Por Juliana Gomes

} Hoje, sexta-feira, vai rolar Rosario Smowing @ Clube Berlin.

A big Band Argentina se apresenta hoje no Clueb Berlin. Os oito integrantes fazem uma fusão de músicas dos anos 40 e 50, com elementos de ska, mambo, rockabilly, dixie, tango e bolero. Rosario faz um som bem parecido com a banda Squirrel Nut Zippers.

BLUE ROSE Wedding or Special Occasions Felted Bolero

Available at my Etsy shop:
Magic Laboratory of Fashion
All designs are © Tatiana Agapcheva, please do not copy my work.

de Vama si oameni frumosi, oameni care intampina soarele cu sufletul plin de zambet. Si cu Bolero, pentru cei care stiu ce inseamna asta

Tényleg elmentünk a meccsre.
A dupló márkás kisűrhajó vizilóinált kicsisz tényleg!
Igaz!

Kellérbári Jehova kicsit beakasztott Kézdibának.
Kézdibá nem bánta kívánja mindig.
Italok voltak. Sok.
Mindmegittuk.

Én közvetítettem, szépen, ahogy montuk péntek szonbat vazsárnap, séllyel kurom anyámat.

Bérbuzik a tevevízilóban és másütt vagy másutt FASZ!!!!!!!!!

Honnat jött ez a bérbuzi biztos a kurvák fizetik a hímkurvák, lotyósorsolás lesz, illetve dehogyis lotyóhúzás. Vagy lotyóhízás? Bérceleb vérbuzi, vérceleb bérbuzi, bérvér buziceleb, celebbél buzivér, veréb culibér.

VÉR

Podmaniczky Zighej műsorvezető néni 2 faszt szopott szépen az időjárás jelentés Horváth Hejhitler 10 lejért baszó bácsi mellére vizelő Kovács Kitartás testvér seggébe élvezett pulikutyám szépen.

Simon Hitler

Celebvágóhíd végállomás nem megy tovább.

Az utolsó pápa biztosan nagyon fogja szeretni a szexet.
Mint ahogy az utolsó nemzetállam megszűnése előtt 10 perccel még fog egy jót hőskoszorúzni.

Minden szájba beleélveztem.

HALÁL!

Agyonazisten

Amanhã vai rolar a festa de premiação nacional do 31º Profissionais do Ano. As peças que saíram em todo o Brasil, distribuídas em 2 categorias (mercado e campanha), vão competir para descobrir qual foi a grande campanha do ano.

O bacana da história toda é que o Ceará venceu a regional Norte-Nordeste e vai ter representação no evento. É a Bolero com a divertida campanha pro Platinum Motel. Pra quem ainda não viu, confere aí:

Até mais!

Lycra Feather Bolero Jacket Review

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Lycra Feather Bolero Jacket Specifications

Silvermoon

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 23, 2009 00:15:05

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Lindo capullo de alelí,

Si tu supieras mi dolor,

Correspondieras a mi amor,

Y calmaras mi sufrir.

Porque tu sabes que sin ti

La vida es nada para mi.

Tu bien lo sabes,

Capullito de alelí.

No hay en el mundo para mi

Otro capullo de alelí

Que yo le brinde mi pasión,

Y que le de mi corazón.

Tu solo eres la mujer

A quien he dado mi querer

Y te brindé, lindo alelí

Fidelidad hasta morir

Por eso yo te canto a ti

Lindo capullo de alelí.

Dame tu aroma seductor

Y un poquito de tu amor,

Porque tu sabes que sin ti

La vida es nada para mi.

Tu bien lo sabes,

Capullito de alelí.

November 1

I was so overwhelmed when I sat down in my seat inside the Philharmonie concert hall.

Although not seeing Simon Rattle and Berlin Philharmoniker (the world renowned orchestra), here I was, sitting inside this famous hall that supposedly did not have one single bad seat. I was about to see another great orchestra – Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.

My seat was right above the back of the orchestra, in the first row, and I basically looked straight into the conductor’s eyes (except that he didn’t need to look up to my level). The design of the hall was very modern which the audience surrounded the orchestra and stage. It was very geometric. The hall sort of reminded me of CPMC with its modern and geometric design, although I am not even close to imply that they are similar acoustically or architecturally. No photography was allowed in the hall, so I had to use a photo from Google image for your reference:

(The photo doesn’t represent the view from my seat, FYI)

The first notes brought tears to my eyes. No joke. Trying to describe the sound would be like trying to tell a blind man what colors looked like. The notes sounded like the sky opened and the music came down from heaven.

