Surf Fanatics Offers Sylish Jeans for Men and Women
Surf Fanatics sells licensed merchandise for Volcom, Quiksilver, RVCA, Fox, Reef, Roxy, Arnette, Element, Hurley, Lost, Matix, Nixon, Oneill, RipCurl, Rusty, Spy and many more. They have a huge selection of Tee’s, Tanks, Sunglasses, Watches, Board shorts, Sandals, T-shirts, Dresses and Jeans.
“Surf Fanatics” says ” Living in Florida, we’ve got all the advantages of finding the best surf product around. We know when you’re located in the Mid West, finding that perfect pair of board shorts for your Spring Break Costa trip is nearly impossible. We wanted to open a store that can reach landlocked surfers & in desperate need of great surf products. Surf Fanatics was born.”

Surf Fanatics offers Jeans from brand names like: DC, Element, Fox, Hurley, Insight, Lost, Lucy Love, Matix, O’neil, Quicksilver, Reef, Rip Curl, Roxy, Rusty, Split, Volcom, Zoo York.

I was on the run yesterday, Monday. Literally, running with early morning appointments, a run after work, a meeting to 9pm and running cross-town home. I never took the clothes off the line on Sunday. I hung them at 2pm on a day, cooling fast. But the dryer was not cooperating.

These photos were taken Tuesday morning. Chill. Somewhere around 28 degrees. I left them to thaw and arrived home tonight after dark. Yes, they are off the line. Still damp.

Fall leaves me short on time too often.

You can view these images (full size) and more of my Art Every Day set at Flickr.

On Saturday I went into Cologne with my Chinese friends to stock up on kimchi and bok choy (and get ingredients for yummy white fungus dessert soup… I feel so multi-cultural).  After the groceries, I mentioned that I wanted to go clothes shopping.  Zhenglei really like shopping for clothes, but at seven months pregnant she can’t really buy clothes for herself.  I gave her the perfect excuse to go into the stores, and ever-patient Peidong tagged along.  It worked out well for me too, because I have always been completely intimidated by all German clothing stores except H&M.  Let’s face it, I’m a little intimidated by shopping in America too.  The only time I’ve ever attempted to shop in Cologne city was pretty shortly after moving here last year, and it was too much.  It’s taken me this long to work up the courage to try it again.  This time, I could just follow Zhenglei into her favorite stores and it worked out beautifully.  German sales people mostly leave you alone unless you ask for help, which I appreciate.

I was driven to the arms of commerce by the rapid and alarming deterioration of my blue jean collection.  They’re all getting faded and ratty and really loose.  That last is partly due to the lack of driers here to shrink them back into shape and partly due to having no one at home to make me dinner any more.  And Germans just generally wear their pants cut tighter than Americans.

So I went searching for jeans.  Women’s pants here are sized like men’s pants in America, with waist and length measurements, and like America, the measurements are given in inches, for reasons I cannot begin to guess.  Not that I knew my pant size in inches, but I could at least measure.  Despite the enlightened sizing, it turns out 36″ inseams are just as hard to find as they are in America.  I was about to give up and go home when I went in to S. Oliver.  This is a German brand that I first became aware of last year when I realized that the new watch I’d just purchased was made by them.  I discovered that they have lots of nice stuff, including really long pants.  And sales people who will help you find them.  Once the initial sales girl who approached me had passed me off to a different sales girl who spoke better English, I pretty shortly had 5 or 6 pairs to try on.  And they were TIGHT.  I was dubious.  I insisted on trying a larger size.  They were clearly too big.  I tried the smaller ones again.  Sales girl promised that they would get half a size bigger with washing and wearing (maybe that’s why all my old ones are too big?  I should have been buying them smaller all along?).  I was convinced.

So now I own my first part of German pants.  I wore them to work yesterday.  My thighs did start out feeling a bit like cased meat, but the material relaxed by afternoon, and it was only the first wearing.  I reminded myself of what Sue Erickson once said to me, that you have to suffer to be beautiful.  Or fashionable, it turns out.  But I did feel oh so very European, and they really do look better than my old pairs.  Just don’t ask me to give up my tennis shoes.

