A is for Alexi Murdoch- loving the voice
B is for the Bob’s- Marley, Dylan, Seger legends- with a song for every mood
C is for Creedence Clearwater Revival- the oldies are still the best
D is for John Denver- a great poet even if he isn’t considered cool
E is for The Eagles- who doesn’t love Hotel California
F is for Foo Fighters- Dave Grohl’s done good
G is for The Gaslight Anthem- the best new band around (and my other love- The Goo Goo Dolls)
H is for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- a recent discovery
I is for Iggy Pop- he may have sold out doing the insurance ads but still an original punk rock pioneer
J is for James, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Eat World- same name very different music
K is for Kiss- grown men in facepaint hell yeah
L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd- touring next year- I’m so there
M is for Mika- yeah right- Michael Jackson- the king of pop- enough said
N is for Neil Young- oh to have been there first time round
O is for Oasis- You either love them or hate them
P is for Pink Floyd- one of a kind
Q is for Queen- sing-a-long anthems that never get old
R is for Ray Lamontagne, Rod Stewart (a guilty pleasure), Rolling Stones and Ryan Adams- I couldn’t pick just one
S is for Simon & Garfunkel- love, love, love
T is for Tracy Chapman- heartfelt lyrics at their best
U is for The Undertones- Teenage Kicks is a classic
V is for The Verve- It’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life
W is for The Who- Baba O’Reilly what a tune
X is for… I have no idea
Y is for Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens- sound track to your life
Z is for Led Zeppelin- still the best after all this time

אחד הנסיונות הראשונים שלי בשמן כסטודנט במכללה לעיצוב ויצ”ו חיפה. חלק מסדרת ציורי הנדריקס. ציור ספציפי זה על פי צילום. את המקורי נתתי לחבר שנסע לחו”ל וכל מה שנותר לי זה צילום מרופט. את הקורס הנחתה סבינה מנדל המדהימה שבזכותה הבנתי שאני יכול לצייר. קיבלתי חיזוק לתחושה זו כשבסוף השנה נגנבו שני ציורים שלי שהשתתפו בתערוכה.

Jimi 1

The race is over and I survived!

Today I reached an unbelievable personal goal, completing a half-marathon after about two months of training. I started on this project as both a personal challenge, and as a way to inspire people through the American College of Endocrinology Power of Prevention program. Along the way, I have heard from so many of you who are following my progress, have been inspired yourselves, or who are just rooting me on to success. On this Thanksgiving Day, I have to tell you all how grateful I am for all of your support.  What started out as a project to inspire others has certainly changed my life, and a significant part of that comes from all of you.

Now, on to race day.

First, a brief note.  I did not run with my iPhone, so I did not take any pictures.  Sarah took some, and I will work to add them later in the day.

So, I guess the story begins with dinner last night. My good friend Britt has been following my progress in this training regimen, and was sorry to tell me that he would not be able to come out to the run and see me finish, due to the fact he is out of town today. But he did offer to help me carbo load the night before. So last night our two families went out and enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner. In fact, I had to stop loading because I was too full. (I had an awesome shrimp alfredo Sicilian style pizza. Pictures forthcoming as well. I promise you will be jealous).

I got home and had a good night’s sleep.  This morning when I woke up, my number one priority was my pre-race preparations. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here to get up to speed, but suffice it to say, I was very nervous about making sure this was not a problem today.

Not joking, I resorted to jumping jacks in the living room, but it all came out fine in the end (did I really just type that?)

Sarah and I headed out to the run at about 6:45.  Race time was 8:00, but we wanted to get a decent parking spot and I also wanted to do a mile pre-run before the race to get loosened up.

People up north can complain about this next sentence, but it was cold this morning.  It was probably only 50 degrees when we got to the race site. I was not concerned about the race, because I know how much I heat up when I am running, but I was definitely freezing waiting for the race to start.

Sarah and our friend Melissa were running the 6k at the same time.  The starting line and starting time were the same, so we got “in the blocks” together and waited for the run to begin. After a pre-recorded National Anthem from Lee Ann Rhimes, the race was set to begin.

We had positioned ourselves towards the middle of the group.  We knew we were not fast enough to be in the front, but did not want to get stuck behind the walkers in the back, either. The gun sounded and we were off.  It took about a minute or so to cross the starting line. I’m glad this was a chip race, because I’m interested to see how off my chip time is from the race time. The first mile was the typical jockeying for position that you see at any race. I tried to keep my pace slow and steady, but it is definitely hard with the adrenaline of all the other runners around you.

Around mile one, the course split for the 1/2 marathoners and the 6k, so the crowds thinned considerably at that point. It was about this time that I realized I had forgotten to start the timer on my watch. This is a dual problem, because I had no way to track my time, and because it was not recording my heart rate (long time readers know that I have a history of overheating when not monitoring my heart rate closely). So I started the timer and hoped that at some point there would be a timer on the course that would allow me to get some idea of how I was doing.

The first course clock did not come until mile two.  The race time at that point was 19 minutes. That meant that even if I had been at the front of the pack, I was pacing at sub-ten minute miles. This was both exciting and troubling. Exciting, because I did not feel like I was moving at that pace and felt fairly good. Troubling because I was not sure I could maintain this pace for eleven more miles.

The next few miles were relatively uneventful. I was able to maintain that 9:30ish pace and was not feeling tired. One thing I did not do was take water at the water stations. I have learned from experience that I get bad cramping if I drink anything while running. I had tried to hydrate myself well before the race, and was banking on that being good enough.

The race was actually quite uneventful in general until about mile eight. Right about that time my feet began to really hurt, especially on the instep. I know that I am due for new shoes, but did not want to get them so close to race time. Many runners have told me that’s a recipe for disaster with blisters and real problems on race day. But what was a mild nuisance at mile eight had become a real pain by mile nine.