Well, except that the sound came from below and I am obviously exaggerating. Seriously though, it was not like any live concerts I had heard before. I thought of Disney’s Fantasia, where you could see a “live orchestra” for Mickey but the sound came from previously recorded CDs. The acoustic and micing were so good that I sort of felt like that.

I glanced over the microphones above the orchestra. It was a nice feeling to use something I learned from school. The sound engineers positioned the mics pretty close to each section and instrument, unlike many symphonies – they usually just have room mics right up in the air.

My favorites were the last two pieces: Le Tombeau de Couperin and Boléro by Maurice Ravel.

Bertrand de Billy, the conductor, kept some rhythm in his conducting and had the balance between being a metronome and air-painter. It was straightforward without any pretentious sugar-coating, and he was powerful.

The final piece was a familiar tune to almost all music lovers’ ears, I think. Ravel’s Boléro. I now understand the difficulty in this piece. Ravel pretty much had the same melody going throughout the whole piece, rotated between different instruments. The only thing changing was really just the dynamics, building from strings plucking to bowing along with layers of winds. The biggest challenge was to play this piece and not lose your audience. With such a long build up (~13 minutes), it would be easy to zoom out through the repetition. It seemed like Bertrand de Billy gave the soloists freedom on the styles of the melodies. I have to say, even with my short attention span, the orchestra really drew me in. The hall really showed off the dynamic build-up in this piece as well.

One thing I noticed was the way Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra ended with their pieces. I love the unity in their motion that said, “Here it is. Watch out.” It was elegant and passionate at the same time, and it gave a nice closure for everyone.

—

On the other hand, Le Tombeau de Couperin is now one of my favorite piece of all time. I’ve been listening to it repeatedly (obsessively). Go listen to it if you have never heard of this! Such a beautiful piece.

Llegué a Bolivia en bus. Quería tomar el famoso tren de la muerte hasta Santa Cruz. Pero llegando a Puerto Soarez, la ciudad cerca de Brasil desde donde se sale el tren, descubro que hay una huelga y quizás no salga el tren de las 17 horas. Hablando con una mujer y un señor bolivianos, descubro que va a salir un bus “extra-oficial” a las 17h30 y que había 3 últimos lugares disponibles. Esa era la hora en que iban a decir si el tren saldría o no. El señor no quería ir en bus, dijo que no existe carretera, es peligroso y desorganizado. Tuve segundos para tomar una decisión difícil: ir en bus y perder la oportunidad de ir en el tren de la muerte, básico para cualquier aventurero que va de Brasil a Bolivia o Perú, o arriesgar a quedarme aislada por no sé cuanto tiempo en una ciudad sin nada interesante?

Compré el último boleto del bus. Luego entraron más unas 10 personas y se sentaron en el pasillo. Detalle: el viaje duraría más de 20 horas.

El bus:

- antiguo, con maletas y bolsas por todos los lados, incluso en el piso. O sea, caminábamos sobre las bolsas de  otras personas. Claro que no había lugar para mi mochila, pero encontré bueno llevarlas bajo mis pies.

- con mucho polvo. Luego vi que no lo mantenían limpio, porque no sería práctico: el calor nos obligaba a dejas las ventanas abiertas (ya que no había aire acondicionado) y, como el camino era de tierra, entraba mucho polvo.

- sin baño (20 horas, recuerdan?)

El viaje:

- Peso extra+ carretera con piedras= neumático pinchado dos veces.

- El conductor paró dos veces, en dos villas por el camino, supuestamente para cenar  y desayunar. Pero en los “restaurantes”, no había comida (suerte que yo tenía muchas galletas en mi bolso).

- El señor mencionado, de unos 60 años, iba a mi lado y intentó pasarme la mano toda la noche.

- El polvo era tanto que me quedé toda cubierta y tuve alergia.

- Durante la noche oí gritos y sentí un fuerte resbalón: el conductor había dormitado, el bus empezó a salir del camino y a caer en el barranco! Pero los de adelante gritaron y el conductor pudo evitar lo peor. Si yo muriera allí en el medio de la nada, en un bus “pirata”, probablemente mi familia nunca más hubiera sabido de mi! Durante la noche, en la oscuridad total, vi una estrella fugaz y mi pedido fue:

Quiero llegar viva!

