1. 0% chance this fantasy team finishes with a winning record:

freshman don't know any better...

so, maybe i like the panthers and the vicks? seemed like a good idea at the time. then they played each other. and had matching bye weeks. i got too emotionally attached and refused to drop anyone from the team (including marcus vick who was only on the field for one play the entire season). finished the season 4-10. embarrassing for the teams i beat.

2. man vs. toddler:

toddler loses.

3. Avatar:

plot according to sweeney: theres a fantasy alien world with blue people. very eco-friendly. and then humans go and destroy their shit. apparently we don’t like each other for some reason. so this soldier gets crippled. and the US military says “we can give you your legs back, but it will be in the body of an avatar.” so he’s human, undercover as an avatar. and then there’s war. and alien sex. and explosions.

100% chance too much money and time was spent on this movie. 25% chance i find it enjoyable. 115% chance waite finds it enjoyable (and i used a ridiculous percentage just to make you angry) 99% chance i still cry at least once during.

4. 80% chance DC becomes the new California. but better.

we might not have the terminator. but gays can get married. and the vote’s still out on legalizing marijuana and putting money aside in the budget for paying for abortions in extreme cases. and you know how i feel about gays, weed, and fetuses, especially when the government is paying to remove them.

5.  number of times i listen to some combination of tik tok, one time, and she wolf.

too many.

6. fate of the biggest loser.

"i lost a sickening amount of weight, and i went to a tanning bed!!"

the winner: after weeks of hard work and losing a ridiculous amount of weight (the majority being water weight, but who’s counting), our biggest loser goes home and remembers what it’s like to eat fast food and do nothing. and i’m not a doctor, but “the faster you lose weight, the faster you’ll gain it back.” back to pre-show weight in t minus 2 months.

the show: will never be cancelled. you know why? because a. there are a surplus of overweight americans willing to subject themselves to the embarrassment of standing in a sports bra (or worse, shirtless) on national tv. b. there are a surplus of overweight americans that want to make themselves feel better by watching. watching fat people eat less and work out is pretty much the same as dieting and exercising myself, plus why would i waste time trying to be healthy when i can just wait for the next big diet plan to come out – i’m gonna guess something to do with a combination of only eating hot sauce and blueberries (antioxidants, duh) and walking backwards for 20 minutes, 3 times a week. am i right, or am i right?

NECA SWEENEY TODD RAZOR BOX PROP REPLICA …

Shopping store: buy cheap Nerf N Strike & discount

NECA SWEENEY TODD RAZOR

by 999JoHnyDon999 (Category: Entertainment)

The Facebook support page has more than 7,600 members, with messages from across the country.

Many of the posts written to Britt Sweeney — the Seattle Police officer who was wounded the night a gunman killed her partner, Tim Brenton — speak to her courage for firing back at the suspect. Strangers have said they’re praying for her, and several fellow officers have written that they’ve got her back.

Joshua Trujillo / seattlepi.com Seattle Police Officer Britt Sweeney is awarded Officer of the Month by Washington's Most Wanted host David Rose at the Q13 FOX studios in Seattle. Assistant Seattle Police Chief Nick Metz, right, said Sweeney reacted to the Halloween tragedy with the skill of a 10 year veteran of the force.

“It’s what gets me through day to day; I can’t lie,” Sweeney said Wednesday. “It’s those messages in my hard times that I read — and I have read every single message, many multiple times. And it’s just been a surreal experience.

“It’s made me realize that people — my brothers and sisters of Seattle (police), Seattle as a city and the country — have been behind me.”

Sweeney, who had not spoken publicly since the Oct. 31 attack, broke her silence Wednesday to David Rose, host of “Washington’s Most Wanted” on Q13 Fox. The show selected her as officer of the month for November and received praise Wednesday from Assistant Chief Nick Metz for soliciting viewer tips about the shootings.

A portion of the interview is available online here, and in a video below. More will be aired Friday and Saturday on “Washington’s Most Wanted.”

Sweeney, 33, had started her student officer training about seven months before the attack. Most of her October shifts had been spent at the West Precinct. The night of the shooting was her second with Brenton, an East Precinct field training officer who joined the department nine years ago.

“We were building that relationship that you build with your field training officer, and we did have a few good laughs,” Sweeney told Rose. “We definitely were starting to build that bond.”

They conducted a traffic stop, and at 10:06 p.m. were discussing it near 29th Avenue and East Yesler Way when investigators say Christopher J. Monfort boxed in their patrol car with  his 1980 Datsun 210.

He allegedly fired several rounds from a .223-caliber rifle — rounds that can penetrate a bulletproof vest — and Brenton was killed instantly.

Sweeney, who felt a bullet rip through her vest and into her back, exited the patrol car and fired several rounds as the attacker backed away, hitting his Datsun at least once.

In an emotional radio call, Sweeney can be heard giving her location, calling for backup, and saying her partner was dead.

Veteran officers have said the kind of calculated, near-fatal attack she faced in her first month of patrol is something many police never face in their careers. Her reaction, Sweeny said, was based on training.

“I think it would be insincere to say that I’m not scared,” she told Rose. “I’m human. But again, I’ve got my brothers and sisters in blue that are taking care of me, plus the rest of the country.

“I feel very safe at this point.”

Sweeney said she was awake for 36 hours after the shooting. It was back at the West Precinct, in a break-area recliner, where she was finally able to fall asleep. She stayed with officers there for the first couple of nights.

At the Q13 Fox studios Wednesday, Sweeney didn’t discuss specific details of the shooting. Some details she hasn’t shared with all her family members.

Monfort, 41, has been charged with aggravated first-degree murder for Brenton’s death. He also faces an arson count for the Oct. 22 bombing of Seattle police vehicles and three attempted first-degree murder counts for his alleged attacks on Sweeney and on two homicide detectives who helped capture Monfort after Brenton’s memorial ended.

That timing, Sweeney said, was poetic justice.

Sweeney moved to Seattle from the East Coast about four years ago and previously worked as a fitness instructor.

“I came into the (police) academy ready to hit it, and so I was used to waking up early,” she said when asked of her 5:30 a.m. workouts.

Her mother moved to be near her when Sweeney made it clear she wasn’t moving back east. Since the shooting, many family members have offered to come stay with her. Relatives have asked if she’s sure about staying with the department.

Sweeney said her brother is proud of her desire to be an officer, but keeps sending subliminal messages. “Are you sure you don’t want to be a detective?” he asked recently.

“They realize this is what I want to do and they’ve been able to see the positive and to be proud rather than be wallowing in the sorrow of what if and what could be,” Sweeney told Rose.

“I really give them a lot of credit to put their feelings on the back burner and support me.”

Sweeney said she wants to return to work when she can, though she told Rose there’s some anxiety.

“But it would be a big disservice to Tim to not get back out there and live my life and fight the fight.”

Sweeney didn’t explain in detail why she wanted to be an officer, instead responding with a joke she often tells other officers: to write reports.

However, Sweeney said the shooting incident hasn’t shifted her focus, other than letting her know “I’m a lifetimer now.”

As part of the Q13 Fox presentation, Myrle Carner with CrimeStoppers of Puget Sound presented Sweeney with a gift certificate to McCormick’s Fish House & Bar. A retired Seattle police detective, he also praised her work.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel and homicide detectives have described Sweeney’s actions as those of a 10-year veteran. Metz said he was struck the night of the shooting by how Sweeney was more concerned about Brenton’s family than herself.

