Cantal är en av de äldsta franska ostarna med en historia som sträcker sig 2000 år tillbaka. Dagens Cantal tillverkas av både rå eller pastöriserad komjölk och fick sin AOC 1956. Sedans dess har AOCn ändrats ett antal gånger, senast 2007, och numera även AOP. Detta innebär att det idag finns lite olika namn på osten beroende på lagringstid.

• Cantal jeune (ung), lagrad 1-2 månader
• Cantal entre-deux (mellan de två), lagrad2-6 månader
• Cantal vieux (gammal), lagrad mer än 6 månader

Dessutom kan den kallas Fourme de Cantal. Osten som hör hemma i familjen pressade ostar och korna som ger mjölken vandrar omkring i Centralmasssivet på mellan 700 och 1000 meters höjd. Centralmassivet ligger som kanske hörs på namnet i mellersta och södra Frankrike. Cantal tillverkas i form av cylindrar med en diameter på 36-42 cm och höjden 25-40 cm, vikten kan variera mellan 35-45 kg. Osten har en lite salt smak och som ung är den väldigt mild för att i sinmest lagrade variant ibland vara rejält stark och stickig i smaken. Själv föredrar jag mellanvarianten som är den som syns på bilden.

Det kan vara fatalt att glömma sin Cantal är temat på en serie reklamfilmer som sänds på fransk tv. «Chantal t’as pas oublié le Cantal?» är titeln på filmerna och det är alltid Chantal som glömt att ta med sig Cantal. Nedanstående film finns i två versioner, förutom den jag lagt in även en med ett snällare avslut. Denna kanske är lite för brutal.

24 Nov 2009 09:40:31

Masi ngantuk.pdhl gwa udh tdur 8jam.gw pgn rutin sarapan oatmeal.katany bs mengusir jauh2 keinginan ngemil. Dan gw pgn mendidik lidah gw u/ tdk tergilagila dgn rasa gurih, manis dan asin. Kya pagi ini aja, ada sarapan dr kantor nasiuduk ayam.dan dsblhnya ada oatmeal gw.bgmnpun yg bkin deg2an ttp si udukayam.oatmealny ga menarik..:’( sedih.tp smp detik ini gw blm makan dua2nya.bingung,akirny gw bikin jahe anget instan.:’(

lucu kan? itu sms chant. I adore her and lovehersomuch!!

kadang2 kita butuh suntikan pagi berupa sms lucu dan menggemaskan dari orang yang sayang dan kita sayangi. gw ketawa ngakak baca smsnya.

gw ga heran dengan semua pendapat, pandangan, perlakuan usus.

Chantal Kreviazuk,

Writer extraordinaire,

Falls flat as Plain Jane.

La créatrice de lingerie fine Chantal Thomass pose sa griffe coquine sur le maquillage Nivea. De cette collaboration est née une gamme de huit rouge à lèvres, deux blushs et six ombres à paupières. Les boitiers se parent de laçages, serrures ou satin, chers à la créatrice. Ces écrins délicats accueillent les couleur douces imaginées par Chantal Thomass. La texture des rouges à lèvre est très agréable et la tenue est bonne, la palette d’ombre à paupières quand à elle est un vrai régal pour les yeux. La collection arrivera en boutique dès le mois de juillet. De quoi donner des allures de boudoir à notre salle de bain. A partir de 8,20 €.

Monica Bellucci

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and fashion model.

Bellucci’s film career began in the early 1990s. In 1992, she made her first appearance in a major English-language film as one of Dracula’s brides in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. She became known and popular with worldwide audiences, following her roles in Malèna (2000), Brotherhood of the Wolf(2001), and Irréversible (2002), though is perhaps best known for her role as Persephone in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003), followed by her portrayal of Mary Magdelene in The Passion of the Christ (2004).

In 2003, Bellucci starred in Tears of the Sun as a doctor in Nigeria being rescued by the U.S., and in 2005 in the fantasy film The Brothers Grimm as a beautiful evil queen. Her latest films are The Stone Council (2006) by Guillaume Nicloux, and Manuale d’amore 2 (2007), where she portrays a physiotherapist, who is the object of the desire of her patient. She was supposed to be seen portraying Indian politician Sonia Gandhi in the biopic Sonia, originally planned for release in 2007, but now shelved. September 2007 saw the release of Shoot ‘Em Up, where she plays a prostitute, opposite Clive Owen. She dubbed her own voice for the French and Italian releases of the film.

