Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Stresa: Abbattuto un ettaro di bosco per avere vista lago


Voleva una vista migliore sul lago e una piscina. Per questo un magnate russo, proprietario di una villa in ristrutturazione tra Stresa e Gignese, non ha esitato a sacrificare un ettaro di bosco, abbattendo 284 alberi. Dello scempio, che ha avuto come vittime aceri, faggi, betulle, castagni, frassini e abeti rossi, tra cui c’erano esemplari di pregio e di grandi dimensioni, si sono accorti durante un controllo gli agenti del Corpo forestale del comando di Gignese. Purtroppo ormai il peggio era avvenuto: gli alberi che crescevano nel parco, di proprietà di una società immobiliare, erano stati tutti tagliati. Il fatto è stato denunciato alla Procura della Repubblica: oltre al russo che ha commissionato l’abbattimento, è stato segnalato anche il titolare della ditta che lo ha eseguito, residente in provincia di Varese. Il disboscamento e il conseguente movimento di terreno, oltre a causare una ferita irreparabile per il paesaggio sulle pendici del Mottarone, ha sconvolto gli equilibri idrogeologici dell’area, aumentando la possibilità di frane e smottamenti. I due responsabili rischiano, in caso di condanna, pene tra uno e quattro anni. Nel frattempo i forestali hanno elevato una sanzione di oltre ottomila euro. «Purtroppo - commenta il comandante provinciale della forestale Valerio Cappello - la vicenda dimostra che anche nel Vco gli interessi speculativi talora si muovono in maniera troppo disinvolta. Il fatto è il più grave accaduto nell’ultimo decennio»(di M.G. su La Stampa)

Stresa: Rubata Mercedes d'epoca al rally FIVA


Era parcheggiata nel garage dell’hotel Regina Palace la Mercedes Benz 300 Sl Roadster rubata l’altra notte durante la tappa sul lago Maggiore del «World Rally Fiva», il giro d’Italia delle auto d’epoca. Un colpo da qualche centinaio di migliaia di euro, visto che il modello della Mercedes, che apparteneva a una coppia belga, è tra quelli ricercati dai collezionisti. In considerazione del pregio e del valore della vettura tedesca, molto ricercata dai collezionisti, non si esclude che si sia trattato di un furto su commissione.


"Hello, we're still standing here"

Tokio Hotel's second English-language album comes out next Tuesday and I honestly didn't care one way or another until I heard the fantastic single Automatic. I've always admired these guys' style more than their music, but that could change soon. They've adopted a slightly dancier sound for Humanoid, and on some tracks it works amazingly. An early highlight is Darkside Of The Sun, which has some great, aggressive industrial verses that are probably the catchiest thing on the album. THIS is the sound these guys should be aiming for, because it is very, very fun (although, to be fair, "fun" probably isn't really what they're going for). It reminds me quite a bit of when Orgy covered Blue Monday about a decade or so ago. This is better, though--more energy.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Amazing Origami Animals By Sipho Mabona








Descarga Smallville Temporada 8 Gratis


He's Reborn? (Doctor Who Season 5 Spoilers)

This might constitute for October, it might not, depending on what other juicy nuggets I can find. Reminders that the likes of Alun Vega, Planet Gallifrey, Life And Combom, Blogtor Who etc have covered a fair chunk of this information via their blogspot and photobucket accounts in the last few weeks. About four or five episodes have been filmed since Season 5/Season 1/Season 31 went into production in mid July.

Unknown Character (Terrence Hardiman), Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) during a take.

Male fans seem to appreciate Karen Gillan in her robe, quite a lot from the online communities I've been frequenting the past month. She is pretty, I do admit that.

Location filming at a private house on Llandaff Green. It seems that the episode currently being filmed is in fact the first one.

The evidence is seemingly behind Matt Smith's lovely red robe as he's seen wearing Tennant's converse and brown pin-striped pants.

Another picture shows that this might be the neighbourhood in which he meets up with Amy Pond. Though we've seen no pictures of Karen Gillan today.

Annette Crosbie is the latest actor to sign on to the series (and I bet it will be a while before DWM announce her casting as well). Unsure of her role. Maybe a neighbour of Amy's? Grandparent perhaps?

There's been a few spoilers circulating as to how Eleven and Amy are supposed to meeting. One that has done the rounds has been Eleven meeting a younger version of his latest companion before meeting her in the present day. A bit like The Girl In The Fireplace, then.

Expect more Season 5 set spoilers as they become available and more interesting. Opinions on these blog would be appreciated.

ETA: Also according to someone on GallifreyBase, here's Season 5 writers/directors/blocks. Not sure how true these are.

EPISODE ONE BLOCK 3
written by STEVEN MOFFAT

EPISODE TWO BLOCK 2
written by MARK GATISS
(WW2 Dalek story)

EPISODE THREE BLOCK 2
written by GARETH ROBERTS

EPISODE FOUR/FIVE - BLOCK ONE
written by STEVEN MOFFAT
(The River Song story)

EPISODE SIX BLOCK 5
written by RICHARD CURTIS

EPISODE SEVEN BLOCK 6
written by STEVEN MOFFAT

EPISODE EIGHT & NINE BLOCK 4
written by CHRIS CHIBNALL

EPISODE TEN BLOCK 6
written by NEIL GAIMAN*

EPISODE ELEVEN BLOCK 5
written by TOBY WHITHOUSE

EPISODE TWELVE & THIRTEEN BLOCK 7
written by STEVEN MOFFAT

* Neil Gaiman has said on his Twitter page that he is NOT writing for Season 5. Tis a shame. Remember the list isn't a proper confirmation, just what I found from a poster on GallifreyBase.

Rant #100: Accidental, My Foot!


The way words are used in our language is often tied into different trends that shape these words that we use. This also extends to the use of phrases that tie together words to have meanings that are also based on current trends.

Case in point is the use of the word “accidental” when referring to drug overdoses. If I hear “accidental” and “overdose” used in the same sentence one more time to lessen the gravity of what the drug user did to himself, I think I might inject myself with something.

Remember the case of Adam Goldstein, better known to some as DJ AM? He died “accidentally” from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and cocaine, the medical examiner's office recently ruled.

The toxicology report showed the 36-year-old had several drugs in his system, some illegal, some not, when he died: cocaine, OxyContin, Hydrocodone or Vicodin, anti-anxiety drugs Xanax and Ativan, Klonopin which also controls anger, Benadryl, and Levamisole, a drug apparently used to cut cocaine.

The cause of death was acute intoxication due to the combined effects the drugs, the medical examiner's office said. The dosage of each drug was not released.

To me, there is no such thing as an accidental overdose. If you use illegal drugs, or a combination of illegal drugs and supposedly legal ones, how can you consider the death accidental?

You are putting yourself in major harm’s way by using illegal drugs and mixing these drugs, and that is what Goldstein did. Sure, I don’t think his aim was to kill himself—although I don’t think that that was ever completely ruled out either—but that is what he did.

