The Intermountain west is comprised of the states Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Although all of these places are famous for their incredible beauty there are many aspects of this area that people do not often explore but are warrant attention. If you have the time and inclination then make a point of visiting at least one of these attractions on your next trip.

1. Visit the Thermal Springs- This geographic area has a great deal of thermal activity which has resulted in a a lot of mineral hot springs in this region. These springs vary enormously in how much they have been developed and there is a pool to fit all types of persuasions. For those that prefer the rustic then White Sulfur Springs Hotel is the best place for you. Those that like more of a resort feel, check out some of the hot springs that Colorado has to offer.

2. Hunt for Pictographs- The archaic Native Americans of the Mountain west were very artistic, and a great deal of there 4000 year old art can persists to this day, chipped into rock surfaces and overhanging cliffs across the area. For a quick tour, Fremont State Park in Utah has a interesting trail and museum, for those that don’t mind a hike Grand Gulch in Utah is a great place to spend time at.

3. Tour the Lesser Known National Monuments- If you have not visited Glacier, then by all means you should visit there first, but for people who have experienced the main circuit of parks in the west you should think about stopping by the less famous ones. All together, this region has over fifty National sites, and many of these states have excellentlocal park systems as well.

4. Drop by the Regional Museums (as well as the large ones)- Some of the best museums are those that are not on the map, like the town museum in Three Forks, Montana in which the local people gathered memorabilia from their area spanning a century and a half. Of course, some of the bigger museums are worth stopping by as well, such as the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wy. This museum covers many different aspects of the west such as Western Art or Natural History.

5. Go Skiing- Everyone knows that good weather activities abound in the Mountain West, but we also have some of the best powder around. For those of you that are not interested in trying snowboarding, you might try x-country skiing. Sun Valley, Idaho has groomed trails an addiotion top pick is the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana.

6. Visit anAlpine Lake this summer– The big mountain ranges of the intermountain west are full of beautiful alpine lakes. Most of these are well known but a number of the most most interesting are off the primary route of most travelers and often require a difficult trek to reach. One of our favorite picks is Lost Lake in the Wind Rivers. This secluded alpine lake is circled by tall cliffs and jagged mountain peaks that were sculpted by glaciers. The Wind River mountains are well known for fishing and backpacking opportunities. Another great destination in the Wind River Mountains is Lonsome lake located near the Cirque of the Towers in the southern part of the Wind Rivers.

As you can see, there are a wide variety of things that you can do in the mountain west, instead of the tiredgroup tour. Any of the above iteneraies will not only be exciting and fun but provide you with many happy memories for years to come.

False Bay was given its name by explorers, who initially named it Table Bay. When they sailed around the other side of the mountain they found a bay far more deserving of this name, and they renamed the original bay. False Bay essentially comprises the southern half of Cape Town’s suburbs, and is one long stretch of sandy beaches that extends from Gordon’s Bay to Simon’s Town. Much of the upper end – Gordon’s Bay, Strand and the beaches along the Coastal Road – are devoid of any major attractions, but it is the lower end that runs along the railway line that attracts the most visitors every year.

The bottom end of False Bay is squashed between the mountain and the sea, leaving precious little residential space. The mountain is dotted with luxury homes, some of which function as stunning guest houses. Along the railway line is a string of small villages that have grown substantially in the last few years, becoming an alternative tourist haven. These little suburbs begin with St. James, one of the most historic parts of Cape Town. Taking a walk from here to the next suburb, Kalk Bay, is a stunning way to spend an afternoon.

Starting in St. James you can find many curio shops, art galleries and restaurants. There is a wide variety of restaurants from casual cafes to luxury seafood restaurants. As you arrive in Kalk Bay, you are greeted by far more to do than you will ever have time to accomplish in a single day. The main road is lined with cafes, restaurants and curio shops. One could spend an entire afternoon browsing the stunning antique shops along the road.

If you want to stop for a bite to eat, the restaurants in this area have some of the most delicious food to be found in Cape Town. Seafood reigns supreme, and all of the restaurants here sell only locally caught fish and shellfish. Three restaurants stand out, depending on what kind of dining you had in mind. For your every day traditional Kalk Bay fare with a touch of style, try the legendary Brass Bell Restaurant. Enjoy sitting on the deck watching the waves, or dine in style upstairs in their first class restaurant.

If you want to experience False Bay dining at its very finest, The Harbour House Restaurant is the ultimate in fine cuisine and silver service. As you walk up the stairs you are greeted by panoramic sea views, white walls and linen, and a stunning cocktail lounge. Relax with some coffees and a drink before sitting down to a meal of the finest line-fish or seafood along the coast.

If you want to experience something a little different, Cape to Cuba offers authentic Cuban fare in a stunning seaside setting. You can sit inside and enjoy a stunning, unique meal or enjoy one of the 65 different cocktails made by some of Cape Town’s finest cocktail barmen in the ‘Che Bar’. Stay around after sunset and you will be treated to Latin music and the most festive vibe to be found in the area. Anywhere you go along this stretch of coast, you are bound to have a good meal, and a great time.

If you are planning a European tourist destination, you should consider the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy bordering France and Switzerland. Depending on your specific interests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. Although it is by far the smallest Italian region, the Aosta Valley boasts about 150 historic castles, forts, and towers. Its Alpine skiing is some of the best in Europe.

The medieval village of Bard is quite near the northern border of Piedmont. In addition to its historic homes perched on a mountain overlooking a gorgeous gorge you can visit the Twelfth Century Forte di Bard that held up Napoleon’s military progress for almost two weeks. He had it destroyed. The fort was reconstructed in the Nineteenth Century.

St. Vincent, a spa resort for well over one hundred years, is home to the Casino de la Vallée. It is one of the largest casinos in all Europe and a favorite of jet setters.

