…na miedzynarodowej arenie porno mozna znalezc kilka polek, co o niej myslicie ??

-David Falk
Review: Matthew Good
Where: Shaw Conference Centre
When: November 14

Matthew Good’s last three visits to this city were composed of two acoustic tours in the Myer Horowitz, and one full band show in the Jubilee. This time around Good decided to take on the acoustically challenged Shaw Conference Centre and a predominantly stand-up venue for spectators. The Shaw also has to be the first Matthew Good show in several years to offer a beer gardens and, with easier access to alcohol, it means the crowds behaviour might be a little more rowdy.

First things first I would just like to say in response to some of the fan behaviour, do not heckle the head liner the whole time as one fan at the front did, do not sing off-key over the whole crowd during an acoustic number, and finally do not drink excessively and then spill your guts right near the front of the stage as one fan did about ten minutes before Good appeared on stage. I heard one fan muttering “there went prime concert real-estate” as his friend led him away.

With this behaviour it seems appropriate that Matthew Good opened up his set with the new song The Boy Who Could Explode the chorus “What are you thinking?” repeating over and over again. Not that the few incidents of fan behaviour defined the whole crowd assembled that night. The majority of the crowd was well behaved and very much into the whole experience.

Good followed his opener with three other new songs from his latest offering Vancouver before sliding right into an old Matthew Good Band hit Load Me Up. With the crowd 100% won over by then he proceeded to sonically attack the crowd with renditions of songs predominantly off his current and previous solo efforts.

The crowd ate it up they sang along with Load Me Up, waved lighters for Odette, and cheered loudly for the first two instantly recognizable minor chords of Born Losers. A highlight came mid-set with a mind-blowing take on Avalanche (from 2003’s Avalanche) and A Single Explosion (from 2007’s Hospital Music) both back catalogue songs that have become devoted fan favourites over the last few years.

Good and his band didn’t talk much only interrupting the steady stream of music for a story about Pontiac Sunfires, and the sexual exploits of a pirate and a ninja. He also treated the fans to a brief “Micheal Buble jazz break”, and a polka near the end of the set. During the latter, one of our beloved drunk hecklers got kicked out by security. Unfortunately for him, Good noticed and quipped “Oh man, what are you going to tell your friends? I got kicked out during the polka.”

In all honesty, Matthew Good’s latest effort didn’t quite strike me as solid gold. I was a little iffy on it, but since the show every listen to the new material conjures up memories of the past night. Forging the emotional connection, that was absent before. which means Good and his band did their job.

This was for me the best show I’ve seen Good perform with a band, though it doesn’t quite match up to the raw intensity of his solo-acoustic show two years ago. Praise have to go to his unintroduced backing band, in particular his guitarist who had some particular stand out moments during the short but solid set.

As much as I would have preferred to hear some more back catalogue songs like Near Fantastica, Pledge of Allegiance, or Suburbia, one still cannot help being drawn into the slow building Weapon, or heartbreaking Apparitions the latter with newly featured slide guitar that has given it more character then even during the MGB heyday, and a nice post-nineties tinge. But this wasn’t a small theatre show for only devoted audience it was a large room rock show.

While I was looking for a way describe the show, Good provided the answer with his second encore. Opting to play Giant (a back catalogue song!),with a cheerleader intro “K-I-C-K-A-S-S that’s the way we spell success” the recorded sounds pulsated around the room, before the band tore into the track Kick ass? Success? Yeah, that is a good way to describe the night.

What comes to mind when you think of the polka? (If you’ve never really thought about the polka, this is your chance.) For me it conjures memories of barn dances in the tiny little town of Tripp, South Dakota. As a child I’d travel to Tripp every couple of years to visit my father’s family.

I remember playing gin rummy for pennies, meticulously working on paint-by-number canvases and hitting a nearby barn to dance with my father long into the night. (We took frequent breaks for authentic German sausages and Shirley Temples.) My father is a man of few compliments, but he sometimes lets it slip that he likes two things about my dancing: that I’m good at following a lead, and that I never tire out.

