I must admit, one of the things in this world that makes me happiest is watching a good dance routine. Dance has a huge place in film history. Think back to the early days of film; many of the most celebrated talking pictures featured amazing dance scenes, ranging from the intimate couple’s dance scene, a la Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, to huge Fosse productions. The prominence and popularity of these scenes cemented their place in film iconography. It’s hard now to recall a black-and-white film of those eras without bringing to mind some soft-shoeing, tap-dancing, chorus-lining spectacle.

It’s not surprising that many music videos now prominently feature intricate dance routines. The popularity of many songs hinges on their danceability (think any major hip-hop or pop single), so it only makes sense that the videos for these songs would feature some kind of dance routine. What I want to present here today are some of the more notable or surprising uses of dance in music video. Some of these songs, you can’t help but dance to them. Others, using a dance routine seems like a bold decision. Enjoy:

Alanis Morisette – So Pure
To be honest, I have no clue what the larger meaning behind this video could be? I think it’s just Alanis taking her lyrics “I love you when you dance/When you freestyle in trance/So pure, such an expression” seriously and having a fucking blast. I love that she took the time to learn all these different routines so well. I bet it was fun, especially with such a hunk for a partner. I don’t really get the Stevie Nicks segment, what with the smoke and the woodsy goddess, carry-me-around-the-set-ness, but whatevs. Personally, mostly jealous of the tap-dancing and sock-hopping segments. Rock on.

Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
Here is a video that I was genuinely surprised by. The song itself, not ground-breaking. It was a huge hit for Finger Eleven, a rock band that’s been around for years but never got really serious radio airplay until this song. That said, I think it was a bit daring for director Barnaby Roper to decide to give this video the modern-dance treatment. The result is an aesthetically engaging clip; the color palette screams rock (cool greys punctuated by the deep blacks and bright whites of the dancers), the dancers themselves are super into it, with facial expressions that seem to say “I know I’m doing modern dance…I’m still soooo much cooler than you.” Personally, I’m a sucker for the effect of dancers growing out of each others’ shadows. It looks sharp and well-coordinated.

Ok Go! – A Million Ways
Ok Go! – Here We Go Again
I wanted to present both these videos because I think they’re both landmark in their own way. Both music videos were made by the band themselves, on their own free time and in their own homes. The band got lucky that lead singer Damian Kulash’s sister is such a talented, resourceful choreographer. For the first video, Ok Go spent weeks practicing in their back yard, and then shot the routine on a camera borrowed from a friend. Within weeks the video shot up the YouTube charts, eventually topping it as the most downloaded video to date. I even remember my father calling me around that time, telling me about this thing he’d heard on NPR about this outrageously popular ” Ok Now Go video on the interweb,” as he put it. This video revolutionized low-budget advertising for struggling bands everywhere. It woke people up to what an amazing tool YouTube, and user-generated media in general, can be as a means of spreading information.
Their second self-choreographed YouTube video, “Here We Go Again”, was a fantastic evolution from the first, and so popular that the band was asked to perform it live for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Naturally, their record label threw a fit when they saw what kind of liberties the band was taking with their safety (treadmills can be really dangerous, OK?), but it was such a huge (financial) success that I guess that label got over it.
For your viewing pleasure, both hilarious videos:

Beyonce – Single Ladies
Now this video is a gimme. This song is just SO danceable, I would have been shocked at anything less than an intense, Beyonce-helmed dance routine. Talk about fierce facial expressions! These ladies are serious. I adore this video for a million reasons, first and foremost being my undying love for anything Fosse. A lot of people commented (and none too nicely) that this routine is very similar to a Fosse routine recorded in the 1960’s. Rather than assume Beyonce is ripping off the famed choreographer, however, I think she is doing an amazing homage. This routine is outstanding, and she and her fellow dancers pull it off with the kind of aplomb I know Fosse would have applauded. And the dance costumes! Perfect for showing off those moves, each and every hip roll those ladies lay on us. Sublime.

Hope you enjoyed this extra-long post. If you’ll excuse me now, I have to go queue up every movie Fosse was ever involved in on Netflix, and then see if I can convince my tall, skinny boyfriend to dress like those nice boys in Ok Now Go.

Hearts,
Sprinks

…but this video puts them together.  :)

So the “Single Ladies” song was inspired by this Bob Fosse choreography.  This video uses the Bob Fosse dancers but Beyonce’s music.

Ha.

I know I’ve been saving the photo posts for the Daily Photo blog, but I’ve been taking too many photos.  (I also need a new, bigger hard drive.  A few extra terabytes should cover six months’ worth, I reckon…)

We headed down to my parents’ place this weekend, and drove back in the pouring rain today.  I’ve been experimenting with long- and shorter-exposure pictures on the motorway.  These are the pick of the bunch.

As much as I’d love to, I won’t promise that any other posts are coming this week, as I’m still up to my eyeballs.  There will be posts on the Daily Photo, and I’ll try to write something here.  In the meantime, you could make some herb damper, or some cherry-cinnamon cookies, and then you could read about recovery from depression.  See you when the madness has ended!

We had the pleasure of photographing a wedding in Miami last Sunday. The ceremony and reception were held at Signature Gardens. What a beautiful venue. The only problem it was 5 minutes before the ceremony and the Minister had not arrived. So there we were at the absolute last minute trying to borrow an officiant from another wedding in the building but there were none. The guy never did show up and a groomsmen was promoted to officiant for the day. Everything worked out in the end and turned out to be very interesting. The ceremony flew by in about 15 minutes. One really cool thing this was the first wedding we have done with dogs in the wedding party. I really enjoyed that.

Quando si torna
alla casa
dopo la guerra
nel tragitto
si lasciano
per strada
borracce di vento e sabbia
stracci di sangue e melma
armi e pastrano
si gettano nel fiume
pezzi di te divelti e
ormai carne ammuffita
si scavano fosse
di ricordi e il male
scorre nelle viscere
della tua terra amata.
Sei spoglio uomo
ma quell’orrendo
calpestio di passi
dentro il cuore
di vestigia di volti
e occhi spauriti
quello rimane.

Tinti Baldini

Elements of an excellent visual/audio combination: timing, opposite ends of entertainment spectrum, making your audience unable to look away–no matter how hard they try.