The mile nine refreshment center had something I can only refer to as runner’s goo. It came in a foil packet, and had the consistency of Vaseline.  But it tasted good, was packed with sugars and caffeine, and really gave me a bit of a boost when I really needed it.

By mile ten, I was in uncharted waters. Ten miles is the previous longest run I had ever done, and I still had a full 5k to go to finish. I resorted to counting miles, not in distance, but in songs. At my pace (I had slowed to about an even ten minute mile pace, by now) I knew it was about two and a half songs between miles. So I just focused on the music and plowed ahead.

At mile eleven, the pain in my feet moved to my calves. This was a new experience for me. Whenever I run, the only true obstacle is breathing. I never have physical pain in my legs that prohibits me from going forward. So this really caught me off-guard. I knew that I only had two miles to go, however, and was determined to power through it, no matter what.

At mile twelve, I could smell the finish line, and so could the rest of the group running at my pace. Everyone kicked it up a notch at that point. I did the same, despite what my legs were screaming to me (R-rated, can’t repeat here). That lasted maybe a quarter of a mile. That’s when I thought I was going to collapse. Despite the fact that I had made it more than twelve miles without stopping once, I had to stop and stretch out my legs, then walk for about 30 seconds. I regret this terribly, but really don’t think there was anything else I could do at that point.

Once I started back up again, I decided to keep the pace slower and just get to the finish line. Two songs later, I was crossing the thirteen mile marker. At this point I knew that I had a 1/10 mile sprint in me, so I kicked it in and raced to the finish line, passing up a couple of guys down the stretch!

Final time: 2:07:18! Official results here: http://www.1stplacesports.com/obdc09halfres.htm

I looked around for Sarah, who had finished the 6k about and hour and 20 minutes earlier, but could not see her anywhere. So I got some water and tried to work out my legs a little bit. About 7-8 minutes later Sarah spotted me in the crowd and came over. I had anticipated finishing between 2:15 and 2:30, so she had gone home and got the turkey and stuffing in the oven, then was going to come back and watch me finish and take some pictures. Since I beat my goal time by about eight minutes, she missed the finish.

She’s more upset about that than I am. I’m glad she came back at all, and I appreciated the support in any case.

So we met up with some friends and compared times, then headed over to get a banana… AND THEY WERE OUT! So I settled for some orange slices and a couple of Michelob Ultras. Sarah also grabbed an Ultra, that she was actually getting for me.

As we walked to the van, I saw a sign for a “Brazilian Honey Bakery”. Having no idea what in the world that is, we headed inside and asked the question “What in the world is a Brazilian Honey Bakery?” The proprietor proceeded to give me a sample of a cheese bread pastry, which was so good, I immediately ordered a dozen.

And with that, we packed into the van, and headed for home. I received all of your well wishes on email, Facebook, and Twitter. You really have no idea how much that means to me. I am thankful today for all of you who have supported me through this training, and I look forward to sharing with you my next plan…

Until then, you know the drill…

Vital Statistics:

Workout: 13.1 Miles

Time: 2:07:18

Pace: 9:43

Playlist:

Neither Can I – Slash’s Snakepit

Estranged – Guns N Roses

Believe – Disturbed

Always On The Run – Lenny Kravitz

Sure Shot – The Beastie Boys

The Battle of Evermore – Led Zeppelin

I.R.S. – Guns N Roses

Brain Stew – Green Day

Miss Independent – Ne-Yo

Rusty Cage – Johnny Cash

The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson

Best I Can – Queensryche

All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix

Get It Together – The Beastie Boys

Strength Beyond Strength – Pantera

Hella Good – No Doubt

Hanger 18 – Megadeth

Used To Love Her – Guns N Roses

One – Creed

Razor – Foo Fighters

After The World – Disciple

Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani

Elvis Is Dead – Living Colour

Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction

Territorial Pissings – Nirvana

Madagascar – Guns N Roses

No Rain – Blind Melon

Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz

There Is No God – Extreme

On November 27:

1703 The first Eddystone Lighthouse was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1703.

 Winstanley’s lighthouse

1849 Te Rauparaha died.

1895 Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, setting aside his estate to establish the Nobel Prize after he died.

1874 Chaim Weizmann, 1st President of Israel, was born.

1924 the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in New York.

1925 Ernie Wise, British comedian, was born.

1940 The 16,712-ton New Zealand Shipping Company liner MV Rangitane was sunk by two German ‘auxiliary cruisers’ (armed merchant raiders), the Orion and Komet, 300 nautical miles off East Cape.

1942 Manolo Blahnik, Spanish shoe designer, was born.

1940  Bruce Lee, American actor and martial artist, was born.

1942  Jimi Hendrix, American guitarist, was born.

 1999  Helen Clark became Prime Minister.

2005 The first partial human face transplant was completed in Amiens, France.

2006 The Canadian House of Commons endorsed Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s motion to declare Québécois a nation within a unified Canada.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

By Sara Appel-Lennon

SAN DIEGO–While researching Thanksgiving origins, I uncovered some hidden history. Many were taught that the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The meal served only a small part of the celebration. Originally Thanksgiving focused on prayer to offer thanks for a bountiful harvest.

In Jewish tradition the festival of the harvest is called Succoth. It falls in September or October, the 15^TH-22ND day of the seventh month of Tishrei of the lunar calendar. Many cultures including Jews, Greeks, Native American Indians, and the Puritans. observed the tradition of celebrating by giving thanks for their harvest around the same time as  Succoth.

To this day Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October to give thanks for the harvest.

During Succoth Jewish people build a three sided hut-succah, made from all natural materials with a roof which allows the stars to be seen. It is a mitzvah-commandment forJewish people– to eat their meals and sleep in the succah for one week. (dependent upon the weather)The purpose is two fold. Living in the succah for one week serves as a reminder of how God protected our ancestors when they wandered in the desert for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt. This reminder strengthens our faith that God is present in our lives.

