Dear friends,

A big thanks to my family and to Ale, Chiara and Ester for reminding me how much they love me:) I love you too:) And I have a sweet little video I would like to share with everybody... I love the golden girls and have seen all seven seasons many times... first in the States, back in the day... on T.V. and then in Europe on several German television stations... they would switch from RTL to VOX and maybe even PRO7... After many years this amazing sitcom finally made it to DVD... and now they're constantly on loop in my place. After many views I decided to research more about the ladies and what better pool of information than youtube to find special scenes, interviews and gags with Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia and Rose... So here is a first pearl I would love to share with you. It's a sketch for/from "clueless"... it has nothing to do with the golden girls but all three actresses are still playing the parts. They are just delightfull. Dorothy is missing here but will play the main part in my next post. Enjoy!

Love,

Ivan

Yesterday, I launched three blogs on three different services. Blogger (view blog), Vox (view blog) and Wordpress (view blog). They all have the same name and I will be publishing the same posts to all three blogs. One of the purposes of this blog is to review sites and web services so readers have a lot less research to do when deciding on a service to use. Since I am rarely decisive and always want to make sure I am picking the right service I check out multiple services before making a decision. Well I launched these three blogs and will be evaluating which one I think is the best for my purposes and deleting the other two. :0

I will also post reviews of the sites individually since just because they don't serve my purposes doesn't mean that they won't serve yours. In the future I will review all sorts of sites so that you, the reader, can make a more informed decision and don't decide to go with a service that is inferior.

One key aspect which had been over-looked on a lot of these sites though was the choice of technology employed. There are three main blog platforms - Wordpress (which is what this site is), TypePad and Blogger, all of which have their own pros and cons, but perform the same base functions.

Contrast this with Vox, a site I hadn't heard of before until I visited Lexy Klain's blog (#29 on the list). Lexy does a good job of providing thought-provoking content, I actually went quite far back into her archives to get a sense of her thought process. Satisfied, I went to comment on a post, and to congratulate her on making the list, and that is when the fun stopped.

Vox requires you to register if you wish to comment, something I abhor. Having spent yesterday afternoon at the Melbourne PubCamp event being bored to tears by folk who do not yet understand for some God-forsaken reason that open beats closed, I was surprised to see a blog site pursuing this tack.

By choosing this platform, Lexy opts out of a raft of conversation provided by comments. Fred Wilson often says the comments on his site far outweigh the value created in his blog posts. This is a participatory medium, and we need to make the barriers to entry for everyone as low as possible.

Lex, five stars for the wealth of thought you're providing, but I can get it elsewhere. And if I can't interact or am put off by the barriers placed in front of me, I won't return. Those who haven't read it should brush up on Forrester's POST methodology for more on this.

--

Image courtesy of moniker, with thanks to compfight.

La compañía de comunidades online anunció que eligió a TercerClick para operar comercialmente en América Latina. Fundada en 2001 en San Francisco, Six Apart posee una comunidad de más de 36 millones de usuarios únicos en el mundo y 500 millones de páginas vistas al mes. La firma norteamericana es propietaria de Movable Type, TypePad y VOX entre otras plataformas online.

Con la incorporación de los productos y soluciones de Six Apart, TercerClick extiende su oferta de servicios y soluciones enfocados a utilizar todas las ventajas de la Web 2.0 y los nuevos medios.

A un año y medio de su lanzamiento en el mercado local, TercerClick tiene previsto desarrollar un plan para iniciar operaciones en los principales países de la región como Brasil, Chile, México y Perú.

Time to put Guitar Hero to the side, pick up your guitar and jam with your favourite bands! JamVox might be the most revolutionary release from Vox this year, and we have no doubt guitarists worldwide will love it!

JamVOX gives guitarists instant access to dozens of legendary amps and effects all in one easy to use “drag and drop” software interface. Revolutionary Guitar XTracktion (GXT) technology lets you remove the guitar part of your favorite song with the push of a button. Best of all, you can then take the lead yourself with instant rock star tone! Alternatively, you can extract or isolate the guitar part, slow down the tempo, and practice any style of music without changing the pitch.

JamVOX includes authentic software models, or recreations, of 19 famous guitar amps and 54 vintage and modern effects, so you'll be able to perfectly reproduce the sounds of your favorite guitarists. It also comes with a dedicated full-range USB monitor speaker, so there's no need for complex wiring or any specialized knowledge of computer music. A two-CD 28-song bundle of guitar play-along tracks of famous songs, courtesy of Hal Leonard Corporation, is also included.

JamVOX Features

• Revolutionary new GXT (Guitar XTracktion) function lets you cancel or extract the guitar part of an existing song.
• 19 famous guitar amps and 54 effect units ranging from vintage to modern are provided as software.
• Easy-to-use “drag and drop” interface enables guitarists to create their “dream guitar rig” without any advanced knowledge of amps or effects. Sound famous fast!
• A music player feature with convenient functions for jam sessions or practice.
• Import music files to jam along with from your favorite CDs, music library or MP3 player.
• A dedicated USB monitor speaker is included, and there's no need for complex wiring or specialized knowledge of computer music.
• Two guitar play-along CDs containing 28 famous rock classics.

About JamVOX
JamVOX – an integrated monitor and software system that extracts the guitar from any MP3 and plugs you into the mix of their favorite bands. JamVOX fulfills the dream of any guitarist who has ever wanted to “take the lead” and play along with his favorite guitar heroes or band. JamVOX is the result of a collaboration between VOX Amplification guitar amplification and modeling engineers and a team of KORG electronic musical instrument and PC software developers.

Simple three-step operation allows anyone to play the guitar in their favorite song by their favorite band.

• Step 1) Connect the dedicated USB monitor speaker to your computer and plug in your guitar: the JamVOX software will start up automatically.
• Step 2) In the music player, select the song you wish to play.
• Step 3) Set your favorite tone and play your guitar while listening to the song play back. Press the GXT button on screen and take the lead! You can press the Record button to record your guitar performance along with the song.

JamVOX will transform your room into the legendary stage or recording studio you've dreamed of.

• Numerous famous guitar amps and effects that perfectly simulate the sound of your guitar heroes – all in software The JamVOX software provides 19 types of amp model that range from classic vintage amps such as the AC30, rare boutique amps, and modern high-gain amps. These amp models use Virtual Valve Reactor technology that perfectly simulates every aspect of the original guitar amplifiers, right down to the response of the power amp circuit, differences in class A or B operation, type of vacuum tube, and negative feedback circuit. There are also 12 cabinet models to go with the amp models. Even the speakers and cabinet construction of the original units have been painstakingly modeled, perfectly replicating their distinctive spatial and tonal character.
• A full complement of effect processors is also included in the JamVOX Software. From a wide assortment of distortion-type effects, standard effects such as wah and compressor, and more unusual effects such as ring modulator and acoustic simulator, there is a total of 18 pedal-type effect units. There are also 12 modulation-type effects such as chorus, flanger, tremolo, filter, and rotary; 11 delay-type effects including some that model analog circuitry such as tape echoes, multi-head delays, and BBD as well as reverse; 12 reverb effects covering all types; giving you a total of 54 different high-quality effect units including noise reduction. By dragging and dropping them, you can freely connect up to six effects in any desired order: two pedal-type effects, one modulation, one delay, one reverb, and noise reduction.
  Of course there are also over 100 Guitar programs that include the sounds of famous songs and guitarists and get players started with great tone right out of the box.