Beyonce had to admit, out loud, that the choreography of Single Ladies was inspired by Fosse? What else will people need spelled out for them?

Don’t do drugs, kids.

Beyonce trounced the competition at the MTV Video Music Awards, besting the likes of country tart Taylor Swift, homosexually ambiguous Lady Gaga and Kanye “Imalechufinish” West; and winning Video of the Year for her masterpiece “Single Ladies.” I recently discovered that the youtube comment boards were all a-twitter on single ladies videos accusing Beyonce of plagiarizing a dance routine by Bob Fosse’s wife, where Mrs. Fosse danced to “Mexican Breakfast,” an obscure track who’s creator nobody  cares to remember or google.

Curious, I stumbled upon a video where Beyonce confirmed that Single Ladies was inspired by the retro-dancing routine, but in a video where it was reset to “Walk it out” by rapper Unk. Fascinating. I looked up said video and found something even better:

Lundi 19 octobre. Paris, le Zénith. 20h. Concert de PHOENIX.

Après une première partie: Chairlift et son horrible volume sonore, aux fréquences basses et saturées, insoutenable, désolée c’était vraiment pas possible… NEXT!

On arrive enfin aux Versaillais de Phoenix.
C’est parti. Six sur scène cette fois. Premières 30 minutes à enchaîner les tubes de leur dernier album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ sans un mot.
Mise en scène et son hyper léchés, comme si on écoutait l’album dans son salon. Aie! On a un peu peur sur le moment, mais tout va se bousculer juste après Litztomania; avec un Thomas Mars, le chanteur, qui nous lâche un « On a jamais eu autant de monde à Paris. Merci Charly », le public se réveille enfin, il saute ( si, si, on Pogote sur du Phoenix, j’vous jure!), chante et se balance au son de Fences, Lasso, Consolation Prizes. Des jeux de lumières fous:  néons multicolores, stroboscopes et tutti quanti.

Ils nous ont sortis le grand jeu, The big show, les petits Versaillais!

Puis vient le rappel après 1h de set ( Mouais !), avec du Too Young, du If I ever feel better (en version Rock, s’il vous plaît), et un final sur 1901 assez grandiose! Tout le Zenith est debout, les gens sont en parfaite communion avec le groupe… ils ressentent, quoi !

Perso, j’ai aimé le concert, n’étant pas la fan ultime de Phoenix, l’ambiance y était, on peut dire qu’ils ont mis le ‘Feu’ (comme Johnny!!! Heu … ouais, bof!).

Le passage guitare/voix de Everything is Everything était à tomber. Mais pour certains puristes Rock, qui n’apprécient guère ce genre ‘POP’,(mon boyfriend en somme), ce concert fût une mauvaise idée cadeaux!A en croire son impatience et son jugement, Phoenix est un groupe pour midinettes, bien poli, bien léché, sans fioritures. Soit un concert beaucoup trop clean musicalement.

Il se contentera désormais du disque.

Nous dirons que son amour envers Phoenix restera ‘platinique’!

Na quarta-feira passada, num auditório gigante e cheio, foi assim.

Estas fotos estão, em tamanho maior, no meu flickr.

(E agora quem é que me vai oferecer este livro?)

Brought to You by, TheLCster

Why Can’t People Just Admit they Like Bob Fosse?

This is the second video that I know of that Beyoncé has done that pays tribute to Bob Fosse! Take it from me people, check this man out, he is worth it. He’s the most talented man to touch a pair of jazz shoes.

Start your weekend out right by taking some time to feel the rhythm and see where it takes you…

Nilsa deitou-se para dormir como nas demais noites. Como de costume, demorou a pegar no sono. Raramente sonhava, e dormia noites tranqüilas. Mas essa noite foi diferente.

***

O padeiro bateu a porta, como fazia todas as manhãs, para levar pão fresco a sua cliente. Tocou a campainha e ninguém atendeu. Olhou para dentro e viu na cozinha um copo quebrado. Empurrou a porta que rangeu e entrou na casa. O padeiro achou que algo deveria estar errado, pois Nilsa nunca deixava a porta destrancada, ele sabia que a garota sempre tomava muito cuidado e preservava ao extremo sua segurança. O silêncio reinava, a casa toda bagunçada: móveis e vidros quebrados, paredes ensangüentadas, objetos pelo chão. O padeiro não acreditava no que via. Por fora a casa estava intacta, mas por dentro era uma catástrofe total. O que se passou durante aquela noite para a casa estar daquela forma?

Para ler o restante clique no link abaixo e conheçam nosso novo blog

http://www.poemasepensamentos.com.br/2009/10/20/o-sonho/

Dr. Henry Brandt, in the Collegiate Challenge magazine, said that there is a syndrome, a pattern, when couples come to him. They say, “At first, sex was exciting. Then I started feeling funny about myself, and then I started feeling funny about my partner. We argued and fought and finally we broke up. Now we are enemies.”

In the last post, I made the assertion that intimacy is neither equal nor requisite of being sexually active nor does this mean that sexually active couples are automatically intimate with each other.  Confusing I know, but I do feel that sex is not, nor was it ever intended to be a casual act.  It seems as though many engage in sexual activity when in fact, they are actually seeking intimacy and fulfillment.  Full-fillment . . . what is that?  In some circles, they talk about a human being as a combination of three parts: Mind, Soul, and Spirit.  I get the mind part, but separating the soul and spirit is a stretch for my unphilosophic mind to wrap around.  However, as I think of who we are, I can more easily see how we five significant parts. We have the Physical, the Emotional, the Mental, the Social, and the Spiritual.  It is important that each of these areas stay balanced with the other, working in harmony with each other.  If one part starts taking over the others, let’s say the emotional component, then that individual will be prone to act on their feelings and will decrease the value of their logical mental processes.  If someone tries to find fulfillment in just the opposite way, everything being a logical process, and they avoid their feelings, it will lead to a life of continual hurts and pains as our emotions and feelings are crucial.  It is important that all five aspects of who we are stay balanced to find true, full-fillment.  In our quest for intimacy we tend to go in the direction that gives us the quickest sense of feeling intimate.  Whether that is a spiritually or socially heightened experience or a physical one that has a sense datum or an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation, we tend to look for immediate gratification.  What do I mean by “sense datum”?  Well, it inclines one to focus on the sensorial element leading one to an awareness of the stimulation, the feeling, but leaving the individual lacking, feeling less than complete.  Much like emotional onanism, or some other of the five dimensions we are made of.  It heightens the sensory receptacles, only to be left unfulfilled and lacking.  Yes somebody may feel genuinely enthralled with the component that they are “messing around with,” but when they wake up one of these days, they realize that the spiritual or emotional high, the physical fireworks, etc. is lacking something.  That something is full-fillment, a harmony of all five of these very significant parts in our lives.