(Detalle importante, descubierto después: el tren de las 17h30 no salió, y los huelguistas impedían que más buses saliesen. Durante 4 días, no hubo transporte público de Puerto Soarez a Santa Cruz….)

Para coronar la historia:

Cuando alguien dijo que faltaban 5 horas para llegar, yo dije alto:

- Horas, pasen rápidamente.

Pero aquel señor, encantado conmigo, comenzó a cantar el bolero El Reloj!!!

“Reloj no marques las horas ella se irá para siempre, cuando amanezca otra vez
Nomás nos queda esta noche para vivir nuestro amor y tu tic tac me recuerda mi irremediable dolor.
Reloj detén tu camino, detén el tiempo en tus manos HAZ ESTA NOCHE PERPETUA!!!!!!!!!”

¿Tren de la muerte? Dudo que hubiera sido más emocionante que mi bus de la muerte….

The Strictly twitter feed has announced that there will be new dances, never performed competitively before, on November 28th. It will be announced on this week’s show what the dances will be.

We have had the mambo, swing, merengue and rueda performed by the celebrities over the last few series, so I suspect that the dances will be chosen from these. We have seen various other dances performed by the professionals, such as Brian and Kristina’s bolero

and Vincent and Flavia’s Tango Waltz

so these may also be a possibility.

Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait and see, and I’m not good at that!

Cheguei à Bolívia de ônibus. A idéia era pegar o famoso trem da morte na fronteira com o Mato Grosso, até Santa Cruz. Mas chegando a Puerto Soarez, a cidade de onde sai o trem, fico sabendo que há uma greve dos ferroviários e que talvez o trem das 17 horas não saia. Conversando com uma mulher e um senhor bolivianos, descubro que vai sair um ônibus “extra-oficial” às 17h30 e que havia 3 últimos lugares disponíveis. Esse era o horário em que iam dar o informe se o trem sairia ou não. O senhor não queria ir de ônibus, disse que não existe estrada, é perigoso e desorganizado. Tive segundos para tomar uma decisão difícil: ir de ônibus e perder a chance de ir no trem da morte, básico para qualquer aventureiro na Bolívia e Peru, ou arriscar a ficar ilhada por não sei quanto tempo numa cidadezinha sem nada interessante?

Comprei a última passagem do ônibus. Bom… a última passagem sentada. Porque logo entraram mais umas 10 pessoas e se sentaram no corredor. Detalhe: a viagem duraria mais de 20 horas.

O ônibus:

- antigo, com malas e sacolas por todos os lados, inclusive no chão. Ou seja, caminhávamos “por cima” das sacolas das outras pessoas. Claro que não havia lugar pra minha mochila, mas achei até bom levá-las sob meus pés.

- muito empoeirado. Logo descobri que não o mantinham limpo, porque não adiantaria: o calor obrigava as janelas a ficarem abertas (já que não havia ar condicionado) e, como o caminho era de terra, entrava muito pó.

- sem banheiro (20 horas, lembram?)

A viagem:

- Peso extra+ estrada com pedras= pneu furou duas vezes.

- O motorista parou duas vezes, em duas vilas no caminho, supostamente para o jantar e o café-da-manhã. Mas os “restaurantes”, não tinham comida (sorte que tinha muitos lanches na bolsa).

- O senhor mencionado, de uns 60 anos, ia ao meu lado e ficou tentando passar a mão em mim a noite inteira.

- A poeira era tanta que eu fiquei toda coberta de pó, me sentindo a mulher-poeira e comecei a ter alergia.

- Durante a noite, semi-adormecida, ouvi uns gritos e senti um forte tranco: o motorista tinha cochilado, o ônibus começou a sair do caminho e a cair na ribanceira! Mas quem estava na frente gritou e o motorista conseguiu evitar o pior. Se eu morresse ali no meio do nada, num ônibus pirata, provavelmente minha família nunca mais saberia de mim! Durante a noite, na escuridão total, vi uma estrela cadente e meu pedido foi:

Quero chegar viva!

(Detalhe importante, descoberto depois: o trem das 17h30 não saiu, e os grevistas impediam que mais ônibus saíssem. Durante 4 dias, não houve transporte público de Puerto Soarez a Santa Cruz….)

