Favorite Fictional Character --- Rugby The Christmas Toy

Can I just say how fricking excited that it's finally December!  I mean come on, how can you not get excited when Christmas is only a few weeks away?  If you can't, I feel bad for you.  Christmas is that time of year when no matter what else is going on in your life, the joy and happiness that the day brings helps lift it off your shoulders, even if for only a little while.

For the rest of the month, I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite characters from some great Christmas movies.  Some of them you will know, others you may not, but all of them are worth the introduction.

One of my favorite TV specials of all time was Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy.  I can only remember seeing it one time as a kid and that was the year it first aired, 1986.  I remember sitting on the floor, in front of the TV lost in a world where toys come to life when the humans leave.  After all, toys are made for playing and that doesn't stop when the people leave.

The hero of the movie, you could even call him an antihero of sorts, is Rugby.  Now you may be asking yourself, who the heck is Rugby?  Well I'm glad you asked!  Rugby the tiger was the adorable stuffed animal that one of the kids received for Christmas the year before and now that it's Christmas Eve once again, Rugby is convinced he has to get downstairs and get in the box all over again.  He is the star of Christmas after all, who could replace him?

Rugby, bless his cottony heart, doesn't understand that every Christmas brings new toys into the playroom and that even though he won't be the new toy anymore, he will still be loved.  Well Ruby sets out on his own, despite the warnings from the others that he could get caught.  By the way, that would be a horrible thing.  Because, you see, if a toy gets caught by a human in motion or somewhere they should not be, they are frozen forever.  In other words, they are dead.

The only toy willing to help him is Mew, the cat toy the others make fun of all the time for smelling like catnip.  They set out on their perilous journey and encounter many dangers on the way downstairs to the tree.  Eventually the others start to get worried about them and Apple, the rosy cheeked doll that Rugby replaced as the Christmas toy, sets out to find them and bring them back to the playroom.

I'm not going to go into any more details of the action, because I want you to watch this for yourself, but I will say tragedies and triumphs follow and Rugby can make me mad, sad, and happy all in the same movie.  He is a terrifically dynamic character that grows so much within that single evening.  I can never get enough of him or his friends and I know he'll always be my Christmas toy.

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

Synopsis From Back Cover:

LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone's turntable, and ten-year-old Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade-easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy.  But there are several things young Felix can depend on: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he's never going to forget.

With the Christmas season approaching quicker than Superman on his best day, I was more than happy to get started on my holiday reading.  I had heard great things about this book so I was pleased when I was given the opportunity to review it for a TLC Book Tour.  I got the book what seemed ages ago but I wasn't able to get to it until the last week.  Needless to say I was not disappointed and found myself laughing out loud more than once. 

Now I don't want you to think I loved everything about it, because I didn't.  There were times that I felt the author was trying just a bit too hard for the laughs, they were sometimes forced just a little too much.  Thankfully it didn't detract from the story and overall I found Felix to be a wonderful storyteller, whom the author uses to his full advantage.  He got the voice of a 5th grader almost pitch perfect, right down to those strange misunderstandings we all had when things were said we didn't quite get but were too afraid to admit it.  There were times I was able to imagine Felix, in person, sitting there as he's recounting all the funny things that have happened at school.

I'm not going to go into all that many details of his misadventures through Christmas programs and TV appearances, but I will say that if you don't get the chance to meet Felix for yourself, you are missing out on one great kid.

I want to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.  You can visit the tour page for a list of tour stops and information about the author.

Philly (suburbs) Fall Frolic

In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you (Leo Tolstoy) I did plenty of that in North Wales, PA for Thanksgiving at my Dad's. No work, lots of putzing, plenty of laughs, tons of food, and some observations. I didn't write much, but words churn in my brain and material will erupt from my time with family and friends.

Goethe wrote One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.

Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure. I think Ben Franklin's goal was to rock on my father's front porch and watch the leaves swirl like snow.

Look up, look down, seek that surprise splash of color.