I thought of my grandparents from South Dakota, long ago deceased, when I discovered that the Phoenix Symphony is playing “Strauss: Waltzes and Polkas this weekend (November 27th and 28th at Phoenix Symphony Hall and November 29th at Mesa Arts Center). It’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the dance music of bygone days, and an especially good choice if you have grandparents visiting for the holidays.

If you prefer more traditional holiday fare, you can enjoy Frances Smith Cohen’s The Snow Queen presented by Center Dance Ensemble Saturdays and Sundays December 5^th-20^th at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. Jennifer danced in the Snow Queen for many years, and we always found pure joy both backstage and in the audience.

It’s hard to understate the importance of keeping the joy in dance, which is something Susan Silverman and Frances Cohen do so beautifully during dance classes, recitals and summer camps with Dance Theater West in Phoenix. This is where my daughters first caught the joy of movement (although Jennifer seemed to have an inkling in utero).

When Jennifer and I last hit the Mesa Arts Center, we enjoyed African dance along with the music of Playing for Change. (I’ve never seen more boomers boogying in one place before!) Next month, we can hit MAC to enjoy two holiday dance performances…

First, Christmas Wishes presented by Arizona Desert Dance (December 11^th at 7pm), which features dancers age two through adult. Audience members two and under get in free. Second, Spirit of Christmas presented by The Christian Dance Company (December 17^th at 7:30pm), which features a cast of more than 100 dancers and singers.

If we just can’t wait that long, we can try the AZDance Group’s Christmas Dance Concert on December 7th at 6:30pm at the Tempe Center for the Arts. The event features guest dancer Astrit Zejnat from Ballet Arizona, the AZDance professional dance roster and the Movement E-Motion dance program for “individuals with different abilities.”

If you’re a fan of The Nutcracker ballet, you’ll have plenty of options this year. Consider taking in more than one so you can enjoy the variety of sets, costumes and talented performers. This piece never gets old.

First up is The Nutcracker presented by Ballet and Friends (November 27^th-29^th) at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. These performances benefit the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve ‘Toys for Tots’ program.

This weekend you can also enjoy The Nutcracker presented by Ballet Etudes, which I’ve long admired for its mix of ethereal and whimsical costumes and sets. It runs Fridays through Sundays November 27^th –December 13^th at the Mesa Arts Center. Never mind about the missing theater seat—it’s the one I took home to install in my teen taxi because it was so comfy. Kidding!

Ballet Arizona performs Ib Andersen’s The Nutcracker December 11^th-27^th at Symphony Hall in Phoenix. Music will be performed by the Phoenix Symphony (except for performances on the 26^th and 27^th). The Ballet Arizona box office has special hours today and tomorrow for folks who want to get a jump on securing the best seats. (Ask them as well about their magical Nutcracker Party on December 5^th.)

Lizabeth has danced the roles of bon bon/Mother Ginger’s child, grandfather mouse and party girl—but will be appearing instead this year in a “darker, edgier” version of Oliver! with Greasepaint Youtheatre. (I had a great time working backstage for The Nutcracker but doubt I’ll miss picking all those stray bobby pins off the children’s rehearsal room floor.) Liz was an Arabian Dancer for The Nutcracker Children’s Party. Cute tummy!

An Irish Nutcracker will be presented by the Celtic Dance Academy on December 19^th and 20^th (at the Mesa Arts Center). Kids three and younger get in free for this gig (jig?). Yup—there’s pretty much always something fun going on at the MAC! (Today’s teaser: Think Tupperware meets theatrics.)

This will get you in the mood to see Riverdance when their tour hits Arizona in January. Or to hit Randy’s restaurant in Scottsdale for authentic Irish food come St. Patrick’s Day 2010. Wearers of the green (I married one) can never plan too far ahead.

Finally, you can enjoy the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Tuesday, December 22^nd at 7:30pm at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix (a venue Lizabeth and I enjoyed for Riverdance when she was just a few years into violin studies).

Dancing our way in December are three non-holiday performances that sound seriously intriguing. There’s life beyond eggnog, so let’s talk about these too…

SCC Dance of Scottsdale Community College presents Instinct Dance Corps, SCC Moving Company and the Scottsdale Arizona Jazz Ensemble performing Muscle Memory Implications at 8pm on December 4^th and 5^th at the ASU Studio Theatre in Tempe.