A music player with many great features for jam sessions and practice, including the revolutionary new GXT (Guitar XTracktion) function

• The music player of the JamVOX Software features KORG's newly developed GXT (Guitar XTracktion) technology that allows a guitar part of an existing song to be cancelled or extracted --- a capability that will change the way guitarists of all levels and styles practice, play and jam. This technology is not a conventional vocal canceller which counteracts the center sounds by the reversed-phase signals. This conventional method turns the sound mono and also makes it impossible to extract the desired sound. GXT technology uses a completely different method in which the sound is analyzed by "stereotactic position" and "frequency band" spatially, and an adjustable filter is used to create the cancellation effect. This means that the song can be kept its stereo image and the desired sound can also be extracted. Using this, you can replace the guitarist in your favorite band and play the guitar part yourself! You can also record your performance along with the original song simply by pressing the Record button.

The music player provides many other great functions.

• You can loop the playback, use the Tempo Change function to slow down the playback speed without affecting the pitch, and you can even use these functions while using GXT to extract the guitar part, making it much easier to learn rapid phrases by ear, or to practice difficult phrases. The Pitch Change function lets you change the pitch without affecting the tempo of the song, allowing you to correct slight discrepancies in pitch between your guitar and the song, or to play along with songs that use a dropped tuning.
• There's also an Auto Change function that automatically switches the guitar sound or GXT setting between different portions of the song, such as between backing and solo sections. The music player also contains 100 drum patterns that are a great to practice with or to create riffs. You can also layer your guitar or vocal performances onto these patterns.

JamVOX-Online is a place where JamVOX users can share programs for unlimited expansion

• JamVOX-Online is where you'll find plenty of Guitar programs and GXT programs for the greatest rock songs, and JamVOX users worldwide are adding more every day. In your JamVOX software, simply press the Search button to immediately find the best Guitar program or GXT program for the song you want. Don't miss out --- register as a JamVOX user so that you can upload and share programs for your own favorite songs and guitarists.

High-quality JamVOX Monitor that you simply connect to your computer and plug-in your guitar

• The JamVOX Monitor is a powered monitor speaker with a built-in USB audio interface. There's no need for complicated connections or technical knowledge of computer music. Simply connect a single USB cable to your computer, and you can start playing your guitar right away. The cabinet contains two 3-inch full-range speakers, and while delivering plenty of power and high-quality sound, is a compact size that will be right at home on your desktop. There's also a mic input, so you can record your own vocal or enjoy a session together with a vocalist. Making the system even more versatile, the monitor also functions as a USB audio interface that is compatible with ASIO/CoreAudio software, and can also be used as a monitor speaker for your computer.

A lineup of guitar legends on the 28-song two-CD bundled collection of guitar play-along tracks

• JamVOX comes with two guitar karaoke CDs recorded by the Hal Leonard Corporation. These CDs contain a total of 28 classic songs from various eras familiar to every guitarist. Now you can jam along to with your guitar heroes!

JamVOX Specifications

JamVOX Software Amp/effect functionality

• 19 amp models ranging from vintage to modern: Virtual Valve Reactor even reproduces the operation of vacuum tube power amps VOX AC15, VOX AC15TB, VOX AC30, VOX AC30TB, UK BLUES, UK 68P, UK '80S, UK '90S, UK MODERN, BLACK 2x12, TWEED 1x12, TWEED 4x10, BOUTIQUE CL, BOUTIQUE OD, US MODERN, US HIGAIN, UK MODERN2, BOUTIQUE METAL, MODDED OD
• 12 cabinet models that meticulously simulate the speaker response and cabinet design VOX AC15, VOX AC30, VOX AD412, VOX AD120VTX, UK H30 4x12, UK T75 4x12, BLACK 2x10, BLACK 2x12, TWEED 1x8, TWEED 1x12, TWEED 4x10, US V30 4x12
• 54 high-quality effect models: 18 pedal-type, 12 modulation-type, 11 delay-type, 12 reverb, noise reduction
• PEDAL: TUBE OD, SUPER OD, ORANGE DIST, METAL DIST, FAT DIST, FUZZ, OCTAFUZZ, TREBLE BOOST, BOUTIQUE, VOLUME, VOX WAH, AUTO WAH, COMP, ACOUSTIC, OCTAVE, BLK/ORG PHASE, U-VIBE, RING MODULATOR MODULATION: CLASSIC CHORUS, MULTI TAP CHORUS, STEREO CHORUS, BI CHORUS, CLASSIC FLANGER, DUO PHASE, FILTRON, PITCH SHIFTER, TEXTREM, ROTARY, MOD DELAY, TALK MOD
  DELAY: STEREO DELAY, CROSS DELAY, 2 TAP DELAY, RHYTHM DELAY, HOLD DELAY, REVERSE DELAY, MOD DELAY, SWEEP DELAY, ANALOG DELAY, MULTI HEAD, ECHO PLUS
• REVERB: SLAP, GATE, SPRING, BOUNCE, PLATE, GARAGE, CHAMBER, CANYON, ROOM, STUDIO, HALL, ARENA
  NOISE REDUCTION
• Drag and drop six effect units to freely specify their routing
• More than 100 Guitar programs that include the guitar sounds of famous songs and guitarists
• Pickup modeling function lets you produce the sounds of different pickups than those actually on the connected guitar
• Audition function lets you hear the sound of each program without having to play your guitar
• Use the convenient Compare function and Snapshot function when editing your guitar sounds
• Auto Chromatic Tuner by KORG, with excellent visibility
• Use an optional expression pedal and foot switch to control the effects with your foot

Music Player functionality

• MP3 / AAC / WMA (Windows only) / WAV / AIFF format audio playback ... Songs protected by DRM (Digital Rights Managements) cannot be played back.
  AAC (Mac only) / WMA (Windows only) / WAV / AIFF format audio recording
• Import your iTunes library
• Revolutionary GXT (Guitar XTracktion) function cancels or extracts the guitar part of an existing song
• Tempo Change function lets you change the playback speed without affecting the pitch of the song
• Pitch Change function lets you change the playback pitch without affecting the tempo of the song
• Auto Change function allows you to automatically switch guitar sounds or GXT settings at the desired point during the song playback
• Loop Play function repeatedly plays the specified region of one song
• Loudness function adds a "live" feel to the song playback
• Use the dedicated website JamVOX-Online to find, audition, and download the Guitar programs or GXT programs that are best for a song: you can also upload your own settings for others to use
• 100 drum patterns are convenient for practicing or creating riffs
• Metronome function is indispensible for serious practice

