In cazu' asta, neprevazutul de materializeaza in invitatia unui prieten de a urca pe munte, in Ceahlau, mai exact. Intre 25 si 26 ale lunii curente.  Si cel mai probabil concertu' Scorpions va fi pe 26, in ultima seara a..festivalului "Zilele Craiovei". Deci eu ce pana mea fac?

     Vreau si la Scorpions, vreau si pe munte. Sa analizam putin situatia: imi place mult pe munte, da' la fel de mult imi place si muzica scorpionsilor, da' la concertu' lor am fost si anu' trecut, in Ceahlau n-am urcat niciodata. Dar daca as alege Craiova, m-as duce cu mai multi prieteni, pe cand daca aleg muntele o sa ma trezesc intr-un grup de cativa oameni [ cativa mai  multi ], majoritatea necunoscuti. Si cea mai mica dintre ei :-" . [ Nu ca m-ar deranja, dimpotriva, imi place sa comunic cu persoane necunoscute si imi fac prieteni repede.]. Pana aci' e egalitate. Un punct in plus pentru Scorpions ar fi ca acolo m-ar lasa mai usor ai mei. Unul in minus ar fi ca e, cel mai probabil, duminica seara, iar eu luni am scoaaaala. Deci avem aceeasi monstruoasa egalitate. Elementul definitoriu ar trebui sa fie propria mea vointa, dar eu vreau si la Scorpions, si in Ceahlau. Le vreau pe amandoua.

     Deci, in final, eu ce dracu' fac? Sugestii?

Therefore, this 月曜日 (Monday) (十月十三日 (October 13)) is 体育の日 (Sports Day). So, 今日 (today) is the first day of a 三連休 (three-day weekend).

(You can see my short FAQ post about 体育の日 (Sports Day) here.)

There are many 秋祭 (Autumn Festivals) around 日本 (Japan) this weekend and next. We plan to go to a couple of them.

Today (土曜日 (Saturday)), though, we're just staying home because our daughters need to study for exams that they'll will have at school on 火曜日 (Tuesday).

*****
I'm part of "Generation X" (born in the late 1960s - late '70s). I was in Elementary school in the 1970s and a teenager in the 1980s.
I can remember (vaguely) the election of the US President Jimmy Carter. More vividly I remember when Rubik's Cube®, Sony Walkman® (that played cassettes), MTV®, "Nightmare On Elm Street", and Pac-Man® were big.

Growing up I loved Star Wars, The Incredible Hulk (TV show), Knight Rider (I've seen an episode of that old show recently...I can't believe I liked it as a kid!), Evel Knievel, The Fonz, and heavy metal music (some of my favorites were (and still are): KISS (see my post here), Judas Priest, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, and Scorpions).

Recognize any of those? Some things on that list were from the '70s (until I was ten years old) and others were from the '80s (when I was eleven years old til high school).

(BTW, all of the band logos above are copyright© of their respective owners. And I got the images from the Hard Rock Hideout website).

My three kids were born between 1993 and 1996. Their generation doesn't remember a pre-internet or pre-cell phone world. They were too young to understand the "9/11" attacks when they occurred.

---
Anyways...what was popular with you when you were growing up? (Write about it in the comments section!)

Radioactive scorpion Venom that can be used as a treatment for malignant brain cancer.  The venom locks on to malignant cells and then the scientist irradiate those cells. As of now the scientist are still doing research on the possible treatment, although it is a considerably huge breakthrough.

Moving On...

Testicles ' are stem cell source'

Researchers have found out that cells in male testicles can be converted into stem cells, that can manipulate to produce all the cells in the body, and can be used for rejenative purposes, injecting nerve cells, heart cells, brain cells and bone cells without the fear of the body rejecting them.

Meaning guys that you can make quick money off this.  Since testicles are not fetus, I don't think anyone can say anything negative about this..... right?

Scorpions

Still Loving You

Scorpions-Wind Of change

Scorpions - You and I

Maybe I Maybe You - Scorpions

Scorpions - Always somewhere

Scorpions - Send Me An Angel (Acoustica Lisboa)

Scorpions - Love Of My Life (Acoustica Lisboa)

Scorpions - When Love Kills Love (Acoustica Lisboa)

Scorpions - White Dove

Scorpions-Dust in the wind

Zilele Craiovei 2008 se desfasoara in perioada 19-26 octombrie, iar manifestarile organizate cu acest prilej includ o gama variata de concerte, piese de teatru, lansari de carte, expozitii, jocuri, concursuri si parade.

In prima seara a evenimantului (19 octombrie), craiovenii vor putea asista in Piata Mihai Viteazul la concerte sustinute de Lavinia, Celia, Andra, Monica Anghel, Marcel Pavel si Holograf.

Pe 21 octombrie, incepand cu ora 18.00, Filarmonica Oltenia gazduieste Gala muzicii folk. Vor sarbatori Zilele Craiovei 2008 alaturi de carioveni artistii: Nicu Alifantis, Mircea Baniciu si Vlady Cnejevici, Ducu Bertzi si Mihai Nenita, Zoia Alecu, Mircea Vintila, Dinu Olarasu , Maria Gheorghiu, Vasile Seicaru, Tatiana Stepa, Madalina Amon, Bogdan Grosu.

Pe 23 octombrie, asa cum am spus deja, trupa Scorpions sarbatoreste Zilele Craiovei 2008 pe Velodromul din Parcul Nicolae Romanescu.

In data de 24 octombrie, interpreti renumiti de muzica populara vor face spectacol pe Esplanada din fata Postei din Cartierul Craiovita Noua.

Maria Ciobanu, Ciprian Pop, Laura Lavric, Sava Negrean Brudascu, Cornelia si Lupu Rednic, Maria Rotaru, Constantin Enceanu, Petrica Matu Stoian, Niculina Stoican, Steliana Sima, Stana Izbasa, Cristian Pomohaci vor canta in aceasta sera pentru craioveni.

