1. Not giving a fuck

2. Show me your genitals (vezi si 2)

3. Pedophile Beards

4. Life lessons

5. Everyday normal guy

Bonus:

5 -   Meredith Grey

Típico caso de consultório de psicologia, o problema todo é a mãe. Por sorte ela está sempre com a Christina, tornando-a suportável.

4 -    Ally Mcbeal/ Kitty Walker(Ally McBeal/ Brothers & Sisters)

Calista Flockhart é uma boa atriz, Ally e B&S são ótimas séries, mas as personagens dela...

Ally estava sempre infeliz porque não conseguia um homem com quem casar, ter 10 filhos, engordar(não que isso fosse possível) e lá vai pão duro(gíria utilizada constantemente pelo meu avô). Kitty, tem problemas em aceitar a vida que seu amoroso pai levava as escondidas, tem sempre algum probleminha estressante seja no trabalho, seja com a mãe,seja com outros, um dramalhão só. Mas e a Sarah Walker? Desde o início da série está mergulhada em problemas, mesmo assim é uma excelente personagem, então qual o problema?Se alguém descobrir, avise-me.

3 - Ryan Atwood e Taylor Townsend ( The OC )

Lembrar da quarta temporada é sempre triste, o que dizer dos dois? Ele:abandonado pelo pai, esquecido pela mãe, um irmão bandido, namorada suicida yada, yada ,yada.

Ela:Garota sem amigos, pai ausente, mãe ditadora que não demonstra afeição...

2 - Clark Kent( Smallville)-  Fazem 3 ou 4 temporadas que parei de assistir, mas posso dizer que todo o draminha mexicano em cima do cara foram bastante decisivos para a minha decisão em parar. Principalmente o lenga-lenga com a Lana.

1 - Serena Van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl)-  

As únicas coisas interessantes nessa série são as pessoas bonitas e as roupas caras, mas acaba por conectar-se com meu lado fútil e graças à isso continuo assistindo a esta perda de tempo.Serena não possui nenhum motivo para sofrer mas sempre fala como se aquele fosse seu último suspiro.  Além do fato de estar sempre se torturando por alguma inutilidade.

Não curtiu? Faça o seu top 5 e comente aqui.

Entra directo al 1 el nuevo single de Coldplay, del que os hablamos el otro día, en versión acústica con Chris Martin al piano, claro está. Lo nuevo de the Killers y de Keane entra también en el top (y también os hemos hablado ya de ellos). Y ¡sorpresa! Nena Daconte aparece dos veces en el top, no sólo con su single (que se mantiene en el 5 después de unas cuantas semanas) sino que también con otra de las canciones de su nuevo disco, que es bastante bueno. Próximamente, más Nena Daconte.

1. Coldplay - Lost!

2. Nena Daconte - Tal vez

3. Keane - Spiralling

4. The Killers - Human

5. Nena Daconte - Tenía tanto que darte

(gasord)

En el número 1 se mantiene el nuevo single de Nena Daconte. Entran en el top el nuevo single de Coldplay y el tema principal de Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Aunque todavía no ha sido single del último disco, Gato negro de Amaral se cuela en mi top como favorita del disco. Y como no, lo nuevo de The Ting Tings, con un tema más diferente a las que ya os hemos presentado.

1. Nena Daconte - Tenía tanto que darte
2. Coldplay - Lost
3. BSO Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Barcelona
4. Amaral - Gato negro
5. The Ting Tings - Be the one

(lettcleo)

These songs will make my week. Two of James' songs just because I got his new album yesterday.

"Cashews! On a pizza? Are you crazy?"  Ignore your incredulous friends and go with your gut, cashews are crazy enough that they just might work.  A rare beast, seldom seen on pizza menus, cashews are that maverick topping, that wild card, that will make people worry that their pizza's edibility might be in jeopardy.  When paired with chicken, sausage, or softer veggies such as onions and mushrooms, cashews add a subtle crunch that goes defiantly against the grain of your preconceived  pizza notions.  Served whole and slightly roasted this rogue topping comes across softer than you'd initially expect, but still bewilders and delights your taste buds enough to shatter your pizza prejudice.  Go out on a limb, defy the protests of your timid friends, and then bask in their gratitude when they realize there was a method to your madness after all.

5- gastrite

4- falta de apetite

3- ansiedade

2- sorriso indestrutível

1- frio na barriga crônico

Meu inferno astral começou as avessas. Espero que dure muito tempo...

