Label: Premium
AVGL-024

Kaede Fuyutsuki
Birth date: September 14, 1988
Body: B: 84 cm (C), W: 58 cm, H: 84 cm

More info: http://www.1-pon.com/2007/AVGL-024.html

I bet you feel like a damn fool right now.

I digress; sadly, it is I that feels like the damn fool this evening dear reader. Why, for some reason I actually believed that ABC would air the video at the beginning of 20/20. What a moron I was, clearly Barbara Walters was to smart to do that. She knows nobody would willingly watch her senile ass these days, nobody would put themselves though that agony intentionally; they have to be lured in, like a mouse to the trap with a fragment of cheese.

To get to that piece of tempting cheese, I had to weather Barbra Walter’s interview with Christie Brinkley’s ex-husband, Peter Cook. We all know he cheated, we all know he engaged in cyber sex, why he gets a 20/20 segment devoted to him really boggles my mind. If we devoted a twenty minute to every male in this country that has whacked it on webcam, we’d have enough material to air from now until Armageddon. Same as when Clay Aiken got the cover of People Magazine for coming out as a homosexual. I haven’t even commented on it because it was the absolute dumbest story ever, the article was such a waste of space. Like anybody really gasped as they grabbed the magazine in a checkout aisle, exclaiming to the masses “I had no idea!” Everybody fucking knew. If you didn’t, you’re most likely still waiting for the article in National Geographic to reassure you that the earth is still round.

Alas, we must steer back on track as I am quite off topic at this point.

Call me a prude, but every time I heard Barbra Walter’s say the word ‘masturbate’, a little piece of my soul died; and I didn’t have much of one to start with. There was a good five minute discussion on the subject where she said the word, god only knows how many times. It got to the point where I really felt it was almost unnecessary, she was just saying it because I think, despite acting like a professional journalist, she still thinks it’s a funny word.

I suffered though that, then an editorial about the youth of the nation voting. John Stossel questioning that, as the majority of youth in this nation are complete bonehead morons, is it wise they should even vote? The general conclusion seemed to be no, voting should be left to the wise, trusting them to make good decisions. I would totally agree with this, if the same policy also applied to those running for public office. If you only want intelligent voters casting their ballots, I say they should only be casting them for intelligent nominees. If that was the case, I think its safe to say we could eliminate a good deal of people running this year, and about half of them elected in 2004. Until intelligence is mandated on both sides, I say let the voter booths and ballot boxes become a clusterfuck of idiocracy. Surely, you cannot expect every one of legal voting age to be well informed, exhibiting intellect and independent thought, can you? When most have come through the public school system, a system of No Child Left Behind that was enacted by, I’m sorry, who was that again? What does one expect?

FINALLY, after much agony, the premier of Miss Spear’s new video sparkled across the screen into my retinas. It was the feeling of all things pleasurable at once, orgasmic bliss filled my body. “Oh Britney” the thought ran through my mind, “those Nay Sayers, oh those who said nay, that your career was over, that you would never make a comeback, oh how wrong they were! How wrong they were.”

Because, when you’re debuting your new video at the end of 20/20, you know your career has nowhere to go but up…

- Michael

Cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, beautiful Angelica Shelton Belanov feels most comfortable when hidden away in the library of her father's English country estate. Now family duty requires that she make an appearance at a glittering gala, mingling with the cream of London society in hopes of finding a suitable husband. Assailed by the unwanted “chatter” of many minds, Angelica finds relief in the company of a handsome aristocratic stranger who remains, refreshingly, an enigma.

But Prince Alexander is not like other men. The powerful leader of an Eastern clan of immortals, he has come to London to hunt down a rogue vampire who threatens the survival of his dwindling kind. Angelica can sense that Alexander is dangerous, a mystery to be unraveled at her own peril. Yet desire sears them both—she, the bewitching telepath, and he, the fearless leader who must learn to trust his heart. And unrestrained passion has strict demands that could cost them both their lives...and their souls.

rating : 3/5

En parallèle des infos et des cours qui viendront continuellement étoffer ce modeste blog, vous trouverez également des articles plus triviaux et informels sur quelconque sujet qui m'interpelle.