Here is the Biblical reference to Succoth. “You shall sit in Sukkot (or Succot) for seven days, all citizens of Israel will sit in Sukkot (or Succot). In order that your generations shall know that I enabled the children of Israel to dwell in Sukkot (or Succot) when I brought them out of Egypt, I am the L-rd your G-d” (Vayikra 23:42-43, or in English, Leviticus 23:42-43). http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/sukkot/sukkah.html

Another hidden historical fact concerns the Pilgrims and the Indians.

History books teach that the Pilgrims and the Indians shared a Thanksgiving meal together. The Wampanoag Indians befriended and taught the Pilgrims how to plant potatoes and tomatoes. Several of my resources indicated the Pilgrims stole land from the Indians and killed them. I leave it up to the reader to decide what to believe.

I find it interesting that the desire for domination has been with us for centuries and continues to be a dilemma today. As  Jimi Hendrix once said, and I have paraphrased, in a previous article. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the  world will know peace. “

Thanksgiving reminds me to count my blessings. Rabbi Martin Lawson, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El, said that Jews are asked to say 100 blessings daily. The words “thank you” mean so much and take little effort to express.

Thank you for reading my articles. May you all have a nurturing and safe Thanksgiving week-end.

*

Appel-Lennon is a San Diego-based freelance writer. Her email: appels@jewishsightseeing.com

Well.

Been AWOL for a while, but I now return with another entry in my ever expanding cache of pointless lists that nobody asked for.

Recently I was involved in a discussion about cover songs. No, I don’t know why. The point is, it spawned this little ditty -

The Top Ten Cover Songs You Probably Didn’t Even Realize Were Cover Songs.

It really is exactly what it says.

Ten: “The Man Who Sold the World.” (Nirvana)

I almost hate to admit it, but I think I genuinely prefer Nirvana’s live, unplugged version of this song to David Bowie’s 1970 original album version. While such a statement may seem somewhat blasphemous, in Nirvana’s defense I heard their version first – and, to add insult to injury, it’s really good. I suppose that your enjoyment of this song, like most on this list, simply boils down to when you were born, or when you first heard it. If you’re a child of the ’70s, you’ll probably prefer Bowie’s version. If, however, you are a child of the glorious ’90s, you’ll probably go for Kurt’s take on it. Regardless, the irony of the situation does not seem lost on Bowie himself. Thanks to Cobain covering it, even to this day when Bowie performs the song himself he comes across “kids that come up afterwards and say, ‘It’s cool you’re doing a Nirvana song.’ And I think, ‘Fuck you, you little tosser!’”

I think even Kurt Cobain could get behind that one. And he wasn’t really known for shooting off his mouth. (Just the area above it.)

Nine: “Black Magic Woman.” (Santana)

I honestly was not aware, literally up to this very moment, that this was originally a Fleetwood Mac song. Peter Green wrote it in 1968; Santana made it a hit in 1970. Better luck next time, Peter Green. Well, at least you still have Fleetwood Mac who I’m sure is going to be huge andOH YOU QUIT THE BAND.

BTW…who the fuck is Peter Green?

Eight: “Mr. Tambourine Man.” (The Byrds)

Bob Dylan is probably one of the most covered artists of all time. I say “probably” because I don’t know for sure and I’m too lazy to look it up. But rest assured, he’s gotta be, like, top twelve at least. Anyways, this is another instance of a song taking me by surprise. I’m sure more people are familiar with the Byrd’s trippy version of this song than Dylan’s original – myself included. Either version is solid, though – in fact, it has the (meaningless) honor of being only one of three songs to be included twice on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs. Not too shabby for a song about tambourines that (at least in Dylan’s version) doesn’t include any tambourineing.

Seven: “Lovers in a Dangerous Time.” (The Barenaked Ladies)

Little bit of Canadian content for y’all.

The Barenaked Ladies are a strange beast. They’re all fairly talented musicians who can write a hook filled pop masterpiece seemingly whenever they want to. It’s usually combined with bizarre to nonsensical lyrics that range from obscure pop culture references, to abstract fragments, to genuinely insightful commentary – all the while being either rapped by Ed Robertson or operatically sung by Steven Page with gleeful abandon.

Occasionally, they have curbed their wackier tendencies to produce something much more subdued and restrained, which can at times border on being fully beautiful.

Like their cover of this Bruce Cockburn song. After it’s release in 1991 (fittingly for a Cockburn tribute album) it became a Canadian radio staple – a certifiable hit for the band. Even now it continues to crop up on the radio from time to time, though you rarely – if ever – hear Cockburn’s original.

Six: “No More I Love Yous” (Annie Lennox)

This song easily could have made my Thirteen Guilty Pleasure Songs You Hate to Love. (Or Love to Hate) list as well. But it didn’t, and luckily it’s found itself a new avenue for infamy on my blog as being a catchy as hell song we all instantly recognize as an Annie Lennox ditty, but was in fact originally written and performed by some band called “The Lover Speaks.” No, I’ve never heard of them either, and when I type the name into Google image search, a confusing array of pictures, none of which features anything remotely similar to a band, comes up. So apparently even the internet has forgotten about them as well.

I think that what I’m trying to say is, cover though it may be…I think Annie’s pretty much got a monopoly on this song. Good for her!

Five: “Downtown Train.” (Rod Stewart)

Rod Stewart covers Tom Waits. There’s something funny to be said here, but I honestly don’t know what it is.

No, not funny – weird.

The Stewart song is the radio friendly one; the Waits version is the “good” one. In fact, if there ever comes a time when you’re contemplating downloading or buy Rod Stewart’s entire discography, I urge you to just download Wait’s 1985 masterpiece Rain Dogs instead. You can thank me later.