Confira as 5 maiores audiências do SBT. Nessa semana o programa Domingo Legal apresentado por Augusto Liberato voltou a fica no topo do ranking de audiência da emissora

1º Domingo Legal
Aud% 15,2
Pico 22,6

2º Pantanal
Aud% 13,41
Pico 17,05

3º 8 e Meia No Cinema
(Passageiro 57)
Aud% 10,21
Pico 13,29

4º Programa Silvio Santos
Aud% 9,53
Pico 14,71

5º Tela de Sucessos
(Coach Carter - Treino Para a Vida)
Aud% 9,5
Pico 14,92

1º Domingo Legal
Aud% 15,2
Pico 22,6

2º Pantanal
Aud% 13,41
Pico 17,05

3º 8 e Meia No Cinema
(Passageiro 57)
Aud% 10,21
Pico 13,29

4º Programa Silvio Santos
Aud% 9,53
Pico 14,71

5º Tela de Sucessos
(Coach Carter - Treino Para a Vida)
Aud% 9,5
Pico 14,92

Unbelievably, I got the job!

In a couple of weeks, I'll take up my new role! Can't wait! Anyway, it's got me thinking, what are the top priorities for the first week in a new job ?

# Top 5: 'Under new management' tips

1. Don't go changin'
When you've just walked in the door, take small bites. Resist the temptation to swan in and 'show 'em how it's done'. Nothing annoys people more. It spooks the team, undermines trust and screams that while you have positional power, you lack true street cred.

Continue with whatever meeting format and timing is currently in place for team, for at least the first month. Having a new boss is enough of a change for a team. They need to get to know (and trust) you before you start rockin' their world.

Don't go rushing in with a 'clean broom' approach. Minimise the risk of making a  nasty, memorable mistake (never a good start in a new role) by taking the time to investigate and understand the issues, gain consensus for the changes and bring people with you. This shows that you're not the sort of manager who walks in, pisses all over the tree just to 'make it your own'. Swanning about puffing your chest out and trying too hard to prove that you're the boss is a sure-fire way to have everyone think that you shouldn't be.

2. Meet

• Meet with your boss to determine exec priorities, get a feel for their style, understand the story so far and any burning issues, get a feel for the political back-drop, clarify expectations and so on.
• Meet with your predecessor to get a feel for what got done, what didn't and why, who their key alliances and blockers were, the strengths and weaknesses of the team, gaps in processes and skill-sets, and what they were planning to do next. Don't forget to ask about the calendar, when are the team meetings held? format, get across which communities of practice, committees, exec team, working groups you're expected to participate in, etc.
• Meet with your team ONE-ON-ONE. Meet with each member of your team. Yes, I realise this could mean meeting with 100 people. Spread it over a couple of months if it's a lot of staff, but make sure you make the time to do it. If you've got 30 people or under, do it every week. It's the single most effective way to keep projects on track and create a genuine bond with each member of your staff. It helps you identify issues before they become landmines, spot morale issues before they become toxic, and helps you keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening in your team. It gives you the space and time to develop your team members, understand their strengths, weaknesses and goals, and it allows you to manage under-performers subtly and in some cases stave off the need to escalate it to a formal process. Regular one-on-ones also mean that the dreaded annual review isn't such a big deal because staff have been getting consistent, timely, meaningful feedback throughout the year, so they know how they're doing (and so do you!).
  

3. Greet
On your first day, arrange to greet the team as a group. Introduce yourself, tell them a  little of your professional background, a little about yourself as a person, and give them a feel for your management style. Let them know you'll be meeting with each of them one-on-one to get a their input.

Greet your key internal and external stakeholders. This isn't a formal benchmarking process yet, this is just a brief chat over coffee. Along the lines of : hi, I'm so-and-so, I'm new in xxx role. I'm looking forward to working with you on xxx.' Ask them a couple of brief question about key topics related to their role. Get them talking about themselves, their role, their experiences and end on you looking forward to catching up with them again once you've settled into your own role. This keeps the door open for you to meet up again and discuss specific issues later on.

4.  Determine priorities
By the time you've completed items 2 and 3, you'll have a pretty good feel for what needs to change. Now it's time to articulate when, how, and in which order. Undertake some bench-marking to see what other organisations of similar size and business type do. What is standard practice? What is best practice? At your next meeting with your boss, take your list of suggestions as a basis for discussion, and get a feel for whether or not they support your approach. If so, take it to the team (perhaps via a workshop or planning day using an external facilitator) and try to tease these issues out of them and decide on the way forward together.

5. Gain consensus
Once you've all agreed (via step 4) on what needs to be done, you can take a brief report back to your boss (or to their boss, or the Executive committee, depending on your internal governance structure and the nature of your business agenda) and get sign-off to move forward.