Vous êtes bien sûr invité(e) à commenter ce blog et son contenu, ainsi qu'à en apporter des critiques constructives qui m'aideront à progresser.

Antoine.

openin' this saturday five until midnite

Au tout début de la campagne fédérale que nous vivons présentement, il m'a pris l'envie d'écrire un article pour vous dire de vous méfier de Stéphane Dion.  Pour illustrer mon idée, j'allais vous demander "Vous souvenez-vous du congrès à la chefferie du parti libéral, en décembre 2006?"  Puis j'aurais élaboré sur les grandes lignes du congrès, la lutte entre Michael Ignatieff, et Bob Rae, pour la première place, puis la suite, composée de Gerard Kennedy, et de Stéphane Dion.  J'aurais suivi en parlant des "deals", en coulisses, entre Kennedy et Dion, de la remontée de celui-ci, et finalement, de sa victoire, après un quatrième tour de scrutin des délégués.  En deux mots, j'allais vous aviser de faire bien attention à Stéphane Dion, parce que, comme au congrès, où il a su se faufiler silencieusement entre les meneurs, tel une couleuvre, pour remporter la course, il saurait cette fois se faufiler entre les autres chefs de parti, et se retrouver premier ministre du Canada.  Et tout comme au lendemain de sa victoire comme chef des libéraux, la très grande majorité des analystes se demanderont, le 15 octobre au matin, qu'est-ce qui a bien pu se passer pour que Stéphane Dion se retrouve premier ministre.

Mais finalement, j'ai laissé tomber ce billet.  Pourquoi?  Je ne sais pas trop.  Peut-être que j'avais peur d'avoir l'air fou, d'oser parler du négligé de cette façon.  Peut-être que les commentaires des lecteurs (vos commentaires, en fait) auraient été trop du genre "Ben voyons donc, Richard3, où est-ce que tu t'en vas, avec tes skis?  Stéphane Dion ne passera jamais!"  Bref, je ne peux pas mettre la raison précise pour laquelle j'ai décidé de rebrousser chemin, de ne pas terminer ce billet, et de finalement tout flusher.

C'est suite à cela, donc, que je me vois dans l'obligation de dire une toute petite phrase, que je croyais pourtant bannie de mon vocabulaire depuis longtemps;

J'aurais donc dû!

Avoir écrit ce billet, à ce moment-là, j'aurais pu en écrire un, ces jours-ci, dont le titre aurait été "Je vous l'avais bien dit!"  Parce que force est de constater que Stéphane Dion, et les libéraux, remontent dans les sondages.  Je ne leur donne pas la victoire tout de suite, car il reste encore quelques jours à la campagne, et que quelques jours, en politique, c'est une éternité.  Mais il reste que les sondages montrent bien une tendance à la hausse des libéraux.  Avoir écrit ce fameux billet, à ce moment-là, m'aurait valu, à défaut d'un job d'analyste politique à TVA (après tout, ils avaient bien engagé l'imam Saïd Jaziri comme consultant en matières islamiques), le respect de mes semblables.

Mais le fait de le dire maintenant ne signifie plus rien, parce que je ne suis pas le seul à le constater, et que ce billet ne représente plus qu'une voix parmi tant d'autres.

J'essaierai de ne plus m'y faire prendre, la prochaine fois.

