Walka Rocky’ego Balboy z Ivanem Drago. Fragment filmu “Rocky IV”.

Nowości w sklepie Pretorian – sprawdź teraz!

Orange County epitomizes enjoyment of a beautiful lifestyle. Reveling in glorious southern California weather and a stunning Pacific coastline, Orange County makes everyone here feel special. Aren’t you entitled to a fabulous vacation? You should check out Balboa Newport, an extraordinary spur of land that extends south of Newport Beach, a seaside community right on the coast. The way to start checking out this area is with a visit to Rentalo.com, where you will find a number of Balboa Newport vacation rentals, including varying types of Balboa Newport Beach lodging.

If you enjoy spending vacation time out-of-doors, you couldn’t pick a better climate than that offered by this area of southern California. Nature provides year-round mild weather, plenty of sunshine, and no snow or ice. Many of our Balboa Newport vacation rentals are located on or just steps away from miles of beaches. Spend the day enjoying sun, surf and sand. Chances are good you’ll have a mild sunny day for it! Be sure to remain until the sun goes down, so you can catch a memorable wash of colors settling over the Pacific horizon. Then return to the comfort and convenience of your private Balboa Newport lodging.
You may want to head a short distance south from whichever of our Balboa Newport vacation rentals you’ve chosen for a visit to Corona del Mar. This lovely area is a part of Newport Beach, found along a bluff at the sound end. “Corona del Mar” means “Crown of the Sea,” and you can easily understand where it got its name as you gaze across the ocean. Even better is if you rent a boat and view the city from the water, where you can view the sandy beaches end in sharp bluff walls that rise to hold the city high–like a crown–above the sea. Every street in this charming community is named for a flower. You might wish to stroll past Poppy, Iris, and Orchid Avenues and look for the specific examples of those flowers that each street has. However you spend your day, you will be grateful to return to one of our comfortable Balboa Newport Beach vacation rentals at night.

Many families opt to rent Balboa Newport Beach lodging from Rentalo.com because of our selection of homes and condos. They appreciate the privacy and quiet, as well as the convenience of having a kitchen to use whenever a snack attack hits. You might also want to try your hand at cooking some of the incredible fresh seafood available in local markets. Some of Balboa Newport vacation rentals at Rentalo.com can accommodate larger groups, in case you enjoy vacationing with extended family or friends. However, when you do decide to eat out, you’ll be faced with another dilemma–choosing which restaurant appeals most!

Perhaps you like being in the middle of town’s vibrant nightlife. In that case, you will appreciate your Balboa Newport Beach lodging for its easy access to town. All of our Balboa Newport vacation rentals also provide easy access to the beach, since the entire city is stretched along the ocean.
So, when you’re ready to join those privileged enough to spend time in this sunny corner of California, begin your planning at Rentalo.com, where our site can connect you to a variety of Balboa Newport vacation rentals. No matter what style or size Balboa Newport Beach lodging you need, you’re sure to find the space to fit your needs.

In life we draw many conclusions when we talk about success and failure.  We look at our peers and others around us and we judge these people by the results we see or the results we don’t see.  Just think about a celebrity that we admire or someone in your community that you look up too.  Perhaps there is someone in your life that has overcome circumstances and still achieved greatness. 

Now spin the wheel.  There are people who we know that have habits or perhaps we have habits.  Life has a way of knocking us down sometimes and it is really hard to get back up.  Maybe these habits have ripple effects like damaged relationships or financial shortfalls.  Some of us have seen people in hardship and wondered how that person got there.  Others are sitting in our chair reading this and wondering why we’re at that place.  All in all life has it’s ups and downs and sometimes we think it’s more down than up.  So, what can we do so spring up from our chair?  What can we do to stop sitting down in our problems and start walking through them? Where can we turn when life’s paths are hindering us?

I can relate to these feelings and emotions.  I confess that at times I get pushed back and feel like just complaining about life’s wrong turns and upsets.  I’ve sad in my misery at times and I’ve wallowed about my upsets.  I have also been discouraged at the actions of others.  A little story from my life may be very relatable to you.  I have for nearly 10 years been a landlord.  I’ve owned many properties and have rented to hundreds of different tenants.  Through this time I’ve experienced the heights of disrespect as people have left my houses in huge repair and damage.  I’ve had tenants take pellet guns and shoot holes in the walls, Tear up carpets, smash down doors, break windows and stain carpets beyond cleaning.  this week a tenant failed to pay rent and left my house with a broken window.  When this happens you do feel taken advantage of.  Later in this column I will use these set backs as an example of how to apply one amazing secret to success.

In these same ways you may have some situation in your life that’s left you deflated, disrespected or taken advantage of.  Identify with these feelings and emotions and taken a few moments to be real about them.  And now! Practise a “ONE VERY POWERFUL TOOL FOR SUCCESS!”