Bushes are at eye level and trap leaves. Stand still and listen for the rustle, inhale the fragrant evergreen, revel in the crisp air, and then contemplate a cup of cocoa. Winter bleakness knocks at the door. We're not answering ...yet.

Static-X - Push It (Live)

Vamos hoy con el grupo de metal industrial de Wayne Static. Me he decantado por poner esta poderosa canción en directo. "Push It" es sin duda una de las mejores canciones de la banda además de una de las más potentes. A la voz rasgada de Wayne Static debemos añadir los coros de Tony Campos, el hermano del "Sevilla" el de los Mojinos.
También debo comentar los riffs de guitarra, como siempre en Static-X, simples pero efectivos.
He decidido poner el vídeo en directo porque éste es uno de esos grupos que prefiero escuchar en vivo a escucharlos en la versión del álbum, le dan un extra de fuerza y garra en los directos.
Sin más que añadir, aquí queda el vídeo de "Push It":

System of a Down regresa tras casi 5 años

Después del receso indefinido iniciado en el año 2006, los miembros de System of a Down Serj Tankian, Shavo Odadjian, John Dolmayan y Daron Malakian, han hecho hoy oficial su regreso a los escenarios juntos.
El grupo californiano de ascendencia armenia tocará en varios festivales a lo largo del año 2011, en el cual ya se ha confirmado participación el el Download británico.
De lo que no han dicho nada es de un nuevo álbum, ya que en mi humilde opinión, creo que a finales del próximo año volverán a sus respectivos proyectos separándose de nuevo.
Esta noticia la esperaba mucha gente, yo, a pesar de ser un gran aficionado a su música, no. Creo que es un error y la vuelta de SOAD sólo la entiendo si Daron Malakian se ha bajado los humos y los pantalones, reconociendo el papel de Serj Tankian en la banda.

Mailbox Monday for 11/29/10

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia of The Printed Page and being hosted this month by Julie of Knitting and Sundries.

I got an ARC of The Metropolis Case by Mattew Gallaway for an upcoming TLC Book Tour.  This one sounds so good I may end up reading it early.

I bought The New Christmas Classics DVD from Wal-Mart for $5.  How could I pass that up?

In Flames - Evil In A Closet

Volvemos hoy de nuevo a Suecia para gozar de una extraordinaria obra de arte salida como no, de la magia de In Flames. La canción es "Evil In A Closet" y su espectacularidad es insuperable. Comenzando con una parte tranquila en la que Anders luce su mejor voz melódica para en el estribillo sacar su parte más brutal gritando como sólo él puede hacer.
El desgarrador grito de Anders cuando dice en el estribillo "evil in a closet!!!" es tremebundo, un grito que a la mayoría de los mortales nos crearía un serio problema en las cuerdas vocales. Pero no os preocupeis, las de Anders son de goma.
Os dejo ya con la canción, que me parece de las más completas que se pueden escuchar y que una vez la disfrutes, no podrás para de oirla, "Evil In A Closet", durísimo:

Sunday Funnies

Dioses del metal (Parte 14): Adam Dutkiewicz

Hoy, como cada sábado, os ofrezco al dios del metal de la semana. Es ya la 14º edición y esta vez he decidido dedicárselo al guitarrista y productor Adam Dutkiewicz.
Adam Jonathan Dutkiewicz nació el 4 de abril de 1977 en Westhampton, Massachusetts, donde pasó su infancia. Su ascendencia es polaca. Asistió al Hampshire Regional High School donde adquirió su formación y también al Berklee College of Music de Boston, donde estudiaba producción, ingeniería de sonido y también aprendió a tocar el bajo. Mientras estudiaba aquí, empezó a tocar en la banda Aftershock junto a su amigo Joel Stroetzel.
Poco después, Joel y Adam se incorporarían a otro proyecto, junto con el bajista Mike D´Antonio y el cantante Jesse Leach formarían Killswitch Engage. Adam tocaba la batería, pero para su segundo disco Alive or Just Breathing, Adam se pasó a la guitarra dejando el puesto de batería a Tom Gomes.
Pero Adam no se encargaba simplemente de tocar la guitarra y hacer los coros, sino que es además el productor. Se encargó de producir todos los discos de la banda excepto el segundo llamado Killswitch Engage de 2009, en el que fue co-productor junto a Brendan O´Brien.
Adam también ha producido discos de otras importantes bandas como As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Unearth o All That Remains entre otras. Se le compara con el productor de nu-metal Ross Robinson al ser Adam el creador del metalcore melódico.
Dutkiewicz es también ingeniero de sonido para Zing Recording Studios.
Actualmente, Adam ha llevado a su grupo KsE a ser el referente del metalcore. Además ha iniciado un nuevo proyecto llamado Times of Grace junto a su amigo y ex-cantante de Killswitch Jesse Leach, que sacarán el primer disco en enero y en el que Adam tocará todos los instrumentos y pondrá voz.
Es el Peter Tägtgren americano en cuanto a su soltura en la música, siendo capaz de cantar; tocar guitarra, bajo y batería; producir y además siendo también ingeniero de sonido.
En el escenario suele estar a la izquierda de Howard Jones, haciendo el loco con vestimentas estrafalarias incluyendo pantalones muy cortos, gorras y hasta una camiseta de Katy Perry en un directo en un programa americano. Lleva además unas gigantescas patillas y normalmente una pequeña cresta.
El año pasado tocó la guitarra para la canción "A Song For Chi" en directo en San Sebastián del proyecto que Fieldy de KoRn había iniciado para reacaudar fondos para el bajita de Deftones en coma Chi Cheng.
Con esto he repasado la vida musical de este fenomanal artista y auténtico Dios del metal, que a sus 33 años, es ya uno de los grandes de este género.
Aquí os queda un vídeo tributo con alguna de las imágenes más graciosas del guitarrista:

Myles Kennedy cumple 41 años

El genial cantante y guitarrista del grupo de metal alternativo de Orlando Alter Bridge, Richard Myles Kennedy cumple hoy 41 años.

Este veterano artista nació en Spokane, Washington, el 27 de noviembre de 1969. Empezó a darse a conocer cuando cantaba y tocaba la guitarra en el grupo The Mayfield Four y llegó a la cima como cantante y guitarrista de Alter Bridge, lo que le llevó a ser telefoneado por Slash para acompañarle como cantante en su gira.

Esperemos que durante muchos años más, Myles nos ofrezca excelentes composiciones con AB y nos siga haciendo disfrutar de su música.

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “The Walking Dead – o filme de zombies que não tem fim – de A a BD” por João Miguel Lameiras

Primeiro grande problema com este texto, SPOILERS!!!

É assim, eu não tenho nada contra spoilers, até porque em determinadas séries (um ou dois casos) gosto de saber o que vai acontecer antes do tempo, mas é preciso saber-se fazer a coisa… Se um texto contém spoilers deve assinalá-lo claramente, para que o leitor saiba no que se vai meter.

   

Segundo, não subscrevo à teoria apresentada pelo autor que estamos a entrar numa nova moda de zombies, visto que estes nunca passaram de moda, se tivermos em conta a cronologia dos livros, filmes, séries, jogos de vídeo e bandas desenhadas que os utilizaram.

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters (Live)

Los que me conozcais personalmente sabreis que yo no soy mucho de Metallica, pero ante esta canción debo de inclinarme. Se trata de "Nothing Else Matters", simplemente genial. Posiblemente sea mi favorita junto con "The Unforgiven". "The Unforgiven" la primera parte, las otras me parecen muy malas... Pues esta canción es terriblemente buena.
He decidido además poner el vídeo en directo, éste, al parecer se trata de un concierto en honor a Freddie Mercury.
No digo nada más, os dejo con este himno metalero, "Nothing Else Matters":

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “As cidades do segundo esquerdo” por Afonso Cruz

Apresenta um conceito interessante de manipulação espacial e usa um tipo de escrita similar a Mathew Rossi. Gostei da ideia base, não obstante, fiquei com a sensação que faltou algo… Embora seja o primeiro a admitir que no lugar do autor não conseguiria fazer melhor dentro do tema.