Velodromul din Parcul Nicolae Romanescu gazduieste pe 25 octombrie, incepand cu ora 18.00, concerte Keo, Zdob si Zdub, Iris si (favoritele redactiei METALHEAD - este o gluma, evident!) - Blaxy Girls.

Ultima seara dedicata sarbatoririi Zilelor Craiovei 2008 se va incheia tot pe Velodromul din Parcul Nicolae Romanescu, unde vor canta (incepand cu ora 18.00) Smiley, VH 2, Voltaj, Alex si Chris Norman.

Sursa: metalhead.ro

Că tot zice lumea că o să vină Scorpions la Zilele Craiovei.

     Saptamana trecuta Ral m-a anuntat ca vin Scorpions in Romania [ IAAAAAR ,<:-p ], de data asta la Craiova, ca anu' trecut au fost la Sibiu. Avand in vedere ca am fost destul de norocoase si am reusit sa ajungem acum un an la concertul lor, si ca ne-am distrat prea bine, si ca ne-a placut, si ca mai vrem, este evident ca acum punem la cale diverse planuri care sa ne faciliteze participarea la Scorpions 2008, printre care si fuga de acasa [ pentru mine nu e nimic nou :)) ].

     Acu' suntem in cautare de alti amatori, ca sa nu ne ducem singure acolo. Anyone interested? :))

     P.S: Puteti gasi stirea despre concertul din Craiova aici .

            Si uite si cateva poze de anu' trecut.

Mas cá pra nós, quem organiza esses shows, mesmo sendo empresas distintas, não poderiam se tocar que o público do Duran Duran, da Cyndi Lauper e do REM são mais ou menos as mesmas pessoas? Eles acham mesmo que o povo ta com essa bola toda? Por muito menos o Scorpions tocou para meia dúzia de pessoas...

I went there to attend a one week Buddhist/yoga retreat about karma and
rebirth. The teacher was a relative of the Parsi woman who I went to yoga classes with in Rishikesh.  We would have a 25 minute meditation session at 6 am followed by an hour yoga class. Then, we had a 4 pm to 7 pm lecture followed by a variety of exercises (including the hated drawing sessions) after dinner. I initially thought that I would have lots of free time but you have to sign up for Karma Yoga which basically means unpaid labor that you are supposed to live in the moment, think mindfully, and lovingly do the cooking, cleaning, weeding, washing dishes etc. I couldn't fall for the theory but I did the work anyway.

I lucked out in having my own room while I was there although I occasionally shared it with a scorpion and a spider as big as my hand who I called Felix. So, any trips to the bathroom at night meant grabbing a flashlight, my glasses, and wearing my flip flops JUST in case we had an unexpected meeting. I was told scorpions can sleep pretty soundly so that's why I wore the shoes.

There were only about ten attendees there including four Australian citizens
(three of whom were from South Africa, Switzerland, or Ireland), two Danes,
an English guy, and two Indians. The ages ranged from 18 to about 44 and
everybody was quite serious about what we were learning unlike the Z
Meditation Center. The teacher, Behram, was an Indian guy who has been
teaching Buddhism for over 6 years dividing his time between Australia,
Europe and India. He was very funny, articulate, and quite learned although
surprisingly caustic in his teaching style at times.

Buddhist teachings: I won't go into all the details about how your karma is
determined but please keep in mind that the thoughts, speech and actions up to three weeks before your death play a big role in determining your rebirth as that is called "death proximate karma." We get millions of rebirths but only very few as humans so this is our chance to get off the "wheel of
suffering." Your rebirth placement is constantly being determined by your
thoughts, speech and actions. One of the big aides to stop the endless
rebirths is to practice loving kindness towards all living beings and
inanimate things, meditate and study all the Buddhism texts. The only "get
out of jail free" card is enlightenment where you are supposed to really
accept we are all one universal being and life as we know it is like living
in a giant hologram. Pretty wild, eh?

In fact, I learned so much that week, I decided to stay on for the second week about the Buddhist Ten Perfections which wasn't as informative but quite interesting still the same. So, lots of information that has really caused me to reexamine how I want to live my life in the future but you don't have to worry that I'll shave my head (my hair is thin enough already, it may not grow back!) or don yellow robes or anything.

von Daniel Terek

Erik Albrecht ist 38 Jahre alt. Er ist einer von mehr als vier Millionen Zwangskranken in Deutschland. Der gelernte Maler leidet an einem Gebrechen, das es ihm mehrere Jahre unmöglich gemacht hat, seine Wohnung zu verlassen. Zurückgezogen lebt er im betreuten Wohnen. Erik leidet seit frühester Kindheit unter massiven Fremdscham-Attacken. Zittern, Atemnot, Herzrasen sind nur einige der Beschwerden, die sich bei ihm einstellen, sobald er die Peinlichkeiten anderer durchlebt.

Seinen Alltag hat er auf sein Leiden abgestimmt, indem er den Kontakt zur Außenwelt minimal hält, Menschenmassen und seine Familie meidet. Besonders das soziale Gebilde der Familie, so Experten, ist nämlich ein guter Nährboden für Fremdscham.

Als Auslöser für die akute Phase seiner Erkrankung gilt ein Konzert, das er Ende der 80er Jahre besucht hat.

Die Karte hatte er von seinem Onkel zum Geburtstag bekommen. Es war eines dieser Konzerte in einem Fußballstadion, die diese Ära prägten und der Musikrichtung „Stadion-Rock" ihren Namen gaben. 20.000 Jugendliche - Männlein wie Weiblein - stürmten hinein und hüllten ihre Leiber in viel zu enge Stretchstoffe, hatten wallende Dauerwellen und Schnurrbärte. Eine Fremdscham-Attacke jagte die nächste und Erik Schweißperlen auf die Stirn. Die Anspannung war unheimlich hoch, dennoch wollte er durchhalten, schließlich hatte die Karte doch 33 Mark gekostet.