Breuil-Cervina at the base of the Matterhorn is a skiing village that was founded in the 1930s during Mussolini’s rule. There are some 200 kilometers (120 miles) of ski runs on the Italian side of the mountain, which are said to be best for intermediate-level skiers. Experts definitely prefer the Swiss side of the mountain.

The city of Aosta has about thirty five thousand residents, more than one quarter of the region’s total population. It was a Roman garrison two thousand years ago. The Arch of Augustus commemorates Rome’s victory over a Celtic tribe. Be sure to see the Eleventh Century Gothic Collegiate Church of Saint Orso. The Porta Praetoria (Pretorial Gate) is still in good shape, some two thousand years after construction.

We end our tour of the Aosta Valley at Courmayeur on the sunny side of Mont Blanc. Yes both easy and difficult ski slopes are lacking and it is often overcrowded. But it’s beautiful, and nightlife abounds. In the summer you should take the Telepherique de l’Aiguille du Midi and enjoy the spectacular view of a French glacier.

Aosta Valley cuisine is strongly influenced by five hundred years of French rule. The real Fontina cheese comes only from the Aosta Valley. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy – The Aosta Valley for a sample menu and more information on Aosta Valley wines plus an in-depth examination of the area’s tourist attractions. Very little Aosta Valley wine is sold in North America. So that gives you another reason to visit this beautiful region.

Cape Town’s accommodation is the hottest spot for nightclubs, shopping, tours, holiday resorts, beaches and simply laying back in a comfy deck chair sipping a cold margarita. Let’s not for forget the desirable real estate that provides the backdrop to our serene country. Cape Town in particular attracts the biggest stars and the richest homeowners to our sunny shores. Year after year, more and more luxury Cape Town housing is built, nestled deep in the countryside or placed high on the side of our mountain. The price of property may be higher than it has been in 20 years, yet this has not stopped potential owners from snapping up the best Cape Town has to offer.

Beachside properties are always a safe bet, in terms of their allure and resell value. Lower Kloof rd in Camps Bay hosts many of the finest villas and apartments to grace our pleasant coastline. All of them offer security, superb ocean views and unsurpassed levels of privacy and silence. Being part of an apartment complex does not mean having to live like sardines, as each unit is generally as lavish as any standard home you could find. A short distance from your apartment is the Camps Bay Promenade, akin to a tiny version of Los Angeles famous boardwalk. Palm trees line the road where holidaymakers stroll iddily and joggers frantically burn off last night’s champagne hangover. From there, one can decide to relax on the beach front of go shopping at any one of the Promenades luxury clothing or surfing stores. Top-notch restaurants and coffee shops litter the sidewalk with tiny tables and chairs cosily nestling coffee drinkers into their smog of menthol cigarettes and ciabatta sandwiches. After drinking, you can dance the night away at one of Camps Bay’s trendy nightclubs where the best DJ’s in South Africa practice their art and where a crazy combination of cocktails is guaranteed to keep you moving all night long.

The beachfront properties of Llandudno, Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point are not the only popular locations in Cape Town. The garden suburbs of Rondebosch, Constantia, Claremont, Upper Wynberg and Timour Hall are all incredibly sound investments and fantastic locations where the largest and most scenic houses in Cape Town are built. It is literally heaven on earth. Gyms, shopping centres, horse-riding, crèches, schools and lush parks are all yours for the taking. Less than a decade ago, the average age of a home owner in the suburbs was 40-65. It has now lowered substantially to 30-55 (according to the statistics listed on StatsOnline) meaning that there is a massive upwards trend in young, successful homeowners, looking to establish roots in a community where children can be raised and a safe, happy life can be led. Never at the compromise to luxury though. Homes built in the suburbs of Cape Town have all the amenities of a small hotel. Olympic sized swimming pools built in the shape of Gucci bags, twin fireplaces, TV’s the size of walls and much more. It is all here waiting for you as some prefer living under the shadow of the mountain as opposed to living on it.

Personally, I live in a self catering accommodation in Cape Town central, a loft-style apartment located five minutes away from my work. This is the final style of housing to consider. Living close to your work (if you live in the CBD) and avoiding the hum-drum of traffic. Gardens, Vredehoek, Oranjezicht and others make up a host of popular locations where the inner city dweller can reside. Leading up to the eventual 2010 Soccer world cup, many developments in the CBD have been built yet only a few meet any sort of high standard. The older residential areas are still perfectly acceptable and have a wonderful, old-day charm which permeates the architecture and general design ethos of the area. Your choices are hardly restricted; Cape Town is gorgeous city with tens of thousands of pristine properties available for rental or ownership. Remember, as long as the mountain is in view, it’s a safe buy.

Source.

Levon Helm is from the Arkansas Delta, and Steve Earle, the writer of the song, is from Texas.

Neither is from a coal mining region.

However, Levon did play a coal miner in a movie.

1. The Mountain (Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band)
2. I Feel Alright
3. Train a Comin’
4. El Corazon
5. Townes
6. Transcendental Blues
7. Guitar Town
8. Copperhead Road
9. Jerusalem
10. The Hard Way

Daar is grondig denkwerk aan vooraf gegaan.

NP: Zu & Mats Gustafsson – How To raise An Ox

La distintiva voz de Erika Wennerstrom lidera a los Heartless Bastards

Los Heartless Bastards se han erigido como una de las recientes bandas más destacadas de la escena indie norteamericana. Oriundos de Dayton, Ohio, acaban de sacar su tercer disco, The Mountain, que sólo ha conocido aplausos. Tras presentarse en el show de David Letterman, han terminado su primera gira europea. Su sello es la ronca voz de Erika Wennerstrom, “una diosa y estrella natural del rock”, según la Rolling Stone. Conversamos con ella. (Entrevista de Paul Alonso publicada en la revista Dedomedio, junio, 2009).

