CRITIKX

Thank You for visiting,

2012-02-06T22:46:00.006-05:00

We shall meet again. Until then, I leave you with...

Intense, beautiful, magnetic, gets in your guts-musical-intensity-take-charge-of-your-destiny-&-the-world-can-be-conquered type of music!

Thank you for reading or just "googling" and entering our world.

Should I say :
- God Speed, John Glenn;
- So long and good night and good luck to you all, Edward R. Murrow;
- Until we meet again...- linoue, out!

TICKLEBEAR IS LEAVING THE BUILDING!!

2012-02-04T11:57:00.003-05:00

It's been months since I've presented something here.

It doesn't mean I haven't been active,

but everything was done on my main blog,

ticklebear4u.com.

While I've enjoyed being part of a triumvirat,

I will now keep concentrating my efforts on my own blog,

flying solo!!

I am not closing this blog

as there are two other bloggers here too.

They've also been discreet lately...

Let's see what happens!!

If you want to see me,

you now know my [real] address.

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC (MONTREAL 2011)- PANZERA SAS's BEATLES TRIBUTE and JUPITER WINNERS!!, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-30T23:30:00.014-04:00

well,

the festival is now over,

we know the winners

and we had a last presentation by the people of

PANZERA SAS,

the BEATLES' TRIBUTE,

which was a great way to close the festival.

:)~

as for this year's winners,

let me remind you of my own results,

and i'll then reveal the official winners:

ITALY,

AUSTRALIA,

FRANCE,

CZECH REPUBLIC,

ENGLAND,

USA,

CANADA,

CHINA.

for their part,

the judges gave the gold jupiter to

ITALY.

the silver jupiter went to

FRANCE.

and the bronze jupiter went to

AUSTRALIA.

as you can see,

i got the top three right,

just not quite in the same order...

so,

see you all next year

for another great edition of

L'INTERNATIONAL des FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC

MONTREAL,

in 2012!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: FRANCE, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-27T23:30:00.043-04:00

the last contestant in

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC,

is the french team,

LACROIX RUGGIERI,

a frequent visitor in this competition;

and this year,

their theme is

"MAUDITS FRANCAIS",

(damn frenchy),

a catchy title!!

this said,

they also included some narrative into their presentation

and you know by now how i feel about those...

hence the minus half-star.

this said,

it was fun,

even impressive at times.

something over the lake,

i don't know what you call those,

(neither in french or english...).

a static installation that shoots fireworks in various circular patterns

really caught my attention

and i found this most effective.

their musical selection was delightful

and there was something for everyone's tastes.

their CanCan was certainly entertaining,

and they struck a chord with their various moods.

elegant and festive,

they celebrated french savoir-faire.

well-done guys!!

but even without the narratives,

my rating remains the same...

still,

a great performance

which i'm glad i saw.

see you all next saturday for the results!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: CANADA, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-23T11:30:00.036-04:00

could i be a bit blasé about love?

because "Eros and Psychée" failed to seduce me tonight.

it was the presentation of the canadian team,

BEM FEUX D'ARTIFICE.

first of all,

there was a narrative...

a big no-no with me.

the music selection was splendid

but i feel they could have done more with that.

never once was i wooed

and i even saw people on the bridge leaving way before the end...

a little bland,

lacking energy,

it was elegant and well timed,

but my opinion is

that this had not reached its full potential.

the delay between each scene was too long,

it took a while for each scene to pick up any momentum

and somewhat grab your attention.

the display over the lake was alright [at times],

but on the other hand,

up in the air,

it was a bit "n'importe quoi"...

sadly.

i don't foresee any prize for them this year,

but i could be wrong...

i am not a professional,

after all...

:/~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: USA, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-21T05:34:00.001-04:00

let's make one thing clear here:

i love the movie "Wizard of Oz".

i love fireworks.

thus,

you would think i would love

ZAMBELLI FIREWORKS' creation,

presented at

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC.

unfortunately,

their choice of soundtrack failed to built momentum,

and to illicit an emotional response from me.

it left me cold,

much to my astonishment.

i'm usually an easy sell for most visiting american teams...

what happened?!?

i must say

they had included some of the dialogues from the movies,

not the most exciting thing to do for fireworks.

other countries had included long narratives into their presentation

and it never made for a good show,

in my opinion.

also,

some of the songs weren't just right for this either.

the fireworks were fine if you omitted the soundtrack,

but since we have to take in account both visuals and sounds,

their score is not too high...

the fireworks weren't a total disappointment,

but my reaction was...

i never thought i'd say this:

sure,

they made a lot of noise,

but the WOW!! factor just wasn't there for me,

sadly...