Der Abend ging zur Neige. Als nächstes sollte der Hauptact auftreten. Eriks Anspannung löste sich. Der Headliner des Abends war eine hannöversche Hardrock-Kapelle, die Scorpions. Direkt beim Einsetzen der Musik begann das Stadion rhythmisch zu wippen, zu schunkeln und zu klatschen. Eine beeindruckende Kulisse bot sich Erik, der bisher solch große Menschenmassen gescheut hatte. Seine Beklemmungen lösten sich. Auch er begann zu wippen und zu schunkeln und zu klatschen. Alles ging gut - bis er sich, in einem unüberlegten Moment, die Texte, die Klaus Meine da gerade so inbrünstig auf der Bühne sang, mit seinem in der Schule erworbenen Englisch-Wortschatz übersetzte. Erik fing sofort an zu hyperventilieren und verfiel in einen hysterischen Schreikrampf. Ein Verhalten, das man heutzutage nur noch von Konzerten Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlakes und vereinzelt von Lesungen Axel „Klinge" Klingenbergs kennt. Er wurde in eine Spezial-Klinik eingewiesen. Und dort die erschütternde Diagnose: Fremdscham. Nach einer dreimonatigen Therapie, in der er viele Fortschritte gemacht hatte, stand Erik kurz vor der Entlassung. Doch dann die Hiobsbotschaft. Mauerfall! Und Erik war klar, dass er für lange Zeit nicht mehr vor die Tür gehen konnte. Bilder von DDR-Bürgern in Trabanten lösten bei ihm nervöse Zuckungen aus. Noch vor einiger Zeit hätte schon eine halbe Stunde RTL 2-Gucken für Erik lebensgefährlich sein können.

Bis er die Therapie beim schwedischen Fremdscham-Spezialisten-Psychologen Dr. Klopsä Klopson angefangen hat. Bei der Konfrontationstherapie des Dr. Klopson geht es darum, seinen Ängsten ins Auge zu blicken und durch eigene Peinlichkeit zu bekämpfen.

Heute steht in der Therapiesitzung ein Gang in die Stadt auf dem Plan. Erik wird dabei von einem Sozialpädagogen betreut, dem Holger. Der Holger ist die Idealbesetzung für diesen Job. Er betreut Erik mittlerweile schon einige Jahre. In den ersten Jahren diente das nur zur Desensibilisierung. Der Holger kam täglich vorbei, unbestrumpft, nur in Sandalen, mitsamt seiner Zimmermannshose und dem fleckigen Feinripp-Unterhemd, über das er lässig ein kariertes Holzfällerhemd gestreift hatte. Auf seinen Schultern lagen fettigen Haare, aus denen unkontrolliert eine Nickelbrille wuchs, die sich durch das mächtige Backenbart-Gestrüpp zu kämpfen hatte. Doch mittlerweile ist Erik schon soweit, unter Menschen zu gehen. Er trägt dazu eine speziell von Dr. Klopson entwickelte Garderobe. Diese besteht aus weißen Krokodilleder-Stiefeln, einer an den Seiten aufknüpfbaren synthetischen Adidas-Trainingshose, einer türkisen Gürteltasche, einem Muskelshirt mit der Aufschrift „Bulldog Gym", drei Goldketten und den Rolex-Imitaten an beiden Handgelenken. Erik hat sich speziell für den heutigen Anlass eine Halbglatze frisiert. Sein imposanter Schnauz tanzt dazu im Wind. Abgerundet wird das ganze durch eine verspiegelte Pilotenbrille. Dr. Klopson nennt das die „Rüstung der Peinlichkeit". Sie ist das Herzstück seiner „Was-interessiert mich die Peinlichkeit der anderen, wenn ich selbst rumlaufe wie ein Vollhonk"-Therapie.

Aufgabe der heutigen Sitzung ist es, sich in einem McDonalds-Restaurant nur von den Nahrungsresten im Tablettrückführwägelchen ein schmackhaftes Menü zusammenzustellen. Danach soll Erik noch eine Übungseinheit in Kommunikation absolvieren. Dabei hat er die Aufgabe, eine wildfremde Person mit folgenden Satz ansprechen: "Hör ma', ich finde deine Beine so schön, ich glaub ich muss denen mal Namen geben: also das linke Bein ist Weihnachten, und das rechte Bein ist Neujahr. Aber warum ich eigentlich hier bin ... ich wollt dich fragen, ob ich dich zwischen den Feiertagen mal besuchen kann?"

Es ist noch ein langer Weg zur vollständigen Genesung, dennoch wünsche ich alles Gute auf dem Wege der Besserung und hoffe das Erik irgendwann ein normales Leben führen kann.

All the Live Album reviews are after this post.

This week is dedicated to some of the most influential live albums that I have listened to over the years. Most of these are my all-time favorite live albums but, most importantly, each album helped me discover more about each band.  Each live album review will be similar to my normal reviews but with a little more emphasis on the memories that each one possesses.

Here's this week's lineup:

Sunday: KISS - Alive II (1977)

Monday: Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985)

Tuesday: Scorpions - World Wide Live (1985)

Wednesday: Krokus - Alive & Screamin' (1986)

Thursday: Royal Hunt - Live 1996 (1996)

Friday: UFO - Strangers In The Night (1979)

Saturday: Judas Priest - Priest.....Live! (1987)

Scorpion stings represent a major public health problem in Mexico. Their annual incidence is estimated at 150,000 cases; 800-1,000 people die from them each year.  The states most affected are Aguascalientes, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas. Morelos is an endemic zone, and scorpion stings are relatively frequent, but the indigenous population underestimates the risks. In this locality, scorpion stings lead to high morbidity, with an average of 10,219 cases each year, and a prevalence varying from 584.86 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1994 to 2043.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003. Because of this upsurge, systematic medical supervision and serum therapy are necessary if scorpion poisoning is suspected in a child. The indigenous community as well as tourists visiting Mexico must be informed about the substantial risk of scorpion poisoning.

Nice!