When looking at the subject of intimacy, I think it is prudent to go back to the Creator and seek to understand the original design and intent for human (as if there were any other) intimacy.  When Jesus was confronted with challenging questions, He would often begin His answers with “In the beginning . . . .” To the best of my understanding our human intimacy, including sex, is meant to be a full reflection of God’s love.  As Ephesians 5 clearly draws the parallel of human marriage with the relationship Christ has with those who believe in Him.  It was a confessed obscure area even to the Apostle Paul as he said “this is a huge mystery, I don’t pretend to understand it.  But what is clear to me is the way that Christ treats the church.”  If we can draw our parallels from how Christ desires us, then maybe, just maybe we’ll understand this nebulous concept of intimacy.  I’ll get back to this point in a subsequent post.

As I have pointed out, the word intimacy, in today’s culture, is connoted with sex.  But it is so much more.  I am going to move away from the huge sex type here because genuine and needed intimacy includes all the different attributes and characteristics that I mentioned above in our lives . . . yes the physical, yes the mental, yes the social, yes the emotional and yes the spiritual qualities as well.  I have alluded to the meaning of intimacy as being vulnerability, this is true.  There is a definitely vulnerability in intimacy.  I’ve also said that there is a sense of care or looking out for the other’s best interests, loyalty, trust, etc.  All of those things are a part of intimacy, but intimacy, the precious treasure that we all long for and need, really means absolute (complete) life sharing, a mutual interdependency that lead to communion.  What I am talking about here is a reciprocal relationship between mutually interdependent individuals.  Really, deep down, don’t we all want to be desired?  Don’t we have an innate craving for closeness, oneness, and for sharing our life with someone totally?  Marshal Hodge wrote a book called Your Fear of Love.  She points out that “we long for moments of expressions of love, closeness and tenderness, but frequently, at the critical point, we often draw back. We are afraid of closeness. We are afraid of love.” She goes on to say that “the closer you come to somebody, the greater potential there is for pain.” It is that fear of pain, varying levels of an algophobia that thwarts our intimacy endeavors; it in fact forces us to avoid the very thing that we thirst for and need.

Often times, this scenario frequents our society: Boy and Girl “fall in love” . . . Boy hurts Girl (or contrariwise) . . . a breakup ensues . . . Boy or Girl take steps to never be hurt again.  Does this sound familiar?  These steps are in an effort to not be hurt again; their way of avoiding loving again.  But here’s the problem, whether their means of avoiding the hurts again is through Celibacy, callousness, Lesbianism, Homosexuality, or some other means of avoidance, we as human beings are created to long for and attach ourselves to others.  Eventually, the one that we are attempting to use as our safety zone will let us down, will hurt us.  You see, there’s no such thing as “painless love.”  The closer we come to somebody, the greater the potential there is for pain.

If I were a betting person, I think it would be a safe bet to say that 99.99% of the human race will have a relationship that will hurt them at some point in their life.  The question though is how we handle those hurts and pains.  I’m not just talking about Boy and Girl relationships.  I’m talking about grown men who draw close to other grown men and then they have the carpet yanked out from under them when that close man, who was on the board, assumes control of the company.  I’m talking about two women who are best friends and through continually taking advantage of the closeness, it rips their relationship in two.  I’m talking about the child who is now grown up and who really can’t stand their parent(s) . . . relationships suck!  But we all long for more of them, we can’t avoid them.  Or can we?  Often we allow people only so close.  We say something like “I want to be close you, and I want you to be close to me, I want to love and I want you to love me . . . oh but wait, I don’t want to be hurt.”  We build walls up around our hearts.  We tend to fortify our hearts and lives with a fosse.  This moat can be any of or a combination of the five dimensions we’ve already typed about: physical, emotional, mental, social, or spiritual.  Have you ever seen someone stop going to church because they were hurt?  I’m not talking about a broken leg but hurt emotionally, spiritually, etc.  Oddly they claim that they don’t go to church because the “church hurt them.”  What happened? Did the South wall reach out with one of its bricks and slap them upside the head . . . no.  The “church” that they are avoiding didn’t hurt them; it was a relationship that they had formed within the walls of the building.  The result, when someone builds these emotional, spiritual, physical, social, or mental fortifications and develop their private supply of munitions, they become inaccessible.  The thing about the walls that they’ve built up for their “protection,” the same walls that keep people out, keep them confined and imprisoned inside.  The natural consequences?  Loneliness creeps in, a “safe” zone is formed, and true intimacy and love are impossible.