Photos sometimes only tell part of  the story,but I find the contrast between these two to be interesting.

Both are dynamic stars with larger than life personalities and legions of fans.

What do you think is on Jay Z’s mind.

 He was caught in London with his wife, to attend the Royal fave Mahiki nightclub after a gig at the O2 arena to party until 3am with Rhianna.

I am trapped in a sea of insipid fashion.

Insipid, thy name is  blue jeans.

For the past 20-something years, jeans have been my go-to item for casual legwear/pants/bottoms/etc. I had an epiphany last weekend when I looked around me and saw that everyone else had on jeans, too.

I am now, officially, bored with jeans.

But what else can I wear that isn’t a skirt, dress, or leggings??

Why does casual have to equal jeans? I’m bored! I don’t care if they are dark, medium or (heaven forbid) light wash… baggy, skinny, boyfriend, straight leg, boot cut….. they are all boring, repetitive and I need something new, something chic, and something to spice up my casual wardrobe.

Designers? Do you hear me? It is time for a new fashion invention. A new era of go-to legwear!

Okay, I am done complaining now….

Photo by Annie Leibovitz | December 2009 Vogue

Today I’ve been musing about how much I like to create the things I do.  My husband has  quietly watched me over the years and I thought that his only creative “juices” were to monopolize the tv remote and switch channels from game to game. Boy,  was I wrong!  His passion is antiquing and finding that item for a steal that makes his heart sing. The items vary with time. Sometimes its baseball memorabilia, other times it might be hotel silver, persian rugs,etc.,etc. It changes and I don’t know what inspires the change. But whatever, he finds, he cherishes.

I discovered that he had a passion for blue jeans. You heard me, blue jeans.  He was amassing a stack of them. Please don’t ask me why, because I honestly don’t know. He is a mystery to me at times. I came home from work one day  and saw that my garage door was open and he was merrrily splashing primary colors of paint in random patterns all over  one pair of his blue jeans. I thought he had finally gone nuts! I said nothing and proceeded into the house. The only thing I could think of was Jackson Pollack creatively flinging paint to create his masterpieces.  I finally could not control myself and teased unmercifully re: his “art”. He was proud of his work and was going to wear them the next day.

I kept getting reports as to how many people stopped him in the street, admired his jeans and asked where to get them. I thought he was kidding but he was not. When friends came to dinner one evening, they couldn’t stop talking about them and thought he should start a business painting these jeans and selling them. A brand name was created (after 2 bottles of wine) and they were to be called FIRE IN YOUR PANTS, (my husband is a retired Boston Firefighter).

I think the painting phase is over and he is on to new “art”. He picks up items that I think are totally useless but I have to say It never fails that a week , a month or maybe a year later, I see his ideas in magazines, on the news or in the Globe Sunday paper. I am starting to think that maybe he has an eye for things. Now when he brings home one of his treasures I am not so quick to tease and taunt  but think “will this be the next hula hoop?

Non partiamo dal perchè, che è banale dai.

Il progetto è probabilmente scemo, con tutto il rispetto per l’Egregio Signor Capo che me l’ha proposto questa stamattina. Ma è anche probabilmente non così scemo in realtà. In ogni caso, speriamo di non capirlo mai.

Senza scendere nei dettagli che poi è anche noioso, stabiliamo che quando ti affidano di sviluppare e occuparti di un progetto e di un tema, le azioni da compiere in modo urgente sono (in quest’ordine):

1. Aprire google

2. Digitare lacosachecerchi

3. Rifugiarti in wikipedia che di solito è il primo risultato e tu speri che non abbia scritto cazzate su lacosachecerchi.

Se lacosachecerchi è curry puoi scoprire che il nome indiano – che sarebbe quello vero, se vogliamo essere pignoli – è masala e curry è soltanto il modo occidentale di chiamarlo. Perchè gli inglesi non ce la facessero proprio a chiamarlo masala e abbiano dovuto cambiare nome, è un mistero che rimane e (non) appassiona.