Enjoy an entire weekend of dance by adding another performance to your calendar. Emerging Artists I Resite takes place December 4^th and 5^th from 8pm to midnight at two Phoenix locations. The first night is free, as part of Phoenix’s First Friday program. Tickets are $7-$20 for night number two, taking place at Bragg’s Pie Factory. The event features paint, sound and text created through the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development.

An annual dance festival—Breaking Ground 2009—with CONDER/dance takes place at the Tempe Center for the Arts December 11^th and 12^th. According to event organizers, it features “diverse high caliber offerings from contemporary choreographers and film makers from across the country.” All I need to know is that I can enjoy the view of lights twinkling over the water from this venue. That pretty much stops me in my tracks.

You could choose just one. But why? Tickets are all reasonably priced, and you might stumble upon some deals if you pay careful attention (signing up for venue/company e-mail alerts is my tried-and-true method of learning about special ticket offers).

It’s not Tripp, South Dakota, of course. But maybe that’s a good thing…

–Lynn

Update: Check out www.ticketmaster.com for upcoming holiday dance performances at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, including The Gift of the Magi with DanceMotion (Dec. 12/13) and Nutcracker 2009 with Ballet Academy (Dec. 22/23).

Coming soon: Boys who ballet, Getting that good vibe during voice lessons

Note: For complete details about performance dates/times, ticket sales, etc. please contact the presenting company and/or venue. If you know of another 2009 dance performances for children, teens or families, please use the comment section below to share what you know. Thanks!

Triple weekend got under way at Lakefront Brewery on Friday night.

The polka action must have made me dizzy because I forgot my debit card at the bar.  [I called today to inquire about the green Associated card with the corner torn off.  Classy.]    Rachel, luckily, did not forget to be tall and Jeremy brought his boyish good looks.   So boyish, in fact, a bartender at a subsequent drinking establishment, after checking his license muttered “way off” to himself.  I think this was the same door guy who welcomed Whitney back as a regular even though we’ve never been there before and he still doesn’t live in Milwaukee.

Other than losing Shelly, nothing major stood in the way of having 3x the fun so we headed to Chicago on Saturday.  It marked my first Amtrak ride since the 42 hour death ride of ‘06.  The train was Rastafarian/Amish-free but I still couldn’t relax until crossing the IL border.

From that point on, the only two things that could calm my nerves were a trip to a bar filled with dogs and tons of tiny tapas bites.

Step one: find a bar with lots of random dogs in it; pet them.  Check.

This dog is giving me the stink eye because he likes me.   He and his basset hound friend were accompanied by at least three other random dogs.  No leashes, no explanations, no regrets.   The owners were nowhere to be found when they started howling at us for our cookies but I didn’t mind.

Step two: drink Sangria by the bushel* while waiting for a table at Cafe Iberico.  Then eat things like “grilled sea scallops with saffron sauce” and “baked goat cheese with fresh tomato basil sauce.”  Check.

We also stumbled upon a new game.  It was nameless until now, so I’ll call it “El Pulpo.”  Here’s how you should play — go around the table and say any spanish word you can think of.  Keep it up until someone can’t go and then try it with French and German.  The erratic results are hilarious — Sacapunta!  Gato!  Autobús!  Finish by scraping the pan and yelling “paella!”

*1 Bushel = 4 Pecks, 1 Peck = 2 gallons

*

Spieszmy się rysować rzeczy, tak często zmieniają swoje miejsce.

Tritsch-Tratsch Polka é uma de minhas músicas preferidas. Composta por Johann Strauss II, também autor da famosíssima Danúbio Azul. Emoção indescritível foi ouvi-la, casualmente, quando passeávamos pelo Covent Garden, em Londres. Um grupo de músicos tocava no interior do mercado e vendia seu CD. Claro que compramos.