If you are the praying kind, please keep our team here in prayer as we live life in the state of Morelos Mexico!

first of all, the picture in the other post is the same kind of scorpion, but not the guy who stung me.

so here's what happened....

tuesday night i was at agility class on the outskirts of town with my cody bear.  he was doing great and we had just finished a set of obstacles and it was time to take him for a little walk to make peepers.  ya follow?

so it was very dark, and i don't know if the scorpion was on my pants or on cody's leash, but when i dropped my hand he struck. i lifted my hand on reflex while experiencing this horrible stinging and shocking pain.  at first i thought it was a cactus, but it hurt even more than the dreaded cholla and....it was moving.  it was about the size of a cricket.  ya dig?

getting stressed? i am.  let's take a break in the story to glance at a picture of my sweet dog, cody bear:

well i was FREAKING out and not thinking straight: didn't really know what it was.  i looked down and saw what i learned later was a drop of venom on my finger tip.  i kept digging for a thorn or a stinger, but there wasn't one.  just this unbelievable nasty shocking pain.

the poodle's owner said it was a scorpion.  and to sum it up, she told me it would be excruciating pain for 3 days or so and the only thing i could do was take benedryl and keep icing it.  (after the incident, many google searches found the same thing.)

but dear friends r. and a.h. met me at my house shortly after with a big knife and a first aid kit.  r. disappeared into my back yard while a.h. consoled my pets and tried to keep me calm.  by this time i was freaking out because it hurt so badly....and because i was sure i was going to die....which i wasn't going to.

r. comes back in with....

....a giant cactus pad.

he removes the prickly outer coating and cuts it into strips.  he mashed one and placed it on my finger then a.h.  wrapped it tightly.  ahhhh a poultice of sorts.

here's the deal people, within seconds the pain decreased by almost 75%.  i had been warned i wouldn't sleep that night because the pain would be so intense, but this natural rememdy was amazing.  i still didn't sleep well.  too freaked out!  what if i had been allergic? or worse, what if the scorpion had stung cody bear instead of me???  the next day i felt like i had a low dose shock all day and by evening it was just numb.  when i woke up this morning....it was as if it had never happened!

thanks dr. r., you amazing friend and biology professor.  and thanks a.h. you amazing dog walker and calmer of spirits.  you both saved me, for reals!

Mark Knopfler, vazut in mai 2008 la Londra. Imi placeau oricum dinainte Dire Straits, dar el, singur, e chiar mult mai bun. Un chitarist exceptional, care colaboreaza cu alti 6 instrumentisti foarte profi, fiecare dintre ei cunoscand perfect 2-3 instrumente, unul chiar vreo 5. Atmosfera de la Royal Albert Hall a fost una foarte prietenoasa, iar englezii (de toate varstele, inclusiv 70 si!) nu sunt deloc atat de snobi cum ma asteptam si stiu sa faca atmosfera. Toata lumea a cantat, a dansat, a fluierat, cu totii ne-am ridicat intr-un ropot de aplauze dupa solo-ul de la Sultans of Swing. Sunetul a picat la un moment dat pentru cateva secunde. N-a injurat nimeni, nu s-a scris in presa de a doua zi, Knopfler a zambit si ne-a (in)cantat mai departe. Trebuie sa recunosc ca aceasta a fost unul dintre putinele concerte unde am avut cu adevarat emotii. Aproape plangeam de fericire. Eram intr-un loc magic, aveam la cativa metri de mine o scena pe care au cantat aproape toate numele mari din muzica lumii si ascultam un artist cu a carui muzica am crescut.

Muse, octombrie 2007. Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucuresti. Dupa o asteptare de aproape doua ore la coada si o incalzire pe muzica lui Brett Anderson, in sfarsit incepe "Hysteria". Un concert cu care mi-am innebunit toti prietenii zile in sir inainte si dupa. Am cantat, am urlat, am facut zeci de poze, l-am venerat pe Bellamy pentru solo-urile de la pian, m-am simtit ca o adolescenta care merge la concertul boyband-ului preferat. Sunet impecabil, efecte speciale, public minunat. Iar Muse sunt una dintre putinele formatii la ale carei concerte as merge si a doua oara.

The Cure, Viena, februarie 2008. Primul lucru care m-a lovit la intrare a fost publicul. Aproape toata lumea venise costumata in fel si chip, majoritatea baietilor incercand sa imite stilul lui Robert Smith. Concertul s-a tinut la Gasometer Halle, o sala nu foarte spatioasa, dar cu o acustica perfecta. The Cure si-au facut meseria si au dat tot ce-au avut mai bun timp de 3 ore, cu 11 melodii la bis, dar nu m-au mai impresionat atat de mult cum ar fi facut-o acum vreo 8 ani. Ca tot e vorba "fiecare lucru la momentul potrivit". Am avut sentimentul ca momentul lor de glorie a cam trecut, poate si pentru ca si-au mai pierdut din originalitatea si nonconformismul de-altadata, dar pe de alta parte si atmosfera in sala a fost destul de statica. Toata lumea se balanganea in virtutea inertiei. La iesire..se putea?! Am dat peste un roman (dupa fata si port nu stiu ce cauta el la The Cure. L-as fi gasit mai degraba in Mamaia la vreun disco de fitze:) se luase la cearta cu toata lumea care statea la coada civilizat la garderoba si striga in disperare "Miss, miss, hey u, my jacket, hey I'm in hurry.." Cum mi-am dat seama ca era roman?? :)) Tipic..cu voce tare injura in romaneste, de parca era singur in jungla si nu l-ar fi inteles nimeni.

Jethro Tull, de vreo trei ori in Romania. Anii au trecut, Ian Anderson a mai imbatranit, dar talentul, energia si vitalitatea nu i-au disparut. Flautul sau magic imi trezeste de fiecare data amintiri din vremurile in care faceam primii pasi in viata.