Mais alguém sentiu o mesmo?

Linkin Park - In The End

El vídeo de hoy es para recordar tiempos mejores, en los que Linkin Park hacían música y no basura como ahora. "In The End" es, sin duda, una de sus canciones más conocidas y exitosas. Forma parte de ese Hybrid Theory que fue y sigue siendo de momento, el álbum más vendido de este nuevo siglo.
Canciones como "In The End", "Crawling", "Numb", "From The Inside", "Lying From You" y así diría casi todas las de Hybrid Theory y Meteora han hecho que gente como yo nos aficcionaramos a la música de estos 6. Pero tras lo hecho este año y la vergüenza que a los seguidores con algo de criterio musical nos han hecho pasar, por mi parte es como si se hubiesen retirado. Aún así soy incapaz de escuchar sus canciones de antes y sentir el mismo gozo, sabiendo que ahora son unhos malditos vendidos. Dando un toque de humor, porque lo de estos 6 la verdad es que es para llorar... decir que la razón podría ser que la crisis afecta a todos y el señorito Shinoda, junto con el "espabilao" Hahn y el ex-crack Chester quieren ahorrarse los sueldos de Delson, Farrell y Rob, además de llenar sus sacas con el dinero que el pop les proporcionará.
Bueno, me callo porque me empieza a hervir la sangre al hablar de traidores, aquí queda esta maravilla llamada "In The End":

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to tell all of you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you are surrounded by friends and family on this wonderful day.

Turkey Tales

Just when you think there's nothing prettier than tulips in spring or crepe myrtles in summer, along come mums in the fall. This was given to me in October for my birthday and it's the gift that keeps giving (Thanks, Ann). Fall - I love the crisp air, frosty mornings, and a sweatshirt (Purple - TCU - that's a fave).

Not thankful for leaves in the pool. They clog up the basket and ultimately cause agitation - for the pump and for Ray.

Artsy shot. I need to remember this description as my heroine strolls in her backyard, pensive, regretting her past. The dying leaves represent so much ... Tell me - too dramatic?

Crazy red holly berries. I'm not sure if any birds eat them or if they are poisonous. Either way, we have a bounty this year, which could mean an extra cold winter. I'm ready with a stack of books. Like a squirrel with nuts, I store reading material. You just never know when you could get iced. (it's Texas)

I'm grateful for words, books, friends and family, faithful blog readers, my future agent and editor (I know you are out there). Thanks to Ray for his support.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Fantasia Urbana ou Romance Paranormal – As característica e os segredos dos dois géneros que tomaram conta dos tops” por Safaa Dib

Neste artigo, Safaa Dib fala um pouco sobre a relevância que a fantasia e os seus sub-géneros, nomeadamente, a fantasia urbana e o romance paranormal, têm vindo a ganhar a nível editorial, aproveitando para exemplificar utilizando alguns autores.

O texto está muito bem escrito, porém, mexe com alguns conceitos que me custam imenso a engolir, em particular no que diz respeito à definição dos géneros e sub-géneros. Não vou contestar a sua validade, até porque de nada adiantaria fazê-lo, uma vez que, a partir do momento em que a terminologia é aceite pela maioria passa a ser regra (como o uso de restauração para referir o negócio dos restaurantes e afins, quando a palavra nunca teve essa conotação).

No texto é feita a distinção entre a fantasia épica e a fantasia urbana, indicando que a primeira “envolve cenários de inspiração medievalista, com demandas por guerreiros ou heróis que têm que salvar o mundo do mal” e o segundo “cenários urbanos contemporâneos ou alternativos, centrados em personagens fortes e individualistas que se tornam o foco da acção”.

Muito bem, sim senhor. É impressão minha ou isto são apenas nomes novos para denominar algo que já existia? Fantasia épica é high fantasy (se bem que o selo de “inspiração medievalista” seja um pouco tacanho) e fantasia urbana é low fantasy, podendo qualquer um deles, dependendo do livro, reclamar o direito de se inserirem no sub-género da dark fantasy.