“I’ve seen her several times, every time with a smile on her face and I know that’s part of her way of getting through this,” he told Rose. “We’re going to continue to give her the support that she needs.”

Metz said her return to patrol will be a mutual decision, and department officials know she’ll face difficulties, having gone through such a traumatic experience.

But the support from fellow officers and the community is what’s getting her through.

“‘Thank you,’ is beyond an understatement,” she told Rose. “I have yet to find the combination of words in the Webster’s dictionary to say ‘thank you,’ to tell everybody how amazing they’ve been.

“I’m hoping to get to that point but for now I’ll have to keep it as simple as ‘thank you.’”

SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW: “Washington’s Most Wanted” airs at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday on Q13 Fox, and at 9:30 p.m. on My Q2. For showtimes in other cities, check catchwmw.com.

By Casey McNerthney

LINK

What’s in the box?

A button. If you push it, you win one million dollars. But, someone in the world will die. Would you press the button?

This is the premise of the new movie The Box. Think about it. For 1,000,000 dollars, is it worth killing someone? Now, of course the proper answer would be “No way!” and if you were with friends or family or others that might judge, that would most likely be your answer. However, for the moment think about it. If you were alone, and you were to tell no one of your decision, would you do it? The person that dies could be elderly. She could be suicidal. He could be in dire pain already and want to be put out of his misery. And, they could thank you for it later, plus you’d get a million dollars.

I presented this question to a couple of my friends. One of them actually told me she would press the button. She said, no one would ever know, and life was hard enough as it was. She said that people deserved to die, then quoted Sweeney Todd. “We all deserve to die. Even you Mrs. Lovette, even I!” she said. And she said that she would press the button.

It makes me wonder how many other people feel that way. Does life really seem so bleak that everyone deserves to die? That, the evil people of the world deserve pain and suffering and death and that the innocents deserve to be put out of their misery? I find it so tragic that there are actually people out there that feel that way.

Or maybe, some would press the button out of selfishness. Sure, everyone want a million dollars right? That would be great! Tons of gas money and one LONG shopping spree! Plus a new house and a new car. Everyone would want that money, but who would be willing to kill another human being for it?

I guess the answer lives in your own mind. Personally, I wouldn’t be able too. I don’t even believe in the death penalty, but that’s a ramble for another day.

Anyway, looking forward to the movie The Box! Just came out today and I hope to see it soon!

Hoewel een banjo er op het eerste gezicht een beetje uitziet als een ietwat rare gitaar is het eigenlijk een heel ander soort instrument. In essentie is een banjo een drum: een drum met snaren. Daarom is de wijze van bespelen ook helemaal anders. Een gitarist tokkelt: hij plukt aan de snaren van beneden naar boven, terwijl een banjospeler “slaat” met de achterkant van de nagels, met een beweging richting de vloer.

Er zijn zelfs twee geheel verschillende speelwijzen voor de banjo.

Bij clawhammer of “oldtime” gebruikt de speler enkel de duim en de wijs- of middelvinger van zijn rechterhand.

de clawhammer techniek

Ofwel worden er plastic of metalen fingerpicks op de vingertoppen geplaatst. Bij deze techniek gebruikt de speler, behalve de duim, drie vingers. Dit levert een veel drukker geluid op, dat vooral bij bluegrass erg populair is.

de fingerpicks techniek

Herkomst

Midden 18^de eeuw was de banjo het instrument van de zwarte slaven. Het was terug te vinden op elke plantage in Maryland en Virginia. “Een uniek instrument is de banjar,” getuigt ene Thomas Jefferston, wanneer hij in 1781 het leven van de slaven op een plantage in Virginia beschrijft. “Die hebben ze mee overgebracht uit Afrika,” concludeert hij.

Verdere studie leert echter dat de eerste beschrijving van een banjo-achtig instrument helemaal niet uit het Appalachengebregte stamt, maar uit Martinique. Daar dook de banjo ruim een eeuw eerder op: in 1678. Later volgen nog getuigenissen uit Jamaica (1869) en Barbados (1708).

Vanaf het begin van de 17^de eeuw werden massaal mensen uit West-Afrika naar de Nieuwe Wereld  getransporteerd om er te werken als slaven op de plantages. Onder de harde omstandigheden was muziek een van de weinige dingen die hun troost kon bieden. In eerste instantie was dat zang, met begeleiding van percussie. De blanken ervoeren dat tromgeroffel achter als een bedreiging, omdat ze vreesden dat hiermee boodschappen werden doorgegeven. Mogelijk kon zo een opstand worden georganiseerd. Al snel volgde er een algemeen verbod op het gebruik van trommels. 

Daarom zochten de slaven naar andere instrumenten. Voor het bouwen daarvan baseerden ze zich op het voorbeeld van de vertrouwde instrumenten uit het thuisland. Ze maakten gebruik van goedkope materialen die in de nieuwe leefomgeving te vinden waren: kalebassen bijvoorbeeld. Dat zijn niet-eetbare pompoenen (in het Engels: gourd) met een harde schil. De vrucht werd uitgehold en met een dierenvel bespannen. Daarop werd dan een lange hals gemonteerd, waarop drie tot vier snaren werden aangebracht.

In verschillende studies wordt gewezen op de overeenkomsten tussen de banjo en de luitachtige instrumenten die door de griots werden bespeeld. De ngoni uit Mali wordt genoemd, de akonting uit Senegal en nog meer exotische namen als de busunde, de kasinta en de ngopata.

Omwille van de bamboestok die dikwijls oorspronkelijk als hals werd gebruikt, kreeg het nieuwe instrument namen als banjar, bangie, banjer, banza of banjo. Of naar de pompoen-klankkast: gourd-banjo.

Echter, naar het voorbeeld van de Spaanse en Portugese snaarinstrumenten, verschenen in de loop van de jaren Westerse vernieuwingen aan de hals: houten pinnen om de snaren aan te spannen en een kam.

Na verloop van tijd werd ook de pompoen vervangen. In de plaats kwam een tamboerijn-achtige romp: een ronde klankkast, met aan de voorzijde een strak gespannen vel. Doordat de kam rust op het gespannen vel kan de energie die bij het bespelen van de snaren wordt toegevoerd zeer snel weg. Dit levert een kort maar hard geluid op. Het beklemtoont het percussiekarakter waarnaar de muzikanten op zoek waren ter vervanging van de drums. Het beklemtonen van het ritme is immers essentieel als begeleiding van worksongs. 

Honderd jaar lang was de banjo het uitverkoren instrument van de zwarten. Niet alleen tijdens het werk maar ook ter begeleiding van zang en dans ter vermaak. Het cliché van een zwarte jongen of man met strohoedje en een banjo in de hand is in zowat elke Lucky Luke strip terug te vinden.

Minstrel shows

In de vroege jaren dertig van de negentiende eeuw ontstond de minstrel show of minstrelsy. Een troep rondtrekkende acteurs en muzikanten brachten vermaak met sketches, parodieën, slapstick, dans en muziek. Een onderdeel van hun show was de blackface act. Blanke mannen kleedden zich in lompen, maakten hun gezicht zwart en imiteerden zo de zwarten. De typische manier van spreken en bewegen, de muziek en de dans van de zwarten werden er uitvergroot tot vermaak van de blanken. Een van de veel voorkomende typetjes was de ex-slaaf die terug verlangde naar de plantage waarin hij was opgegroeid. De boodschap die de minstrels brachten was: ‘je hoeft je geen zorgen te maken om de slaven, die zijn best tevreden met hun lot’. En ook ‘Zwarten horen niet thuis in de noordelijke staten’.

