A few things:

My blog is nearing the mother of all milestones- 20,000 hits. Does it get any sweeter? No, my friend, it does not. As now is a time for pensive reflection, let me drop this little nugget of wisdom: 

One thing I know for sure- as life moves forward and as we get older and wiser...things become very, very clear. You KNOW what you are supposed to do and what your purpose is. All the feelings of uncertainty fade away. And that is a truly remarkable thing, considering the fact that society looks down on the idea of getting older...but in some ways, it's really fantastic. Alright, I'm done getting all Ferris Bueller on you.

On a side note, my sister had a rather scary experience yesterday and had to go to the hospital for some tests. I spoke with her and she is feeling better (though I still maintain she could have been faking it for attention....relax I'm kidding!!! Seriously...I'm kidding, don't tell my mom I said that). I love you Erin!!! Sincerely, your favorite sister, Alice.

And just for kicks...because I cannot get this song out of my head...here it is...ROSANNA by TOTO!!! You know you love it! Where else can you find an exotic beauty dancing around a junkyard to an 80's rock song?!

P.S. This video has no significance to my post at all. Come to think of it, could this post be any more random? Pink water, waxing philosophic, my sister's medical records, my claiming to be a fictional character...can you tell I've had 1.5 glasses of wine?! Crap. Whatevs.

Disclaimer: I do not own this clip. Found via YouTube: oslovanet

Event was sponsored by ABSOLUT VODKA

Music by: Jermaine Brown

Special thanks to:
Basement Salon / Basement Academy
Circuit Magazine
Fashion TV (FTV)
MAC
Rogue Magazine
School of Fashion & the Arts (SOFA)

Event organized by: cacay moras & liza tan

For more photos of the event, please follow this link:

http://konradphoto.multiply.com/photos/album/480/Fabric_Fashion_Show_July_31_-_Backstage

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50410&id=621418453

Elisabeth at You Can't Call It It is a big fan of Rose as a first name, à la the fictional daughter of Charlotte York Goldenblatt of Sex and the City fame.  We agree that it's that rare choice that manages to be both feminine and strong, while coming in at merely one simple syllable.  But rather than just make Rose a Name of the Day, we thought we'd do one better and explore the garden of Rose names for girls that would look just right in the driver's seat.

There are easily two dozen Rose names - far less than in botany, where over 100 species are found.  But it's enough that they range from the classic to the dated to the newly fashionable and potentially appealing. 