Se lacosachecerchi è pannello solare ti troverai di fronte a una scelta tra quattro possibilità: termico, fotovoltaico, ibrido e termodinamico.Tutte innegabilmente interessanti.

Se lacosachecerchi è denim, scoprirai in un sol clickipedia che si tratta del tessuto che si usa per confezionare i blue-jeans. E la cosa più emozionante è ritrovare la parola blue-jeans nel 2009.

Se lacosachecerchi è sonnambulismo e, seguendo il percorso standard, decidi di googlarla, sarai rimandato a wikipedia dove ti spiegheranno che la fascia di età compresa tra 5 e 12 anni è quella maggiormente colpita (quasi un bambino su tre) e l’incidenza tende a scomparire dopo l’adolescenza. (quindi ora sapete che potevamo smettere di preoccuparci da anni)

Se lacosachecerchi è albertino e sei una persona piena di entusiamo e di voglia di conoscere, sappi che non dovresti perdere tempo a cercarla, lacosachecerchialbertino.

Perchè troverai, banalmente, soltanto un deejay di una radio dove lavorano dei deejay. Ed è pure il fratello di un altro deejay che è il direttore di questa radio dove lavorano alcuni altri deejay.

Fine del primo tema di questo spazio. Salutiamo Albertino che ci sta guardando da casa.

Ps. Se non avessi voglia di arrenderti, potrai soddisfare la tua insaziabile voglia di albertino con il Podere Le Lucciole, che affitta stanze vicino a Firenze e ha (inspiegabilmente?) questo url: http://www.albertino.net/

Nah saking banyaknya model dan jenis bahan celana anak, kita terkadang bingung memilih yang cocok untuk bentuk tubuh kita. Berikut, panduannya:

• tubuh mungil (petite)
Jika tubuhmu kecil mungil seperti rosa atau ruth sahanaya, maka kamu termasuk dalam kategori ini. Pilihlah celana jeans yang modelnya akan membuatmu kelihatan lebih tinggi. Carilah jeans yang pas di badan. Hindari memilih model hip-hop atau yang berujung lebar. Kamu boleh memilih celana anak yang berpotongan pinggang rendah (low waist) atau hipster selama tidak membuat kakimu kelihatan lebih pendek. Hindari pula celana high waisted (berpinggul tinggi) karena akan membuat bagian torsomu kelihatan pendek cthnay di grosir celana. Lebih baik pilih tipe medium waist dengan warna gelap. Jenis jeans stretch juga cocok untukmu.
• panggul besar
Tipe wanita berpanggul besar adalah beyonce dan jlo. Jadi kamu bisa mencontoh model jeans yang mereka kenakan yakni jeans berpotongan pinggul rendah (low-waist) yang dapat membuat torsomu kelihatan lebih panjang seperti di grosir celana. Boleh juga pilih boot-cut atau yang bermodel kaki lebar ctnya di grosir celana anak. Jika ingin membeli hipster cobalah dulu dengan cara duduk dan merenggangkan kaki supaya tidak membeli celana jeans anak yang terlalu rendah di bagian panggul.
• kaki jangkung dan kurus
Wanita dengan kaki jangkung dan kurus seperti olive oyl (pacarnya popeye) atau calista flockhart juga bisa kelihatan cantik dibalut celana jeans. Rahasianya adalah menghindari celana jeans yang terlalu ketat sehingga membuat kaki kelihatan seperti sepasang sumpit. Hindari pula celana jeans anak yang kelihatan longgar supaya tak terkesan kedodoran. Boleh juga mengenakan celana potongan bootlegs seperti yang ada di grosir celana anak.