Four: “Hallelujah.” (Jeff Buckley)

Now, to be fair, I think people are about as aware of the Buckley version of this beautiful song as they are of the Leonard Cohen original. Both versions are excellent, by the way – thanks to Cohen’s poetic lyrics and simple, yet evocative melody. But it will forever be associated with Buckley – partly due to his untimely and tragic death, and partly do to his stunning and haunting arrangement of it. Cohen wrote a classic, artistic ballad; Jeff Buckley perfected it.

Three: “Nothing Compares 2 U.” (Sinead O’Connor)

I had no idea this was originally a Prince song. I suppose the number “2″ and the letter “u” in the title should have helped tip me off, but it didn’t. I truly thought this was an original song by Sinead. And, after hearing Prince’s version, I’d like to continue thinking that, please.

Incidentally, this song title was the inspiration behind U2’s name.

No it wasn’t.

Two: “Respect.” (Aretha Franklin)

“Respect” is to Aretha Franklin what “Nothing Compares 2 U” is to Sinead O’Connor – a signature song. A song that we immediately identify with these artists, and, when thinking about these artists, it’s usually the first one that pops into our noggins’. It seems odd then, that both these womens signature songs should be covers. I don’t really know what that says about them, except that they both totally own these tunes. Otis Redding may have been the first to spell out the word “respect” for mass audiences, but it was tailor made for the Queen of Soul. I’ve never heard Otis Redding’s version of the song, and have no need to; no one could possibly come close to matching Aretha.

One: “All Along the Watchtower.” (Jimi Hendrix)

Dylan’s was good. HIS was better.

From the iconic opening guitar riff, to the whacked out solo, this is the definitive version of Bob Dylan’s tune. It’s been covered countless times since, but Jimi’s 1968 version remains the one to top. It’s a song that makes people go “REALLY?” whenever somebody mentions that it’s not a Hendrix track, but one of Dylan’s.

Which I think perfectly sums up just what this list is all about.

Well.

There were a few more songs that I came across that would have fit this list, but I tried to wittle it down to the best ten. Feel free to tell me what I missed and mock my attempt in general below.

So, until tomorrow, enjoy some Annie Lennox.

And you damn well know you will.

Doo doo doo doo doo doo…WHOA OH.

Cosmic Trip Machine
Lord Space Devil (2008)

Click here to start the download

Please, give your opinions here

To download each track (right click and choose “Save Target As”…)

01. Lord Space Devil
02. Floor
03. Go Down Streets
04. Mantra #27 (Shiva’s angry vs NoHype Studio)
05. Sorry Edgar for the spelling
06. Giallo (Profondo Argento)
07. Another Venus
08. Plastic Hippie
09. Death Light (Light beyond Death)
10. So Sad
11. Strange is laughing under view
12. Time
13. Mariachi / The Twilight (Donde esta la biblioteca de Madrid, hijo de puta)
14. Ciaroscuro
15. Lonely Grave
16. Conversation
17. In the Haze of Drugs
18. Last Song

To print cover, it’s here

Cosmic Trip Machine is…
Will Z. : steel-string acoustic guitar, vocals, sitar, bass, organ, Siel keyboards, Antonelli plastic shit, percussions, rainstick, tambourine, gong, screams
Majnun : electric guitar, steel-string acoustic guitar, classical guitar, guitar-sitar, percussions, flute, satanic voices (the narrator)
JP : recording and mixing, tea, water (Evian or Bru, we don’t know), keeping Google quiet

Produced by Will Spector (wall of sound) and Jimmy Pakkes

Recorded and mixed by Jean-Pol Gerard at NoHype Studio between March and April 2008
Mastered by Paul Van der Jonckheyd at Foon

Artinasaly (sic) distributed by Open your Eyes Production

Imagine for a minute if Jeff Buckley hadn’t died after just one released album.  It’s a shame to consider that this brilliant musician drowned when he was just 31 years of age.  The one album released before his death, titled “Grace” is a staple of indie-rock.  It’s both classic and relevant, incorporating simple yet masterful guitar sequences with raw vocals.  It is hard to grasp the immense wealth this album has to offer by listening to individual tracks, or to the album merely once.  I would recommend listening to it devoid distraction (in correct order).  Critics have denoted Buckley’s popularity as the “death effect” that has  made classic other artists like Jimi Hendrix, Nick Drake and Kurt Kobain.  Not to say that any of these artists don’t deserve such outstanding recognition, but death generally causes popular interest in popular music.  Grace is powerful and haunting and in my opinion, one of the top ten albums of all-time.  “A Cold and broken Hallelujah” indeed.

Listen for yourself.

Mojo Pin – My favorite track.  Simple and slow yet captivating.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Mojo_Pin/609220

___________________________________________________________

Lover, You Should’ve Come Over – Perhaps the strongest lyrical addition to the album.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Jeff_Buckley_Lover_You_Should/282101

___________________________________________________________

Dream Brother – Middle Eastern tinges, more electric guitar and pounding drums.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Dream_Brother/609230

___________________________________________________________

If you’re looking for another interesting and unique take on some good music check out a fellow blogger :  http://retailoptimism.wordpress.com/

Hope You Enjoy!

Viva La Musica!

It’s ok to overlook some bizarre deep album track or miss the boat on something new that flies by, but to forget a real classic like this is just humiliating. Oh well, it’s never too late.

I don’t know why I don’t have stronger feelings about Jimi Hendrix. I’m certainly a sucker for the whole brilliant dead guy thing. Hendrix is a massive icon, and a fascinating character, and he had amazing style. Why an obsession hasn’t developed, I don’t understand. What’s wrong with me?

