Chciałem zredagować wpis ze starego blogu i w końcu napisałem wszystko od początku. Nowa, wspaniała Placówka postępu nie mogła się obyć bez mojej i Oli ulubionej wokalistki. Oto pięć piosenek. Zachęcam do słuchania linków (otwierają się w nowym oknie):

Four Women - Zaczniemy od jednego z najdziwniejszych utworów Simone. Wciela się tu w rolę czterech Murzynek o różnych odcieniach skóry. Każda z nich odpowiada innemu stereotypowi. Mamy czarną Aunt Sarah - służącą à la Przeminęło z wiatrem, żółtą Siffronię - dziecko niewolnicy i jej białego pana, prostytutkę Sweet Thing oraz Peaches - wściekłą, pełną poczucia krzywdy córkę niewolników. W czterech zwrotkach mamy, po kolei, przemoc, gwałt, prostytucję i słowo "mother" w znaczeniu "motherfucker" - wstrząsające treści, zaśpiewane tak smutno, że aż nie wiem, do czego porównać.

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - To właśnie Nina Simone - a nie The Animals - pierwsza wykonywała tę piosenkę. To samo tyczy się pierwszego nowoczesnego wykonania tradycyjnej pieśni House of the Rising Sun. Z jakiegoś powodu to wersje Animalsów są bardziej znane, a u nas - głównie przez działaczy radiowych, którzy chyba za czarną muzyką nie przepadali - właściwie tylko one.

See-Line Woman - Nina Simone zaczęła od śpiewania standardów jazzowych. Szybko od tego odeszła, śpiewając albo rzeczy napisane specjalnie dla niej (np. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood), własną twórczość (na niniejszej liście reprezentowaną przez Four Women i Mississipi Goddamn) oraz współczesne kowery (mnóstwo Boba Dylana). Najważniejszą częścią jej repertuaru były chyba jednak aranżacje ludowych piosenek, takich jak Dom wschodzącego słońca, Sinnerman czy See-Line Woman. Ten ostatni utwór wydaje się wyjątkowo rewolucyjny. W 1962 roku, czyli jeszcze przed rewolucją obyczajową, wokalistka zdecydowała się nagrać piosenkę o kobiecie lekkich obyczajów, a do tego dać jej aranżację prawie pozbawioną melodii, za to opartą na afrykańskich rytmach. Odważna kobieta.

Mississippi Goddamn! - Protest song z prawdziwego zdarzenia. Wokalistka wymienia tu południowe stany, w których doszło do tragedii na tle rasowym. Alabama nie pozwala się śmiać, przez Tennessee nie potrafię spać, a wszyscy wiedzą o Mississippi, do cholery". Rymu "You don't have to live next to me / just give me my equality" nie będę tłumaczył, bo jest on w swojej prostocie zbyt genialny.

Ain't Got No ... I Got Life - Na deser coś lżejszego. Nina Simone połączyła dwie piosenki z Hair. Z tekstów tego musicalu, które nie mają raczej sensu, a bywają wręcz bezdennie głupie, artystka zdołała stworzyć piosenkę z całkiem głębokim przesłaniem. Jeden z kowerów wszech czasów. Być może nawet jedna z piosenek wszech czasów.

THINGS IN LIFE:
1. Bagels with cream cheese, tomato slices, and cracked pepper
2. Facebook (unfortunately I've succumb to the evil)
3. People learning something they've wanted to know their whole life after 50.
4. Bukowski
5. Remembering that old five cent arcade in Santee we used to go to called "Wunderland."

I recently read an article in New Scientist which mapped which species were most at risk from climate change.  It wasn't very exciting, but if you are trying to hold off a stroke you can read it here.

Anyway it really was not very exciting so I thought I would draw up a list of at risk species due to economic change (if I ever get my hands on them).  Here's my top 5.

1)  At one we have 'idiotus maximus'  you can see a couple of them here in their natural habitat

It is expected they will hole up somewhere, hopefully never to be seen again.

2) At two we have bankers, when seen in groups the collective noun is 'Wunch' as in 'A Wunch of Bankers"

3) The $X$

4) Holidays, these will probably marked extinct by the end of 2010.  Bloody shame! 