Gestern in der Nacht Blutspuren gelesen. Gemalter Roman aus Israel, das Langform-Debut einer längst etablierten und renommierten Zeichnerin: Rutu Modan. Exit Wounds lautet der Titel in der englischen Orginalausgabe (in Israel ist er noch nicht erschienen).
Eine Frau und ein Mann suchen nach einem Verschwundenen: ihr deutlich älterer Geliebter, sein Vater. Eigentlich müsste er unter den Opfern eines Bombenanschlags auf einen Busbahnhof sein, doch seine Leiche fehlt, es gibt nicht die geringste Spur mehr von diesem Mann. Hinter jedem Vorhang, den die beiden ungleichen Detektive lüften, zeigt sich ein neuer Schleier, der die wahre Identität des  Gesuchten noch mysteriöser macht.

"Blutspuren ist zwiespältig aufgenommen worden; nicht nur der angeblich typisch israelischen Einseitigkeit wegen, sondern auch aufgrund der spröden Grafik. Doch dahinter verbirgt sich eine glänzend erzählte Geschichte, die mit allen Wassern der Psychologie und Soziologie gewaschen ist". Schreibt Andreas Platthaus in der F.A.Z.
Was heißt denn "dahinter verbirgt sich"? Hinter dem Buch als solchem oder hinter der Grafik? Rutus Modans Strich ist wunderschön klar, ihre Figuren sind beweglich, eigenwillig, gestisch ausdrucksstark. Einerseits zeichnet sie diese flächigen, typisierten Gesichter, die so fernab jeder psychologischen Tiefenschärfe scheinen, andererseits aber gewinnen diese Gestalten Finesse und Charakter durch ihre Körpersprachen. Das Buch hat vier Kapitel ('Die Vaterfigur', 'Meine Reise mit der Giraffe', 'Wellenreiten' und 'Die Auferstehung'), "Die Giraffe" ist Numi, die auffällig groß ist. Modan inszeniert die schwerfällige Unbeholfenheit dieses zu groß geratenen Frauenkörpers feinfühlig und komisch auf eine zarte Weise.
Und die Farben: Modan fächert Farbpaletten auf, die Ofness und Aboutness ineins setzen. Schwarz-Grau-Blau-Taubenblau-Ollivgrün-Hellblau-Dunkelbraun: eine intime Gesprächsszene. Er springt wütend auf: Tabak-Rosé-Grau-Ocker-Orange-Petrol. Mit jedem Umblättern fällt man in ein anderes Bühnenbild, wo die handelnden Figuren auch gern einmal vor einem nur angedeuteten Dekor agieren. Das Nichtausgeführte, Skizzierte, die unscharfe Umgebung wirken aber permanent: Israel 2002: Terroranschläge, ständige Angst, die man nur aushält, wenn man sie verdrängt, kollektiv wie individuell.  Modan ist akribisch genau in dem Weltausschnitt, den sie gibt. Die Perspektiven, die Bildabfolgen generieren Bedeutung, sind Kommentar.
Der Vorwurf, sie beachte die palästinensische Seite nicht, kann nur auf den denjenigen zurückfallen, der diese Kritik äußert. Beknackt. Opfer-Täter, die Achse ist tausendfach zersprengt.
Meine Lieblingsseite: 110 (wie lustig, so Leute im Wasser zu malen!)
Die Übersetzung aus dem Hebräischen hat Barbara Linner besorgt. Wie auch in ihren literarischen Arbeiten: zuverlässig, versiert, genau.

Rutu Modan: BLUTSPUREN ISBN 978-3-03731-035-9
168 Seiten, Edition Moderne, Euro 28,- / sFr. 45,- (sehr teuer)

GANGULY

DADA

RETIRES [caption id="attachment_91" align="aligncenter" width="313" caption="For the last innings"][/caption]

It was just a few days before that I wrote about the KING returning to his playground. Never in my worst dreams would I have thought that soon I will have to write a farewell letter to him. Alas! That's the way life goes.

He came, he saw and he conquered. Now he retire. He say he is retiring because it's time. He say there is no external pressure. If he says, we will have to believe it.