THEN you can start making changes in the way things are done. If you follow this process you're far more likely to have success, because you won't be rushing in to make an impact; you'll be thoroughly identifying the business practices that require change. Undertaking a business needs analysis and methodically making your business case is the only way to ensure that you're focusing on the right issues and make sure you've got all the support and enthusiasm on your side. This approach sets you up for success.

Summary
You've probably noticed that all of these items centre around communication. You're a manager now, so communication is your main job. You are there to smooth the wheels of the cogs, to keep projects on track, remove road-blocks and scout ahead for looming issues.

You may think the team, (or those higher up the chain), need a big show of bravado to let them know you've arrived: 'I've been brought in with this mandate.' Your idea of a 'gesture of authority' is another person's idea of wanky, self-indulgent, chest-beating. Go in quietly, take people with you, and remember that you're there for the long-haul. Incremental change in the right direction, always beats the big-bang approach. It's less risky, you're seen as committed, and it takes people with you. Every good manager knows that the hardest part of any change management process isn't the process re-engineering, it's the people.

ARMAS

Yo soy una persona más bien pacífica, y la verdad las armas me dan pavor... sin embargo, no podría yo abogar por la destrucción de las armas, por ser un elemento tan rico en la ficción de cualquier género; es por eso que este post se enfocará únicamente en armas de ficción por las que siento cierto interés (y que usaría para dominar al mundo, ¡muahahahahaha!).

5. Sable Láser

Una vez más: ¿qué intento de geek que se precie puede no querer una de estas? Y yo soy más bien poco geek, pero poco al fin y al cabo, y amaría como todo el mundo tener uno de estos íconos de la cultura de la cinematografía y ciencia-ficción.

4. The MegaDoomer Combat Stealth Mech

"The MegaDoomer Combat Stealth Mech!" -Red
"I don't like it!" -Purple
"We didn't build it so you could 'like it'! This one's going to planet Meekrob to help Invader Tenn conquer it!" -Red
"Well I should like it." -Purple

3. Tenseiga (Colmillo sagrado o Colmillo Celestial)

Esta espada, que Sessoumaru hereda de su padre, tiene la particularidad de servir justo para lo opuesto para lo que sirven las armas normales: para revivir gente. En realidad lo que tengo entendido que hace (hace mil años que no veo InuYasha) es matar a criaturas del otro mundo, de manera que, para revivir a alguien que acaba de morir, hay que destruír al mensajero del otro mundo (una suerte de ángel de la muerte) que venga para "llevárselo". Sea como sea, tener dominio sobre la vida, más que sobre la muerte, me causa un mayor interés, pues sobre la muerte técnicamente todos los seres humanos tenemos dominio... pero nadie parece tenerlo sobre la vida.

2. Death Note

¡Muahahahahahaha!

Ok, no. Jamás me atrevería a usar una cosa de estas... ¿pero a poco hay arma más chingona? xD

1. Varita mágica

Ok, no es un arma estrictamente hablando, pero puede ser el arma más mortal del mundo (pregúntenle a Lord Valdhomero); sin embargo, tengo que admitir que aquí estoy cambiando un poco el tema porque yo no quisiera una para fines ofensivos y mortales... sino para todas las otras cosas bonitas y divertidas que se pueden hacer con ella xD

Otros megalomaniacos:

Dani: http://freakscity.blogspot.com
Zark: http://proyecto75232.wordpress.com
Alex: http://alexgondel.wordpress.com
Fargok: http://leonenjaulado.wordpress.com
William Saints: http://esquemaspiramidales.blogspot.com
Kalimero: http://kalimerozone.blogspot.com
Wittenbergman: http://flaigrod.blogspot.com
Srodry: http://losperrostambienjugamosalpoker.blogspot.com/

Top 5 songs with really long titles from The Mistress

1. Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha Ha!
Classic from the 60's.  I still have the 45.

2. Sly & The Family Stone - Thank U For Lettin Me Be Mice Elf Again
Sly probably would have a larger catalog of good music had he stayed off...well...everything

3. Yoko Ono - Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)
Yeah I know.  Unlistenable.  Unless you enjoy wailing sirens underwater .

4. Chicago - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Long title, short song.

5. Marvin Gaye & Tammy Tyrell - If I Could Build My Whole World Around You

Oh, what the hell...

Here’s 5 reasons why digital advertising is the place to spend your modest budget:

It can be a lot cheaper
An on-line campaign can be significantly cheaper than more traditional advertising channels. If you are watching your pennies but still need to promote your business, why not spend a few dollars one some less popular keywords to ramp up your PPC advertising to chase that long tail. Re-run some old banner ads, or maybe organise some banner swaps. Electronic newsletters can be very cost effect as well. Or how about just increasing your company visibility by working on some social touchpoints, start a company facebook group, a youtube channel or a flickr account.