Om de “negermuziek” authentiek te laten klinken begonnen ze typische “zwarte instrumenten” als de banjo en de tamboerijn te bespelen.

Een van die allereerste blanke banjospelers was Joel Walker Sweeney (1810 – 1860). Hij was, in zijn eentje, misschien wel verantwoordelijk voor de doorbraak van het instrument bij het blanke publiek. Daarvoor had hij wel een paar aanpassingen nodig, zoals een vijfde snaar!

Niet dat die extra snaar een uitvinding van hemzelf was. Er zijn oudere afbeeldingen bekend van vijfsnarige banjo’s. Maar tot dan toe werd die vijfde, veel kortere snaar tot klinken gebracht door de resonantie van het instrument zelf. De bespeler raakte de snaar zelf niet aan.

Sweeney ging de snaar bespelen met zijn duim. Sterker nog: hij ging precies die duimsnaar gebruiken om de melodie te spelen, terwijl hij op de andere vier snaren een begeleiding tokkelde met de vingers. Dit opende geheel nieuwe perspectieven.

Een niet onbelangrijk element in de groeiende populariteit van de banjo was het werk van Amerika’s eerste professionele songwriter: Stephen C. Foster (1826 -1864). Vele van de songs die hij schreef voor de minstrels groeiden uit tot klassiekers zoals ‘Oh Susanna’, ‘Swanee River’, ‘Hard Times’, ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ en ‘Camptown Races’.

Oh Susanna

Camptown Races

Een andere songwriter was Daniel D. Emmett (1815-1904). Hij begon als blackface fiddlespeler bij de Virginia Minstrels maar schakelde later over op de banjo. Voor dat instrument schreef hij tientallen songs waaronder ‘Dixie’s Land’. Als ‘Dixie’ groeide het tijdens de Burgeroorlog  (1861 – 1864) uit tot het lijflied van de Confederatie en later van de gehele South.

Na die Burgeroorlog bloeide de nieuwe five-string banjo op als het populairste instrument, zowel in de huiskamers van de hogere en middelklasse als op de concertpodia en de schamele huisjes in het Appalachengebergte.

Evolutie

Tot het einde van de 19de eeuw bleef de banjo een heel eenvoudig instrument, enkel geschikt om er een zeer eenvoudige melodie mee aan te geven. Het ontbreken van frets op de minstrelbanjo maakte het erg moeilijk om de juiste toon aan te houden. Hoewel Henry Dobson al in 1878 patent aanvroeg voor een commerciële banjo met frets, duurde het bijna drie decennia eer het concept aansloeg.

Dat gebeurde pas toen de stalen snaren hun intrede deden. Naar analogie van de mandolines waarbij een plectrum werd gebruikt, begonnen banjospeler toen ook te experimenteren. De plectrumbanjo was geboren en de vijfde snaar werd meteen weer overbodig.

In de eerste decennia van de twintigste eeuw leidden Europese elementen, onder meer de invloed van de gitaar, tot een meer klassieke speelstijl. Tegelijk ontstonden er allerlei hybride instrumenten waarbij de banjo werd  ‘gekruist’ met een ander snaarinstrument. Op de klankkast van een banjo (vaak met resonator) werd dan de hals van een ander instrument geplaatst. Bedoeling was om het bespelers van andere instrumenten mogelijk te maken gebruik te maken van het penetrante banjogeluid. Dat was vooral zeer gegeerd zolang er nog geen elektrische versterking beschikbaar was.

Nergens was zo belangrijk om luid te kunnen spelen als in het drukke nachtleven van New Orleans. De banjo was dan ook perfect om het ritme in de blaasbands te accentueren. Omstreeks 1920 ontstond zo een nieuw genre: Dixieland (ook gekend als New Orleans jazz of traditional jazz).

Maar dat was een laatste opflakkering, want eens de elektrische versterkers hun intrede deden waren de gouden jaren van de banjo voorbij. Enkel in het Appalachengebergte bleven five-string banjospelers populair bij de southern dance bands en andere hillbillymuziek. Het publiek genoot er van instrumentalisten als Uncle Dave Macon, Stringbean, Clarence Ashley en The Carter Family met June Carter.

Een van de grootste namen was Charlie Poole (1892-1931).

Als jongen had Charlie twee passies: spelen op zijn zelfgemaakte gourdbanjo en baseball. Bijna kwam aan allebei een eind toen hij eens een bal met de blote hand wou pakken, omwille van een weddenschap. Hij hield er een paar gebroken botten in zijn  rechterhand aan over met een permanente vervorming van enkele vingers als gevolg. Poole was echter een doorzetter. Hij bedacht een geheel nieuwe techniek om de banjo te bespelen: de “threefinger picking style”, waarbij hij melodie, arpeggio en ritme wist te combineren

Zijn eerste echte banjo kon hij pas kopen toen hij ging werken in een textielfabriek.

Poole zag in de banjo een uitweg om niet, net als zijn ouders, zijn hele leven te moeten zwoegen in die fabriek. Hij vulde het weinige geld dat hij kon sparen aan met de opbrengst van illegale alcoholstokerij, om zich zo een eersteklas banjo te kunnen veroorloven. Met die Gibson van $200 kon hij professioneel gaan spelen. In 1917 richtte hij, samen met zijn schoonbroer, de fiddelspeler Posey Rorrer, een eigen stringband op: de North Carolina Ramblers. Drie jaar later waren ze een veelgevraagde band op dansfeesten en partijen door het gehele zuidoosten.

Op 27 juli 1925 mochten ze in New York hun eerste plaatje gaan opnemen. Het was meteen raak. Meer dan honderdduizend exemplaren van ‘Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Blues’ vlogen de deur uit. En dat in een tijd waarin slechts zeshonderdduizend mensen een grammofoon hadden. Charlie Poole werd de eerste countryster.

Hoewel hij zelf nauwelijks songs schreef groeiden vele van de zeventig nummers die hij in de volgende jaren opnam uit tot klassiekers in bluegrass en country: ‘Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight, Mister?’, ‘Old and Only In the Way’, ‘White House Blues’…

Toen de depressie de verkoop in elkaar deed stuiken, ging hij graag in op een aanbod van Hollywood om te gaan werken voor de filmindustrie. Hij zou echter nooit in Californië raken. Na dertien weken (!) van fuiven en drinken begaf zijn hart het. Poole werd slechts 39 jaar oud.

‘White House Blues’ – Charlie Poole, opgenomen op 20 september 1926 en voor de eeuwigheid bewaard op de Anthology of American Folk Music.

Revival

Pas in de tweede helft van de jaren veertig, werd de banjo, net als de mandoline, terug opgepikt door bluegrassspelers. Hoewel Bill Monroe zijn eerste Blue Grass Boys band oprichtte in 1939, was het pas zes jaar later dat het genre echt van de grond kwam. Dat was te danken aan de komst van een banjospeler uit North Carolina: Earl Scruggs. De jongeman liet het publiek helemaal uit de bol gaan door zijn razendsnelle solo’s, gespeeld met een geheel eigen drie-vingertechniek. Hiervoor maakte hij gebruik van fingerpicks: een soort plastic of stalen kunstnagels die op de duim en vingers worden geklemd.