JamVOX Monitor

• Powered monitor speaker with built-in 2-in/2-out USB audio interface
• Two 3-inch full-range speakers deliver powerful and high-quality sound: rated power output is 0.75W+0.75W
• USB bus powered design does not require an external power supply to be connected: 500mA current consumption
• Proprietary low-latency design eliminates delay from when you play your guitar until you hear the sound
• Mic input allows you to record vocals or enjoy sessions with a vocalist
• Also usable as a USB audio interface that supports ASIO/CoreAudio compatible software, and as a speaker for your computer

Front and rear panels:

Front panel

• Guitar Input (1/4 phone jack, Mono)
• Mic Input (XLR jack, Mono)
• Mic Input Level Control
• Output Level Control
• Phones Output (1/4 phone jack, Stereo)
• Monitor Level Control
• Power indicator LED

Rear panel

• Line Input L / R (1/4 phone jacks)
• Line Output L / R (1/4 phone jacks)
• Foot Switch Jack (1/4 phone jack)
• Expression Pedal Jack (1/4 phone jack)
• USB Port (Connector TYPE B)

*When using the JamVOX Monitor as a USB audio interface with ASIO/CoreAudio compatible software, it will operate as a 2-in/2out interface with 16-bit 44.1/48/96 kHz input and 24-bit 44.1/48/96 kHz output.

• Dimensions (W x D x H): 240 mm x 160 mm x 122.5 mm (not including protrusions)
• Weight: 2.4 kg
• Hal Leonard CDs - Comes with 28 guitar karaoke tracks that every guitarist knows (recorded by Hal Leonard Corporation, USA).
• Included Items: USB cable, Installation CD (contains JamVOX Software, Drivers, and Owner's manual), two audio CDs (Hal Leonard play-along tracks for guitar),
• Installation/setup guide
• Options: VOX Foot Switch VFS-2, KORG Expression Pedal EXP2

Operating requirements

Mac

• CPU: Apple PowerPC G4 1.5GHz or faster, or Intel CPU
• RAM: 1GB or larger
• Display: 1,024 x 768 - 32,000 colors or higher
• OS: Mac OS X 10.4 or later

Windows

• CPU: Intel Pentium4 2.0GHz or faster
• RAM: 1GB or larger
• Display: 1,024 x 768 – 16 bit colors or higher
• OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1(32-bit) or later

*Specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice for improvement.

Price and availability TBA

Nonostante l'ora tarda, facevo un giro sul sito de “L'Unità” e mi è capitato sottomano la notizia, di ieri, della protesta alla Sapienza (vai al comunicato dell'ARCI) contro il decreto legge del governo sulla “sicurezza”. Leggendolo mi è venuto in mente di spulciare e adattare un mio articolo uscito questo mese su “Vox Iuvenum”, il giornale del Forum Giovanile di Torchiara.

Alza le vele il governo di centro-destra, per la quarta volta al timone del Paese, sospinto dal vento elettorale di un’Italia insicura e scontenta, che spera di riacquistare le perdute certezze e che guarda positivamente i primi passi di questo esecutivo. Assistiamo a un Berlusconi dai toni nuovi, conciliante nei confronti degli avversari e tranquillizzante sui grandi problemi del Paese. Vediamo una destra che si è vestita, nella sua parte più moderata, di una patina di bonario ottimismo, affiancata tuttavia dai fucili di una Lega che riscuote il premio per il proprio trionfo tutto settentrionale, all’insegna di un genuino estremismo ancora più pericoloso allorché proviene da un partito di maggioranza. Né risultano completamente convincenti i toni del PdL, che mal si adatta al suo nuovo ruolo e che, guadagnandosi la fiducia di un popolo ormai stanco, non manca di adottare all’occorrenza provvedimenti allarmanti. Al di là dei pur preoccupanti, primi dd. l. in aria di “ad personam”, certamente la fa da padrone il pacchetto sicurezza ad hoc per “l’emergenza Rom”, questo commissariamento straordinario e l'introduzione di un vago reato di clandestinità. Eppure il nuovo governo, con soluzioni che hanno suscitato lo stupore preoccupato della comunità internazionale, spesso in sapore di discriminazione, tiene fede al volere del proprio elettorato.

Non mi preoccupano, dunque, tanto le scelte di un centro-destra che pur non manca di suscitare profonde perplessità, quanto piuttosto, con disarmante sconcerto, le posizioni di un Paese che è l’immagine speculare di questa linea di governo, di un’Italia in cui il fenomeno dell’odio razziale e della diffidenza continua a dilagare. È tuttavia lecito chiedersi, alla luce dei fatti, se la repressione possa essere l’esorcismo delle insicurezze di un popolo, se la xenofobia che incalza la nostra quotidianità valga forse a nostra tutela. E se vi sia bisogno di risposte concrete e di una lotta seria alla criminalità, o se basti forse lo spauracchio e il capro espiatorio della segregazione razziale. Il pericolo dell’odio, semenza di ogni totalitarismo, è il focolaio di un disagio popolare che è compito di qualunque governo responsabile e occidentale sedare. Il dovere principale spetta a noi, fautori di una cittadinanza democratica ed Europea, ove non vi sia spazio per il germe del razzismo. In primis a un'opposizione responsabile, che sappia proporre scelte alternative che rassicurino la popolazione. A noi elettori che non crediamo in queste soluzioni, dato che la vera opposizione non si fa nei palazzi ma dal basso: esempi come la protesta alla Sapienza, cui partecipavano associazioni, comunità, personaggi pubblici, ma non studenti e docenti, è un esempio di questa esigenza. Anche perché è dal basso che parte questa emergenza di razzismo, dal disagio della gente comune, persone normali e a volte caritatevoli, non da skinheads e neofascisti, gente come noi; noi ne possediamo la chiave di volta, è nostro compito interrogarci al riguardo. Pensateci su.

(liberamente adattato da “Il pericolo dell'odio”, Vox Iuvenum, maggio/giugno 2008 )

David De Concilio

This event gathers student organizers and feisty feminists together for a day of intense brainstorming and organization.  And did I mention they provide t-shirts and food?  They know how to speak in a language college-students can understand!

Last year we at Women's Coalition had the opportunity to go, and it was one of the best things we did for our group the whole year.  If you don't know too much about campus groups, sometimes we're a little -- well-- scatterbrained at times. So it definitely helps to have some guidance from people who've been community organizing and such for a longer time than we have.