Previously I asked: What does intimacy look like in relationship to friends or lovers? How would one recognize such ethereal behaviors? Is it in fact ethereal or “of another world”? Is such a practice, exemplified anywhere throughout the annals of time in this world or some other?  Quite honestly, such a relationship, one that is oozing with intimacy is extremely rare.  As I reflect back over time, I ponder the relationships I grew up with as a child.  I look back upon various clergy, both celebrity and not and though I have crossed the path of many wonderful couples and their relationships, none stick out in my mind like the intimate relationship of shepherd boy and king, David with God.  I mean really, has anyone ever been described as a “man after mine own heart” . . . by God?  See Acts 13:22. Sure God called Abraham a friend, and he calls us all his children, but to actually say that David is a man (1^st of all, what a male ego boost huh, guess that’s why He waited until after David was dead to call him a man), so God says that David is a man who is seeking after his heart.  I don’t think that God was saying that David was a cookie cutter of Himself . . . I mean come on, Dave was one king with a seriously negative reputation and yet God points His finger at him positively.  By now, I’m sure you’re asking “what does this have to do with intimacy?”  Well David was the one “man” that we have as an example of how he sought after God.  He was honest with God.  He told God everything, his hurts, his fears, his joys, his worries, his successes . . . everything.  And in turn, God communicated back with him.  You see I think of David and God as having an intimate relationship as David knew God, and reversely God knew David obviously.  This is where the mutuality kicks in.  God knows us all intimately, but few of us know Him intimately . . . therefore we don’t’ have an intimate relationship with Him.  A Boy can be open, honest, vulnerable, loyal, caring, etc. with a Girl, doing everything he can to be intimate, but if she is not reciprocating those same things, if it isn’t mutual, they will never have an intimate relationship.  Ok, here’s another relationship that I’ve thought of as being intimate:  Adam & Eve . . . with God.  Yeah, I guess you might make the assertion that Adam and Eve were probably pretty intimate since they were the only humans on Earth for quite some time.  I mean hey, the Bible says that there was no shame between them.  Here they were, both naked, and without embarrassment Genesis 2:25.  Now I’m not gonna camp on this subject or go back to sex, but how many couples, married or not, need to have the lights dimmed if not even off when they are having sex, and I really doubt that it all for romantic reasons.  For whatever reason, there is something there that limits their openness with the other, let alone romping around through their garden.   But the relationship that makes me stop for a minute and take note is their relationship with God.  Here you got this lump of a guy that God created, and due to God’s existence, He breathed life into Adam, “and the man became a living person” Genesis 2:7.  Isn’t that kind of how it is when a guy comes around the “love of his life,” if make him a living person.  I know this is different, but bear with me here.  I’m drawing a picture here.  You got this in all other senses a perfect or “excellent” man, God comes over to him, and voila Adam comes to life.  That wouldn’t have happened if God hadn’t been there, didn’t take the time to impart of himself, and didn’t give of Himself freely.  Another aspect to this is that Adam had to receive what God offered him.  I don’t know at what point the aspect of free will was introduced, but regardless, Adam openly received from his Creator.  Later on in Chapter 3, God is seen, literally seen, literally walking through Adam’s domain.  Now in all honesty, who has literally seen God?  Who has literally walked with God?  Few of us really talk with God, we pray, but do we just talk with God, let alone hear Him talk back.  Now not a lot of attention is spent on Adam, Eve, and God’s relationship, but form the little bits that we can gather, it really does seem that they had something going on.  By the little conversation in chapter 3 it is evident that they frequently would be found walking around the garden together naked, talking.  That is some kind of openness.  I personally have enough issues with seeing myself naked in a full length mirror, let along thinking of God seeing me that way.  I mean we all know that he does, but literally?  Yeah, he really does.

This is a good spot to address a few of the things that hinder our intimate relationships.  Let’s stay with Adam, Eve, and God’s relationship.  At what point do we see things start to change or divagate; at what point to we see them starting to hide things from God?  Can we have an intimate relationship with our spouse if we hide things from them? Genesis 3:8 they hid their nakedness from God’s vision, or so they thought.  They were ashamed.  Their attempts to not be seen for what they were, their attempts to deceive God, started their increased decline in their closeness.  They were at that point growing apart.  You know in the realms of hypothetics, we have oft pondered “what would have happened if they never would have eaten the forbidden fruit.”  But here’s a new thought to consider conjecturally, or think about without any sufficient way to reach a conclusion, but something to ponder regardless.  What would have happened if they would have broken down like David, upon the confrontation of their deeds, been humble, and repented?  What would have happened if they would have remained open, regardless of the discomfort from the inquiries of their all-knowing Friend?  Would we all still be living in the Garden of Eden?  I don’t know, that’s not the point, but what is, is that they shut down the mutuality of the open communication.  They began putting up forms of strength and protection, walls that crumbled their relationship.

Truly intimate relationships require mutual vulnerability, mutual trust, and mutual sacrifice.  Unfortunately, it is our own hurts that limit our ability to trust, share, care and be cared for. It is own history that “proves” (in our own mind) our inability to be vulnerable. It is only after we let our guards down that we can begin to experience intimacy if only in one area of our life at a time.

Here’s a story to help bring this post in for a landing.  I know of a particular little girl, she was the cutest little thing.  Little pig-tails, cute little back purple backpack loaded with all of her crayon, scissors, glue sticks, jumbo pencils, and under her arm she had two boxes of tissues.  You see it was the first day of Kindergarten.  She was a basket case.  Clinging to the bigger hand of the one who loved her, she sheepishly allows them to pull her towards the ominous school building.  Walking down the infinitely long hallway, she could see the old lady teacher at the other end of the hall with that big red lipstick smile greeting all the other anxious boys and girls.  As they drew near, her grasp drew tighter with each step.  Finally it was her that was being greeted by this old stranger that represented all of her fears wrapped into one.  Finally after many hugs, and twice as many proddings, and gentle urgings, the terrified little girl went in and found the closest little orange chair to the window.  From there, she watched as all hope of leaving drove off around the corner.  A few hours passed and as her hope that had so callously left her a few hours previously stood at the door waiting for her to put her coat on, the little girl spilled forth all of her exciting stories, tales of crafts, and snacks, the little turtle the “old teacher” kept in an aquarium, the little boy she ended up sitting next to that was both fun to play with and at the same time was the same boy who took her pizza flavored goldfishes.   All the way home and for the rest of the day and into the night, she gushed with her new found world.  You see, it’s only after a she dropped their self-protective guards could she enjoy kindergarten, a risk indeed, but no pain no gain. Self preservation is a trait learned at our earliest ages if not even innate.

Until Later . . .

Jabbawockeez on Dancing With The Stars

hip hop meets Fosse… i love it.

Débat, vendredi soir, dans Vous aurez le dernier mot, sur l’affaire Polanski. Avec Gabriel Matzneff, Jean d’Ormesson, Raphaël Enthoven et la présidente de Ni Putes ni Soumises.

Au départ de ce débat, un constat, fait par FOG lui-même : le fossé entre les prises de position des élites, favorables à Polanski, et celles des gens du peuple, très défavorables à l’artiste.