Http://limakaki.wordpress.com

Nah saking banyaknya model dan jenis bahan celana anak, kita terkadang bingung memilih yang cocok untuk bentuk tubuh kita. Berikut, panduannya:

• tubuh mungil (petite)
Jika tubuhmu kecil mungil seperti rosa atau ruth sahanaya, maka kamu termasuk dalam kategori ini. Pilihlah celana jeans yang modelnya akan membuatmu kelihatan lebih tinggi. Carilah jeans yang pas di badan. Hindari memilih model hip-hop atau yang berujung lebar. Kamu boleh memilih celana anak yang berpotongan pinggang rendah (low waist) atau hipster selama tidak membuat kakimu kelihatan lebih pendek. Hindari pula celana high waisted (berpinggul tinggi) karena akan membuat bagian torsomu kelihatan pendek cthnay di grosir celana. Lebih baik pilih tipe medium waist dengan warna gelap. Jenis jeans stretch juga cocok untukmu.
• panggul besar
Tipe wanita berpanggul besar adalah beyonce dan jlo. Jadi kamu bisa mencontoh model jeans yang mereka kenakan yakni jeans berpotongan pinggul rendah (low-waist) yang dapat membuat torsomu kelihatan lebih panjang seperti di grosir celana. Boleh juga pilih boot-cut atau yang bermodel kaki lebar ctnya di grosir celana anak. Jika ingin membeli hipster cobalah dulu dengan cara duduk dan merenggangkan kaki supaya tidak membeli celana jeans anak yang terlalu rendah di bagian panggul.
• kaki jangkung dan kurus
Wanita dengan kaki jangkung dan kurus seperti olive oyl (pacarnya popeye) atau calista flockhart juga bisa kelihatan cantik dibalut celana jeans. Rahasianya adalah menghindari celana jeans yang terlalu ketat sehingga membuat kaki kelihatan seperti sepasang sumpit. Hindari pula celana jeans anak yang kelihatan longgar supaya tak terkesan kedodoran. Boleh juga mengenakan celana potongan bootlegs seperti yang ada di grosir celana anak.

Http://limakaki.wordpress.com

The editors at  Jerrybrice’s Blog,would like to know…Which one of these celebrities do you like better…actor Evan Ross, son of Diana Ross, or NBA basketball star, and husband to actress Eva Longoria Parker, Tony Parker?

Write a comment on your choice, and let us know who you prefer.I think both the guys are great, but I am not a woman, so I would not know.

I can offer up an opinion about their choice in women…but I will not say.

Tony Parker-

Evan Ross-

This is why I haven’t been writing much the last few nights – I’ve been sewing!

I’ve had these scraps of jean material in a bag for quite a while now, and Thursday evening I got the urge to ‘make something’ – so I went digging.  I was pretty happy with the result – I found a use for the pair of jeans that had worn through, used up a lot of fabric scraps, and have a new favorite skirt!

Blue Jeans are quintessentially American. Except that they’re probably not often Made in The USA.

These jeans, however, are. North Carolina, to be exact. And while I’ve only spent 72 hours in North Carolina, I liked those hours. And so I like that state. And so I deem these neat jeans. I’m guessing they’re not available in husky sizes for kids like me, but still–those of you who fit into normal clothes should consider buying some southern jeans. I like the custom-made approach, the attention to detail, the limited editions, and the general awesomeness of Raleigh Denim. Well done, tar-heels. Well done.

If you’d like to read about how most other jeans ain’t MITUSA, these angry people have things to say about Levi’s and Wranglers. And lest you worry that Lee jeans (available at JC Penney) aren’t MITUSA, they are. Sometimes maybe. “Men’s Lee jeans are washable cotton and made in USA, imported or imported of domestic fabric.” Great! Or awful.

###

Apparently if any given department at my job achieves 100 percent participation in having money taken out of our checks to be donated to The United Way, everyone in that department gets rewarded by being able to have a full week of ”jeans days.”

On jeans days, employees get to wear blue jeans, and, well, that’s it. They still have to wear a nice-ish shirt and some decent shoes.

This whole jeans week thing came up today, and my boss was saying he really wanted to reach 100 percent because he’d like to wear jeans everyday for a week at work.