• Rose:  She's the timeless original.  Like Mary, Jane, Anne or Grace, Rose's style stems from her effortless and timeless simplicity.  The name is feminine without being even a smidge frilly.  Rose could be a ballerina, a district attorney or the little girl next door.  The name ranked #351 in 2007.
• Rosa: She's the Latina version of the classic.  Picture the same little girl, but somewhere in the Spanish-speaking world, which does not exclude the US.  While Rosa has been quite fashionable in the US, she's never eclipsed her single-syllable cousin.  Today we think Rose is the stronger option unless, of course, your first language is Spanish, Italian or Portuguese.  As of 2007, she ranked #435 in the US.
• Róisín:  Pronounced ro SHEEN, this is the Celtic version of the name.  Technically, it means "little rose."  Róis - rosh - is the literal translation for the flower.  Once an immigrant would've abandoned this name in favor of Rose minutes after arriving in the US; today, it's likely to be bestowed by parents who've never seen the Emerald Isle but are longing for a heritage choice.  She's Niamh and Saoirse's sister. Despite her authenticity, the "een" ending brings to mind Arlene, Darlene and Maureen - names less than fashionable today.  It has ever charted in the Top 1000.
• Rosemary: She's a double flower power hit - there's not only the bloom, but the herb, too.  As Ophelia memorably told us, Rosemary is for remembrance.  The short form Romy comes from the Germans, and is occasionally bestowed as a given name.  This is our personal favorite, thanks to the haunting Interpol song from 2005.  (Yes, their Rosemary references the twisted serial killer Rosemary West.  We choose to overlook that tiny hiccup.)  As of 2007, Rosemary ranked #720.
• Rosalind:  Even more of a throwback than Rosemary, Rosalind was used by Shakespeare for a character in As You Like It, as well as Romeo's love interest before he's met his Juliet.  We like it for offering the nickname option Lindy, as well as serving as a graceful way to honor women named Rose and Linda - statistics suggest that many of us have both names hanging on our family trees.  It's tempting to translate Rosalind as "beautiful rose," but in fact there's no botanical basis for this name.  It's from Germanic elements for horse - hros and soft - linde - meaning that the name suggests a biddable horse.  Let's not on dwell on that, as we rather like the name.  Rosalind was not in the Top 1000 as of last year.
• Rosanna:  Just as she appears, Rosanna is a mash-up of Rose and Anna, and was a smash hit song for Toto back in 1982.  While the names aren't related, we rather like the idea of getting the nickname Roxy from Rosanna.  As of 2007, she was not in the Top 1000.
• Roseanne, Rosemarie:  While Rosanna feels current with choices like Isabella and Anneliese, we can't help but find these two compound names a bit dated.  Neither charted in the Top 1000 last year.
• Rosalynn, Rosalyn, Roslyn, Roseline, Roselyn:  Another compound name that seems dusty and fusty circa 2008, regardless of spelling.  That said, current creations like Kaitlyn, Madalyn and Gracelyn are encouraging parents to consider these Rose-variants.  It's truly unthinkable if you live in metro DC, where Rosslyn, Virginia is just across the Key Bridge from Georgetown and accessible via the orange line.  None of these choices appear in the US Top 1000.
• Rosalba: Used mainly in Italian, this one means "white rose."  It has the romantic feel of Arabella, but perhaps a bit more strength and substance.  It has never ranked in the US Top 1000.
• Rosario, Rosaria:  The term "rosary" literally translates to rose garden, but refers to a Catholic devotional prayer practice counted out on beads.  Rosario is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian; Rosaria is the Italian feminine.  Despite the success of actress Rosario Dawson and the lively sound of this name, neither version has recently charted in the US Top 1000.
• Rosary:  It's unthinkable to many, but with names like Trinity and Genesis gaining, we can't rule out the possibility that some parents might choose this overtly religious moniker for a daughter.  But it does raise the question of what they'd call their son - Incense?  Mercifully, Rosary has never charted in the US Top 1000.
• Rosetta:  This is an Italian pet form of Rose, most famous as the Rosetta Stone - the ancient steele that provided the key to reading Egyptian hieroglyphics.  It was discovered in 1799 by the French, who had conquered Egypt under Napoleon the year before.  The port city was called Rashid, but the French referred to it as Rosetta - and so this name sounds not only dated, but carbon-dated.  It has not ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1973.
• Rosina, Rosena, Rosella, Roselle, Rosalita:  Like Rosetta, these are pet forms of Rose and Rosa, sometimes bestowed independently.  We don't think they're as compelling as some of the other choices, but some might favor them for family or personal reasons.  For example, Rosina appears in the Rossini opera The Barber of Seville.  The song Rosalita was a 1973 hit for Bruce Springsteen.
• Rosalie, Rosalia:  Rosalia was an ancient festival, celebrated into the year 500, and probably for many centuries prior.  Rosalia entered common use and was the name of a 12th century Sicilian saint.  Today we think Rosalia might be a bit much, but the French adaptation of the name - Rosalie - feels fresh and current.
• Rosabel, Rosabelle, Rosabella:  Yet another mash-up, this time used in Italian and Spanish, as well as English.  It's a relatively new name, dating to the 18th century.  Given the popularity of Isabella and Annabel, we can imagine meeting some small Rosabels, too.  But at the moment, all three variants are unranked in the US.
• Rosamond, Rosamund:  In use since at least the 12th century, and probably a few hundred years prior, this name has more in common with the equestrian-tinged Rosalind than the botanical Roses.  Still, it's tempting to translate this as "rose of the world" - in fact, the 12th century mistress of England's King Henry II was named Rosamund Clifford and nicknamed precisely that.  These Roses last appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 1930s, making them true throwbacks.  You might even up the quirk factor by calling your Rosamond by the nickname Monday.
• Primrose:  Yes, it's a valid botanical choice.  But it's terribly, well, prim and prissy for a real live girl. Priscilla ranks #375, but Primrose has never charted in the US Top 1000.
• Anna Rose, Mary Rose:  These have been popular through the ages, but are likely recorded in official records as Anna and Mary.  Today, we think Rosanna and Rosemary are stronger choices, but these might appeal to some parents.

There you have it - more than a dozen reasons to rescue Rose from the middle spot and promote her to first.

Growing up, I used to think Paisley (also known as mango print, and the teardrop) was so boring and common in Indian clothing, but with the trend picking up lately with all kinds of unique products; it's become my favorite print. Even though at this point I have plenty of paisley printed items, I always look for more just in case something breaks? :-). So here are my new favorite paisley plates, featured on Delight.com called the Darjeeling Dishware.

http://www.delight.com/Dashing-Darjeeling-Dishware 

If you don't want to buy the real plates and just want the look and the print for an occasion, here are some great paper plates and napkins to go with you Desi theme for your party or to keep for all times.

http://www.platesandnapkins.com/Store_ViewProducts.asp?Cat=246

Ma, ho in serbo delle novità riguardo a due nuove rubriche, che spero siano di vostro gradimento.