Plus, there's the added bonus of networking with other schools.  Which besides being a good idea in normal circumstance, is going to be immensely important this year.

What I'm trying to say is: THANKS Planned Parenthood for doing this! We'll be there in September!

Però non tutti i suoni consonantici possiedono tale caratteristica di istantaneità; potremmo quindi asserire che esistono tre insiemi di suoni vocali, nel senso di <prodotti con la voce e tutto l'apparato connesso>:

• vocali - formanti ben delineati, suoni continui nel tempo

• consonanti - suoni molto brevi, privi quindi di un formante definito, determinano il tipo di inviluppo quando associate a una vocale

• semiconsonanti (o semivocali ) - un incrocio tra le due precedenti, ovvero formanti non definiti ma suoni prolungati, ad esempio SSSSS..., SCCCC... (SC di sciare), FFFFF..., ZZZZZ..., molto vicini per tipologia spettrale al rumore bianco, ma anche MMMMM..., NNNNN..., LLLLLL..., suoni questi ultimi che contengono armonici e formanti ben definiti da essere utilizzati nel canto armonico a due cavità, soprattutto con l'atteggiamento linguale della <L> che intensifica F2, il secondo formante.

~~~~~

Consonants duration is generally very short, but in our language (Italian) they are place before a vowel sound, so our alphabet is pronounced in this way, a, bi, ci, di, e, effe, gi, acca (h), i, elle, emme, ...

But not all consonants are short, in fact we can assemble them into three groups:

• vowels - very defined formants, long sounds

• consonants - short sounds, no defined formants; they can fix envelope when placed before vowels

• semivowels - no defined formants but long sounds as SSSSS..., SCCCC (SH as shadow or S as sure)..., FFFFF..., ZZZZZ..., like white noise, or other sounds with many overtones and defined formants as MMMMM..., NNNNN..., LLLLL...; in fact these are absolutely necessary for overtone singing.

]]> http://drvictorine.wordpress.com/?p=36 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:37 +0000 idadi http://drvictorine.wordpress.com/?p=36 [originally posted via Vox 23 Dec 2007]

NOTE: To the single mother's out there who do a kick ass job as "provider/nurturer", I applaud you. It's just not in me to be both, and blessedly i respect my limitations.

In the last conversation I will have with my mother this year, I gave a terse and final eulogy to "the superwoman", ripped up my cape and burned my membership card to the "I'm Every Woman, It's All In Me" club. In the eulogy I made it clear as crystal to my mother, and anyone else within earshot of our argument, that being able to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, be a lady in the streets, freak in the bed and bitch in the boardroom while balancing four kids and no man IS NOT my idea of what it means to be a woman, and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow anyone to "bully" me into that box any longer. Especially not Marva Joyce Stevenson. Sad to say, the last conversation I will have with my mother this year, will probably be the last conversation I will have with her for a while, because she just doesn't get it.

I am a great multi-tasker. At any given time of the day you will find me handing several different projects with the ease of a juggling master. It's part of my occupational training to be able to do so, and if I do say so myself *pops collar* I do a damn good job of it. *lol* But one thing I've never been able to balance very well is being a "mommy" (note i did not say mother) and being the main breadwinner. One always suffers, and as much as you hear me gush over The E-quad, you can just about guess which suffers most. Money's good, money's great, money's necessary to have the basic necessities of life, but if time were reversed back to 1990 and I was given a choice between having children and a high profile executive position with a high six figured annual salary and benefits... the children would win out every time. *shrug* I was born two decades late I suppose. So when my mother labeled me a bad parent because 1. I am not able to allow certain monetary provisions for my children due to my decision to be a full time, hands on mom and 2. I am not able to kill my maternal instincts and yearnings like she did (I seriously do not know why she bothered to have children... oh yeah i do, but that's another story for another day) in order to contend with corporate America, there was no hesitation in telling her where to go as well as giving her concise directions on how to get there.

Don't give me that, "*gasp* That's your mother... You shouldn't disrespect her like that" look. This is not the first time Marva Joyce has taken this position with me. I've been a mother for seventeen years, and at numerous points in that time span she's cut me to the quick about just how bad a mother I am because I love my children more than a paycheck, and refuse to compromise my stance. I'm sorry, I don't do the "providing nurturer" bit well. I doubt any of us do. I've seen first hand the ill-effects of trying to do so have had on my mother's ability to actually raise my older brother and I. It put her out of touch with who we were as individuals and gave her a hard nosed detachment to the point where we knew she didn't like us very much. Love us... most definitely, to pieces. But liking us was never in my mother. This was not what I wanted for my children, but according to Marva Joyce that is all part and parcel with being a mother. I'm supposed to be out there shaking and moving with the best of the single mothers, proving to all I can master the universe and still raise healthy, happy and productive young citizens in a single bound. To hell with "needing" a man (father) to help shoulder some of the responsibilities. Men are for sissies! And in the end, if you wind up having a stroke or an aneurysm consider yourself blessed to have had it on your own... cause that's what being superwoman is all about. *wink and gun* Naw, i'm reeeeal good on that, thanks.

I've driven myself crazy with this for close to seventeen years. Why so long? Cause... it's my mom, yo. Even the grownest of us wants please the mom, right? Even if it means sometimes your self esteem takes a hit or two. I wanted, no i needed my mother's approval of me as a mother, because despite her flaws and faults and not liking me, she was a decent mother. I mean... look at the woman "she" turned out. *smile* But there comes a time when I have to make myself realize I will never be granted true recognition from my mother due to her inability to understand what it is to be a "nurturer"; to be a tried and true mommy. Marva Joyce will never be able to comprehend the reasoning behind my mothering, the fact that if given the opportunity I would gladly have more kids (it's what I was created to do... sorry if that notion seems prehistoric and sets womankind back a couple eons but... *shrug*) and my inability to make the superwoman label stick. I think it's the last point that grates her the most, because despite her every effort... she wasn't able to make it stick herself and her attempts to force me into the mold thus far have failed miserably. It's because of that I need to remind myself that her stabs are not at me, they are at herself. Her inability to grant her approval is not due to anything I've done, it's because of everything she feels she failed to do. so I can't take it personally. I also can't go into another year allowing her to project her disappointments with self on me and making me feel less than the Goddess mother I know I am. Don't want to cut ties but when it comes to inner peace and having a relationship with a mother who hurts more than helps... i'll take inner peace for a thousand, Alex!