Se abren las puertas del ascensor. Rodeados por guardias de seguridad y equipo de producción, tres hombres avanzan hacia los estudios de TV. Delante de ellos, va una mujer de 31 años, que no debe medir más de 1.60 de estatura. Erika Wennerstrom, cantante y líder de los Heartless Bastards, está enfrascada en un apabullante vestido turquesa, y lista para sellar su pacto con el rock n’ roll. Van a grabar su concierto en vivo para la serie documental de PBS, parte de la 35 edición de la orgía musical que es Austin City Limits, donde han tocado míticos como Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Ray Charles, y Robert Plant, además de otras 130 bandas (entre las más recientes: Franz Ferdinand, The Flaming Lips, Cold Play, Foo Fighters). Los Heartless Bastards acaban de entrar al mismo edificio, que quizá para ellos es una montaña.

Además de Erika Wennerstrom (compositora, vocalista, piano y guitarra), los Heartless Bastards están compuestos por el baterista Dave Colvin (gran performer y músico de escuela), el bajista Jesse Ebaugh—ambos miembros originales que han retomado la banda luego de una ausencia de seis años—y el guitarrista Mark Nathan. Para ellos, este ha sido un año decisivo. Promocionan su último disco, The Mountain, un ecléctico trabajo que mezcla blues rock y realismo lírico. El disco ha sido muy bien recibido por la crítica y presentado nacionalmente en el sintonizado The Late Show con David Letterman. Los Heartless Bastards tampoco descansan en su mejor virtud: tocar en vivo. Viven on the road: se han presentado en centenas de conciertos en Estados Unidos y han completado su primera gira internacional en Inglaterra y Francia.

Este último periodo se inició en 2008, cuando Erika Wennerstrom se instaló en Austin, Texas: “Había terminado una relación de diez años con un antiguo músico de la banda, así que me pareció mejor cerrar ese capítulo en otro lugar. Además, aquí en Austin tenía familiares y amigos que había conocido en las giras. Mis managers estaban aquí, al igual que mi nuevo productor. Tenía sentido venir”, dice Wennerstrom. Y lo canta: “I packed up and headed/ to the City of Light/ to escape the pain and for thrills”. Sin embargo, parece estar empañada de sentimientos encontrados: “I packed my bags and I left my home./ And now everything’s changing, I’m feeling alone”.

La voz del rock

La historia de los Heartless Bastards comienza en un bar de Cincinnati llamado The Comet, donde tocaron por primera vez en agosto de 2003. Luego de abandonar el colegio y ser mesera en un bar, Wennerstrom se sumergió en la música. Inspirada por la escena indie de los noventa en Ohio (donde brillaban Brainiac, Breeders, y Guided By Voices), fundó su banda. El nombre viene de un juego de Trivia. Una pregunta sobre el grupo que acompañaba a Tom Petty les ofrecía la alternativa “Tom Petty and the Heartless Bastards”. A Erika le pareció divertido y bajo ese nombre pelearía su lugar sobre los escenarios. “Es un nombre que está abierto a muchas interpretaciones”, nos dice, ambigua.

Pronto, la banda firmó con la Fat Possum Records en 2004 (la cual sigue siendo su disquera), luego de que Patrick Cartney de los Black Keys les pasara un demo que recibió de Wennerstrom. El demo tenía cinco temas y devino en su primer disco: Stairs and Elevators. Sobre este debut, The Village Voice publicó: “lo que tenemos aquí son melodías que se sienten arquetípicas, para nada ordinarias, lo que no es fácil de explicar, pero menos de tocar”. El segundo disco fue All This Time (2006), el cual, según la Rolling Stone, “suena como si Wennerstrom cantara sobre los hombros de gigantes”.

Es esa voz rasposa, más parecida a la de un tenor que a la de una cantante femenina, la marca distintiva de los Heartless Bastards. Como sucede cuando aparece un músico talentoso y llamativo, las comparaciones no se han hecho esperar. Desde Muddy Waters hasta The Kinks, la voz de Wennerstrom no deja de tener ese halo trasnochado, melancólico y desesperado de Janis Joplin.

—Has sido comparada también con PJ Harvey y Robert Plant ¿Qué cantantes admiras?—le preguntamos.
—Definitivamente, los admiro a ambos—nos dice—. Para mí es un cumplido. Pero he tenido muchas otras fuentes de inspiración e influencias. Por ejemplo, Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Otis Redding, Nico de los Velvet Underground, los Rolling Stones… Podría seguir un buen rato… Trato de copiarlos a todos y que salga algo particular con mi voz.

“Una estrella natural del rock”, según la Rolling Stone

Para Lucinda Williams (con quien hace poco se fue de gira), “la voz de Erika es dinamita. No piensa en el alarde frívolo, ni en la presentación, ni en el marketing, ni en la publicidad”. Porque los alaridos de Wennerstrom suenan reales, no se siente el artificio ni el innecesario histrionismo; suenan como vasos de whisky cultivados en bares y locales nocturnos, escenarios que fueron su cuna. Quizá por eso es que algunos consideran a los Heartless Bastards como “la mejor banda de bar”. O como publicó el Austin Chronicle: “La voz de Wennerstrom parece el vaso de whisky que ayuda a que la medicina haga efecto”.

La Montaña

Pocos días después de documentar su concierto en vivo para la serie de Austin City Limits, tenía mi entrevista con Erika en un café al sur de Austin. Llegó temprano, sola y sin prisa. Vestía una blusa verde, una falda corta y sandalias. Pidió una taza de café y un bagel.