Covent Garden é um distrito de Londres localizado nas partes situadas mais a leste da cidade de Westminster. A área é dominada por estabelecimentos comerciais, que oferecem compras e entretenimento, além de performances de rua. A Royal Opera House, célebre sala de concerto se localiza no distrito. O London Transport Museu logo ao lado. Segundo a Wikipedia a Covent Garden Piazza se localiza no centro geográfico da área, onde havia um mercado de flores, frutas e legumes do século XVI até 1974. O fato é que o lugar é mágico, mas real. Vá, de preferência, num domingo. Divaguei. Tudo bem. O que eu quero mesmo é compartilhar o  Tritsch-Tratsch Polka com vocês.

Bom domingo!

Covent Garden

Listen to Britches Full of Stitches

Listen to John Walsh #1
Listen to John Walsh #2

For many people, getting started with Total Recall means taking charge of their personal health information. Here are a few options for you to check out:

• Google Health lets your store your health data online. You can import data from some partner hospitals and pharmacies.
• Microsoft HealthVault also lets you store your health data online. A number of devices can upload data to your account. Some third party sites and applications use HealthVault for storage.
• Minerva Health Manager stores your health records on your PC, and also on a USB stick to share with a hospital, new doctor, etc.
• Polka’s My Health has a web-based interface that synchronizes with SmartPhones

From Total Recall blog

Thanks again to everyone that came out to New Braunfels Wurstfest this year. As always, it’s one of Alex’s favorite gigs of the year because the audiences are so enthusiastic…. Hope we’re back next year for the 50th anniversary!

A lot of pictures and videos have been posted online at you tube and on facebook…. Please tag Alex Meixner and the Alex Meixner Band so we can continue to get the word out about the Alex Meixner Band’s awesome live shows!
In the meantime, Stay All Night, the new album is finally available on all of the major digital sources…. I tunes, Rhapsody and even downloads at www.cdbaby.com/meixneralex2 If you haven’t picked up the cd yet—you can get the full artwork and cd at cdbaby or download the music at the other sites….

Thanks for your support!—Mark Bengtson, Publicity coordinator for Alex Meixner Band

Pred dobrim tednom sem bil v New Yorku in na ulici nas je ustavil neki tip in spraševal, kje je Empire State Building. No, to je bila le fraza za začetek komunikacije. Z njim je bila snemalna ekipa, bil pa je komik iz Južne Koreje. Najbrž je precej precej popularen, saj se je mimoidoča horda turistk z vhoda pričela histerično dreti, ko ga je zagledala. Ker si nisem zapomnil niti imena oddaje niti njegovega imena, me zanima, ali ga kdo prepozna, rad bi namreč videl njegovo oddajo, ker smo pred kamero plesali polko in počeli še kup tipičnih slovencizmov. Hvaležen bom za vsak koristen namig.

I had an unforgettable date with my favourite boys in sailor uniforms last night,
who delivered each song with rosy cheeks and unadulterated innocence;
Johann Strauss’ polkas and Emperor’s Waltz,
Queen’s masterpieces and the crowd’s favourites from ABBA.

One boy could not stop yawning
(he must’ve been jetlagged),
while another spent what must have been a full minute,
finding the correct lyrics page,
but those cherubic faces
definitely knew how to blow us away with their angelic voices.

And when four of the boys appeared in Lederhosen,
dancing their way to Austrian folksong “Und wanns amal schen aper wird”,
while the rest of the boys yodelled,
I totally flipped.

I miss Vienna so terribly ((

Wie geht’s? Wie steht’s?
Schon lange nicht geseh’n!
Nicht schlecht! Nicht recht!
Es muss halt weiter geh’n.

Woher? Wohin?
Ich hab’ jetzt keine Zeit.
Daher! Dahin! Es hat mich sehr gefreut.

So rast die Zeit mit Geschwindigkeit.
Hier und dort, immerfort,
und keiner hat für den andern Zeit
weil die Hast keine Zeit lasst.

Wetter ziehen, Wolken fliehen,
Blitze brennen, Menschen rennen,
ja, da schlägt das Ungewitter mitten in die Hast hinein.
Und die Uhr bleibt nicht stehen
Und die Zeit muss vergehen,
weil die andern weiterwandern.