Metrics & ROI
Now more than ever companies will want to know where their money is going and what return they are getting for it. Being able to view the click through conversion of a banner ad campaign, or see how many people have opened your email newsletter and then clicked through to a landing page, provides information for better customer-centric decision-making. Digital advertising provides fast and accurate tracking and measurement reporting compared to traditional advertising channels. Print out a nice spread sheet to show your boss – put it in a clear plastic cover. Magic.

Fast turnaround
You can often put together and deliver the likes of a banner ad campaign or email marketing campaign with a comparatively short turn around. Even doing promotional vodcasts for your company website can be done quickly and helps keep you visible. This fast turnaround will let you rapidly respond to opportunities that are triggered by market downturn.

Targeted
Things are getting tight right across the board – you will be feeling the pinch, and so will your customers. However, people still need to run their businesses, and push their brands. Sending out a targeted marketing message to customers that talks directly to their specific situation is going to get a lot better response than a general appeal.

It’s cool
Yeah you heard me – digital is the Fonz of advertising. The opportunities for creativity and the visual impact you can achieve with digital advertising can help you create that point of difference in the marketplace that could help you get or stay ahead. Just look at the likes of Minis brilliant Follow the White Rabbit banner ad campaign or Burger King’s hugely popular Subservient Chicken. Like the Fonz would say – “Aaaaay”.

terça:

quarta:

quinta:

sexta:

bom final de semana :)

Wuthering Heights, Babooshka oraz Running Up That Hill są powszechnie znane. Oto wybór nieco mniej znanych piosenek z pierwszego okresu twórczości Kate Bush:

The Man with the Child in His Eyes • Piosenka dosyć infantylna, ale ładna. I do tego pięknie zaaranżowana na małą orkiestrę. Podmiot liryczny widzi oczyma duszy takiego super wrażliwego faceta (z dzieckiem w oczach, cokolwiek to znaczy). Mężczyzna ten jest fajny i doskonale rozumie podmiot liryczny.

Wow • Krytyka społeczna, w pewnym sensie. O światku aktorów teatralnych. Sama Bush kształciła się na baletnicę, co aż za dobrze widać widać w niektórych jej teledyskach.

Another Day (feat. Peter G) • Pierwszy duet z Gabrielem, dobre parę lat przed Don't Give Up. Jest to kower piosenki mało znanego folkowca Roya Harpera. Wersja Kate Bush pochodzi z występu telewizyjnego "Kate". Nie została niestety wydana na płycie, nagrania z telewizji krążą więc wśród fanów. Za zapoznanie z tym utworem dziękuję niejakiemu Boatmanowi. I Cerriddwen, za przypomnienie.

Army Dreamers • Odpowiedź na billboardy "Zawód żołnierz - Dołącz do najlepszych". Nie chcieli jej puszczać na BBC, bo odnosi się negatywnie do spraw ojczyźniano-wojskowych. W przekazywaniu antymilitarystycznej treści bez wątpienia pomaga przepiękna melodia.

Sat in Your Lap • Otwiera (kopniakiem) album The Dreaming z 1982 roku, największe osiągnięcie artystyczne Kate Bush. Pod względem melodyjnym, brzmieniowym, głosowym cała płyta to po prostu jazda bez trzymanki. Zawiedli tylko słuchacze, bo nie chcieli jej kupować. [z archiwum]

Hong Kong Garden • Debiutancki singel. Tytuł i tekst zainspirowany budką z chińszczyzną o tej nazwie. Proszę zwrócić uwagę na skomplikowaną linię basu - dum dum dum dum dum dum itd.

Christine • Z czasem piosenki zespołu stały się bardziej złożone. Tu inspirują się Beatlesami, szczególnie w mostku (chociaż może to bardziej Beach Boys?). Tekst opowiada o dziewczynie o 22 osobowościach, czyli już gotyk

.

Fireworks • Doskonały przykład brzmienia zimnofalowego, czy też "wczesnogotyckiego". Szczególnie ta gitara a la syrena alarmowa połączona z nieskomplikowanym rytmem. Zespół Sisters of Mercy, na przykład, jedzie na takim schemacie już ćwierć wieku.