Un des plus importants et des plus riches gisements de nickel inexploités au monde. Ce site est un des plus convoités au monde.

Le complexe minier comportera une mine à ciel ouvert, une usine métallurgique, centrale électrique et des installations portuaires. Le minerai de latérite sera extrait à ciel ouvert et traité dans une usine pyrométallurgique d’une capacité de production de 60 ktpa de nickel sous la forme de ferronickel. Le plan minier actuel est de 25 ans mais il existe un important potentiel de prolongement du plan d’exploitation actuel. Le démarrage de l’usine est prévu pour le début de l’année 2011.

Sous l’autorité directe du Directeur de la Mine, le titulaire a pour mission de diriger l’ensemble des activités des services techniques et ingénierie minière. Membre actif du Comité de Gestion de la Mine.

RESPONSABILITÉS PRINCIPALES:

Management :

Le Surintendant de l’Ingénierie applique ses connaissances techniques et de planification en vue d’optimiser la performance de la Mine en coordonnant le personnel et les systèmes de planification afin d’atteindre les plus hauts niveaux de standard de:

• Santé & sécurité;
• conformité environnementale;
• fiabilité des données de production;
• qualité du minerai;
• qualité de la planification & des échéanciers de production;
• performance des coûts et utilisation des ressources.

Développement de la Mine:

• Est responsable des plans d’implantation, d’exécution détaillée, des procédures d’opérations et du matériel de formation pour le Service d’Ingénierie;
• Développe les procédures d’estimation des réserves & de la planification de la Mine;
• Responsable du recrutement de la sélection, de l’embauche et de l’entrainement du personnel du Service d’ingénierie minière;
• Supervise onze (11) subordonnés : ingénieur planification court terme, ingénieur planification long terme, ingénieur en contrôle des sédiments, ingénieur en contrôle des opérations minières, etc.;
• Coordonne les activités de spécification, d’évaluation et d’implantation des Systèmes Informatises de Gestion Minière, choix des logiciels et développement des procédures;
• Participe aux négociations avec les fournisseurs d’informatique et de soutien;
• Effectue toute autre tâche connexe: ententes avec consultants techniques, de T.I., etc.

Production:

• Est responsable d’atteindre les cibles de S.S.T. et de conformité environnementale et sociale;
• Supervise quotidiennement son équipe technique;
• Développe des systèmes fiables de planification, d’échéanciers production et de performance;
• S’assure de l’utilisation judicieuse des équipements et des données de son service;
• Est la personne compétente répondant du calcul des réserves.

Général:

• Accomplit toutes les autres tâches connexes: initiatives d’amélioration continue, contribution positive et active dans divers comités & projets, etc.

FORMATION ACADÉMIQUE:

• Diplôme universitaire de premier cycle en génie des mines ou en gestion de projet, génie généraliste ou toute autre option.

EXPÉRIENCE PROFESSIONNELLE ET CONNAISSANCES:

• Plusieurs années pertinentes sur un chantier d’exploitation minière en fosse comme chef de service de l’ingénierie, ou autre service d’ingénierie avec spécialité et expérience pertinentes;
• Connaissances de l’extraction minière en fosse et expérience de Projet minier avec mise sur pied de département;
• Très à l’aise en français;
• Anglais 2e langue;
• Apte à la planification et l’organisation des ressources en partenariat avec des firmes externes;
• Expérience internationale serait un atout.

APTITUDES:

• Autonomie et capacité à travailler en équipe;
• Excellent sens du relationnel;
• Responsable du respect de la culture locale;
• Excellente culture en SST.

The Wife:

Hi there, SYTYCD fans! I’m sure you wondered where I was last week, but I thought I’d wait until we had two audition cities to discuss before I posted about SYTYCD, just so we’d have more to talk about. I think it actually worked out for the better this way, because now I can start by pointing out SYTYCDers I spotted during the VMAs:

Tyce DiOrio was all up in Miss Jackson’s bidnass during the MJ tribute of “Scream.”

If you looked really closely behind the bleeding carcass of Lady Gaga, you would have noticed featured dancer Mark Kanemura being totally fucking awesome.

That means employment! These people don’t just fade into obscurity like non-signed Idol cast-offs! They actually get paid to dance!

I can also announce with sadness that every SYTYCD choreographer nominated for an Emmy this year lost to the “Musicals Are Back” segment from the Oscars. It’s kind of a bummer, but at least they didn’t lose to DWTS.

God, I hope I get it!

As for the fall season’s auditions, things started off in L.A. At least for L.A. and Phoenix, former contestants Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev put the dancers through the choreography round. Adam Shankman, who will be a permanent judge for the remainder of this season, assisted on the panel in L.A., while Mia Michaels joined in Phoenix.

Dancers of note:

Mollie Grey: She was a principal dancer in HSM 1-3 and moved out to L.A. with nothing because she’d outgrown her dance opportunities in Utah. Nigel likes her because she’s young and blonde and she gets a ticket to Vegas.

Bianca Revels and Ryan Kasprzak: Both tappers cut from the Top 20 return and have a wicked awesome tap battle. For some reason, the judges and Cat keep saying things like, “We’ve never had a tapper make it to the Top 20,” but this is a lie. In the first season, which I guess technically only had a Top 16, Sandra Colton was the first to be eliminated from the competition. She was, in fact, a tapper. She danced her way off the stage to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl.” Nonetheless, Bianca and Ryan traded taps and earned themselves two tickets to Vegas. Their battle was delightful, but Ryan’s performance art solo was even more so. I love that kid. I need him in the Top 20.

Amber Williams: Her mother is paralyzed, which is terrible but creates a nice juxtaposition for the grace with which her daughter dances. She earns a ticket to Vegas.

Alexie Agdeppa and Paula Van Outen (Oopen?): Both girls made it to Vegas last year, and then make it to Vegas again.

Christina the Salsa Dancer: Her popping section was rough, but her salsa sections were stellar. She gets a ticket to Vegas.

