“The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear
The winner takes it all.
The loser has to fall
It’s simple and it’s plain.
Why should I complain.”

(The winner takes it all – ABBA)

….que ni pintada para el consultorio de Madamme Sopalajo……..

Our director has posted a new mission on our Fan Page. And this time it’s based on a suggestion from a fan.

Playfulness is one of those things always attributed to Leo because of the childlike quality involved. We watch children on the playground, making up games, laughing, having fun. Children do belong to Leo, but playfulness and fun are actually the territory of both Venus and the 5th house.

The “play” that Leo and the 5th house refers to is gaming ~ games that involve a risk or wager of some kind, like poker or other betting games. Casinos are also ruled by Leo and the 5th, and so are palaces. The Palace in Vegas is all Leo. 

How’s your poker face? Do you have the strength to hold out for the high stakes, or do you fold under the pressure and get out before you lose everything? Are you a good winner, or do you go into diva mode, pouting or accusing others of cheating? Plato said, “You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” He probably wasn’t talking about playgrounds games, although you can tell a lot there, too.

We play so many games in life. The work game, striving to get ahead, dominate our field, or just hold onto a job. The popularity game ~ all about self-confidence, the Sun’s domain. The intellect game, the sexy game, the power game, whatever game we play ~ they all involve risk, demand self-confidence, and are ultimately a way to assure our importance in some area of life. It’s a way to shine, a way to be a star. And we all need that to some degree. Everyone has ego needs; very few have overcome it. And so we take that chance again and again, gaining confidence and self-esteem or losing them. It’s all part of the game of life.

Love is also a part of “playing the game.” It’s really the easy one to figure out as belonging in the Big Book of Leo Games. It has the thrill factor and there’s always a risk involved ~ risk of rejection, risk of looking ridiculous, risk of abandonment, even the risk of acceptance, the risk of endurance. Can you go the distance, fight the good fight? Saturn will eventually come to your 5th house, bringing some tests to your love affairs, and then it will move into your house of duty, and test you again in your 7th house of long-term commitment. Can you know this a sure thing? Can you bet on it? The odds are mostly against us, but I’ve never met anyone yet who ~ deep in their heart of hearts ~ wouldn’t jump in feet first if the odds were on their side, and plenty with the odds completely stacked against them. 

Here’s Meryl Street in Mamma Mia! singing The Winner Takes It All. All about love, leo, and the 5th house. Listen for all the keywords in this song:

I’ve played all my cards, no more ace to play,
the winner takes it all, the loser has to fall,
victory, dice, no self-confidence, spectators of the show,
the game is on again, a lover or a friend?

The performance itself is quite dramatic, heart-wrenching. Streep has Leo rising, and Pluto in Leo in the first.

Brukar du också förknippa en viss låt till en viss människa?

För egen del kommer jag ihåg första gången jag lyssnade på Beatles album Rubber Soul på föräldrarnas radiogrammofon.

Jag tvangs spela den på lägsta tänkbara volym eftersom TV:n också stod på i samma rum.

Skivan hörde hur som helst till brorsans kompis Jonas som för alltid är hopkopplad med låten Baby you can drive my car.

Ofta när jag hör låten Sex and gasoline med Rodney Cowell så tänker jag på Timo, som var den som tipsade mig.

Abbas The winner takes it all är ihopkopplad med morsans mördare, självmordsbombaren från Tulkarem. När jag intervjuade självmordsbombarens brorsa till TV4-dokumentären så satte han nämligen på just The winner takes it all som ljudkuliss till ett bildspel om självmordsbombaren.

Kents Utan dina andetag kopplar jag till Tobias, vars lägenhet jag fick låna under period och då gick cd:n B-sidor varm.

Nyligen bortgångne musikjournalisten Lennart Persson förknippar jag med en hel hög låtar eftersom han på ett så övertygande sätt kunde skriva om en massa bra och för mig okänd musik. Men ska jag ta nåt ur högen får det bli Ebba Forsbergs  Daybreak.

Wille invigde mig till Jackie Leven och hans My spanish dad.

Och så vidare och så vidare.

Nicola speră să lanseze cel mai nou album al său până la începutul verii. Materialul discografic va cuprinde 12 piese, printre care şi Thank You, cea care dă numele albumului. Interpreta a realizat înregistrarea pieselor de pe acest material discografic alături de o echipă de instrumentişti formată din Gabor Pal (tobe), Joo Sandor Sebestyen (chitară bas), Nicu Paţoi (chitară acustică şi electrică) şi Andrei Stanoevici (clape şi masterizare). Pe album interpreta a inclus şi un cover după piesa The Winner Takes It All a celor de la ABBA.