IT’S A VERY SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, YET VERY PROFOUND.  SO MUCH SO THAT IF YOU HARNESSED IT YOU WOULD BE LIVING WITH MORE ABUNDANCE AND SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE. HERE IT IS, ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

ONE AMAZING SECRET TO SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, GET BACK UP AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

In life we’re all going to be knocked to the ground.  We’re all going to get beat up by life sometimes.  We’re all going to get knocked down.  We’re all going to feel the hurt of other people’s choices as they come crashing down on us.  Some of these bombs will be dropped on us unexpectedly and knock us to the ground in an instant.  Marriage can be hard, career choices can be hard, knowing which way to turn can be hard, friendships can be hard, losing loved ones is hard, longing o be with someone and have it not happen is hard, getting out from under a desolate cloud of despair and defeat is hard, recovering from addictions is hard, finding out how to make ends meet is hard…  The ache of life may be more than you’re able.  Hold on, don’t give up.  Don’t close your eyes.  The light will break through the clouds.  When we step out from under defeat and bounce back from life’s hard blows we come back stronger than before.  Stronger than ever.  I petition you to hold on, don’t give up.  Get back up when you get knocked down.  Keep moving forward.  Move forward and steady yourself for your next hit because it will come.  The next hit may not  knock you to the ground because you’ll have a stronger fortitude from hits you’ve already taken.  Now if you get knocked down the next time.  Don’t despair.  Get back up, life is always worth fighting for.  There is always hope and there is always light.  After all our reward is not really here on earth.

In a previous job I was required to make a lot of cold calls to businesses.  At times it was difficult to pick the phone back up and make another call after a series of hang ups or calls with little result.  A friend at this job (and Rocky when you read this you know who you are) and I would quote Rocky Balboa when we got knocked down.  We’d quote Rocky VI ”The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Click the following link to view the expanded version of this inspirational speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

Relating this amazing secret to success with my disappointments with tenants I derive these new perspectives.  First I have accepted that the prize of having rental properties being paid off and the reward of income out weighs the negatives that do come from some tenants disrespect.  Second I like to think of these types of situations as riding a roller coaster.  I bought a ticket for a roller coaster ride when I purchased my first rental property.  I may be afraid of the spins and turns on that ride at times but I remind myself that I bought the ticket for the ride and I’ve got to ride it.  There’s no getting off half way.  I might as well enjoy the ride.  Thirdly, I can always learn from the challenges that knocked me down to minimize the change of another set back.  Fourthly I Will Get back up and move forward.  The faster I get back up and move forward the stronger I’ll be and the better I’ll feel about my situation.  Additionally I’ve learnt through all types of set backs that it’s best to get back up as fast as you can and move forward.  The people who have become the most successful at things in life have suffered many set backs.  Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Mozart and Mother Theresa all took hits but they never gave up.  The got back up and kept on moving forward.  The faster you get back up when you take a hit the more you’ll be able to take the next time and the more you move forward and learn from your past hits the more you’ll avoid future hits. “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

This weeks Reflect and Apply

Reflect on the hits that life is giving you.  Now think of what it would be like if you stayed down for a minute longer… an hour longer… a day longer… a month longer…  What would you life be like if you stayed down that long?

Now Reflect on the hits that life is giving you again.  Now think of what it would be like if you got up from your current hit.  Then you got hit again, and again and again but each time you got stronger and you keeped on getting up and moving forward.  Then you relatized one day that that it didn’t really matter how many times life hit you, it only mattered that you got back up and kept moving forward.

Four weeks after ULHS and still no word on official results.  Even ALHC put up their results a week after it ended.

I still have unofficial results in my “ULHS 2009 Round Up” post, and at least lots of people are talking about ULHS online. I also just added another blog to that post from another attendee.  <Me>

Just in case ALHC was feeling neglected, someone who attended that event finally posted a review to prove that someone went.  The omnipresent and always opinionated Allen Hall chimes in with the latest installment of his  <News and Views>

That post also includes his latest sojourn to DC with his wife Rudy last week.  They hit up The Boilermakers at Glen Echo hosted by Flying Feet and stopped by The Jam Cellar.

Allen and Rudy have been traveling around the country attending big events and weekly dance venues since forever and a day ago.  For those of you not already familiar with them, check out this nice write up of their story.  <Allen & Rudy 4 Eva>

Many moons ago they passed through DC and reviewed a dance I dj’d over at CCB. <Ego Stroke>

Forwarded to me by Ann Mony, Jojo Jackson has a ton of historical videos online linked from her website.  <Jojo Jackson>

A little more recent, but just as relevant.  A blogger recounts the 90’s neo swing revival in the media.  <Children of the 90’s>

Lindy Hoppers maybe shocked to discover that Hellzapoppin’ was not just a couple of dance sequences, and in fact a whole movie.  Check out this review from a modern perspective.  <Alex Udvary>

Still on the Hellzapoppin’ tip, another blogger recounts to story of the star of the other Lindy Hop scene in that movie.  No not Dean Collins, but Martha Raye.  <Armchair Actorvist>

But you want to know about Dean Collins anyway?  Peter Loggins gives the 411 and then some on one of his new blogs.  <The Jassdancer>

One of his new blogs?  Yep, he has two that I know of.  Follow this link to find out the deal behind the term “Bal-swing.” <Balboa Dancer>

He still runs www.DanceHistory.org.  The nice thing about that site is that other people can contribute what they find.  Someone just posted a transcription of hand written notes by the director of “The Spirit Moves,” Mura Dehn, found in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.  <Dance History>

The Philadelphia Folklore Project has put up an amazing online exhibit of tap dancers from the Swing Era.  <Philadelphia Folklore Project>

You too can use history without paying for it.  Check out public domain swing images and videos available through <Getty Images>

And just to remind you that there are other video sites out there that aren’t called YouTube, here’s a very friendly history lesson from our our English speaking Quebecois friends.