But the “dark hands” (if they exist) you got to be reminded of something. He won't be under the control of BCCI for long. After he retires, he is a free man. He might come out and speak the truth that happened. Why he decided to quit. And if those truths in someway lead back to your hands , consider yourself unfortunate. Not because it's going to hurt your image, but because what you are going to experience then will be such that will make you wish you were never born.

Let me stop this kind of speech. There is a time for this later. My heart is now greaved. I can't bear to think of his last innings. I can't see him returning to the pavilion with a silent message that he won't come back again. He was the most important part of cricket for me for long. And when he goes, cricket no longer exists.

I wish to talk of the career of Ganguly. Why it's the most talked of career? Why is it going to be the part of cricketing history? Why is it called the golden period of Indian cricket?

Ganguly peaked his career during 1996-2000 before he was made the captain. He was the best batsman of the Indian team then. He came into the team in a test hundred in the debut. He became the faster indian to score 3000,4000,......,9000. A series worth remembering is one against Pakisthan which India 4-1. It was won single handedly by Ganguly. He took around 300 runs and 15 wickets and topped batting and bowling charts. He was the man of the match in all four games india won consecutively. He even now holds the record of most number of consecutive man of the matches. It's just an example. There are many others too. The highest runs scored in a world cup match is his forte. Sri Lankans were the guys who had to withstand that slaughter. He scored 183 which helped India score a 371 which again helped India get the required run rate for entering the Super Six round.

[caption id="attachment_95" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Victory is always for the KING"][/caption]

With captaincy his batting performance declined. But considering other players, his batting was still world class. It just declined when compared to his own previous records. Many still think of what Ganguly's batting scorecard would have been had he not been the captain. But my interest were never on this. It was Ganguly as a captain that astonished me. After the 1999 world Cup Australia went on a win-only-series-of-series. They won each and every test they played. The teams who played against them were afraid.Australians were considered as the ultimate and undefeatable team. It's in this spirit that Aussies came to India. They expected a similar tense Indian team. But Ganguly proved to be just the opposite. He made Steve Waugh feel some pressure. He never believed Aussies are undefeatable and took special care not to let Aussies feel any kind of superiority. This was a new experience for the Aussies and they succumbed to it, loosing the series 1-2. Ganguly also led India to a World Cup Final, himself scoring a century in the semi final. He took Indian team to Australia. India was stuttering after 3 early wickets with a huge score to overtake. Ganguly came to the middle and scored 144 which is considered as his best Test Innings. He finished only when India were with a comfortable lead. He is also the first Indian to score a century in Australia against Australia.

The rest of the story is about ups and downs, of misfortunes and comebacks. This is a story every single child in India and in all cricketing nation knows. So I am not going into that.

For India, Ganguly was the FORCE. The FORCE that united them, that made them strong, that made them realise their own strength, and that led from front. YES, GANGULY IS RIGHTLY CALLED THE BEST CAPTAIN.

HATS OFF TO YOU, Oh! GOD OF OFF SIDE.

IN YOU WE FOUND A NEW SPIRIT, AN URGE TO CONQUER, A ROAR TO DEFEAT. HOPE YOU CAN CONTINUE TO TO SHOWER IT AROUND TILL THE END. WAITING FOR BENGAL TIGER TO ROAR IN ALL THE REMAINING MATCHES.

A Loyal Fan inspired by your Attitude.

BoA's debut has been delayed and her debut U.S. single will not be released tomorrow, October 7th as anticipated.  Instead they have pushed her debut for two weeks later.  Her debut single, Eat You Up will be released digitally on iTunes, Amazon, AOL, Emusic, and Myspace on October 21st.  The music video will also be released at the same time. This is not only a U.S. release.  With BoA being very popular in Asia, it'll also be released through online stores in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China.  It also will reached the Austrailia/Oceanic area as well as Europe.