Phillip Attmore: Another tapper, Phillip toured with Ryan Kasprzak in a production of Fosse. I now know that Ryan has a happy face tattoo on his butt. I also know that Phillip is one smoove operator on the dance floor. Seriously, he’s great. His solo included more than just tap, so we know he can do things outside of his own style. Because of that, and his amazing pirouette, he earns a ticket to Vegas. Screw Bianca, I need Ryan and Phillip in the top.

Sasha Mallory: I really loved her audition piece because it was an entire performance with a through-line. She cries a lot, and the judges give her a ticket to Vegas.

Allison Becker: Allison is deaf from a bought of spinal meningitis when she was 16 months old. I don’t like her audition all that much, but its clear she has a lot of strength and muscle control, so the judges praise her for overcoming her deafness, dancing well and send her to choreo. She proves her mettle and winds up going to Vegas. I’d also like to note that, as far as a personality is concerned, I love that she’s cheeky and immediately said, “I’d be great,” when the judges asked how she’d be at choreography. And, as a linguist, I am very impressed at her speech abilities, having gone deaf so young. (I’m sure the hearing aid she wears helps.)

Same Sex Ballroom returns with national Same Sex Latin Ballroom champions Willem Des Vries and Jacob Jason. These guys are great, and the piece they choreographed is very strong and unmistakably masculine. Most importantly, by not compromising the masculinity of either dancer, they accurately displayed the passion between two male lovers the way traditional Latin dance displays the passion between opposite sex lovers. They get sent to choreo, and then go straight to Vegas.

Jonathan “Legacy” Perez: This breaker got mad skills, and, from the look of some of his moves, I bet he also does parkour. Nigel notes that he assisted Lauren Gottleib (who was part of Vocal Adrenaline on last night’s Glee) in the choreography rounds of last year’s auditions. They hem and haw for a bit, but ultimately realize he’s awesome and send him to Vegas.

Other people and stray thoughts:

• Cole Clemmens’ totally terrible performance art audition actually made my night. In another context, I still think it would have been bad, but it was nonetheless enjoyable.
• What’s with the reuse of the season 1 credits sequence? Where are my season 5 performance clips, damnit?
• I love that Cat is the kind of woman who is incredible beautiful, but has no problem acting like a fool. The fact that she put on a tutu and danced with a ballerina in line was totally awesome.
• It was very generous of the judges to let Biggie and Shortie go through to choreo in Phoenix. And by “very generous,” I mean they should have just thanked them for being entertaining and told them they weren’t right for the show before forcing them to do something they obviously couldn’t do.
• Highly energetic Jarvis Johnson needs to become a go-go dancer at a gay club so he can just dance dance dance dance dance all night. He overdoes it in the choreo round, though, and collapses in an asthma attack. The good news is that he improves quickly, but he has to leave the competition, and that’s probably for the best.
• Why doesn’t Cat have an Emmy for best host? When Jarvis collapsed, she rushed to his side and helped the paramedics. I know Phil Koeghan would do that, but I doubt that Jeff Probst would!
• I was much more interested in Kelsey White’s jazz shoes than in her dancing. It is probably for the best that she didn’t make it to Vegas.

…this is why Beyonce didn’t win.  She stole her video from some old disco Fosse routine.

As I sit here anxiously waiting for the season premiere of Glee (and dreading, thus avoiding the premiere of SYTYCD), it looks like ballet companies are continuing with Asian fever, as NYCB will be heading to Tokyo in October to present a bunch of stuff.  I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing NYCB live, and although this needs to change someday it’s fair enough to say that a plane ticket to Tokyo is a LOT more than a ticket to New York.  Anyway, they’re presenting three different programs:

Program A:

• Serenade – haven’t seen it, bitter about that
• Agon – seen it on video
• Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux – saw like a minute of it in The Turning Point
• West Side Story Suite – seen the movie dance, but not this version

Program B:

• Concerto DSCH – never seen it
• Barber Violin Concerto – never seen it
• Tarantella – saw it on YouTube before the Balanchine Trust got to it
• Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no.2 – never seen it

Program C:

• Walpurgisnacht Ballet – never seen it (apparently, this one is replacing Grazioso)
• After the Rain – never seen it
• Dances at a Gathering – never seen it
• Symphony in Three Movements – never seen it

So if I were me (and I am) and had to choose one night to go, it would probably be Program B.  I don’t really know why, since Program C contains all works I’ve never seen, but the music for Program B seems to be the best suited for my tastes (Barber, Tchaikovsky, Gottschalk and Shostakovich makes for a good night!).  Not that any of this matters since I won’t be going anyway…so on to something more useful.

As I did when I heard ABT and SFBallet were going to China (read that entry here), I shall now write some slightly more useful than useless travel tips for going to Tokyo.  I actually spent a year living in Tokyo and I ADORE the city.  Whereas China is a country of fast paced hustle and bustle, Tokyo is laid back.  My kind of place…most of the time.  There are of course things that drive me crazy, in particular many may notice the snail pace at which Japanese people walk.  They take these itty-bitty steps and kind of mosey along, never in a hurry to get anywhere.  Which is fine and dandy since I consider myself to be on the slow side, but people in Tokyo are fifty times even slower than I am.  You see, the people of Japan love all things cute and for some bizarre reason, walking pigeon-toed is part of that aesthetic (why Fosse isn’t more popular over there, I’ll never understand), hooking an umbrella on one elbow and a huge unwieldy purse on the other.  As we all know, walking pigeon-toed is highly impractical and will drag a gait down to a laborious shuffle.  And when you have legions of these pigeon-toed walkers, a five minute walk to the closest train station becomes a trek where you are forced to hobble with the herd.

However, on the topic of public transportation, the trains are A+ in Tokyo.  It does take some time to get used to though, because the train map is considerably complex, and one must also take into consideration that the train lines lay on top of the subway lines, which have their own separate map.  Navigating the maps can prove to be difficult, although in my opinion navigating the stations themselves is worse.  Tokyo station is this massive who-knows-how-many-floors subterranean fortress, but luckily you probably won’t go there.  Now Shinjuku on the other hand, is a nightmare.  When I first arrived in Japan I had to go to Shinjuku many times for foreigner registration and stuff, or even just hanging out because there’s a lot to do there, and I would get lost every single time and sob hysterically to confused policemen as I tried to ask for directions.  Shinjuku and I have a better relationship now, but it is one that has had its fair share of trials and tribulations.  Needless to say, when you become comfortable with the trains in Tokyo, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something in life. 

