Oasis' version of Wonderwall. Not for nothing, but um... I doubt he'd score anywhere close to 90% on vocals on Rock Band. On the average setting. Never mind the expert setting.

*brushes shoulders off*

]]> http://shadowsofket.wordpress.com/?p=6 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:00:52 +0000 shadowphenyx http://shadowsofket.wordpress.com/?p=6 Taverra

Good

Symbol:  A desert palm tree on a green sun.

Taverra is the goddess of mercy, healing and oases.  Her temples are found in cities and desert oases.  Her shrines are found in abundance throughout Dunefell.  All people pay homage to this gentle goddess.  Her commandments are few:

- Heal the sick and the injured wherever you find them.  

- Protect all oases from defilement.  

- Show mercy to your enemies.

Por outro lado, Jay-Z o rei do Hip Hop, matém seu nível sempre alto. Houve um festival ("Glastonbury") que ele foi chamado para abrir, mas o Oasis falou um monte, que o Jay-Z não tinha nada a ver, que o festival era para pessoas que curtiam Rock e guitarra, mas como ele não se rebaixa a esse tipo de coisa, respondeu isso:

Por: Luxo

this one is for my lady. i miss her a lot. i like these guys more than she does, but she saw them live not that long ago, and i think it really warmed her up. even though jay-z got most of the press out of this festival, this live set sounds like a fuckin blast. if you still think these guys are some hipster bullshit, i dare you to tell that to this crowd. oi-oi-oi!!!

1. Hot Chip & Wiley Wearing My Rolex
2. One Pure Thought
3. Out At The Pictures
4. Over And Over
5. Ready For The Floor
6. Nothin Compares To U/In The Privacy Of Our Love

HOT CHIP - LIVE AT GLASTONBERRY '08

Good move for O.C. & A.G., this means that the album is more or less guaranteed to drop now, and that it will drop on vinyl as well. Good year overall for the label, Pete Rock, R.A. The Rugged Man, Termanology and now this. Here is the short Nature Sounds announcement.

DITC Records & Nature Sounds offer a special Independence Day Treat from hip-hop legends O.C & A.G.

Legendary hip-hop MCs return to quench the thirst of hip-hop fans.  The album, freshly titled "Oasis" is executive produced by Show (of Showbiz & AG fame) and features stellar production by Lord Finesse, E. Blaze, and Statik Selektah.  Oasis is set to hit the streets worldwide this Fall, for now, please enjoy their lead single!!!

Please follow the link below to download the lead single "Put It In The Box" (clean & instrumental) off O.C. & A.G.'s first collaborative album Oasis.

Download the lead single Put It In The Box HERE

All right, stop right there, buddy. I know you're a liar, because I would never trust any New Yorker who calls the 'burgh a "gleaming cultural oasis" without scoffing and rolling their eyes. That is a lie, no matter how many times you drop proper nouns like The Andy Warhol Museum, Mexican War Streets, BrilloBox, or Mattress Factory. Pittsburgh does have a lot to offer and it is a sort of a cultural center for the region, but cultural oasis? No, 'fraid not Mr. Schlegel, unless you're using that term and "renaissance" in a very loose manner.

Downtown Pittsburgh as seen from the banks of the Allegheny on the city's NorthSide.

Most livable city? Oh really?

So you've heard time and again that Pittsburgh is amazingly livable; the most livable for 2007, in fact, according to the Places Rated Almanac. (Majors) Crime rates that aren't too bad, it's a cheap city to live in, it has excellent hospital systems, several prestigious universities, etc. Well did you know that our city has 768 million dollars in debt? (Blazina) That the police have to use tanks - yes... TANKS - to patrol Homewood (a very urban, very ethnically black neighborhood) and a few other impoverished neighborhoods in the city? (Deitch) That our public transit system, once one of the best and most extensive in the nation (at number 15), is falling into shambles? (Grata) That the casino our citizens fought tooth and nail to oppose will still be built on the NorthSide? That the popular "Waterfront" shopping "district" has become nothing more than a glorified strip mall?