Emsig wie die Bienen, summ summ,
flirren, summ summ,
schwirren, summ, summ,
hin und her im Grünen, summ summ,
muss man muss man fleissig Zeit gewinnen, summ summ summ.

Doch einmal wird es ohne Eile gehen
Dann bleibt die Uhr für jeden einmal stehen
Wird auch die Erde lange sich noch drehen.
Es hat mich sehr gefreut! Gute Nacht!
Die Augen zu, nun gute Ruh’, gute Nacht!

Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka was composed by Johann Strauss Jr in 1858 and was first performed in a public house in Vienna in November.  Rosl Hujer’s text for the Vienna Boys’ Choir describes a meeting of two acquaintances who have nothing to say to each other and fill the void with polite and meaningless phrases. (source: http://www.spencerconcerts.com/)

Ok im just wondering?? Why isn’t there a shuch thing as Polka rap?? I know what most people are thinkin polka sucks…but it not about that its about the fact that it hasn’t happened yet. I mean they did just about every thing else…It would propbably be dope if it was in right producer/rapper/dj hands. It would probably be good as a learning producer maybe i should look in to that… Fuckitimhigh

Sorry I’ve been so out of blogging… my laptop was down just as the Oktoberfest/ Wurstfest schedule hit the final overdrive! Thanks to the great Matt Busby (tubist, civil engineer and computer specialist extraordinaire— but questionable driver/ navigator) I’m back up and running…

Anyway—despite my computer troubles—audiences have been Staying All Night and partying with the Alex Meixner Band! We had a great performance at Stoudt’s Brewery in Adamstown, PA on Sun. Oct. 25. It’s always great to perform for Ed and Carol and their great crew—as well as the awesome audiences that come to partake in fine beer, food and the most amazing pretzels anywhere… (Too bad they ran out before the band could get to the kitchen this week!!). We’ve already set some dates to open their Oktoberfest for next September and another date in October.

From there, I concluded the 2 ½ week stint in Paterson, NJ for Ace in the Hole Productions. Always a class act of people to work with… Looking forward to the Alpine Christmas shows coming up in early December.

Then— off to Texas! We warmed up at the Rieker’s House in Canyon Lake—to play for our good friends, the Drunk Monkey and his bunch…. Then, Wurstfest!!!!!!!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how much me and the band enjoy playing for these audiences! If you’ve never been, you need to make it to the festival. It’s been great fun so far—I’m performing through Wednesday Nov. 4—so if you’re in travel distance to New Braunfels, TX- boogie on over and polka down with us!

Hope to get some fan pics posted soon… visit me at facebook and you tube with your pics/ videos!

Thanks everyone for your great support….
alex

This may be the most exciting thing that has happened to me in…a few days.  What happened was, I was looking up my name, Annelise, on the Namipedia, and I happened to see mentioned there a “very famous” polka called the Anneliese Polka.  Well, thank goodness for YouTube!  Thirty seconds later I was enjoying this amazing performance of a truly great work of polka-art.

Isn’t that swell?  Bet you wish you had a polka named for you, huh?

I have no idea what he is saying, by the way, so German speakers, please do inform me if it’s something embarrassing.

Kilka alternatyw dla tradycyjnych półek regałów czy meblościanek. Kiedyś nazywało się to meblościanką, dzisiaj systemem modularnym.

Kast by Vitra

FlexiTube modular shelving by Kißkalt Designs

Modern by Porro

Jaroslav Jurica

LSS Latten Shelving System by ABR

Storyteller by Isabel Quiroga

A dla przypomnienia meblościanka rodem z PRL

Jeśli zainteresował Cię temat meblościanek wejdź na stronę warsztatów projektowych „Meblościanka 2008”

Każden priskuler knows, iż polonianie i polonianki bardziej interesują się Polka Bands niż wygłupami Ryszarda Czarneckiego w juroparlamencie.
Bobby Vinton

Welcome to 247PolkaHeaven.com

Polka Memories – Reliving Our Great Polka Music History & Heritage!