Finally, vintage footage of David Bowie going old school.

EBC was an awesome event. I had such a blast and just had a really awesome time dancing, learning in classes, and hanging out. This event had a lot of really good Balboa dancers and teachers that were so inspiring to dance with and watch compete. The music was also above par as Kyle Smith did an awesome job as head DJ, and always gets an awesome crew of DJ’s together (although I am biased .

EBC does a really good job every year of creating a really fun feel to the event in a couple of cool ways: They have two strictly competitions which allows people to switch up partnerships, they had a fun costume contest, and I think the best part is the instructors who dance to a silly song of their choosing for their instructor demos.

The major competition highlight was when Jeremy and Laura were pitted against Adam and Nelle, and so battled each other in the Open Strictly. As they danced, each couple kept an eye on the other and kept trying to one up each other – it was so awesome! This awesome engagement in the competition resulted in Jeremy and Laura capturing 1st place with Adam and Nelle placing 2nd. Hopefully they will post the video on You Tube.

If you are interested in working on your balboa skills – definitely make this event a priority for next year! I highly recommend it.

Takana on taas monipuolinen opiskeluviikko.  Tatsia ja janssia -projektimme on edennyt siihen vaiheeseen, että vietimme mielettömän hauskan torstaiaamupäivän Järvenpään Riston musiikkiluokassa fiilistellen eri soittimilla taustoja hänen biiseihinsä, jotka tanssiesitykseen on valittu.  Mehän tulemme toimimaan esityksessä, paitsi tanssijoina niin myös taustabändinä, joten harjoitusta tarvitaan.  Täytyy kyllä sanoa, etten olisi vuosi sitten osannut nähdä itseäni kilkuttelemassa ksylofonia, paukuttamassa rumpuja ja soittamassa kitaraa lastenlaulujen tahtiin…näin se elämä joskus kuljettaa pientä ihmistä.

Rock’n’swing-tansseissa vietimme hikisen mutta antoisan iltapäivän eilen balboan, disco-swingin ja lindy hopin parissa.  Kurssilla on ensin vuorossa pintapuoliset lajiesittelyt, vasta myöhemmin syvennymme lajeihin kunnolla.

Balboa viehätti intiimiydellään.  Sen perusaskeleen rytmi on kiehtova “12 hold-step 56 hold-step” = QQSQQS, ja tanssiasento on erittäin intiimi ja “pieni”.  Voi kun pääsisi tanssimaan tuota oikeasti joskus johonkin!  Suomalaisille tanssilavoille lajia lienee turha toivoa.

Disco-swingin haaste itselleni oli selkeästi motorinen.  Sitähän voi tanssia joko eight countina tai six countina ja askel on hiukan fuskumainen, mutta huomattavasti nopeampi ja jouston tulee tapahtua ylös, ei alas.  Kova tempi aiheutti aluksi haasteen saada jousto kulkemaan “oikeinpäin”.  Hauska ja vauhdikas tanssi kuitenkin, kun siihen tottui.  Jotenkin aloin tanssiessani odottaa kuulevani Boney M:n By the River of Babylonin ja olevani jälleen ensimmäisissä kotibileissäni…

Lindy hopin pyöreän pehmeään menoon pääsimme iltapäivän loppupuolella, ja siitä jatkamme seuraavalla viikolla.  Kaiken kaikkiaan Timo Arstilan rock’n’swing-kurssi käy aivan erinomaisesta koordinaatiotreenistä, koska jaloilla pitää eri tansseissa tehdä vaikka ja mitä ja vaikka mihin tahtiin.

Parisalsan parissa vietimme tänään mukavan, joskin hiukan levottoman perjantai-iltapäivän ja uutta kuviomateriaalia tuli ruedaan:

prima (“serkku”, poika tytön kainaon alta ja seuraavalle)
prima con la hermana (“serkku ja sisko”, prima + enchufla)
prima con la hermana y la familia / familia (edellinen + käsikoukulla ympäri)
tres pelotas (un fly + linea + short bound)
festival de enchufla (3 x enchufla + di le que no + 1,2,3 taputusta)
(dame con) foto
umbeso
yoghurt
di le que si (“sano hänelle kyllä”, tyttö pyörähtää 2 kierrosta mp)

Hektisen viikon ehkä tärkeimmät oivallukset sain kuitenkin tänään Kati Koiviston seuratanssitunnilla suomalaisen tangon parissa.  Ne on kirjattu tuonne oppimispäiväkirjan puolelle.

Tuntuu että tämä meno vain paranee ja olen ehdottomasti oikeassa paikassa, ensimmäistä kertaa pitkään aikaan elämässäni.

Odpowiedź na pytanie, jak mogłaby się skończyć walka pomiędzy Andrzejem Gołotą, a Rockym Balboa.

