Please could you send through a flash request.

In your own time.

And …. I thought this was funny…..

Also, and another for good measure

Please see next post, as and when you have time.  Thank you.

Lunes 23 de noviembre

HBO ESTE, 18:15 hrs, SKY 450, CABLEVISION 632

HBO OESTE, 21:15 hrs, SKY 453, CABLEVISION 633

Curb your enthusiasm HBO 2009 "the reunion"

Larry se rehusaba por completo a una reunion del programa SEINFELD, pero cuando se da cuenta que esto le puede ayudar a recuperar a Cheryl, accede a la idea. Larry se molesta con Jason Alexander cuando este se rehusa a compartir consejos importantes, así como cuando consiguen boletos para los Lakers.

LUNES 16 NOVIEMBRE

HBO ESTE, 18:25 hrs, SKY 450, CABLEVISION 632

HBO OESTE, 21:15 hrs, SKY 453, CABLEVISION 633

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM "vehicular fellatio" HBO 2009

En una cena Larry ofende a otra de las novias de Ricard Lewis, esta vez después de haberse enterado de que ella le hace favores sexuales mientras van en el auto. Larry espera que un doctor le pueda recomendar a Loretta que termine su relación con el.

As I looked at the stats from last week’s Yea or Nay: Loretta post, I wondered – how have the featured names performed?  Did any receive a resounding yea?  Do the comments match up with the votes?

Here’s a quick look back, boys first:

• The first name profiled – Kohl, spotted on Wife Swap – received a clear thumbs down, with 74% voting Nay.  It wasn’t the name as much as the spelling.  Several readers commented that they liked Cole just fine;
• Huxley fared slightly better, at 46% Nay, 30% Yay, with the lovely Photoquilty voting Yea, only for a pet.  I don’t normally vote, but if I did, I’d be giving Huxley two thumbs up;
• Boys’ name Koah fared worst of all, with 82% Nay.  I spotted this one in a magazine – the family appeared to all share the first initial K.

Moving on to the girls:

• Starbaby Sosie was 50% Nay, 34% Yea.  But among those Yeas were a few enthusiastic supporters – one reader plans to name a future daughter Sosie Fiona Pearl.  Others thought Sosie would make a great nickname for Susanna, but didn’t quite stand on her own;
• With 63% Yea, Lilac is one of the few names to pass muster, with many citing an affection for flower names in general;
• I assumed Annalena would fare better, but at 37% Yea and 38% Nay, not so much.  Most seemed to prefer another Anna combo – or just Anna on her own;
• Which brings us back to Loretta – at 36% Yea and 39% Nay, she’s not fared much better than Annalena – but who knows?  SJP is a trend-setter.  As we get used to it, this one might start to feel more familiar – and heard more often!

HBO OESTE, 21:25 hrs, VIERNES 13 NOVIEMBRE

SKY 453, CABLEVISIÓN 633

HBO Curb your enthusiasm 7 / 2009

Marty Funkhouser se aprovecha del buen gesto de Larry cuando este lo ayuda con su hermana que tiene una enfermedad mental. La invitación de Susie a cenar pone a Jeff en una situación muy comprometedora. Por miedo a los resultados de la Biopsia de Loretta, Larry quiere terminar rápidamente su relación con ella para no tener más responsabilidad si es que el resultado es positivo.

Cred ca despre asta imi este cel mai greu sa scriu. Si nu cred ca o sa reusesc vreodata sa adun toate cuvintele pentru a scrie ceva perfect. Intreg. Pentru ca sunt atat de multe sentimente in momentele cheie ale vietii mele, incat oricat de mult as descrie, n-ar avea nici un capat. O vad in fiecare zi in toate literele pe care le tastez. Imi povesteste despre dorul nebun pe care il are si despre dorul pe care il duce.

Ne este dor de mama. De ceva vreme incoace toti ne ingramadim in cerinte exorbitante.

L este in primul an. De fiecare data cand ne intalnim, imi povesteste cu stupoare despre oamenii pe care ii are in jur, si despre tristetile care o incearca de fiecare data cand ajunge in camin. Vrea acasa, acolo unde ea, mama, oricat de cicalitoare sau morocanoasa ar fi ,  o asteapta la masa. Cu bratele deschise.

D ii spune mamei sale Margareta. Imi imaginez o bunica durdulie, care in tineretile sale a fost una dintre cele mai frumoase femei. O femeie simpla, care ne trimite prajituri bune la fiecare sfarsit de saptamana. Dar nu e bunica. Si nici nu e durdulie. E una dintre cele mai tinere femei de varsta  mijlocie pe care le cunosc.

Eu. Nu de foarte multi ani, mama a devenit cea mai buna prietena a mea. N-o sa spun ca are toate toate calitatile alea pe care ti le-ai dori de la o mama, ca e cea mai moderna, cea mai indrazneata, cea mai dilie. Pentru ca ar fi inutil. Ea e intotdeauna mai mult de’atat. A stiut sa treaca peste incapatanarea mea si sa ma indrepte spre locuri drepte, lipsite de incurcaturi inutile. Si nu e necesar sa zic ca probabil, e cea mai importanta persoana din viata mea. Pentru ca de la ea am invatat cele mai multe lucrurile pe care le stiu. Pentru ca datorita ei sunt Eu.

Geo. Am un sentiment de ,,don’t wanna see”, de fiecare data cand imi aduc aminte de tristetea prin care trece. N-as putea sa inteleg. Incerc doar sa o incurajez. Ea, mama ei, isi intinde aripile ingeresti peste micuta ei copila. Probabil ca moare de ras de fiecare data cand Geo incurca itele. O pazeste de’acolo de sus, din inaltul cerului. Poate ca ea e cel mai sus. Am parte de o panica ingrozitoare cand ma gandesc la august, luna in care au cazut saci cu nisip de nicaieri. O luna inecacioasa, o luna in care Geo a ramas singura. O luna in care mi-am dat seama poate, cat de mult inseamna anumiti oameni pentru mine. Iar eu, stau si fumez din tigara mea interminabila intr-un fotoliu insensibil. Mi-ar placea sa fac ceva, insa nu pot. Am mainile legate. As vrea poate sa fiu mai aproape, sa nu ne mai desparta opt sute de kilometri. Sa pot s-o chem la cafea intr-un balcon plin de soare de toamna…

Mi-ar placea sa fiu Zana Maseluta pentru ea.

Ma intreb daca ar fi sa alegi un singur lucru, dintre toate lucrurile pe care le ai la indemana, ce ai alege. Eu as alege-o pe ea,pe mama, pentru ca are aceeasi ochi verzi ca si mine.

My 600-hour adventure in beauty school. (Learn more about the project or catch up with Orientation and Week 1.)

Old-school “professional stage makeup box” from The Art of Stage Dancing by Ned Wayburn (1925) via Project Gutenberg.

I apply my first Daytime Face on Thursday night. Loretta is my model. We start giggling while I fuss over which foundation to use on her (Beauty U is not exactly well stocked with makeup colors for African-American women) and load product onto my disposable wedge sponge, but when I reach in to apply the first blob, I pause. Miss Lisa — who teaches on Thursdays, owns her own day spa and looks every bit the PTA mom until she shows you one of her many tattoos — comes right over.

“It’s weird at first, right?” She says. “Don’t worry, you get used to touching people fast. Now I touch everyone all the time, even if we’re just having a conversation.”

The last time I did someone else’s makeup was at an eighth grade sleepover. Now I’m inches from another person’s freckles and eyelids and I can’t even remember her last name.

It is weird.

And it’s only going to get weirder when we move on to facials and waxing — so even if I don’t get used to it, I better get over it, I think is what Miss Lisa means.

So not only did SJP and Matthew Broderick have twins, they’ve generated double the press with their name choices.

First came the announcement that the girls were named Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge.  Which was followed by chatter about how Marion and Tabitha were mismatched, and wasn’t it unfair that poor Tabitha had just two given names?

Now we learn that  SJP and Matthew Broderick call their girls Loretta and Tabitha - and that firstborn James Wilkie was responsible for choosing the name Marion.  And he was wily enough to insist that it be legal, which is why the parents put Marion first, rather than tucking her in the middle.  (Weigh in on Yea or Nay: Loretta here.  So far, opinion is split pretty evenly.)

When I asked Aly what he wanted to name his pterodactyl (no, not a real one.  This isn’t Torchwood), he told me December.  Which I find strangely appealing.  Nonetheless, I’m glad we didn’t let him (seriously) weigh in on his sister’s name.

In other starbaby news:

• Jane Carrey has announced that her dad, funnyman Jim Carrey is about to be a grandpa. Apparently, Jane and boyfriend Alex Santana have already settled on the name Jackson Riley;
• Alicia Minshew of All My Children welcomed a daughter, Willow Lenora;
• Layla Kayleigh, host of America’s Best Dance Crew, and Steve Corvino, of Sirius Radio, announced the birth of a daughter, Melody Rain;
• Model Karolina Kurkova is new mom to son Tobin Jack;
• Footballer Wayne Rooney and wife Colleen are the parents of a son, Kai Wayne;
• And, of course, Mel Gibson is a father for the EIGHTH time.  He and girlfriend welcomed daughter Lucia.  Mel’s first seven kids are Hannah, Edward, Christian, William, Louis, Milo and Thomas.

Elsewhere online:

• I love the Nymbler stats!  October’s Top Ten is as follows: Charlotte, Ava, Amelia, Benjamin, Ella, Grace, Jack, Finn, Oliver and Abigail.  And the Top Five brand new names?  It’s quite the celeb-driven list: Sparrow, Anniston, Huckleberry, October and Pixie;
• Remind me to take Nancy along the next time I’m facing a long drive somewhere.  She’s traveling the highways and by-ways of Mississippi while reading the phone book to spot unusual real names!  Her lists are fascinating – check out the sixth in the series here, and follow the links back.  You just know there are stories behind names like Jaston, Tavarius and Hacksaw.  Plus she’s discovered several people with the name Toxie;
• Wladimir Lyra of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg is pushing to give names to the known exoplanets.  (Hat tip to Language Log.)  Scientists are discovering planets outside of the solar system at a gallop – they’re at 400 and counting.  The sage fonts of wisdom at the International Astronomical Union feel that it would be impractical to name them all.  Instead, they assign strings of numbers and letters.  Too bad – I know we could all put our heads together and name 400 planets in no time – Jaston, Tavarius and Hacksaw are all available;
• Over at For Real Baby Names, there’s mention of a British Minne Jane Snoo.  Please, please, please let Snoo be a family name and not a clever twist on Boo.  In happier news, her list also includes a Hero Charlotte Moranna and a Flora Isabella Minette;
• While I’m spotting trends that trouble me, Bewildertrix brings us Xzavia Paul William.  But there’s also a Serena Alice Louisa, little sister to Verity.  And I’ve seen Verity in a few other BAs recently;
• Lastly, check out Elisabeth’s post on Country baby names over at You Can’t Call It “It”.  While not all of these conjure up haystacks and John Deere for me, maybe that’s because I’m already hearing them on kids inside the DC Beltway – Clio has classmates called Mabel and Ida, and I know fashion-forward urbaniste parents with offspring answering to Polly, Earl and Roscoe;
• A year ago, I wrote about Matilda and Luke.

That’s all for this week – as always, thanks for reading.

Remember when SJP and Matthew Broderick named their twins Marion and Tabitha and name fans everywhere went huh?  Plus, Marion had two middles (Loretta Elwell) and Tabitha just one (Hodge)?

Turns out that there’s an explanation: Marion was chosen by big brother James Wilkie.  The girls are called Tabitha and Loretta.

As it happens, my aunt was very nearly named Loretta – or so says family legend.

And so I just have to ask: Loretta, Yea or Nay?

• Best Out of Office Email Replies (auto-responders)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position.
• I’m not really out of the office. I’m just ignoring you.
• You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in chances are you would’nt have received anything at all.
• Sorry to have missed you but I am at the doctors having my brain removed so that I may be promoted to management.
• Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 or the first ten words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.
• The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again. (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see how many individuals did this over and over)
• Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 452nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.

• Hi, I’ m thinking about what you’ve just sent me. Please wait by you PC for my response.

• Hi! I’ m busy negotiating the salary for my new job. Don’t bother to leave me any messages.

• Ive run away to join a different circus.
  AND, FINALLY, THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE:
• I will be out of the office for the next 2 weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as Loretta instead of Steve

1. Inner Circle – State Of Da World [Shanachie 2009]
2. James McMurtry - Live In Europe [Lightning Rod 2009]
3. Lyle Lovett – Natural Forces [Curb/Lost Highway 2009]
4. Monsters of Folk – Monsters Of Folk [Shangri-La 2009]
5. Various Artists – The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2009 [Greensleeves 2009]
6. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 [EMI 2009]
7. Robert Earl Keen – The Rose Hotel [Lost Highway Records 2009]
8. Various Artists – Jah Live Riddim [Joe Frasier 2009]
9. International Observer – Felt [Dubmission 2009]
10. Roseanne Cash – The List [Manhattan 2009]
11. Various Artists – Penthouse Showcase Volume 4 [Penthouse 2009]
12. Various Artists – Penthouse Showcae Volume 5 [Penthouse 2009]
13. Kiddus I – Green Fa Life [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]
14. Breakestra – Dusk Till’ Dawn [Strut Records 2009]
15. Danny Malone- Cuddlebug [Township Records 2009]
16. Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day [Dream On/G.O.O.D./Universal Motown 2009]
17. The XX – xx [Young Turks 2009]
18. Various Artists – The Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems 2009 [Greensleeves 2009]
19. Muse – The Resistance [Warner Brothers 2009]
20. Ghostface Killah – Ghostdini Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City [Island/Def Jam 2009]
21. Various Artists – 5: Five Years of Hyperdub [Hyperdub 2009]
22. Gossip – Music For Men [Columbia 2009]
23. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You [Columbia 2009]
24. Chuck Fenda – Fulfillment [VP Records 2009]
25. Omar Perry -  Can’t Stop Us [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]
26. Tribal Seeds – The Harvest [Tribal Seeds 2009]
27. Toddla T – Skanky Skanky [1965 2009]
28. Masta Ace & Edo G – Arts & Entertainment [Traffic 2009]
29. Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons – Bend In The Road [Dualtone 2009]
30. Q-Tip – Kamaal The Abstract [Jive 2009]
31. Doveman –  The Conformist [Brassland Records 2009]
32. Dawes – North Hills [ATO 2009]
33. Kris Kristofferson – Closer To The Bone [New West 2009]
34. Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky [Rerprise 2009]
35. Takana Zion – Rappel à l’ordre [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]

Jeez. We thought Hollyoaks Later was dark but that was nothing compared to this week’s Hollyoaks proper, so paranoid and intense it was like being trapped in a Dostoyevsky novel.

There was the aftermath of Sarah’s death (how sweet was Elliot’s rememberings of Sarah’s Dr Who-themed wooing of him?), Jake’s shock return to the village and, of course, Newt’s descent into shrieking madness. Not quite what we had in mind for a relaxing Sunday morning viewing.

Heroes of the week

Jack: he may be a grumpy ex-publican with a criminal record and a dodgy ticker, but Jack was a ledge this week. Be it taking care of Charlie, counselling Lauren, defending Jake or running/diving to the rescue of Newt, he was a one-man fighting force on behalf of other people’s offspring.

Eli: it’s a sign of the times when an imaginary friend is the voice of reason, but the afro’d one really looked out for Newt. Admittedly it was he who came up with the idea of mugging the old lady (and let’s face it the old cow prob deserved it), but he was onto Rae immediately – and had the good sense to attempt to batter her to death with a lump of wood. Things wern’t looking too good for him by the end (he looked pretty dead under the water there) but knowing Eli he’ll be back soon. Loved his anguish at being likened to a gay Penfold too.

Kris: his hardman act a couple of weeks ago left us unconvinced, but this week he seemed more than capable of taking out Jake in protection of Nancy. Aww.

Archie: other than Kris, the one person who seemed to give a monkeys about Zoe’s wrongful imprisonment. And he shouted at Lydia. Hooray.

Villains of the week

Jake: being locked up in an asylum for a year or so doesn’t seem to have stopped Jake being all creepy and intense, or weirdly obsessed with baby Charlie. Smashed up Darren’s flat too, which we say is simply not on. As mentally unhinged, sexual deviants go we prefer John Stape.

Rae: a morbid, alter-emo with a death wish and way too much eye make up. Does it get any more sinister than that? A manifestation of Newt’s feelings of hopelessness and despair, Rae took the whole ‘imaginary friend’ thing to a whole new level by have a bit of sexy fun with Newt. Um. We could say something rude and inappropriate about this. But we wont. Anyhoo, a great alternative baddie, she was last seen swaying eerily under the water, a goth siren calling Newt to his death. We hope she comes back.

Loretta: she is like one of those crazy bints you read about in Chat magazine who end up marrying the Yorkshire Ripper in prison. You crazy pole dancer you!

Mike and Lydia: Boo hiss! Myra Hindley did a great line in mental, playing the grieving widow and babbling about she and Sarah adopting orphans, or something. Worse for poor old Zoe was the DILF declaring that she should ‘rot in hell’. After the tearful grief sex she gave him last week we think that is downright rude.What a betch. Also, like her two children and the attempted abduction of one of them by psychos, the untimely demise of her sister was also not good enough reason for Amy return to the village. Huh!

Quotes:

“Why were you going away with two lesbians in the first place?” Zoe’s mum asks a pertinent question.

“There he is!” Jack and Frankie react to seeing their runaway mentally ill adoptive child by screaming and running after him.

Darren: “Be careful you dont cut your throat”

Jake: “Or yours?” The Osborne-Dean stepbros bond.

“Who hits a door?” another pertinent question, this time from Darren, on Jake’s flat mashing

“I’m hiding from the dark aswell, its scratching at the door trying to get in” Newt gets, like, deep as he explains his state of mind (or lack thereof) to Rae.

OMG moment

The entire end sequence, with Newt, Rae and Eli all lost under the water. Beautiful, haunting, unbearably tense (would Newt survive? Did he want to?), up there with Sarah’s death scene as the best thing Hollyoaks has done in ages.

So yeah. What a week. Cant wait to watch tonight’s X-Factor for some light-as-souffle, free of tragedy fun. Oh.

Matt Holliday, etching his name in post-season lore

I went to the gym last night, leaving with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth of the Cardinals-Dodgers game with St. Louis holding a 2-1 lead. Bad timing on my part, you could say. Anyway, I came hold to find Matt “the new Buckner” Holliday had taken the rest of the night off too, misplaying an easy game-ender to spark a Dodgers rally that ended in a 3-2 win and a 2-0 series lead.

Holliday, who homered to give the Cards a 1-0 lead in the second, attempted to catch James Loney’s looper with his jock strap but had little luck. Loney reached second and was run for by Juan Pierre, who scored on Ronnie Belliard’s single two batters later. After a Russell Martin walk, Mark Loretta drove home the winner on a bases-loaded single.

I’ll tell you, if I was a Cards fan, I’d still be in bed now. One out away from splitting in Los Angeles and heading home with momentum, they now find themselves having to win three straight against the NL’s best team to advance. Yikes…

Anyway, elsewhere in playoff action, the Rockies hung on to beat the Phillies 5-4 to send the series back to Colorado at a game apiece. Also, the Angels rode seven-plus shutout innings from John Lackey to a 5-0 win over the Red Sox in the opener of their series. A roided-up David Ortiz struck out three times for Boston.

On tap today: Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.03) and the Twins face A.J. “big game” Burnett (12-9, 4.04) at 6:07 and Josh Beckett (17-6, 3.86) and the Red Sox face Jered Weaver (16-8, 3.75) and the Angels at 9:37.

©Samara Croci

Hoy Saviano representa muchos ideales diferentes en Italia. En primer lugar, es un hombre que ha tenido el valor de desafiar a la mafia, de revelar sus mecanismos más escondidos y de contar a todo el mundo que la mafia ya no es solo un problema de Italia. En segundo lugar, es un italiano que nos ha enseñado que se puede desafiar a los grandes mecanismos de la política corrupta, y que es nuestro deber hacerlo. Y por ultimo, Saviano es una persona que pertenece a ese grupo tan marginal en Italia que somos los jóvenes. Demasiado pocos para valer algo para cualquiera. No valemos para los partidos porque, al no ser muchos entre los votantes, no somos un segmento interesante. Tampoco contamos para los sindicatos que nos han abandonado en un mercado laboral de practicas y trabajos temporales y precarios. Para ellos al no tener ningún trabajo y consecuentemente a no ser socios de ningún sindicato, tampoco valemos. Inútil decir que contamos muy poco incluso para las empresas que pasan de un becario a otro sin vergüenza y sin tener que contratar o tampoco dar formación a alguien que solo se quedará unos 3 meses. No contamos para nadie y el gobierno habla de nosotros solo cuando se saca el tema de quien pagará las pensiones a los que se jubilan ahora y en el futuro. Pues nosotros, los jóvenes!

En este triste panorama, Saviano es una fuerza de esperanza y de cambio posible que habla desde el corazón, con palabras cercanas, que no se esconde detrás de programas políticos o manifiestos, sino que arriesga su vida por un ideal y termina siendo el mejor ejemplo posible para una generación en búsqueda de alguien que la estimule a la acción y que haga que podamos creer otra vez que un cambio es posible, que el mundo gerontológico y corrupto que nos rodea a todos los niveles puede ser suplantado.

No es solo lo que Roberto Saviano ha dicho (muchos dicen buenas cosas y no las acaban haciendo), sino su elección de un difícil camino, el más difícil, enfrentándose a las consecuencias para denunciar y cambiar las cosas. Este chico muestra valores que muy pocos personajes públicos italianos han demostrado. Ha sabido denunciar el sistema mafioso y al mismo tiempo recordarnos que no tenemos que sentirnos avergonzados por ser italianos y así esconder todo bajo tierra sin hacer nada al respecto. Ha sabido, sobre todo en su ultimo libro “La belleza y el infierno”, hablarnos sobre personajes ejemplares, italianos y no, personas que han luchado por el cambio.

A todos los italianos que estamos en el extranjero, nos ha pasado alguna vezque nos han llamados “italianos mafiosos” o que nos han atribuido comportamientos mafiosos explicándolos con el hecho de que somos italianos. Y mientras tanto, hablando con los extranjeros, muchas veces me he dado cuenta de que están convencidos de que la mafia es un grupo de bandidos locos y un poco poéticos que viven en las montañas y salen de vez  en cuando para robar y matar. En absoluto! Nada de eso. La mafia es una multinacional que se ha exportado a todos los países, como nos han dejado bien claro: Roberto Saviano (Gomorra), Loretta Napoleoni (Economía canalla) y Misha Glenny (McMafia) en la conferencia de Internazionale.  La Mafia, en todo el mundo, se aprovecha de los paraísos fiscales, blanquea el dinero, cierra alianzas con las otras mafias y exporta normas y mecanismos criminales a todo el mundo, sin excepciones. A Saviano le gusta repetir que la mafia nos ha robado algunas palabras importantes de la que tenemos que apoderarnos otra vez y son: amigos, compañeros y honor. En la conferencia de Internazionale Roberto ha terminado diciendo que el honor del país compete a los individuos pero que ahora tenemos que agruparnos para evitar que alguien pueda callarnos y no nos deje contar como es el país, que es nuestra única esperanza de un cambio!

©Samara Croci

©Samara Croci

Pero muchos italianos no están tan convencidos de que las cosas puedan cambiar. Después de tantos años con la mafia colándose en el tejido de la sociedad, de la política y de la economía, Italia tiene, según muchos, una cultura mafiosa, clientelar y de listillos. Luchar contra esto parece muy difícil, un poco como combatir contra nosotros mismos, retarnos. Y eso me recuerda a un articulo publicado en su último libro “La belleza y el infierno” donde Saviano habla de la vida difícil y maravillosa del jugador Lionel Messi. Al final del artículo, Saviano compara a Messi con un avispón. El avispón, tiene un cuerpo grande y pesado mientras que sus alas son pequeñas y débiles en comparación. El avispón no debería poder volar con esta disparidad pero aun así, el avispón vuela. Y por qué vuela? Los científicos no saben explicárselo pero Saviano dice que vuela porque no sabe que no puede.

Algo parecido lo he experimentado estos años en España. Aquí he conocido muchos suramericanos y lo que siempre me ha encantado de su carácter es que son como niños, convencidos de que pueden alcanzar cualquier objetivo, que pueden ser cualquier cosa trabajando duro. Y muchas veces he visto que lo alcanzan, porque creen mucho en la posibilidad del éxito. Ni parecen saber que podrían fallar! Ahora se que ellos han aprendido del avispón y creo que deberíamos hacer lo mismo. La mafia es poderosa, ha penetrado en la sociedad y sus estructuras, se está expandiendo y fortaleciendo. Pues, hacer, lo que dice Saviano: olvidaos de todo esto, volar como si no supierais que no tenéis ninguna posibilidad de hacerlo! Yo me apunto!

Samara Croci

La conferencia:

http://lanapoleoni.ilcannocchiale.it/2009/10/19/video_conferenza_di_loretta_na.html

Vielleicht ist dieser Superrasen ja auch so herrlich englisch. Dann zieh ich mir ein weißes Spitzenkleid an, oder einen Unterrock, und tobe über die frische Wiese bis zum rosenbewachsenen Pavillon, in dem jemand für mich Tee bereit gestellt hat. Da möchte doch wohl jeder eine Frau sein.

gefunden von Sille bei Budni

El reloj de arena

Está bien que se mida con la dura
Sombra que una columna en el estío
Arroja o con el agua de aquel río
En que Heráclito vio nuestra locura
El tiempo, ya que al tiempo y al destino
Se parecen los dos: la imponderable
Sombra diurna y el curso irrevocable
Del agua que prosigue su camino.
Está bien, pero el tiempo en los desiertos
Otra substancia halló, suave y pesada,
Que parece haber sido imaginada
Para medir el tiempo de los muertos.
Surge así el alegórico instrumento
De los grabados de los diccionarios,
La pieza que los grises anticuarios
Relegarán al mundo ceniciento
Del alfil desparejo, de la espada
Inerme, del borroso telescopio,
Del sándalo mordido por el opio
Del polvo, del azar y de la nada.
¿Quién no se ha demorado ante el severo
Y tétrico instrumento que acompaña
En la diestra del dios a la guadaña
Y cuyas líneas repitió Durero?
Por el ápice abierto el cono inverso
Deja caer la cautelosa arena,
Oro gradual que se desprende y llena
El cóncavo cristal de su universo.

JLB

¿Porqué algunas cosas se doblan y otras se quiebran?
¿Dónde empieza el día?
¿Cuál es la cosa que posee más valor en el mundo?
¿De qué perecerá el último hombre?
¿Dónde queda el sitio más lejano?
¿Quién busca la felicidad?
¿Quién la encuentra?

(pag 24 -Libro del fin del mundo – Belen Gache)

What color to choose - hmm, how about all the colors of the rainbow?!

Have a wonderful Labor-Day, or as one of my facebook friends stated, “…Non-Labor Day!”

“Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold.  But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” 

~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I’d Like to Give to You

PS: if you like to make a comment, you can do so by clicking on the word “response” just below and to the right of  this entry. thank you!

Women (all ages) dressed For Easter Sunday Parade Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia

“…better shoes,” what does that phrase mean to you, to me, or to the other 3,301,112,085 women, who are occupying planet earth, today? 

Two women, two opinions

Imagine over 3 billion women on the planet sharing what “better shoes” means to them! Hmm, let me do some quick calculations – over 3 billion women ‘times’ their definite opinions, plus their opinions that change based on their  emotions, times their feelings that have absolutely nothing to do with….nothing, equals about 9,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 possible meanings to the phrase “better shoes.” 

For example, for hurting feet a pair of “better shoes” could mean tennis shoes; for the special night out, when one wants their legs to appear as long as infinity is – whatever makes infinity, infinity, a pair of “better shoes” could mean stilettos; yet, for the un-pedicure feet, a pair of “better shoes” could mean a pair of boots – need to hide those puppies! 

When I was ten years old, my mother and I were poloarized on what “a better pair of shoes” meant. In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned that I grew up in a modest-income-family, that  periodically experienced lean times . To add to the equation, I am the eldest of nine children; therefore, my parents not only had to provide for me ‘the Princess of the Ball,’ but also, for my other siblings (oh, I hope my brothers and sisters don’t read this Blog) – Ha, I am truly laughing out loud at myself ,-D! 

Okay, modest income plus big family equals buying durable shoes  (remember the kind that will out last the most treacherous terrains), with no consideration of aesthetics   – Operation: Provide for Family – which my parents did extremely well, with very little means. Thank you, Dad and Mom. BUT… 

I just don't remember oxford being so cute!

Why did my mom have to buy me those ugly, solid -white, hospital looking oxfords?! No, not the cute updated styles that are available today; I mean the indestructible-boat-looking-with-a-USDA-grade-sole-that-had-to-be-polished-with-chalky-white-polish-that-smeared-on-my-brown-legs-oxfords. 

My mom thought they were the ‘better shoe” because they lasted the entire school year – in spite of how I tried to wear down the soles, in order to disprove her opinion; however, at that moment in my life “better shoes” meant prettier shoes, without any regards to if the shoes would last a month, not to mention the entire school year – the operative word was “pretty.”

High heel oxfords

What is quite funny, some years ago, I bought myself a pair of high-heel oxfords – go figure ,-D

Well, the saga of Cinderella and Her Shoes is to be continued…

PS: Thanks for reading and if you want to leave a comment, please click on the word ‘response’ that is just below this Blog, to the right.

Oh, I am feeling the need to buy shoes ,-D

As we’re out and about today (sunday roast then counting the hours until Wuthering Heights on ITV1 – half the cast from The Take, tabloid gossip fodder and – in our heads – soundtracked by Kate Bush, what’s not to love?) we tuned in to yesterday’s E4 omnibus…

the neverending storyline

After the high drama of last week we thought Ste would be entitled to a break from baby Lucas-related stress. We were so very wrong. Now homeless and at the mercy of the pitiless self righteousness of the DILF and Sarah, poor Ste had to contend with even more head fuckage as Abi, clearly suffering from womb-mania, reappeared to get her psychotic mitts on baby L, and scary eyed Daniel made a glowering return.

Happily, Ste saw sense and finally told them both to go packing. Daniel and Abi took this as a chance for some husband and wife heart to hearting and were reunited (we are assuming that all the baby trafficking was just an elaborate form of couple’s therapy). Now Ste has relinquished his son to the dubious care of the DILF (who did nothing but whinge about it) and is now ensconced in Tony’s pad when FINALLY someone took pity on in. Poor pretty little Ste.

Btw: our question from last week was answered – Leah also lives with the DILF. But we are now left with even bigger question: her son has narrowly escaped being farmed out to some smug Guardian reading dickwads (you just know John and Sandy liked KT Tunstall), but does this compell Amy to return? NO! What a cow.

hell hath no fury…

She may look like a ferret who has just stumbled out of an indie club in Camden, but there is defo more evil to Lydia than meets the eye. Dumped by Sarah who tired of her high maintenanceness (and yes, we noted the irony of this), our fave rodent lesbian did not take the news well, espesh when denied some rebound hate sex by ex girlf, and something of a good egg Charlotte. And this is in light of the OMG news that she is going to get vengeful on Sarah’s ass by taking out supposed love rival Zoe via some skydiving sabotage.

Ahh, we haven’t had any incompetent revenge murders since the heady days of Vile Niall. We can’t wait!

she’s a nonce, a facking NONCE!

Her days may be numbered, but Zoe is still intent on  making her mark on the world of filmmaking, depsite being minus one degree. Enterprising as ever, she has now chosen to pursue a career in the soft porn industry, going for a job at local smut channel Buff TV. As a result she had something of a surreal week, one minute filming busty beauties, the next contending with Nancy’s sqeaking feminist outrage, the next demanding that Archie film her in her undies (bro-sis sexual tension has been lacking in the ‘Oaks for a good while now). She is now adding noncing to the list, using distinctly underage – yet disturbingly hot – Theresa in her naughty films. Tut tut.

aspirational stuff:

As ever Hollyoaks is keen to inspire ambition and entrepreneurial endeavour by showing its characters strive for enviable careers: actress and top model/brass (Theresa), administrator of the Tan’n'Tumble (Loretta) and embryonic pornographer/pimp (Zoe). Who needs careers advisors eh?

in other news:

It’s GCSE results time and the young ‘uns break into school to get a first look and to homage 8Os John Hughes films; Newt’s results bring a mixed bag of “rewards” – a congratulatory text from rubbish social worker, blanked by his skanky crack whore mother and packed off on a week’s holiday in Spain with Frankie. Umm…; Jack is a miserable fucker, as usual; Darren’s latest scheme to get his hands on the Dog involves sabotaging poor Dom’s cooking and poisoning most of the customers; Cindy and Tony decide to get married. Aww; gone are the happy clappy Wrigleys kids, the ‘Oaks is now accompanied by Load and Go nerds Matt and Sam. We like them. They are pretty.

film student moments

A bizarre game of metaphorical chess involving Darren, Cindy, Tony and Hannah.

A Miss Hollyoaks 2009 pageant involving Zoe, Loretta and Cindy.

quotes

“Ooh Sarah – you know all about degredation” Nancy calls in the big guns for her anti Zoe-pornography protest.

“I don’t mind sleeping with someone to get the gig” Theresa gets ambitious re. her dreams of being a pole dancing/actress/top model/brass.

Philip continues to do well at home.  Everyday it seems he learns something new.  Today we caught him holding his own Binky in his mouth.  It was so wonderful!  It lasted for over 5  minutes, which for him is a big step!  Brian and I revel in these simple moments, mainly because we knew what it took on his part to come this far.

Rich and Loretta got to see him today.  They came to visit him while he was in the hospital at Children’s, but it’s been a couple of months since they saw him last.  He really took to both of them.  Rich even shared a beer with him!  Ha Ha!  We had dinner together while Philip just hung out in his swing.  It was a nice evening and it was good to be in the company of good friends again!

Next week Daddy will be going on a fishing trip with our friend Cyrus to Riffe Lake.  It will be 3 days by myself with the little guy, but I’m sure we’ll have plenty to keep us busy.  Daddy could use some time away, and it will allow Philip and I to create our own routine now that we’re home.

Brian and I are starting to learn sign language.  This will help Philip expand his beginning vocabulary and learn to communicate basic feelings, needs and wants to us before his oral language is developed.  Words we will teach him are: milk, bottle, hungry, more, dog, cat, pain, head, tummy, potty, hat, sad, tired, sleep, happy, Mommy, Daddy, Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, friend, shoes, socks, shirt, pants, diaper (change), bath, ball, bear, no, yes, etc…  As you can imagine, this will definitely help him to communicate to us when he is not feeling well, or if he simply is hungry or not.  It’s a lot of fun to learn and we would encourage others to learn it also.