She filmed Le deuxième souffle (2006), with Daniel Auteuil, Michel Blanc and Eric Cantona.Bellucci also voiced Kaileena in the video game Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and the French voice of Cappy for the French version of the 2005 animated film Robots.In 2007, she appeared in Heartango (2007), a film for Intimissimi, with José Fidalgo and directed by Gabriele Muccino.

Trivia:

She appeared in a black & white TV commercial for Dolce & Gabbana. The director was Giuseppe Tornatore, who also directed her in the movie Malèna (2000).

Measurements: 35C-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine.)

Fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish.

Daughter-in-law of Jean-Pierre Cassel.

Made a nude calendar for the Italian magazine Max in 1998 and another one for the Italian magazine GQ in 2000.

Was originally cast as Mina Harker in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict. The part then went to Peta Wilson.

Wears a size 10 shoe.

Studied jurisprudence for a short time.

Daughter, Deva Cassel (b. 12 September 2004 in Rome, Italy).

Engaged to actor Nicola Farron from 1990 to 1995.

She was elected the most beautiful woman in the world by French viewers on a TV show “La Plus belle femme du monde” on 8th November 2004.

One of the world’s top fashion models.

Favourite poem is “A Silvia” by Giacomo Leopardi.

Has her look-alike puppet in the French show “Les guignols de l’info” (1988).

She ranked #6 in Maxim’s ‘50 Sexiest Women’ (1999).

She ranked #9 in Maxim’s ‘100 Sexiest Women’ (2002).

She ranked #1 in Askmen’s ‘Most Desirable Woman’ (2002).

Italian citizen.

Shares birthday with Marion Cotillard, Deborah Kerr and Angie Dickinson.

Favorite movie is Una giornata particolare (1977) by Ettore Scola.

Her role as Chantal in “Under suspicion” was held by Romy Schneider in the original film:”Garde à vue”.

Owns an apartment in London.

Doesn’t always live with her husband Vincent Cassel, for avoiding routine the two live in separate apartments; she lives most of the time in London and he lives in Paris.

Bellucci is a typical surname from center Italy, it comes from the Latin word “Bellutus”, and has the same root as surnames like Belluto, Belluti, Belluzzo, Belluccio, or the aristocratic surname of Belluzzi.

Monica Bellucci in The Sorcerer's Apprentice

She speaks to her daughter Deva Cassel in Italian.

She has said in an interview that Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale have inspired her acting career.

Ranked as #89 in FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005″ special supplement. (2005)

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006

Supports the Italian football team.

Has a wax statue in the Grevin Museum in Paris.

Her parents are Pasquale Bellucci (the owner of a trucking company) and Brunella (a painter).She’s an only child.

Good friends with Guillaume Canet.

Ranked #5 on E! Entertainment Networks list of “101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies” list of 2006.

Attended University of Perugia.

Mother is painter Maria Gustinelli.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#35). [2007].

Her best friend is Ilaria D’Amico.

Un poema puede sugerir el instante.
Y en ese instante está el universo entero.

Chantal Maillard

Masculin Feminin (AKA: Masculine Feminine) – 1966

Director – Jean-Luc Godard

Starring – Chantal Goya, Jean-Pierre Leaud, and Marlene Jobert

Films by Jean-Luc Godard seem to play by a different set of rules than do other films from the French New Wave.  Sure each of them relies on the real settings, the fresh, often non-actors filling out the roles, and the same sort of do-it-yourself aesthetic that embodies the style, but Godard seems more interested in holding up a mirror to his audience than in weaving them a story.

Godard’s commentary on the people, places, and events of 1960’s France, are often times quite contrary to some of his peers such as Francois Truffaut, Jacques Demy, Claude Chabrol, or Agnes Varda.  Whereas these same ingredients played heavily on the stories of these other directors, Godard seems content to treat them AS the story with a loose narrative tying them together.  While this can make his message a bit blatant, it does nothing to remove any of the impact.