More on point, though…All Along the Watchtower was fantastic when Dylan first recorded it on John Wesley Harding, but it was The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s version that became definitive. Hendrix molded it to his own style and his interpretation is…is…the word ‘collossal’ comes to mind. It’s a song that bears the imprint of two of the biggest godheads in the Valhalla of rock and roll. So why does everybody and their pet parakeet still want to get their paws on it? There has been a rash of cover versions, mostly not terribly good ones to say the least. Dave Matthews, U2, Metallica, Eddie Vedder, The Grateful Dead, John Mellencamp, The Allman Brothers, Phish, Lenny Kravitz - all have put their foot in to see if the shoe fits. Why oh why, if you are Lenny Kravitz, would you try to fill the shoes of Dylan and Hendrix? Don’t you know that you will only make yourself look pathetic? The only bright spot was when Bryan Ferry, working out his Dylan fetish once and for all, included it on his Dylanesque album. Unlike the grotesquely awful efforts of everyone else, Ferry’s version was merely unneccessary.

There’s something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery.
Stefan Kanfer

artist: Peter Nidzgorski, source: this isn’t happiness, tumblr via ffffound

photography: Steven Klein, source: Calvin Klein Underwear ad 2009, models:Eva Mendes & Jamie Dornan

photography: Elle Arden, Source: Black and White Zebra with Black Background

source: google, model: James Dean

source: Friends of Type via ffffound

source: k (1 of 11) en Flickr: ¡Intercambio de fotos!

source: google

photography: Ansel Adams, location: Grand Tetons, Wyoming

model: my grandaddy

source: google

source: google, model: Jimi Hendrix

photography: silja Magg, source: Women Management, model: Katarina Ivanovska

photography: Heidi Slimane, source: FormFiftyFive – Design inspiration from around the world

source: Hubble’s Black and White View of the Universe

source: google

photography: Peter Lindbergh, souce: Numero

source: Ampersanderson via ffffound

photography: Ansel Adams

photography: Allan Rostron

Source: High Society (1956), model: Grace Kelly

photography: David Byun, source: W Korea April 2009, stylist: Yahaira Familia

source: Japanese Numero April 2008

photography: Hugh Morton 1982, model: Jim Braddock  UNC vs Villanova

model: Ray Charles

models: Kennedy family

source: google

source: v-mag model: Naomi Campbell

source: NY daily news, model: Jesse Owens at 36′ Berlin olympics

source: google

photography: Mario Testino, source: German Vogue June 08

photography: Mario Testino, model: Naomi Campbell

photography: Otto Rogge, source: Ocean, Ottophoto

photography: Karim Sadli model: Abbey Lee

source: Beatles

photography: Robert Longos source: “Men in the Cities” series – 1980s via Ryan’s Facebook,

source: Boston Ballet

photography: Raffee, source: Kid in the Park via Raffee

source: Bright Idea Brilliantly Delivered on the Behance Network via ffffound

model: Filippa Hamilton

source: shuttle launch

source: Sand Dunes, Izismile

source: Ralph Waldo Emerson via 30+ Pieces of Inspiring, Funny and Interesting Advice – My Modern Metropolis

Motel de Moka Report:

Click here to go to MDM to check The Kinks “Set Me Free”, Jimi Hendrix “Wait Until Tomorrow”, Muddy Waters “I’ve Got My Mojo Working”, and more

In the ongoing journey of cleaning out my computer files…some classics for your viewing pleasure.

Janis Joplin. Would kill to have that voice.

Jean Seberg. Would kill to have stared in the film “Breathless.”

Jim Morrison. Would kill to have been alive to have seen him perform live. That would be a great story.

Jimi Hendrix. Another performance I would love to have seen in person. Oh, and that jacket…I need to find one like it ASAP.

Priscilla Presley. My mum was in Germany shortly after Priscilla and Elvis hooked up and always had wished that she had gone earlier (maybe it would have been her…that would mean I could have been Elvis’ kid). I love these old pictures of her. The hair, the make-up…perfection.

And last, but most certainly not least…TERENCE STAMP. I found this picture in a Vogue coffee table book about what they had going on in their mag in the ’60s. I feel in love with that page it was on (opposite an amazing picture of Julie Christie…another beauty). He reminds me a bit of Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian.

Ou comment la Seattle Craig Diffenbach Company s’est vue contrainte de retirer son produit phare, la Vodka Hendrix Electric, du marché…

Ce n’est pas tout d’avoir une bonne idée, puis de la concrétiser dans un beau produit, au beau packaging avant de la lancer sur le marché. Encore faut-il posséder TOUTES les autorisations, en règle, pour le faire ! Voici l’exemple flagrant d’un échec commercial.

Craig Diffenbach, ami avec le frère du défunt Jimi Hendrix, décide de commercialiser une vodka qui porterait le nom célébrissime guitariste gaucher. Leon Hendrix, le frère, donne son accord.
La vodka est produite, embouteillée dans la bouteille Axel de Saverglass, recouverte d’un décor en dégradé violet reprenant le visage de Jimi Hendrix. Le produit est magnifique et lancé sur le marché.

Vodka Electric Hendrix

Seulement voilà. Craig Diffenbach n’avait pas prévu que la personne qui détient tous les droits sur l’héritage de Jimi Hendrix n’était pas son frère mais sa  sœur adoptive, Janie. Le père de Jimi Hendrix, ayant-droit en 1970 à la mort de son fils, avait stipulé sur son propre testament que Leon ne pourrait pas toucher un centime sur l’héritage du chanteur.
Janie Hendrix attaqua donc la marque en justice au motif que les noms “Jimi Hendrix”, “Electric Experience” sont des marques déposées et  protégées et qu’elles avaient été utilisées sans accord préalable. De plus, elle qualifia l’utilisation de l’image de son frère pour promouvoir une vodka alors que celui-ci est décédé d’une overdose de barbituriques et d’alcool de “sike joke” (comprenez “plaisanterie macabre”) et que l’entreprise ne pouvait cautionner une telle association.

Voici donc une bataille juridique de plusieurs années engagée. Jusqu’à son dénouement en février dernier où la cour fédérale a condamné la Seattle Craig Diffenbach à retirer le produit du marché et à verser de 3,2 millions de dollars (2,1 millions d’€) de dommages et intérêts aux héritiers.