When you use illegal drugs, they are not regulated, so you could be getting different levels of “power” when you ingest these things. You might get a good dose, you might get one that is bad—and maybe even mixed with other substances. The bottom line is that you don’t know what you are getting.

And then mix these illegal drugs with supposedly legal ones—but ones that can become deadly without a doctor prescribing them or at least watching over their usage. Even over-the-counter drugs can be lethal if used the wrong way, as the cough syrup problem that was around a few years ago showed.

Since Goldstein dealt with the devil, so to speak, when he was ingesting all of this stuff, I wouldn’t call his death accidental.

He simply played Russian Roulette—and lost.

To me, that is not accidental. That is, more to the point, taking your life in your own hands. Goldstein may have been a superb DJ, but his spins of records led to his life spinning out of control, which led to his death.

Accidental? No. Stupid? Most definitely, Y-E-S.

P.S.: 100 rants! Here's to at least 100 more!

GP Italia Class One: Ecco gli 11 protagonisti


Saranno 11 le imbarcazioni che parteciperanno al Gp Italia Class One Powerboat che si terrà a Stresa da Venerdì a Domenica. Il campionato mondiale offshore, o più precisamente la UIM Class One World Powerboat Championship, che si corre su 6 gran premi vede al via 7 Team per appunto 11 catamarani. Ecco l'elenco degli iscritti:
Victory 1 - Mohammad Majed Mohammad Salem Al Mehairi (UAE) - Driver - Jean Marc Sanchez (France) – Throttleman
Fazza 3 - Arif Saif Al Zafeen (UAE) - Driver Nadir Bin Hendi (UAE) – Throttleman
Foresti e Suardi - Roscioli Hotels 8
Giampiero Soave (Italy) - Driver
Giampaolo Montavoci (Italy) - Throttleman

Maritimo 11
Tom Barry-Cotter (Australia) - Driver
Pal Virik Nilsen (Norway) – Throttleman

Maritimo 12
Giorgio Manuzzi (RSM) - Driver
Peter "Muddy" McGrath (New Zealand) - Throttleman

Giorgi Offshore 18
Riccardo Calugi (Italy) - Driver
Nicola Giorgi (Italy) – Throttleman

Welmax 90
Kolbjorn O. Selmer (Norway) - Driver
Jorn Tandberg (Norway) – Throttleman

Qatar 95
Abdullah Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) - Driver
Matteo Nicolini (Italy) – Throttleman

Qatar 96
HE Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani (Qatar) - Driver
Steve Curtis MBE (England) - Throttleman

8 Unexpected Gold Gadgets

Gold plated engine



Gold Stroller



Gold-Coated Aquarion Tranforming Figure



Gold Plated Computer Mouse



Gold Plated Ford



Gold Plated Keyboard



Pure Gold pc



Nintendo Wii

BWO Feat. VELVET Take on the U K -LIVE & with "Right Here Right Now" single

BWO are about to take on the U K market with the
latest release from Big Science Album
'Right Her Right Now'
Then with this new Mix they have a secret weapon of the
Fun-Tasic singer
Velvet doing back-up.
She brought us 'The Queen' from her
new album and in Melodifestivalen 2009.





Yet Sweden did not pick either of these great
Artists for there Melodifestivalen Final 11 at Globen !

Its been a BIG week for BWO who thanks to 'scandipop' did a
LIVE show at Borderline in LONDON Town, its been over a year since
BWO performed in the U K They sang a 9-song set to over 200
strong UK Fan base. See some great pics & report at

Let hope the Brits take the new single both to their
Hearts N The Charts!


Export nel VCO: -43% nel primo semestre 2009


Tra gennaio e giugno 2009 l'interscambio commerciale del Verbano-Cusio-Ossola ha registrato esportazioni di merci per 207 milioni di euro, il 43 per cento in meno rispetto ai 365 milioni dello stesso periodo del 2008. In flessione, secondo i dati elaborati dalla locale Camera di Comemrcio, anche le importazioni, che scendono del 17 per cento, da 245 a 204 milioni. Dal punto di vista merceologico cala soprattutto l'export di prodotti in metallo e casalinghi (-59 per cento) e quello dei prodotti chimici (-27 per cento), mentre a livello geografico la contrazione maggiore viene registrata sui mercati europei, che rappresentano quasi il 62 per cento degli sbocchi commerciali del territorio e che risultano in flessione del 50 per cento (-53,6 per cento la Germania, -48 per cento la Francia, -45 per cento la Spagna, -21,4 per cento la Svizzera). Unica nota positiva e' data dall'aumento del valore delle esportazioni su alcuni nuovi mercati (Lituania, +12 per cento, Algeria +24 per cento, Egitto +150 per cento, India +58 per cento), che coprono pero' complessivamente meno del due per cento del totale degli scambi provinciali. (AGI)

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

On Air: Le vostre lettere inviate a Stresa 2.0


Mai dire mai di Piervalle

Il trasformismo è una vecchia pratica della politica italiana che affonda le sue radici sin ai tempi di De Pretis (1813-1887) e dei suoi governi. Una pratica che ha visto e vede il passaggio da un settore all’altro degli schieramenti, spesso nascondendo compromessi o tornaconti personali. Niente di nuovo sotto il sole, tanto più che repentini cambiamenti di linea sono generalmente dettati anche dalla necessità di catturare il consenso e quindi non sono improbabili avvicinandosi tempi di elezioni. D’altra parte non è forse la politica che ha coniato il motto : “mai dire mai”. Non facciamo perciò moralismi di facciata , quella del trasformismo è una realtà, con cui ci tocca convivere. Ma il problema , nel caso noto e locale è un altro. Un personaggio politico, nel senso che ricopre una carica pubblica elettiva di primo livello, interrogato, nega una qualsivoglia appartenenza politica partitica. Se il sospetto avanzato da chi ha posto la domanda,( ma chi non ha visto il salto sul palco degli azzurri alla“ Nobili nomination” di Ornavasso la scorsa primavera ) e noi a riguardo abbiamo cercato conferme , fosse fondato, la risposta data sarebbe certo una bugia , ma sarebbe anche un non rispetto, un dispetto verso gli elettori, in qualche modo presi in giro. Qui non c’entra la riservatezza, qui è dovuta la trasparenza ed è obbligo politico/morale qualificarsi quando si chiede un voto. E’ molto semplice. Poi, che sia di centro/sinistra/destra , a livello amministrativo, può prendere consenso da tutti o da nessuno, lo sappiamo, ma deve dire dove sta. Il dubbio allora che quel : “ mai dire mai” lo si voglia un po’ prendere a propria preferita insegna par fondato e ci par fare il paio , se così si può dire, con quell’agire dimostrato dove tutto si vuol far stare dentro : la montagna alberghiera insieme al sito dell’Unesco, le ville che crollano insieme ai giardini colpiti da ordinanza , il grande evento offshore con il turismo verde , il parcheggio strategico con gli autobus e le auto stese lungo il lago. Ma !