Uno piensa que reconoce a una estrella de rock cuando la ve. Pero esa mañana de verano, bajo un calor endemoniado y fuera del escenario, a Erika sólo se le notaba despistada. Sería inocente pensar que esto la convertía en una chica común. Algo en su dispersión y desenfado apuntaba más conflicto.

—Como compositora, ¿cómo es tu proceso creativo?
—Normalmente, tengo canciones en la cabeza todo el tiempo. Algunas las tengo allí durante años. A veces, se me ocurre una parte de la canción, pero no encuentro la mejor manera de seguir. Entonces, la dejo almacenada en mi cabeza; quizá trabajo en ella tres o cuatro años después. Pero usualmente llego a cierto punto en que tengo que sacarla de mí, y agarro la guitarra y trato de encontrar el mejor camino. En algunas ocasiones veo imaginariamente la melodía y en otras siento la idea completa de la canción. Comienza en mi cabeza, vuela por las nubes, la trabajo y pienso en diferentes maneras de cantarla y tocarla, hasta que sale… Las canciones son como hijos: hay un periodo de embarazo, luego sale al mundo, le añado instrumentos, trabajo con más gente en ellas, hasta que dejan de ser niños. Y hay un momento en que hay que dejarlas ir.

Así son los once temas de The Mountain, un honesto documento de nuevos inicios y un testimonio sobre cómo mantener la cabeza en alto mientras el mundo se estremece y colapsa al mismo tiempo. Wennerstrom canta sobre atravesar desiertos, ser azotada por huracanes, y cómo penetrar aquella montaña a donde te lleva el deseo.

Producido por Mike McCarthy—conocido por su trabajo con Spoon, Trail of Dead y Patty Griffin—el disco fue lanzado en febrero de 2009. En The Mountain, la garganta de Wennerstrom es dominante, entre riffs de rock y calmados acordes acústicos. Es, sin duda, su disco más ecléctico. En contraste con los anteriores, incluye una gama experimental de nuevos instrumentos, como mandolinas, banjos, cuerdas y violín. A pesar de la influencia del folk de los sesenta, aún mantiene algo de la furia del garage rock de sus primeros trabajos, como en la energética “Early in the Moning”, la emoción de “Out of the Sea” y el melancólico “Hold your Head High”.

—¿Seguirán en la vena experimental o tratarás de consolidar un estilo?
—Nunca digo nunca. Sólo dejo que las canciones que escribo me lleven a donde quieren ir. Estoy abierta a tratar todo tipo de cosas nuevas. Así que no quiero consolidar un estilo en particular. Quiero la libertad de simplemente escribir una canción y presentarla de la mejor manera. Puedo incorporar cualquier instrumento, siempre y cuando le haga justicia a la canción.

Ahora, dice Erika, tiene en la mente una canción que la persigue, inspirada por la música de T. Rex. Quizá por eso se le nota despistada, como quien patina entre sus más recientes influencias—My Morning Jacket, the Black Keys, The Kills—tratando de calzar su mundo interior con el diálogo incesante que le impone la música. Es difícil, sin embargo, encontrar en estos días tiempo para poner en práctica las ideas nuevas. En pocas horas, se subirá a una camioneta rumbo a Ohio, donde tocará con Wilco, luego seguirá a Tennessee y Nuevo México. Y la lista sigue constante hasta octubre. Pero no se queja: “Siempre he querido hacer esto desde que tuve la suficiente edad para querer algo”, dice. El sol le cae en los ojos y toma un sorbo de café. Sé que voy a volver a escuchar de ella.

This 5 card draw was dealt by the Universe.  I was shuffling the deck for my daily 3 card draw this morning, and 5 cards jumped out of the deck and landed on the floor.  All of the cards fell face up, spread out as if ready for a reading.  I couldn’t help but think that these cards have a personal message for me.  So instead of a 3 card daily draw, this morning I got 5 cards:

Tower + Clover + Mountain + Scythe + Stars

Tower can indicate something tall or big, and Clover represents good luck or an opportunity.  Mountain refers to an obstacle, and Scythe indicates that something is being removed or cut away.  Stars represent my hopes and dreams for the future.  Not a bad spread at all.

A big opportunity, something that was blocked or out of my reach, is now possible.  I get a second chance at something I’ve hoped for, but didn’t think I could have.  Or maybe it just means that I’m finally taking decisive action, and moving forward in an area of life where I’ve been blocked.

That sounds a little bit like yesterday’s reading.  And the opportunity could be the same one that appeared in my daily reading from September 24th.

Maybe I’ll finally get over my dreaded fear of reading for strangers!

My Lenormand daily card draw for today doesn’t look very promising.

Snake + Mountain + Tree

Snake warns of trouble and dangers and deceptions.  Mountain indicates obstacles, blockages or delays.  Tree is life or health.  Not a good combination no matter how you look at it.

These cards could relate to a persistent problem that is affecting my health and well being.  Or looking at the bigger picture, they could indicate a problem that is blocking my forward movement in life.

Something else just occurred to me.  In health readings, Snake can refer to the intestines or digestive tract.   Mountain shows a blockage.  The fact is that I do have a very temperamental digestive system (not to put too fine a point on it), and these cards could predict a flare up.  Not something I want to contemplate.

I don’t usually read Snake as a woman, but when it does represent woman in my cards, it’s usually someone manipulative and self-serving.  I’ll keep that in mind as well today.

Update 9/25/09 -

No obvious health issues or other kinds of problems yesterday. Taking another look at yesterday’s spread, it occurs to me that Mountain appearing between Snake and Tree could indicate that my health and/or life is protected from threats. It’s a logical interpretation, but it seems senseless for the cards to depict a non-existent threat– why not something more meaningful and helpful?