Night view of Tokyo from Sunshine City Observation Deck. I'm really proud of this picture, so mock it and I'll pull your hair.

 (P.S. All pictures in this entry were taken by yours truly!)

As for some of the major tourist attractions in Tokyo, don’t bother with Tokyo Disney.  If you’ve ever been to a Disney theme park before, they’re all practically the same.  The only differences are that Tokyo Disney has a different arrangement of rides compared to the other parks.  There is a park exclusive to Tokyo, which is Disney Sea, and at first I thought people were saying Disney C, which made no sense, but eventually I figured out the land and sea connection.  My stupidity aside, Disney Sea has some unique features but nothing to write home about.  The nice thing about the Tokyo Disney parks is that they’re VERY clean and well maintained, as is all of Japan.  In fact, walking around in public, it is extremely rare to see a trash can (there are recycling bins for plastic bottles though).  Any trash you create, you must carry with you until the opportunity to dispose of it presents itself, so keep this in mind as traverse the streets of Japan.  My last thought on the Tokyo Disney parks however, is to let it be known that if you go as a couple, even if you’re just platonic friends, Japanese people will assume you’re on a date, because Disney is apparently a place to date.  Me and my quasi-wife Erina had no idea, and after our excursion all of our friends kept telling us they didn’t know we were dating.  Neither did we.

Welcome to Aggrabah...city of mystery...

Anyway, there’s also Tokyo Tower, which has some great views, but there’s really nothing else to do in the area.  Despite the fact that it is indeed taller than the Eiffel Tower, it doesn’t stand out amongst the skyscrapers.  The Imperial Palace is somewhat close, but that’s off limits to the public, so you can only admire it from afar (And should you choose that adventure there is nothing else to do in that parking lot).  So neither are really on top of the list of my recommendations, but if you want a “traditional Japan” fix and don’t have the funds to take a bullet train to Kyoto, Asakusa right in Tokyo is the place to go.  ‘Tis a temple with a lot of traditional shops, snacks, and things to see and do.  Blow smoke in your face, tie a prayer thingie to a tree, that kind of stuff.

Asakusa...this is the postcard shot EVERYONE takes. The lone white person is my friend.

This is all you can see of the palace. Now you don't have to bother with going.

FOOD.  Food is the best thing about Tokyo, and there are many goods to be had.  Here are some of my favorites:

Okonomiyaki – a pancake-ish thing that has cabbage, meat, and all kinds of different things in it. The rough translation of okonomiyaki means “cooked to your liking” so whatever toppings you want in it you get. Then you shmear it with the tastiest Japanese-ified Worcester sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, sprinkle it with dried bonito flakes and dust it with seaweed (nori). Sounds crazy, but we LOVE it, and most of the time you’ll cook it at the table with friends. It’s a good “gab over dinner” type of food, and my favorite restaurant for this in Tokyo is called Sakuratei, hidden in the heart of the fashionable Harajuku district.

Sushi, although more specifically kaitenzushi. “Kaiten” means rotating, and “sushi” changes to “zushi” when in a compound word. Don’t bother with fancy shmancy sushi places, because kaiten is the way to go. It’s cheap, it’s fresh, and it’s absolutely more fun to do. You get charged by the plate, and the color of the plate will indicate the price. You can also order more of something you liked, although a word of caution…you see, my voice is kind of weak and doesn’t carry well so I’m used to people not being able to hear me, and so one time I kept ordering hamachi (yellowtail) thinking the chefs couldn’t hear me, but the next thing I know and twenty plates of hamachi are coming down the belt. Oops.

Yakitori, which means “cooked bird” and it’s mostly chicken, but not always. There’s asparagus, meatballs, even cheese wrapped in bacon, and it is UTTERLY delicious and probably my favorite thing to eat in Japan. Observe friend Nanna here, enjoying a yakitori of some kind…in response to this picture she said “You know I’m a lady, I like my meat.”

Shabu-shabu! Fun to say and delicious to eat. The Japanese equivalent of Chinese hotpot, except I never got sick eating shabu-shabu. The broth is different, and you get all kinds of different vegetables like daikon radish and enoki mushrooms, and thinly sliced beef. You also get an assortment of tasty dipping sauces to enhance your dining experience.

Indian food. One of my favorite things about Tokyo is the abundance of Indian restaurants. This is where Indian Friday began its glorious tradition. I recommend going for lunch because that’s when they usually offer all you can eat naan.

 Not pictured is yakiniku, or “grilled meat” which is actually Korean if I do say so myself.  It’s mostly beef, marinated in a SEKRET sauce, and you grill it yourself at your table.  Shin-okubo is the Koreatown of Tokyo, and although you may get approached by missionaries, it is the place to go for good old fashioned yakiniku.  Oftentimes lunch specials will be all you can eat as well!

To go with food, you must also drink.  Vending machines are everywhere, and as I said before recycling bins for plastic bottles are the only form of waste receptacle you will find in public.  Japan is not really a place for 100% juice, and what you’ll often find are 2% juice + flavored sugar water drinks, so I would stick with tea if you’re looking for refreshment.  As for nighttime activities there are many izakayas (kind of like a sit-down bar…literally, you sit on the floor) which is great for a group of friends looking for drinks and eats.  Also plenty of bars everywhere, as the Japanese do like their alcohol, as evidenced by the abundance of alcohol in every convenience store.  If you’re looking to extend your nighttime activities into the wee hours and do some dancing, Shibuya station will be the starting point of your journey, as all the good clubs and bars are around there (don’t bother with Roppongi…it’s snobby and expensive).  No need to worry about the walk of shame either…Japan is an INCREDIBLY safe country (no guns) and even women can walk around by themselves at night and not have to worry.  In fact, many intoxicateers will simply sleep outside of train stations to wait for the first morning train, and are never bothered (My friends and I would actually find a 24 hour McDonalds and get a cheeseburger or five).

Friends at an izakaya.

A night under the stars in Tokyo. Don't worry, they were there before our dinner and after. I told you Tokyo is perfectly safe!