Placebo, august 2006, Bucuresti. Unul dintre cele mai dezamagitoare show-uri vazute vreodata. Sunetul mi-a cam zgariat urechile, iar ei au cantat fals unele piese, cum ar fi "20 years", "Every You and Every Me" etc. Unii vor spune ca de fapt le-au mai modificat, dar parerea mea e ca vocea lui Molko era total pe langa. Au mai si intarziat foarte mult, asa ca asteptarea de vreo 3 ore (cu tot cu cea de la intrarea in Arenele Romane) nu a meritat efortul. Raman la ascultatul in varianta CD. M-a amuzat in schimb replica din deschidere "Ladies and gentlemen of Bucharest, we’re the ladies and gentlemen of Placebo".

Hooverphonic, B'Estival 2007. Geike Arnaert, solista lor, este o dulceata de fata! Si mai canta si bine! Foarte simpatic concertul lor! Mi-a parut rau insa ca publicul nu a facut cine stie ce atmosfera, decat la "Mad about you". Oare erau cu totii nerabdatori sa intre in scena Faithless?! :) Nu mai fusesem niciodata la un concert Faithless, nici macar nu eram mare fan, dar la sfarsitul show-ului eram si eu ca toata lumea in extaz! A fost senzational! Am dansat pana la epuizare! Am plecat foarte entuziasmata in seara aceea de la festival, desi initial imi luasem bilet pentru Yonderboi si Morcheeba. Ungurul mi-a placut si live, Morcheeba, insa, m-a lasat rece.

Modest Mouse, Iunie 2007, Roma. Veselie mare fratilor! Mai ales cand concertul se tine intr-un loc gen Fabrica (Circolo dei Artisti), unde formatia interactioneaza mereu cu publicul si tot show-ul se transforma intr-o petrecere. Stilul de muzica indie nu inseamna numai sa oferi un sound bun live, ci si sa ai un pic de carisma sau un oarece sange actoricesc in tine. Iar Modest Mouse sunt una dintre putinele trupe care canta indie pur! Supriza serii: alaturi de ei si-a facut aparitia si solistul de la The Smiths, Johnny Marr. Nu prea cunosteam multe melodii cand am ajuns acolo, in schimb, in zilele care au urmat ascultam aproape incontinuu Dashboard, Little Motel, Missed the Boat, Float On, Bukowski, The World at Large, Fire It Up etc.

Sigur Ros, Oya Festival, Oslo, august 2008. De vis!!! Despre Sigur am tot vorbit in cateva articole pe blog, asa ca n-o sa mai lungesc povestea. Sunt fenomenali! Un concert la care parul de pe maini ramane ridicat de la inceput pana la sfarsit. :)

Deep Purple, octombrie 2007, Bucuresti. Am asteptat cu nerabdare, dar si cu oarece retinere acest concert. Si pana la urma, banuielile mi-au fost confirmate. S-au dus vremurile cand una dintre cele mai bune formatii de rock ale anilor '70 te faceau sa urli timp de doua ore. Sunetul a picat si aici de vreo cateva ori, dar n-as spune ca asta a fost principala problema. Mi s-a parut ca ei au devenit foarte comerciali, melodiile noi nu mai aduc nimic special, iar cele vechi nu mai sunt interpretate cu forta de-altadata. Si visam la "Child in time"..

Judas Priest, iulie 2008, B'Estfest Aftershock, Bucuresti. De mult timp nu mai vazusem toata rockerimea Bucurestiului adunata. Si tare mi-a placut! Ma saturasem de toate fitzele intalnite pe la alte concerte. E adevarat si Judas au mai imbatranit, dar totusi...la "Breaking the Law" am dat din cap asa de tare ca nu mai stiam pe ce lume sunt. Iar Nostradamus, ultimul lor album, nu suna rau deloc!

Bonobo, octombrie 2008, Bucuresti. Lume cool, cum e moda acum. Atmosfera faina in mare, dar un pic cam falsa si intepata pentru gusturile mele. Muzica in schimb a fost ok. M-au impresionat si cei care au cantat inaintea lui, Silent Strike & String Quartet. Oricum la concerte de acest gen daca merg de vreo doua ori pe an imi ajunge (sunt si prea multe in ultima vreme). Cum a fost si la Jazzanova, de altfel. E interesant, imi place stilul, dar la un moment dat am senzatia unui copy paste.

Fatboy Slim, August 2006, Mamaia. Superb! Am facut bine ca nu m-am dus sa-l vad si anul asta, multa lume a fost dezamagita. Dar in 2006..mii de oameni dansand pe plaja pe "Right Here, Right Now", poza asta imi va ramane in minte pentru totdeauna!

Scorpions, la Bucuresti si la Sibiu. Concertul din Bucuresti mi-a placut la nebunie! Am cantat cu ei toate melodiile, am fost foarte emotionata la "Wind of Change", aducandu-mi aminte de Revolutie, dar si de taberele din scoala generala (cam extrema asocierea, dar..astea au fost vremurile). La concertul de la Sibiu insa, nu s-au mai auzit atat de bine, scena fiind foarte departe de noi, Piata Mare era si ea foarte aglomerata, lumea se imbrancea, dar, o bila alba totusi pentru atmosfera. Traiasca Transilvania..si rockerii de-acolo!

Joan Baez, iulie 2004, Bucuresti. Cum ai putea sa te simti cand esti pasionat de perioada curentului hippie, iar Joan Baez e la cativa metri de tine si iti spune povesti despre razboiul din Vietnam, San Fracisco si Bob Dylan? In seara aceea eu m-am simtit un om norocos. Pe langa micile istorioare, ea ne-a incantat si cu vocea ei blanda..dar vesnic revolutionara. A interpretat melodii in engleza, spaniola si..romana, alaturi de Narcisa Suciu. Ce-as da s-o vad intr-o zi pe aceeasi scena cu Dylan!