Kiss Them for Me • Być może największe osiągnięcie Siouxsie. W każdym razie jeden z singli wszech czasów. Nowoczesny brzmieniowo - mamy hinduskie brzmienia połączone z automatem perkusyjnym. Tekst ma coś wspólnego z aktorką Jane Mansfield, taką podrabianą Marylin Monroe. "Kiss Them for Me" to tytuł jednego z jej filmów. [ze starej Placówki]

To był ważny zespół. Bez niego nie byłoby rocka alternatywnego i bylibyśmy skazani na Guns'n'Roses i TSA. David Byrne pokazał, że wokalista rockowy nie musi być napalonym jełopem. Był być może pierwszym nerdem, który się wybił. Pięć piosenek, od których najlepiej zacząć poznawanie zespołu:

Psycho Killer: Ich pierwszy hit, choć jeszcze tylko undergroundowy. Podmiotem lirycznym jest tytułowy psychopata. Drażnią go ludzie i to bardzo. Z tekstem może się identyfikować każdy porządny obywatel.

I Zimbra: Zespół znany jest m.in. dzięki nietypowym tekstom. Po tym, jak jeden krytyk napisał, że na ich pierwszej płycie znalazły się "piosenki o budynkach i jedzeniu", drugą płytę nazwali More Songs About Buildings and Food. Na trzeciej płycie, fantastycznej Fear of Music, tematy piosenek stanowią ich tytuły i są to, po kolei: umysł, papier, miasta, życie podczas wojny, wspomnienia, powietrze, niebo, zwierzęta, gitara elektryczna, narkotyki. O niczym natomiast nie mówiła pierwsza ścieżka na albumie, czyli I Zimbra, z tekstem w jakimś pseudo-afrykańskim języku. Warto zwrócić uwagę na warstwę rytmiczną utworu, która też jest afrykańska (ale już nie pseudo).

Once in a Lifetime: Czwarty album Talking Heads Remain in Light to zupełnie szaleństwo. Zespół skoncentrował się na rytmie, zapominając o melodii, w miarę spójnych tekstach, zmianach akordów, jednym słowem, o piosenkach. Wyjątkiem było Once in a Lifetime, gdzie David Byrne wciela się w rolę kaznodziei głoszącego prawdę o posiadaniu dużego samochodu, pięknego domu i pięknej żony.

Burning Down the House: Tytułowe "spalanie domu" to część słownictwa funkowca George'a Clintona z zespołu Parliament (obok "statku-matki" i "da bomb"). Chodzi po prostu o to, żeby dobrze bawić się na koncercie. O co chodzi w tekście tej piosenki, nie wiadomo. Wątpię też, żeby wiedzieli to Tom Jones i szwedzki zespół The Cardigans, kiedy parę lat temu wspólnymi siłami nagrali własną wersję.

[Znów sięgam do archiwum] Nie wiem, jak wyglądałby świat gdyby nie Billie Holiday, ale pewnie jeszcze gorzej. Oto pięć powodów, które pozwalają tak twierdzić.

Summertime • To pierwsza nieoperowa interpretacja tego utworu, nagrana zaraz po premierze opery Porgy i Bess George'a Gershwina, z której pochodzi. Lepszej wersji nikt dotąd nie zrobił, choć wielu próbowało. Aby docenić, jaki wkład miała Billie Holiday w obecną postać tej piosenki, wystarczy posłuchać wersji operowej, ponieważ tak właśnie brzmiał pierwowzór.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="115" caption="Wspomniane zdjęcie (uwaga z klikaniem - drastyczne)"][/caption]

Strange Fruit • "Południowe drzewa dają dziwne owoce" - tak zaczyna się tekst. Zaraz potem okazuje się, że te owoce to ciała powieszonych Murzynów. Autora wiersza, który posłużył za tekst, poruszyła fotografia zrobiona po linczu dwóch czarnych oskarżonych. Tekst rozsławiła następnie Holiday, tworząc zarazem jeden z pierwszych protest songów. Do dziś brzmi mocno. Możemy sobie tylko wyobrażać, jak taki tekst brzmiał w czasach, w których producent Przeminęło z wiatrem musiał zapłacić karę za użycie słowa "cholera".

Gloomy Sunday • Piosenka pochodzi z Węgier a traktuje o smutku i myślach samobójczych. Węgry mają dość wysoki współczynnik samobójstw. Poszła plotka, że ta piosenka ten współczynnik jeszcze zwiększyła. Jak wszystko, co głupie i krwawe, plotka chwyciła. Dlatego na YT nazywana jest często "Hungarian suicide song". Pół biedy, jeśli przynajmniej "Hungarian" napisane jest bez błędu. Ale niezależnie od towarzyszących historyjek, piosenka oraz interpretacja Holliday są fantastyczne.