Autostrada: Rinviati i lavori per agevolare il GP OffShore


L’autostrada resterà aperta anche di notte, durante il Gran premio di motonautica in programma a Stresa dal 2 al 4 ottobre.
Sono stati quindi rinviati i lavori tra Baveno e Carpugnino, poiché la chiusura del tratto avrebbe coinciso con il divieto di transito ai mezzi pesanti sulla statale 33 a Stresa stabilito per il Gran premio.
L’autostrada sarà regolarmente percorribile dalle 7 di domani alle 20 di lunedì 5, quando riprenderanno le chiusure notturne tra Baveno e Carpugnino.




HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR FILM AT HIFF (AND OTHER FILM FESTIVALS)


I'm covering The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) for QPORIT, and I've also covered the Tribeca Film Festival, The New York Film Festival, The Stony Brook Film Festival, New Films / New Directors and others. Here's what I've learned from good examples, and bad examples, of how you -- the film producer, director, actor, or other involved filmer -- can help your film (and you, yourself, too) get noticed.


The following stuff is pretty basic, yet I see many films that have done none of these things, and few -- except big studio films -- that have done very many of these things. Most of these suggestions are neither very hard nor very expensive, and they can pay off big.

1 -- Hire a good publicist. They should be able to spend a lot of time for you, and come to HIFF with you. And they should know their way around. They should be able to help with all the following:

2 -- Have a good press kit, including bios, info describing the film, and lots of great pix. I prefer essays (by the Producer, Director, Actors etc --PDAetc) -- that can be quoted to copies of interviews, because someone else's interview is of little use to anyone writing an original story.

3 -- The press kit should be available online (see below for online suggestions), and in print form at the festival HQ and at the screenings.

4 -- Send a note to all the accredited press (and industry pros!) before the festival alerting them to your film -- including some info about the film, and possibly a picture-- offering screeners, and alerting them to possible interviews.

5 -- Take as many people to the festival as possible (including the publicist, director, producers, actors, etc...). Make sure you co-ordinate with the PR Group handling the festival! Go to all the parties with everyone from the film. Having identified the look of a press badge, split up and have everybody zero in to schmooze with anybody from the press... and anyone else, too. Make yourselves available for every possible photo and video opportunity.

5A -- Of course, be at all the screenings of the film with people from the film. Be available for photos, video and interviews before and after. Introduce the film before it screens, and hold a Q & A after. Hang around with people after the Q & A.

6 -- All the PDAetc should send a note to everyone they know inviting them to the screenings at the festival.

7 -- Follow up after the festival with anyone you met (or should have met).

HERE'S WHAT SHOULD BE ONLINE

YOU SHOULD CREATE OR PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR THE FOLLOW TYPES OF ONLINE PRESENCE:
  • Official film website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • The websites of the Producer, Distributor, PR company, Cast & Crew members.
  • Wikipedia
  • IMDB & IMDBPro
  • Channel on YouTube & other video sites
  • Blog
  • An e-mail newsletter as your film moves toward release is also valuable.

These sites should contain (as appropriate for the type of site)
  • Tagline
  • Synopsis
  • Full credits for cast crew & producer/distributor/PR (IMDB & IMDBPro type complete)
  • Awards, any other special honors
  • Director's essay
  • Evolving gossip & trivia & "reports from the front" esp on Twitter, Blog, etc
  • Production stills & other pix people can use
  • Videos (previews & trivia) on YouTube etc that are embeddable.
  • Links from each site to all the others.
  • Links to articles about the film
  • Release info
  • Contact info: for consumers, for the industry, for press

To sum it up, everyone involved with the film should let as many people as possible know about the film, and then make it as easy as possible for journalists to write great stories (and for buyers to buy, & viewers to come see your film)!

NOTES OCT 10 -- Here are some additional thoughts I've had after several days here in the Hamptons.

1 -- At the Opening Night Party, photographers and journalists with cameras are hungry to take pictures, and editors are most likely to use some great picture from Opening Night. Moreover, not many of the big stars seem to show up at this party, and they don't stay long. SO... Come to the Opening Night Party looking fantastic, and step in front of the Picture Background. Make sure the photographers and cameras all find you. Be sure to carry around business cards and postcards for the film. The postcard should have a compelling picture on one side, and lots of info on the other side (Name --yes, people have forgotten to put the name on the postcard -- Tagline, Short Synopsis, Director and Star credits, SCREENING TIMES AT THE FESTIVAL!, PR contact, etc.)

2a -- Always carry around a business card and postcards (as described above).

2b -- Put postcards anywhere people will be.

3 -- If you schedule an interview, especially on weekends, make sure the press has a phone number to contact in case some problem arises at the last minute. (OK, I couldn't find the place an interview was to take place, and it took frantic work to chase down and hook up with the subjects.)

4 -- People make schedules in advance. Send advisories to the press early, and keep following up. If you wait till the festival starts, people will have already planned something else. If you don't remind them, they'll forget about you and impulsively change their plans.

5 -- When you meet a journalist be sure to give them a business card and postcard. Be sure to get one from them. Don't forget to send them a note after the festival. Find out when their article is published. Make sure they keep in touch as your film moves toward release, and as you move to other projects.

OTHELLO



John Ortiz as Othello, Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, and
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago in OTHELLO
Photo by Armin Bardel


The LAByrinth production of Othello, (here's the text) directed by Peter Sellars, with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago, John Ortiz as Othello and Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, is a feast for students and directors of Shakespeare, but quite skimpy on the delivery of emotion, especially in (what is usually) the cataclysmic conclusion.

There are many strange features in this production, some of which help illuminate the richness of the play, some of which confuse the audience and dissipate the power of the story and some of which actually do both.

Peter Sellars, of course, is best known for opera productions which have a reputation for quirky originality.

The first striking feature of the production is the slow pace at which the actors speak. This allows an audience unused to Shakespearean language to understand and process far more than is ever possible when the actors (as Hamlet suggested) speak their words trippingly on the tongue. Audience members (and actors) are allowed to savor and appreciate the poetry and the words.

For audiences used to the rhythms of modern films, and more interested in the experience than the details, however, this rich but 4 hour long presentation can seem plodding and tedious.

A second feature of the production is that Desdemona's father Brabantio is cut out of the play, characters are combined, and suddenly the characters pull out cell phones and start talking to each other across the room and on microphones. This gets the play off to a shaky start (not to mention the fact that the sound system seemed to be flaky for a while the night I saw the show). People new to the play, and those who know the play by heart are equally able to be confused about who is who and why they say what they say, at the beginning. (Not surprisingly, the appearance of the cell phones provoked some not very supportive laughter from the audience.)

The play is set (mostly) in a military base in Cyprus. This provides a universal, timeless environment in which to enact the tragedy.