Dommage, car le packaging de cette vodka était vraiment beau, avec son dégradé et son satinage. Et je ne suis pas sûre que ce cher Jimi eût détesté de se retrouver sur cette bouteille. Pas plus en tout cas que sur des vêtements pour bébé, des décorations de Noël ou un parfum d’ambiance (version cigarette qui fait rire?)… Question de point de vue sûrement.

A la semaine prochaine pour une nouvelle histoire.

Década de los 70 y los 80

Sin duda esta es la época dorada del rock. En estos años se concentran los mejores grupos, todos aquellos que pasarán a la historia. También se concentran todas las ramas y vertientes del rock que desembocan en tribus urbanas y movimientos, cosas que solo la música puede hacer nacer, identidades y formas de ver la vida. En los 70 surge el glam y el movimiento punk, dando paso este último a finales de la década al after punk, que mostrará una clara inclinación hacia el rock gótico de los 80.

1970- 18 de septiembre: Fallece Jimi Hendrix.

El guitarrista, cantante y compositor estadounidense muere al parecer a causa de una asfixia provocada por su propio vómito al mezclar pastillas para dormir con alcohol, aunque hoy en día existe la teoría de un posible asesinato. Jimi Hendrix fue en sus días y sigue siendo, uno de los más grandes guitarristas de la historia, siendo concedido el honor del mejor guitarrista del mundo por la revista Rolling stone en 2003.

http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/

1977- 16 de agosto. Fallece Elvis Presley.

Se le conoce como el rey del rock. Causó furor en vida y es toda una leyenda del rock and roll. Su forma de mover las caderas sobre el escenario enloqueció a más de una y su música es indudablemente única. El día que fue encontrado inconsciente en su baño fue trasladado al hospital sin suerte. Se cerraba así una época  única en la historia del rock.

http://radiocentro.com.mx/grc/homepage.nsf/main?readform&idest=ESTA-4Z8TZC&url=/grc/universa.nsf/vwALL/LEVO-5EFSFX

1979- 2 de Febrero: Fallece Sid Vicious.

La muerte del bajista del famosísimo grupo de punk londinense Sex Pistols aún oculta misterios, como muchas otras en la historia del rock. Sid Vicious se convirtió en una trágica leyenda al morir de sobredósis junto a su novia Nancy, a quien no se sabe si asesinó el mismo antes de morir en un estado de confusión, tremendamente drogado. En vida fue siempre un rebelde incorrecto que provocó a los que sí eran correctos, escandalizándoles con su actitud. Vivió unido a la heroína, y de la misma manera murió.

 http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/MCLAREN/_MALCOLM_/EX_MANAGER_SEX_PISTOLS/SEX_PISTOLS_/MuSICA/Sid/Vicious/toco/Sex/Pistols/descubridor/elpepicul/19941103elpepicul_6/Tes/

1980- Lanzamiento de Back in Black.

Tras la muerte de Bon Scott, cantante de AC/DC, sale Back in Black, el segundo álbum más vendido de la historia, después del archiconocido Thriller de Michael Jackson. El álbum es un homenaje al fallecido Bon Scott, por la apariencia fúnebre de la portada: el logo en blanco sobre un fondo negro, y el título, cómo no. Es también el comienzo de Brian Johnson como cantante de la banda. El disco traerá consigo tres temas legendarios del grupo: Hells Bells, Back in Black y You Shook me all Night Long. La  revista Rolling Stone coloca al tema back in Black entre los 500 mejores de la historia del rock.

http://www.ac-dc.galeon.com/Material/ACDCcaratulas.htm

ボブ・ディランの「見晴し塔からずっと」は多くのアーティストにカバーされている。

黄昏の景色を見ると思い浮かぶ曲。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Jimi Hendrix – All along the watchtower

Michael Hedges – All Along the Watchtower

二人とも生きていればなあ….

In striving to make the world a better place, by spreading the blissful two words of Heavy Metal (and any and all Extreme Music), here is a cool list of Greatest Hits CD’s from some very worthy bands and musicians. This list may quite possibly trigger a mad dash to itunes or your nearest record/CD store upon your review. Greatest Hits or Best Of CD’s are sometimes the perfect fix if you do not have any of the respective band’s albums/CD’s already. If you are like me, (a collector and sometimes over excited fan), you may like some or many bands so much, you just need to own everything that is available by such bands, including Greatest Hits. If this list of incredible Greatest Hits CD’s recruits even one new fan to the Heavy/Extreme Music genres, then I have done a fine Metal deed. Please note, I own each Greatest Hits or so named CD on this list… I could never recommend an album/CD without listening to it’s entirety and/or having ownership of. Integrity in Heavy Metal Music recommendations is an ethical must.

The Best Of Ted Nugent – Great Gonzos! – Absolutely a Hard Rock meets Heavy Metal fusion with The Motor City Madman. Cat Scratch Fever, Stranglehold, Wango Tango, Free For All and Dog Eat Dog are late 1970’s into early 1980’s FM radio Classics. Old School and not a lick here that isn’t memorable for Metal life. Plus, the reissue has 3 bonus tracks too.

IRON MAIDEN – Somewhere Back In Time/The Best Of 1980 – 1989 - An undeniably great assortment of Iron Maiden classics, spanning the unreal Metal ’80’s. 2 Minutes To Midnight and The Trooper are enough to get me psyched out of my Metal mind for at least an hour. In my Metal opinion, Iron Maiden could have/should have released a 2 – disc greatest hits, they have that many incredible songs in their Metal catalog. Yes they do.