Como imaginam, o meu principal problema com estas definições é o facto de, indirectamente, balizarem Crónicas Obscuras – A vingança do lobo dentro da fantasia urbana, quando o livro pertence à low fantasy/dark fantasy. Castigo que eu estaria disposto a aceitar, não fossem as óbvias incongruências.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Vanyel Ashkevron (Repost Due To Feeling Yucky!)

I would like to apologize to everyone for not having a post done earlier or for not being all that active on my blog or commenting on other blogs the last few days.  I have been rather sick with a rather bad stomach bug, whose symptoms will remain unspoken, though I've had to work anyway.  Needless to say I haven't been in the mood to do much of anything once I've gotten back home, at least not anything that requires me to think.  I'm trying to get some rest so I can deal with tomorrow so I'm not planning on being on here much tonight either.

With that being said I wanted to re post my very first Favorite Fictional Character profile for two reasons.  The first and most important, is that he is my favorite character of all of them and probably the one that means the most to me.  Secondly, since this was my first post, there is a rather brief explanation for why I started this feature to begin with.

So with no further ado I would like to present to you, Vanyel Ashkevron, again.

I get asked at different times by friends, family, and other readers who my favorite fictional characters are. As most of you will know this tends to be a rather hard question to answer. We all like certain characters for many different reasons. We like how they overcome a challenge, the way they treat their friends or families, their wit and intelligence, maybe even it's just their name. Whatever the reason, we tend to fall in love with them because they connect with us on an emotional level. Something about them hits that proverbial nerve within us and they are a part of us for the rest of our lives.

So I thought I would, once a week, post one of my favorite characters and share some of the reasons behind it. I hope by doing this it helps you (the blog reader) discover new characters or gives you the voice to share why you like the characters you like.

The characters I post about will come from books, movies, TV shows, and even an occasional poem.

Now with no further ado, I will present my first character. I first met Vanyel Ashkevron a few years after college. I had read a little bit of fantasy when I was younger but got away from it during high school and college. The idiot I was sort of dating at the time (not that I'm bitter or anything) was reading Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey and seemed to really enjoy the book. Long story short, I got rather sick for a few days and the book was the only thing around to take my mind off of how bad I felt.

It was love at first read. I had, up to that point, never found a character I could connect with in such a way that I would cry when he cried, laugh when he laughed. Here was a character that was going through a lot of the same issues I faced when I was younger and in a way still do.

A sense of isolation from those who he should of felt the closest too, his family. Not feeling comfortable in your own skin and not fully understanding why. The joy and almost instant pleasure at finding yourself and discovering that you are not only loved but worthy of that love. Finding your "home" and the "family" you choose. Then the pain and loss that is unimaginable at such a young age (he is 16 when this book starts). Finally the reawakening of yourself and your purpose in life.

He was the first fantasy character, the first character really for me, that made me feel that what I went through as a teenager was OK. That the pain and confusion I felt dealing with who I am and how that made me different form others was normal. He also helped me to understand that the way I feel today, and when I read the book for the first time, was my reward for going through the pain and isolation I felt growing up. That I had earned the right to be happy, be who I am, and enjoy my life and my "family" to the fullest.

I don't want to get into too much detail of the books because I really encourage you to read them. I will say there are three of them. Magic's Promise and Magic's Price are the final two books of the series, The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. The links I provided will give you the basic premise of the books. However they can never explain the amazing person that Vanyel Ashkevron is.