Masculin Feminin follows the rocky relationship of Paul (Leaud) and Madeleine (Goya), through a series of  encounters in seemingly mundane and everyday situations.  The characters are vain and selfish at first, flitting from one topic to another at the drop of a hat, but over time these conversations lay bare the real issue, fear.  Consumerism, politics, women’s rights, socialism, each topic is disscussed with a violent fervor, treated with the casual idealism of the Pepsi Generation before being discarded for the next cause.  Importance is gauged on the here and now, the past is history, and in the future the present has become the past.   Despite their posturing and opinions, Paul and Madeleine are afraid of what is to come, in both their relationship, and in their lives.  Each does their best to keep themselves distracted to such a degree that they don’t have to deal with their worries.

The modesty of the settings is often times punctuated through fantastic sequences of sudden violence.  A husband preventing his children from being taken by his estranged wife, gets gunned down outside of the cafe our main characters are sitting in, a man in an arcade knifes himself in the stomach after a confrontation with Paul, passengers on the same train as Paul are shot by one of the members of their own group.  This violence references the tumult in France at the time.  Mentioned at various points, the conflict in Vietnam (which in 1966 had started a year earlier in an official capacity for the Americans after being passed off by the French) must have played a huge role in defining the meaning of that violence, which was also being informed by issues as diverse as the re-election of Charles de Gaulle, the introduction of birth control, the end of WWII, and French women finally being given the vote.

One of my favorite parts of any movie from the French New Wave Era is the depiction of 1960s Paris.  The tone of these films ride heavily on the unwritten character of city in which they are filmed.  Seemingly, this Paris is perpetually wet, active, and alive.  The somewhat nostalgic black and white photography allows for a depth and dimension that partially comes from the guerrilla filmmaking methods of filming real people in real locations, and partially from the new-found mobility that comes with lighter and more portable camera gear of the time.  Another element unique to the 1960s is the merging of future and past design elements in everything from clothing, to cars.

Godard is a love-him or hate-him kind of director.  His work was definitely his own vision, and often times flies directly in the face of commonly accepted practices in terms of movie making.  Each plays with it’s medium, editing, sound, plot, or character, to punctuate and draw attention to the fact that you are watching a movie.  Masculin Feminin is an example of all of these, often referencing itself, it’s director, and it’s actors outside of the story and the characters.  If you’re intrigued by this, you’ll probably love it.  If, however, the thought of this annoys you, it’s probably not your cup of tea.

Vraag: wie heeft er al ooit een zandkasteel aan de zee gebouwd? De kans is groot dat iedereen nu zijn vingerke opsteekt. Terecht, en fun dat het was. Maar… staat dat megaformidastisch bouwwerk er nog? Hoe lang is het blijven staan? Dat hangt natuurlijk af van waar je het neerpootte. Durvers wagen zich op het harde deel, bouwen dijken, trotseren de opkomende vloed en gaan uiteindelijk moedig mee tenonder. Slimmerikken blijven dichterbij, bij moeders windscherm. Ze worden dan wel eerst zelf een half uurke ondergegraven, maar korrel voor korrel bouwen ze verder. Maar ook daar geeft de blazende wind zijn macht of komt er wel een bal van die rotburen overgewaaid, recht op die bezwete en felbevochten toren van Pisa. Resultaat: foetsie.

Wel, hetzelfde verhaal is te beleven in Waregem. Plaats: Zuiderlaan. Kasteel: het Jeugdcentrum. Zandbouwheren: Jo Neirynck en Chantal Coussement. En zoals steeds aan de zee worden prijzen uitgereikt. Deze keer geen papieren bloemekes, maar een zelfaangevraagd artikel in de gazet. En om wat te zeggen: we beginnen aan fase 37 van ons lapwerk. Tegen beter weten in en ondanks duizend keer de vinger op de pols gelegd door Wyckhuyse, blijft men halstarrig ‘verbeteringswerken’ uitvoeren aan een krot. Waarom? Heeft de deken zijn zegen nog niet gegeven misschien? Continu blijven werken aan een onherstelbaar gebouw kost immers massa’s aan de Waregemse schatkist, want van zodra men denkt rond te zijn, mag je nieuwe werken uitschrijven. Aan de kant die twee jaar geleden al eens is aangepakt, wel te verstaan. Een verklaring kan zijn dat die stielmannen (en misschien moeten we weer eens goed kijken wie die werken uitvoeren, remember de truuk met de asbestplaten enkele maanden geleden) toevallig ook net mee aan tafel schuiven van een bbq met onze Desselgemse beertjes.