*post atualizado durante toda a semana.

Debandada no elenco de ‘Law & Order: CI’

Segundo fontes do seriado, é de se esperar que os atores Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe e Eric Bogosia deixem a produção da franquia ao longo da nona temporada.

Julianne Nicholson deixou o programa na temporada passada, com isso, a esperança de Dick Wolf caem nos ombros de Jeff Goldblum, que entrou para o elenco fixo na última temporada, ao lado da atriz Saffron Burrows.

Atriz de Gossip Girl ganha medida cautelar contra ex-marido

Kelly Rutherford, a Lily do seriado ‘Gossip Girl’, exibido pela CW, obeteve esta semana uma medida cautelar contra o ex-marido Daniel Giersch, segundo a revista People.

A atriz procurou a justiça depois que Giersch começou a seguir a atriz, sua mãe e a babá de seus filhos, além de seguidas ameaças.

O ex-casal briga pela disputa dos filhos desde 2008.

Qualidade ou propaganda?

O NYT publicou uma matéria interessante em seu site indagando sobre a qualidade da programação da TV norte-americana: teria ela melhorado ou a propaganda e o famigerado buzz é que anda fortes? Clique aqui para ler.

ABC prepara nova série policial

Depois de estrear ‘The Forgotten’, de Jerry Bruckheimer, ABC já prepara ‘Hopscotch’, cop show do produtor para a próxima temporada. O piloto está sendo escrito por Chris Levinson.

Os detalhes até aqui são poucos, mas parece se tratar de uma série de investigações de homicídios durante diversos dias não-consecutivos.

Detalhe curioso: Chris Levinson, o roteirista, é filho de Richard Levinson, produtor famoso por ter estabelecido o gênero na TV norte-americana com shows como ‘Columbo’ e ‘Murder, She Wrote’.

Gossip Girl da vida real

A CW encomendou a produção de um piloto de reality show sobre uma gossip girl da vida real. A emissora explorará a vida de jovem e rica Tinsley Mortimer, socialite de Manhattan. Mortimer é apontada pelos jornalistas de celebridades – e pela Nylon – como a “next big thing”.

A jovem também participou da season premiere da segunda temporada de ‘Gossip Girl’ e foi juri do programa ‘Fashion Show’, que vai ao ar no canal a cabo Bravo, nos EUA.

A demanda para este novo reality é de oito episódios de meia hora. A produção executiva é de Andrew Gassman e Mike Aho.

ABC estreia ‘FlashForward’

A ABC leva ao ar hoje a series premiere de ‘FlashForward’, piloto mais guardado da fall season norte-americana.

O NYT escreveu uma crítica do piloto que é destaque na Home de Arts da versão online do jornal. Clique aqui para ler. Quanto a minha opinião sobre o piloto, foi publicada na Revista Paradoxo. E, claro, aqui no blog.

Jennifer Morrison, a Cameron, está saindo de ‘House’

A Entertainment Weekly deu agora pouco com exclusividade: a atriz Jennifer Morrison, que por cinco temporadas interpretou Cameron em ‘House’, está se despedindo do seriado.

O que foi dito é que a atriz não teria pedido desligamento ou sido demitida. Esta seria uma decisão criativa da produção. Considerando que Jesse Spencer continua na série no papel de Chase, já da pra ter uma idéia do que vai acontecer, né?

Stephen Root vai participar de ‘24 Horas’

O ator Stephen Root vai participar de dois episódios do oitavo dia mais difícil da vida de Jack Bauer. Root fará o papel de Ben Prady, oficial do Departamento de Correção. O ator já foi visto este ano no drama ‘True Blood’, da HBO.

Oito cenas que não queremos ver

O TV Guide fez uma lista divertida das oito cenas de sexo que NÃO queremos ver na TV. Confira aqui.

Quer saber tudo que vai acontecer na sua série favorita?

Spoilers de ‘CSI’, ‘True Blood’, ‘The Office’, ‘Fringe’, ‘Dexter’, ‘Bones’, ‘Heroes’, ‘Heroes’, ‘Mad Men’, ‘Smalville’ e muito mais, aqui.

Retornos e estreias na TV

Para quem ainda não viu ‘FlashForward’, um dos pilotos mais antecipados da fall season, vale a pena deletar o pre-air e baixar o piloto em HD, que vai ao ar hoje nos EUA. Outras séries que voltam hoje: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘CSI’ e ‘The Mentalist’.

Simon Cowell e Fox querem versão americana de ‘X Factor’

A Fox está prestes a fechar um contrato milionário com Simon Cowell, que além de juri do ‘American Idol’, é criador do show de talentos britânico ‘X Factor’.

Já faz tempo que o jurado demonstra vontade de trazer sua cria inglesa para a tv norte-americana, mas seu contrato com ‘American Idol’ sempre o impediu.

Mas agora parece que o desejo é mútuo e as primeiras conversas já aconteceram. A idéia da Fox é ter uma versão US de ‘American Idol’ para a temporada 2011-2012 e assim, segurar Cowell como jurado de Idol até a mesma época.

Em movimento ousado, CW encomenda temporadas completas

A CW parece determinada a ganhar a confiança de seus fãs (tem alguém ai?). Na noite de ontem, em atitude surpreendente, a emissora encomendou novos episódios ao drama ‘One Tree Hill’ e as novatas ‘Vampire Diaries’ e ‘Melrose Place’.

O canal aberto havia encomendado apenas 13 episódios do drama veterano, mas agora com o anúncio, a temporada completa está confirmada. Quanto a Diaries, a aposta é grande, já que o novo drama teen-vampiresco teve a premiere mais assistida da história da CW.