Vama Veche, mai 2000, Bucuresti. "Povestea merge mai departe". Cat de frumos a fost!!!! Eram in ultimul an de liceu, fara griji mari, doar cu amorul in suflet si cu berea in mana. Daca-mi aduc bine aminte parca a si plouat, dar pe cine mai interesa. De-atunci am mai vazut Vama Veche de vreo cateva ori in concert, pana cand s-au despartit. Dar doar acela imi va ramane in suflet! Ana, Sf. Petru, Calul din Marlboro..iar la Copilul si Durerea aproape imi dadeau lacrimile. "De ce te uiti la mine cu ochii astia goi..Si incerci sa-mi spui ca tot ce fac e prost.." Frumoase vremuri!

Rolling Stones, iulie 2007, Bucuresti. S-au scris atatea despre acest concert, incat randurile mele nu-si mai au rostul. Nu-i consider cea mai mare formatie de rock'n roll (si nici macar in primele 3), dar la capitolul spectacol sunt de departe pe primul loc. Probabil Romania nu va mai avea parte prea curand de un asemenea concert, cu atatea efecte, jocuri de lumini, scena adusa in mijlocul stadionului etc..Carisma lui Keith Richards e de neegalat, iar Mick Jagger m-a lasat cu gura cascata dupa dansul cu Lisa Fischer, backing vocal-ul lor.

Phoenix, Sala Polivalenta, Stufstock si diverse alte locatii din Bucuresti. Concertul de la Polivalenta a fost singurul concert Phoenix de care merita sa-mi aduc aminte. Pe-atunci Covaci inca mai avea voce, tensiunea dintre el si Baniciu inca mai putea fi aplanata, impunsaturile dintre ei fiind cat de cat subtile, dar totusi melodiile lor sunand inca exceptional. O sala intreaga cu oameni de toate varstele a izbucnit intr-un ropot de aplauze cand s-au auzit primele acorduri din Ciocarlia. Nu stiu ce s-a intamplat cu adevarat in anii care au urmat si cine este principalul vinovat, dar nu pot sa concep sa aud cantecele lor interpretate de Tavi Colen, cum s-a intamplat si la concertul cu ocazia implinirii a 45 de ani de cand s-au infiintat. Doar acei Phoenix cunoscuti din povestile parintilor imi vor ramane in suflet.

Pink, B'estival 2007, Bucuresti. A fost super tare! Aveam "fite" preconcepute inainte de festival, ca e prea comerciala..mai auzisem si ca la Cerbul de Aur a cantat cam fals..Dar la Bucuresti n-a fost deloc asa. A aparut in mare forta si asa a tinut-o tot concertul. M-am bucurat foarte mult si de surpriza pe care ne-a facut-o interpretand "What's Up" de la 4 Non Blondes.

Depeche Mode, 2006, Bucuresti. In scoala generala eram fan Guns'n Roses. Stiam doar vreo trei melodii Depeche si oricum nu prea concepeam eu sa trec in baricada lor. In liceu i-am descoperit ceva mai mult in bodega de la subsolul Facultatii de Litere. Muzica lor se potrivea perfect cu atmosfera underground din acel bar si cu lumina albastra care te invaluia din toate partile. Iar acum doi ani, inainte de concert, un prieten m-a "intoxicat" cu albumele lor aproape zi de zi. Asa am devenit si Depechista. Concertul mi-a placut foarte mult, Martin Gore este un instrumentist de exceptie, dar si vocalist, iar despre Graham se stia oricum ca e talentat.

Pink Martini, octombrie 2007, Bucuresti, Sala Palatului!!!! :( Uff, ce-as fi dorit ca un asemenea concert sa se tina intr-o sala mare unde ei sa cante intr-un colt..undeva, iar restul spatiului sa fie destinat dansului. China Forbes, solista, are o voce superba, indiferent de limba in care canta. Si i se potrivesc atatea stiluri muzicale! Am citit acum ceva vreme ca ea s-a despartit de trupa si va incepe o cariera solo. Pacat, intr-un fel, chiar imi placeau in acea formula..dar sa speram ca si materialele ei noi vor fi cel putin la fel de bine primite.

Buena Vista Social Club & Omara Portuondo, noiembrie 2006, Bucuresti. Uffaa!! Tot Sala Palatului. Aceeasi poveste, sala de dans. Ca in filmul acela cu Andy Garcia, "The Lost City". In rest, ei au fost exceptionali. O muzica care l-ar putea sensibiliza si pe un om cu inima de piatra.

Def Leppard, iulie 2008, Bucuresti. Imi plac cateva melodii de la ei, dar in concert in schimb nu m-au impresionat deloc. Versurile lor mi se par deja un pic puerile, prea auzi "love love love" in fiecare melodie, iar sound-ul e mai mult pop-rock decat hard-rock/heavy metal. Oricum pentru mine nu ei au fost vedetele serii, ci ce-a urmat dupa: Whitesnake, mai precis David Coverdale. In scoala generala eram innebunita dupa videoclipul de la "It's this love", dar nu mi-as fi imaginat atunci ca ei (si chiar numai el solo) au scos atatea melodii bune. Asta am aflat abia in facultate. La Bucuresti el a parut un pic ragusit, insa nu m-a dezamagit. Chitara a sunat super, iar publicul a cantat incontinuu. Era cat pe'aci sa comita si Coverdale eterna gafa "Bucarest-Budapest", dar si-a revenit la timp "Buda..Bucarest" :).

Nouvelle Vague, B'estfest 2008, Bucuresti. Melodiile lor imi amintesc de diminetile de la hostelul din Lisabona. Erau pentru "playlist-ul de la micul dejun", cum spuneau amicii mei portughezi. Si mai mult de-asta am vrut sa le vad concertul, macar partial (erau si Kaiser Chiefs in acelasi timp), la B'Estfest.
Muzica lor e faina, ca o zi de primavara, miscarile senzuale si pline de subintelesuri. Eu as fi ales ca locatie, mai degraba, Teatrul National sau o sala cu un decor gen Bulandra sau Odeon. Fir'ar, mereu ajung la povestea cu salile! :( Le puteti (re)vedea pe 22 noiembrie la noi..la Sala Palatului de data asta.