Analysis:
Was it a coincidence that her debut single was leaked or not?  We've been hearing so much about them.  With SE7EN's first supposed debut single This is My Year featuring Fabolous, his debut was delayed and then Them Girls, which was produced by Darkchild (and we still have no official word on the latter).  BoA's arm is injured--did they think it be best if it healed first before any official U.S. activity happened?  The doctor did say she had to be in a cast for six weeks.  October 21st is roughly a week after when she should get her cast off.  Was the leak an excuse to bring hype and to let BoA to heal and be back at 100%?  Did they realize that they were not as prepared as they thought and need a little more time.  BoA's MySpace is still under construction to add.  Or was it just a purse coincidence/accident?  Then again, maybe it is not such a shabby idea.  Even though is does not take much movement to do an interview, a cast does not look to good on a artist new to American audiences (or any new one).

-- Jay

Sources:
boaajjang.com, SPN, Mk, BoA Kwon soompi thread
Images:
BoA's Official MySpace

Szczesny

Ayling Bartley Silvestre Gibbs

Bischoff Coquelin Randall Wilshere

Simpson Fonte

Shea, Steer, Eastmond, Frimpong & Sunu.

Hopefully we'll see Frimpong make another appearance, he was our best player against Aston Villa without doubt, perhaps replacing the Bisch later in the game considering there's no other obvious choice on the bench. Rene Steer playing aswell, my guess is he hasn't made the grade at Cheltenham?

Not much news coming out of Arsenal today anyway, Almunia claiming Walcott's aggression has changed his game, but not really, he's still an inconsistent nuisance! But I do see where he's coming from. He still needs to develop a football brain, that's the biggest omison from his game at the moment, but that'll come (I've been saying that for 3 years!).

The Reserve game will be ATV and ATVO, or if I find a stream I'll post up a link, good day!

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1635847&w=425&h=350&fv=]

Label: Alice Japan
DV-874

Kishi Aino
Birth date: February 1, 1988
Body: B: 85 cm, W: 57 cm, H: 83 cm
Note: Kishi Aino, she signed 1 million Yen contract for perform in JAV studio

More info: http://www.alicejapan.co.jp/item.php?item_id=73b23f36031da644d686982e2f9a7c2d

Une vue, ici, d'un train qui s'engageait sur le viaduc temporaire du CN, prise depuis l'intersection des boulevards Henri-Bourassa et Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine.  Ce dernier est, en fait, le prolongement actuel de l'A-25, vers le nord.

Les vestiges de l'ancien boulevard L.-H.-Lafontaine, qui seront appelés à disparaître, eux aussi, lors de la réalisation de la nouvelle A-25.

Une vue du chantier du nouveau viaduc du CN, depuis l'ancien boulevard L.-H.-Lafontaine.

Le message de la compagnie Garnier, responsable du chantier, semble suffisamment clair.

Tout à côté de la voie ferrée, qui passe sur la viaduc temporaire, on peut voir le rehaussement nécessaire à l'installation de la voie ferrée sur le nouveau viaduc.

Juste au bord de la tranchée, on voit le boulevard L.-H.-Lafontaine, qui passe sous le viaduc temporaire du CN.

Vue depuis le même endroit, l'intersection des boulevards Henri-Bourassa, et L.-H.-Lafontaine.

Le ravissant arrangement floral, qui marque votre arrivée sur le territoire de l'arrondissement d'Anjou, devra être déplacé, parce qu'il se trouve sur le site du prolongement de l'A-25.

Des travaux ont aussi été lancées du côté sud du boulevard Henri-Bourassa.  S'il s'agit du point de raccordement des bretelles d'entrée et de sortie de l'A-25, il faudra alors déplacer le pylône d'Hydro-Québec.

Cette image nous permet d'apprécier deux choses tout à fait différentes.  D'abord, le caractère (ou police) d'écriture Clearview, utilisé sur le panneau de gauche, rend le panneau beaucoup plus facile à lire que celui de droite.  L'autre chose, que moi, j'ai apprécié, est la différence nette entre un zoom numérique, et un zoom optique.  En effet, j'étais à environ 200 mètres de ces deux panneaux, lorsque j'ai croqué cette photo.  Vous avez deviné; je m'amuse maintenant avec mon nouvel appareil-photo!