Don't Explain • Najwyraźniej stąd No Doubt wzięło pomysł na Don't Speak. W obu utworach jest "hush", czyli takie anglojęzyczne uciszanie. Sam bym się nie zorientował, ale od czego mam Olę? Bardzo wzruszająca piosenka, jeden partner mówi drugiemu, że ten z niczego nie musi się tłumaczyć. Godna pochwały postawa. Ostatnio ciekawą wersję zrobiła ważna postać tzw. sceny alternatywnej, Cat Power.

My Man • W dzisiejszych feministycznych czasach takie oddanie by nie przeszło. No, chyba że zaśpiewałaby to Amy Winehouse. Podmiot liryczny opowiada m. in., że jej facet nie jest wierny "He isn't true", co rymuje się z tym, że delikatny też nie jest "he beats me, too". Były to czasy łatwiejsze dla mężczyzn, a trudniejsze dla kobiet.

Z muzyką klasyczną jest taki problem, że jeśli ktoś nie zna, to nie wiadomo, od czego zacząć. Dobrym pomysłem jest zakup kilkupłytowej składanki. W większości będą tam niestety takie zgrane kawałki, jak Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Dla Elizy albo Cztery pory. Wymyśliłem więc własną listę.

Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings · Dobre wprowadzenie - nie za długie, w jednym kawałku, ładne i smutne. Po zamachach w 2001 roku wręcz drugi hymn USA. Utwór z lat trzydziestych, pierwotnie fragment kwartetu smyczkowego, na życzenie słynnego dyrygenta Arturo Toscaniniego rozbudowany na orkiestrę smyczkową.

Modest Musorgski - Obrazki z wystawy · To już dłuższe i to w 15 częściach, ale krótkich. Musorgski wybrał się na wystawę obrazów zmarłego kolegi i napisał o tym serię utworów na fortepian. Następnie Maurice Ravel (ten od Bolero) rozpisał je na orkiestrę i powstał w ten sposób jeden z najbarwniejszych utworów muzyki poważnej.

Gustav Holst - Planety · Podobny pomysł, tylko Holst na inspirację wybrał planety i bogów, od których wzięły nazwę. Wyszło mu siedem części, bo Ziemię olał, a Plutona jeszcze wtedy nie odkryto. Niedawno okazało się, że Pluton to nie planeta, tylko jakaś grudka, więc można już sobie znowu puszczać Planety bez obawy, że słuchamy czegoś nienaukowego. Najsłynniejsze fragmenty to wojenny Mars oraz taneczny Jowisz.

Sergiej Rachmaninow - II koncert fortepianowy · To już cięższy kaliber, bo koncert, czyli poważny utwór na instrument solowy i orkiestrę. Koncerty fortepianowe mają to do siebie, że dla początkującego słuchacza mogą wszystkie brzmieć podobnie. Ten jest niezłym wprowadzeniem, ponieważ Rachmaninow pisał myśląc o publiczności, a nie o tym, żeby pianista miał okazję się popisać.

Ludwig van Beethoven - IX symfonia · Ponad 70 minut muzyki i to takiej, jakiej nikt wtedy jeszcze nie słyszał. Wstrząsająca rzecz i jeszcze z Odą do radości na końcu. Podobno to przez tę symfonię płyta kompaktowa trwa tyle, ile trwa. Jak wszystko, co naprawdę nowatorskie, okazała się odporna na działanie czasu.

What are the top 5 best meals you’ve ever had?

I've asked this question to pretty much everyone I know at sometime or another. For some reason I find the topic of ‘best meals’ very interesting. A meal is such a fabulous part of human interaction and day-to-day life. For all of history, people have always shared meals together. I truly enjoy sitting with friends or family, eating good food and having a solid conversation. Dinnertime is a beautiful thing and it doesn’t receive the attention and appreciation that it deserves. Usually, the best meals have some sort of story behind them. There is some other reason that a meal makes the top 5 besides the food. It’s really the story that I am after when I ask anyone about his or her Top 5 meals. So if you’re interested, here are some of my favorite meals and why they are so memorable.

Antipasto in Italy
When I was 16, my family took our first vacation to Europe. We started in Rome for 3 days before boarding a cruise ship and sailing to Greece, Malta, Spain and France. The trip was full of memories, but one of the best was our last night in Rome. We went to a small, family owned restaurant. I don’t remember what the place was called, but there couldn’t of been more than 5 tables in the whole place. We ordered the antipasto to share and separate dinners for everyone. This was no average antipasto, with a few olives and cheese on a platter. The waiter brought us bowls of different types of olives, melon with prosciutto, five different kinds of sausage, roasted vegetables, and some of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted. We canceled the orders for dinner and just feasted on the antipasto.