However, Sellars does not seem to take this setting seriously. Hoffman, with a pot belly, and casual clothes, never in uniform, is vocally a great Iago, but physically impossible to imagine as a candidate for Othello's next in command. Other characters are in and out of uniform, and the set design does not evoke a military base, except fleetingly.

In most productions, Desdemona is a problem: The relation between Othello and Desdemona (O & D) is vapid and unconvincing. Here, Desdemona is a strong, though naive character. And there is a lot of physical communication between Othello and Desdemona. They kiss a lot, and lie next to each other a lot. This is a big improvement over most productions. Yet it still seems like puppy love. Because of the open set design, the other characters can freely observe Desdemona and Othello making out on a super-modern, stylized electronic bed. But what they see and what we see is not what Iago describes to Brabantio, Desdemona's father:

IAGO: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe
.


This -- if taken to be an accurate representation of the O & D affair -- suggests that any glimpses we see of their physical relationship should be torrid passion, not innocent necking.

(If, in Sellars version, the intention is for Iago to be misleading Brabantio about the nature of Othello's affair, and the relation between Desdemona and Othello is intended to be depicted as almost High-Schoolish, then it takes away much of the urgency of the whole play. Note -- Since Brabantio is not in this production at all, I was a little confused at the time these lines were delivered, and it is hard to remember how these lines were used in this production.)

It was Sellars intention to create an Othello for the Obama generation. Sellars seems to consider most productions of Othello as demeaning to blacks in general and Othello in particular. It seems to have been Toni Morrison who changed his mind about the play (
see the video interviews -- click on see all!)

In assessing the treatment of Othello in the play, realize that here is a black man, in white Europe, hailed as a great soldier, loved by a beautiful white woman for his character, having sex with her (and possibly other women), marrying her despite some objection by her father, and commissioned for an important military expedition. This is in a play written more than 400 years ago. How many modern plays, TV shows or movies treat a black character in an interratial sexual/romantic relationship and interratial career, with such importance?

Othello, the man, the general, is not a puppet for a simple anti-black propaganda play; he should be taken seriously by the director, the audience and the world. He is a great man and a terrible killer. And his interratial marriage is at the center of the play. The play is about the reaction of all the characters to Othello, his position, and his beautiful wife.

So I think it is a mistake, even in accentuating other aspects of the play, as Sellars does brilliantly, to minimize the importance of the basic thread. The relation -- the interracial relation -- between Othello and Desdemona should not be minimized. Indeed it should be maximized to the extent of exhibiting a physically provocative -- rather than timid -- passion. (In the "pre-Obama world" a black man would not be shown coupling with a beautiful white woman. The "post-Obama world" should portray these people as they are created in the play.)

Generally speaking, the casting of a Latino as Othello, and a black man as Cassio, and a big black woman as a combination of characters, does support Sellars stated ambition of making the play more about universal issues, and less about a stupid, credulous, murderous black man than is perhaps (he believes) usually the case. Liza Colón-Zayas as Emilia, Iago's wife, excellently carries Sellars' idea of how her character's silence is as important as Iago's deception in deluding Othello, and how her courage in revealing the deception unwinds the plot. (However, casting Philip and Liza as a couple is dubious; they are not convincing as a married couple.)

Indeed Sellars'
essay and video interviews about the production are extremely interesting. He did accomplish what he set out to do. But, as so often happens, it is what he did not do and did not focus on and therefore did not do, that cause the weaknesses in the production.

It is at the end that the play has the greatest and strangest lapses:

1-- The classic line:

OTHELLO: Put out the light, and then put out the light

is not matched with any action that makes sense of the line. Othello is walking in meaningless circles around the bed.

2 -- The stylized electronic bed does not allow or evoke the emotions raised by the lines:

DESDEMONA: Prithee, tonight
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember;


The wedding sheets, which should carry enormous emotional power, are missing from the bed, and can not deliver the message they should carry to Othello (and to the audience).

3 -- And finally, Ortiz simply does not produce the physical or vocal strength necessary to convey the powerful emotions that would illuminate this twisting of Othello from lover to killer and then convey the cosmic remorse that suddenly erupts when he realizes what horror he has committed; how he has been deceived, betrayed and destroyed.

So, all in all, I enjoyed this production and learned much from it, but did not exit from the theater emotionally devastated!



This is only the beginning of the "Othello Project," for Peter Sellars. According to the
notes distributed at the theater, Sellars and Toni Morrison are discussing a prequel to Othello, called "Desdemona," starting from the stories that Othello told Desdemona so that she fell in love with him. And Sellars is planning to return to Othello as well as Toni Morrison's "Desdemona," in part with the idea of developing a film. This project should be exceptionally illuminating to all those who love Shakespeare.


In addition, on Sunday October 4, there will be a free panel discussion about Othello:

OTHELLO DISCUSSION EVENT
FREE OTHELLO DISCUSSION SUNDAY October 4:


"Is It Possible?": Othello in the Age of Obama

Luis Argueta, documentary filmmaker;
Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of Tisch School of the Arts;
Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx; and
Carmen Peláez, playwright and actress.

Moderated by Dr. Avery T. Willis, who has collaborated with Peter Sellars as an assistant director and dramaturg since 2006.

OTHELLO Sunday Speakers Series

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4 3:00-4:00PM

General Admission Lobby opens at 2:15PM

NYU Skirball Center
566 LaGuardia Place & Washington Square South

Here are some interesting links:

WEB VIDEO -- James Earl Jones -- Othello's Testimony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJybA1emr_g&feature=related




Kenneth Branagh's version:


Paul Robeson as Othello & Uta Hagen as Desdemona:


"It's gonna burn us alive"

Dragonette's second album comes out today in Canada and Australia. I already took my twenty minute drive up to BC to snag a copy, though the band was nice enough to supply me with the album for review in my email today (and review it I shall, when I've had some time to digest it). Though I've only listened to the album once on the way home today, I wanted to post a song so that you can get an idea of how amazing this band is if you've never heard of them before. Any track from the album would display this, but Liar really stuck out to me on first listen. It's a little more subdued than other album tracks, but has a really pretty melody that reminds me in parts of Lykke Li's I'm Good, I'm Gone. Oh, and if you haven't seen it already, check out the video for Boys & Girls (with Martin Solveig). It's one of my favorites of the year.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Descarga Prision Break - Temporada 1-2 -3 - 4


Descarga “Perdidos” - Lost - Temporada 5


Despues de tanto tiempo de espera empieza lost 5 , y en este post os ire dejando para descargar los capitulos de la quinta temporada de perdidos en español en un solo archivo de 100, como ya habia hecho con lost 4.

Descaraga la serie “Heroes” - tercera temporada


“Heroes”según los críticos es una de las series con mayor descaragas en Internet. Es la reina absoluta del ránking con más de 52 millones de descargas.