The Panama railroad is one of the oldest in the Continent.  It is the first transcontinental railway built in 1855 in an effort to supply the high demand for transportation from the East to the West Coast to gold hungry forty-niners. Gold seekers chose the Panama route instead of the difficult, plodding journey across the plains, desert and mountains of the uncivilized, Indian-infested overland route.

On February 17, 1998, The Panama Canal Railway Company, a joint venture between Kansas City Southern, a U.S. Class I Railroad, and Mi-Jack Products, North America’s leading independent intermodal terminal operator, was awarded a 50-year concession to rebuild and operate the line.

With an investment of $80 million dollars, the revitalized railroad provides an efficient intermodal link between the Pacific and Atlantic ports and complements the existing hub transportation infrastructure provided by the Canal, the Colon Free Trade Zone, the port terminals, highways and airports.

In addition, its luxurious passenger service allows travelers to enjoy a journey through the lush jungles of Panama flanking the scenic Panama Canal. PCRC is catering both to business executives commuting between Panama City and Colon, as well as tourists traveling from Colon’s cruise terminals to Panama City.

The Panama Canal Railway is one of the great train rides of the world. Along with its colorful history, the railroad follows a picturesque path across the Isthmus of Panama. The line flanks the Panama Canal passing through lush rainforests, cruising alongside the Canal’s locks, through the historic Gaillard Cut and gliding over slender causeways in Gatun Lake.

It effectively links one of the World’s less traveled but most attractive tourism corridors between Colon on the Atlantic Coast and Panama on the Pacific. Passengers disembarking at the Colon 2000 Cruise Terminal, the Gatun Yacht Club, or at Pier 6 in Cristobal can enjoy different shore excursions offered in Panama and ride the historic railroad as did our forefathers in their quest for wealth during the California Gold Rush.

Last Sunday, after my shooting spree at Paraiso and Corozal’s cemeteries, I saw this bright yellow train loaded with 40-foot containers traveling from Balboa to Cristobal.  It was a long convoy of container as long as the eye could see .  The scene was so enticing, I parked my car, fetched my camera, and shot several pictures of the train in slow motion.

This is what I saw.  (Click on the photographs to enlarge them.)

Photograph of the last section of the convoy traveling from Balboa on the Pacific Side to Cristobal on the Atlantic Side. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

The railroad serves as a complement to the Panama Canal carrying containers from one side of the Isthmus to the other; just like a dry canal. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

As you can see, the main purpose of the railroad is to transport containers from one ocean to the other. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

The investment of the Panama Canal Railway Company has been considerable. They have a first class transportation equipment to support their services in Panama. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A long line of empty double-stack cars waits for the next train to the Atlantic Coast. (Omar Upegui R.)

The Panama Canal Railway Company is currently an organization that plays a strategic role in making Panama one of the most important international commercial hubs of the world.  Good Day.

Sauf note contraire, toutes les informations contenues dans cet article proviennent du livre de Jean-Claude Bologne, Histoire de la Conquête amoureuse, publié aux éditions du Seuil.

Pages pertinentes:  pp.132-135: Une nouveauté: la danse; pp.214-215, l’apparition du bal; le bal, son heure de gloire et sa décadence, pp.271-278; du tango au hip-hop pp.307-311

Vous connaissez mes interrogations sur l’histoire de la danse, qui datent en gros depuis mes débuts dans le milieu du swing, il y a près de deux ans. J’ai trouvé dans le livre de Jean-Claude Bologne, Histoire de la Conquête amoureuse, du matériel pour établir une petite chronologie. Alors je la partage ici avec vous:

Sous l’Empire romain, la danse est un spectacle, souvent pratiqué dans des cérémonies qui ont une valeur sacrées. Nous sommes encore loin de l’activité sociale. C’est au Moyen Âge que nous retrouvons cette connotation (mais ne serait-ce pas parce que les activités folkloriques médiévales nous sont mieux connues? – ce point n’est pas traité chez Bologne) avec des danses de groupe codifiées qui, comme le remarque Bologne “ne permettent pas aux couples de s’isoler”.

Les premières danses de couple apparaissent aux XVe et XVIe siècle, notamment la volte. Les couples y sont ouverts, limitant les contacts, mais néanmoins, ce sont déjà des couples. La volte provençale introduira le couple fermé, “enlacée et rapide”, étourdissante. La seconde moitié du XVI siècle étant marqué par la morale stricte des puritains protestants et de la Contre-Réforme tridentine (1), la volte se fera vite condamner par l’Église, et Bologne nous dit qu’elle fut abandonnée au XVIIe siècle.

Ces danses sont des pratiques exclusivement urbaines, et il faudra attendre la fin du XIXe siècle pour que les danses de couples pénètrent dans les pratiques campagnardes.

Pendant ce temps, en milieu urbain, le bal public fait son apparition au XVIIIe siècle. Anecdote intéressante, le premier bal public, le bal de l’Opéra, naît à Paris un peu après le 31 décembre 1715, une ordonnance spéciale ayant permit les bals publics dans cette salle particulière pour fêter l’arrivée du jeune Louis XV à Paris. La nouveauté est l’existence, non d’un bal, mais d’un bal qui soit à la fois public et à dates régulières, par oppositions aux bals de cours qui étaient organisés ponctuellement, où il fallait être invité pour s’y présenter.