J'ai d'autres photos en banque, qui vont suivre bientôt, sur les différents chantiers de l'A-25.

Bienvenue sur mon nouveau weblog (blog pour les intimes).

Mais qu'est ce que cet espace ?

Une envie de "parler" de choses et d'autres... Mais quand même axé miousik !

J'aime un peu tous les styles et je vais tenter de vous communiquer cette passion. Tout ça au fil de mes humeurs, mes envies... Et puis j'écris un peu aussi, j'ai une vie tout çaaaa... Enfin voilà, un blog de plus dans la blogosphère, un truc inutile de plus (donc indispensable ?).

It seems that Boa's US song “Eat You Up” was leaked recently....or was it? No outraged response from the SM clan on the "leaked" material. So some (like myself) are wondering if it's some kind of marketing strategy to test Boa's like ability here in the US. But really, will this song be enough to bring a huge American audience to the attention of Korean music artists and take a minute and listen to it? Coolsmurf did a post on it and has a poll, so go and vote.

(Thanks to Yikes for bring this to my attention. :D)

Now will that make anyone rush to their Itunes and download it to their hearts desirer? Well for my standing point..... NO. Again what is Boa going to bring to the American music scene that's not already here? Absolutely nothing. She sounds like a wannabe Britney Spears (which is nothing to brag about) and very robotic.

Boa's robotic singing tone: IF -YOU -MOVE -ANY- CLOSER -BOY -THERE- IS- NO -GUARANTEE~.... Really is that singing or someone putting computer codes in a computer to make it sound like a person. It reminds me of one of those computer assisants when you call the telephone company when REAL LIVE assisants are too busy to help. lol

Another thing Yikes bought to my attention is that on Boa's myspace page they have her place of orgin listed as "Korea, Democratic Peoples Republic of" i.e NORTH KOREA?  Boa is from North Korea? HAHAHAHAHA. They really need to change it to Republic of Korea  also known as South Korea. Is Lee Soo Man keeping track of these things? I guess if the Myspace thing is working for Se7en and his US debut I guess it will work for Boa too. Wait......is it working for Se7en? Has anyone heard anything on Se7en lately besides how his US song is NOT exactly a sweet sound in American ears. Man! LSM do something new or in fact get a better singer to represent.

In other great news Lee Hyori and the WonderGirls is receiving some recognition from Prez Hilton.

Prez on Lee Hyori

Prez on WonderGirls

The latest and most affordable model in Ferrari’s current line-up will be seen in Australia even before the brand’s largest market in California gets its first public glimpse.

Despite being the baby of the range, it is far from underpowered with a 4.3-litre V8 engine churning out 363kW at 7,500rpm.

The California is also equipped with the exclusive F1-Trac traction control system which made its debut on the 599 GTB Fiorano as well as an enhanced new multilink rear suspension system to improve comfort.

The brake package is provided by Brembo and features carbon-ceramic material rotors as standard, emphasising that this is more than just a placid Grand Tourer.

Whilst the engine is indeed located at the front, it is classified as a mid-front engined car as the entire drivetrain sits completely behind the front axle making it as much mid-engined as the F430.

The exact model on display is the actual car featured in these images and has been flown over from Hollywood where it was presented to current Ferrari owners in California.

Local pricing and availability is yet to be announced.

While I was out in Cali last week, I was fortunate enough to make it to Los Angeles for the second night of Fleet Foxes' sold out two-nighter at the El Rey Theatre. I also got to meet lead singer Robin Pecknold and drummer Josh Tillman in front of the venue before the show and even though Robin told me this was their third tour, they seemed just as I surprised as I was that they managed to sell out two nights in Los Angeles at the El Rey. Either way, congratulations to Fleet Foxes for releasing one of the best albums and EPs of the year and likely getting my vote for best new band of 2008.