O PUEDES PROBAR CON ESTE ENLACE

Concerti Ciani: Mercoledì recital del pianista Viller Valbonesi


Mercoledì 30 settembre alle 21.30, con ingresso gratuito, per il XX anno dei Festival Internazionali dell'Associazione Musicale Dino Ciani al Grand Hotel Regina Palace di Stresa si esibisce il pianista Viller Valbonesi. Programma:

F. Schubert
Drei Klavierstucke
I) n.1 in mi bemolle minore - Allegro assai- andante - tempo primo
II) n. 2 in mi bemolle maggiore - Allegretto
III) n. 3 in do maggiore - Allegro

Schubert – Liszt
“Auf dem wasser zu singen”
“Die forelle“

F. Chopin
Sonata n. 3 op. 58
I) Allegro maestoso
II) Scherzo – molto vivace
III) Largo
IV) Finale – presto non tanto

Viller VALBONESI, pianista, allievo del M° Mauro Minguzzi, si é diplomato in pianoforte nel 2002 con il massimo dei voti, la lode e la menzione d'onore, presso il Conservatorio Statale "Pergolesi" di Fermo. In seguito, oltre ad essersi a lungo perfezionato col M° Pier Narciso Masi, ha frequentato il biennio di specializzazione al Conservatorio "G. Frescobaldi" di Ferrara, ottenendo nel 2007 il Diploma Accademico di II livello, con 110, lode e menzione d'onore.
Dal 2008 studia col Maestro Sergio Perticaroli nell’Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia a Roma.
Nel corso degli anni ha frequentato masterclasses tenute da maestri quali Lucchesini, Canino, De Rosa, Bogino. Nel 1999 inoltre viene selezionato per partecipare al “Gina Bachauer for Young Artists International Competition” di Salt Lake City (UTAH – U.S.A), dove approda in semifinale; in tale occasione ha avuto l’opportunità di partecipare alle masterclasses di Becker e Dutkiewicz.
Fin dai primi anni di studio ha partecipato a numerosi concorsi nazionali ed internazionali a categorie, ottenendo 25 primi premi assoluti. Si è poi imposto in prestigiosi concorsi pianistici internazionali: "Chopin" di Roma,“Città di Minerbio”, “Premio A. Skriabin”di Grosseto, “Città del Vasto”, “Ennio Porrino” di Cagliari, Premio “Silvio Bengalli” di Val Tidone.
Nel 2003 ha vinto il Premio speciale “Alfredo Casella” (corrispondente al secondo premio) alla XX edizione del Premio Venezia.
Nel giugno 2006 viene selezionato per partecipare al Concorso Internazionale "Hamamatsu", tenutosi in Giappone nel novembre dello stesso anno.
Collabora con l’Associazione Musicale Dino Ciani.
Si è esibito, come solista e con l’orchestra, in prestigiose sale da concerto e nei teatri di molte città in Italia e all’estero, ottenendo ovunque ottimi consensi di pubblico e di critica.

"...Valbonesi ha estro, musicalità, una timbrica di luminoso splendore. E' l'unico pianista al Premio Venezia in grado di suonare Mozart..."("Il Gazzettino", dicembre 2003).

Mario Messinis

"…un musicista esordiente e musicalissimo……in grado di riproporre il tardo Schubert riuscendo a chiarirne le ragioni degli inquietanti processi iterativi e degli abissi notturni….” (“Il Gazzettino”, novembre 2005)

Mario Messinis



Direzione artistica prof.ssa Maria Lilia Bertola

Per info Associazione Dino Ciani: 335 60 83 581 - info@dinociani.com
Concerti Ciani 2009: http://www.dinociani.com/servizio_stampa/Servizi%202009/servizi%20stampa%202009.htm
Concerti Ciani 2009 a Stresa: http://www.concerticianidistresa.com/09Stresa/1Stresa2009.htm
http://blog.dinociani.com/
http://arcadiamusicale.blogspot.com/
http://bertolamarialilia.blog.aruba.it/
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My Review of Doctor Who's: "Time Crash"


Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Graeme Harper

Fifth Doctor: “Who are you?”
Tenth Doctor: “Oh brilliant. I mean, totally wrong, big emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes but brilliant.”
Fifth Doctor: “I’m the Doctor and who are you?”
Tenth Doctor: “Yes you are, you’re the Doctor.”

Okay so given the fact that in the space of three seasons that this show has thrown many a thing that could be deemed fan fiction in our faces, is the meeting of two Doctors really enough to shock us?

After all, we’ve had The Doctor turn human, kiss every single one of his companions (including Captain Jack) and RTD did make a lot of slashers happy by playing up the homoerotic tension between The Doctor and The Master in the last three episodes of the third season as well the fact that we’ve had Daleks versus Cybermen but a collision of Doctors is always going to be something special.

Cohesively, “The Three Doctors” had the strongest of plots with Omega but “The Five Doctors” tugged at certain strings and “The Two Doctors” was also something fun to behold. I would mention “Dimensions In Time” but like many people, I really do want to deny that particular spoof’s existence.

Twenty three years after his departure in “The Caves Of Androzani”, Peter Davison’s dashing, if somewhat mixed Fifth Doctor is back and as a result, we’re treated to seven minutes of sheer geekiness as Davison sparks off brilliantly with David Tennant’s Doctor. In fact, it’s probably the first time since “Last Of The Time Lords” that the Tenth Doctor gets to have a bit of fun.

Of course there’s an element of confusion to be had as well. The appearance of the Fifth Doctor can only spell an array of disaster and while Tennant gets to act like a geeky fan boy (not much acting required), Davison’s Doctor isn’t pleased to see a younger version of him swanning around in his TARDIS and acting like he’s been sleep deprived for a month.

The Doctor is pleased to see his older self but he doesn’t have any problem in giving his fifth incarnation a dressing down. Now for everyone who thinks wearing celery is as lame as having to eat the stuff, there’s a little bit of teasing at the vegetable’s expense.

Teasing aside, there does seem to be a merging of two worlds (TARDISES?) and it’s up to the memory of both Doctors in order to solve things. While the main danger plot doesn’t convince as much, it’s the last moment of the serial that will really hits home for a lot of viewers.

Now we know that writer Steven Moffat and David Tennant are big fans of Peter Davison’s tenure on the series and there’s a nice bit of lip service just as the Fifth Doctor begins to leave. Plus the way this ties into “Voyage Of The Damned” is quite nice. Maybe next time The Doctor will play attention to putting up his shields.

- Although not credited, the last scene in “Last Of The Time Lords” with Martha opens up this scene rather nicely.
- Unsurprisingly enough both David Tennant and Peter Davison are titled in the credits for this. That would be the first time for two men in Doctor Who, credit wise.
- There are mentions of Nyssa, Tegan, the Cybermen, the Mara, Time Lords with funny hats and The Master so this could be set before “The Five Doctors” for the Fifth Doctor.
- Oh and The Master is gay. Not really, but the joke was too good to pass up and come to think of it, the Fifth Doctor had the most interactions with The Master outside the Third Doctor.
- This is also available on the Season Four DVD box-set due out on November 17th 2008. Thank God for YouTube because I actually fell asleep when this originally transmitted.
- This was also directed by Graeme Harper who directed Peter Davison’s departure in “The Caves Of Androzani”.