[caption id="attachment_51" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I could be there on that beach! "][/caption]

 

Grab a quick one while you can!!

 

5) The almighty dollar!!

 

[caption id="attachment_52" align="alignnone" width="249" caption="bye bye dollar"][/caption]

This baby is on the way out , no doubt about it! 

Well , that's my top 5. thank you and goodnight!

I know this blog may seem a bit random, but I have an explanation. Over at my main site www.sportsviews.com I will start my predictions for awards for the new season next week. Well, that gave me an idea. Since, over there, I will be predicting future winners of awards, why not look back at the winners of the past? That’s exactly what I’m starting to do today. I figured the Rookie of the Year award was as good of a place to start as any.

5. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1961

Oscar barely passed Michael Jordan for a spot here. Michael averaged 28 ppg in his rookie year, but Oscar averaged 30 ppg. Michael improved his team’s win total by eleven, but Oscar managed fourteen. Of course one could argue that Michael pushed the Bulls into the playoffs, while Oscar did not do the same for the Royals. I decided to split hairs and go with Oscar Robertson. Both had amazing rookie seasons, but to average 30 points in your rookie year is unimaginable today.

4. Larry Bird, Boston 1980

The amazing thing about the Magic vs. Larry rivalry is that in both of their first NBA seasons they were wildly successful. Magic would win the NBA Finals MVP trophy and grab the first of his five rings, and Larry would win the Rookie of the Year. Magic had one of the great rookie seasons ever, but Larry won the award, Magic didn’t. Larry Bird would put up an average of 21 ppg and 10 rpg in his first year. As impressive as that is, what’s even more impressive is his impact on the Boston Celtics record. The year before Larry went to Boston the Celtics won 29 games. In Larry’s rookie year their record went up to 61 wins. As I said, impressive!

3. David Robinson, San Antonio 1990

Tim Duncan will probably always be the greatest player in the history of the Spurs, but David Robinson had the better rookie season. The biggest number that jumped out at me when looking over past winners for the list was the wins that accompanied Robinson’s arrival to San Antonio. The year before Robinson the Spurs won 21 games, and the year in which Robinson arrived the Spurs won 56 games. San Antonio went from being near the bottom of their division in 1989 to winning it 1990. That’s the impact Robinson had on the Spurs. He may never have become the player he should have been(He can thank Hakeem), but he still had one of the best rookie seasons ever.

2. Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee 1970

Kareem(or Alcindor) is an underrated legend. Everyone always seems to remember him as the guy with the funny name and the afro. Well, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is probably one of the top five players of all time. His rookie year leaves nothing to be desired. He averaged 28 ppg along with 14.5 rpg. That’s not a bad stat line my friends(Gotta love ripping off a 72 year old crazy). As I’ve done with the rest of the list, Kareem took the Milwaukee Bucks from a 27 win team to a 56 win team. One thing that has been so amazing in looking back on was seeing the impacts these players had on their teams. You just don’t see this kind of stuff anymore. Maybe that has to do with the big expansions the NBA has done. Either way, improving your team by 29 wins is pretty awesome.

1. Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 1960

Why is Wilt Chamberlain the number one selection? The real question is: Why wouldn’t he be? Wilt Chamberlain averaged 37 ppg and 27 rpg in his rookie year. You’ll never see stats like that again people. The game may have been very different in Wilt’s day than now, but there’s no denying that Wilt Chamberlain dominated that game in ways we can’t even begin to imagine today. Wilt won the Rookie of the Year, but he also picked up the MVP as well. Could you imagine Greg Oden doing that? The Philadelphia Warriors only improved by 17 wins, but the stats speak for themselves. In 1960 Wilt Chamberlain not only had the greatest rookie season ever, but he had one of the great NBA seasons ever.

Please visit my main site www.sportsviews.com

Nr. 5: Eastern Promises - David Cronenberg

Nr. 4: Godfather, del 2 - Francis Ford Coppola

Nr. 3: Casino - Martin Scorsese

Nr. 2: Goodfellas - Martin Scorsese

Nr. 1: Once Upon at Time in America - Sergio Leone

- jeg er iøvrigt helt vild med det shot fra Once Upon a Time in America, som er taget under Brooklyn Bridge.