Já Melrose, até aqui foi só decepção. Mas os executivos parecem estar com paciência, assim como tiveram a mesma paciência com a turma de ‘90210′. E desde que Heather Locklear confirmou sua volta a Melrose, o futuro parece menos tenebroso – será?

NBC compra ‘The Mountain’

A NBC foi até o Canadá atrás de novidades. A emissora acaba de adquirar ‘The Mountain’, co-produção canadense sobre uma mulher que se muda com sua família para as montanhas, onde herdou uma cabana de seu suposto falecido avô.

As filmagens começam no mês de outubro em Montreal e Doug Barr, que escreveu o piloto, também acumulará a função de diretor e produtor executivo, ao lado de Joel Rice e Jeff Grant.

O piloto possui duas horas de duração e tem o formato de telefilme. Ele serve como cartão de visitas para um eventual sinal verde da emissora para produzir um seriado.

FX prepara série animada para 2010

A FX está prestes a se aventurar nas animações. O canal a cabo norte-americano fechou parceria com a empresa Shine Intl. para produzir uma animação com previsão de estréia para 2010.

‘Archer’, título do projeto, será um thriller animado sobre espiões. No elenco estão Jon Benjamin, na voz do espião-mestre Sterling Archer, Jessica Walter, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell e Judy Greer.

JJ Abrams prepara nova comédia para Fox

A Bad Robot, produtora de JJ Abrams (criador de ‘Alias’ e ‘Lost’) fechou um contrato com a Fox para escrever uma nova comédia para o canal. Mike Markowitz foi chamado para roteirizar a idéia.

O show ainda não tem título e detalhes sobre a trama estão sendo mantidos em segredo por Abrams, que produzirá a comédia. O que se sabe até aqui é que o programa é descrito como uma “comédia médica”. Algo na linha de Scrubs, talvez?

Lembrando que não é a primeira vez que a Bad Robot se aventura nas comédias. Em 2006-2007, a produtora de JJ produziu ‘What About Brian’.

Betty White como ela mesma em ‘30 Rock’

Betty White aparecerá como ela mesmo em ‘30 Rock’. Famosa por ser uma das Golden Girls, White gravará sua participação na semana que vem.  Segundo Tina Fey, agora o seriado corre atrás de Meryl Streep, Paul McCartney, Robert Pattinson e Justin Timberlake.

Spin-offs memoráveis

O TV Guide fez uma lista super bacana com os 12 spin-offs mais memoráveis da TV norte-americana. Clique aqui para conferir. Na lista, nomes muito importante na história dos seriados como ‘Rhoda’, ‘Frasier’ e ‘The Jeffersons’.

Novidades no elenco de ‘Damages’

Campbell Scott e Martin Short entram para o elenco fixo de ‘Damages’. Enquanto isso, a produção anunciou outros dois nomes de peso que farão participações na terceira temporada. São eles: Keith Carradine e Lily Tomlin. As filmagens do novo ano iniciam hoje, 23 de setembro.

Spielberg prepara série para Showtime

O diretor e produtor Steven Spielberg prepara nova série para o canal a cabo norte-americano Sowtime. O show deverá narrar os bastidores de uma produção musical da Broadway. O bacana aqui é que o seriado acompanhará a pré-produção, produção e pós-produção da peça. E após isso, a peça sai da telinha e entra em cartaz de verdade.

Lost

A ABC liberou nesta terça-feira, 22/09, o título do quarto episódio da sexta temporada de ‘Lost’: ‘The Substitute’. Lembrando que os outros três primeiros já tinham vazado: ‘LA X’ (S06E01 e S06E02) e ‘What Kate Does’ (S06E03, lembrando que o nome do S02E09 é ‘What Kate Did’).

Geralmente, os quartos episódios das temporadas de ‘Lost’, são focados em… Locke. Agora, volte pro nome do episódio. Faz sentido, não?

Heather Locklear está de volta a Melrose Place

Heather Locklear, a eterna Amanda Woodward, vai voltar para o remake de ‘Melrose Place’. No começo do ano, a atriz descartou reprisar o papel que a lançou ao estrelado, mas parece que Locklear mudou de idéia.

O anúncio foi feito esta semana pela The CW e a primeira participação da atriz no programa deve acontecer no dia 17 de novembro. Detalhes de sua volta não foram divulgados – há especulações de que ela seria relacionada a Ella -, mas sabe-se que ela voltará a morar no prédio em que habitou na versão original do seriado.

CBS encomenda novos pilotos

A CBS está produzindo dois novos dramas. Um do roteirista Peter Tolan (‘Rescue Me’) e outro de Ed Redlich (‘Without a Trace’). Os dois são produções da Sony Pictures TV e possuem grandes multas caso seus pilotos não sejam produzidos. O projeto – sem título – de Tolan é sobre um professor excêntrico que desvenda crimes. O piloto está sendo escrito em quatro mãos, as outras duas são de Michael Wimer.

Já ‘The Remember’, de Redlich, é focado em uma detetive de Nova York que tem a habilidade de lembrar absolutamente tudo que passa por sua vida. Sarah Timberman e Carl Beverly são os outros dois nomes atrelados ao piloto.

25 séries que fracassaram

A Entertainment Weekly fez uma matéria SUPER bacana com as 25 séries mais hypadas da história que deram errado. Todos os anos diversas produções atingem o status de hit antes mesmo de sua estréia, e o que se vê depois é um fracasso de crítica e audiência que gera um cancelamento muitas vezes prematuro.