Pittsburgh is a great city to live in if you've money, if you're white, and if you're willing to wink at a whole boatload of problems (social, economic, and so on) that a city this size just shouldn't have. I don't think tourism or gentrification is going to solve these problems. There are reasons why Uptown is a ghost town, why the Urban Redevelopment Authority has a dozen main streets to revitalize. (Is your memory so short that you don't remember East Carson Street as the boarded-up wasteland it once was?)

Don't get me wrong, Pittsburgh is wonderful despite these and other problems. But it isn't because of a handful of art galleries, restaurants, and tourist traps. It's something a lot more substantial, less transient and ephemeral, than the cultural tourism Schlegel suggests. Although they are hokey and rather Romanticized, I would suggest watching Rick Sebak's documentaries on Pittsburgh - and not reading something like Michael Chabon's Mysteries of Pittsburgh - to begin to understand exactly what that is. (You can get these suckers for free on public access television or through interlibrary loan.)

:: Bibliography ::

• Blazina, Ed. "Ravenstahl endorses Pittsburgh-Allegheny County merger." The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 3 April 2008. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08094/870250-100.stm (5 July 2008).

• Deitch, Charlie. "Military Police." Pittsburgh City Paper, 27 March 2007. http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=24549 (5 July 2008).

• Grata, Joe. "Port Authority transit cutbacks are biggest in history." The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 4 January 2007. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07004/751189-147.stm (5 July 2008).

• Majors, Dan. "Pittsburgh rated 'most livable' once again." The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 26 April 2007. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/781162-53.stm (5 July 2008).

• Schlegel, Jeff. "36 Hours in Pittsburgh." The New York Times, 6 July 2008. http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/travel/06hours.html (5 July 2008).

:: Further reading ::

• "How now brown town?" The Economist, 14 September 2006. http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7914950 (5 July 2008). (Note: No author listed.)

Jay-Z contornou a situação, dizendo que trabalharia sem problemas com o Oasis em alguma de suas parcerias no futuro, e disse que o que importa para ele é a música em si, seja ela boa ou ruim, e não os rótulos e polêmicas que ocorrem por trás dela.

Noel também se pronunciou pacificamente, revelando-se um fã do rapper (ah, tá). Também, depois de receber como retribuição do comentário uma homenagem com a cover de 'Wonderwall', Noel não poderia continuar dando uma de garoto rebelde, mais uma vez.

Autor: Marçal Righi

Fonte: NME

Noel (right) told the Brit media:

"For the record, I like Jay-Z so that's my opinion, everybody."

and Jay Z's retort:

"I haven't spoken to him (but) I heard he was reaching out... I don't bear any grudge, it's all good."

That's-a-nice.

• Hip Hop
• Rap
• Today's R&B
• Top 40/Pop
• Dance Music
• DJ Spinning (that's not even music, it's called playing a record)
• Electronica

This means that artists like Madonna, Jay-Z, Beyonce, etc. don't count as rock.  They're something else, often (in the case of Madonna) disco.  I, for one, understand the frustration of rock musicians and fans when rap artists are added to festival bills.  It's not racism, it's that we don't like it.  Unlike what the kids today seem to think, I don't have to like or respect all types of music.  I can think a lot of it is crap.

Pra quem ainda não sabe o que aconteceu na disputa pelo suposto título de astro mais durão da música, aqui vai a versão curta. Jay-Z foi escalado como uma das atrações principais do festival de Glastonbury. Noel Gallagher saiu em defesa do rock e disse que o rapper não tinha nada a ver com o evento inglês. Em contra-ataque, Jay-Z abriu o show em Glastonbury, na semana passada, com samples de Gallagher o criticando e, em seguida, tocou - de maneira claramente debochada - um cover do super-hit "Wonderwall", do Oasis.