I KNOW I'm a good mother and the proof of that is made evident through my 4.0 GPA senior daughter, my uber cool honour student oldest son, my bright, vivacious and ultra creative middle son, and a baby boy who far exceeds the standard kindergarten learning curve. I KNOW I am a good mother, because of just how much of my life is my children; there is never a decision made without considering how it will affect them, not even one as simple as what's for dinner. I KNOW I am a good mother because even though I may not have brought home the bacon firsthand, I have always made sure they were provided for some way, some how, even if I had to make myself uncomfortable to do it. And incidentally, I KNOW I'm a good mother because I have made every possible effort to kill that superwoman myth when it comes to raising my children. They know I'm human and riddled with imperfections, and it is blessedly because of those imperfections that I can relate to them and not force them to meet impossible benchmarks I may feel I've missed. I see them for who they are, not who I want them to be, and not only do I love them... I like that crazy fun bunch something fierce! They are my children, they are my friends, they are my world, and being here for them completely, not forcing them to share me with corporate America, is my way of thanking them for every blessing they have been to me in the past seventeen years. Oh yeah, sure... life would be better with money but I know for me, it would not be half as fulfilling.

So superwoman... rest in peace. I'd much rather be the supermommy I am, have always been and is loved by The E-quad.

Be Blessed & Be Light,

Dr. Victorine

The amp is currently retailing at Musician’s Friend for $1,400 U.S. dollars. Vox released the AC15H1TV to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Vox guitar amplifiers. It’s the first of what Vox calls the Heritage Collection of hand-wired amplifiers. So, if you really want the amp, try the bid first, and get out of it once it reaches $1,400 U.S. dollars. I am sure it will, but, you never know…

Back then it was all about interaction, and Blog etiquette deemed if someone commented one of your entries, out of courtesy you "owed" them a comment back. There was nothing carved in stone which dictated this, just an unspoken code we all recognized.

I'd say it was about a year into my Blogging experience when I saw things begin to change. People became more into producing solely for feedback, e-props, and kudos than they were the interaction within the Blog community. Then came an increase of Bloggers who cared more about people coming to their pages than they did visiting the pages of others. They became "comment whores", concerned only with reeling 'em in, and stacking them up for appearances sake; pumping out entry after entry just to get feedback, with little regard to returning the favour. I can't say I ever became that comment focused, although I will admit, a good number the comments I did give, were given in the spirit of, "I showed you mine... Now you betta show me yours." Seriously, there was a time when I wouldn't even read the post completely; just skim, pick up a small yet salient point, and comment on it. Of course the favour was often never returned. Not because people figured out my "scheme" but because for some reason (as you may find evident with SWP), people seem to steer as far from commenting on my personal Blogs as they possibly can... or simply ignore the dern things altogether. This really used to bug me. While I can't say I was always a deep and thought provoking Blogger, I was at the very least, slightly amusing, and in comparison to some of the fluff spots I'd seen get upwards of 200 comments per entry, I knew I was worthy of at least some attention. Evidently, the Blogging community felt differently.

It took me awhile to come to the conclusion that I just don't have one of those Blog presences that warrant a comment-palooza. There are the Blog-Stars whose posts garner oodles of feedback no matter the platform, and then there's the Rest of Us. *shrug* Such is life, right? Out of necessity, I found a way to get to a place where my Blogging was more about writing for expression than comments, and since then I've made peace with my Blog lot.

This is my third incarnation in the Blogosphere. I started at Xanga, then moved to more community minded and interactive Vox, and now I'm here, because I wanted something a bit more "mature" for my Blogging purposes. There have been some who've followed my pilgrimage and some who stayed behind yet still stayed in touch. And there are still a good number who insist on playing the comment game, although we're all way too "old" for it now. They constantly plug their spots to me as if the key to the meaning of life can be found within their text, and yet play ignorant when the topic of my Blog is brought up. I personally hate when I've spent an hour or more updating my Blog with the latest and greatest in my life, only to have one of these narcissistic Blog types announce that they've have written a new post, and would really like me to read it, then ask me "how I've been". WTHP? It's in the Blog, you nitwit, and you would know if you read it! And it's not as if these people don't know I have a Blog too, since most of the people I'm connected to via the Internet are people I met up with at Xanga. So what gives? The excuse used to be that I had too many Blog spaces (an astronomical six at one time, because I like the idea of compartmentalizing my Blog personas), which I guess I could understand, although at any given time there was always one spot that played my virtual headquarters. And now, with the advent of RSS readers, staying updated on all things AM has never been easier, but still I am confronted with those who insist it's not worth the hassle. Wish they felt that way when it came to broadcasting about their spots, that I normally read anyway, just on GP.

So I said all that to say turn about, in the Blogosphere, is definitely fair play. Those who want to be read need to start doing a little reading of their own, especially when it comes to friends who are on the receiving end of their plugs. It costs you nothing, and honestly, it's common courtesy. Whether you comment or not is another story altogether, since most "real" Bloggers prefer a steady readership to empty e-platitudes and peanut gallery remarks.

Be Blessed and Be Light...

Dr. Victorine, who wanted to end this post with a "BANG", but settled for a "POOF".

Seit dem 18.05.2008 läuft nun im Sonntagvorabendprogramm ab 18 Uhr die neue 95-minütige Coaching-Show "Bis der Laden läuft". Die "Geschäftecoaches" Reinholf Guppenberger und Gerhard Metz sind unterwegs, in Schwierigkeiten geratene Geschäfte zu retten. Guppenberger ist dabei der Mann für die Finanzen. Metz der Service- und Personalexperte. In den ersten drei gedrehten Folgen versuchen die beiden ein Nagelstudio, ein Zoohaus und ein Elektrofachgeschäft vor dem Ruin zu bewahren. Sowohl die "Coachs" als auch die Geschäftsinhaber machen da so einiges mit.
Dem Nagelstudio ist ein Großteils des Umsatzes weggebrochen, nachdem zwei ehemalige Mitarbeiterinnen zur direkten Konkurrenz geworden sind. Außerdem kämpft Tessa, die junge Chefin, gegen ihre übermächtige Mutter und gegen schlechte Stimmung im Team.

Auch das Zoohaus steckt tief in den roten Zahlen. Doch Besitzer Ralph verschließt den Blick vor der Wirklichkeit. Er will den Traum vom eigenen Geschäft nicht begraben, auch wenn er dafür die Existenz seiner kleinen Familie aufs Spiel setzt.

Das Elektrofachgeschäft existiert als Familienunternehmen seit den Olympischen Spielen 1972. Aber wie lange noch? Die Konkurrenz durch die Handelsriesen macht den Brüdern Wolfgang und Klaus-Peter schwer zu schaffen. Jedes Jahr werden die Umsätze kleiner und die Schulden größer. Auch dass die Eltern Karola und Emil ebenfalls vom Laden leben, belastet das kleine Geschäft.