This led to the following exchanges:

Me: “Okay, but what if I don’t own any jeans?”
My boss: “Well, you’ll have to go buy some to wear for that week.”
Me: “I don’t like jeans. I’ll just come into work dressed like normal those days. Or maybe I’ll come in wearing a full suit and tie.”
My boss, clearly not realizing that me not owning jeans in the first place already answers the following: “Then you’ll be the odd one out. Do you really want to be different from everyone else?”
Me: “I’ve never succumbed to peer pressure in my life. I don’t plan on starting now.”
My boss: “Well, when everyone else is contributing and trying to get a jeans day, then we’ll see about the peer pressure.”
Me: “Veiled threats of physical violence are not the same as peer pressure.”
A girl in my department: “Hey, Josh, I want to have a word with you after work in the parking lot.”

Me: “What if I choose to support a competing organization because I don’t like The United Way’s ideology?”
My boss: “Well, I can’t do anything about that. That’s just the charity the company chose to support.”
Me: “Charity? I already volunteer at a soup kitchen.”
My boss: “You can still contribute.”
Me: “I don’t actually volunteer at a soup kitchen.”

Me: “So, since I don’t own jeans, this whole jeans day thing isn’t really incentive for me. I need some other motivation to participate.”
Girl in my department who threatened to fight me in the parking lot during the other exchange: “Josh, I”ll buy you lunch for the whole week if we get a jeans week.”

So, that settles it: people apparently really like wearing blue jeans at work.

I’m not saying I will or won’t choose to have money taken out of my check to support The United Way, and it’s honestly something I am open to consider, even if just to help boost morale for everyone else in the department for one stinkin’ week. What I am saying is that trying to tempt me to donate by offering a jeans week isn’t really incentive to me.

But let me wear some baggy-ish cargos, and maybe a Busted Tees t-shirt and/or a nicely relaxed fit hooded sweatshirt, and I’m totally there.

However, I might actually be more prone to just dress as normal. At my last job, I got to dress more casually on a regular basis, and I found I was less focused at that job. That may or may not have something to do with that I really disliked much of my last job, but I will say I was more focused there on days when I was required to dress nicely to conduct interviews and stuff.

Or maybe they could just let me wear a Batman costume* all day. That’d be cool, too.

—————————————–

* The cool new one with the built-in abs, of course, not the ol’ skool TV show pajama-style outfit.

Pentru ca stiu ca fiecare dintre voi are cel putin o pereche de jeans acasa, va prezint tendintele pentru acest sezon.

Skinny Jeans

Inca au ramas in trend de ceva vreme.  Se potrivesc aproape la orice tip de pantof; pentru acest sezon sunt perfecte cizmele peste genunchi. Pentru partea de sus puteti opta pentru o bluza/pulover mai lung sau o tunica.

Boyfriend Jeans (Pantalonii iubitului)

Katie Holmes a inventat acest trend, purtand o pereche de blugi asa de mari incat toti au spus ca poarta blugii lui Tom Cruise.

Daca optati pentru acest tip de jeans incercati pentru partea de sus ceva mai stramt. Pentru pantofi inceracti sa evitati adidasii.

Ripped Jeans (Blugi rupti)

Daca ai o pereche confortabila dar veche,  scoate-i din dulap pentru ca pentru acest sezon sunt perfecti. Fie ca sunt skinny, baggy sau clasici sunt perfecti. Merg de minune cu tricouri simple albe sau in culori neon

Voi incepe cu parfumurile pentru barbati

Apa de parfum Refan 203 – corespondent Zino Davidoff 11ml

Parfum puternic masculin, amestec de ierburi proaspete, cu note de mijloc usor florale si baza lemnos prafoasa.

Apa de parfum Refan 204 – corespondent Pour Homme Fraiche Kenzo 11ml

Esenta contine note marine, cuisoare, miez de nuca, lemn de santal, iris,mosc, cedru si vetiver.