My expectations were pretty high for the show, but were pretty much exceeded off the bat with a stunning performance of "Sun Giant." The beautiful harmonies Fleet Foxes put together on their debut sound even more incredible live and in person. They also carried on enough comical banter in between songs to keep the crowd quite amused. And while all of the songs they played from the Sun Giant EP and their S/T LP sounded amazing, this new song also made quite an impression. Robin didn't reveal the title of this one, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Bonus vids from the show after the jump.

MP3: Fleet Foxes - Silver City, New Song (Live At The El Rey, 9/23/08)

Click to view videos from the show...

at straitpinkie.com, you will be able to access:

-in depth sports coverage of all local teams

-various blogs by some of the most messed up real life humans ever created

-celebrity straitpinkie section, in which you'll see some of the celebrity supporters of straitpinkie.com

-straitpinkie.com store - coming soon

-straitpinkie.com's local yump of the day in which we will display some of the finest female followers of straitpinkie (hint: good way to get your photog up, flash the straitpinkie when you see the squad and holla straitpinke!)

-straitpinkie.com's knock her off contest in which submitted contestants will try to dethrone the hottest woman in the world, ms. julianne hough, as official yump of straitpinkie

Je n'ai rien écrit, sur la Mata-Hari du 450, comme l'appelait Marie-France Bazzo, depuis le début de l'été dernier, et malgré cela, les statistiques du blogue ont explosé, aujourd'hui.  Les internautes ont sûrement été déçus de se heurter à des textes qui datent de plusieurs mois, et je m'en excuse.  Je n'ai pas du tout suivi les développements de l'affaire de Julie Couillard, étant trop pris par le débat francophone des chefs fédéraux, ce soir.  Comble de malheur, ce fut accompagné d'un problème informatique qui m'a fait manquer les premières minutes de ce débat, qui fut d'un ennui mortel.

Alors voilà.  Je me mettrai au courant des derniers développements, sur cette affaire, et j'y reviendrai.  Promis!

If the Raptors have been famous for anything since their 1995 NBA debut, perhaps it is for American players complaining about Canada.

Tracy McGrady moaned about too much curling on TV. Antonio Davis worried aloud about exposing his children to the metric system. And the vagaries of snow and no ESPN and road-trip stops at customs have been panned by many a southern hoopster.

So there was Jermaine O'Neal yesterday, speaking of "getting killed in taxes" since he transplanted his family from Indianapolis to a condo rental in Yorkville.

Was that Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors general manager who has made it an organizational tenet to recruit European players who are more amenable to Canada's un-American-ness, racing across the room to put out the franchise-torching fire emanating from the mouth of another reluctant visitor to our home and native land?

Actually, no.

Colangelo's spin wasn't necessary, because O'Neal's thrust wasn't negative.

"I'll take the tax situation (in Canada) all day long," said O'Neal, 29. "I've saved a helluva lot of money and we've made a helluva lot of great business decisions, so it's not about that. It's about a team taking a chance on a player that's coming off a (knee) injury."

It's not about money for Toronto's highest paid player? And taxes are no big deal? Training camp doesn't begin until this morning's first workout in Ottawa, and already this season has the feeling of some bizarre alternate universe.

How else do you explain Raptors coach Sam Mitchell giving up cursing in an offseason priority shift that also has seen him swear off pork while he reconsiders the merits of everything from organized religion to occasional vices such as booze and cigars?

And how else do you explain Colangelo, builder of the seven-seconds-or-less Phoenix Suns, speaking yesterday about Toronto's intention to play a "grind-it-out halfcourt style" for at least parts of this season?

Slow is the new fast in Raptorland. Defence, O'Neal's strength and the side of the ball that has Colangelo all giddy, is the new offence.