Zijn vernieuwende “Scruggs style” banjospel sloeg zo aan dat hij wel gek zou zijn om niet voor zichzelf te beginnen. Samen met Lester Flatt richtte hij The Foggy Mountain Boys op. Hun grootste succesnummer was ongetwijfeld ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’, uit 1949. Twintig jaar later werd het instrumentale nummer wereldwijd populair door het gebruik in de film Bonnie & Clyde – over een gansterkoppel in de jaren twintig!

‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ – Earl Scruggs met Steve Martin

Bonnie & Clyde

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs in de Grand Ol’ Opry Show

Drie jaar later schoot, opnieuw dankzij een film, een ander instrumentaal banjonummer naar de top van de hitlijsten: ‘Duelling Banjos’. De oorspronkelijke versie heet ‘Feudin’ Banjos’ en werd in 1955 geschreven door Arthur Smith. Hij nam het zelf op, op een vier snarige plectrum banjo, met Don Reno op een vijfsnarige instrument.

In de thriller Deliverance zien we de acteurs Billy Redden (de hillbilly dorpsidioot op banjo) en Ronny Cox (de Yankee op gitaar). Maar we horen respectievelijk Eric Weissberg en Steve Mandell, in een productie van Joe Boyd.

‘Dueling Banjos” uit de thriller Deliverance (1971).

Maar ook buiten de countrywereld maakte de banjo een comeback vanaf de jaren veertig. Dat was voornamelijk te danken aan Pete Seeger. Hij keerde terug naar de traditionele muziek die nu folk werd genoemd. In 1948 publiceerde hij de eerste versie van zijn boekje, How To Play The 5-String Banjo,  dat groeide uit tot het handboek voor vele generaties banjospelers.

Dankzij de folkrevival kwamen de oorspronkelijke uitvoerders terug in de belangstelling. Velen van hen kregen de kans om hun oude opnamen nog eens over te doen, met veertig jaar ervaring en veel beter geluidskwaliteit als bonus.

Een van hen was Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley. Op 23 oktober 1929 zette hij, in Johnson City, Tennessee, de oorspronkelijke versie neer van het aloude ‘The Coo Coo Bird’. Harry Smith had het plaatje in 1952 terug onder de aandacht gebracht op zijn Anthology of American Folk Music.

Maar in 1961 zette hij de definitieve versie neer, met de hulp van een blinde gitarist uit Deep Gab, North Carolina: Doc Watson.

Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley – The Coo Coo Bird.

Tegen het einde van de jaren zestig ontstonden de eerste, voorzichtige toenaderingspogingen tussen twee geheel verschillende werelden: country en rock. Het waren de rockmuzikanten die, onder invloed van de muziek die ze in hun jeugd op de radio hadden gehoord, het initiatief namen: Gene Clark, Bob Dylan, Gene Parsons, Michael Nesmith, …. Voor het bespelen van specifieke instrumenten als steelgitaar, mandoline en banjo keken de rockers naar de beste bluegrassartiesten. Earl Scruggs beroerde de vijfsnarige banjo op Dylans ‘Nashville Skyline Rag’ en The Byrds vroegen Doug Dillard van The Dillards mee op tournee. Zijn banjospel moest hun geluid wat authentieker maken.

Na afloop van de Europese tour vroeg ex-Byrd Gene Clark hem om samen Dillard & Clark op te zetten. Zij omringden zich met fantastische countrymuzikanten waaronder Bernie Leadon, die later The Eagles zou helpen oprichten.

‘Train Leaves Here This Morning’ uit The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark.

De banjo in de Britse rock

De Britten beschouwden de banjo als een zeer primitief instrument. Volgens de overlevering zou de Britse muziekhistoricus Cecil Sharp, toen hij tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog door het Appalachengebergte trok op zoek naar songs, uitdrukkelijk hebben laten weten dat hij geen banjo’s of gitaren wou zien. Die interesseerden hem niet. Wat hij zocht waren oude Ierse en Schotse balladen of dansmuziek. Niet van die niewerwetse dingen.  

Vanaf het midden van de negentiende eeuw zochten banjobouwers naar manieren om meer mensen aan te spreken door de mogelijkheden uit te breiden.

De tenorbanjo had een kortere nek met 19 frets en wordt bespeeld met een plectrum. Het was een uitstekend begeleidingsinstrument voor de jazz- en dancebands in de jaren twintig en dertig van de vorige eeuw. Vooral omdat het te horen was boven de blazers en saxofoon uit. De komst van de elektrisch versterkte gitaar verdrong de tenorbanjo van het podium. Enkel in de meer traditionele Dixieland jazz bleef er een plaatsje voor over.

Een andere, voor de hand liggende oplossing om de mogelijkheden te verruimen, is het toevoegen van een zesde snaar. Vooral jazzmuzikanten, zoals Johnny St. Cyr en Django Reinhardt, experimenteerden met de guitanjo, zoals het instrument werd gedoopt. Maar ook een bluesman als Reverend Gary Davis had er een.

Helemaal er over is de zither-banjo: met zeven snaren is er wel erg ver afgeweken van het oorspronkelijke concept.

De stiefmoederlijke behandeling van het instrument in de Britse muziek is merkbaar in het feit dat de banjo slechts zelden wordt gebruikt in de pop- of rockmuziek. Enkele uitzonderingen zijn: ‘Stop Stop Stop’ van The Hollies, ‘Squeeze Box’ van The Who, ‘Gallows Pole’ van Led Zeppelin, Bright Side of the Road van Van Morrison, ‘Cowboy Dreams’ van Prefab Sprout of ‘Sing’ van Travis.

Veel meer kan ik er eigenlijk niet bedenken.

‘Cowboy Dreams’, uit The Gunman And Other Stories, met Eric Weissberg op de banjo.

En om af te sluiten nog eentje die helemaal buiten alle categoriën valt: de slaggitarist van de Amerikaanse garageband The Monks. Dave Day bespeelde een zessnarige banjo alsof het een elektrische gitaar was. Met behulp van een kleine ingebouwde microfoon verkreeg hij zo een speciale metaalachtige klank.

The Monks met hun enige pseudohit, ‘Cuckoo’, uit 1966.

Hello friends,

I’m happy to have 3 poems (Praisesong for Sisters, Leftover & For the Girl Who Nearly Broke Me) up in the Gender issue of Poemeleon: http://www.poemeleon.org/ching-in-chen-2/

I’m also happy to be reading Wednesday night (Oct. 14) in the Poemeleon reading at the Sweeney Art Gallery in downtown Riverside with a great line-up of local poets & to be headed North to San Francisco as part of Litquake’s Litcrawl. Info for both below — Hope to see you there if you’re able!

And as my parting thought, I’ve been reflecting a lot on seasons and transition. I went back to Massachusetts this past weekend (to a glorious red, orange and yellow fall!) to participate in the Boston Asian American Students Intercollegiate Conference — thinking back to when I was a 16 year old kid who somehow made it to to that 1st Conference for Asian Pacific American Youth & what a path it has led me down. How each day we’re finding our place in the world & where we fit in. Thank you.
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POETRY AT THE SWEENEY
Wednesday 10/14, 7-9pm
UCR Sweeney Art Gallery, 3800 Main St, Riverside

Please join Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry and The Inlandia Institute for an evening of readings, book signings, and refreshments.

In celebration of the launch of Poemeleon’s fourth year in publication and the announcement of the inaugural Inlandia Literary Laureate Award, Poemeleon & Inlandia have teamed up to bring you a stellar lineup of authors. During the reading we will be going over procedures for nominating your favorite author for Inlandia’s Literary Laureate Award, the first of its kind in the Inland Empire, which will, through its nominations process, recognize one regionally-based author for their contribution to the region’s rich and distinctive literary heritage.

Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry was founded by Cati Porter in December 2005 and is published twice per year, April & October. Each issue includes poems, interviews, book reviews, and essays, and is devoted to a particular kind of poetry — poems on place, ekphrastic poems, poems in form, the prose poem, the persona poem, and humorous poems, with an issue devoted to gender launching October 1st followed in the spring by an issue devoted to collaborative works. Poemeleon nominates for prize anthologies such as the Pushcart, Best of the Web, Best of the Net, and Meridian’s Best New Poets anthology, for which work has been selected, in addition to running an annual reading series and an ongoing contest series on its website titled The Mystery Box. To learn more about Poemeleon please visit http://www.poemeleon.org.

The Inlandia Institute is a literary center in partnership with Heyday Books and its Affiliates that seeks to bring focus to the richness of the literary enterprise that exists in the Inland Empire. Inlandia’s mission is to recognize, support and expand literary activity in all of its forms through community programs in the Inland Empire, thereby deepening people’s awareness, understanding, and appreciation of this unique, complex and creatively vibrant region. With publishing partner Heyday Books, Inlandia supports the publication of quality regional literary projects under a special Inlandia imprint. Inlandia also operates a program producing and supporting public literary programming throughout the Inland Empire, conducts oral histories to preserve the history and culture of the Inland Empire, holds writer’s workshops for emerging authors, creates a love of literature in children; and mentors young writers and cultural activists. To learn more about Inlandia please visit http://www.inlandiainstitute.org.

Authors to be present during this event:

Poemeleon associate editor MAUREEN ALSOP, Ph.D., is the author of two full collections of poetry, Apparition Wren (Main Street Rag) and The Diction of Moths (Ghost Road Press, pending). She is also the author of several chapbooks, most recently Luminal Equation in the collection Narwhal (Cannibal Press), the dream and the dream you spoke (Spire Press), 12 Greatest Hits (Pudding House) and Nightingale Habit (Finishing Line Press). She is the winner of Harpur Palate’s Milton Kessler Memorial Prize for Poetry and The Bitter Oleander’s Frances Locke Memorial Poetry Award. Her recent poems have appeared or are forthcoming in various journals including Blackbird, New Delta Review, Tampa Review, Typo, 42 Opus, Drunken Boat, Copper Nickel, and Front Porch Journal.

JO SCOTT-COE’s work has appeared in many publications, most recentlyHotel Amerika, turnrow, Green Mountains Review, River Teeth, Memoir(and), Ruminate,and the anthology (Re)Interpretations: The Shapes of Justice in Women’s Experience(Cambridge Scholars Press). Her interviews with essayist Richard Rodriguez and poet Donna Hilbert have been featured inNarrativeandChiron Review, respectively, and she received a Pushcart Special Mention in nonfiction for 2009. In November 2009, Scott-Coe will present research on gender and violence in education at the National Women’s Studies Association “Difficult Dialogues” conference in Atlanta.She now works as a new assistant professor of English composition and creative writing at Riverside Community College in Southern California.

CHING-IN CHEN is the author of The Heart’s Traffic and a multi-genre, border-crossing writer. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she is a Kundiman, Macondo and Lambda Fellow. A community organizer, she has worked in the Asian American communities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Boston. Her work has been recently published in BorderSenses, Rio Grande Review, Chroma, Sous Rature, Cha, Verdad and others.

Poemeleon associate editor,JUDY KRONENFELD, Ph.D., is the author of two books and two chapbooks of poetry, the most recent being Light Lowering in Diminished Sevenths, winner of the 2007 Litchfield Review Poetry Book Prize, which was published in Summer, 2008. Her poems, as well as the occasional short story and personal essay have appeared in numerous print and online journals. Recent and forthcoming poem credits include Natural Bridge, The American Poetry Journal, The Innisfree Poetry Journal, Calyx, The Hiram Poetry Review, The Pedestal, The Cimarron Review, as well as a number of anthologies, including Bear Flag Republic: Prose Poems and Poetics from California, edited by Christopher Buckley and Gary Young (Greenhouse Review Press/Alcatraz Editions, 2008) and Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose about Alzheimer’s Disease, edited by Holly Hughes (forthcoming from Kent State University Press). She is also the author of a critical study: KING LEAR and the Naked Truth (Duke U.P., 1998). She is lecturer emeritus in the Department of Creative Writing, at the University of California, Riverside.

ROBERT KRUT is the author of The Spider Sermons (BlazeVox, 2009). His work has appeared in Blackbird, Barrow Street, and The Mid-American Review, among others. He teaches in the writing program at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

FRANCES RUHLEN MCCONNEL is the author The Direction of Longing (Bellowing Ark Press), white birches, black water, (Bucket of Type Printery) and ispresently putting together a collectiontentatively called Rising is the Same as Falling while also working on a novel. Recently four of her haiku were published in the 2009 Southern California haiku anthology Shell Gathering. Along with Claremont poet Lucia Galloway, who has a Mystery Box poem in the current issue Poemeleon, she chairs the steering committee of the Claremont Library Poetry series, sponsored by the Friends of the Claremont Library on whose board she now serves. She has just begun leading a writing group at the Pilgrim Place retirement community in Claremont.

RUTH NOLAN is a poet/writer/editor based in Palm Desert, CA, where she is Associate Professor of English at College of the Desert. Her poetry has appeared in Pacific Review, Mosaic, Women’s Studies Quarterly, San Diego Poetry Annual, Poemeleon, Phantom Seed, and many other literary magazines and anthologies. She is editor of the anthology No Place for a Puritan: the literature of California’s deserts, forthcoming from Heyday Books in late 2009. She was the recipient of a 2008-09 Joshua Tree National Park writer’s residency, and has published two collections of poetry, Dry Waterfall (2008) and Wild Wash Road (1996.)

STEPHANY PRODROMIDES has poems in or forthcoming in Drunken Boat, The Laurel Review, sou’wester, Red Rock Review, Barn Owl Review, New CollAge and CRATE, and her chapbook manuscript Fishnet was a finalist for the 2008 Center for Book Arts and DIAGRAM competitions. Her book reviews have appeared in Poetry International. She designs corporate training, and co-hosts The Third Area and the Redondo Poets readings in Los Angeles.

HILDA WEISS has been published recently in Salamander, Nerve Cowboy, Ekphrasis and Pacific Coast Journal. Her work is forthcoming in the Tar Wolf Review and Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry. She invites you to visit www.poetry.la, a website featuring videos from Southern California open mic venues, which she recently co-founded. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she is a fourth generation Californian and lives and writes in Santa Monica.
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LITQUAKE LITCRAWL (PHASE 2)
EAST MEETS WEST: Faculty and Friends of the Writing and Consciousness MFA
Program at California Institute of Integral Studies
7:15-8:15 p.m.
Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper, 3520 20th between Valencia & Mission.

Randall Babtkis is the author of Bannister. He is working on a volume of 250 poems and a hyperfiction collection called The Originals.

Ching-In Chen is a multi-genre, border-crossing writer. Her debut collection, The Heart’s Traffic (Arktoi Books/Red Hen Press), chronicles the life of Xiaomei, an immigrant girl.

Stephen Kessler’s latest books include Burning Daylight (poems) and Luis Cernuda’s Desolation of the Chimera (translation). He is the editor of The Redwood Coast Review.