5 -   Meredith Grey

Típico caso de consultório de psicologia, o problema todo é a mãe. Por sorte ela está sempre com a Christina, tornando-a suportável.

4 -    Ally Mcbeal/ Kitty Walker(Ally McBeal/ Brothers & Sisters)

Calista Flockhart é uma boa atriz, Ally e B&S são ótimas séries, mas as personagens dela...

Ally estava sempre infeliz porque não conseguia um homem com quem casar, ter 10 filhos, engordar(não que isso fosse possível) e lá vai pão duro(gíria utilizada constantemente pelo meu avô). Kitty, tem problemas em aceitar a vida que seu amoroso pai levava as escondidas, tem sempre algum probleminha estressante seja no trabalho, seja com a mãe,seja com outros, um dramalhão só. Mas e a Sarah Walker? Desde o início da série está mergulhada em problemas, mesmo assim é uma excelente personagem, então qual o problema?Se alguém descobrir, avise-me.

3 - Ryan Atwood e Taylor Townsend ( The OC )

Lembrar da quarta temporada é sempre triste, o que dizer dos dois? Ele:abandonado pelo pai, esquecido pela mãe, um irmão bandido, namorada suicida yada, yada ,yada.

Ela:Garota sem amigos, pai ausente, mãe ditadora que não demonstra afeição...

2 - Clark Kent( Smallville)-  Fazem 3 ou 4 temporadas que parei de assistir, mas posso dizer que todo o draminha mexicano em cima do cara foram bastante decisivos para a minha decisão em parar. Principalmente o lenga-lenga com a Lana.

1 - Serena Van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl)-  

As únicas coisas interessantes nessa série são as pessoas bonitas e as roupas caras, mas acaba por conectar-se com meu lado fútil e graças à isso continuo assistindo a esta perda de tempo.Serena não possui nenhum motivo para sofrer mas sempre fala como se aquele fosse seu último suspiro.  Além do fato de estar sempre se torturando por alguma inutilidade.

Não curtiu? Faça o seu top 5 e comente aqui.

Entra directo al 1 el nuevo single de Coldplay, del que os hablamos el otro día, en versión acústica con Chris Martin al piano, claro está. Lo nuevo de the Killers y de Keane entra también en el top (y también os hemos hablado ya de ellos). Y ¡sorpresa! Nena Daconte aparece dos veces en el top, no sólo con su single (que se mantiene en el 5 después de unas cuantas semanas) sino que también con otra de las canciones de su nuevo disco, que es bastante bueno. Próximamente, más Nena Daconte.

1. Coldplay - Lost!

2. Nena Daconte - Tal vez

3. Keane - Spiralling

4. The Killers - Human

5. Nena Daconte - Tenía tanto que darte

(gasord)

En el número 1 se mantiene el nuevo single de Nena Daconte. Entran en el top el nuevo single de Coldplay y el tema principal de Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Aunque todavía no ha sido single del último disco, Gato negro de Amaral se cuela en mi top como favorita del disco. Y como no, lo nuevo de The Ting Tings, con un tema más diferente a las que ya os hemos presentado.

1. Nena Daconte - Tenía tanto que darte
2. Coldplay - Lost
3. BSO Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Barcelona
4. Amaral - Gato negro
5. The Ting Tings - Be the one

(lettcleo)

These songs will make my week. Two of James' songs just because I got his new album yesterday.

"Cashews! On a pizza? Are you crazy?"  Ignore your incredulous friends and go with your gut, cashews are crazy enough that they just might work.  A rare beast, seldom seen on pizza menus, cashews are that maverick topping, that wild card, that will make people worry that their pizza's edibility might be in jeopardy.  When paired with chicken, sausage, or softer veggies such as onions and mushrooms, cashews add a subtle crunch that goes defiantly against the grain of your preconceived  pizza notions.  Served whole and slightly roasted this rogue topping comes across softer than you'd initially expect, but still bewilders and delights your taste buds enough to shatter your pizza prejudice.  Go out on a limb, defy the protests of your timid friends, and then bask in their gratitude when they realize there was a method to your madness after all.

5- gastrite

4- falta de apetite

3- ansiedade

2- sorriso indestrutível

1- frio na barriga crônico

Meu inferno astral começou as avessas. Espero que dure muito tempo...