Per ora mi limito solo a svelare i loro nomi: "Sex and the city" e "Ideali viventi".

Il resto a breve...

Intanto vi invito a leggere: Italianotizie, il quotidiano online dove scrivo.

Il link lo trovate a fianco nella sezione Blogroll.

A presto!

A primeira Shunya Yamashita a qual eu tomei conhecimento foi Sera-chan – acho que foi a primeira peça da parceria Shunya Yamashita e Kotobukiya. Na época eu pensei em comprar a Sera-chan, mas em todos os lugares que eu procurava ela já estava esgotada, isso aconteceu um pouco depois de ter adquirido a minha primeira Figure a Rin.

Com o tempo, aos poucos, fui descobrindo outros colecionadores de Figures, inclusive um que até hoje me impressiona com suas maravilhosas fotos de suas peças. As primeiras fotos que eu vi de Happy Soda foram justo de Rosanna The Art of Shunya Yamashita (a peça do lado esquerdo da foto).

Rosanna assim como todas as figures The Art of Shunya Yamashita não pertence a nenhum desenho, nem jogo, são ilustrações presentes nos Artbook do famoso ilustrador japonês Shunya Yamashita.

Rosanna foi fabricada pela Movic, empresa japonesa especializada na produção de trading cards, figures, CDs, e outros itens ligados a indústria de Anime, - não conheço muitos produtos dessa empresa, mas essa figure é muito bem feita -, segue a escala de 1/7 (ou 1:7 ) indica que ela tem 1/7 (um sétimo) do tamanho real que a personagem teria, o material de fabricação usado é PVC e sua data de lançamento no mercado foi de abril de 2007 com o preço de Y$ 6090 ienes (o equivalente a R$ 100,19 reais).

Uma prova da grande diversidade de tipos de ilustrações feitas por ele é a segunda figure deste review Shoko-san (a peça da direita na foto do topo do post) a qual fora os olhos, que são sempre um traço marcante nas personagens Shunya Yamashita, não apresenta nada em comum com a Rosanna.

Shoko-san foi fabricada pela Kotobukiya - a qual é bastante famosa no ramo de fabricação de figures e até agora tem feito um ótimo trabalho -, segue a escala de 1/7 (ainda 1:7 ) indica que ela tem 1/7 (um sétimo) do tamanho real que a personagem teria, o material de fabricação usado é PVC e sua data de lançamento no mercado foi de janeiro de 2008, ainda é possível encontrar peças de Shoko-san à venda com o preço de U$ 50,49 dólares (o equivalente a R$ 85,54 reais).

A Shoko-san mostrada nas fotos é a versão especial KURO Shoko-San (BLACK Special Edition VERISON) PVC Figure - Kotobukiya. As fotos foram sedidas por HappySoda.

As Figures baseadas em ilustrações de Shunya Yamashita são sem sombras de duvida belas peças. Você compraria uma Shunya Yamashita? Ou você só compra figures de Anime?

Queste sono le piadine del chiosco Marina (via Serra 1/A), che l’anno scorso ha vinto il concorso Piadina d’Autore, la cui finale 2008 si disputerà il 13 maggio al Castello di Sorrivoli. La piadina la conoscete tutti. Ma fate attenzione al piano di cottura. Quello di Marina Cedioli non è metallico, ma di refrattario, cioè di terracotta, lo stesso materiale di cui erano fatte le vecchie tegie (teglie) che usavano le arzdore, mitiche “reggitrici” della casa contadina romagnola.

La cottura – e non solo quella – è perfetta, come posso constatare dal mio assaggio di una semplice piadina, relativamente spessa, e di un crescione alle erbe (o guscione, o cassone, è una piadina ripiena, ripiegata in due e sigillata come un raviolo). Ma com’è che la piadina – o pida, o piada, o piè, a seconda del dialetto locale – da pane povero contadino è diventato cibo di strada?

Me lo ha raccontato Rosanna Smeraldi di Borello, una delle prime piadaiole di Cesena (chiosco in viale Mazzoni, 34). «Nel 1963 è stata chiusa la fabbrica dell’Arrigoni, dove lavoravo insieme a tante altre donne. A me e un’altra amica è venuta l’idea di venire a fare le piadine a Cesena. Allora ci siamo procurate un bidone per cuocere, una tegia, un tagliere per impastare e siamo venute qui una mattina. Abbiamo cominciato impastando 3 chili di farina. Stavano tutti a guardare. I chili da 3 diventarono 4. Qualcuno chiese se si poteva avere un po’ di prosciutto e così cominciò la storia».