Quote, Unquote

Tenth Doctor: “Cos you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor.”
Fifth Doctor: “To days to come.”
Tenth Doctor: “All my love to long ago.”

The more I watched “Time Crash”, the better it seems to get. All these mini-scenes from Doctor Who add to the show and seeing as Steven Moffat himself said this was cannon, I’m more than happy to agree with it. It’s nostalgic without going overboard and it was for Children In Need to boot.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Doctor Who's: "The Infinity Quest"

Written by Alan Barnes
Directed by Gary Russell

Martha (re Balthazar): “I know he was rotten to the core but still.”
The Doctor: “Oh I left him a way out.”

One of the cool things about a show like Doctor Who is how unrestricted the storytelling can be. Not only do we have spin-offs, audio plays, books and comic strips to compliment the weekly televised adventures but now we can also the pleasure of an animated feature along with it.

Designed as thirteen three and a half minutes episodes that were aired weekly on Totally Doctor Who, The Infinity Quest is something a lighter tale with The Doctor and Martha as they take on the nefarious Balthazar and his quest for the infinite. The infinite of course being the nifty concept of getting your heart’s desire.

Of course The Doctor doesn’t really believe in the infinite but it doesn’t stop him and Martha from opening the story by stopping Balthazar from destroying earth and free a giant robotic bird named Caw either way.

However despite a brief stay at Volag Noc, Balthazar is no sooner out of the intergalactic slammer when he uses Caw to trick The Doctor and Martha in aiding his quest for the infinite. They have to find four data chips in order to get the exact location and Caw doesn’t exactly have to go to great lengths in order to get them interested in doing Balthazar’s dirty work.

Nope, it seems just the thought of actually stopping the baddie from achieving his goal is enough to do and soon enough The Doctor and Martha nab the first data chip in the middle of an oil war between pirate lady Captain Kalico and her treacherous matey Swabb.

Of course the flipside to this then is that Kalico is killed as they collect the first data and this also happens when they land in their next location with the less savoury Mergrass. The common thread in this quest is that The Doctor and Martha seem to be caught in the middle of big galactic wars.

In the second one, it’s a war between mankind and a bug like alien race known as the Mantisphid. There are some ethical moments between whether or not the Mantisphid are deserving of living after they’ve slaughtered the majority of the human race to claim ownership of the land they’ve acquired.

Although in my opinion The Doctor doesn’t owe the Mantisphid anything, he does decide to save them from extermination by posing as a pirate and pretending he was responsible for all the carnage. This is probably the only part of the story that made me visibly cringe. David Tennant’s very funny but he does get a little too OTT with this particular segment.

Fortunately things pick up much better when The Doctor and Martha wind up as prisoners on Volag Noc. Now I know The Master may have quipped about The Doctor being a menace but I was genuinely impressed with the number of convictions he managed to notch up in his 900 plus years of existence. Jail sentences on Volag Noc are certainly harsh though.

Martha on the other hand is her awesome. Without The Doctor for a few minutes she deduces that Gurney isn’t the real governor at all and we also don’t have to wait long for The Doctor to get assistance from real governor Locke in escaping the joint. However there is a brief moment when The Doctor does have to save the other prisoners from being completely wiped out.

As for Balthazar, well it doesn’t take him long to re-emerge and take The Doctor and Martha prisoner before Caw winds up dying. The flipside for The Doctor is that he is left to perish in the snow while Martha is forced to find the infinite with Balthazar, who as a villain isn’t that particularly original.

Nope Balthazar’s heart craves for destruction and loads of riches. Martha’s meanwhile craves for The Doctor and her crush on the Time Lord is really emphasised here like it has been in many Season Three episodes. Of course when she spots the real Doctor, she’s smart enough to snap out of it and not believe anymore.

Balthazar on the other hand just winds back in Volag Noc. Well Caw did have to find a way to redeem itself and this was a perfect way to achieve that. The Doctor and Martha on the other hand just decide to head to a new location given that the infinite seemingly no longer poses a big concern.

Also in “The Infinity Quest”

As an episode this got the same opening and end credits as the series does, except for the animated TARDIS.

Kalico: “You two might want to hold on tight – to the rail.”
The Doctor: “Ay, ay Captain.”

Martha got scolded by The Doctor for her pirate impression. In all fairness, it was his that was really bad.

The Doctor: “These are warplanes?”
Mergrass: “What do you expect in a war zone?”

Kelvin: “I don’t want to die.”
Martha: “Well you didn’t.”

We got a mention of the Nestene from “Rose” and the Racnoss from “The Runaway Bride”. I’m not sure where the great vampires’ part comes from though.

Mantisphid Queen: “What have you done, Doctor?”
The Doctor: “Taken the rap for you and ended your war.”
Martha: “They’ll never believe you.”

Scanner: “No scanning of criminal activity.”
Martha: “Well obviously.”

So in his 902 years of existence, The Doctor has managed to acquire an outstanding 3005 convictions which included traffic violations, evading library fines and planetary demolition. Naughty boy!

Gurney: “Don’t you get it? He’s escaped; your friend let him out.”
Martha: “We’ve only been here five minutes. Nice one, Doctor.”

The Doctor: “How did you find us? It’s very tricky tracking a TARDIS.”
Balthazar: “I had insider information. Have you met Squawk?”

Balthazar was played by the wonderful Anthony Stewart Head who appeared in the Season Two episode “School Reunion” as Mr Finch.

The Doctor (re TARDIS): “This isn’t a taxi.”
Balthazar: “Set the controls or Miss Martha here gets skewered.”

Martha (re The Doctor): “He’ll be back.”
Balthazar: “He’s a thousand light years away in the cold.”

The DVD of this had trailer for Season 3 on DVD, Season 1 of Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures’ episode “Invasion Of The Bane as well as interviews with David Tennant, Freema Agyeman and Anthony Stewart Head.

Martha (re heart’s desire): “What did it show you by the way?”
The Doctor: “Doesn’t matter. Didn’t work anyway.”

This serial is supposedly set after the televised episode “42”. To be fair, I don’t think there was really any references to the adventures that Martha has had with The Doctor so far anyway.

As a set of thirteen mini-episodes, this is okay but when viewed together as one big thing, “The Infinity Quest” is a mixed bag. On the positive side the animation is terrific (and life like) and there are great performances from David Tennant, Freema Agyeman and Anthony Stewart Head and there’s an overall sense of fun. On the flipside, the story isn’t terribly exciting and Balthazar does feel too much like a one note villain, despite Anthony going above and beyond to make him interesting. Still points for the effort and the overall sense of fun that was clearly had in the making of this special.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

My Review of Doctor Who's: "Pudsey Cutaway"


Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by Euros Lyn

The Doctor: “Go on. What do you think?”
Rose: “Who are you?”
The Doctor: “I’m The Doctor.”
Rose: “Where is he? Where’s The Doctor? What have you done to him?”