Para coroar a história:

Quando alguém disse que faltavam 5 horas para chegar, eu disse alto:

- Horas, passem rápido.

Mas aquele senhor, encantado comigo, começou a cantar um bolero em espanhol, chamado El Reloj, que diz assim:

“Relógio, não marque as horas, porque quando a manhã chegar, ela se vai pra sempre,

Só temos esta noite para viver nosso amor, e o seu tic-tac me lembra minha dor.

Relógio, detenha-se! FAÇA DESSE MOMENTO ETERNO!!!!!”

Trem da morte? Duvido que teria sido mais emocionante que meu ônibus da morte.…

Bolivianazinha e sua llama, na isla del sol, lago Titicaca, Bolivia

Nicht nach Südafrika zur Weltmeisterschaft fahren zu dürfen, ist für Rußland bitter. Aber es dreht sich auch dort nicht alles um den Ball, und Weltmeister ist man ja schon in den unterschiedlichsten Diszplinen. Nein, nicht nur im Sport, sondern auch in der Kultur. Von Artjom Markin ist die Rede, dem Leiter des Landessymphonieorchesters Wladimir und Direktor des Zentrums für Chormusik, der sich mit dem Titel Weltmeister schmückt und ihn nun auch noch verteidigen will.

Artjom Markin mit seinem Orchester

Dazu ist er eigens in die Türkei geflogen, wo er an einem einzigartigen internationalen Projekt teilnimmt, “Klavier-Quartett” genannt und ersonnen von dem Pianisten Alexander Gindin. Artjom Markin hat bereits vor zwei Jahren in Moskau gleichzeitig das Spiel von vier Klavieren dirigiert, eine Leistung, die vor ihm noch niemand in der Musikgeschichte vollbracht hatte. Dabei mußten Musiker und Dirigent vor dem Auftritt sich mit nur einer einzigen Probe begnügen. In der Türkei will Artjom Markin noch eins draufsetzen. Zunächst schwingt er den Stab beim hochkarätig besetzten Klavierfestival in Antalya, und dann ein weiteres Mal in Istambul. Die vier Pianisten werden unter seinem Dirigat Musik aus dem Ballett “Die Spielzeugschachtel” von Claude Debussy und den “Bolero” von Maurice Ravel spielen.

Die trauernden Fußballfans in Wladimir wird das kaum trösten, aber einen weiteren Grund, auf ihre Kulturschaffenden stolz zu sein, haben sie schon.  Und vielleicht gelingt ja nächstes Jahr, was im Frühsommer leider abgesagt werden mußte: ein Gastspiel des Weltmeisters am Pult mit dem Erlanger Kammerorchester und/oder der Jenaer Philharmonie. Ein lohnendes Ziel allemal.

Marturisesc, cu mana pe inima, ca nu agreez concertele electorale. De niciun fel. Pentru ca sunt false si nu stiu cat de interesati sunt cei care canta pentru un anumit candidat de viitorul politic al acestuia. De fapt, nici nu cred ca ar trebui amestecate muzica si politica. Dar in fine, asta e doar o parere proprie si personala.

Concertul Iris de la Cluj-Napoca, inclus in campania electorala a lui Oprescu, m-a intrigat putin, pentru ca inca mi se pare ca dupa operatie, Cristi are nevoie de odihna, nu de abundenta de spectacole. Stiu, publicul doreste sa ii vada pe scena, la fel si eu, dar pauza asta pe care o recomandasera medicii, ar trebui respectata. Sau nu atat pauza, cat ciclicitatea spectacolelor. Eu nu ma bazez pe chestia ca “Cristi se simte bine si e in forma”, pentru ca medicii aia stiu ei ce zic. Dar no, sa revin la spectacol, ca doar de-asta m-am apucat sa scriu postul asta.

Inceputul a fost asa cum au fost si ultimele concerte Iris, cu noul intro, urmat de Pamantul il cuprind. Dar urmatoarea piesa m-a incantat putin mai mult, pentru ca e ceva ce nu mai ascultasem de multisor, Calatorul. Au mai fost cateva astfel de momente, cu piese ceva mai “rele”, gen Ingerii goi, Tot zbor, Pe ape, chestii de care mi-e dor in concertele Iris. Foarte faine au fost si momentele solo ale fiecaruia dintre membrii trupei, cu un plus pentru Bolero-ul lui Nelu. Piesele au avut un curs firesc, Casino, Doamna in negru, Ultima toamna, Baby intregind un spectacol mai mult decat reusit. Imi place ca trupa are prezenta in playlist, tot mai des in ultima vreme, Vis pierdut, una din piesele mele preferate, a doua intr-un top, dupa Cine ma striga in noapte si pe care au dedicat-o in concertul de la Cluj tuturor prietenilor disparuti dintre noi. Finalul, evident, a fost cu binecunoscutele Pe ape si Floare de iris si in cele din urma, Iris Maxima.