Confira as 5 maiores audiências do SBT. Nessa semana o programa Domingo Legal apresentado por Augusto Liberato voltou a fica no topo do ranking de audiência da emissora

1º Domingo Legal
Aud% 15,2
Pico 22,6

2º Pantanal
Aud% 13,41
Pico 17,05

3º 8 e Meia No Cinema
(Passageiro 57)
Aud% 10,21
Pico 13,29

4º Programa Silvio Santos
Aud% 9,53
Pico 14,71

5º Tela de Sucessos
(Coach Carter - Treino Para a Vida)
Aud% 9,5
Pico 14,92

1º Domingo Legal
Aud% 15,2
Pico 22,6

2º Pantanal
Aud% 13,41
Pico 17,05

3º 8 e Meia No Cinema
(Passageiro 57)
Aud% 10,21
Pico 13,29

4º Programa Silvio Santos
Aud% 9,53
Pico 14,71

5º Tela de Sucessos
(Coach Carter - Treino Para a Vida)
Aud% 9,5
Pico 14,92

Unbelievably, I got the job!

In a couple of weeks, I'll take up my new role! Can't wait! Anyway, it's got me thinking, what are the top priorities for the first week in a new job ?

# Top 5: 'Under new management' tips

1. Don't go changin'
When you've just walked in the door, take small bites. Resist the temptation to swan in and 'show 'em how it's done'. Nothing annoys people more. It spooks the team, undermines trust and screams that while you have positional power, you lack true street cred.

Continue with whatever meeting format and timing is currently in place for team, for at least the first month. Having a new boss is enough of a change for a team. They need to get to know (and trust) you before you start rockin' their world.

Don't go rushing in with a 'clean broom' approach. Minimise the risk of making a  nasty, memorable mistake (never a good start in a new role) by taking the time to investigate and understand the issues, gain consensus for the changes and bring people with you. This shows that you're not the sort of manager who walks in, pisses all over the tree just to 'make it your own'. Swanning about puffing your chest out and trying too hard to prove that you're the boss is a sure-fire way to have everyone think that you shouldn't be.

2. Meet

• Meet with your boss to determine exec priorities, get a feel for their style, understand the story so far and any burning issues, get a feel for the political back-drop, clarify expectations and so on.
• Meet with your predecessor to get a feel for what got done, what didn't and why, who their key alliances and blockers were, the strengths and weaknesses of the team, gaps in processes and skill-sets, and what they were planning to do next. Don't forget to ask about the calendar, when are the team meetings held? format, get across which communities of practice, committees, exec team, working groups you're expected to participate in, etc.
• Meet with your team ONE-ON-ONE. Meet with each member of your team. Yes, I realise this could mean meeting with 100 people. Spread it over a couple of months if it's a lot of staff, but make sure you make the time to do it. If you've got 30 people or under, do it every week. It's the single most effective way to keep projects on track and create a genuine bond with each member of your staff. It helps you identify issues before they become landmines, spot morale issues before they become toxic, and helps you keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening in your team. It gives you the space and time to develop your team members, understand their strengths, weaknesses and goals, and it allows you to manage under-performers subtly and in some cases stave off the need to escalate it to a formal process. Regular one-on-ones also mean that the dreaded annual review isn't such a big deal because staff have been getting consistent, timely, meaningful feedback throughout the year, so they know how they're doing (and so do you!).
  

3. Greet
On your first day, arrange to greet the team as a group. Introduce yourself, tell them a  little of your professional background, a little about yourself as a person, and give them a feel for your management style. Let them know you'll be meeting with each of them one-on-one to get their input.

Greet your key internal and external stakeholders. This isn't a formal benchmarking process yet, this is just a brief chat over coffee. Along the lines of : hi, I'm so-and-so, I'm new in xxx role. I'm looking forward to working with you on xxx.' Ask them a couple of brief question about key topics related to their role. Get them talking about themselves, their role, their experiences and end on you looking forward to catching up with them again once you've settled into your own role. This keeps the door open for you to meet up again and discuss specific issues later on.