Genny Lim, a native San Franciscan poet-performer-playwright, is the author of Winter Place and Child of War. She co-authored ISLAND: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island.

Sarah Stone (www.redroom.com/author/sarah-stone) teaches in the MFA in Writing and Consciousness at California Institute of Integral Studies and the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers.

For the full schedule, see the Litquake website here: http://www.litquake.org/category/schedule/

Eva Marie takes her first home bath with the ever competent Kyle and Julia by her side.

In Rod I (still) trust

It didn’t garner quite as much attention as Roy Halladay’s possible last stand (and for good reason), but Rod Barajas played what was likely his last game as a Jay at Rogers Centre yesterday. Like Doc, he went out on a high note. Barajas doubled home the game-winner off esteemed poet Miguel Batista with two outs in the eighth to give Toronto a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Mariners.

For what turned into a horrible season, the Jays sure wrapped up their home schedule on a high note. Yesterday’s win put the finishing touches on a 6-1 homestand and gave Toronto a 44-37 mark at Rogers Centre in 2009. The win — in front of a crowd of 39,052 — was the Jays’ second consecutive after trailing by two runs late. Adam Lind, who hit a two-run homer to tie Saturday’s game in the eighth before a walk-off in the tenth, singled home the tying run with two outs in the eighth yesterday before Barajas’ winner.

Brian Tallet had his best start in a few months for Toronto, going seven innings and giving up three runs — all three on solo homers in the fifth — but picked up a no-decision. Brian Wolfe, who gave up a homer to Mike Sweeney in the top of the eighth, picked up the win and Shawn Camp picked up his first save.

So, that does it for Jays home games in 2009. I was a perfect 81-for-81 in attendance (I work there, in case you thought I was crazy for a second) and won a sweet bike at the staff party last night, somewhat softening the blow of knowing I won’t be paid to watch baseball games for six months.

I’m trying to sift through all this stuff about baseball.  The “steroids era”, how long has cheating been around and in what forms, who’s been clean and who’s been dirty, and it’s really, really frustrating as a fan.  The first thing to keep in mind:  we don’t know all the answers, and it’s hard to come up with absolutes.  Question the sources, and don’t make assumptions that aren’t reasonable.  Also, everyone screws up, we are human, but the extant to which we screw up and how often we screw up differs.  At a highly competitive level, cheating is a great temptation.  I look at somebody like Mike Sweeney.  His appearance on Life on the Rock has influenced me greatly, and although I know he makes mistakes like everyone else, I saw a lot of moral fiber in him and I don’t believe he would cheat to that extent.  I’ve also always looked up to Ken Griffey Jr. as a player.  I can’t assume that anybody is on steroids if they’ve never been connected to them.  But, if something pops up, it’s almost impossible to turn a blind eye.  There’s a reason why they are connected, and there should be a good explanation.  I respect how A-Rod came out an admitted it.  I wish more would do this.  It really angers me how so many players could not care about keeping themselves in the guidelines of MLB, and also how MLB hasn’t done a great job of putting their foot down.

What do I have against steroids?

It’s a shortcut.  There are people out there busting their tails to get in shape for the entire season, and working hard to stay within MLBs guidelines, and these guys stick a needle in their arm and get the same effect.  It makes it an uneven playing field.  In the short run, yes, these guys get their homers, their fame, but in the long run they get an asterisk, they get a negative connotation with their name.

For a complete list of players associated with steroid use, go here:  http://www.baseballssteroidera.com/bse-list-steroid-hgh-users-baseball.html

I have to say, it was kind of nice to see a high profile player like Manny Ramirez be suspended for 50 games.  I hope that sends a powerful message.

Griffey has been one of the good guys for baseball. What a gorgeous swing!

Although Griffey (The Kid) has acquired only one MVP and no world series titles, he has racked up 10 gold gloves, 13 all-star appearances, 3 home run derby titles, and currently has 625 HRs, 5th all time.

With the Football League season just a few days away, it’s time to preview the coming season.

First up, it’s League Two.

The Strugglers

Expect the usual teams to struggle in League Two. Macclesfield and Barnet often struggle to compete at this level but usually manage to avoid the drop. However, this season the division looks tougher than recent years with the promoted teams looking strong, the relegated teams unlikely to struggle and no teams with points deductions to use as a safety net.

Macclesfield will be hoping for less of these scorelines next season. Photo: David Ingham

Macclesfield have strengthened the side with the signings of experienced heads such as ex-Lincoln duo of Paul Morgan and Nat Brown. Yet Morgan’s form is on the descent since it peaked around 2005, and Brown has been playing non-league football with Wrexham for the past year.

Meanwhile, Barnet have failed to significantly improve their squad for the new season, having to recruit a mix of untried youngsters such as Yannick Bolasie and veteran players like ex-Watford midfielder Micah Hyde. They have also lost key players such as Neale Bishop, Michael Leary and Adam Birchall which will make their survival task all the more difficult.

Accrington Stanley’s summer has been shaken by the punishments of four former Stanley players after breaching Football League betting rules. That is unlikely to affect the club going into this season, but again the lack of recruitments this summer has only added to the feel of a club that seems to be stagnating. Manager John Coleman and his squad have a long season in store.

The final pick to struggle could well be considered controversial. After almost making the playoffs last season, Dagenham and Redbridge would certainly not be a team that somebody would tip for relegation- certainly not on face value alone. However, the loss of imposing centre half Magnus Okuonghae coupled with continuing speculation about the future of striker Paul Benson, could be massive.

The Surprise Package

For some reason, teams promoted to the Football League do so well in their inaugural season. Burton Albion were convincingly promoted to League Two.  During the course of the season, they lost manager Nigel Clough to Derby County, drafting in Roy McFarland to replace him on a temporary basis. After securing promotion, Burton decided to appoint the unproven Paul Peschisolido as his replacement. Such a young, fresh manager seems to be the catalyst for an optimistic pre-season buzz around the Pirelli Stadium. The high quality signing of ex-Bristol Rovers striker Richard Walker will provide goals, while Paul Boertien and the rumoured arrival of Marc Edworthy should provide stability at the back. A playoff push is more than possible.

Don't be surprised to see Burton fans celebrating in May. Photo: Diego's Sideburns

For a club that was in the second tier of English football six years ago, Grimsby Town’s fall from grace has been remarkable. However, with manager Mike Newell’s arrival last season came a better quality of football and a renewed sense of buoyancy. Players were actually interested in joining a club in a footballing backwater. Signings such as Adam Proudlock, Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro and Peter Sweeney followed and, despite the Mariners only avoided relegation by one position, this season will undoubtedly bear greater fruits.

Like Grimsby, last season was a disappointing one for Port Vale. But with a new manager- and a very good, experienced one at that in Micky Adams- Vale will almost certainly not find themselves in such disarray this season. Adams has an ability to get the best out of his players and has done some of his best work in the lower leagues, most notably at Brighton.

The Favourites

The club on the lips of everyone this summer has been Notts County. After a less than mediocre season last time out where the club briefly flirted with relegation out of the league, the arrival of new multi-million pound investors mean that improvement is mandatory. Promotion is expected. Manager Ian McParland and new director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson have bought wisely so far, drafting in experience and class in Graeme Lee, Ben Davies and Karl Hawley. It will be interesting to see whether the Magpies will live up to expectation.