Despre baieti, spun doar ca i-am vazut cu pofta de cantat, cel putin asa i-am perceput eu. Cristi arata bine, sper ca se si simte bine. Si daca tot sunt la lucrurile pozitive, mi-a placut bunul simt al domnului Oprescu, care nici macar nu si-a facut aparitia pe scena (poate chiar nici la concert), cum am mai vazut la alte concerte electorale. Partile negative sunt abundenta de baloane (niciodata nu mi-a placut), bratari, brichete si alte suveniruri electorale si inghesuiala. Pacat ca venim atat de multi la un concert cand e moka, dar ne facem ca ploua atunci cand costa.

Sa speram ca alegerile vor fi castigate de cel mai indreptatit, ca Iris va continua concertele (nu electorale) si ca noi com trai mai bine.

Gasiti, in caz ca doriti, fotografii aici si cateva filmari aici

Having traveled throughout the world, Donald Grant has taken all of those musical influences and blended them into a simmering fusion of world music on The Way Home. Around every corner is something different – flamenco, slow air, Mexican bolero, jazz – and through it all is Donald’s divine fiddling. Joining him on this adventure is a stellar cast of musicians, among them:  Catriona McKay, Seamus Egan, Karen Matheson, Donald Shaw, and James MacIntosh.

Aside from performance and production, Donald’s tune writing talents are incredibly diverse and mature. The majority of the pieces on The Way Home are self-penned. The most poignant is the Gaelic-language lullaby “Tha Thu Daonnan Nam Smuain (You are always in my thoughts),” co-written with his father and sung by Karen Matheson. It is breathtakingly gorgeous and Karen’s vocals carry it deep into the heart. This gorgeousness is also found on “Chrissie’s”, a touching slow air written for his aunt. It begins gently with harp and fiddle before swelling into a crescendo of full strings. It then finishes as gently as it began.

Donald’s talents aren’t confined to slow pieces. “Reel Valencia” features rapid-fire fiddling over a flamenco rhythm, while “NZ 2004” is a funky, jazz-infused tune that commemorates a trip to New Zealand with friends. One of my favorites is “Rollerblade Reels,” a rollicking set that includes 2 puirt a beul (mouth music) tunes.

The two non-original pieces are worth mentioning here. The first is the stunning Highland slow air “An Gille Bàn (The Fair Haired Lad)”, also known as “An T-Iarla Diurach (The Earl of Jura)”. Donald’s rendition is exquisitely haunting and, for me personally, the highlight of the album. It is an amazing showcase of his virtuosity. The second piece is the Mexican bolero “Noche de Ronda,” a sultry torch song made more so by the smoldering vocals of Sally Doherty.

An old Gaelic proverb says, “The man who roamed furthest from home heard the sweetest music when he returned home.”  Donald Grant’s The Way Home is, indeed, the sweetest music.

To visit Donald’s official website, click here.

To visit Donald’s MySpace page, click here.

National Jean Company, Denim Legging; $24.00

I must share this FANTASITC trend find I just scored–for $24.00! Including shipping! OH MAN. Thank you, ShopStyle and thank you, National Jean Company. I am not worthy.

I’m sure you’ve been acquainted with the best fashionism since shooties.  Jeggings !  Could the name be any funnier? And could these be any more…awesome? What’s great about jeggings (vs. leggings) is that even if you don’t have a top to *totally* cover your bum (but please remember: partial-to-full coverage is preferable, ladies!) it’s all good because…well, because let’s face it: you’re not wearing tights as pants. These babies happen to be of the denim variety. I plan on rocking this look in its entirety with my favorite slub tunic and leather bolero. LOVE IT! ♥

Bolero en polaire, capuche doublé fausse fourrure, fermeture par 2 boutons: 49€

PS: les gants miaou, il me semble qu’ils sont trouvable à la boutique Jap’n go, pour les nantais!