As for shopping…lots to buy!  Harajuku is the fashion district, a labyrinth of clothing shops and crepe stands.  Crepes are actually the only food you will ever see Japanese people eat in public, while walking.  In Japanese culture, eating while walking in public is simply not done…you should always sit down.  But with crepes, it’s perfectly acceptable and you can choose a more savory crepe with a hot dog or tuna salad inside of it, or a sweet one with ice cream or custard topped with syrup, fruit, or nuts (mine was always strawberries with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.  I know…boring.).  I always enjoy a good trip to Harajuku and you’ll see some “interesting” characters dressed in strange garb…I don’t even know how to describe them, and unfortunately I have no pictures, but people watching is a cherished pastime while travelling these streets.

If you’re looking for more high end shopping, try Ginza.  Japan is known for its pearl industry, more specifically the Mikimoto brand.  Lucky for you, I once watched an entire 20/20 special (or something like that) on Mikimoto pearls and their grading system.   Their finest pearls are graded as a triple “AAA,” and are white with a slight rose finish to the iridescent luster.  Pearls of course come in various colors, and Mikimoto has a fine selection of white, champagne, pink and probably black as well, but if you’re in the market for black pearls the best hail from Tahiti (don’t ask me why I know that).  Fascinated by the Mikimoto brand, my friend Liz and I would peruse the display cases and of course I took a few photos (with their permission of course!  Although the store clerks happily obliged, I could sense the confusion in their replies).  We even asked if Liz could try on one of the necklaces and I snapped a photo of that too.  But check these puppies out:

Over $10,000 on the left and a cold 5 on the right

And of course there are all the “cute” things in Japanland, home of Hello Kitty.  My friend Liz here stands in a little shop, next to a display of hand towels, each from a different city in Japan.  Japan is very into things that are exclusive to various regions, like certain fruits or cuisine.  The best part about going to Tokyo is that you don’t have to go to all of the other cities to try “Hokkaido special melons,” “Nagoya special misokatsu,” “Nakatsugawa sweet marron,” “Okinawa pineapple,” etc. because pretty much all of it is available in Tokyo.  So try some green tea chocolate from Kyoto or an Osaka style okonomiyaki and buy yourself some souvenirs that are supposedly exclusive to these regions.  Who’s to be the wiser?  (Besides me)

Hellooooooooooo kitty! (and beware of stray cats in Japan...they yowl and have gang wars and fight crows. I wish I were kidding)

Unfortunately, NYCB will be in Tokyo in October, and Japan’s iconic cherry blossom festival is in early spring.  But October is a great time to see the leaves changing colors, which you can see at Japanese gardens or take a train ride an hour or two out into the mountains for actual wilderness.  In my first Japanese culture class, my professor told me that in Japanese gardens the keepers will often rake up the leaves, select a few choice ones and “scatter them with intent” so that the garden still maintains some sense of naturalness.  Although judging by the effort, it just seems tedious to me.  Anyway, because chances are you won’t be in Japan this coming spring, I don’t mind sharing a couple of my cherry blossom (sakura) photos with you.

Shinjuku Park, Tokyo

Ueno Park, Tokyo

And last but not least, I shall tell you about my FAVORITE thing to do in Japan, which is purikura (short for “print club,” with a Japanese accent).  They’re like photo booths and you can find them at arcades and “UFO Catcher” places (the Japanese equivalent of claw machines where you can catch stuffed animals and plush toys), but are infinitely superior in every single way.  It’s an actual experience…there’s better lighting, different backgrounds, sometimes a “blue screen” like a movie, and other camera effects.  After the pictures are taken, you go around to the side of the machine where your pictures will pop up on a screen and you can use a touch screen to select the pictures you want, write things in, add borders and various stamps, make them glittery etc.  Then the machine prints out a sheet of your artwork with an adhesive backing for you, and the Japanese are always sure to have a table nearby with a pair of scissors so you can cut the pictures apart and share your sticker pictures with friends.  I was (still am) OBSESSED with doing this.  It’s super fun and cheap entertainment (400 yen per shoot).  Although, guys should be aware that groups of men are not allowed in the photo booths by themselves.  Apparently Japan was having problems with perverts taking pictures from underneath girls’ skirts while they were in photo booths, and you know how it goes when it takes only one person to ruin it for everyone else.  So now, men can only enter photo booths if they are with a girl (girls can of course enter by themselves).  Sexist and unfair, but it is what it is.  Besides, if you look like a foreigner, you can pretend that you can’t read, go in and get away with it anyway.  Regardless, we’re talking some high tech stuff here…you can even have the machine e-mail the pictures to a Japanese mobile phone, which I did and now share with you:

In short (or not), I love Tokyo, miss it very much and could go on and on but won’t (I didn’t even begin to talk about the bakeries!).  Instead, I shall leave you with a picture that I took at the Nagoya Aquarium for your amusement.  Plus Glee is starting and I need to wrap this up!

I want one.

For tonight’s performance of Chicago, the role of Billy Flynn will now be destroyed by: Jerry Springer. This just in, Fosse has rolled in his grave. Though Jerry Springer had a “succesful” run in the West End production, there is no room for him here. I can’t imagine myself ever being razzled or even slightly dazzled by his performance.

If this was an attempt to bring more money people to the theatre, imagine the typical person who screams at hearing the name “Jerry Springer”. You guessed it. The same individual whose only T-shirt is a wife beater, just finished dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory, and thought that Broadway was merely a street. In no way can this be good for the Ambassador Theatre. Though they could pull a Rock of Ages and sell beer in the aisles. I’m thinking Keystone Light or Natural Ice. God knows that Jerry’s loyal fans would keep the ushers busy guzzling those white trash cocktails.

What next? Tyra Banks replacing Sasha Allen? Maury playing The Phantom? Dr. Phil playing Shrek? Sally playing Mary Poppins? We all know that Rosie, still pissed from Taboo, is yearning for the spotlight too. And though I wouldn’t mind seeing Regis & Kelly star in Next to Normal, I have no desire to watch this trend of talk show hosts on Broadway rise.

Thank you Jerry springer for opening up the theatre to a new breed of audience. And please, don’t get too comfy in the role.

.

Posted by: RichieRichster