Gooi dat onding plat en zet er een deftige sportzaal op, waar het veilig is en waar op een mooie manier eerbied kan getoond worden aan Waregems sportleven. Juist, Chantal doet zelf niet aan sport… Ik was het even vergeten. Of misschien heeft ze de Zumba ontdekt. Olé ola. Een nieuwe zaal kost ja ook veel geld, maar tel eens alles samen. Een mens zou er het klimrek van inlopen.

Hoe van een krot een zandkasteel maken

Dit jaar was het weer kantjes lopen in de nokvolle tent. En uiteindelijk verbaast het me al jaren dat het publiek, en dat verklaart heel veel over de Waregemse mentaliteit van brave huisvaders en meegaande moederkes die alles wel ondergaan, netjes blijft zitten. Ook al trekt het al eens op geen zak. Neem in het verleden de vermaarde Martin De Jonghe. Man wat was dat slecht, maar desondanks bleven we nog allemaal beleefd… maar eindelijk is dat zever in pakskes. En zo zijn er naast de gloriemomenten steeds wel misbakken komieken geweest, waarvan we telkens wel dachten: hebben die gasten van Unizo dat wel vooraf gezien of zijn ze zoals vaak symptomatisch blind geweest? Dit jaar was het natuurlijk anders. Chapeau voor Piv Huvluv, maar voor de eerste keer moest een zelfverklaarde komiek vlugger dan verwacht de kleedkamer opzoeken om al blètend naar huis te rijden. Ok, het was er misschien een beetje over (de manier waarop het begon), maar velen dachten wellicht ‘oef, eindelijk iemand die het durft’. Hopelijk wordt die reageertrend algemeen doorgetrokken in het Waregem van morgen.

Als ik een bescheiden suggestie voor de Nacht van de Humor mag doen, waarom dan niet gaan voor een eigengekweekte babbelkous die het jaar van Waregem op de korrel neemt. Een Waregemse Geert Hoste die met een serieuze camion zout alles en iedereen de revue laat passeren. Ik kan het me zo inbeelden en het zou de max zijn. Denk maar aan de worsten van Rikkie, het tweede stadhuis, Q zijn lief,… Materiaal te over. Het publiek zou smullen van de inside jokes en zich een breuk lachen met de fratsen van onze BW-BW’s (bekende would-be Waregemnaars). Maar dat gaan broerkes en zuskes van de organisatoren, toevallig de bewindmakers, niet zien zitten, want ze kunnen tegen geen grammeke kritiek, ook al is het grappig bedoeld. Geert Hoste doet het ook, met alle politici, met de koning en zijn bende snotneuzen, met bv’s. Maar hier zou het niet pakken. Kurt zou figuurlijk op zijn paard zitten en  boos weigeren van nog pintjes te tappen. Nochtans een gemiste kans, want het zou schitterend zijn. Geloof me.

Dan maar een andere suggestie: Rodney Carrington. Hij komt niet van bij de deur, maar gegarandeerd succes! Beste organisatoren, bekijk eens zijn filmpje en oordeel zelf. Als fan, kan ik dit alleen maar toejuichen. En zie je Chantal Coussement als enthousiast springen op haar plooistoeltje? Of Tine van Stoopke. Olé, let the beast go. Of al het schoon volk dat zich eens serieus laat gaan. Gastjes, haal die man naar hier!

Rodney op de Nacht van de Humor 2010

I watched this video for the first time today. Someone sent the link to me a couple of weeks ago. I just had to post it here.

Wall Street West

I think what amazes me more than anything is how stupid the reporter is. She really is stupid! And her cohorts back at the news center?…

But other than that, it’s the same Lee. He never mentioned that he was “on the floor on Wall Street”. Amazing. Next thing you know, he’s been on “the Board” or something.

I met one of the people shown in the video and know for a fact she has lost thousands of dollars — nothing unusual in this business, but when one considers where she is and who she is learning from…I never heard from her again after I left the Café. I hope she is recovering from her ordeal and that she sticks with it — under her own analytical power.

I wonder where Ronnie Samuda is now. Never met him, but I would really like to talk to him. He seems like an alright guy. I want to know how he feels about Lee’s expertise in retrospect. Funny how everyone is dressed up. I walked in with sweats and flip-flops and it was cool.