Antes do festival, o guitarrista inglês declarou em uma entrevista que desviar o festival de sua tradição de bandas baseadas em guitarras e violões era um erro. "Se você começar a mudar as coisas, as pessoas vão deixar de aparecer. Me desculpem, mas Jay-Z? Sem chance", disse. E terminou com um inflexível "eu não aceito hip-hop em Glastonbury. É um erro".

No fim das contas, a apresentação de Jay-Z como atração principal no festival teve um dos maiores públicos que o evento já recebeu. Certamente, a alfinetada do rapper em Noel Gallagher atraiu boa parte dos espectadores. Só mais uma prova de que a polêmica ainda alimenta o mundo da música. A turma do deixa-disso está tornando a música mais sem-graça?

At the end of the day i quite like Oasis but to be fair Noel's comments that Jay-Z shouldn't have been a headliner are a bit crazy. The only festivals that will continue to grow are the ones that change it up every so often. I can't be the only one that's sick of seeing the same 5 or 6 bands headline every festival each year can i? 

In any case, I wasn't there this weekend but god did i have a laugh when i was sat by the pool reading about how Jay-Z had opened his set with a guitar strapped around his neck, playing Wonderwall.

Fair play to him.

Legendary hip-hop MCs return to quench the thirst of hip-hop fans.  The album, freshly titled "Oasis" is executive produced by Show (of Showbiz & AG fame) and features stellar production by Lord Finesse, E. Blaze, and Statik Selektah.  Oasis is set to hit the streets worldwide this Fall, for now, please enjoy their lead single!!!  OC & AG's The Oasis will be released by Nature Sounds Records!!

To Listen and download OC & AG Put It In The Box mp3 click here.

I guess they are still relevant after all. At least, in England. The Manchester lads will get the lifetime achievement award at the Silver Clef Award ceremony in London. U2 and Paul Weller have won the award before.

This would be a perfect opportunity for Jay Z to criticize such an award going to Oasis. But this is England. And the Brits love handing out awards to their own, don't they? And look, even Bryan Adams and Meat Loaf won awards at this thing:

In keeping with my ‘no stress for the week pledge’, here’s a Jay-Z mashup!

Jay was the headline act at the recently concluded Glastonbury Music Festival in England... its the largest open-air, greenfield concert festival in the WORLD.

You can get more info from the festival's website... (http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/)

...and you can even catch some of the performances on BBC's website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/glastonbury/)

Well, when Jay-Z was chosen to be the headline act, this caused no end of controversy.  Hip-Hop never had a showing at Glastonbury before, and now it was to be the headline act?  WTF?!

Well, Noel Gallagher, guitarist for the British band Oasis, wasn't pleased at all!

"If it ain't broke don't fix it," he said. "If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance."

Here's how Jay opened his set... he did a montage of the comments made by his supporters and detractors.  Watch the vid below (profanity near the end):

Jay-Z answered all his critics.  Performance beating ole talk yet again!

Playing to a crowd of over 150,000, Hov opened his set with a cover of Oasis' hit single "Wonderwall".  Pure Genius!  He came out with a rock guitar, had the mainly rock crowd singing along, putting up their diamonds and their lighters into the air!  Watch the video below:

Here's the list of the other tracks he did in this clip.

"99 problems" - AC/DC's Classic "Back in Black" was played live -Live!- by the band during this set (Thanks to Frolin for help with the positive riff ID).

"Is That Your Chick" - with some sampling from Prodigy down to the end (Thanks to the Soca Viking for help with the positive sample ID).

"Rehab" - Great choice.  Everyone is feeling Amy Winehouse's music in England these days, despite her issues with the pipe.

The band was amazing.  They really knocked the instrumentals out the park!

I'm really glad he answered his critics.  Music is Universal.  Music is Love.  Gallagher ended up looking the fool, and the audience went happily along with Jay's flow.  It just cements Jay-Z's position as one of the most successful artistes of our time.