Jimi Hendrix - Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix - A Hard Rock evolving into Heavy Metal history lesson is heard here on this album. This album of Jimi Hendrix songs are beyond great… their damn sacred. Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary, Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, All Along The Watchtower and the Rock historical – Star Spangled Banner… c’mon, these songs are the Metal building blocks of every Heavy Metal and/or Hard Rock genre out there today. 20 songs total on this masterful collection, not a must have… a no brainer must own.

DIO – The Very Best Of DIO – Ronnie James Dio is a living Metal legend. His vocals for me, are the epitome of what Heavy Metal singing is all about. Dio’s solo career takes center stage on this amazing collection of greatest hits. Holy Diver, Rainbow In The Dark, Rock and Roll Children, Mystery and The Last In Line are DIO songs that pack the same potent Metal punch to my ears and senses… as they did back in the 1980’s. 16 songs total on this DIO disc. Metal masterpieces only sound better with age.

Black Sabbath – The Dio Years - I find this collection of Black Sabbath songs to be uncannily irresistible. These are the Black Sabbath songs from the Ronnie James Dio era, with the Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules, Live Evil and Dehumanizer albums all represented. This same Black Sabbath lineup may be called Heaven and Hell in 2009, yet does it really matter? Their still Black Sabbath to me.

Twisted Sister – Big Hits and Nasty Cuts – Dee Snider made Heavy Metal all the more visible on MTV with the Twisted Sister video We’re Not Gonna Take It, back in 1984. This Twisted Sister greatest hits album is loaded with 6 live bonus tracks as well. This is another band that could easily fill up more than one disc of great songs from their Heavy Metal catalog. Under The Blade and The Kids Are Back are my two favorites on this one.

KISS – Double Platinum – I have proudly owned this album since it’s release back in 1978. I was in seventh grade back then and this was my very first KISS album. My Double Platinum album is still in beautiful condition too. A 2 record set, opening up as a gatefold, this album also included a platinum record certificate to the fan who purchased it. (I wish I kept this piece of KISS memorabilia, it was just made of paper and it hung on my bedroom wall for several years, when I was a kid of course). The important thing is I still have Double Platinum on vinyl… plus I upgraded Double Platinum by buying the CD many years ago too. (It is not a double CD, all the songs are on just one… I don’t know if this ever changed over to a double CD over the years). Just about every important and cool KISS song from the 1970’s is on Double Platinum, with Hard Luck Woman and Calling Dr. Love being my two vintage KISS favorites.

Queensryche - Sign of the Times, The Best Of Queensryche – Buying this CD suited me well since many of my Queensryche “albums” were purchased on cassette years ago. Queensryche has always been a favorite of mine, a high powered – progressive Metal Band that crossed over into Rock and Hard Rock too. Musical diversity is no stranger to Queensryche. My two favorites are Queen of the Reich and Jet City Woman. Yes, those two songs are tops on my list.

Alice Cooper – Alice Coopers Greatest Hits – This album was released back in 1974, it is the Greatest Hits of Alice Cooper (The Band). Man, this is Old School Heavy Metal. Sure, some may argue it is comprised of Old School Hard Rock as well… that is fine by me. The Metal bottom line is this: Alice Cooper (The Band), was just as much as important to the creation of Heavy Metal as any other band of their time or before them. That is my Metal opinion and I have to tell it to the world. Oh, yeah, my favorite songs from this Greatest Hits are – No More Mr. Nice Guy, Under My Wheels and well, just every song on this Greatest Hits is great.

Motorhead – The Best Of Motorhead - This is one great and comprehensive double disc, greatest hits of Motorhead. I bought this Motorhead disc due to my needing any and all of their releases, regardless if I already have the songs. This Best Of was released in 2000, with two live bonus tracks included. There are 40 songs total on this double disc Motorhead bounty! Also found on The Best Of Motorhead are: Hawkwind playing Motorhead, Girlschool covers Bomber and Headgirl covering Please Don’t Touch. The history of Motorhead is covered up to the year 2000, from Ace of Spades to the Motorhead cover version of God Save The Queen. Plus, my favorite Motorhead song of all time is on here too – Killed By Death, from the No Remorse (Greatest Hits album). Long live Lemmy and Motorhead.

I could go on and on with this list of Heavy Metal Greatest Hits CD’s worth owning. Showing and quipping about some of the Greatest Hits CD’s I own, can maybe help out someone who is on the fence about one of these bands or musicians. These CD’s above are all consistently listened to by me, they are perfect for when I’m in the mood to hear the choice songs from these bands/musicians. As Dee Snider has sung, with Heavy Metal pride: You can’t stop Rock and Roll!

Czasem coś się kończy, czasem nic się nie zaczyna. Właśnie poczułem, że strasznie brakuje mi wszystkich ludzi, których straciłem. Jak bardzo dałbym się poniżyć, żeby móc zmienić to, co jest w ich głowach. Zmienić to, że już nie zależy im na mnie.  Zmienić to, co ja zepsułem lub to, co zepsuli oni.

Płaczę od myślenia o pociągu Kraków-Szczecin, płaczę, myśląc o zwróconych prezentach, płaczę, myśląc o kwiatach bez koloru, płaczę, myśląc o tych zimowych próbach udawania, że nic się nie zmieniło.

Nienawidzę tego momentu, kiedy między mną a tobą pojawia się mała, czarna grudka. Jedno pytanie, jeden dotyk za dużo, to już wystarczy, aby ją stworzyć. Grudka rośnie, karmiąc się wątpliwościami i strachem. I nagle, nagle jak nic innego, nagle, ale ciągle, jako naturalna i oczywista kolej rzeczy, staje się grudą. Nagle wątpliwość staje się dystansem. Nagle troska staje się grzecznością. Nagle “przykro mi” znaczy “czuję zażenowanie”. Nagle, ale niby-naturalnie, niby-właściwie, niby tak będzie lepiej. Tylko zajmij się sobą, bo ja już muszę wracać  z powrotem do mojego życia.

I czasem tylko przypominam sobie, jak mocno tęsknię.