KUSI should really take that video down. It’s pretty embarrassing, methinks, based on the quality of the reporting alone.

I’ve met two more people who are victims of Lee’s scams. (I can’t technically call myself a victim, but just the same.) It seems he needs to be held accountable in a legal sense as well, so I’m gathering information in support of a future lawsuit/injunction against Lee and all of his associates. I’ll leave it up to his victims to file, but I will do my part because of the way I hyped him in the beginning.

Of note: The original Currency Café website is now down. The San Diego Currency Exchange website is still active. Young Capital Management is still under construction. The last web activity I have for Lee Young is on Vator.tv on July 25th. His profile is private, but I managed to collect this page on a cached search — Currency Cafe on Vator.tv. His last Twitter post was on July 20. The Kevin Binder of the NFA still has not contacted me to follow up on my complaint, nor has he acknowledged recieving documentation from me (per his request). Our last correspondence was on June 29, 2009.

If anyone has reliable info on Lee Young’s whereabouts, or the whereabouts of Peter Young, Chantal Young, or “Khris Thesky” AKA Khris Thetsy (of CFO-In-A-Box), and any other known associates, please email me:

j a y AT l o n e l y t r a d e r DOT c o m

(Interesting that Lee couldn’t even spell Khris’ last name correctly.)

So much to do, so little time.  I’ve been trying to get various projects complete but other things (with deadlines) get in the way.  I just entered the Amazon.com Your Ad Contest while putting off a story project thats been pending since 2005.  And then there’s my demo reel which NEEDED to get done.  It was alot of fun making a demo reel as it jogged my memory on the film stuff I’ve done in the past.

I just graduated college last Thursday. No more Rutgers! No more New Brunswick–so I thought. As I was packing up, ready to go home, I got a call that reeled me back into what my Dad calls “thecityyou’llneverleave.”

I got an offer from a web show star to help him with his work.  He asked me to give him a rate and I was a bit frazzled as I have never quoted anyone before.  The rate he was interested in seemed a little low so I told him I’ll do it for about $30 dollars more than his asking price. Haven’t heard a response yet :-\.  My theory is that he believes I have so little experience that I would take anything.  I dunno, but I know my price was ridiculously reasonable.

The restaurant I work at (which I initially shook my fists at regularly) is really growing on me.  I took it just to pay for summer school but the food is delicious, the people there are interesting, and I’m slowly finding it hard to leave.  I feel like “I quit” has left my vocabulary.  :::ho hum:::

Here is a list of projects I’ll be giving the 411 on:

Female Artists in Action (FAIA)–www.onfaia.com

Aliquot Prophecies, the Novel–A sci fi thriller I’m working on.  I’m trying to get it on Createspace.

The NYCmidnight contest. It sounds so fun and the contest bug bit me.

And we’re out.

What’s in a name?
A name doesn’t really mean anything, but sometimes a name alone can be a great asset…or a great burden.  Some achieve despite this burden, or fail in spite of this asset (see for example Barack Obama being elected in spite of having an unusual name, and George Bush failing miserably as a president despite his name).

In the case of Canadian pianist Chantal Kreviazuk, her name has been the biggest blockade to achieving mainstream chart success in the United States, because nobody knows how to pronounce it.  But internationally she’s a star, owner of multiple awards and generating large sales, and every once in a while peeking through into the US music listening public for a minute before disappearing again.

But I think that’s fine with her, as she’s carved out quite a lucrative career for herself, both as a performer and songwriter.  Over the years she’s written songs that have appeared on albums of artists like Avril Lavigne, The Veronicas, David Cook, Kelly Clarkson, Cheyenne Kimball, and Marion Raven.

She’s also been no stranger to film and TV, with her songs repeatedly appearing on soundtracks such as Armageddon, Serendipity, Saved!, The Door in the Floor, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; plus the TV shows Providence, Uptown Girls, Joan of Arcadia, Smallville, and Dawson’s Creek.  With that much exposure you would think that she would be a household name, so I always find it a bit surprising whenever I mention how I like Chantal Kreviazuk’s voice and I usually get a “who?”