Dès lors qu’on commence à danser en couple, les problèmes de constitution des couples se posent: “Au XVIIIe siècle, [nous dis Bologne] les couples étaient constitués par un maître des cérémonies, selon une étiquette complexe qui tenait compte du rang et non des affinités.” Mais au XIXe siècle, le bal devient un événement mondain où on est libre d’inviter qui on souhaite. Cela coïncide avec sa démocratisation: il existe à tous les échelons de la société (bien que ça reste encore un phénomène principalement urbain).

Avec le XIXe siècle et le romantisme, la valse fait son apparition, sous sa forme moderne, vers 1815. Elle fait scandale. À sa suite, la polka et la scottish. L’évolution principale, c’est l’apparition du guidage par l’homme:

“la technicité oblige les danseurs à “trouver une complémentarité”, à chercher “une dynamique qui prennent en compte le style de l’un et de l’autre.”. Même si l’homme mène la danse, une forme de complicité naît au sein du couple, dans un rapport corporel qui a soulevé l’hostilité des censeurs.” (p.277).

Le bal s’épanouit aussi bien dans les villes que dans les campagnes, malgré la réprobation d’une Église déjà en perte de vitesse (déjà évoqué ici). Mais il s’insère surtout dans les pratiques de la haute société.

“La grande période du bal correspond à l’essor de la haute bourgeoisie. Il survit difficilement à la guerre et à la crise de 1929. Les jeunes gens ont désormais d’autres lieux de drague et sacrifient au rite du bal sans enthousiasme, pour “meubler leur vie”.”

Plutôt que de supprimer la danse, cette évolution amène en en privilégier d’autres formes: “Les danses de l’entre-deux-guerres correspondent à l’exaltation du corps.”: le tango succède à la valse comme danse archétypique. Il est né à Buenos Aires et Montevideo (Argentins et Urugayens s’en disputent encore la paternité). Comme la valse, il a fait scandale lorsqu’il pénètre en Europe au tournant du siècle. À partir des années 1930, la java naît en France (Paris) tandis que le swing fait son apparition aux États-Unis (Lindy Hop à New York, Balboa en Californie )(2). Dans la foulée de ce dernier plusieurs variations naissent: be-bop, boogie et surtout rock&roll, qui domine les années 1950.

Plus tardivement, le west coast swing vient s’adapter à l’émergence d’une musique populaire de plus en plus éloignée du rock dansant, mais à cette époque, la danse de couple est déjà en déclin (3). Faut-il y lier l’émergence d’une danse pas du tout technique, le slow? Après notre auteur, ce sont les danses solos qui prennent toutes la place: twist, disco… hip-hop. Avant que ce dernier ne s’impose, il semblerait que l’association danse-affaire-de-fille ne se soit consolidée:

“Dans la tradition occidentale, l’image du danseur solitaire n’est guère valorisée. Alors que dans d’autres cultures (russe, africaine), l’homme manifeste sa virilité par la danse, l’Occident garde l’image des séductrices, Salomé, Mata Hari. Le risque de dévirilisation doit être écarté par l’emprunt de nouvelles danses aux cultures africaines (hip-hop), ou par l’adoption de nouveaux comportements (le défi dansé).”

Ce qui nous amène à nos jours. Les danses sociales réémergent péniblement chez les jeunes de ma génération, en particulier les danses latines et le swing, mais aussi le tango et les danses de ballroom (loin derrière).  La stigmatisation du danseur comme d’un homme peu viril est en nette régression, du moins dans certains milieux. Mais ce qui empêche tant et tant de danseurs (de danseuses aussi, mais moins) potentiels de pratiquer plus et mieux demeure aujourd’hui la peur du ridicule (laquelle, paradoxalement, accroît le ridicule bien davantage qu’elle ne permet de l’éviter).

(1) Sur ces sujets, c’est encore Le Péché et la Peur de Jean Delumeau, qui est le livre le plus révélateur de ce climat.

(2) Sur le swing, c’est un ajoute de culture personnelle. Bologne n’en parle pas. La chronologie est approximative. Par contre, c’est de lui que me viennent les informations suivantes sur le be-bop et le rock.

(3) Encore un ajout personnel et approximatif.

Edit, environ 12 heures après la première publication, j’ai modifié l’organisation des paragraphes pour améliorer la lisibilité et ajouté un lien. Corrigé quelques fautes par la même occasion.

Still no word on official ULHS results.  Some more videos are making it online.  I’ll post the better quality ones together later this week or next.

While we’re  waiting on that stuff, apparently not all the action was in New Orleans this past weekend.  Here’s a quick round up of performance videos from Provence Swing Festival in France.

Also via Paul Cosentino, video footage of the Boilermaker Jazz Band playing at this years All Balboa Weekend back in June featuring the debut of the vocal trio of Jennie Luvv, Naomi Uyama and Erin Kufel.

Here is my personal list, one at a time, of the top ten movie characters ever. However, feel free to agree or offer better choices and argument. SPOILER CAUTION! The content below may give away some of the plot of the film(s) concerned.