Is hard, too, the new soft? (Andrea Bargnani, the Italian 7-footer who appears to have suddenly discovered the merits of the weight room, was said to have spent the offseason showing off his newly honed biceps in tank tops). Can last year's weakness – team chemistry – really be its alleged new strength?

Yesterday, O'Neal and Chris Bosh, the all-star Olympic gold medallist, walked together with a purpose: "The best friends got to get their picture taken," said Bosh.

Their happy coexistence is vital, of course. And so, too, as ridiculous as it sounds to the common folk, is O'Neal's acceptance of the tax hit, which, depending on whose accountant you consult, is either real or imagined. According to Deddrick Faison, O'Neal's business manager, the player will see a decrease in take-home pay approaching $1 million (U.S.) on his salary of about $21 million, all because he is a Raptor. Not that the money matters to a man who has earned about $110 million the previous 12 seasons.

"He's happy here and, in the end, how much money can you spend?" said Faison.

In the NBA we used to know, the answer to that question was: All of it and more! In the netherworld in which the Raptors now reside, the concerns are more altruistic?

Money can't buy victory, after all.

But in the best locker rooms, the prospect of victory is a currency.

"The window is getting like this for me," O'Neal said, and he squeezed his fingers together to signify the crack through which he'll continue his search for a championship.

High Places-High Places (2008 Thrill Jockey)

Brooklyn duo High Places (comprised of Rob Barker and Mary Pearson) have been much hyped since their formation in May 2006. On September 23 their self-titled debut album finally dropped courtesy of Thrill Jockey Records.

The first adjective I thought of when listening to High Places is "organic". The soundscapes, though primarily synthesized, seem to blossom and grow until the samples form sort of an ecosystem. In "You In Forty Years", the way samples are panned and layered gives the impression of birds chirping from all around you. (In fact, actual samples of animal noises are featured at the end of "Papaya Year"). The sense of being in an environment is present throughout. If I had to give the album a color, it would definitely be green, and if I had to give it a figurative location, it would be a rainforest. This sense is reinforced by Mary Pearson's naturalistic lyrics. "The Tree With The Lights In It" actually takes place in a forest, and trees remain a motif throughout. 

This may seem to be a rather hippy-dippy assessment but the feeling isn't trivial. For an electronic record, this organic essence is an impressive accomplishment. Without it, High Places would just be another copy-cat of Burial, or Animal Collective or Thom Yorke, or The Knife, or... you get the idea. 

Instead they opt for highly syncopated beats, usually featuring hand drums of some sort, which immediately switch the connotations from the club to Congo. The drums avoid disturbing the viscerally natural environment that the samples create as a standard four-on-the-floor or breakbeat would and, if anything, contribute to it.

Additionally, Mary Pearson's vocals are recorded beautifully and inhabit their space perfectly. Her lyrics, initially, seem to melt in with the rest of the soundscape. It takes a little effort to extract them from their surroundings but, once out in the open, they are thoughtful and appropriately sparse. They are also somewhat oblique, opting for imagery that conjures general emotions rather than detailed story-telling. 

Overall, the album is, certainly not life-changing, but it is certainly very refreshing. Its main defect is probably that, while it creates a lush and inviting environment, it doesn't really force the listener to investigate its details. The lyrics can easily remain melted, the album can wash by the listener and all the songs can end up sounding the same. Luckily, for those who care to investigate, the album always offers a new leaf to be turned over.

Fabakis Rating: 8.4

To get your band name go here and the title of the article is your band name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

Next to get your album title go here and get the last four words from the last quote on the page.

http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

And finally to get your album cover go here and find the third image.

http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

So without further ado here is the debut album of Virginia Furniture.

Here are some other bands people have come up with, it is quite hilarious just scroll down the page

http://aethereverywhere.com/discuss/showthread.php?tid=71

Sep 25

Avangard Omsk @  Amur Khabarovsk
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