Nothing to say…. just a great song about breaking and leaving relationships…

Find my latest American Idol article here.

For the most part, last night’s American Idol presentation was pretty good.  It was nice to see the contestants singing songs that were more well known, and, for the most part, they sang them well.  There was, however, little greatness seen on the night.

Vaughn Smith- “You’re All I Need to Get By”- I thought he produced the best lead-off performance of the three shows.  That probably says more about the other two shows than it does about Vaughn, however.  He hit his notes, and it sounded good, but the whole thing came off a little like Wham does Marvin Gaye.  It just did not seem right, but he really sang pretty well.

Randy thought it was very hot.

Kara said that he was coming into his own.

Paula loved it.

Simon thought he reminded him of Clay Aiken (in a good way).  He thought that he sang the song well, but was dressed badly.

Taylor VaiFanua- “If I Ain’t Got You”- The first thing I thought was, “Why is she wearing an inner-tube on her legs?”  I thought that the beginning was a little low for her.  She hit the notes, but her tone on that part was not great.  In the end, I thought it was OK.

Kara thought that she hit her notes well, but the performance was cold.

Paula criticized her because she already had sung the song in Hollywood.

Simon thought it was very generic and bland.

Randy found it to be boring.

Alex Wagner-Trugman- “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.”- This guy made the most of his off-stage moments by showing that he has a great personality.  As far as his performance went, it was too affected, too low for him in the beginning, and came off like a guy singing karaoke after a few too many beers.

Paula found him entertaining.

Simon thought that the growling was ridiculous, and likened him to a “hamster trying to be a tiger.”

Randy thought it was wild and that he screamed it.

Kara thought that he was a fun guy.

Arrianna Afsar- “The Winner Takes it All”- For a while it was hard to tell if she was on pitch or not, but something was obviously wrong.  Then, she was definitely off pitch.  For the most part, it was a ‘runny’ mess, but she ended it strong.

Simon said that most of it was terrible, and that it was too big and dreary.

Randy said that she tried to do too much, and that vocally, it was not good.

Kara found it to be dark, depressing, old and serious.

Paula also thought that the song was too old-fashioned.

Ju’not Joyner- “Hey There Delilah”- I liked it overall.  I thought that he sang it well, and his tone was good.  However, I don’t know how memorable it was.

Randy loved it.

Kara thought it was smooth.

Paula was glad that he changed it up from Hollywood week.

Simon said that it was better than he thought it would be.

Kristen McNamara- “Give Me One Reason”- I was surprised that the song was not too low for her, and she sang it well, but it was really, really safe and did nothing to show off her voice.

Kara thought that she was a great singer, but did not choose the best song.

Paul thought that it was safe and did not show her range.

Simon said that he does not know who she is, and that, though the song choice was poor, she sang it well.

Randy thought it was an easy song, and that she tried to do too much with it.

Nathaniel Marshall- “I Would Do Anything For Love”- My first thought was, “He is going to sing that?  Oh, my.”  Then, I thought he was leading an aerobics class.  It was not badly sung, but it was no where close to being as good as MeatLoaf.  I also found it a little dry.

Simon thought it was excruciating.  He said that it was a weird song, and he had a weird look, but he was memorable and fun.

Randy found the song choice to be curious, and could not imagine making a record with him.

Kara encouraged him to pick a more serious song.

Paula thought that it was the Boy George version of the song, and that was not cool.

Felicia Barton- “No One”- I thought it was very, very good, and perhaps the best of the night up to that point.  It started well, she showed good inflection.  Her voice broke in a good way, and she looked like she belonged on stage.

Paula thought it was unbelievable.

Simon thought that the first part was better than the second part.

Randy thought she had an amazing voice and was hot.

Kara said it was good, and that she noticed her for the first time.

Scott MacIntyre- “Mandolin Rain”- I thought he had a nice tone to his voice.  He had a nice voice-break and inflection.  He was good on the strong notes also.

Randy thought he was passionate, and that the parts that were great, were really great.

Kara said that he moves mountains and sings from the heart.

Paula felt that he had blessed her with his gift.

Simon did not like the song, but said that Scott was growing on him.

Kendall Beard- “This One’s For the Girls”- I was worried that it might be too low for her, but she smartly moved the key up a little.  She was a little pitchy, but overall she sang it well.  She sounded, and looked pretty good as a country singer.

Kara thought that she had a big personality.  She also said that it was the right song, but was flat part of the time.