I like this performance because its fluid, its versatile, fresh and surprising.  I like how he moves from Wonderwall to 99 problems, with the band's guitarists laying down some mean tracks for Hov to spit his rhymes over.

The crowd's energy?  Fantastic.  Infectious!  Wish I was there...

Not bad for someone's who's retired!

<Videos may get pulled by YouTube soon, so watch while they're still online!>

]]> http://mplimasol.wordpress.com/?p=102 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:30:59 +0000 mplimasol http://mplimasol.wordpress.com/?p=102

(http://mplimaosl.blogspot.com/)

"amazing" is not to be taken lightly. "little" isn't either.

reportedly having been around since 2004, it's surprising to me that the rumble strips - borrowing there namesake from a road safety feature meant to keep drivers from drifting too far - are not more popular than what they are. but as i peruse the youtube videos looking for more material, i notice that i'm only one of, at times, only a few thousand, or a handful of hundreds, and often less than three-digit turnout. they came to me through a series of indie playlists that i normally spend quite a bit of time rifling through between a couple different music sites - most new music, admittedly, is pure whiny, corporate-generated musings; some of it, however, is enough to excite yourself over (the twilight sad, for example, have a freshman album that has barely made a blip across the indie radar screen, and much less an official website to promote them). more than other recently popular newbies on the indie scene, such as cold war kids or beirut, the rumble strips combine jaunty optimism with organic naturalism in a refreshing way that neither alienates nor pays complete homage to the way music was originally intended.

the rumble strips' song "oh creole" is one that has steadily gained popularity amongst the indie underground despite its being one of the oldest songs in the rumble strips' repertoire. as it appears on their first album, girls and weather (2007), it sounds as if third time's the charm for the rumble strips (it was already previously recorded once on the band's ep in 2006 and again in between). with the third recording of the song, frontman charlie waller admits that while the sound is more "beefed-up," he has certainly grown a bit "sick" of playing it (don't worry - waller's suspected ennui with the song hasn't, as of yet, prevented him from performing the bit). listening to "oh creole" in comparison with the rest of the album is certainly a treat - the "creole sound" that waller sings of in the lyrics is echoed throughout the song in a manner that would make any big brass louisiana band turn green with envy. the careful tuning and layering of rich, melodic harmonies adds a depth to the song that gives the listener the impression that the finished product - third time around - isn't far from perfection.

of course, UK listeners always seem to have the upper hand when it comes to new UK bands. "girls and boys in love" is a hedonistic pop tune that is currently being used in advertising overseas (it was also used in the OST for "run fatboy, run"). in more or less words, waller explains that "girls and boys in love" was packed to the brim with pop feeling and catchy elements - the one track on the album that can be valued for its commercial appeal alone. more than that, however, "girls and boys in love" is a complex song that, only though careful craft and attention to detail, merely sounds bright and simple. further analysis will reveal the band's vast musical understanding and innate ability to weave together several sounds and instruments, much to the sheer delight of the listener.

i personally was much impressed with their other releases, such as "alarm clock," "no soul," "hate me (you do)," "time" (which i'm sure i've heard in an advert before, but i could be wrong) and "motorcycle," which waller claims was penned as he was biking home from a friend's house. together, they are a robust testament to the band's versatility and mastery of sound. "alarm clock" remains the gem of the bunch in my mind. the true litmus for the ability of a band is to create something out of nothing while at the same time getting it to sound listenable (for instance, "caramel" is probably one of the most organic blur songs ever written, but its appeal to listeners is lost in damon's rambling and the alienating, incoherent instrumentation). "alarm clock" is, on paper, an almost childish set of stanzas stanzas - so much so, that it might make one begin to question waller's lyrical prowess. however, the beauty of "alarm clock" is that every member of the band adds something to the song and makes it better than it would have been had the addition not been there. the sum is greater than any one of the parts, and in the end what you get is a high-quality product that most bands, i am so bold to say, simply aren't talented enough to repeat.