 Bolero superb    Pret: 24 Ron REDUS la 20 Ron

Masura: 36 sau 38; Material:100% poliester (este un material gen sifonat); Culoare: crem spre cafeniu

Se incheie in trei nasturi si se leaga in fata. Modelul deosebit scoate sanii in evidenta.

I’m a fan of figure skating, but old school.  Meaning: I didn’t really follow the Olympics in Torino and don’t have a clue who plans to compete in Vancouver, but I was obsessed with the Battle of both the Carmens and the Brians in Calgary in 1988 and went just about over the moon when the IOC changed the rules and I got two winter Olympics in two years:  1992 and 1994.  There was Kristi and eventually Nancy.  And perhaps my favorite of all, Michelle.   But before any of these women, there was Katarina.  I started thinking about her last week with all the talk of the end of the Cold War, the wall coming down, and reunification.

Katarina Witt is a figure skater who represented East Germany throughout most of her skating career.  She stole my heart in 1988 when she went head to head with Debi Thomas in the ladies figure skating championship in Calgary.  She won with this performance, which still gives me goose bumps.  But it’s another performance that still has the ability to make me cry. Witt is only one of two women who ever successfully defended her Olympic title (1984 and 1988; the other is Sonja Henie).  She did not compete in the 1992 games, but due to a change in the rules professional skaters were allowed to compete in 1994.  Without any realistic expectations of winning a medal, she instead created a routine that she dedicated to the people of Sarajevo.  She won her first gold medal at the winter Olympic games in Sarajevo in 1984, so when she returned to the 1994 games in Lillehammer she skated her long program as a tribute to the people of Sarajevo, who were in the midst of a raging war following the collapse of the Yugoslav federation.   She skated to a version of Pete Seeger’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone.  While this isn’t the Olympic performance, it’s the same program and better quality:

In 1994 I also got to know Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, an ice dancing pair who also won their first gold medal at the 1984 winter games in Sarajevo.  Their long program, which they skated to Ravel’s Bolero, stunned audiences and judges alike — they were the first skaters ever to receive the perfect score of 6.0 from every single judge in the artistic impression category.   Due to the same change in rules that brought Katarina Witt to Lillehammer, Torvill and Dean also came back in 1994.  They were robbed of the gold that year (imho), but here’s the routine from ‘84 that, for many, revolutionized the sport of ice dancing.

And then came Michelle.  I barely know where to begin.  (My friend Michelle might encourage me to start by telling you about the belt that I once purchased because it was the same beautiful ice blue color of the dress that Michelle Kwan wore during her long program at the Nagano Olympics when she, too, was robbed of the gold medal … but I might be too embarrassed to mention it.)  I love Michelle Kwan.  I was devastated when thatbitchtaralipinski was awarded the gold medal in 1998.  I’m sure Michelle has reconciled herself to that travesty in Olympic history, but I haven’t!  Anyway, onward to Salk Lake City in 2002, which we all thought was Michelle’s year.  Turns out it was, though not quite like any of us imagined.

Due to all sorts of fishy ice skating rules and things, not to mention a few mistakes during her performance (details details), she won the bronze medal.  However, it was during the post-competition Olympic gala that I saw her Fields of Gold program for the first time.  Seriously, waterworks.  What a triumph it was to watch her, in a season during which everyone favored her for the gold, put her best foot forward and skate so beautifully to a song with such an ironic title. (As a side note, Kwan’s routine helped pluck the singer Eva Cassidy from relative obscurity and, though posthumously, her album Songbird went on to receive gold certification; Cassidy’s parents went to see Kwan perform this routine in Baltimore and presented her with a copy of the gold record.)   It seems quaint now, but I recorded the performance using my trusty VCR and would watch it every now and then until one day, gasp, I accidentally recorded an episode of ER on top of it.  Thus, I must take this opportunity to thank you, Internet, for giving me my Michelle back.

Finally, who in the world knew that the name “Figure Skating” actually came from the compulsory figures (or school figures) that played a significant role in the overall scores during competitions?  Didja?!  Clearly I never thought this through (and I call myself a fan) but, wow, what a discovery.  While doing some reading for this post I found multiple references to people receiving marks for “compulsory figures,” which under the former skating rules was a score that awarded points for carving specific figures into the ice that were then scrutinized by judges to make sure they were uniform in size, didn’t wobble or have flat edges, etc.  Compulsory figures actually gave the sport its name!  And they were the sport for a long time, counting for more than half an athlete’s total score.  Eventually the short program was added and compulsories counted for less of the total, but were still combined with the short and long programs to determine the winner of a particular competition. Their weight in competition changed over time, and they were eventually eliminated altogether in 1990.  Seriously, I may be the last person to figure this out (heh), but blow me down.  Things make much more sense now.

Matching your facial expression to the weather is a true talent; check out this gloomy mug. Matching gold with gold is not such a talent but at least makes for a little shine on an otherwise grey day.

This dress was one of four items I bought for £10 from a German lady at the last Car Boot Sale I visited, along with a black lycra bodycon dress, a black velvet one and a leather pencil skirt. I had the impression she was the kind of woman who never threw things out as long as they still fitted her. She very lovingly folded them all immaculately before placing them in a bag for me and telling me she wished she could still get into them but she was sure they’d look lovely on me.  I now wear all the dresses to death, I am sure this is partly because of that little interaction that still makes me smile.

The shoes were a present from my mum, they are vintage
Charles Jourdan that had never been worn but not stored properly as, the first time I wore them (to a gig with a particularly sticky floor) the soles came clean off. With a lot of tlc and a little glue, they are making a valiant effort to keep it together. So it seems fitting they should be worn with a bolero trimmed with tiny gold medals. On closer inspection, they look more like coins and the cardigan is made in Turkey so I suspect it was a whimsical tourist purchase which someone lost the guts to wear once back on British soil. Their loss as it’s warming me up a treat today.

Vintage 80s Gold Button Dress – Royal Cyclamen via Car Boot Sale

Turkish Gold Coin Bolero – Oxfam

Vintage 80s Gold & Black Pumps – Charles Jourdan via gift

Co-Branding, as defined by Philip Kotler, is “Two or more well-known brands combined in an offer”. Co-Branding refers to a situation where a product or service offering holds the brand names of both the participants to influence brand preference and incentivise purchase of the product or service in concern by delivering a perception of the existence of the brand values of both the brands involved to the consumer of the product or service. This essentially tries to incorporate the advantages or brand associations of both the brands involved into one product or service offering.

Co-Branding carries a strong list of advantages, partly relating to brand associations and values, and partly with the product or service offering itself. The former is done to enhance customer experience and influence behaviour, the latter is done to incorporate usage of technology or brand attributes like design, aesthetics et al in the product or service in order to offer an enhanced or augmented product or service. New product launches often depend on Co-Branding for establishing market position by having customer identify new brands and their offerings through an already existing brand. This can often be combined with Synergies offered by particular brands. An example of this would be, although in its nascent stage, the Mahindra-Renault partnership where Mahindra’s expertise in the Indian market was used to develop distribution and service channels, and Renault’s product portfolio is used to produce and design cars. Mahindra benefits through Renault’s expertise in producing sedans and hatchbacks for their future portfolios, and Renault benefits in saving huge dealer development costs and having its current mid-size offering, the Logan, being identified as a cheap to run, frugal and reliable automobile, all values housed by Mahindra brands such as the Scorpio and the Bolero. Image re-enforcement has become another common trend in the marketplace where two complementary brands come together and market their offerings together. A very apt example of this would be Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola, or as they call it, ‘Jack & Coke’. When this campaign was carried out in pubs and bars across the United States, Jack Daniel’s was perceived more as a rugged brand or rednecks, and coke has a wider appeal to the youth. The middle ground was the newly legal adults who had experienced Coke for decades, but hadn’t experienced Jack Daniel’s whiskey. This Co-Branding exercise was carried out to appeal to the market in between the typical Coke and Jack Daniel’s markets, i.e., 21 to 35 year olds. It became such a success that Jack & Coke has become a favourite amongst not only the targeted segments of the market, but also with older, more mature audiences. In a nutshell, Co-Branding essentially has to take into consideration the brand partnership that the customer perceives (purpose, advantages), the common values the brands and its customers share and what the co-branding offering means to the target audiences.