Jon Anderson (YES), septembrie 2005, Bucuresti. Sala Radio a fost plina pana la refuz. El a interpretat toate piesele cunoscute din perioada YES, dar si din colaborarea cu Vangelis. Concertul a inclus si o sumedenie de proiectii foarte interesante. M-au impresionat naturaletea lui Anderson si umorul. Din pacate, am aflat ca el este grav bolnav,iar YES si-au gasit momentan un alt solist. Altfel, speram intr-o revenire in Romania, cu ocazia aniversarii a 40 de ani de la infiintarea formatiei.

Uriah Heep, de doua ori la Bucuresti. Primul concert a fost ok in mare, desi "July Morning" live nu mai are intensitatea de-altadata. Ceea ce imi mai place la ei este faptul ca se simt bine in Romania. Nu zic n-or veni asa de des aici si din cauza banilor luati pe concerte, dar am citit ca au si vizitat cateva locuri de pe la noi si ca le-a placut. E frumos sa auzi ca altii trec pe-aici si din alte motive decat "salut, v-am cantat si am plecat". Al doilea concert al lor, in 2007, din nou cu Iris, nu prea m-a impresionat. Parca pierdusera si mai mult din forta. Iar Iris..aoleu! O sa fiu rea acum, dar sincer am avut senzatia ca am asistat la un priveghi. Inteleg, concert aniversar, 45 de ani, blah blah, dar felul in care a fost organizat, decorurile, muzica de pe fundal, ingerii aceia uriasi, poezia recitata de Maia Morgenstern..totul mi s-a parut extrem de trist si pesimist.

Cu un concert trist..dar deloc pesimist, voi incheia si eu aceasta insiruire de nume mari. "Blues pentru tata", martie 2007, Teatrul National. A fost ultimul eveniment muzical unde l-am vazut pe Florian Pittis cantand si recitand. Mi-a fost atat de drag acest om de parca l-as fi cunoscut personal. Dar carui iubitor de folk..sau de teatru radiofonic..nu i-a fost?! Am avut o singura data in viata ocazia sa merg la un concert Pasarea Colibri si a fost superb! Fara efecte, fara lumini, fara falsitati si jocuri de doi lei, doar trei oameni simpli care creau o atmosfera extrem de vesela..la polul opus..daca ar fi s-o compar cu senzatia de duritate sau chiar de incordare (cateodata..) de la concertele Phoenix.

Astea's numele care mi-au venit in minte intr-o ploioasa dupa-amiaza de septembrie. Au mai fost si altii, dar daca nu i-am mentionat probabil ca mi-au ramas indiferenti. Parada muzicala din acest an n-a luat sfarsit. Urmeaza Roisin Murphy, Thievery Corporation si..cam atat din ce as vrea eu sa mai vad pe anul asta.

P.S. Nu l-am uitat pe Cohen..dar a avut deja editia lui speciala :)

it is a scorpion.

what is it doing on my blog?

illustrating what stung me last night.

so, yes, last night at cody bear's agility class i was stung on my right index finger by a bark scorpion.

and i'm telling you....it hurt like a (list of expletives)

fortunately my quick thinking friends met me at my house and took care of me!  thanks a.h. and r.!

it's freakish how it happened. and scary.  glad it stung me and not cody bear!  it is so painful.  we had to leave agility early because i was panicking.

so i didn't sleep well.  i am going to work early, but coming back home and napping for a couple hours.

La voz del Klaus Meine llenó de vitalidad el Foro Sol de la capital mexicana alrededor de las 20:30 horas, en un show que se prolongó por espacio de dos horas y que con 23 temas causó el delirio de sus seguidores, a pesar de no abarrotar el recinto.

La banda que luego de 40 años de carrera y 21 álbumes editados, reunió a tres generaciones, pues al concierto acudieron niños acompañados por sus padres, como jóvenes, que aplaudieron y brincaron de sus asientos cuando la oscuridad total llegó y se escucharon los acordes de una música de circo, para dar inicio al show.

Los integrantes de la agrupación salieron al escenario vestidos en color negro que constrastaba con las luces de colores y la pantalla gigante, colocada detrás del escenario y que con la leyenda de este grupo de rock daba inicio a una noche de 23 temas encabezados por Hour I.

El quinteto germano, quien actuó el pasado 17 de septiembre en el Auditorio Telmex de Guadalajara, Jalisco, y que comenzó su gira latinoamericana en Brasil hace una semana, siguió su actuación con los temas Coming home, Bad boy, The zoo, Coast to coast.

Luego de presentar al invitado especial de la noche Andreas Kisser, así como a tres coristas y a otros músicos que acompañaron a la agrupación, el vocalista y los integrantes de Scorpions provocaron los aplausos al dar paso a ocho canciones en versión acústica.

El quinteto integrado además por Matthias Jabs y Rudolf Schenker (guitarristas), Pawel Maciwoda (bajista) y James Kottak (baterista) comenzaron esta sesión con el tema Always somewhere, Send me an Angel y Holiday.

Sin embargo, uno de los temas mejor recibidos por la noche y luego de que Klaus Meine invitara a participar al público en los coros, fue el ya clásico Dust in the wind.

Mientras en la pantalla se proyectaban varias imágenes de ciudades, así como el nombre de la banda, ésta prosiguió con los temas Loving you sunday morning, Tease me pleases me, y el delirio aumentó con una versión nueva al tema Wind of change y cerrar el bloque Rhithm of love.

A pesar de que el foro tuvo una asistencia de un 60 por ciento, la agrupación integrada en 1969 siguió con su actuación y dejó escuchar una vez más sus temas de hard rock, en tanto el vocalista conectaba con el público agradeciendo y con algunas frases en español como "Buenas noches", "¿Como están?" y "México".

Para esta última parte del show, el baterista se quitó la camiseta y en la parte de su espalda traía tatuado "Rock and roll always", con lo que provocó el delirio de los asistentes al gritar están listos para seguir con temas como Kottak att ack, 321, Black out y terminar su presentación con Big city.