Apa de parfum Refan 207 – corespondent Egoiste Chanel 11ml

Un parfum rafinat cu tenta orientala si note de lemn.

Apa de parfum Refan 208 – corespondent Fahrenheit Dior 11ml

Esente : gherghin, lemn de santal.

Apa de parfum Refan 226 – corespondent Aqua Di Gio Armani 11ml

Esente : note marine, mandarine, pergamuta, neroli, curmal japonez, rozmarin, condurul-doamnei, iasomie, chihlimbar, patchouli.

Apa de parfum Refan 250 – corespondent Emporio white Homme Armani 11ml

Este un parfum proaspat – condimentat, deschis de note vii de bergamota, mandarina si lamaie.

Apa de parfum Refan 215 – corespondent Blue Jeans/Versace 11ml

Este un parfum masculin luxos, modern, ce combina lavanda, lemnul de santal, tamaia, patchouli, gardenia, vanilie, cedru si mosc.

Apa de parfum Refan 236 – Angel Thierry Mugler 11ml

Un amestec de mosc, vanilie, caramel, ciocolata curatat si improspatat de bergamota, lavanda si menta, intarite de cafea si patchouli.

Apa de parfum Refan 240 – corespondent Bvlgari 11ml

Amestec energizant de mandarin si cereale, condimentat cu chihlimbar.

Acestea sunt doar cateva dintre ele.

Pentru cine doreste sa devina reprezentant : rus_luminita@yahoo.com. Trimiteti mail sau putem vorbi pe messenger.

This season blue jeans are hot…the rattier the better. The featured item is from Honora. The icy blue and chocolate colors are a perfect together. This color duo has moved from a trend to a classic. When the color muse has left for the day-week-or month…give it a try.

Blue jeans è lo pseudonimo utilizzato da Daniela, una ragazza con poco meno di dicotto anni, nel suo lavoro di giovane prostituta. Il nomignolo le deriva dall’uitlizzo di hot pants in jeans, il suo abigliamento usuale. Durante un incontro a pagamento con un maturo cliente, la ragazza viene fermata dalla polizia mentre è appartata in un auto, identificata e portata in commissariato.

Blue jeans e i suoi amici

Blue jeans, Gloria Guida

Qui racconta al funzionario di polizia che la interroga di essere figlia naturale di un noto e ricco restauratore, Carlo Anselmi, che ancor prima della nascita di Daniela aveva avuto una relazone con la madre. Convocato in questura, Carlo si vede affibbiato la custodia di questa ragazza assolutamente disinibita, ed è costretto a portarla a casa con se. Carlo vive con Marisa, che ben presto è costretta a dover fare i conti con l’intrigante ragazza, che interrompe l’idilio con il suo compagno, rendendole ben presto la vita un vero inferno.

Scoperta dalla Buoncostume

Carlo e Marisa

Ma non solo: la ragazza porta scompiglio anche nella tranquilla vita borghese dell’uomo, creando imbarazzo anche durante le riunioni con gli amici.Un giorno, mentre la tensione è al massimo, e Marisa ha dovuto lasciare la casa, stanca delle continue intrusioni di Daniela, compare uno strano individuo nella vita di Daniela e Carlo: è Stefano, un giovane muto che riesce a farsi ospitare nella bellissima residenza del restauratore.

In commissariato

Primi problemi per Carlo e Marisa

Il giovane in realtà non è affatto muto, e in accordo con Daniela ha studiato un piano per far attribuire all’uomo la paternità di daniela, ucciderlo e quindi permettere alla ragazza di ereditare i cospicui beni dell’uomo. Sedotto dalla bellezza e dalla freschezza di Daniela, Carlo cede e inizia una appassionata relazione con la ragazza. Che alla finedecide di non assecondare più il piano di Stefano: quando sta per scattare la trappola che dovrebbe portare alla morte Carlo, Daniela interviene, ma troppo tardi.