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La galerie Polka (associée à la revue du même nom), dont j’ai déjà parlé ici à plusieurs reprises, fait partie des destinations à ne pas rater à Paris quand on s’intéresse à la photographie. Les illustrations proviennent du site Lesphotographes.com qui a fait un reportage remarquable sur Polka (ici).

La galerie a récemment emménagé dans de nouveaux locaux (Cour de Venise, 12 rue Saint Gilles) fraichement rénovés et un peu plus accessibles et visibles. L’accueil y est toujours décontracté, ce qui est bien agréable.

On trouvait mis à l’honneur, pour cette exposition baptisée Droit dans les yeux, actualité tragique oblige, le travail de Christian Poveda sur les clans, au Salvador, largement commenté, sur lequel je ne m’attarderais pas. A voir aussi, le travail de Pellegrin et de Abbas (sur l’Iran, forcément, et actualité oblige – tant politique qu’artistique puisque l’Iran est l’invité de ParisPhoto). Mickaël Bougouin explorait également la veine iranienne par un reportage sur les plages iraniennes où hommes et femmes se côtoient “plus ou moins”. Prashant Panjiar montrait de petits noir et blancs de la vie indienne. On se demandait bien ce que venait faire là-dedans les photographies de chevaux en couleur de Hans Silvester.

A côté de ce programme essentiellement documentaire, classique et noir et blanc, centré sur l’actualité et le monde non-occidental, on voyait le travail plus coloré et plus joyeux de Cathleen Naundorf (site ici) dans le domaine de la photographie de mode (des agrandissements de Polaroïds) et Steven Siewert qui montre un reportage sur la 50′ fair qui regroupe des fans des années 50 à Sidney.

Quelques auteurs du fond Polka étaient également visibles en nombre plus réduit comme Shahidul Alam, William Klein, Elliott Erwitt (le fameux train), Marc Riboud et Ethan Levitas.

Et alors combien coûtent ces travaux me direz-vous ? Hélas, la galerie ne fait pas figurer les prix sur son site web mais on les trouve sur place. Les prix commencent à 200-250 euros pour de petits noirs et blancs de Alam ou Bougouin (tirages resp. 20 et 25) jusqu’à près de 10 000 euros pour un grand format de Pellegrin (ed° 3). Siewert est à 800 ou 2 000 selon le format et le tirage (resp. 40×60 ed°10 ou 80×120 ed° 5) et Naundorf commence à 1 500 mais s’envole jusqu’à 4 500 euros au fur et à mesure de l’épuisement de la série (ed° 10).

C’est jusqu’au 7 novembre 2009 et vous pouvez y aller sans risquer de perdre votre temps.

Koło ciekawa forma i jak widać wykorzystywana coraz również we wzornictwie meblarskim.

Poniżej przedstawiam 3 regały – półki i jedną półko – biblioteczkę stojącą.

Wszystkie wyglądają dość ciekawie, nie będę ich dokładnie opisywać bo w sumie o wszystkich można znaleźć coś w internecie nawet w języku polskim.

Bliższe informacje między innymi tu: (również tam znaleźć można zdjęcia)

http://www.rzeczowo.gazetadom.pl/rzeczowo/1,83512,6324749,Czytanie_na_okraglo.html
http://modernlokum.blogspot.com/2009/03/oryginalny-rega-w-pokoju.html

no to okrągłego

Calista

Goth? Polka? Only an eclectic recording artist and producer like Veronique Chevalier could pull these two concepts together – and make the marriage work. The woman behind this accordion extravaganza (costumed as Hellga – The Devil’s Beer maid, replete with Viking helmet, braids, a cross-and-skull-boned corset, striped stockings and killer heels), Veronique has taken on the enviable task of making the next big Halloween album. It’s well on its way too: Polka Haunt Us
went down in history as an official selection on the Grammy ballot in the final year the polka category was offered. It’s also receiving airplay on numerous radio stations, both terrestrial and online, included Dr. Demento, who helped launch the career of Weird Al, among others.