Paula thought that she had the best outfit.

Simon agreed that it was the right song, but was a little shrilly toward the end.

Randy thought it was a good song choice, but not her best vocal.

Jorge Nunez- “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”- The accent was weird in an Elton John song, but this guy has a really good voice.  He was the best of the night so far, and endeared himself even more with his humility at the end.

Paula said that he has worked hard, and sounds good.

Simon likes his accent, and agreed that he is a very good singer.

Randy said that it was not the perfect vocal, but it was really, really good.

Kara told him that he was a singer with a gift for touching people.

Lil Rounds- “Be Without You”- I thought she had the most professional sound and look of the group.  She was a little pitchy on the “oohs”, but her voice has a nice smoky tone to it.

Simon thought it was brilliant, but a little too close to the original.

Randy thought she was one of the best, and was glad that she kept her swagger.

Kara said she was great, and a powerhouse.

Paula called her first class.

If I had to choose who I thought would go on it would be: Jorge, Lil, and Scott or Felicia.

Sorry I’m late with this one it’s been a hectic week…

It was great when Sprite’s Keeper said that this weeks spin cycle would be all about music.  My best friend and I are always ribbing each other about our weight and recently she sent me our “new” theme song, at least until we’re skinny. ~grin~ 

Another reason this spin was great timing is we just had a Mama Mia pj party and I love’s me some ABBA.  I don’t think there’s an ABBA song I don’t like, but here’s two of my favorites, the first one made me cry during the movie, it’s one I plan to play for Meggers later in life.  The second is a classic.  I think Meryl Streep did a great job.

Our wedding song was this one from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

 There are sooo many great songs old and new.  Meggers loves Fergie’s Big Girls Don’t Cry, Colby Caillat’s Bubbly and Leona Lewis’s Keep Bleeding Love.  I tend to like a little bit of everything so I’ll maybe have to revisit this topic later on.  I’ll leave you with this one I play for Meggers at night sometimes, it’s beautiful.

Mamma Mia!
★★★ / ★★★★

I thought I would dislike this movie because I’m not a fan of musicals nor am I a big fan of ABBA (even though I’m familiar with some of their songs). What saved and (surprisingly enough) elevated this picture is its sheer enthusiasm to entertain its audiences. It’s not afraid to be silly or too light or even feature some bad singing. It takes a lot of courage from the director (Phyllida Lloyd) and writer (Catherine Johnson) for the film to embrace its inconsistencies, flaws, and logic so I must commend them for it. Even though the film is full of stars such as Amanda Seyfried and her three potential fathers (Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth), the actors that truly shine are Meryl Streep (as Seyfried’s single mother) and her two best friends: Julie Walters and Christine Baranski. As the three older women in the film, they managed to single-handedly make me smile and laugh whenever they’re on screen. I love the fact that the director was not afraid to show the actresses’ aging bodies. I mean this in a good way because most films try to hide qualities of someone’s body that don’t fit “the norm.” In this movie, flaws are very welcome and even celebrated. Even though I thought that the characters could’ve solved the identity of Seyfried’s father in the first five minutes by taking a paternity test, if they hadn’t dragged it out, there would be no movie. Plus, musicals are not to be taken seriously; the genre’s aim is to simply make someone feel good. As for Seyfried, I think she’s a star. From the moment I saw her in “Mean Girls,” I knew she would be a celebrity and I think she has a bright future ahead of her if she continues to choose different but rewarding roles. I must also commend Streep for impressing me once again. She has such a well-rounded repertoire and she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses as I see more films. In here, she’s wounded but strong, not to mention that she has a great singing voice. The best scene has got to be when she sang “The Winner Takes It All” on a cliff with Brosnan. She did it with such passion to the point where it gave me goosebumps and realized that I could 100% identify with her character even though we’re completely different. I expected to dislike this movie but I was glad to be proven wrong. Yes, most people will completely dismiss this film by pointing out its flaws. But I think it’s deeper to appreciate it for its flaws especially when it made a person feel good by the end of the day.

I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there

The game is on again.
A lover or a friend.
A big thing or a small.
The winner takes it all.

ABBA – The winner takes it all

The Winner Takes It All

Zum Abspielen bitte hier oder auf die Abbildung klicken.

Winter Garden, escenario de las representaciones de Mamma Mia! en Broadway

Las luces se apagan y el acomodador nos indica amablemente nuestra posición. Claro, stand: «permanecer de pie». Era imposible otra explicación lógica a que yo pidiera dos entradas que costaban más de 100 dólares cada una y me cobraran poco más de 40 por las dos.