<img src= “http://www.neminat.com/Chantal.jpg”>

With her distinct vocal delivery, slightly raspy yet soaring, she’s been a big influence on piano songstresses that have come along since her.  In particular I think Nelly Furtado basically stole her whole schtick directly from Chantal, yet most mainstream music fans know Nelly but few at least in this country know Chantal.

Though while Chantal has only briefly peaked through the cracks of the mainstream in the United States, in her native Canada and much of the rest of the world she is a big star.  The release of her debut album Under These Rocks and Stones in 1996 in Canada and 97 in the USA sparked four hit singles in Canada.

<img src= “http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0012GN01C.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg”>

I heard one of those four singles in 1997, “Wayne,” during a time I will never forget.  It was November 1997 and I was in a barracks at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego waiting for my paperwork to be processed to be shipped home, after two months of bootcamp in the Marine Corps.  I hadn’t heard any music in two months, and it’s amazing how much more impactful art can become when deprived of it for so long.  The only cool drill instructor I ever met in the USMC was overseeing me and five other recruits who were being shipped home, and he snuck in a small handheld radio for us to listen to.  We picked up the local San Diego rock station and heard all the new singles we had missed out on over the past couple of months…I remember for this hour or so until he took his radio back it was the first time I heard Space Monkeys “Sugarcane,” Everclear’s “Everything to Everyone,” Oasis “Don’t Go Away,” Chumbawumba “Tubthumping,” and a handful of other singles that came out in late 1997…but among them was a ballad by a piano-playing woman who I thought was Sarah McLachlan at first, but she didn’t have the same voice.  It was Chantal Kreviazuk, and the song was so beautiful and so poignant I balled my eyes out sitting in the barracks huddled around this tiny radio.
Ever since I’ve been a huge fan of Chantal’s music…

The four singles from her album led to her being nominated for a Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for Best New Artist.

With the help of the singles “God Made Me,” “Surrounded,” “Believer,” and the previouslty mentioned “Wayne” (the only single of the four to receive much radio airplay in the USA, while “Surrounded” became a massive hit in Canada), Chantal’s album went double platinum in Canada, and thanks largely to word of mouth and multiple TV appearances sold 100,000 copies in the United States.

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Wayne“
<div><object type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” data=”http://www.wat.tv/swf2/305442IUxydeG1322794″ width=”470″ height=”312″ id=”wat_1322794″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.wat.tv/swf2/184765QINtETA1322794″ /><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always” /><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true” />Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo</object></div><div class=”watlinks” style=”width:470px;font-size:11px; background:#CCCCCC; padding:2px 0 4px 0; text-align: center;”><a target=”_blank” class=”waturl” href=”http://www.wat.tv/video/chantal-kreviazuk-wayne-1996-scoa_r1s0_.html”><strong>Chantal Kreviazuk – Wayne (1996)</strong></a> sélectionné dans <a href=”http://www.wat.tv/guide/musique” title=”Musique”>Musique</a> et <a href=”http://www.wat.tv/guide/clip-musique” title=”Clips”>Clips</a> </div>
(this song still hits me hard every time I hear it, as it always brings back memories of that day in the USMC when I was almost home)

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Believer“

Chantal Kreviazuk – “God Made Me“

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Surrounded“

Despite these strong singles and impressive sales, Chantal remained somewhat an unknown commodity in the USA.  Perhaps she was being overshadowed by fellow Canadian pianist Sarah McLachlan still experiencing massive airplay and sales from her multi-platinum album Surfacing.  Perhaps it was just bad timing, or a combination of such plus her name…for whatever reason, Sarah McLachlan was a MTV and radio superstar at the time, while Columbia had to fight to get Chantal Kreviazuk any recognition whatsoever.

But a year later Chantal’s inclusion on the soundtrack of a major summer blockbuster film brought her square into the spotlight.  Her cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” became the second music video off of the Armageddon soundtrack, and while not reaching #1 like the lead single Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” Chantal’s Bjork-esque cover of the classic hit song became a huge hit…and to this day is often confused as being a Bjork song.

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Leaving on a jet plane“

Quick off the success of the Armageddon soundtrack, Chantal went back in the studio to work on her follow-up album.  In 1999 Chantal released her second album, Colour Moving and Still, which included songs co-written with her new husband, Raine Maida (lead singer of Canadian superstars Our Lady Peace).