No.9 – Fletch >>>

#10 ROCKY BALBOA

The ‘Italian Stallion’, Rocky Balboa, is a screen character everybody loves and cares for. He is the epitome of the underdog winning against seemingly unsurpassable obstacles, which in his case are other boxers who are bigger, faster and more skilled in boxing. However, what Rocky has is more heart, grit and determination than anyone and will take all the punches that come his way and still be the last man standing. He is an inspirational character that will want to make even the laziest people get up off their ass and do something positive!

The original Rocky made in 1976, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, won the Oscar for Best Picture and the story was inspired by the true life boxing fight between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali that occurred the year before. Chuck was 36 and at the end of his rather average boxing career and no one thought he would last more than three rounds against Ali, but he made it to the 15^th round and even knocked down the Champ all whilst with a broken nose and large gashes above both eyes.

Philadelphian Rocky Balboa is even more of an underdog as a hugely struggling boxer who earns a living working in a meat factory and doing a bit of debt collecting for a loan shark too. Even his coach Mickey (played by Burgess Meredith) at his local gym doesn’t believe in him anymore, when current heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers), is looking for a gimmick fight and decides to give a nobody a chance to fight against the very best in the world. Apollo is an intelligent, articulate and highly skilled fighter whereas Rocky is none of these things, but with Mickey’s renewed belief in him, he trains like he has never done before and gives Apollo the fight of his life, going the distance and winning over the respect of everyone, and especially himself.

Rocky over the 6 films (Rocky, II, III, IV, V and finally Rocky Balboa) has battled against Apollo Creed twice, Clubber Lang (played my Mr. T who famously says “I pity the fool”), the towering Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), poverty, brain damage and Tommy Gunn (real life boxer Tommy Morrison) and then finally old age and Mason Dixon (played by Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Tarver.

As well as being a great fighter, Rocky is also a sweet person, a catholic and a good friend to his pals Paulie (Burt Young), his trainer Mickey and his former adversary Apollo as well as being half of the sweetest and nicest marriage in film history. He and Adrian Balboa (played by Talia Shire) are simply adorable and Rocky’s love and respect for his wife clearly shines through as he goes through his various struggles.

Rocky is a true inspiration and I feel good after watching every one of the films, even Rocky V which is a bit rubbish.

No.9 – Fletch >>>

The spiritual aspect of the Panama Canal Zone was  a major concern of the canal’s authorities.  Churches of all denominations proliferated in the Yankee Strip.

There were several Christian denomination churches in the former Panama Canal Zone on both sides of the Isthmus, and in between.   Also, most of the military bases had chapels.  One of these churches was the Balboa Union Church, one if not the most beautiful church in the zone.

This landmark structure was commonly known as the Teddy Roosevelt’s church—by reputation. The Canal Zone was President Theodore Roosevelt’s great Progressive Republican social experiment, one in which he tried to eliminate or minimize many of the divisions found in the US society of his time. He created a Canal Zone without elected political institutions, and encouraged an ecumenical movement in the religious sphere.

The Union Church, a multidenominational Protestant movement, took hold in Canal Zone communities. The Balboa Union Church, the biggest and best-endowed of the several Union Churches, now has an international congregation.

The church was officially created as the Union Church of the Canal Zone on January 25, 1914 by representatives of the Christian Leagues of Balboa, Corozal, Cristobal, Culebra, Empire, Gatun, Paraiso, and Pedro Miguel, according to Reverend Robert H. Rolofson in “Christian Cooperation at the World’s Crossroads”.

The first stone was laid September 25, 1917 and was consecrated on January 25, 1926.  Construction cost was $100,000, of which $30,000 was raised within the Canal Zone and the rest collected from the US. John D. Rockefeller contributed $10,000 towards its construction.

In 2001 the Balboa Union Church was facing an economic crisis due to the exodus of the US military and the closing of the military bases in Panama.  Now, more than 80 years later, this wonderful church is experiencing a rebirth of sorts due to the increasing population of English speaking expatriates who are choosing Panama as their retirement destination.

In my recent foray into the area, I took several pictures of this attention-getting building which I’m sure you will cherish.  Here we go.

Photograph of the exterior sign of the Balboa Union Church in the former Panama Canal Zone. (Omar Upegui R.)

View of the landmark religious structure located at Balboa in the former Panama Canal Zone. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Another pleasing view of the Balboa Union Church, one of the most beautiful buildings in the area. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

After all these years, the building is pretty much the way it was when it was built in 1926. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This building is so captivating, some children call it "the castle or museum". (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A close up view of this impressive structure surrounded by Royal palmtrees. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Nowadays the people who show up on Sundays at this church  include diplomats, businesspeople and retirees from around the English-speaking world, and a number of people who use English as a second language.

A lot of families who call the Balboa Union Church their house of worship send their children to the International School of Panama or to the Balboa Academy. On any given Sunday, the regulars are likely to be joined by tourists or yachtsmen.  Good Day.

The Y.M.C.A. played an important role in modeling the young generation of enlisted soldiers who trained and served in the Panama Canal Zone.  It was also the scheme of the Canal Zone authorities to educate the foreigners working in the zone in high moral values and good citizenship.

On Friday, November 9, 1906, The New York Times published an article regarding the role of the Y.M.C.A. in making the Canal Zone a model U.S. territory.