Sin embargo, no fue suficiente para el público asistente que lo hizo regresar al escenario para interpretar Still loving, you, Humanity hurricane y concluir su presentación con No one lije you.

(foto El Universal)

I hope that your table at the wedding is surrounded by Viking paraphernalia and flowing with mead. I can't wait to hear your reflections on marriage and the strange world of weddings.

I watched "It Happened to Jane." Never before or since, I think, have lobsters--specifically, their delivery and sustenance--played such a pivotal role in a plot. What a bizarre symbol for the average American's struggle against Big Business. What an odd thing for the public to rally behind. Not the flag, not the bald eagle, but the almighty lobster.

It reminds me, you know, of a weird detail in Conrad's short story "The Secret Sharer." It's a story about a young and anxious ship captain struggling for command over his crew and his ship, who ends up stowing his doppelganger in his cabin. He finds his be-whiskered chief mate's compulsion to examine and explain everything especially oppressive. To illustrate, he tells about a scorpion the chief mate found drowned in his inkwell. Why would the scorpion go to the chief mate's rooms intead of the cellar? the chief mate wonders. And why on earth would it climb into an inkwell, and once there, let itself drown?

I've never come up with a satisfactory account of what that scorpion means, if anything, but it's a detail that delights me.

Fondly,

Millicent

Scorpions - World Wide Live (1985, Mercury)

1. Countdown
2. Coming Home
3. Blackout
4. Bad Boys Running Wild
5. Loving You Sunday Morning
6. Make It Real
7. Big City Nights
8. Coast To Coast
9. Holiday
10. Still Loving You
11. Rock You Like A Hurricane
12. Can't Live Without You
13. Another Piece Of Meat
14. The Zoo
15. No One Like You
16. Dynamite
17. Can't Get Enough (Part l)
18. Six String Sting
19. Can't Get Enough (Part ll)

Total Time = 1:17:27

Scorpions official website

WORLD WIDE LIVE is another favorite live album from my early teenage years that I still listen to regularly. I had discovered the Scorpions at the time like I did with most bands: through magazines and record store trips. I knew about the Scorpions but I never heard a single song until I saw the video for 'No One Like You' on MTV. I remember that video being in regular rotation and it wasn't uncommon to see it at some point every hour. I picked up BLACKOUT but I really didn't get into the band until they released LOVE AT FIRST STING in 1984 and became a huge commercial success. The Scorpions were everywhere: MTV, radio, magazines, and on tour. They rode a massive wave of success on the sing;es 'Rock You Like A Hurricane', 'Still Loving You' and 'Big City Nights' but I liked the whole album and I started to put all the Scorpions' albums at the top of my want list. I remember reading about a new Scorpions live album in Circus Magazine so I was definitely getting it.

I remember how I got WORLD WIDE LIVE very vividly. I was always a collector. I liked baseball cards, Star Wars toys and comics but, once I got hooked, Rock music became my passion. My father recognized my almost overnight change from a kid playing with toys to a kid listening to Heavy Metal and wearing studded wristbands! My father decided he was going to get involved in my new hobby by actually taking an interest into what I was buying, reading and listening. He was concerned like parents were at the time because all he really knew was what he heard on the news: how Rock/Metal music pushed kids into a world of sex, drugs, violence and danger. In order to try and understand what I was into, he thumbed through my Rock mags and made sure he understood exactly what tapes I bought. Shortly after WORLD WIDE LIVE's release, I asked my father if he could pick it up for me on the way home from work. My father worked in the Boston area about a little over an hour's commute so I knew that he wouldn't want to take me to the record store so I convinced him to stop at the Good Vibrations in Foxboro, about halfway between work and home, and pick it up for me. Surprisingly, he agreed. My father came home and gave me my brand new cassette: Scorpions - TOKYO TAPES (1978)!

Now my father tried but he didn't really get it. Each band was faceless and each album was the same, as long as I still got straight A's in school and didn't turn into a deliquent, he was happy. His effort to understand and keep an eye on what I was listening too was genuine but a little above his head. Turns out he stopped at the Good Vibrations, asked the clerk for a Scorpions concert album, and the showed him two different ones. He forgot the title so he bought the one that looked the safest.....TOKYO TAPES. Of course, I knew the difference right away and I told him that I wanted to exchange it at my usual Good Vibrations near home over the weekend. I ended up going to return the tape that weekend but I just ended up buying the WORLD WIDE LIVE cassette and keeping the TOKYO TAPES instead. My father found out I didn't exchange the one he bought so he gave me the ten bucks I spent on WORLD WIDE LIVE and I ended up with two albums for free!

I was big into BLACKOUT and LOVE AT FIRST STING so hearing live versions of 'Bad Boys Running Wild', 'Can't Live Without You' and 'Dynamite' alongside the popular singles 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' and 'No One Like You' was very cool. What was even better was that there were other songs that I had never heard and they kicked major ass! 'Another Piece Of Meat', 'The Zoo', 'Loving You Sunday Morning' and 'Make It Real' were awesome and I started to add all the Scorpions' albums to my growing want list. My favorites on this album are the live versions of 'Big City Nights', 'Can't Live Without You' and 'No One Like You' but the best part of the album was when Klaus Meine would talk to the audience.....the band was German and I knew there was a language difference but with the accents and the different phrasing, Klaus came off a bit comical while pumping up the crowd. It was because of WORLD WIDE LIVE that I became a huge Scorpions fan and I started buying up all their albums.

I had the cassette, which I wore out and it snapped, so I upgraded to CD. the problem was that the initial U.S. pressing on CD dropped 'Another Piece Of Meat', 'Can't Get Enough (Pt.1)', 'Six String Sting' and 'Can't Get Enough (Pt.2)' to fit it on one disc. I couldn't listen to it without those songs so I went out and bought a new cassette. Somewhere in the late '90s, Mercury Records started reissuing the Scorpions' catalog and the CD reissue of WORLD WIDE LIVE ended up having all the songs and the original artwork so I picked it up on sale for $8.99.