Der Start der Doku-Soap verlief für den Sender positiv: Es schalteten sich 1,21 Millionen Zuschauer ein - darunter 830.000 Menschen der für den Sender und seine Werbekunden wichtigen Zielgruppe der 14 bis 49-jährigen. Mit "Bis der Laden läuft" springt Vox auf einen erfolgreichen Zug auf. Der Konkurrent RTL hat mit "Raus aus den Schulden" schon einen echten Quotenhit gelandet. Wöchentlich schalten jeden Mittwoch etwa fünf bis sechs Millionen Leute ein, um den Schuldnerberater Peter Zwegat bei seiner Arbeit zuzusehen.

Die zweite Folge von "Bis der Laden läuft" wurde am Sonntag, den 25.05.2008 18:15 Uhr um 20:15 Uhr gesendet. Die dritte Folge wurde am 01.06.2008 ausgestrahlt.

Übrigens kann man sich auch als Kandidat bewerben, vorzugsweise wenn man ein eigenes Geschäft in oder um München herum besitzt: "Im Besonderen sind wir auf der Suche nach Friseurgeschäften, Nagelstudios, Boutiquen, Bäckereien und Zoofachhandlungen", so der Casting-Wunsch des Senders bzw. seiner Produktionsfirma Bavaria:

GESCHÄFTSINHABER GESUCHT!

Für "Bis der Laden läuft" suchen wir Geschäfte, bei denen es nicht mehr rund läuft. Sie haben ein eigenes Geschäft? Doch es kommen einfach nicht mehr genug Kunden? Ein Make-over der Geschäftsräume wäre schon lange mal fällig? Auch Ihre Mitarbeiter bräuchten dringend einen neuen Motivationsschub?

Wollen Sie endlich nicht mehr jeden Cent zweimal umdrehen? Hängen die Einkommen von Familienmitgliedern und/oder einigen Angestellten von dem Erfolg des Geschäfts ab?

Weitere Informationen:
vox-Homepage
vox-Sendungs-Site

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My name is AngelaMichelle... And I'm a joiner!

"HI AM!!! WE SUPPORT YOU!"

It's been... *checks timeline* ...twenty-four hours and some change since my last join, and I'd just like to say... I think this one's a keeper!

WOOOOOOHOOOO!

The list of all the social networking sites I belong to reads off like a crime syndicate's rap sheet. On any given day, at any given time, you can catch me hitting up MySpace, Facebook, Vox, Twitter, Pownce, Brightkite, Wordpress, FriendFeed, Imeem, Seesmic, or any multitude of "hip, happening" spots that span the Net. Of course some get more of my attention than others (Twitter, Vox, Wordpress), but I'm pretty e-socially active across the board (annoyingly so to some). And since I am a joiner, and I practically live on the Internets, I am usually first in line to try the latest SN fad for size, where others cease to see the point.

But ya know... being a joiner does get to a point where it begins to fray your edges. The constant updating, checking in on "friends" and follower's updates, thinking up new and interesting things "About Me" that will make people want to "friend" and follow my updates... And let's not leave out the "after novelty period" chock full of activity lulls, system shutdowns (I'm talking directly to you Twitter!), and "friends"/follows who become more like e-billboards than some one you'd like to social network with -- virtually or otherwise. It all takes you to the brink of throwing your hands in the air, and selecting the "shut down account" option in the settings menu.

Oooooh my "friends" and followers I have been there! Oh yes, even a diehard joiner like myself reaches her limit, and has weeks like last week, when a lot of my connections went the way of the buffalo (save for the ones I share with my children... those stay on GP). In the ones that made the cut, I whittled down my "friends"/followers to a manageable handful, free of randoms, spammers, and reciprocating commenters. The thing I was going for in my cyber connections was quality over quantity, much the same as I look for IRL (which most of my "friend"/followships cross over into anyway), so cutting certain ties wasn't that difficult to execute.

I'd almost gotten my joiner tendencies under control. I was down to one MySpace page from three. I put Facebook on time out. I was down to maaaaaaaaybe fifty tweets/pownces a day (actually significantly less on Pownce cause... well, cause Pownce is just bogus), and Vox was relegated to picture Blog status in lieu of page long dissertations about everything and nothing. But on yesterday, all that changed and i caved under a joiner's pressure, because yesterday... someone turned me on to Plurk... and now my e-life will never be the same.

With its sleek and sexy interface, interactive timeline, and built in auto-update feature, Plurk is to social networking today, what chatrooms were a decade ago. If I had to describe it using modern micro-Blogging models, it's Pownce meets Twitter, combining pretty-ful with real time interaction... minus the Hokey Pokey connectivity and fifteen "Over Capacity" error messages per inhale/exhale. Because it's the new kid on the social network block, the platform lacks some of the amenities Twitter loyalists have come to know and love, such as API capability and member/keyword search functions. But for the things it lacks, it more than redeems itself with such features as on-topic commenting (no more having to shift through fifty million threads you could give a rats arse about just to find that ONE that you do), the ability to follow, yet not friend, an unknown member (for those who are afeared of SN commitment and want their connections to remain casual), karma "rewards" to encourage activity (let's face it, since you're going to be slacking on RL projects for the sake of staying "in the know", it good to know your addiction to the service is appreciated with virtual swag), and my personal favourite, a realistic time line that helps you keep track of just how much you're plurking, instead of whatever it is you should be doing that day. What's not to love? Of course, for those of us that are used to the straight line format of Twitter or Pownce, Plurk's set up can be a bit confusing and awkward to navigate. But like any new relationship, time and patience must be invested (no more than maybe ten minutes worth, on the high end) to iron out all the kinks and develop the level of intimacy desired. I tell you, for as enamoured as I was with Twitter, after fourteen hours of almost non-stop Plurking, I began to forget what my beloved Twitter looked liked, how it felt to have it convey my tweets in the caring, dependable way it once had. Fortunately for it, since Plurk is new and still has miles to go before it proves itself stable, I'll keep the old standby on standby in case my dreamboat sinks and I'm left wading in the social networking waters without a lifejacket.

So there you have it... the almost reformed joiner has fallen off the wagon for yet another warm and welcoming spot by which she can inform the world at large, whether they want to know or not, of just she's doing, the very moment she does it, and who's she doing it with/to. She tried to resist, but the pull was just too strong... calling her name from the corners of cyberspace. She believes this will be the last time; that she has finally found the one fix that sates her social networking needs, offering the security of a format that won't crash because everyone wants to know and tell just what everyone else is doing a gagillion times in an minute.

If micro-Blogging's your thing, and you're looking for a site that will come through in a pinch, surf on over to the Plurk pool and take a dip. If you're one of the faithful who have stuck by Twitter through all it's up and down in the past day, you owe it to yourself to see what the buzz is about... without bird and whale screens interrupting your good time.

Blessed Be...

Dr. Victorine - Unofficial Plurk Plugger

The following mosaic and slideshow was compiled based on condo construction due for Calgary.

Hat tip to Boris2K7 for providing detailed information on the Calgary Construction Forum.

!!!