<img src= “http://www.drip-music.com/band/200603/colourm.jpg”>

The lead single “Before You” became a huge hit in Canada, while follow-up singles “Far Away” and “Dear Life” also garnered lots of Canadian radio airplay, though the songs barely got a peep on US radio.  Chantal however was starting to receive attention on US television, as the song “Before You” was featured in Smallville and other tracks were selected to appear in television shows.

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Before You“
<embed src=”http://www.videodetective.net/flash/players/musicapi/?publishedid=146600″ width=”320″ height=”260″ allowfullscreen=”true” allowscriptaccess=”always” flashvars=”autostart=false” />

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Dear Life“

Chantal Kreviazuk – “Far Away”

Chantal’s third album What If It All Means Something was released in 2002.
<img src= “http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/560/561291.jpg”>

By now a well-known commodity within the music industry as a quality songwriter and a superstar in Canada, aside from the brief moment on the Armageddon soundtrack most in the states didn’t know the name Chantal Kreviazuk, but they were hearing her songs…With tracks in the films “How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days” and the hit show Dawson’s Creek among others, Chantal’s songs were everywhere even if her name was not, despite appearances on all of the late night TV shows to perform the single “In This Life.”

Chantal Kreviazuk – “In This Life“
<div><object width=”512″ height=”322″><param name=”movie” value=”http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.40″ /><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true” /><param name=”AllowScriptAccess” VALUE=”always” /><param name=”bgcolor” value=”#000000″ /><param name=”flashVars” value=”id=v184525547&vid=3521257&lang=es-mx&intl=e1&thumbUrl=http%3A//d.yimg.com/ec/image/v1/video/184525547%3Bsize%3D385×231&embed=1″ /><embed src=”http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.40″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”512″ height=”322″ allowFullScreen=”true” AllowScriptAccess=”always” bgcolor=”#000000″ flashVars=”id=v184525547&vid=3521257&lang=es-mx&intl=e1&thumbUrl=http%3A//d.yimg.com/ec/image/v1/video/184525547%3Bsize%3D385×231&embed=1″ ></embed></object><br /><a href=”http://espanol.video.yahoo.com/watch/3521257/v184525547″>In This Life</a> en <a href=”http://espanol.video.yahoo.com” >Yahoo! Video</a></div>

Chantal Kreviazuk – “In This Life” (live on the late show with Craig Kilborn)

However despite all the exposure, the album could only peak at 112 on the Billboard top 200 album charts, while once again becoming a huge hit in Canada.

In 2004 and 2005 Raine and Chantal welcomed two sons to the world and moved to Los Angeles, while Our Lady Peace went on hiatus and the couple spent much of their time co-writing for others.  2006 saw the release of Chantal’s fourth album, with her husband Raine Maida producing, Ghost Stories.
<img src= “http://www.wikimusicguide.com/images/thumb/b/b4/Ghost_Stories_(Chantal_Kreviazuk_album).JPG/180px-Ghost_Stories_(Chantal_Kreviazuk_album).JPG”>

The album reached #2 on the Canadian charts and went gold, but once again could not crack the US radio airplay or singles/albums charts.  The single “All I Can Do” did gain a following, and Chantal maintained her strong underground loyal fan base and crazed superstar fan base in Canada.

Chantal Kreviazuk – “All I Can Do“
<embed id=”VideoPlayback” src=”http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=8128786329683588152&hl=en&fs=true” style=”width:400px;height:326px” allowFullScreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash”> </embed>

Two years later Chantal released a greatest hits compilation…
<img src= “http://musicbooksplus.com/images/HL6520.jpg”>

Chantal remains an active artist on the music scene both in Canada and the United States while also being a full time mom of now three kids.  She possesses a beautiful and unique voice and the tremendous ability to write a catchy hook, something that will keep her viable as a songwriter for other artists for years to come whether or not huge crossover success comes her way in this country or not, though clearly she is long overdue for massive American mainstream success.

With her catalogue of material, Chantal instantly influenced a generation of up-and-coming female pianist singer-songwriters.  If Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan are the ones front row center for the obvious comparison, I have little doubt that if you asked about influences from the similar artists that have come since (Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Anna Nalick, Nelly Furtado, Angela Ammons, Norah Jones, Priscilla Ahn, Katie Melua, Imogen Heap), without question they will all list Chantal Kreviazuk as a profound influence on their material.