if you want the inside, however, much of the chatter surrounding the rumble strips has to do with their cover of an amy winehouse song called "back to black," which can be found on the band's "motorcycle" single. the rumble strips provide a rough, raw rendition of the smoldering single, without the violence, the drugs, and the lewdness of amy winehouse. so impressed with the rendition was mark ronson with wallers scathing vocals that he asked him to perform the song with his orchestra - quite an honor for a relatively unheard of vocalist (what i mean by that, simply, is that if you're familiar with the work of mark ronson, it can be said that he normally works with people who are a bit more popular than devon-raised charlie waller). fans have clamored round and round that the "motorcycle" single is worth every penny of the expense for the cover of "back to black" alone - simply, it is that good.

so what lies ahead for charlie waller, matt wheeler, tom gorbutt, henry clark, and sam mansbridge? breaking through to the american market? the world market? being what oasis could have been without all of the drugs, or what blur could have been with more raw talent? my predictions remain optimistic. i don't think that the indie scene is looking for another throwback (look at how long the arctic monkeys lasted - like an independence day fireworks show; very big, very bright, and over in about a half an hour). but that being said, i think that there's enough room for a band to come in and find their own niche. music scenes can be thought of as economical markets, and they're very cyclic. after the death of britpop (damon albarn, circa august 1996, "britpop is dead."), there was a perceptible void in the british music arena. bands like the verve and radiohead did what they could to suffer through the desolation that was 1997, but it was bands like travis, coldplay, franz ferdinand, and muse that came forth and changed the way we thought about british music (in fact, i personally credit coldplay's "parachutes" and "rush of blood to the head" for the second resurgence in britpop). the bands that came forth and filled that need were the bands who became popular, and eventually were allowed to create markets of their own (it's hard to say if the futureheads would be popular if franz ferdinand and bloc party hadn't come out first, and without them later bands like maximo park and art brut certainly wouldn't exist).

so, what exactly do the rumble strips have going for them?

1. for one, there does seem to be a trend emerging for a more organic, natural way of making and playing music - one that doesn't require the overused synth tones and heavy editing of bands like MGMT and architecture in helsinki (i already included beirut and the twilight sad earlier, but the maccabees are also worth mentioning here).
2. second, the rumble strips are extremely talented. after listening to "girls and weather" track by track, it becomes increasingly apparent to the listener that making music is both a passionate joy and a serious occupation to the members of the rumble strips. they don't go over the top when they shouldn't, and they're not audibly uncomfortable with taking their musical expression to its limits. there are songs where precise lyrics and calculated notes combine to achieve a particular sound, and there are also songs that feel catch-it-as-it-comes, encapsulating the raw, innate abilities of the musicians at hand. their sound is so diverse that the rumble strips are hardly in danger of pigeonholing themselves into a particular genre, yet their first album is about as complete and cohesive as the coming-of-age third album for the bands normally considered among the symphonic elite.
3. in addition, unlike most musical groups of the past twenty or so years, every single member of the rumble strips is good at what he does. waller is an ingenious guitarist with a grand voice and a lyrical hand. mansbridge brilliantly complements waller's strumming with just the right amount of bass - not too strong as to overpower, and not too weak as not to be heard. clark splits his talents between bombastic brass and playful piano lines. gorbutt's innate understanding of the sax is essential to the smooth fit of his instrument with the rest of his more contemporary counterparts. and wheeler is a phenomenal drummer with an effortless sense of rhythm. together they culminate into one canorous force, brimming with charisma, character, and class.
4. given just a moment's glance, i'm sure that you'll find that the rumbles strips are really an attractive group of guys. yes, yes, we all realize that part of the appeal of blur was that damon albarn was another pretty face. bands like kings of leon, on the other hand, were fair to midland in the looks department (i'm trying to be as gentle as possible here). but the rumble strips: here's a hardy group of lads raised on devon air. in their photos, interviews, and music videos, they appear lively, energetic, and youthful (although not quite sure on the "how youthful" part - biographical information remains somewhat elusive). with both good looks and talent, what is there to temper these fellows?
5. i'm not sure how many people would consider this a pro (certainly not the band themselves, perhaps), but one of the most wonderful things about the rumble strips is that they are relatively unpopular. don't take that the wrong way. in a system where every band has to go through the gauntlet of gaining a fan base - you should remember, again, that a highly successful band like blur spent a number of years merely breaking even in their finances - this is to be expected. however, being only locally popular, or enjoying pockets of popularity, does have its advantages. for one, it allows the band to be more intimate with its fans; if you take a look at their official website, you'll see that the band does a pretty good job keeping up on their news, and allows plenty of avenues for fan feedback. one can only hope that this good nature doesn't wear off when their (i feel) inevitable fame finally dawns upon them. one thing is for certain, however, and that is that the rumble strips are wholly and simultaneously devoted to both the ideas of having fun and taking their job seriously. very few people in this world have the opportunity to not only do what they love but to succeed at it - for the good fortune of the rumble strips, we, as the listeners, are bountifully rewarded.