Prove di seduzione

Il giovane uccide l’antiquario/restauratore, ma Daniela vendica l’amante facendo precipitare Stefano da una passerella, la trappola che avevano preparato assieme per uccidere Carlo.Rinunciando a proseguire nella sua rivendicazione dei beni di carlo, Daniela torna alla vita squallida della prostituzione.
Giallo abbastanza convenzionale, con piccole e timide concessioni ai nudi sempre apprezzabili di Gloria Guida, Blue jeans non si segnala per nessun merito particolare.

Anzi, i primi venti minuti, con l’interrogatorio della ragazza sono di una noia senza pari. Il film non decolla mai, e per tre quarti si limita a mostrare i tentativi i Daniela di distruggere la tranquillità della vittima predestinata, anche se va rimarcato il lodevole tentativo di Imperoli di non concedere tanto all’occhio lubrico dello spettatore, spingendo invece il film verso la connotazione thriller. Il finale riesce a salvare in qualche modo il film, con il classico delitto-castigo-espiazione.

La Guida, che interpreta la disinibita Daniela, è almeno convincente nella sua parte, cosa che invece non si può dire di Gianluigi Chirizzi, molto a disagio nei panni di Stefano. Paolo Carlini, personaggio centrale nei panni di carlo, se la cava senza infamia e senza lode.

Blue jeans, un film di Mario Imperoli, con Gloria Guida, Paolo Carlini, Annie Carol Edel, Gianluigi Chirizzi, Mario Pisu, Rino Bolognesi, genere drammatico, Italia 1975

Music is great for the sou! Among my personal issues: nearing the end of this quarter, gearing up for finals, working a lot on homework, and getting very little sleep, there is a calm in the storm.

Today I sit here basking in a peaceful solitude and totally relaxed in my cozy apartment, wrapped up in my new zip-up hoodie shirt that I purchased from the Jason Mraz: Gratitude Cafe Tour concert that came to the Dallas/Fort Worth area last night (Monday, September 14, 2009) at the NOKIA Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas. Now this may not be much of a review since on my part it will be very biased, but then again I suppose that anyone who went to go see one of their favorite artist and would spend the money to go see a great concert would be as such. Though I will tell you of the greatness that the concert was.

Before that though, I will tell you how I had the opportunity to go and see Jason Mraz in concert. I guess it started back in August or so when I was on Facebook where I have marked myself as a “Fan” of Jason Mraz and had received a notice that he was going to be having a concert in our area. I marked that I wanted to go and that it would be especially nice to do so being just a couple of days from my birthday. Well, from that point on I had never given it much thought since the tickets were a little much and I knew that I would be in the middle of going crazy with all of my school work and such. The person I totally have to thank for such a wonderful evening is my girlfriend and life-mate, who was sneaky and purchased the tickets behind my back and actually managed to keep a secret this whole time. I absolutely had no clue and the fact that I was suffering from very little sleep on the way there added to the unsuspecting arrival when pulling into the parking lot of the venue. In fact, I still had no idea what we were seeing until we were walking up to the entrance and passed someone who was carrying a souvenir bag with Jason Mraz’s logo and name on it. At that moment I was totally surprised and excited about what was to come. In addition, this would be the first concert that I have ever been to at the NOKIA Theater

Before Jason Mraz hit the stage, the opening band “G. Love and Special Sauce” from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their unique, “sloppy,” and “laid back” blues sound that encompasses the sound and production of classic R&B. I actually enjoyed listening to this band, thinking that they sounded like a cross between Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson. Come to find out, their first album was actually produced under Jack Johnson’s Bushfire Records able. Made sense to me.