Entre alguns nomes, estão ‘The Fugitive’ (95-96), ‘Watching Ellie’ (2002-2003), ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ (2008), ‘The Lone Gunmen’ (2001), ‘Karen Sisco’ (2003-2004), ‘Smith’ (2006), e talvez o principal de toda a história da TV: ‘Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip’ (2006-2007). Confirma a lista completa aqui: http://is.gd/3zaRq

The Good Wife

Hoje tem series premiere de ‘The Good Wife’, novo drama da CBS e uma das minhas apostas pra fall season. A série é estrelada por Chris Noth (o Mr Big de ‘Sex and The City’) e Julianna Margulies. Noth faz o papel de um político protagonista de uma sex tape que vaza para a mídia. Margulies faz o papel de sua esposa. A série foi destaque na home do NYT: http://is.gd/3za05

Glee

A série ‘Glee’ mal estreou e já recebeu uma temporada completa da Fox. A emissora norte-americana encomendou outros 9 episódios, além dos 13 planejados inicialmente. Portanto, a demanda total é de 22 episódios. ‘Glee’ é uma criação de Ryan Murphy, que já nos trouxe ‘Nip/Tuck’.

Obama

Presença de Obama ontem no Letterman deu ao talk show sua maior audiência em quatro anos, audiência 195% maior que a de Conan O’Brien.

So I am in heaven, I have went to church for the first time in nearly a year. By church of course I mean a Mountain Goats show, and by heaven I mean ecstasy. I didn’t even have a drop to drink, but I did ride an hour and a half, wait three more hours to see my hero JD, rip it up for about forty minutes. Yes it was a bit much sitting through the local spoken word/hip-hop acts (sorry John but I worked at the Apache in ATL and got real burnt out on it), but it was worth it. I drug along my best-est buddy Iori (Jeremiah) to hopefully convert him to our faith. He had this to say on his FB status when we got back;  “…back from seeing the mountain goats,  and actually kind of liked it live .” So there A.Zo shove that in your pipe and smoke it! He dropped two new jewels on us Romans 10:9 (which I thought he called 10:2) and Genesis 3:23 (which he had already dropped on us a few weeks ago.  I would like to just say thanks to the people who put on this fabulous show and allowed we the faithful to convene at the alter of such a man. A gift that will not go un-cherished.

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Now playing: The Mountain Goats – Red Choral Diamond Spray
via FoxyTunes

MONDAY: Beverly Hills 90210

TUESDAY: Dawson’s Creek

WEDNESDAY: The O.C.

THURSDAY: One Tree Hill

TODAY: Gossip Girl

BLAKE LIVELY (Serena)

Starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its sequel.

LEIGHTON MEESTER (Blair)

Appeared on Tarzan, Surface, 24 and other shows.

PENN BADGLEY (Dan)

Starred in Do Over, The Mountain and The Bedford Diaries.

TAYLOR MOMSEN (Jenny)

Starred in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

KRISTIN BELL (Gossip Girl)

The star of Veronica Mars.

JESSICA SZOHR (Vanessa)

Recurring roles on What About Brian and CSI: Miami.

Come back tomorrow for the last part!

So. The way I am with albums is that when I listen to them for the first time I think it’s really important to listen to them in order and not skip tracks or anything. Just sit and listen. But when you have a song you’re really excited to hear it’s hard to resist skipping to that track, but NO! That’s cheating. You have to wait. Be patient (!!!). I get really excited when other people are excited about music, I wish I had the ability to get everyone as excited as I am about the albums I love. It’s the same with live acts, when someone raves about a band it makes me excited to see them. Basically, I spend most of my time in quite an excitable state.

Anyway, the weekend before last Alessi was telling me about this amazing song by Heartless Bastards called Hold Your Head High and she was really excited about it and sang some of the song and then I got pretty excited to hear it (circle of excitement, you see) and endevoured to listen to the album as soon as I could. Then at work on Thursday I was telling my friend Rich about being excited by this band and wanting to hear the album, and because he is amazing he brought me in a nice shiny shrink wrapped copy of the album the next day. I unwrapped it and had a look at the tracklist. There was the song, track four! I could hear Alessi’s version in my head and imagine her being all swoony (the same kind of swoony I get with Scary Mansion etc etc) and wanted to get straight to that track, but that breaks my first-time-album-listening rules and I had to resist the urge to dive in to track four.

The first three tracks were a blast, I had listened to the first and title track, The Mountain, before. But it was especially wonderful to get to track four, Hold Your Head High. It was as lovely as Alessi said. I have trouble sitting still at the best of times (I feel sorry for anyone who sits around me) but I think it is actually physically impossible to sit still whilst listing to Heartless Bastards. The whole record is beautiful, it’s so rich. I have only just had time to put it on my ipod today, but now it’s there I’m sure I’ll listen to it several more times in the next few days. Another track that particularly caught my ear is So Quiet. Erika Wennerstrom has such a powerful voice. Amazing. 

If you’re having a bad day or a good day or if you just woke up, or if you’re going to bed, listen to this song. It could be just the thing you needed to hear. There’s a great video of the band playing it in a studio. Watch watch watch. Be excited! Yay.

Everyone who is anyone has one, it’s wild, shocking and oh so chic! What is it you ask? Christopher Kane’s Gorilla shirt of course.

For frugal fashionistas who can’t take the hefty price tag there’s a low end alternative- The Mountain Gorilla in the mist t-shirt. Yeah, “The Mountain” shirts- the ones who do the wolf shirts that have been known to induce fits of hysterical laughter.

Available on Ebay and from several online retailers. Priced from $15 and up.

Now about that Wolf Shirt… wasn’t Charlize Theron wearing one.