i wish the rumble strips nothing but positives and success as they continue in their endeavors. normally i'm not seen endorsing bands so heavily, and there are many factors that come into play as far as that's concerned. however, when someone - or a group of people, rather - expresses the drive and the desire for whatever it is that they do, i can't help but to pull for them. we all want to see the right people succeed in life.

in short, the rumble strips - buy their album, watch their videos, join their fan pages, spread the word - are phenomenal. amazing, and definitely worth the chance.

Recently I attended the Sunday service of a church looking to be "missional." Knowing my research interests, a key staff person spoke with me about a whip-bang event they're planning, complete with free food and bounce houses for the kids. "We're trying to reach out to the neighborhood," she told me.

Although I didn't mean to, I think my heart went numb. My simple question is this one: When will we come to understand that "missional" isn't the next event, but the next breath, all that we are, used of God, led by the Spirit to usher in the Kingdom to any and all "dark" places? "You [not free food or bounce houses] are the light of the world" [Mt 5:14]. I tell you the truth, as long as we think in terms of events we're sunk in the water.

I was struck by this in that I too have thought of the 'next event' as being missional and later wondered why we were not making more of an impact.

Yesterday, I was discussing with a friend about how I don't want to be known for what I am against, but what I am for. Being missional these days for me and how I think about this as a 'church' is really hard. I mean, I have written letters, offered to serve without agenda, and yet, nothing seems to be consistently available, and in many cases, No responses.

I was taking a bi-vocational pastor survey yesterday, and after I realized that I was not as toxic as I thought I was (some of these survey's only have negative choices for answers and you have to pick 1, or 2, or whatever and it does not give the whole picture), but the one thing I did like about the survey was the option at the end to finish the sentence (or something like this), "I need a resource on..." and I answered "on how to be missional in my community when the mayor does not respond to letters, people tell you their "fine" and "everyone is busy"... I mean... I want to do something more than pass out water bottles...

I think that is why the quote above made such an impact today... Missional for me, is messy relationships. Missional is finding out a need in the community and meeting it. Missional for me is... investing in people... not events... and as Oasis prays over their project idea (Fireproof involvement), we are going to add a twist to this if we decide to do it... give the tickets to churches... instead of giving them away to random people. Or maybe the 'church' has the same access to the same resources, and we do need to give them away, I don't know, we are praying over this.  Maybe being Missional is... reaching the bad marriages in our churches, especially leaders and getting them to think....

A friend of mine was relaying how their church is going to be passing out water bottles... yeah that worked in the early 90's and people will take the water... but are you willing to put that bottle 'event' through grid of the question above...

How much of what we do today under the guise of being 'missional' is actually salving our conscience and checking our 'good deed box' versus actually getting messy.

I was reminded of one of my conversations last night (I try to touch base with my care group in the middle of the week at least once) and how one of the folks said, "wow, I did not realize that I had been talking for so long and not asking you about anything."

Maybe being missional is helping someone pay their rent as they transition to a new job, or helping someone send their kid to Bible camp, providing a sleeping bag and bible to someone who needs it, giving someone 'goodie' money so that they can have a good time with thier buddies, or giving a dish rack to someone whose water heater broke, or extending communion to a shut-in, or fixing their insulation.  Missional is being available for the person whom you have done bible studies with over the years who never completes them and when they call you to start one again--you do it.  Maybe being missional is getting orders from Angel Food ministries when you don't need them and having the expectancy that the 3 you bought will be given away and they are!  Maybe being missional is passing out water bottles... maybe it is a place to start...  I am not knocking my friends church, I just think that missional is... praying, listening, acting, being available and showing up without being asked and silently doing it again...not an event like I was convicted of above...

A Continuous Lean turned me onto a great article featuring attendee's for this years Glastonbury Festival. If you haven't seen the video of Jay-Z covering Wonderwall by Oasis, here it is. Must of been a spit in the face to Mr. Gallagher who was raising hell about a rapper headlining, and not his band. Gotta love the Gallagher's. Another great part about the article and the actual festival are the Wellington Boots everyone's wearing. It'd be nice if they could be worn even when not muddy, but that's just me.

Ayer vi Kung Fu Panda con Jany y ah que buena película es. Me quedo con la frase de la tortuga:
"El ayer es historia, el futuro es un misterio... pero el hoy, el hoy es un regalo, por eso se llama presente"

Tanta sabiduría...

Últimamente no me he sentido "culpable" del abandono en que tengo el congal. Es raro, antes sí me calaba dejarlo tanto tiempo pero en estos tiempos ya no ha sido tanto así. La necesidad que tenía de venir a postear ha sido sustituida con la necesidad de tiempo para mí y lejos de la computadora después de trabajar de 8 a 12 horas frente a una. Hasta he pensado en no volver a bloguear jamás, pero eso ya esun pensamiento aislado y extremo que esperemos nunca se vea realizado. Me gusta mi blog, me gusta escribirle aunque sea una vez al mes (si bien le va).

Ya tengo boletos para Oasis, cof cof. Me vuelo, soy presumido ¿Y QUE PEDO? son mi banda favorita de la vida y no me lo voy a perder por nada nadita del mundo. Mis ojitos brillan, cuento los días y brinco nenuzcamente en mis adentros. ¡¡Vamos todooooossssss!!

Felicidades a los Españoles que leen este blog (¿?) por el campeonato de su país en la Eurocopa. Por otro lado, un sentido pésame a los Alemanes que también visitan este blog (¿?) por haber perdido la final. Eso sí, ambos se regocijan con sus millones de euros, ¡yay!

The Glass Garden| 257 Evangelista St. corner Pasco Ave., Barangay Santolan, Pasig City| 646.5323| www.theglassgarden.com.ph

The first few weeks I started our wedding planning, I was looking for venues near our area.  I came across The Glass Garden and became fascinated by it, but never got around to visiting the actual location.  I had gone to their website, which wasn't completely finished at the time, and the photos didn't seem impressive.

During the wedding expo, I encountered The Glass Garden again, and learned that the owner was a former school mate of mine!  I didn't even recognize her, because she looked so grown up.  But she recognized me right away, and chatted me up.  I became even more intrigued, because I knew that she has impeccable taste.

I was finally able to go to the place when Manila Catering extended an invitation for food-tasting mid-June.  I brought two of my friends from work and we had no trouble locating the place though we weren't familiar with the area.

Much like another well-known venue, The Glass Garden is situated in an urban area in which one would never have guessed that such a beautiful place existed in its midst.  On the (slightly narrow) road to the venue, we passed by lines of tricycles, trucks, and what looked like abandoned warehouses.

But once the gates to the Glass Garden opened, it was like entering a different dimension.