After a nice intermission, Jason Mraz took the stage. Standing there with his guitar, his trademark Bogart fedora hat, an “Endless Summer” t-shirt, blue jeans, and bare feet he greeted the crowed with all the joy that was about to ensue. Did I happen to mention, that pretty much no matter where you sat, there seemed to be a pretty good view of the the stage. We were in the balcony about two or three rows back and it was a great view. Throughout the whole concert I just kept thinking that one could tell that Jason Mraz really loves his music. It was not just a concert being performed for an audience, it was total immersion into Jason’s place of Zen meditation. Funny enough, I actually thought back to my younger days going to Christian concerts and how there was always an underlying message to what was being said in words, but more in the music. One of the first few of his opening songs, if not the very first, “Details in the Fabric” really set the tone and ambiance of the concert. With having the audience sing along, the lyrics “Hold your own. Know Your Name. Go Your Own Way.” echoed softly within the theater walls from Jason and a choir of hearts and voices from the audience. Peaceful. Serene. Inspiring. From that point on the concert just kept getting better. For a lot of his songs he gave it a very Calypso cadence and sound that was done so well that even the big fans such as myself who know his music by heart, had a moment where they were so into it then thinking “hey that has a different sound to it” all because it was done so naturally without really changing the tone and quality to how the songs were sung. All of which of course added very much to the moving effect of getting into the music.

It is hard to explain and it goes without saying really, but the concert was absolutely wonderful. Just so happens to be one of, if not the best concert I have ever been to and believe me, I have been to a lot of them. There was so much positive energy that filled the room and one of the greatest and most active crowds that I have ever seen at a concert. How does one describe a concert of this magnitude really except to say “Awesome!” in my own words and more.

Jason Mraz’s music and performance is great for the soul! I was honored to have had the privilege to attend. My “Gratitude” to you Jason Mraz for seriously showing us what it is like when an artist is not burned out, but truely loves his music. The feelings and message travel through your lyrics and especially your music. Namaste!

I just saw the most amazing documentary called China Blue.

It follows the lives of two young girls (not yet really women) who come from the country to work in a blue jeans factory in the city.  It chronicles the 7-day-a-week, sometimes round the clock for 36 or more hours if there is a big order, working life of these women.  Their pitiful pay and the attitudes of the factory owners and management are shown at length too.

Fantastically enlightened management in this part of the world seems to be shown if you give the workers a free bun and cup of tea at midnight when you’re forcing them to work all night with no overtime pay.  The owner’s rants about lazy workers who will cheat him if they have a chance are amazing to us who see workers too exhausted to work any more, but who are prodded awake and urged to glue their eyelids open to stay awake (doesn’t work).

The horrible thing is, that even though our clothing manufacturers here are telling us that they’re on top of the situation as far as child labour and exploitation are concerned, it’s just not so.  They pay the factories so little per order that for the boss to make his expected profit the workers get unfairly paid.  The factories are notified ahead of time, either formally or through the grapevine, when an inspection is coming so they can temporarily improve things and give the workers scripts to spout about how wonderful their job is.

One of the very best things about this movie though is the way it focuses on the girls as whole human beings with dreams and aspirations.  Their thoughts, diaries and curiosity about the world are amazing.  I’m not sure I’d have energy for any of that if I worked those hours in those conditions.

You know though – we are all, each one of us that supports any company manufacturing its goods in China, responsible for this situation.  Look at the profits of these companies – they’re well able to afford to pay enough in China or elsewhere to get their jeans and whatever else made within reasonable hours and at a living wage.  If you buy things Made in China, until both the retailers here and the Chinese factory owners behave in a more humane fashion, you are as responsible for the unacceptable working conditions these people face as anyone else in the chain.

Money talks!! The only way we can change anything in this world is by “voting with our pocketbooks” and not giving our money to those who put profit – and excessive profit at that – before human well-being and dignity.

So, read your labels and tell your retailers you want alternative goods NOT “Made in China”.  And see this documentary if you ever get the chance!

A couple of reviews of this documentary:

“China Blue is more than an exercise in cinematic activism…the film develops a natural dramatic structure that’s profoundly affecting. Mr. Peled doesn’t just record the girl’s indignities, he listens to their dreams…China Blue examines the plight of the world’s largest pool of cheap labor and traces its exploitation to a retail outlet near you.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

“The most heartbreaking, moving film in theaters right now is not “Babel,” “Letters From Iwo Jima” or “Little Children.” It is China Blue…This is an unforgettable film.” THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE