Friday, December 30, 2011

SEX INJURIES Sex Injuries
Via: Medical Insurance

Really interesting indeed. Even funny. Perhaps we should do more sport.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

ALPINE (from Melbourne)

Cool fresh sounds to freshen up your minds. A good way to forget those good-old carols that follow us wherever we go. Very nice Hands video, by the way.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/dec/01/new-band-alpine

Friday, December 23, 2011

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, WARS AREN'T OVER


On the Morning Of Christ's Nativity
a Christmas poem by John Milton

I
On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
This is the month, and this the happy morn
Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King,
Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born,
Our great redemption from above did bring;
For so the holy sages once did sing,
That he our deadly forfeit should release,
And with his Father work us a perpetual peace.

II
That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty,
Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table,
To sit the midst of Trinal Unity,
He laid aside, and here with us to be,
Forsook the courts of everlasting day,
And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

III
Say Heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein
Afford a present to the Infant God?
Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain,
To welcome him to this his new abode,
Now while the heav'n, by the Sun's team untrod,
Hath took no print of the approaching light,
And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright?

IV
See how from far upon the eastern road
The star-led wizards haste with odours sweet:
O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,
And lay it lowly at his blessed feet;
Have thou the honour first thy Lord to greet,
And join thy voice unto the angel quire,
From out his secret altar touched with hallowed fire.

Monday, December 19, 2011

HATE and LOVE

Wow! Some friends and fans asked me to write and post 'something' about LOVE and HATE (not Love OR Hate, I must say). And now they are not watching let me tell you something: 1.Why do they think of L and H together? (I wonder). 2.Is it so hard to Google type either word and see what happens?
I love you (or perhaps I hate you. I don't know. I'll ask the brand new Spanish Prime Minister).

Sunday, December 18, 2011

'STONER' BY JOHN WILLIAMS

A great novel I have just read and dare recommend; and another novel I have just bought.
Stoner was published in 1965, and his fourth novel, Augustus, which won the 1973 National Book Award, was published that same year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/books/review/Dickstein-t.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/novelreadings/john-williams-stoner
http://www.waggish.org/2008/john-williams-stoner/

New York Review Books, Jun 20, 2006 - Fiction -
William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with English literature and embraces a scholar’s life, so different from the hardscrabble existence he has known. And yet as the years pass, Stoner encounters a succession of disappointments: marriage into a “proper” family estranges him from his parents; his career is stymied; his wife and daughter turn coldly away from him; a transforming experience of new love ends under threat of scandal. Driven ever deeper within himself, Stoner rediscovers the stoic silence of his forebears and confronts an essential solitude.

John Williams’s luminous and deeply moving novel is a work of quiet perfection. William Stoner emerges from it not only as an archetypal American, but as an unlikely existential hero, standing, like a figure in a painting by Edward Hopper, in stark relief against an unforgiving world.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

NO HUMAN RIGHTS

With so many UN DAYS many people don't even remember the day's before DAY.
Half the PLANET were yesterday thinking about their national League or the Real vs Barcelona 'Clásico'; BUT the rest were planning how to get some food to SURVIVE just another day. And yes, the ECLIPSE.
But whatever happened to the HUMAN RIGHTS? The United Nations will end up texting us each day's celebration so that we share it on Facebook and seem to care and so, everybody will peacefully go to bed. WHAT A NERVE!

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 1.
  • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
http://kashmirwatch.com/opinions.php/2011/12/11/human-rights-enforcement-uno-8217-s-inability.html

Saturday, December 10, 2011

TOTAL ECLIPSE. WHAT?

I was doing some Saturday afternoon housework while listening to the ABC Sydney from this blog, when I just heard that they were enjoying an unusual lunar eclipse we would not be able to see in the same way in Europe. Thanks to the Internet I watched the news online and heard the listeners impressions while the event was taking place. BEAUTIFUL, they agreed.
The funny thing was that later on they had an Australian correspondent in Madrid telling weird stories about a priest shooting doves to protect his church tower, someone stealing hundreds of supermarket trolleys, someone else cashing an important 2006 lottery ticket or the mayor of Malaga trying to fight careless dog owners through new technologies. And so on. It was time for the Australian listeners to go to bed and time for central Europe to start out our evening. And this is what I found for you:

While varying portions of the event were visible across much of the globe, Australia was one of best places in the world to catch what was the last full eclipse until 2014.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/total-eclipse-turns-moon-blood-red/story-e6frfro0-1226219124570#ixzz1gAIw4oVh


The eclipse is seen over the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco / AP/San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/total-eclipse-turns-moon-blood-red/story-e6frfro0-1226219124570#ixzz1gAPEWKpD

YouTube will be broadcasting on the Web a red-glowing lunar eclipse today at 11:20 a.m. PDT that otherwise will only be visible in the skies of South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. Sorry, North America.


'THE ARTIST', A 2011 SILENT MOVIE

Strictly speaking Mr. Hazanavicius’s film is not a silent movie. There is a lot of music on the soundtrack and also a few strategic moments of onscreen noise that are both delightfully surprising and wildly illogical. The whole conceit of the picture is spun in willful disregard of the laws governing time, space and sound, an embrace of the preposterous that is perhaps more reminiscent of the spirit of early French cinema than of the old Hollywood where the action takes place. (...)
The rise of the talkies has almost always been chronicled on film from the perspective of sound. It could hardly have been otherwise. “Singin’ in the Rain,” with its exuberant music and bright colors, does not so much revisit the old splendor of cinema silence as obliterate its memory, much as “Sunset Boulevard” unlocks a world of ghosts and shadows among the remnants of the faded Hollywood pantheon.
The Artist,” as aggressively entertaining as any musical, is measured in its mourning and eclectic in its nostalgia for old movies. There is a bit of music lifted from Bernard Herrmann’s “Vertigo” score, a breakfast-table montage inspired by “Citizen Kane” and a story line that makes “The Artist,” in essence, the latest (and also in a way the earliest, but surely not the last) remake of “A Star Is Born.”

http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/movies/the-artist-by-michel-hazanavicius-review.html

Director Michel Hazanavicius THE ARTIST Interview, by Sheila Roberts: http://collider.com/director-michel-hazanavicius-the-artist-interview/126248/

Friday, December 09, 2011

UNESCO - Intangible Heritage - Festivity of ‘la Mare de Déu de la Salut’ of Algemesí

Cultural heritage is not limited to material manifestations, such as monuments and objects that have been preserved over time. This notion also encompasses living expressions and the traditions that countless groups and communities worldwide have inherited from their ancestors and transmit to their descendants, in most cases orally.

The Festivity of ‘la Mare de Déu de la Salut’ is celebrated in Algemesí in the Province of Valencia, Spain. Every 7 and 8 September almost 1,400 people participate in theatre, music, dance and performances organized in the historical areas of the city: Valencia, La Muntanya, Santa Barbara and La Capella.
Processions run from the Basílica Menor de San Jaime to the Capella de la Troballa. The festivities commence with bell-ringing from the basilica followed by a parade. The Schola Cantorum choir and orchestra perform vespers in the evening at the basilica, followed by bell-ringing and the Procession of the Betrothed, which features Els Misteris (short, religious theatrical pieces performed by children) human towers with traditional musical accompaniment, and dance performances.

The next day, giant puppets representing the King and Queen of Aragon, James I and his wife Violante of Hungary, join the morning procession, while the General Grand Procession features representations of biblical characters and songs of the apostles.
The involvement of the town’s inhabitants is the foundation for the continuity of this celebration. All costumes, ornaments and accessories are handcrafted, and the dances and musical scores are passed from generation to generation.
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00576

The four historical areas of the city that were in existence in the 17th century (Valencia, La Muntanya, Santa Barbara and La Capella) take turns organizing the festivities on a four-year rotation. Almost 1400 people take part in the traditional ritual acts and dances, which are detailed below:

•“Els Misteris” 5 theatrical representations (boys and girls from 6 to 12 years of age perform theatre pieces).
•“La Muixeranga” and the “La Nova Muixeranga” (men, women and children of all ages form human towers).
•“Els Bastonets” (the younger generations of men and women perform a traditional Warlike dance).
•“La Carxofa” (young girls perform a traditional Weavers' dance of the former union of her sedates).
•“Els Arquets” (young girls perform a traditional dance).
•“Les Pastoretes” (young boys and girls dressed in traditional costume perform a dance).
•“Les Llauradores” (men and women of all ages dressed in traditional costume perform a dance).
• “Els Tornejants” (the younger generations of men perform a stylised traditional dance).
•“Els Dolçainers” and “Tabaleters de l’Escola de tabal i dolçaina d’Algemesí” (men and women of all ages play a traditional Valencian reed instrument, the dolçaina, and drums).
•“Els Volants” Carriers of the (men and women of all ages).
•Biblical characters (men and women of all ages).
•The “Scolla Cantorum” choir and orchestra (men and women of all ages).
•Bell ringer’s guild. (men and women of all ages).
•The Municipal band. (men and women of all ages).