Bournemouth have the luxury of starting on zero points this year. Photo: Stuart Bramley

A whole host of other clubs will be looking to challenge them for the top three automatic spots. Bournemouth should be aiming for a promotion push after shrugging off the points deduction that handicapped them so much last season. Stuart McCall’s Bradford City came agonisingly short of the playoffs and will be hoping that the likes of central defender Zesh Rehman can help finish higher this time round. While relegated teams such as Northampton and Cheltenham will be looking for an immediate return to League One.

Sweeney on Top of Blood Mountain, GA

So, this is the first post on my brand-spankin’-new blog.  I’ve moved from Blogger to WordPress, not for any real reason other that I hadn’t written a blog post in almost 9 months and just needed a fresh start.  Most of the old content having to do with music has been moved over here.  Also, you can still check out the rest of the old posts on my old blog, if you’re really that nostalgic.  Thanks for following me!

Ce film en fait , j’ai vu l’affiche avec Helena Boham Carter en super grand au megarama quand j’y etais allée pour voir A la croisée des Mondes . Et tout en bavant des litres et des litres , je me suis declarée a moi meme : y’a pas moyen , j’irais voir ce film <33

Et hier soir j’y suis donc allée , accompagnée de la charmante Elizabeth , aka Liz genre pour passer incognito .
Tout d’abord , faut pas s’arreter à ” Hooo c’est du Tim Burton ca va etre tout mimiiii ” . Non . Ce film n’est en aucun cas pour les gosses . D’ailleurs la petite fille qu’etais devant nous a chialé plusieurs fois .
Nan parce que si vous pretez plus attention , sous ce doux nom de Sweeney Todd y’a ecrit ” le diabolique barbier de Fleet Street ” , et desuite ca inspire moins confiance .

Une intro qui commence avec de violentes notes d’orgue , j’en avais des frissons tout partout <3
Du sang qui parcoure tout l’ecran dans les engrenages et tout , histoire d’annoncer la couleur .
Ah , que je vous previenne , ca chante toultemps , mais quand je dis toultemps c’est que des que y’a 5 minutes sans chansons on sait que ca va pas tarder a redemarrer…

Pour celles qui aiment Jonny Depp en barjo sanguinaire , vous etes a la bonne porte . Pour celles qui bavent sur les vetements d’epoque , vous allez vous ravir du decolleté plein de dentelle d’Helena . Personnellement jla connais en tant que Bellatrix , donc le changement n’est pas tres marqué . Mais pour Liz qui l’a vu dans Merlin en fée , ca a du faire peur xD

Pour l’histoire c’est tres simple , je vous spoile rien c’est deja dis dans la bande annonce .
Un certain Benjamin Barker , barbier naïf est l’heureux epoux d’une certaine Lucy , une femme so biouuuuutifouuul selon la chanson . Mais le juge Turpin ( a prononcer turpine sans mauvais jdm ) est amouraché de sa belle et decide d’envoyer notre innocent barbier au bagne . Un connard de premiere ce juge . Il envoie meme un gamin de 7 ans a la pendaison sans motif . Je ne vous raconte pas plus parce que la surprise fait encore plus cri du coeur quand on voit la suite de l’histoire pour la femme . Leur fille elle , est ensuite gardée bien a l’abri sous la tutelle du juge .
Et donc 15 ans plus tard , quand le barbier revient , il a une coupe de cheveux a la cruella , avec meme la tite meche blanche , des cernes de panda et un teint des plus bleme .
Il rencontre la sublime Mrs Lovett , la pire tourtiere de tout Londres . Mais elle m’a fait fondre , au fond elle est tellement gentille , la pauvre :’/ . Et elle chante franchement trop bien…
Et , Sweeney , qui egorge tout ses clients envoie les corps dans le four de la dame qui fait desormais fortune avec ses delicieuses tourtes a la viande .
Ajoutons au tableau un certain Toby , un gamin ma foi touchant , avec une voix assez chiante . Mais le vrai chieur c’est Anthony , qui se campe ici en jeune premier a la fenetre de Johanna , la fille de Sweeney pour ceux qui suivent .
On s’est bien marrées d’ailleurs , parce qu’il chante toultemps la meme chanson chiante , ” I feeeeeeeeeeeeeel youuuuuu , Johaaaaaaaannaaaaaaa ” , et au bout de 4 fois j’ai crié ” TA GUEULE ” a l’ecran , les gens autour m’ont detesté …

Mais bref , ce film est excellent , j’irais le revoir avec plaisir d’ailleurs . Je le conseille a tout les fans de Burton que les giclées de sang fluo n’ecoeure pas .

Certaines chansons sont excellentes , surtout le duo Sweeny/Lovett où chacun chante de son coté , sublime .

La fin est du Burton pur , tragique , horrible, m’a meme arraché une larme pour le four… j’etais contre sa mort . bref . Mais l’image finale en elle meme est superbe .
Seul defaut , on devine certains elements capitals un peu trop a l’avance . Pour exemple :
helena : C’est bien mignon tout ça , mais on va en faire quoi ?
kao : DES TOURTES !!
les gens devant : mais chuuut euuuh

Et ce n’est qu’apres 5 minutes de chanson et une petite valse qu’elle declare enfin qu’ils vont en faire des tourtes .
idem pour la vieille a la fin , on avait deviné 20 minutes avant qu’ils l’annoncent . Mais ceci n’engage peut-etre que moi .

Petite precision : les chansons sont en vo , heureusement ! [Y'a des sous titres hein]

Wala . Si l’un de vous parvient a se procurer l’affiche avec Helena Boham Carter , en rackettant un ciné ou en allant fureter a la fnac , bref , si quelqun sait comment en avoir une , QU’IL ME CONTACTE IMMEDIATEMENT GWAAAAAH <3333

ps : N’allez SURTOUT PAS lire le synopsis d’Allociné , il raconte toute l’histoire -_-”

Anecdotes :
1) Dans le film il y a les acteurs d’Harry Potter , cad Rogue , Bellatrix [<3] et Queudver . Manquait plus qu’hermione et on aurait eu le casting complet XDDD
Rogue qui chante ca surprend par contre :’)
2) Le barbier ridicule avec ses collants de pouff et sa cape moche a la voix de Sylar , dans Heros .

Enjoy , et bon film =)

Sinopse:

Em Sweeney Todd, o barbeiro Sweeney Todd (Depp) é preso injustamente por determinação do malévolo juiz Turpin (Alan Rickman). Ele jura vingança não só pela cruel punição que recebeu sem merecer, mas também pelas conseqüências que sua prisão trouxe às vidas de sua mulher e sua filha. Quando sai da cadeia e reabre sua barbearia, Todd torna-se o Barbeiro Demoníaco de Fleet Street, que faz a barba de alguns cavalheiros de que nunca mais se ouve falar. Sweeney tem como adversários, além de Turpin, o comparsa do juiz, Beadle Bamford, e o exagerado barbeiro rival Signor Adolfo Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), mas conta com a ajuda da apaixonada Sra. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), criadora de diabólicas tortas de carne.

- Filme bacana!

-Assistido 21/06/2009

- OBS: Esse fim de semana foi corrido e não tive tempo nem de assistir filme. Mas aí vão quatro opiniões de filmes que já assisti: Sweeney Todd, Across the Universe, Adeus Lênin e Erbsen auf halb 6.