Featuring an impressive lineup of artists (and sounds) from around the world, Polka Haunt Us takes on more than just Halloween – it brilliantly explores and retells the scariest mythology from cultures across the globe. Containing 13 songs, each track tells a legend and incorporates the indigenous music. White Witch of Jamaica Polka Reggae is based on that nation’s tale of a white plantation owner who seduced and murdered her slave boys with the Dark Arts. The Norwegian waltz The Fisher Bird Girl is based on the popular story from Norway of a mysterious young woman who morphs into a bird. Blank Face Goblins merges the traditional sounds of Japan with polka to celebrate the mythological creatures of the same name. The album is book-ended by Veronique’s morality tale The Beer Hall in Hell and her delightfully dark Vampire Surprise, a delectable bonus track.

To pull off this globetrotting compilation, Veronique handpicked talent from every corner of the globe. Collaborators include: Alex Meixner, Grammy-nominated composer and accordionist who lent his talent to Full Moon Face Off ; Comedy Central’s Gary Shapiro, who belts out the vocals for the Eastern European Jewish Bubbe’s Dybbuk Polka; Kerry Christensen, long-time Disney vocalist, who yodels for The Beer Hall in Hell ; Actress/singer Marion Ramsey (aka Sgt. Laverne Hooks of the “Police Academy” films); and the Jimi Hendrix of the Violin Lili Haydn seduces us with her strings in After Wife Polka Tango, a song about Eva Perone’s post-mortem preservation.

Quirky, inventive and fiercely original, Veronique Chevalier has recorded, and acted as executive producer, for three full-length albums as well as produced and performed an impressive repertoire of cabaret and Vaudeville presentations. The inspiration for this otherworldly album is rooted in her early years. Born in Fontainebleau, France to a globetrotting, nomadic family, and she attended no less than 13 schools before graduating. Her father, who made his career in the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, was a great lover of music, and it was through his influence that the young future performer learned to embrace to the sounds of many cultures. From writing lyrics to developing new marketing strategies, to vocalizing and improv, to designing her own costumes and album art, her capacity for creative output – not to mention the actual content – is inspiring. Veronique Chevalier won The Unanimous Choice Award for Best Independent Cabaret Artist by the Los Angeles Music Awards for her work on Cabaret4Choice.

Submitted by Dustin Clendenen

Way Moby / Zomba

It takes a special kind of guy to make a living off of other people’s songs. That guy is Weird Al Yankovic. In most cases, the Weird Al version is better than the original, often exploiting the ridiculousness of the source material. Of course, what most people don’t seem to notice is that Al also has original songs. A lof of the time, his originals are homages to certain bands or sounds. On his latest release, Straight Outta Lynwood, the originals are as strong as the parodies.

The album begins with the excellent “White and Nerdy” which delves into familiar territory for the Weird one. The song is about a nerd set against Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’.” This one is even stronger than the similar “It’s All About the Pentiums” from his Running With Scissors album. It packs in more nerdy references such as mySpace, Wikipiedia, Segway, D&D and William Shatner. The accompanying video (which can be viewed at his Website) is a must see. The R. Kelly parody “Trapped in the Drive-Thru” is Weird Al’s masterpiece. At almost eleven minutes, it proves how overblown and ridiculous the inspiration track was. It details a married couple’s simple task to get dinner. It describes in painful details the most mundane of actions such as getting in the car and starting it. Al also parodies tracks by Usher, Green Day and Taylor Hicks.

The originals on this album are quite strong. “Pancreas” is an homage to the Beach Boys. Even lyrically, this song wouldn’t be out of place on Brian Wilson’s Smile. “I’ll Sue Ya” has Al fronting Rage Against the Machine while mocking America’s love of frivolous lawsuits. He’ll even sue you if he sprains his ankle while robbing your place. The Styx like “Virus Alert” is a tale of those emails that you always get telling you not to open certain email messages. The highlight of the album is the “We Are The World” styled “Don’t Download This Song.” He namechecks Lars Ulrich and Tommy Chong while warning of the dangers of downloading mp3s. You can tell that even though it’s making light of the subject, he still feels strongly about it. He even calls you a “cheap bastard” for preventing him from obtaining another solid gold humvee.

This dual disc release also contains DVD footage of animated videos for each of the Al originals. It also has a 9 minute making of featurette. Watch this and you’ll see exactly how hard it is to create something like this. It’s amazing to see how talented Al and his band are. You normally don’t see that from him because he makes it look so easy.