It was clean - almost distinguished  - which I think is precisely what they were going for, being an English-inspired venue.

Parking was ample, with a designated lot for each "Garden."  I believe there's even additional parking in a basement.

There are two garden venues - Diamond and Emerald - which didn't have much difference in terms of size and design.

The food-tasting was being held at the Diamond Garden.  Entering the glass doors, we were greeted by a beautiful zen-like paradise with soothing water cascading down a large stone wall.

A bridge connects the "lobbies" of Diamond and Emerald.

When we stepped inside the Diamond Garden, my first thought was "The initial pictures I saw in the website did not do the place justice."

It was spacious and airy, with just enough greenery to lend the feel of nature, but urbanized enough so that it remains very comfortable. (No need to fear insect bites or creepy crawlies!)

The colors of the walls were subtle enough to maintain an atmosphere of elegance, and blended well with the trees, plants and flowers.

Most noticeable and notable is the great intelligence and intuitiveness put into the design, with the guests' utmost comfort in mind.

Everywhere is handicap-friendly, with floors that had rubberized matting.  The stairs' steps were just sufficiently spaced (Yes, that I even noticed), and no area was left un-maximized.  At the corner of the Garden is the Suite, where the couple or the guests could choose to rest.

While it is a gem on its own, it still allows for creativity.  In a wedding, for instance, the couple can opt for a dramatic entrance from the Bridal Suite to the entryway, or directly from the Bridal Suite, or directly from the entry way.

It is beautiful as it is, but may still be dressed up with swags or more flowers, depending on the couple's taste. 

There are also so many ways in which the caterer can set up their wares, because of the ample space of the Garden. 

I don't have pictures, but I just have to say that even the bathrooms are beautiful - possibly better than some hotels'.  Inside (in the Ladies' room at least), there was a slightly smaller version of the zen-like garden with the water cascading down a large stone wall.

We were also able to explore other areas of the venue - even as far as the offices.  Everything adhered to the English Garden theme.

RAVE:  Beautiful.  Clean.  Serene.  Comfortable.  Easy to find.

RANT: Not exactly located in the likes of Forbes Park.  Nevertheless, the place behind the heavy gates should more than make up for that.

REVIEW: If we didn't already have a reception venue, The Glass Garden would definitely be on our shortlist.

- AT&T's latest ad shows that they think warrantless wiretapping is funny. From Consumerist:

According to AT&T, Ms. Suspicious "has nothing to hide," so she certainly won't mind when AT&T and their traitorous telecom buddies trash the Constitution and violate her right to privacy!

- Jay-Z opens up his headlining set at Glastonbury with Oasis's Wonderwall following comments from Noel Gallagher that hip hop "doesn't belong" at the festival. Buuuuuuuurn.

- Starbucks is closing 600 stores; laying off 12,000. Hopefully my former location isn't one of them (tear). [NYT]

- Where the hell is Matt? is not my latest Where's Waldo attempt, but something better:

Matthew Harding spent 14 months visiting 42 countries in order to produce "Where the Hell is Matt?", a four-and-a-half minute video featuring Harding (and anyone else he could rope into it) doing an incredibly silly, high-energy dance in some of the most breathtaking scenery around the world. This may be the best four minutes and twenty-eight seconds of your week.

Video and more on Boing Boing.

- LeRoi Moore, saxophonist from the Dave Matthews Band, was injured in an ATV accident on his farm in Virginia on Monday. He was initially listed as in serious condition at a Virginia hospital, but has since been upgraded to fair. Jeff Coffin, the double-sax playing troubadour from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones will fill in indefinitely while LeRoi recoops. This marks the first time since 1993 that the band has performed a tour without one of the five founding members. Looking forward to seeing you back, Roi! Send eCards via the band's site.

- Best of Craigslist: I have a dead moose (earlier: I am RICH and I want to spend it on you tonight)

- Geek out with these cool screenshots of iPhone 2.0 and iTunes 7.7.