Personal, am primit cadoul anticipat, ieri, re-lansarea OraşulSuceava.ro, în versiunea 2.0 , lansarea JudeţulSuceava.ro, concert Ceilalţi, Odyssey şi multă muzică retro.

Citându-l pe creTzu : "Nu mai există Hip-Hop!", asta referitor la partea HH a serii. Le mulţumim oricum băieţilor (creTzu şi ViKloth, restul trupei absentând din varii motive) pentru "poezii" şi atitudine. Deşi în număr mai mic decât în seara precedentă, la Luna Amară, ascultătorii genului au reacţionat foarte bine la melodiile cântate de Odyssey. După ce , la cererea publicului, membrii trupei s-au întors la instrumente o dată şi-nc-o dată, în cele din urmă au încheiat recitalul spre marea nostră părere de rău.

Restul serii a fost pe măsură, demn de un asemenea eveniment, oamenii amestecându-se printre sunete retro. S-a văzut din entuziasmul dansatorilor (:P) lipsa unor asemenea seri în cluburile şi discotecile sucevene.

Mulţumesc tuturor celor ce m-au dansat şi pe care i-am dansat (Ştef (aşa, printre primii:)) ! ) , Iulia, Ovidiu, Bogdan, Iuliku, Alejandra , creTzu, Floppy, ArTiStul, mai era un tip care m-a suit pe masă, în timp ce cântam : "Locul tău este pe masă şi-al paharelor pe jos!", pe care nu ştiu cum îl cheamă. Probabil am mai uitat oameni, nu e din reavoinţă, mai amintiţi-mi ).

Şi nu în ultimul rând, mulţumesc tuturor celor ce au arătat că încă mai ştim să ne distrăm, şi că în ciuda invaziei house-ului (am o problemă cu genul ăsta :) ) în toate cluburile, n-am uitat clasicele "Coco jambo", "Macarena", "We will rock you", "I will survive", etc.

Felicitări echipei OrasulSuceava.ro pentru reuşita evenimentului. Şi la mai mare !

P.S. : Ar trebui să am câteva poze de îndată ce se trezeşte Iulia.

P.S.2 : Iuliku e un şmecher!

Primeramente, voy cambiando el hospedaje del blog, de Vox a Wordpress.com. Encontré a través del tiempo que los "features" para ayudar a gente que no tenga mucha experiencia con los blogs me fastidiaban mas que me ayudaban. Con WordPress tengo control mas directo de todo.

Además, separé el contenido en español del contenido en inglés. Cada idioma tiene su propio blog. Para el español de la real academia, acá en Yanyue dao, para el "King's English" vaya a Qinglong yanyue dao.

I'd never heard of them before, and from the looks of their MySpace page, they seem to be reformed, but relatively new, anyway.

The music is just this side of raw and really brings me back to listening to my friends playing in bands in various basements around town where I grew up. They are not polished, but they definitely have the hooks. I've really enjoyed the four songs I've been able to check out.

Thought you may enjoy them, too, as you hopefully enjoy your weekend.

Judging by the sound clips we've heard, and some You Tube videos, the answer is a big fat yes! The four amps of the XL Series have all the cool features the modern guitarist wants, mixing true valve power with the amp modelling features that have been all the rage for the past few years - this amplifier range delivers VOX’s hottest hard rock and metal sounds to date; all of them based on legendary amps. Here too are all the features that make the entire VT series sound and feel great: Valve Reactor technology, high-quality effects, and adjustable output wattage.

The XL-series uses VOX’s patented Valve Reactor technology, featuring a power amp circuit that contains a 12AX7 (ECC83) dual triode vacuum tube (valve), normally used in a preamp, and a dummy speaker circuit that simulates the varying impedance of a real speaker. This produces the true sound and feel of a bonafide all-tube amp.

All amps in the Valvetronix XL line-up feature eleven amp sounds, eleven high-quality effects, store amps and effect settings plus manual mode.

Given all those exciting features, perhaps the new XL series could appeal to non-Heavy Metal players. It'd be interesting to hear about their views...

Also worth mentioning - the gray/ black look is definitely sexy and cool, making these great-looking amps stand out from most of the amplifiers you see in the shops nowadays.

The four Vox XL Series amps are:

AD15VT-XL (view more)
AD30VT-XL (view more)
AD50VT2-XL (view more) 
AD100VT-XL (view more)

Features include:

Eleven amp sounds. Sophisticated modelling technology is used to provide eleven different amps, including classic vintage amps of the past, costly, modern high-end amps and high-gain hybrids, all accessible at the turn of a knob.

These new models include:

• Glass, modelled on the Clean channel of a collectable 100-Watt head named the Overdrive Special;
• Funked, modeled on a classic American black-faced 2x12 combo;
• Buzzsaw, inspired by the British-made 50-Watt head that created the sounds of ‘70s hard rock and metal;
• Crunched, based on a very rare modded VOX AC30/6TBX Top Boost combo, adding new hot-rodded gain levels and EQ;
• Thrashed, modelled on a 1983, all tube, single channel, master volume 100-Watt head;
• Raged, based on the high gain channel of a modern, all-tube 100 Watter, with boosted bass and mid frequencies and even more gain;
• Modern, a still higher gain modification to the “Modern High Gain” channel, with scooped EQ;
• Fluid, the UK Modern setting with maximum gain and mid-range EQ, modified to emphasize a vocal-like tone for legato-style playing;
• Molten, based on VOX’s US Hi-Gain model but capable of even more powerful, heavily saturated sounds, with an Octave effect mixed into the preset;
• Black, a version of the UK Modern mutated to Class A, rather than Class AB;
• Damaged, rooted in VOX’s US Hi-Gain model with more gain and a completely re-voiced and modified EQ to be thicker and darker.

Eleven high-quality effects are built in, including compressor, delay, reverb, compressor & chorus, compressor & phaser, chorus & delay, chorus & reverb, flanger & reverb, tremolo & reverb, and rotary & reverb, plus Noise Reduction. New for the XL series is an Octave effect for massive lead tones. Effect parameters are fully adjustable and a Tap button makes it easy to set your delay time or modulation speed.

Store amp and effect settings. Store your favourite amp and effect settings as a program, containing two different settings (CH1 and CH2). Switch between these settings from the top panel, or by using the optional VFS2 foot switch connected to the rear panel. In addition, there is a preset program for each amp type.

Manual mode. In Manual mode the sound you hear reflects the physical settings of the knobs.
You’re in control. Connect an optional VFS2 dual foot switch (sold separately) to switch programs or bypass effects. A power level control (not available on AD15VT-XL) adjusts the output wattage of the power amp. This means that even when the master volume is turned up all the way to drive the Valve Reactor power amp, you can adjust the volume without losing any tone.

Watch Video:

Valvetronix XL Demos

Un poco esceptico estoy mirando desde hace un tiempo las cosas entre cuba , vox, y blogalaxia, es extraño esta fusion, bueno , esa es mi opinion, como es posible que blogalaxia anuncia "El primer encuentro nacional de blogueros cubanos se desarrolla en Ciudad de La Habana, auspiciado por el Instituto Internacional de Periodismo José Martí.

Y por otra parte el gobierno cubano , niega el permiso de salir a Yoani Sanchez para recoger su premio en España
Espero que la estrategia de unos y otros sea la apertura de Cuba  en la libertad informatica y la fusion , vox , blogalaxia, cuba , se trate de ello aunque estos tengan que comenzar con concesiones.

Porque si se trata de hacer como hizo yahoo en China .... la cosa esta bien jodida.

Yo doy un discreto voto de confianza ,pero cuando de dinero y poder se trata,  hay que ver por donde salta la liebre.

 libertad para todos

libertad sin fronteras

 

 

 

 

 

So, anyway. Vox. It started out good, it was this fun little small community and sometimes complete strangers would wander by and leave a comment. Of course, that wasn't always a good thing, but usually it was. I had a lot of interesting people in my neighborhood.