While the song “Wayne” always will have a deep and highly emotional connection for me based on personal experience, I enjoy all of Chantal’s material.  She personifies the standard cliche of being “too good” to earn recognition, and both blessed and cursed with a name that has likely directly prevented her from earning more airplay because DJs can’t pronounce her name.

Chantal Kreviazuk will be performing at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood on Monday, July 13th…I plan on being there, if in LA you should go too.

…jetzt müssen wir ihr Daumen drücken!

FE hat es tatsächlich gewagt und sich als “Chantal” mit extrem sexy Fotos bei der “BRAVO Hip Hop Special” als “Hip Hop Babe” beworben. Die heißen Bilder und ein paar Worte dazu findet ihr HIER (nur ab 18!).

Und wo ich gerade am verlinken bin, verlink ich hier noch die inzwischen fertige Seite mit den Ergebnissen der Stadtintervention (die leider schon alle wieder abgebaut oder geklaut / zerstört wurden ).

Und sonst so?

Ich sitz hier derweil bei gefühlten 40 Grad und Regen und komm mir vor wie im Amazonas. Hab´ich Euch eigentlich schon erzählt, dass ich im Moment ganze zwei (!) Fernseher in Reperatur habe? Nein? Na gut, dann hier im Schnelldurchlauf:

Als erstes machte es vor zwei Wochen plötzlich *PING* und mein 27″ LCD TV (ohne HD), den ich auch als PC-Monitor benutzte leuchtete kurz weiß auf und lies sich danach nicht mehr anschalten. Auch das Betriebslämpchen leuchtete nicht mehr.

Also brachte ich den Fernseher zur Reperatur in den REAL-Markt in Gifhorn, wo mich meine Ma dazu überredete, mir einen neuen Fernseher zu kaufen (da sie auch gerne einen flachen für´s Wohnzimmer hätte, und wäre mein alter noch zu retten gewesen, hätte sie den ja bekommen können).

Ich kaufte mir also einen neuen LCD-TV, diesmal mit HD und ein Zoll kleiner, für 300 Euro.

Gerade mit ihm angefreundet, kam schon die nächste unangenehme Überraschung! Nach einer knappen Woche machte sich ein etwa 3 Pixel breiter, schwarzer Streifen von oben nach unten in der linken Bildhälfte breit. Zuerst dachte ich, dass wäre ein Überbleibsel von einem Fenster in Windows (kommt ja schon mal vor), doch als ich in den TV-Modus switchte, war der Sreifen immer noch da

Also musste ich ihn schweren Herzens auch zurückbringen, in  der Hoffnung, die vom REAL würden die Kiste einfach umtauschen, aber: Pustekuchen.

Er soll auch geprüft werden und ich bekomme in zwei bis drei Wochen eine Postkarte (wer nicht weiß was das ist, schaue bitte hier), die ich dann zusammen mit dem Abgabebeleg wieder dorthinbringen muss. Höflicherweise bekam ich diesmal ein Leihgerät, welches so tolle Features hat wie:

• 37 cm Bilddiagonale (und nicht “37 Zoll” ,wie die Dame am Infoschalter mir fälschlicherweise zunächst Hoffnung machte )
  
• Nur 1 Scart Anschluss (also nix mit Wii und Receiver gleichzeitig!)
  
• Keine Fernbedienung (Sind ja nur 3 Meter bis zum Sofa)
  
• Röhrengerät
  
• Lautstärkeknöpfe gehen nur sehr schwer
• Gelbstichiges Bild
• und natürlich kein PC-Anschluss

Jetzt kann ich nur noch hoffen, dass möglichst schnell mein erster TV wieder von den Toten aufersteht und ich nicht mehr in die Röhre schauen muss, egal ob beim PC oder TV.

Euer the G.O.D.

Just a short walking distance from the beach and close to the entertainment & leisure centers, the Gimmel Prestige Real Estate project is bringing new levels of mixing business (new SFD office) with pleasure (new interns) by offering a fun-in-the-sun oriented vacation experience conducive to social networking. Coupled with Tel Aviv’s numerous cultural and beach-oriented diversions, Gimmel Prestige helps serve as an umbrella platform to connect visitors from abroad during their stay in Israel.