Ahora te puedo decir que, verdaderamente, no me arrepiento. Estás de pie, sí, pero el teatro es coqueto y recogido, y al estar erguido, la posibilidad de tener una persona de cabeza abultada es un riesgo que queda minimizado. Gastarte más de 200 dólares para ver un eclipse no es precisamente uno de mis sueños, puesto que es una pesadilla que ya he sufrido.

¡Silencio!, ¡silencio! Murmullos. Y por fin, el sueño de mamá se hace realidad… en mí. Mamma Mía! Desde los cuatro años, inculcándome la cultura ABBA y me encuentro en una sala de Broadway, contemplando el musical compuesto por Benni y Björn.

Aunque en inglés, te vas enterando bastante bien de la trama, salvo cuando interviene un tío con el pelo rizado que pronuncia el inglés como un malagueño el español.

Una madre. Una hija. Una boda. Tres posibles padres. Cuatro amigas. Un novio. Una no-boda. Un matrimonio inesperado-esperado. ¡Qué más da! Lo importante es dejarse llevar por la música, la coreografía, las luces y el ritmo que marcó una década. Chiquitita; Honey, honey; Waterloo y, entre muchas otras, una desgarradora The winner takes it all forman parte de un elenco hecho para nostálgicos.

¡Cuánto habría disfrutado mi madre!

Så var den första dagen på veckan över. Och det har gått väldigt fort och bra Känns mycket bra när man har sina dagar. Efter jag slutat blev det att jag tog en nap på 20 min. Så vi får se om jag lyckas att somna ikväll. Denna veckan kommer nog gå sjukt snabbt, med thanksgiving på torsdag och ev, en riktigt lång sovmorgon på fredag, ev så kommer jag bara jobba 2h på eftermiddagen. Beror på när Mila (Mormorn) kommer hem med ungarna som ska ha sleepover hos henne efter thanksgiving middagen. Så hoppas att hon kommer hem med ungarna supersent att de har lunch och sånt där. Så Sara det kan vi ju hoppas på. För då behöver du ju inte komma med tåget som är här vid 10, då kan du ju komma med ett tidigare. Beronde på när du slutar förstås

Hittade denna covern på the winner takes it all med Mcfly. Den är faktiskt värd sig en lyssning. Det är ett brittiskt band, från London! Visst är han den mörkhåriga sjukt söt och han den blonda som sjunger lik malfoy i harry potter

VH1 is a constant source of arguments in our house, this morning’s debate is as follows…

Discuss.

The winner takes it all: videoclip from the 80’s. Anybody daring to sing it at the karaoke party in December?

And here’s some video footage from the late seventies. About thirty years ago. That’s old!

In occasione dell’uscita italiana del musical “Mamma mia“, su musiche degli Abba ci sembra interessante richiamare all’attenzione dell’inclito pubblico le mirabolanti gesta di uno dei nostri mentori dimenticati: Slim Borgudd.

Chi era costui? Cosa vuole da noi? Perché vi si sottopone a questo ennesimo supplizio?

no, non è RalphSuperMaxieroe

Alla terza domanda sappiamo rispondere: perché siamo degli emeriti merda.

Alle altre due non rispondiamo perché siamo degli emeriti merda.

Karl Edward Tommy “Slim” Borgudd, era, non riusciamo a capire se un pilota automobilistico con la passione per la batteria, o un batterista con la passione per le auto veloci. La sensazione che ci ha colto è che se si fosse concentrato in un’unica attività, potremmo parlare di un personaggio come Alain Prost o Stewart Copeland; invece il nostro ha voluto svolgere entrambe le attività condannandosi all’anonimato. Purtroppo.

parti in comune fra una batteria e una monoposto

Infatti egli, a causa dei propri impegni automobilistici non potè essere il batterista principe degli Abba, ma semplicemente uno dei loro turnisti; d’altra parte, a causa dei propri impegni musicali, non riuscì mai a raggiungere un livello di continuità nelle corse adeguato a far di lui un campione (o forse era veramente una pippa?).

eccoloooooooo!

Per la cronaca, Il suo risultato migliore in F1, con quindici G.P. disputati, fu un sesto posto alla guida di una monoposto con una vistosa scritta sulla fiancata.

Per quanto ne sappiamo, batteria ed automobili erano veramente passioni: ancora oggi Slim continua a guidare qualunque mezzo a 4 ruote in gare amatoriali e viene considerato uno dei migliori batteristi jazz di tutta la Svezia. E scusateci se è poco…