Una storia esemplare: la crisi di una fabbrica poteva creare nuovi poveri, invece ha generato una piccola classe di nuove imprenditrici-artigiane, che col tempo sono diventate un’istituzione. La signora Rosanna mi dà anche gli ingredienti della sua ricetta base: farina, strutto, sale, bicarbonato e un po’ di dose (lievito). Ci sono anche quelle senza strutto con l’olio, quelle dolci (zucchero, vanillina, olio), quelle integrali, alla soia, al farro. Provo un crescione con le erbe e uno con verze e salsicce. Quest’ultimo, meno tradizionale, lo trovo memorabile.

A Cesena ci sono molti altri chioschi. Il mio ospitalissimo cicerone, Gianpiero Giordani (fiduciario della locale condotta Slow Food e segretario della Confesercenti Cesenate) mi accompagna anche a quello di Maria Pavirani (piazza Almerici 15), che è di fronte alla Biblioteca Malatestiana. La signora ci lavora da 17 anni, ma il chiosco è qui dal quel fatidico 1963. Se la sua collega Rosanna nei primi anni Sessanta aveva bisogno quotidianamente di 4 chili di farina, Maria Pavirani oggi per soddisfare la sua clientela ne impasta 25-30 al giorno.

Ultima tappa, San Vittore, piccolo borgo all’uscita Cesena Nord dell’A14. Ci rechiamo qui per visitare il chiosco di Cinzia Branzaglia, una celebrità. Perché, per seguire il mestiere cominciato dalla madre dopo la crisi dell’Arrigoni, ha appeso a un chiodo la sua laurea in farmacia. Perché ha vinto diverse volte il Carlino d’Oro, premio indetto dal Resto del Carlino (i lettori inviano un tagliando, indicando il chiosco preferito; lei abitualmente supera le mille preferenze). Perché oltre alle fragrantissime piadine, fa uno stupendo crescione zucca e patate, la sua specialità.

Ayan, so sit back and prepare your chicha. :D

'All I wanna tell you is now youll never ever have to compromise
I never thought that losing you could ever hurt so bad...'

The MSM guys & dolls in the USofA have been beating around the old briar patch sayin dis n' dat but clearly white folk are afraid that the Tontons Macoutes will have their way with them if Obama gets elected. A chance of a lifetime but... I wish I could cast a vote for him but we've got Harper's Ferry and the Dion Squint to chose from and lest we forget, Taliban Jack....and in Quebec, Gilled Mushroom.

Naan

La mia aspirazione è diventare giornalista.

E questo è l'inizio.

Spero di riuscire a coronare il mio sogno un giorno.

Intanto, studio, leggo e scrivo.

Ma, un pizzico di fortuna non guasterebbe!

Infine, il giornalismo che spesso rischia di osannare il mondo della moda.
Report ha rotto un tabù, raccontando di giornaliste che scrivono di sfilate e poi accettano consulenze dalle stesse case che recensiscono; di servizi imposti dagli inserzionisti pubblicitari; di reprimende alle direttrici che decidono di testa loro, magari valorizzando uno stilista emergente; della direttrice di Vogue Italia che accetterebbe gli scatti di un solo fotografo italiano, che poi è suo figlio; di una nota giornalista del Tg3 che, dopo la presentazione della collezione di Cesare Paciotti, avrebbe scelto nello showroom dello stilista «un paio di scarpe di suo gradimento».

TOTO (Past to present 1977-1990)

L'album è una raccolta dei maggiori successi dei TOTO, dal 1977 al 1990 raccolti in un unico CD. All'interno dell'album sono presenti canzoni immortali come Africa, Hold the line, Rosanna, brani senza tempo che ogni generazione a venire DEVE ASCOLTARE ;-)

TrackList
1 Love Has the Power 7:40 2 Africa 5:58 3 Hold the Line 4:56 4 Out of Love 6:54 5 Georgy Porgy 4:08 6 I'll Be Over You 4:52 7 Can You Hear What I'm Saying? 5:03 8 Rosanna 6:34 9 I Won't Hold You Back 5:59 10 Stop Loving You 4:30 11 99 5:13 12 Pamela 5:12 13 Animal 5:02

Al solito INDIRIZZO potrete ascoltare 30 secondi di ogni canzone.

SERENITY

Dopo la magnifica (e sfortunata) serie tv Firefly (sospesa alla 14° puntata per bassi ascolti), Joss Whedon ha deciso di dare un'altra chance alla sua creazione.

Al seguente indirizzo, potrete trovare il TRAILER

Firefly e Serenity sono stati sottovalutati dal grande pubblico, ma questo non ha impedito un costante aumento di appassionati nelle community online, che ad oggi continuano chiedere a gran voce un seguito.

Speriamo!!!