Straight Outta Lynwood is another solid release in the Al catalog. It contains his greatest parody to date “Trapped in the Drive-Thru” and a slew of other strong songs. The only thing holding it back from being excellent is that he futhers the myth that Joe Dirt isn’t a good movie. However, he does suggest a preemptive strike against Canada so I guess that evens it out.

Foto: Michael Frank

Un articolo di Monica Marelli – www.wired.it

DESTROSIO
È sinonimo di zucchero e spesso anche di glucosio. Come mai questa doppia dicitura? Perché le molecole sono di destra o di sinistra. Il glucosio è la nostra fonte energetica, ma in natura ne esistono due “versioni”: proprio come le nostre mani, i loro atomi di carbonio/idrogeno/ossigeno sono disposti in modo speculare. La differenza? Enorme. Solo dalla versione destrogira, chiamata destrosio, si ottiene energia e il fatto che il nostro organismo ignori la par condicio molecolare e mostri delle spiccate preferenze non è un dettaglio da poco. Per esempio, la molecola carvone destrogira (presente in alcuni oli essenziali) stimola nel cervello il profumo di cumino, quella levogira invece di menta.

SCIROPPO DI MELASSA
La melassa è un sottoprodotto della lavorazione della canna da zucchero o della barbabietola. È un liquido scuro, molto viscoso, che assomiglia al miele. La qualità chiamata blackstrap è una delle più amate perché ricca di vitamine e sali minerali: un cucchiaino contiene tanto ferro quanto 9 uova e tanto calcio quanto un bicchiere di latte. Non vale come scusa per una cura ricostituente a base di caramelle.

GELATINE ALIMENTARI
Sono le responsabili della gommosità. Se gli orsetti resistono ai morsi e i pesci bicolori non si sciolgono immediatamente, il merito è di questo mix di materie prime derivanti da parti animali contenenti collagene, una proteina di “sostegno” della pelle e degli organi (anche dei nostri, altrimenti saremmo come dei molli fantocci rugosi). Se pensate che mangiare tante gummy equivalga a una cura antirughe, siete fuori strada: il collagene ingoiato è prontamente smontato dall’organismo.

ESTRATTO DI LIQUIRIZIA
Deriva dalla pianta Glycyrrhiza glabra, che appartiene alla famiglia delle leguminose, proprio come i ceci. Da alcune migliaia di anni la liquirizia è nota come rimedio naturale contro il mal di stomaco, la tosse e i temporanei abbassamenti di pressione. Il merito è soprattutto dell’acido glicirrizinico, molto potente. Fin troppo. L’endocrinologo Decio Armanini dell’università di Padova ha dimostrato che la liquirizia riesce a inibire la sintesi di testosterone anche dopo un moderato consumo. In vista di un incontro romantico, evitatela.

E129
È detto anche rosso allura. Quello che sembra un’esortazione in dialetto milanese, è un colorante di origine sintetica che fa parte dei pigmenti “azo”. Significa che nel cuore della molecola c’è una coppia di atomi di azoto, che rende i colori molto stabili (non impallidiscono se esposti alla luce o all’aria) e più “pieni” di quelli di origine naturale.

AGENTI DI RIVESTIMENTO: CERA D’API, CERA DI CARNAUBA
Sono gli additivi che fanno apparire lucide le caramelle e le rendono meno appiccicose, altrimenti nel sacchetto si formerebbe un’informe massa gelatinosa. La cera d’api è utilizzata anche per fare candele che durano più a lungo e regalano una luce più “calda” di quelle di paraffina. Quella di carnauba è molto resistente al calore ed è ottenuta dalle foglie della palma Copernicia prunifera, nativa del Brasile, dove rappresenta un’importante risorsa; è usata anche nel lucido da scarpe e per la carrozzeria delle auto.

Monica Marelli (mmarelli@wired.it) è fisico e autrice di libri di scienza per bambini. Legge le etichette di ogni abito, cibo o cosmetico che le capiti a tiro: Wired inside!