To wszystko nie jest napisane tak, jak chciałbym, żeby było napisane. Ani tak szczegółowo, ani tak ładnie. Mój minimalizm to prawdopodobnie głównie niewystarczająca wyobraźnia.

After all the jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red
And the wind whispers Mary

A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife
And the wind, it cries Mary

The traffic lights they turn up blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
‘Cause the life that lived is, is dead
And the wind screams Mary

Will the wind ever remember
The names it has blown in the past
And with his crutch, it’s old age, and it’s wisdom
It whispers no, this will be the last
And the wind cries Mary

Jimi Hendrix – Wind Cries Mary

AFRICA’s UNLIKELY POP STAR

Ricky Lickabu and his wife, Mafuta, usually makes their money trying to sell cigarettes from a stall outside the market in Kinshasa. But business is rarely brisk in the Congolese capital and Lickabu sells just $18 (£11) worth of cigarettes a day if he is lucky. And the challenges he and his wife face are heightened as they are both disabled from polio. This week, however, Mafuta Lickabu is on her own at the cigarette stall because her husband is in Britain on the first-ever UK tour with his band. Staff Benda Bilili are being feted as among the most exciting and extraordinary newcomers of the year. There is nothing new about a story of unexpected success in the music industry, but Staff Benda Bilili are surely unique. They have overcome hardship and disability to make it from the streets of Kinshasa to the concert halls of Britain, and shown extraordinary ingenuity in the way they create their music. And they are surely the only band in the world who have rehearsed their music, and then recorded an album, in a zoo. Sanctuary Like much of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa zoo is gradually recovering from years of hardship. During the chaotic period that marked the end of the Mobutu era, many of the animals here were taken as food by the hungry city population. Today, there are leopards and monkeys in the cramped cages, and on a patch of grass in the middle of the zoo there are a group of polio-victims sitting playing electric guitars in their wheelchairs. They have very basic equipment and only small amplifiers, but they sound tremendous, mixing gentle harmony songs about their disability with rousing rumba tunes – the basis of most great Kinshasa music – with other influences from reggae to R&B. Staff Benda Bilili came here because it was quiet and they had nowhere else to go. The zoo is a place of relative calm amidst the noise and chaos, amidst the poverty and energy of the third largest city in Africa, and it happens to be close to the disabled centre where they had spent much of their time. Lickabu first met fellow band-member and polio victim Coco Ngambali when they were both working on the ferry that crosses the vast Congo river between Kinshasa and Brazzaville, a good place for the disabled to do business as Mobutu had decreed that the disabled could travel on the ferry tax-free. They were both musicians, but formed a band with other polio victims simply because other bands in Kinshasa refused to work with them. “I knew how to sing and play guitar but other bands wouldn’t work with me,” said Lickabu. “They said that I turned up late because I was in a wheelchair, and I couldn’t dance. “So I had to start a band with other handicapped musicians, and it worked out well.” The owners of the zoo gave them permission to rehearse, and they gradually developed their own style, while managing to keep themselves and their families alive by working as electricians, tailors or street vendors. Five-star reviews They started out playing in the streets, trying to target areas where they might be heard by foreigners who had more money than the average city dweller, and might drop the occasional dollar at the feet of the buskers in their wheelchairs. Amazingly, it paid off. They came to the attention of the Belgian record producer Vincent Kenis, a specialist in Congolese music, and he helped them to record not in a studio but in the open air, out in the zoo. The band’s debut album, Tres Tres Fort (Very Very Strong) was recorded by Kenis using microphones connected to his large laptop computer, with power provided by a mains cable connected to a deserted refreshment bar nearby. The album features the guitarists in the wheelchairs, of course, along with one other remarkable Kinshasa survivor. Roger Landu is a teenager who used to live on the streets, but spent much of his time hanging around with Staff Benda Bilili. They eventually invited him to join them. He had no money, but designed his own home-made instrument, which he made from an empty fish can, a piece of wood and one guitar string. Kenis showed him how to amplify the instrument, and he now plays like some DIY Jimi Hendrix. Staff Benda Bilili are still not fashionable in Kinshasa – few people come to watch them rehearse in the zoo, or at the little club where they play near the airport. But in Britain it has been a very different story. Their first British tour has been a triumph, with five-star reviews from national newspapers. It has been an extraordinary story – and now, hopefully, Staff Benda Bilili will be able to give up their day jobs and become full-time musicians.

Альбом First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, Jimi Hendrix так и не успел записать. Это было сделано после его смерти. Но мы можем насладиться его исскуством изучив табы и аккорды этого альбома. Почувствовать всё величие гитарного мастерства и душевного состояния Jimi, поможет буклет в PDF формате.
Ознакомиться с книгой

Fãs do jazz, fãs da música. São Paulo sediará um evento imperdível. Na quarta edição do Telefônica Open Jazz, que acontecerá no dia 29 de novembro, no Parque da Independência, terá shows da Dianne Reeves e do Buddy Guy.

Dianne é uma das maiores cantoras de jazz de todos os tempos, sendo premiada por três vezes consecutivas com o Grammy de Melhor Performance Vocal de Jazz.

Buddy Guy não fica para trás e tem uma carreira simplesmente brilhante. Ele é um dos guitarristas de blues mais influentes da história. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck e Jimmy Page foram/são alguns de seus maiores fãs.

E sabem o melhor de tudo isso? É gratuito. Essa é dica da próxima semana: vá ao Parque da Independência e desfrute essas duas raras peças da história da música.

Serviço:

Telefônica OPEN JAZZ
Shows com Buddy Guy e Dianne Reeves
Entrada Franca
Data: 29/11/2009
Local: Parque da Independência
Endereço: Av Nazareth, s/n – Ipiranga. Entrada pela Rua dos Patriotas, Portão Principal
Horário: 16 horas
Capacidade: 25 mil pessoas