela Square. We had a great time especially considering that there were these lovely pieces of jailbait sitting at the table next to us, also celebrating a birthday. Freddy eloquently tweeted about it citing “celebrating Hans' birthday with him, while he's staring at the rack behind me...”. Yes, good times! However, the real party only took place on Saturday.

For my 24th birthday I was privileged enough to be able to take close friends and family to watch Wayne Brady perform live in the Big Top Arena at Carnival City (all expenses paid). Hence the blog title Hans’ Brady Bunch 24th Birthday Bash.

To cut a long story short we all had an absolutely incredible time. It was legend… wait for it… dary! Wayne Brady must be one of the most talented people alive. This is not an over exaggeration. Honestly, I have never seen anyone perform with such a high degree of versatility. From singing to pure unadulterated adlibbing, he was spectacular. Even days after watching the show, friends and family who attended still cannot stop taking about it. If you have not seen Wayne Brady perform live, do yourself a favour and do so. Even if you are not a fan, it is, without a doubt, money well spent.

After the show, we all headed to Carnival Cities ‘Lotta Foods’ buffet area to continue the party. It was here that we were all able to eat and be merry! As always, my moms famous chocolate cake made an appearance, along with the gorgeous Charlize Theron!

Okay, Charlize was not physically there, perhaps only in spirit… and on my cake! To decorate my cake, my folks put together this pretty cool and totally geeky rice paper print, of a very sexy Charlize Theron who is, allegedly, thinking the following:

“Benoni boys are HOT! Happy Birthday Hans”! (Love it!)

Overall, this was one of my best and most memorable birthdays. Consequently, I would like to send out a great thank you to all those who managed to make my day just that much better by being there. You all know who you are! Additionally, I would like to give an extra special shout out to my parents. Thank you so much for everything mom and dad, without you both and the Lord above, none of this would have been possible. You both mean the world to me!

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What about the presents you ask? Quite simply, I have been spoilt rotten, by my parents as well as by my fantastic friends and family. Some of my gifts from my folks are still on order. Do not worry, you will now what they are soon enough *wink wink*.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Hey Milieunairs,

• This weeks flavour: Pop Rock

• Artist: Carolina Liar

• Album: Coming To Terms

• Song: Show Me What I’m Looking For

• Rationale: I discovered Carolina Liar through the television series ‘90210’. You know, the reboot of yesteryears ‘Beverly Hills: 90210’? I would describe Carolina Liar’s style as follows: Two cups of Keane, mixed with a Cup of One Republic, a half a cup of The Fray, a teaspoon of Coldplay, with just a pinch of Muse (mixed thoroughly). Best when served fresh from the oven of teenage angst, misunderstanding and emotion. If you enjoy listening to any of the aforementioned artists then you will enjoy Carolina Liar.
  
  I chose the song Show Me What I’m Looking For, because I believe that everyone will, at some point, ask for guidance. Throughout our lives we are given many choices. Each choice leads to eventual answers. Those answers result in a multitude of possibilities. The various possibilities are what allow us to learn through living. The question is, which lessons do we want to make a part of our lives? The answer? Well, each journey is unique and most often comprised entirely of our own creation. Simply put, the ‘choice is yours’. However, I have learnt that the choices we fear most, the ones which possibly harbour the most eventful outcomes, are often the ones which offer the greatest level of experience, fulfilment and understanding. Subsequently, the only piece of advice I can give is this: do not be afraid to take a risk every now and again. Even if you fail, you will gained experience, experience which may continue to shape your future... for the better!

As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday's, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!