But somehow it just didn't seem to keep their attention. The best bloggers started negelecting their blogs or moving on to greener pastures, and the comments and content started getting more and more, in the very apt word of a LJ friend of mine, "insipid". It was hard to find new readers too, because of how badly the Vox groups are set up. Lately I find myself skimming over the new posts, and almost every comment I receive irks me in some way.

So I'm starting over here. I think I need a platform that's got less "community". The problem is that Vox's mission statement was to attract people to blogging who never thought about blogging before, and frankly... it shows. In the beginning quite a few established bloggers were on there, purely for the novelty, but they all eventually left, and now there's nothing left but the dregs.

There was a time I envied Hungary a bit of a lot:

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Jethro Tull, my band #1 to take to an inhabited tropical island (or wherever my pension is going to take me) gave out a song "Budapest". Before the ultimate tearing the Iron Curtain off and away, and today, too, to a certain extent, the national pride of Poland had longed for any honourable mentions in Western production. So that we'd know the civilised world knows we're not a Russian colony with no history or ambitions.

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We would idolise people feeding our starving egos – like Marino Marini, a medium-popular Italian songster with a one-timer in heavily-accented Polish (but damn, the song is so sentimentally kitsch it's beautiful):

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Or like Classix Nouveaux. (They'll never never come out of my mobile). The problem with bands like CN was they would requite the love Poles felt for them -- but were not recognised too worldly.

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And Poles would probably remind an English or German foreigner some internationally famous tunes may be of Polish origin.

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Or that Polish Roman Polański directed a movie about Polish Władysław Szpilman playing Polish Fryderyk Szopen. If music should not be enough:

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Or that Gazebo would sing "I like Chopin" [but did he mean Chopin vodka?].

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Or that Midnight Oil sing about Kościuszko, though Aussies misspell and mispronounce him and often think he's just a mount.

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Or we would speak of Charles Bronson, who was Polish (oh really?), and a harmonica virtuoso.

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Or we would be happy Maidens want us to play pray with them:

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Or that they visit our airports.

That they visit our cities.

That they play our football.

That they see our people.

That they attend our weddings.

So that they could say "Na zdrowie":

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Or that U2 made a Solidarnosc-inspired song (for which Poles would pay back waving their shirts the other time).

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Or Kim Wilde? Long before she was covered in Cambodia by Apoptygma Berzerk, Polish "affectionate people" had covered her with flowers and kisses and kisses and improvised dancing, live, probably to thank her she came to us capable of saying "Cześć" or "Dziękuję":

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Hey, we even liked strangers when their admiration came through imitation. For example: Vox, the first Polish boys-will-be-boys-band, singing about aloha-sunny-banana way of life when it was grey and communist outside. The song has been kicking arse, amen. And it still kicks, even if in a Czech remake meant for a TV commercial.

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Our hearts soar when someone such as Eddie Vedder speaks Polish (even if it's read, and it's B16 Polish more than Polish Polish).

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Yes, our depression could be low.

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So, what more?

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This premiere-league metal musician took Danzig for his alias. (And Danzig is German for Gdańsk. Hurrah!)

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And then there's Christopher Poland. (What a nice surname!)

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Any common denominator? Considering Chris got himself into metal albums, and that I found heavy bands like these Danes, it seems the natural way you would musically relate to Poland would be loud and clearly hard.

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Type O Negative is a first class metal band, and its core-man is Peter Steele, born Ratajczyk. Just when one could boast his Polish surname, one would learn Peter sings about faeces, or women that cheat on him, that he posed for Playgirl, that he was clinically treated for depression, or that he converted from atheism to Catholicism. Let's be confused: is it good PR, or not?

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There are exports, too (to boost up our pride aware of them admiring our guys).

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Vader – the best (selling) thing in music from Poland (*).
I still recall the thrill of the time I saw the first Polish words on MTV, a Polish ballet dancer, a Polish power plant, lots of first class loudness in their video. On the other hand, Vader is not a Polish name, the band IS good (while goodness is international) and singing in English. [And how! Uttering loud lines "We await the silent empire" and "We do believe in silence" is clear irony and wit, and they will discuss stuff like for-snobs-only Pynchonisms, with unprecedented speed (try to say "You'd better never antagonize the horn" in 0.8 second).]

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(*) Since that etude thing Chopin wrote. Yes, that borrowing from a prelude by Birkin. The lending to Beyond The Sea. Yes, the song in American...Or's it English?...French?...Or Corsican French?...Or French-English on Japanese tv? -- It's all one, anyway.
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Anyway. Jethro Tull went on with "Budapest" for 10 minutes long and more. This could hurt the national pride of a non-Hungarian. Despite the fact Poles and Hungarians have been considered "brethren". (We don't speak our brother's language, we don't see one another too often, we hardly shared borders. Yes, warm feelings are feasible.)

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Granted, Jethro Tull mentions Poland alright ("the beat of distant Africa or a Polish factory town") but that's not quite what I'd expect. I mean -- where's a song entitled "Warsaw"?

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Well, I'll tell you where.

Joy Division.
Porcupine Tree.
David Bowie (with Brian Eno).

Plus Tangerine Dream (with Poland) ?
Plus Niemen in French?

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Not often a place earns a Babylonian god's song with German title, English words, Swedish voice.
Not always a madam's cul in that place gets a mention in a French song, Belgian voice, first verse.
Not bad. Not bad at all.

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PS But now I am going to listen to Laibach. Whose "words are for you, Poland", says the third sentence, and the beginning rings the bell in its unmistakenly Polish way.

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I can't dance, I can't sing.