Set in between “The Parting Of The Ways” and “The Christmas Invasion”, it was generously nice of Russell T. Davies to give us a little taste of the Tenth Doctor a month before David Tennant made his presence very much felt during the 2005 festive season.

All in the aid for Children In Need, the not so imaginatively titled “Pudsey Cutaway” sees Rose not dealing with the fact that The Doctor can regenerate at all. Given that this series has been designed for newcomers in a big way, this was a nice thing to play on as it’s easy to see why Rose isn’t coping so well.

She’s travelled with The Doctor for a whole season and nearly died courtesy of the Daleks and the energy from the TARDIS. With the man bobbing up and down like an overexcited school boy, this should’ve given her a big hint about the art of regeneration. Rose naturally assumes this man has stolen her Doctor.

The thing is Rose doesn’t exactly make any strong attempts to uncover the truth. Sure she’s quick to remember various things during the first season but her fear rather than anger or curiosity is highlighted somewhat more. Also because this is only seven minutes long, halfway through Rose does realise that the man standing in front of her is the same Time Lord who just snogged her a while ago.

David Tennant is good in this. Okay so his performance in this piece isn’t on the level of Christopher Eccleston but “The Christmas Invasion” sorted that one out. Right now in his seven minute scene, he’s cute, funny, enthusiastic, mysterious and just a little dangerous to boot. It’s also worth pointing out that like his predecessor, this new Doctor is able to flit back and forth with these gamuts of emotions quite expertly.

When he’s not persuading Rose that he’s really The Doctor, he asks if she wants to go home. When Rose didn’t provide an answer quick enough he decided to go back to the Powell Estate on Christmas Eve. Again this would lead in nicely to a certain episode and while he doesn’t forget about Jack, The Doctor isn’t exactly in a mad panic to go back and save him. That’s one negative point against The Doctor.

Sometimes I wished we had seen a little bit of Jack in the second season but the dangerous part comes when The Doctor starts behaving erratically and speeds up the TARDIS. Although Rose is perfectly within her rights to freak out she should be grateful that this Doctor isn’t going to strangle her anytime soon. That would definitely add to the tension between The Doctor and Rose right now.

- Rose mentioned her experiences with Gelth, the Slitheen and Nanogenes when attempting to assert her cleverness.
- The Cloister Bell went off at the end of this scene. That will occur in future episodes of the series.
- I loved the CIN ads both David Tennant and Billie Piper did during this special scene. You can find them on YouTube if you look real hard.
- The Doctor telling Rose about their first encounter/word in “Rose” was a nice shout out.
- If The Doctor knew Jack had to rebuild the Earth, how did he think Jack was going to do it?
- This is the first anything really with David Tennant’s name in the Opening Credits. I’m so glad it was featured on the Season Two DVD because I missed its original broadcast.

Quote, Unquote

Rose: “Can you change back?”
The Doctor: “Do you want me to?”
Rose: “Yeah.”
The Doctor: “Oh.”
Rose: “Can you?”
The Doctor: “No. Do you want to leave?”
Rose: “Do you want me to leave?”

As mini-scenes go, “Pudsey Cutaway” is a lot of fun and over the next few years, it would be little things such as this that would continue to add to the joy of watching Doctor Who and even reviewing it. It was a nice way of briefly introducing David Tennant before “The Christmas Invasion”.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Rant #99: The Beatles Save the World!


To demonstrate that people still have some good taste in music, the re-release of the Beatles’ album catalog is sending people back to record stores and other places selling CDs.

EMI Group PLC says consumers in North America, Japan and the U.K. bought more than 2.25 million copies of the Fab Four's re-mastered albums in the first five days after their Sept. 9 release.

On Billboard's pop catalog chart, the band had 16 titles in the top 50, including all 14 re-mastered CDs and two box sets, one stereo, one mono.

The Beatles' original U.K. studio albums were released to coincide with the sale of "The Beatles: Rock Band" on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, and the ploy is working to perfection; I will bet a good percentage of the purchasers of these CDs are younger than age 25.

And that is great. The generation that has been inundated with the likes of 50 Cent, Eminem, T.I. and countless other trash acts making garbage that today is called “music” is gravitating to music that really is music, music that says something, and music that has withstood the generations.

Yes, I am talking like an old fuddy duddy, but so be it. The Beatles’ music is timeless, and I am glad that a new generation is hearing, and grooving, to this stuff.

Yes, I know they are being introduced to it by playing a video game, but you know what, if that gets them, then that is fine. If that is the way they get to hear music that they would not normally hear, then I am all for it.

In fact, I am very proud, in a personal way, because the other night, my 14-year-old son asked me to download all of the Beatles’ LPs onto his iPod, which I already had, of course, and I happily obliged his new-found passion for the Fab Four.

And to make sure that he had everything, he rattled off about a dozen songs, and yes, they are now on his iPod …

Next to 50 Cent, Eminem and T.I., but heck, you have to start someplace.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Stresa: Sbarca la F1 dell’Off Shore