For the amazing Intangible Heritage Lists click here: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011

INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY

The Assembly designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005.
What Can You Do?: http://www.unodc.org/yournocounts/en/about-the-campaign/what-can-you-do.html
'Decision' video (2008): http://www.unodc.org/yournocounts/en/audio-and-video/index.html
Message of the Secretary-General for 2011: http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday/sgmessages.shtml

If you browse for serious examples of corruption in your area, you'll find many. And surprisingly the most corrupted party gets more votes.

Thursday, December 08, 2011

MANCHESTER UNITED DUMPED OUT of Champions League by Basel

United are out of the competition after an embarrassing loss in Switzerland. 
Basel 2

 Manchester United 1 (http://www.manutd.com/en.aspx)

Manchester United made a quiet exit from the Champions League group stage in this raucous stadium. With this win it was Basel who proceeded to the last 16. Their right to be there cannot be contested. They even rounded off the display with a late goal. In the 84th minute Xherdan Shaqiri's inswinging and bouncing cross from the right was headed home by Alexander Frei for a 2-0 lead. (...)

United themselves it is understood, are not the devil-may-care side of times gone by, but it still came as a little surprise that there was not a relentless vehemence. Ferguson would have realised once more that there is much yet to be done at the club.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/07/manchester-united-champions-league-basel
________________________________________________________

        Manchester City 2 (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/)

Bayern Munich 0
David Silva shines against Bayern Munich but Manchester City go out.
Victory against Bayern was not enough to send City through, as Napoli beat Villarreal. 

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Record Massive BLACK HOLES discovered lurking in monster galaxies

BERKELEY — University of California, Berkeley. Astronomers have discovered the largest black holes to date ‑- two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns that are threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system.

These black holes are at the centers of two galaxies more than 300 million light years from Earth, and may be the dark remnants of some of the very bright galaxies, called quasars, that populated the early universe. (...)

Black holes are dense concentrations of matter that produce such strong gravitational fields that even light cannot escape. While exploding stars, called supernovas, can leave behind black holes the mass of a single star like the sun, supermassive black holes have presumably grown from the merger of other black holes or by capturing huge numbers of stars and massive amounts of gas. (...)
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/12/05/record-black-holes-bigger-than-our-solar-system/
An artist's concept of stars moving in the central regions of a giant elliptical galaxy that harbors a supermassive black hole. (Gemini Observatory/AURA artwork by Lynette Cook)


Monday, December 05, 2011

Gritty Nadal secures Davis Cup for Spain

Mallorcan ends a tough year by clinching country's fifth victory in 11 years; team's top two players pull out of 2012 competition.

It has not been the easiest of seasons for Rafael Nadal, but he ended his 2011 on a high in Seville's La Cartuja stadium on Sunday by securing Spain's fifth Davis Cup final victory - its third in four years.

The Mallorcan, who has seen six titles, his number one status, and a large chunk of his normally unshakeable self-belief snatched away by the dominant Novak Djokovic over the course of the year, fought doggedly back to overcome Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro in four sets and earn Spain the third point it needed for the win. (...)
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Gritty/Nadal/secures/Davis/Cup/for/Spain/elpepueng/20111204elpeng_11/Ten

                 Photograph by: (CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images)

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Rafael+Nadal+propels+Spain+fifth+Davis+tennis+crown/5811864/story.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/dec/04/rafael-nadal-spain-davis-cup
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2069978/Rafael-Nadal-wont-play-Davis-Cup-Spain-2012.html

Saturday, December 03, 2011

ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING

It will probably come as no surprise that Spain has one of the worst performing music industries in the entire world. According to figures from international record label body the IFPI, the value of record sales in Spain fell 21% last year, the biggest drop in any of the world’s top 20 music markets. (...)

And yet outside of the shrunken Spanish music industry it is hard to find anyone in Spain who really cares: Spanish consumers seem OK with the idea of downloading everything from software to films from P2P sites and actually buying music has almost dropped off the radar.
http://blogs.elpais.com/trans-iberian/

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625209,00.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0313005/Music%20Piracy.htm

Thursday, December 01, 2011

WORLD AIDS DAY

HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus which attacks the body's immune system — the body's defence against diseases.
HIV can be passed on through infected bodily fluids, most commonly via sex without a condom or by sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment.

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.
http://www.worldaidsday.org/about-world-aids-day.php

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for you to learn the facts about HIV and put your knowledge into action. If you understand how HIV is transmitted, how it can be prevented, and the reality of living with HIV today - you can use this knowledge to take care of your own health and the health of others, and ensure you treat everyone living with HIV fairly, and with respect and understanding. Click here to find out the facts.

http://aids.gov/world-aids-day/