Below is an excerpt of this illustrative article:

“The recently expressed intention of the officials of the Canal Zone to show President Roosevelt upon his arrival in Panama what is to be a model colony, both morally and materially, seems to more than mere talk, according to an announcement made last night by Col. John J. McCook of the Young Men’s Christian Association at the fortieth anniversary dinner of the International Committee, held in the Waldorf Astoria.

Within three months, said Col. MacCook in this speech, the Y.M.C.A. has contracted with the Canal Commission for the erection in the zone by the Government of seven buildings in which, when completed, the 5,000 or more young Americans in Panama may receive instruction, entertainment, and advantageous intercourse.

Col. McCook also spoke on the association’s work among railway men and among the soldiers and sailors of the army and navy.  Speaking of the country’s defenders, he made a special plea for the furtherance of this work, as there could be no doubt that the environment of the Young Men’s Christian Association resulted in the clean, well-living, fine-blooded men that were necessary to take the field or man our ships.

The United States Treasurer told how impressed he was with the various reports made by the secretaries of the association’s work at home and abroad.

He urged that the work of political education of young men be taken up, pointing out that better leaders would not be obtained until the people who were to be led understood their minds better.

It is not improbable that a work of this kind, coupled with education in good citizenship among the foreign classes, may be started by the association.”

Below are several pictures I shot of the regal Y.M.C.A. building located at the town of Balboa on the Pacific Side of the Panama Isthmus.  Here we go.

Panoramic view of the regal Y.M.C.A. building located at Balboa in former Panama Canal Zone. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

View of the elegant entrance of the Y.M.C.A. building at Balboa. Unfortunately they don't build structures like this in our times. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A close up view of the entrance of the Balboa Y.M.C.A. building. Notice the elegant columns typical of the Greek Corinthian Order style. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Structures like these should be maintained forever. They represent a taste for good taste and elegance that is disappearing amongst our contemporary architects. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

Photograph of the cornerstone of the Balboa Y.M.C.A. Building, showing the date it was built---1924. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

I feel so proud of the cultural heritage embedded in these architectonic jewels that should be with us forever.  They don’t build structures with this style and class any more.  I wish they did.  Good Day.

I did 10 miles at Balboa Park… my last long run before the Nike Half Marathon in 2 weeks. It was pretty uneventful, and I felt great. I did the first 5 on my own, and the second 5 with the LA Racers. I didn’t eat breakfast before the run (which is usually a no-no) but I felt surprisingly strong by the end. Who knew?

I like dancing.  I like it even more with great live music.  This was a fun weekend for that here in DC.  Actually, more like Glen Echo Park in Maryland.  The Boilermaker Jazz Band played the Bumper Car Pavilion on Friday night while The Tom Cunningham Orchestra held its monthly dance in the Spanish Ballroom on Saturday evening.

It was a beautiful Friday night for the Boilermakers.  Donna Barker and Mike Marcotte hosted Paul Cosentino on clarinet and saxophone, Rich Strong on drums, Mark Kotishion on piano, and Ernest McCarty on bass with Jenny Luvv singing.

The band sounded great as usual, but Ernest put on a clinic on bass.   He doesn’t solo very much, but he was much more assertive that night.  I could tell he was feelin’ it when he practically jumped us with his outstanding playing during “The Nearness of You” towards the end of the first set.  A fairly mellow song, but he added a little extra something to his solo and accompaniments that would have made one of his former band leaders, Erroll Garner, proud.

In fact here’s a rare clip of Ernest playing with the that piano legend  in 1972 .  Thanks to Luke Albao for forwarding this clip to me.

It’s a tribute to his versatility and musicianship that he can play such different styles of music and stay true to himself.

I’ve gotten a better appreciation of how each of the members contributes to the overall sound of the band.  In July, the Boilermakers rolled through Jam Cellar with only Mark and Rich to play with Paul.    After only hearing them with a piano and drums, it was interesting to hear how Ernest “rounds” out the sound of the rhythm section with the deep thum thum thum of his bass.  I remember overhearing another bassist complain how hard it was to fill the Spanish ballroom with his sound, but it’s not something Ernest has a problem with.  I was reminded of that the last time they played Glen Echo in August when I heard his thumping bass lines from the other side of the park while they played their version of “Truckin’.”

Finding any musician, especially a bassist who can play in the vintage styles with that kind of skill, flair, and power is pretty rare.  An artist in many senses of the word.  He’s not just a musician as his many artistic passions including sculpture, painting, poetry, and play-writing.  Check out his website at www.McCartyArt.com.

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On Saturday, I got to hear the big band sounds of the Tom Cunningham Orchestra.  I don’t get tired of listening this band, mostly because Tom Cunningham has such a diverse book of arrangements.  You have to admire a guy who specifies on his play list to the sound guy that the “Opus One” version they’re playing that night is the Gene Krupa one.

The band started out with some solid mid tempo numbers to warm up the crowd including one of my favorite Artie Shaw tunes, “Shine On Harvest Moon” and the Ellington slow burner, “Happy-Go-Lucky Local.”