Sono apparsi ieri i primi mezzi dell’organizzazione del Gran Premio d’Italia «Città di Stresa» di Off Shore Classe 1 sulla piazza Marconi e hanno già preso il via le attività di predisposizione dell’area paddock in vista delle gare in programma dal 2 al 4 ottobre. Sono intanto state definite le misure per gestire la viabilità nei giorni delle gare e in quelli immediatamente precedenti.
Da giovedì 1 ottobre fino a lunedì 5 scatterà la chiusura del tratto della Statale 33 del Sempione, che va dall’intersezione con la via Duchessa di Genova all’altezza dell’Hotel La Palma fino al semaforo del Ponte del Roddo. Per le autovetture ed i pullman è prevista una deviazione in loco lungo la via Duchessa di Genova e la via Principe di Piemonte. Contemporaneamente alla chiusura del tratto di Ss 33, scatterà anche il divieto di transito, sempre sulla stessa arteria, per i mezzi pesanti di massa complessiva superiore a 3,5 tonnellate, esclusi i mezzi impegnati in carico e scarico e gli autobus: il divieto, in vigore dalle 8 del primo ottobre, terminerà lunedì a mezzogiorno.
Il traffico pesante verrà così deviato sulla A26: si è però in attesa di un provvedimento per garantire l’apertura notturna dell’autostrada, che attualmente viene chiusa nel tratto Baveno- Carpugnino per lavori dalle 20 alle 7 dal lunedì al giovedì notte e dalle 22 alle 7 il venerdì notte.
La Società Autostrade ha concesso, per il periodo del Gran Premio, la riapertura anticipata alle 5 della mattina, ma rimane comunque il rischio di pesanti disagi per gli autotrasportatori per i quali nelle ore notturne c’è il rischio di doversi dirigere lungo la Statale 229 del Lago D’Orta. Una decisione definitiva è attesa nelle prossime ore. Per favorire il controllo della viabilità e il parcheggio delle auto sono state previste ulteriori misure nei giorni clou della gara, il 3 e 4 ottobre.
Sabato e domenica sarà istituito lungo la Statale 33 del Sempione il senso unico in direzione Belgirate–Stresa a partire dalla località La Sacca: in questo modo verrà offerta l’opportunità di parcheggio su un lato della carreggiata. Gli automobilisti che volessero dirigersi da Stresa a Belgirate dovranno pertanto seguire un tracciato alternativo sulle strade della collina.
Sempre il 3 e 4 ottobre sarà inoltre chiuso in uscita il casello autostradale di Brovello Carpugnino: le auto dirette a Stresa o nel Vergante o a Gignese dovranno ripiegare sulle uscite di Meina o di Baveno della A26. Il casello rimarrà, invece regolarmente aperto in ingresso.
Nei giorni di sabato e domenica sarà infine istituito il senso unico in direzione Someraro lungo la provinciale che da Stresa si collega con la frazione collinare: anche in questo caso è prevista la possibilità di parcheggio sul lato della carreggiata. Gli automobilisti che da Someraro volessero raggiungere il capoluogo dovranno scendere verso Baveno oppure salire fino a Levo e quindi utilizzare la strada panoramica e scendere a Stresa.
Restrizioni anche alla navigazione durante le gare di Off Shore : è stata prevista l’interdizione dalle 13 alle 17,30 di venerdì; dalle 9 alle 11,30 e dalle 13,30 alle 15,30 di sabato e dalle 9 alle 11 e dalle 13,30 alle 15,30 di domenica. Le Isole Borromee rimarranno comunque aperte al pubblico.(di Luca Gemelli su La Stampa)

"I gave it all for the long run"

Selena Gomez's debut comes out tomorrow and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys pure pop music. Interestingly, I've read wildly diverging reviews of the album, from Entertainment Weekly's total trashing of the record to AMG's glowing words. I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I mean, the vocals are not what this record is about, nor do they need to be. But the production and songwriting is consistent and great for this genre, and Gomez is an appealing frontwoman (perhaps not as appealing as she is when acting, but nonetheless...). I Won't Apologize is the only track she shares a writing credit on, and although it didn't jump out at me upon first listen, it's one of my favorites now. I love the electronic pop/rock sound of this, and the chorus is very infectious.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Stresa: Grande successo per la PFM canta De Andrè


A 30 anni dallo storico tour con Fabrizio De Andrè, la Premiata Forneria Marconi ha riproposto dal vivo e con gli arrangiamenti originali, domenica scorsa al Palazzo dei Congressi di Stresa – evento organizzato dal Comune stresiano – le canzoni più significative di quell’evento, regalando al pubblico che ha gremito il Palazzo dei Congressi in ogni ordine di posti un concerto di due ore e mezzo di grandissima energia musicale. Sul palco, Franz Di Cioccio, frontman, voce e batterista della formazione, Patrick Djvas al basso, Franco Mussida, voce e chitarre, e il violinista Lucio Fabbri, special guest della serata, hanno condotto gli spettatori nell’universo fatto di storie minime che Faber, il poeta cantante, sapeva rendere uniche e universali. E come 30 anni fa, tra il primo pezzo in scaletta, “Bocca di Rosa” che racconta dell’amore sacro e l’amor profano, e l’ultimo eseguito, ovvero “Il pescatore” dal solco lungo il viso, i brani e i personaggi di De André (Marinella, Piero, un giudice, il ladrone Tito solo per citarne alcuni) hanno ripreso a vivere in un concerto che per la PFM non vuole essere una celebrazione, ma l’occasione per una cavalcata irrefrenaible nella musica senza tempo; non per niente nella seconda parte della serata sono state proposte le canzoni che hanno reso famosa la Premiata Forneria Marconi in Italia e non solo, dal momento che è stata l’unica formazione nostrana a conquistarsi un posto nella classifica statunitense Billboard. Anche se qualcuno della formazione originale sfoggia oggi con vanto i capelli bianchi, la loro performance è stata una grande lezione per tutti su come deve essere uno spettacolo dal vivo, tra improvvisazione d’artista, estrema cura dei dettagli e una passione immarcescibile per la musica. (VcoAzzurraTv)

Rant #98: Never To Be Forgotten Or Forgiven


On Sept. 24, Susan Atkins, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson whose remorseless witness stand confession to killing pregnant actress Sharon Tate in 1969 shocked the world, has died of brain cancer, making Atkins the first of the convicted killers to die. She was 61.

At the time of her death, she had been in prison longer than any woman currently incarcerated in California, and her passing comes less than a month after a parole board turned down the terminally ill woman's last chance at freedom on Sept. 2.

These murders were among the most vicious assaults ever documented, and cast a pall on the “mellowness” of the late 1960s youth movement embodied by the Woodstock generation.

Tate, the 26-year-old actress who appeared in the movie "Valley of the Dolls" and was the wife of famed director Roman Polanski, was one of seven murdered in two Los Angeles homes during the Manson cult's bloody rampage in August 1969.

Atkins confession from the witness stand rankled the public. Among her quotes while on the stand was that she had no remorse for what she did because (and I paraphrase) “I did it with love.”

Atkins subsequently apologized for her acts numerous times over the years, saying that finding Christianity had given her a new perspective on the acts that she had committed.

Nonetheless, she never won parole, even while on her deathbed. In fact, Tate’s younger sister recently said that Atkins did not deserve parole because she had lost out not only on having her sister, but she had lost a nephew that would have been 40 years old this year due to Atkins senseless rampage.

If memory serves me correctly, Atkins was sent on her mission to not kill Tate, but to rub out music producer Terry Melcher, Doris Day’s son.

Melcher, a big-time producer at Columbia Records who did work with numerous acts including Paul Revere and the Raiders, had had conversations with Brian Wilson about possibly recording the music of a very young Charles Manson. When nothing came of the idea due to a violent confrontation that both Melcher and Wilson saw between Manson and another man, Manson became further outraged, and vowed to get Melcher.

Melcher had lived at the address Atkins was sent to by Manson, but had recently moved out with his then girlfriend, Candice Bergen. Polanski and Tate rented the house, and reportedly were not targeted; they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Anyway, Atkins passing will be a cause for joy of many people. Her callousness on the witness stand is permanently etched in many memories, and although she was not a troublesome prisoner, she and her cohorts belong behind bars as long as they live, as does Manson, who people forget never killed anyone—but his manifestations of being God as well as the ringleader of this band of drugged-out leeches cannot ever be forgiven anytime soon.