Alessi is always saying how amazing Heartless Bastards are. I think their name is a bit un-friendly. Anyway, I have been so so so busy this past month I haven’t had much time to investigate things straight away. I’ve had a passing listen to the band before, I intended to catch them at Pure Groove (but then I had my, now pointless, maths exam that day). So, fast forward to July. Here we are in the month of July. Mid-July, no less. Two months since they played at Pure Groove. Where have those two months escaped to? Time has been so warped this year. There are tiers of likelihood in terms of whether I will get around to listening to something…

If you are one of those frustrating PRs or one of the bands themselves who email me with a generic ‘hi there….’ email asking me to listen to your band, it’s probably going to take me a long time before I get round to it. If you write me a nice email then I’m more likely. If you write me a handwritten note then I’ll like you alot and probably try sooner. If you make me a mix cd with a handwritten tracklist then you win and I will listen as soon as possible. Alessi is a winner, she knows where it’s at. She put The Mountain on there and I listened with my full attention and it was lovely.

Singer Erika Wennerstrom has a beautiful, low voice and there are sweet slide guitar. Mmm, tasty music. Here is their Myspace. Also, because I am kind of stubborn, I reluctantly listen to music by bands who I know I’ve missed the opportunity to see recently, because it makes me feel a bit sad. But, it’s worth it! Listen, listen, listen.

And here is The Mountain, which is the title track from the band’s latest record:

I’ll investigate the album as soon as I can.

I’d say this a well-known fact amongst the youth of America, but I feel like discussing something. Wolf t-shirts are fucking sweet. In fact, anything with a majestic animal, scenic views or an epically postured red man plastered across the front owns. At 8, I remember my dad getting back from New Mexico bearing the gift of my very first majestic shirt. It was of a Velociraptor. That’s it. Between the ages of 11 and 21, I lived my life sans majestic/scenic wildreness t-shirt. It took me until 21 to really get the balls to get an epic shirt with a fucking sweet ass white tiger on the front.

I want the balls to wear that shit out in public daily, and not exclusively to concerts where I don’t want to get fucked with. You’d be amazed what an intimidating sight a dude wearing a shirt with a white mother tigress and her pink-nosed cub on the front can be. Aside from being total a-hole repellent, my shirt is a ragin’ chick-magnet. My t-shirt says, I love nature, but I’m also dangerous, OR for the ironic chick, have a sense of humor.

I just wish I had the balls to consistently wear it in public.

I say all this because I saw some kid who looked like one of those geeks that played Pokemon on his Gameboy Advanced in high school wearing a great dragon shirt. I mentioned to Darby that I wanted to be brave like him. I wear plain things. I don’t want to stand out. I think my weird personality and chattiness do that enough. I wanted to own people’s faces with my dragon shirt like that 16 year old kid. I wanted to tell people to fuck-off and come off as the coolest guy at this end of the queue simultaneously, without saying a word.

Please, buy me a dragon shirt,

Dago

Looks like a marketeer’s dream:

“Unfortunately I already had this exact picture tattooed on my chest, but this shirt is very useful in colder weather.“

You’d think they’d have a bit of a sense of humour about it:

“We appreciate humour as much as the next company, but we don’t approve of some of the remarks.

“Not everyone can start out at the top and not everyone from our neck of the woods lives in a trailer or cruises Walmart to hook up.“

OK, the Three Wolf Moon T-shirt from Amazon is now officially viral. Hundreds of useless (yet hilarious) reviews are now posted, and, according to the BBC, its sales are up 2300%, and it’s now in the top 10 of Amazon’s apparel section.

The Mountain, which is the maker of these T-shirts, is not very satisfied with the comments this T-shirt has gathered on Amazon. Well, my answer to them is, you should enjoy it guys, and you’ll see how silliness can end up as money in your bank account.

While you’re at it, and if you’re outsourcing your job and literally have nothing to do, check this guy’s reviews on Amazon.

I guess that there’s no such thing as bad advertisement.

Collecting every one of “The Mountain” brand t-shirts by 2010. I have heard that wearing them grants you animal powers.

Check this highly reviewed one off the list.

(This is still the best shirt.)

"If you are planning on spending exactly $9.14 on yourself this year, this better be the purchase."

Read some of the amazon reviews of this bad boy:

Every night, for the past 6 weeks, I have been visited by 3 wolf sprirts. And every night, they bestow upon me endless amounts of knowledge and offerings of imitation crab meat. They consider me their brothern, and I have found clarity and purpose in my life.

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This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that’s when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to ‘howl at the moon’ from time to time (if you catch my drift!). The women that approached me wanted to know if I would be their boyfriend and/or give them money for something they called mehth. I told them no, because they didn’t have enough teeth, and frankly a man with a wolf-shirt shouldn’t settle for the first thing that comes to him.

I arrived at Wal-mart, mounted my courtesy-scooter (walking is such a drag!) sitting side saddle so that my wolves would show. While I was browsing tube socks, I could hear aroused asthmatic breathing behind me. I turned around to see a slightly sweaty dream in sweatpants and flip-flops standing there. She told me she liked the wolves on my shirt, I told her I wanted to howl at her moon. She offered me a swig from her mountain dew, and I drove my scooter, with her shuffling along side out the door and into the rest of our lives. Thank you wolf shirt.

Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women
Cons: Only 3 wolves (could probably use a few more on the ‘guns’), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark

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Not sure what happened that night, but when I woke up next to my sister, I knew the shirt did the trick.

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I have had all the money, mullets, women, booz, drugs, rock and roll, and pure FUN (fun stands for V.I.P which stands for BAMF) this shirt brings, as many of you mentioned. However, all that is a distraction. You must become one with the Wolves themselves.

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Only downside: I turn into a werewolf on full moon nights when I wear the shirt. And I occasionally wake up to Carlos Mencia singing in my bathroom. Be warned.

The company that makes the shirt (The Mountain) also posted a response here.

Asalaamu alaikum.

JazakhAllahu kheyran.

Masalaama,
Sayf Udeen.