It’s hard to single anyone out in such a large band (21 people total including all the vocalists), but I really dug pianist Russell Wilson (not the same guy who leads a few bands in North Carolina).  Russell also plays piano for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band at the White House.  Here’s a clip of him competing in the 2008 Old-Time Piano Championship.

It was fun to see Rev. Arnold come into the ballroom at the same time the band started “Cow Cow Boogie” and watch as his walk turn into a strut to match Wilson’s easy going, western boogie woogie playing that accompanied vocalist Betsy Kipperman.  Then Russell really turned it on in his opening in the Count Basie flag waiver, “The King.”

That same song also featured my other standout of the night, tenor saxophonist Will Tytch, who was blowing all night like he was sitting in on the Basie band itself.  He had a lot of smoking solo’s all evening especially a few I noticed during the last set.  They included another Basie tune called “Pound Cake” and the up tempo “Elks Parade” originally by Bobby Sherwood.  I don’t remember hearing the last song before this past weekend, but the way the band played it convinced me to track it down.

Miraculously, I also dug up a video featuring all the people I just mentioned in the last few paragraphs.  (Including Arnold but not Basie and Sherwood)  Even though TCO played “Wham” this past weekend, the video is of  them doing  performing it  last year.

As much I enjoyed the instrumentals a bit more, the vocalists also did a great job.  Andre Enceneat did a great scat during “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing.)”  The band did Ellington’s 40’s version of that song complete with vocal trio and violin solo by Jeff Reynolds.  I tend to prefer that version over the original 1932 version with Ivie Anderson singing because of the way the band crescendos at the end.   Hearing all those instruments come in all at once live is a heck of a sound to behold in person.

The band ended the evening with “Lindy Hoppers’ Delight.”  Yet another reason why I love this band:  Their tireless devotion to playing Swing Era songs not limited to the standards.   How many big bands out there know that “Lindy Hoppers’ Delight” even exists?  Let’s all thank Betsy Kipperman for convincing Tom to added it to their repertoire.

I hear rumors of a new cd being produced as we speak.  I look forward to hearing it.  Keep an eye on their website for more details.

I also recommend the Boilermakers’ newest CD, “Jump for Joy” which you can order online, or purchase next time you see them in person.

And to bring this full circle, a little birdie told me that you can catch the aforementioned Betsy Kipperman singing with the otherly aforementioned Boilermakers at Lindy Focus in North Carolina later this year.

The new toll highway linking Panama City & the Port of Colon opened earlier this summer and it is definitely reducing the driving time between the two locations dramatically.

On a recent trip to Panama I had the opportunity to use the toll road.  It is a fabulous piece of highway  and reduced the drive time by about 45 minutes!  The scenery is lovely & the time just seemed to fly by on this new highway.  Definitely, to my mind at least, worth the price of the toll especially as I hate sitting in traffic or ‘poking’ along on side roads when I am on business & my time is valuable.

I started the Bridge of the Americas project by taking photographs of the structure from the west bank, specifically from the Chinese rest stop/look out station.  The perspective from this spot was excellent.  My next step was to position myself on the opposite bank of the canal to change the viewing angle of the bridge.  This place is called La Boca (The Mouth).

La Boca is located at the entrance of the Panama Canal on the Pacific Side  with an excellent view of the mighty bridge.  On the morning of September 13, 2009 I encountered several buildings I had not seen in years—more than twenty years.  One of these historic buildings was La Boca Printing Plant.

La Boca Printing Plant was inherited from the French Canal Company by the Isthmian Canal Canal Commission in 1904.  It produced many of the Canal Zone overprints from 1904 on.

Approximately 1915, the plant was moved to Mount Hope on the Atlantic Side where it became the Mount Hope Printing Plant and eventually the Panama Canal Press.

About 1965, the facility was returned to La Boca where it still stands, albeit  under a  private  ownership.  The building is currently part of the campus of the International Maritime University of Panama.  It houses the Center of Simulators and Applied Technology.

The building looks exactly the same as I last saw it, two decades ago.  The slight difference was a green fence around its premises.  These former Canal Zone buildings were built for eternity.

Below are a couple of pictures of this historic building at La Boca.  Here we go.

Photograph of the former La Boca Printing Plant at the entrance of the Panama Canal. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

As you probably noticed, the architecture style of the building matches the rest of the buildings built by the Panama Canal Commission. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

I was amazed at how well preserved this building was after all these years.  In fact, most if not all buildings constructed by the Panama Canal Commission, are very well maintained and looking in very good physical condition.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they are still standing during the next century.  Good Day.

Il faut absolument que je travaille aujourd’hui. Mais j’ai toujours autour de moi mes habituelles tentations à la procrastination. Dont ce blog. Alors, comme je ne fais qu’un billet par jour, j’en fais un très bref, comme ça se sera fait.

Un vidéo qui contient du balboa et du collegiate shag. Comment faire la différence? Le faut-il vraiment? Bon, quelques éléments: s’ils dansent collés avec les bras très haut en l’air, c’est du shag. S’ils dansent collés, mais avec le bras à hauteur du corps, c’est du balboa. S’ils dansent en agitant leur doigt, c’est du shag. Si c’est drôle et burlesque, c’est du shag. Si c’est plutôt élégant, c’est du balboa.