Sôber - El Hombre de Hielo

Hoy pondré el primer vídeo de un grupo español desde que empecé con este blog. La razón de la ausencia de música nacional o en español es muy evidente, la basura musical que se produce en este país. Pero no hago esta entrada para rajar, de eso ya habrá tiempo. La hago para que goceis con uno de los únicos grupos de metal o rock que vale la pena en España.
Esta canción de "El Hombre de Hielo" es mi favorita del grupo. Además el vídeo me parece excelente, narrando la historia de la muerte en un accidente de tráfico del cantante y el sufrimiento de la viúda hasta su suicidio. Es curioso que poco después, el batería Alberto Madrid moría de accidente de coche desgraciadamente.
Os dejo por lo tanto este gran vídeo del grupo madrileño, "El Hombre de Hielo":

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Novas vagas, novas capas” por Pedro Piedade Marques

“Quando a ficção científica ousou não se parecer com ficção científica” este subtítulo é a apresentação ideal para o texto onde apreendemos um pouco sobre a história das capas deste género literário, nomeadamente no que diz respeito à sua evolução.

Gostei do texto, é educativo e aborda um tema que me interessa. Eu sei, não devemos julgar um livro pela sua capa, sendo o conteúdo muito mais importante, porém, não me lixem, como principal “cartão de visita” de uma obra, a capa não pode ser deixada ao acaso.

Quem já não foi atraído ou repelido por uma capa?

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Felicidade” por Inês Botelho

Este pequeno conto descreve-nos uma realidade em que a legislação sobre os hábitos individuais é levada ao extremo.

Gostei, o que é dizer muito tendo em conta que odiei as narrativas anteriores de Inês Botelho. A autora parece ter evoluído bastante.

Stone Sour - Digital (Did You Tell)

Este vídeo se me "coló" a ultimísima hora, ya que estaba redactando otra entrada cuando me pasaron este nuevo vídeo. Se trata del nuevo videoclip de la banda de Des Moines, Stone Sour. La canción es "Digital (Did You Tell)", para mí, una de las mejores de su último disco.
Aquí os queda para que disfruteis de Corey, Jimbo, Roy y compañía:

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Legolas: rói-te de inveja (o nascimento de uma lenda)” por R. A. Salvatore

Mais do que uma oportunidade de sermos apresentados ao elfo negro Drizzt Do’Urden, criado por R. A. Salvatore em 1987, este texto dá-nos a conhecer um pouco sobre o processo criativo do autor.

Gostei, particularmente, de constatar que Salvatore tem a mesma relação com a sua personagem, que eu desenvolvi com as minhas (imagino que a maioria dos autores partilhem tal ligação). Refiro-me ao facto de sermos os seus criadores, mas não os seus mestres. A partir do momento em que é concebida e a sua personalidade definida, uma personagem ganha um certo nível de autonomia que deve ser respeitado (tema que acaba por relacionar-se com o que foi dito por Peter V. Brett, na sua intervenção “Characters and Characterization”, no decorrer do 5º Fórum Fantástico).

Look at this!

You know how I love to look through the folders from old trips (I save my photos by trip and date); it's fun to remember the many things I saw that I might not otherwise recall. Sometimes, I find a surprise--the possible Cave Swallow was, I think, just a Purple Martin. But this:I was looking through the photos from my Rio Grande Valley trip with my sister Mary, and I remembered taking photos of this little bird on a wire.

I'm thinking Loggerhead Shrike! What do you think?

Avenged Sevenfold - To End The Rapture (versión larga)

Hoy os voy a mostrar una canción espectacular de Avenged Sevenfold. A pesar de ser muy corta, ya que la versión original no dura más de 1:20 y esta versión larga 2:30, en ese poco tiempo me hace gozar como pocas. Se trata de "To End The Rapture".
En ese minúsculo tiempo, la composición lo tiene todo, un estribillo fastuoso, un solo atronador y una preciosa melodía. No se le puede pedir más. Además, en la versión larga la intro de piano acaba de rematar esta obra de arte en donde se lucen sobre todo el señor Matt Shadows y Mister Brian Haner Jr.
Sin más dilaciones aquí os queda esta versión larga de "To End The Rapture":

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Os cascos e o casebre de Abdel Jameela” por Saladin Ahmed

Gostei bastante deste conto. Tendo vários elementos comuns a este género de narrativa, não foi por isso que deixou de ser extremamente original, particularmente na concepção da criatura.