Brand Loyalty, when it comes to Co-Branding, is a tricky business. When a service or product offering is similar to the brand value or image offered by the Co-Branded offering, success is often witnessed. An example of this would be the limited edition Tonino Lamborghini Espresso Machine. Only 1000 units were produced, priced at about $1750. Since the offering appealed directly to the Lamborghini target market, it was sold-out within a matter of days. The buyers were not just Lamborghini car owners, they were also people who admired the Lamborghini brand and couldn’t own the car, so the association created with the espresso machine goes a long way in delivering customer delight, even without owning a Lamborghini is truly astounding. However, this can be often fatal to the image of brands as well. The formerly GM owned SUV cult brand Hummer had launched a mobile phone with a company named ‘Fly’. The product was, for lack of a better phrase, inadequate. Where the Hummer brand stood for rugged looks and go-anywhere attitude, the Fly Hummer phone stood for neither. The phone was perceived by the market as flimsy and basic, whereas the Hummer brand stood for all else. The Co-Branding was a failure where even Hummer car owners were also turned off by the entire exercise.

Famous examples of fairly successful Co-Branding include ICICI and Hindustan Petroleum Credit Cards, Lease-Plan and Mondial assistance, Intel with major computer manufacturers like Hewellet-Packard, Dell etc., Acer-Ferrari Laptops, Asus-Lamborghini Laptops, Puma-Ferrari merchandise, Fiat-Mattel Barbie Fiat 500, TataSky digital Dish TV, The Global Fund (Red) with various brands like Apple, American Express, Dell, Starbucks, Hallmark, Converse etc., Jack Daniel’s and TGI Friday’s with multiple Jack Daniel dishes, and the list goes on and on. However, failures have included British Telecom and AT&T, Mahindra-Renault, Braun-Gillette Body Shavers, Fly Hummer Mobile Phones, and many more.

Co-Branding, hence, is a double edged sword, with each side being sharp enough to cut through titanium. Organisations have to be very careful while co-branding and aiming for success simply because of the fact that a wrong move can result in stupendous disasters that may plague the brands involved for a long period of time where the organisation may end up spending millions to revive the brand.

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Franzi´s Fashion Mix - Shot and Model Franzi Osterham – Photographer in SL – Photoalbum in Flickr!

Mit diesem ”kleinen Schwarzen” von Mondira/Viviane Fashion seid Ihr immer sexy angezogen. Ihr bekommt es mit drei verschiedenen Variationen im Paket.

Natürlich könnt Ihr das Minikleid auch wunderbar mit Jacken, Boleros, Boas o.ä. kombinieren wie ich auf dem 2. Foto. Ich trage hier das neue Ibizarre Bolero Jacket.

Style Card:

• Outfit/Dress: Mondira/Viviane Fashion – Little Black Dress Set 2 incl. Socks
• Jacke/Jacket: IBIZARRE – Bolero Jacket
• Skin: A Piece of Candy – Laurel 2 – Dollarbie – Red Diamond Hunt
• Haare/Hair: Calico Ingmann Creations - Sadira II – Groupgift
• Tattoo: niciARTLINE – Tattoo Black Stars
• Stiefel/Boots: COCO – Zipper Bootie
• Tasche/Bag:  YS&YS – Illetes Bag, Darkflower, November Group Gift

Trio Matamoros

El bolero, expresión musical latinoamericana, es el encuentro y resultado de los viejos valores musicales llevados a la región oriental de la isla de Cuba por diferentes culturas provenientes de Europa y Africa a finales del siglo XVIII e incios del siglo XIX, luego de consumarse la independencia de Haití. Entre estos elementos resaltan el bantú- yurumí y yoruba procedentes del continente africano, y de Europa el entonces naciente romanticismo, los cuales se fusionaron en el Caribe insular, de lengua romance (castellano), para expandirse por todo el continente americano. Esa expresión musical que había germinado en el Oriente de Cuba, en forma de canción, evolucionó y tomó carta de nacionalidad caribeña y antillana. Su influencia fue de tal magnitud, que a partir de la década de los 20 del siglo XX, y con mayor profusión en los años treinta debido al avance de medios radioeléctricos, el cine y el tocadisco, traspasa los linderos como manifestación caribeña, saltando fronteras hasta verla presente no solo en la América de habla hispana, ya que la veremos tomando los escenarios e inspirando a compositores e intérpretes en la América Anglosajona y de habla portuguesa. ( ©2000 Jose Emilio Castellanos )

Trio Matamoros en vivo  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZn6B66i6w

Recordando a Miguel Matamoros hablan Cueto y Siro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gME_O3gZack&feature=related