4.  Determine priorities
By the time you've completed items 2 and 3, you'll have a pretty good feel for what needs to change. Now it's time to articulate when, how, and in which order. Undertake some bench-marking to see what other organisations of similar size and business type do. What is standard practice? What is best practice? At your next meeting with your boss, take your list of suggestions as a basis for discussion, and get a feel for whether or not they support your approach. If so, take it to the team (perhaps via a workshop or planning day using an external facilitator) and try to tease these issues out of them and decide on the way forward together.

5. Gain consensus
Once you've all agreed (via step 4) on what needs to be done, you can take a brief report back to your boss (or to their boss, or the Executive committee, depending on your internal governance structure and the nature of your business agenda) and get sign-off to move forward.

THEN you can start making changes in the way things are done. If you follow this process you're far more likely to have success, because you won't be rushing in to make an impact; you'll be thoroughly identifying the business practices that require change. Undertaking a business needs analysis and methodically making your business case is the only way to ensure that you're focusing on the right issues and make sure you've got all the support and enthusiasm on your side. This approach sets you up for success.

Summary
You've probably noticed that all of these items centre around communication. You're a manager now, so communication is your main job. You are there to smooth the wheels of the cogs, to keep projects on track, remove road-blocks and scout ahead for looming issues.

You may think the team, (or those higher up the chain), need a big show of bravado to let them know you've arrived: 'I've been brought in with this mandate.' Your idea of a 'gesture of authority' is another person's idea of wanky, self-indulgent, chest-beating. Go in quietly, take people with you, and remember that you're there for the long-haul. Incremental change in the right direction, always beats the big-bang approach. It's less risky, you're seen as committed, and it takes people with you. Every good manager knows that the hardest part of any change management process isn't the process re-engineering, it's the people.

ARMAS

Yo soy una persona más bien pacífica, y la verdad las armas me dan pavor... sin embargo, no podría yo abogar por la destrucción de las armas, por ser un elemento tan rico en la ficción de cualquier género; es por eso que este post se enfocará únicamente en armas de ficción por las que siento cierto interés (y que usaría para dominar al mundo, ¡muahahahahaha!).

5. Sable Láser

Una vez más: ¿qué intento de geek que se precie puede no querer una de estas? Y yo soy más bien poco geek, pero poco al fin y al cabo, y amaría como todo el mundo tener uno de estos íconos de la cultura de la cinematografía y ciencia-ficción.

4. The MegaDoomer Combat Stealth Mech

"The MegaDoomer Combat Stealth Mech!" -Red
"I don't like it!" -Purple
"We didn't build it so you could 'like it'! This one's going to planet Meekrob to help Invader Tenn conquer it!" -Red
"Well I should like it." -Purple

3. Tenseiga (Colmillo sagrado o Colmillo Celestial)

Esta espada, que Sessoumaru hereda de su padre, tiene la particularidad de servir justo para lo opuesto para lo que sirven las armas normales: para revivir gente. En realidad lo que tengo entendido que hace (hace mil años que no veo InuYasha) es matar a criaturas del otro mundo, de manera que, para revivir a alguien que acaba de morir, hay que destruír al mensajero del otro mundo (una suerte de ángel de la muerte) que venga para "llevárselo". Sea como sea, tener dominio sobre la vida, más que sobre la muerte, me causa un mayor interés, pues sobre la muerte técnicamente todos los seres humanos tenemos dominio... pero nadie parece tenerlo sobre la vida.

2. Death Note

¡Muahahahahahaha!

Ok, no. Jamás me atrevería a usar una cosa de estas... ¿pero a poco hay arma más chingona? xD

1. Varita mágica

Ok, no es un arma estrictamente hablando, pero puede ser el arma más mortal del mundo (pregúntenle a Lord Valdhomero); sin embargo, tengo que admitir que aquí estoy cambiando un poco el tema porque yo no quisiera una para fines ofensivos y mortales... sino para todas las otras cosas bonitas y divertidas que se pueden hacer con ella xD

Otros megalomaniacos:

Dani: http://freakscity.blogspot.com
Zark: http://proyecto75232.wordpress.com
Alex: http://alexgondel.wordpress.com
Fargok: http://leonenjaulado.wordpress.com
William Saints: http://esquemaspiramidales.blogspot.com
Kalimero: http://kalimerozone.blogspot.com
Wittenbergman: http://flaigrod.blogspot.com
Srodry: http://losperrostambienjugamosalpoker.blogspot.com/