 

Apreciei também efeito que a história teve no protagonista, enchendo-o de dúvidas, não sendo claro se foi um final feliz ou não.

Mailbox Monday for 11/22/10

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia of The Printed Page and being hosted this month by Julie of Knitting and Sundries.

I won a paperback copy of Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson from Carolyn of Book Chick City.

I received a hardcover copy of Sweet Magic by Michel Richard from PTA for review.

Daniel Svensson cumple 33 años

El batería de In Flames, Daniel Svensson, cumple hoy 33 años.

El menudo músico nació el 20 de noviembre de 1977 en Göteborg, Suecia.

Tranquilo e introvertido suele estar a su aire con la batería en sus conciertos, siempre pasando inadvertido. Se trata para mí, de uno de los mejores baterías de Europa. Recordemos que Daniel entró en In Flames en el 98, con 20 años, sustituyendo a Björn Gelotte, que pasaría a tocar la guitarra.

Tea Time Temptations

Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds soon choke up the unused pavement. Fortunately the path is clear as one enters my friend Linda's home, and last Sunday she entertained a group of seven with a tea. Yummy desserts lingered in the corner.

Fabulous presentation harkened back to olden days. I thought of Jane Austen and all of the etiquette involved in her novels. Plus, there are plenty of books about tea service and teatime snacks. However, sometimes you have to step back from the books and wing it. Our good friend Kearny, in town from Cincinnati, has no fear in the kitchen. Cucumber sandwiches projected a Texas flair with a sourcream ranch style filler. Don't have this ingredient? Try that.

We sampled everything Saturday night while slicing, dicing, and laughing. Kearny ended up soaking the baguettes in olive oil to moisten them for the pesto sauce, mozzarella, and tomato topping. I like to think that the cooks and servants from historical novels also enjoyed tea preparation -sneaking tastes and stuffing goodies in apron pockets for later.

"Oh dear," said Kearny as she pursed her lips in review of the table. I followed Linda's example per her first place setting. It worked for me. "Oh you lefties," K exclaimed. She rearranged water glasses, knife rests, etc for the "proper" table ta-da factor. (This shall be a humorous anecdote in an upcoming story. I've taken notes.)

Finally, I extrapolated from tea to an Agatha Christie moment. As we gathered in the parlor, had a crime been committed? Poke the fire and ponder the day. Review the cast of characters. Tales abound.

Killswitch Engage - Arms of Sorrow

El vídeo de hoy se corresponde a los creadores del metalcore, ese estilo que niñatos engreídos han transformado en basura. Pero por suerte, existen grupos que lo tocan magistralmente como es el caso de Killswitch. Ésta es una de mis favoritas del grupo encabezado por el maestro Adam Dutkiewicz. "Arms of Sorrow" es una canción perfecta, con un estribillo magnánimo como suele ocurrir en todas sus canciones.
La voz de Howard Jones, quién parece tener una caja de resonancia en la parte baja de su garganta, le da ese toque personal que este grupo tiene, acompañado de dos guitarras espectaculares con Adam y Joe y el buen hacer al bajo y a la batería de Mike y Justin.
Os dejo aquí por lo tanto esta delicia para que goceis con ella:

Opiniões: Bang! nº8 – “Os mundos imaginários do fantástico português (1ª parte)” por António Macedo

Este será potencialmente o artigo mais educativo do número 8 da revista Bang!, tendo óbvios traços académicos. Nele, António Macedo, dá-nos a conhecer que a literatura fantástica em Portugal não é um fenómeno tão recente quanto isso.   

 

Apesar de reconhecer o valor deste texto e considerar que ele educará muita gente sobre uma secção habitualmente ignorada da nossa história cultural, tenho de admitir que apenas o li na diagonal. Terão de me desculpar, mas após tantos anos a ler trabalhos académicos e depois de passar um dia inteiro imerso em arqueologia a última coisa que quero fazer quando chego a casa é ler este género de texto. 

 

Sempre gostei de ler, mas nunca tive paciência para estudar literatura.

Sunday Funnies