Christmas Eve
There is no specific Christmas Eve that sticks out. Instead this meal makes the list because it has been exactly the same for as long as I can remember. That’s what I love about Christmas Eve in my family, the tradition. My great-grandmother used to cook the traditional Polish meal and have everyone (about 25 people) at her house. When she was too old, my grandmother took over. Every year, the meal is exactly the same. Grandma makes pierogie, sauerkraut, mushroom soup, fried white fish, pickled herring, and fruit compote. The food is homey and comforting and cooked with lots of butter. After dinner we open gifts and then return to the huge table for cookies, nut roll, and coffee. I love my family’s traditions and take pride in them. And someday, I might be the one cooking this same exact meal for my grandchildren.

Family Dinners at Kiawah
The reasons for cherishing the family dinners during our summer vacations at the beach are very similar to the reasons for loving Christmas Eve dinner. Whereas Christmas Eve is always celebrated with my mom’s side of the family, summer trips to the beach were always with my dad’s side of the family. All of the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents stayed in the same beach house and each person was in charge of making dinner for everyone one night of the week. After a long day of playing in the waves, building sand castles, and flying kites, there was always a big plate of spaghetti or barbequed chicken shared with all my family to look forward to at the end of the day.

Backyard at Mickey’s
Last summer I had a few friends, Jamie, Alyssa and her roommate, and Dave, over for dinner at my aunt’s house when they were out of town for the weekend. I made a spinach salad and ravioli for dinner. And we had lots and lots of wine and rum. We sat for hours in the backyard drinking and talking and enjoying each other’s company. It was exactly what a good meal should be: good friends and good food. Everyone stayed late and some of the guests hooked up later that night, but that’s another story completely.

Picnic in the Park in Madrid
Jamie, Jordana and I traveled to Spain and visited with Amy in Madrid. Amy was a great host and gave us a full tour of the city. We spent Sunday afternoon in the park, eating our picnic, dancing in the drum circles, drawing by the lake and smoking jays. The picnic was a feast of tomato and cheese sandwiches, pistachio nuts, corn nuts, chocolate covered raisins, grapes, strawberries, and cheap wine mixed with coke. It was a great afternoon and one of the highlights of the whole vacation.

Honorable Mentions:Maryland crabs at Mickey’s lake house, the best seafood I’ve ever had in New York City, Indian food in Amsterdam, Rasta at All Good Festival, Samrat and dude lunches, corn on the cob on the backyard bonfire, Saturday morning pancakes with Kath.

So just list, in order, your top 5 favorite authors of fiction. I limit this to fiction because as an uber-nerd if we include non-fiction academic stuff I can’t narrow the list down to 5. However, you are encouraged to get creative and include in your list scriptwriters for movies or TV shows or songwriters and the like. So think outside of the box and write a sentence or two to justify your picks.

Here’s my list (with accompanying links in case you are inspired to investigate my claims):

5. Chinua Achebe --> Really he makes the top 5 based entirely on one book, Things Fall Apart. That book easily makes the top 5 of best books I’ve ever and as much as I hate to admit this and use a cliché, it probably did change my life. There is a sequel to Things Fall Apart called No Longer at Ease. It’s not bad, but doesn’t measure up to the original. And Man of the People is a beautiful story about how entirely screwed up African politics is as told through characters that resemble the ones in Things Fall Apart. Plus, I’ve seen this guy speak in person!

4. F. Scott Fitzgerald --> As you will see with this and my other picks, I wish I lived during the 1920s. The Great Gatsby really is a simply brilliant book. Basically any story ridiculing the opulence of rich people and their greed and status seeking is going to score big with. He’d rank higher on the list, but essentially all his books are about the same theme that I just mentioned.

2. George Orwell --> Yes, I skipped 3. I had too because I can’t break the tie between Orwell and Steinbeck. Everybody knows about 1984 and Animal Farm, but I implore you to check out Down and Out in Paris and London. That is one of my favorite books. Orwell lives a life of poverty in Paris in London to expose the plight of the poor. Maybe that doesn’t count as fiction, but for the love of God it is amazing writing full of simple tales that have immeasurably deep meanings. And it is as funny as it is important. Also, his short editorial pieces are always excellent.