I’ve been dieing to review “Three Fact Fader” for about a week and a half, now. Ever since we found it, I think my partner would agree that we’ve got a real find here. They sound uncannily like a well-matured ‘Kyte’, and the music isn’t too dissimilar, neither are the vocals: but they sure-as-hell have something about them that’ll have you on your back, gazing at the sky. And if the sky’s too boring, look at your shoes instead…

“Simon Phipps – vocals, Dan Macbean – guitar, Mark Peters – bass, and Sweeney – on drums…” make up ‘Engineers’. After their debut in 2004, following the release of their first EP prior, it’s been five years in the making. “Three Fact Fader” will leave you in ecstatic bliss, following the release of all emotional angst and fury, into a mellow state on the edge of consciousness. It is unavoidable, such an epic as this, deserving further recognition: so pump those amps, tune those IPods, and turn off your radio!

"Three Fact Fader" - 'Engineers'

I’ll begin by quoting from their www.last.fm site: “… [because] the real clue is in their name: they approach their music like engineers, carefully constructing wonderful walls of sound.” You’ll find that “Three Fact Fader” is a mechanical-musical-masterpiece, literally – from start to finish, you’ll be delightfully-deafened with the amounts, variations and compositions of sound ‘Engineers’ has on offer for you. It’s like a well-crafted machine, it’s the only metaphor that works – strangely. ‘Engineers’ don’t just work on the chassis, they approach both the interior and exterior, until a monster, like “Three Fact Fader”, is born…

You can really hear it in the composition of the music: which you can usually tell from a decent chorus, the layering of sound and more importantly, a track’s length. The longer, in some circumstances, is not always the best – some bands have the ability to stretch out a song like not enough butter on a slice of bread. It scrapes across unevenly, and you find you’re missing the middle; you’ve really only got the beginning and the end that you want to eat/listen-to. And that really hampers a song – if you feel like skipping ahead to a certain point. But ‘Engineers’ have made it so the middle of the bread is just as fulfilling as the crust:

“Hmmm… mmm… Finger-licking good!” – ‘Futurama’ [I'll let you guess which character...]

Their approach towards music is what a majority of artists these days are lacking, whether or not one sound is harmonious – or, conversely, inharmonious [if appropriate] – with another. Experimental music is all about combining sounds, testing what works with what, and it’s why I love this sub-genre especially: it shows a band has guts, that they’re not afraid to be different; ‘The Mars Volta’ toy with this magnificently, although I find it difficult to get really enthused with a lot of their music, ['Octahedron' - their latest release - an exception]. ‘Engineers’ are on that cusp, and they might even pursue it if given a little nudge in the right direction by the people, but they’ve got the qualities of shoegaze, post-rock and alternative combined into one glorious whole. Record-labels these days aren’t the ones unwilling to experiment with experimental, I think it has a lot to do with how mainstream radio chooses it’s listenings…

Instead, Highly Evolved is here for your non-mainstream bands, albeit some well-known. I’ve had some requests to backtrack through the years and pick ‘classic-albums’ for reviews, and am still toying with the idea. It’s difficult to steer back into the past when you’ve got albums that are so enticingly-strung yet to come. If you’re reading and think it’s a good idea, just comment, and I’ll add your name to the blank list…

Yes: now back to ‘Engineers’. We’ve got tracks nearly always on the four-minute-mark, give or take twenty-or-so seconds. Some exceptional five-minute-listings, and a six just for the heck of it. But I’d like to draw your attention to one song in particular, and I think it’ll make me and my partner’s top-track list for ’09. It has ’Alan Parsons Project’ elements to it ['I Robot'], it’s beginning is very nostalgic, and the synth is like a cross between contemporary and classic. The vocals are what drew me to the comparison of ‘Kyte’, they’ve got an airy-quality about them. But it’s the synth that will attract your attention. If you have to find it in your heart to dislike the rest of the album, “Clean Coloured Wine”, ‘Engineers’ opener for “Three Fact Fader”, then this is the keeper – and you might have found this true for ‘Operahouse’ and their track “Escape From The Sun”. You can tell it’s the flagship for the album, and it’s this sort of potential, this ‘flaunt’ if you will, that grabs you and keeps you glued to your seat.

It’s important for an album to do this…

Although the rest is exceptionally good, I can’t get “Clean Coloured Wine” out of my head. ‘Engineers’ has their track listing flow marvellously from one to the next, from “Sometimes I Realise” following the afore mentioned, to “International Dirge” and the plucked-chicken-guitar afterwards. “Three Fact Fader”, the track, most importantly features in the bottom-middle of the album, and is strangely not last or first. But it’s position in comparison with the rest seems appropriate; titling the album with it is an understatement, and a minor fault however – it’s not the best they have to offer. Exampling this to others for band-reference is unhelpful, same too with any other tracks alone. It’s an album that needs the rest to ‘bind-it-together’, so to speak; like a book.

With such a solid-state for the album three-quarters of the way through, you need a track/s that are able to bring you back out of the rut and into reality just soon enough for you to realise it’s the end. ‘Vib Gyor’ did this with me all during the week, and it’s why I rated them a five-star. ‘Engineers’ have got this going on their third-last track “The Fear Has Gone”, and it opens with some solemn, waving violin. The first minute-and-a-half is like this, but the explosion into loud and heavy is like a slap in the face at the 1:53.

BAM!

It’s got some elements from ‘The Killers’ “Goodnight, Travel Well”, but just doesn’t quite nail it for me; I still do love it, though. More importantly, it’s not last, either…

This is the wake-up call. Well-defined, emphatic, and potent, but just out of reach for last. Instead, “What Pushed Us Together” features in its place, and the synth here is reminiscent from “Clean Coloured Wine”, and some of the stuff ‘The Midnight Juggernaughts’ - who are releasing a follow-up to their smash hit, Dystopia - have in their music. It’s that old arcade-machine fleeting synth, I’ve no other analogy to describe it with. It’s short, and quick to the point, and is just suitable enough for me not to criticise it – it ends with the trickle of synth, and it’s finish is open, rather than closed.

Ratings, ratings, ratings – people mightn’t love it, it could turn out to be another “Veckatimest”, although from what I read and hear, it’s surprised a lot of people who are now infatuated with it. I can’t find that click with “Veckatimest”, but I certainly can with “Three Fact Fader”. It’s got the layers I love, the vocals and the length that I admire for a good album. And aside from some minor changes I’d personally make, the album is going to receive a generous 4.5-outta-5 from me – if only for “Clean Coloured Wine”. I’ve managed to stay my guns, and not waffle too much – example and inform you guys about a variety of things, and:

“… I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT TODAY’S LISTINGS STATED THAT ‘HIGHLY EVOLVED’ SECURED A WHOPPING 130 HITS ALONE TODAY – BEST RECORD EVER!!!”

Keep reading, guys – and we’ll keep writing.

Until when,

The Enantiomorphic God

The Simpsons Movie

Reservoir Dogs

Indiana Jones

Bourne Ultimitium

Inglourious Basterds

Live Free Die Hard

Rocky Balboa

Forrest Gump

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

Jaws

X-Men Origins

The Last Samurai

I am Legend

Sweeney Todd

300

Ghostbusters

Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Ring

The Godfather

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Scarface

James Bond – Quantum Of Solace

Eso es todo espero que les haya gustado

Well we got more new surnames. We got more then the once we have listed below so just come to http://www.headstonesgenealogy.com/search.php . Hope this information will help you find your ancestors.

Gosnell    Krider   Bise   Teffeteller   Sarzzullo   Sweeney   Artis  Blizzard  Stamper    Pruiett