2. John Steinbeck --> I read The Pearl when I was a kid, I read Of Mice and Men in high school, I read The Grapes of Wrath as a freshman in college, and I read Cannery Row in between college and grad school. Every one of those books is great. But when you get right down to it, Grapes of Wrath is nothing short of eye opening and inspiring in its sadness. If you can read that book and not come away wanting to fight against the system, I don’t know what to tell you. Seriously, for about 6 months after reading it I considered changing my name to Tom Joad and starting a rebel army. No one ever wrote about the plight of the working man better than Steinbeck.

1. Ernest Hemingway --> He has been my favorite writer since 7th grade when I read The Old Man and the Sea. His writing is perfect. I appreciate simplicity. But I recognize that the world is complex. Anyone that can capture the complex world in simple writing. With simple stories. Is, in my estimation, the greatest writer ever. (See what I did there? Aren’t I funny?). And of course For Whom the Bell Tolls is great, but his short stories are a thing of fucking genius (The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber is my favorite). And most importantly, his life is essentially how I’d like my life’s narrative to be (minus the suicide and multiple divorces). He traveled to Africa, did daring things, constantly sought to find adventure and misadventure, and was kind of an asshole that didn’t mince words and just did what he wanted. If Hemingway isn’t the picture of greatness, I don’t know what is.

So there’s my list, now leave your in the comment box. I look forward to reading them.

5. Naruto

Alors que la redécouverte de Dragon Ball m'a ouvert au monde du manga, Naruto est la série qui m'a fait découvrir l'univers de l'animation japonaise. A une époque, je fus donc un fan assidu qui prenait sa dose hebdomadaire de "Kage no Jutsu". Et je l'assume.
Car, pour moi, tous les débats autour de Naruto sont essentiellement dû à sa communauté de fan. Car, des qualités, cette série en possède et elle sait tenir le spectateur en haleine dans les temps forts. Ces temps forts m'ont justement fait apprécier cette série. Ils ont réussi à me faire vibrer et oublier les longueurs récurrentes. J'ai donc passé d'agréable moment en la regardant avant de lâcher lors de l'interminable transition qui précède Naruto Shippuden.

4. Beck / Death Note

Pour cette quatrième place, je n'ai pas pu choisir entre ces deux séries made in Madhouse. Beck et Death Note sont deux séries qui ont su m'envouter mais pour des raisons différentes. D'un côté, Beck est une oeuvre qui m'a essentiellement touché car proche de mon vécu personnel. Techniquement pauvre, elle m'a donc séduit par son histoire et ses personnages. De l'autre, Death Note est un énorme blockbuster qui bénéficie d'une production de meilleure qualité. Supérieur du point de vue technique et scénario, Death Note est un formidable générateur à suspens. Mais la fin m'a laissé un profond goût d'inachevé.
Et entre les deux, mon cœur balance. Statut quo.

3. 5 centimeters per second

Passer d'un Naruto à 5 centimeters per second est sans doute déroutant. Pourtant, sans le ninja orange, je n'aurai jamais connu Makoto Shinkai. Alors que je dévorai les aventures de Konoha, je découvris en effet le premier court métrage de Makoto Shinkai : Hoshi no Koe.
Quelques années plus tard, le réalisateur japonais produit donc 5 centimeters per second. Plus abouti, ce fût une grande claque. Artistiquement, ces précédentes œuvres était très réussi mais avec ce film, Makoto Shinkai passe la vitesse supérieure. Mais sa grande force, c'est d'avoir su développer un univers unique ou règne la contemplation, la mélancolie, les déchirures et l'amour. Bravo Makoto.

2. Cowboy Bebop

Dans le domaine artistique, il y a des œuvres sur laquelle le temps n'a pas d'emprise. Cowboy Bebop en fait partie. Dix ans après sa sortie, cette série n'a pas pris une ride. C'est à se demander qu'elle est son secret de longévité.
A cette question, je n'ai pas de réponse. A vrai dire, je ne cherche pas même pas à y répondre. Je préfère largement profiter des aventures de l'équipage du Cowboy Bebop , d'écouter sans cesse sa magnifique bande son et surtout de revoir encore et encore cette formidable dernière scène. Un de mes meilleurs souvenirs.

1. Princesse Mononoke

En numéro 1, il ne pouvait y avoir que ce chef d'oeuvre du maître Hayao Miyazaki. De par le contexte, Princesse Mononoke tiendra toujours une place à part dans mon coeur. Je me rappellerai toujours de ce profond sentiment qui m'a envahit lorsque je suis sorti de la salle de cinéma. Je me revois blotti dans un coin du fauteil, n'osant pas bouger par peur de faire du bruit, complètement hypnotisé par l'écran. Plus que de l'animation, ce jour là fut pour moi un grand moment de cinéma. Tout simplement inoubliable.