:(~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: AUSTRALIA, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-16T23:40:00.033-04:00

i knew i could count on those aussies to have a good time.

the folks of

HOWARD & SONS PYROTECHNICS

simply dazzled us!!

their musical selection was refreshing

as it was often punctuated by aboriginal music

instead of relying on the usual standards we hear a tad too often.

it lent to the whole experience a special flavor

and i was riveted from beginning to the end!!

their rendition of the music over the lake and up in the air was breathtaking,

perfect synch and the overall impression was a thrilling one.

another serious contender!!

the judges will be hard put to declare a winner here...

i'm so glad i got to see it.

:)~

HUGZ

PINKARNAVAL (MONTREAL 2011), by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-16T23:30:00.001-04:00

another parade in the city,

PINKARNAVAL,

this one was part of the

JUST FOR LAUGH FESTIVAL,

and inspired by the fashion designer

JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER.

it started late...

which in my book costs them!!

the rhythm was uneven,

some things took forever to make an appearance,

while others rushed by...

this said,

the parade had its charms

as it offered us a poetic portrait of the designer's contribution.

i appreciated,

given the fashion industry is aimed at near [artificial] perfection,

seeing this was an all inclusive event

because we could see people of all races,

all ages and even some with [physical and mental] disabilities.

nice because we all bring something to this world.

some participants performed quite well,

much to the crowd's delight.

and Jean-Paul leading the parade was certainly a highlight!!

in conclusion,

picking up the garbage minutes before the event was a nonsense...

some security people were rude...

a vehicule cut through the crowd to exit the site...

it could have been run tighter...

but it remained a fun event to see nonetheless,

leaving room for improvement for future events.

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: ITALY, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-13T23:30:00.002-04:00

well,

if you've missed tonight's fireworks by the italian team,

you've missed a serious contender here for

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC

of MONTREAL.

the italians clearly came here with gold on their mind

and i'd be more than willing to give it to them.

just like an italian wedding banquet,

the table was full and everyone left satiated.

:)~

the musical selection,

the momentum they built with it,

the way they used the whole space,

it sure was a crowd pleaser!!

i never once looked at the clock,

fascinated that i was was by the show.

:)~

can we extend an open invitation to them to come back anytime they want?

this is the kind of fireworks i like to see.

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: ENGLAND, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

the latest contestant in

L'INTERNATIONAL des FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC

was

ENGLAND,

represented by

PYRO 2000.

they played a dangerous game

as i found the musical choice,

(while great music in itself),

rather appropriate for a sunday morning breakfast...

although it was beautifully interpreted,

but too often,

it felt sedated,

with an occasional outburst...

risky,

if you ask me!!

there's only one chance to make a first impression,

but fortunately for them,

they made a last[ing] impression.

some of their more interesting work was done in low altitude,

but given my position,

i couldn't favorably photograph those...

but overall,

they did quite well.

:)~

HUGZ

THE CARIFIESTA PARADE 2011 in MONTREAL, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

well, folks!!

i've baked my butt for you

as i sat on the marble platform of the Hydro-Quebec building this afternoon

and it was so hot under the sun...

but it was fun!!

:)~

when people from the caribbean regions throw a party,

it is a party!!

even if not much was done in the matter of floats

since it was simply a few 2 by 6 beams put together

with some blue plastic tarp for shade...

fortunately,

many participants were in full regalia

and dazzled the crowd with their glitters, their moves and their smiles.

it was noisy

due to the huge speakers they all had,

which we could hear long before they showed up.

and it was sheer chaos

as most times,

you couldn't tell the people watching from the participants,

the bystanders hugging so closely those parading.

a security nightmare,

possibly the most unruly event i've ever seen,

but the chemistry was there!!

:)~

so,

to conclude,

my butt still hurts,

my ears are still ringing,

and i still have a favorable impression of this event.

this was good!!

simply invest a bit more in those floats

and you'll have a 5-stars next time!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX DE LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: CZECH REPUBLIC, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-07-03T08:22:00.002-04:00

last night,

we had the second contestant presenting its fireworks

from the Czech Republic,

FLASH BARRANDOV SFX.

i found this more delightful in all aspects,

the composition and the kind of pieces they used,

the music was perfect

and their interpretation was inspiring,

even though on a couple of occasions,

i would have wished to see a bit more...

i saw a few novelties and

the overall impression was grand,

while remaining subtle

as opposed to what some other countries got us used to.

if i felt the finale was a bit short,

better that than looking at my watch

wondering when it'll all be over...

i've been there in the past.

THANX GUYS!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2011: CHINA, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-06-25T23:30:00.002-04:00

a new edition has started tonight for

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC.

the first country to compete was

CHINA.

sadly,

i was not overly impressed in general.

the music seemed totally random

and i personally prefer when a story is told,

a theme followed...

as for the fireworks themselves are concerned,

the synch was good,

their selection was average,

but some details were nice

as far as composition goes.

still,

in all fairness,

it was not a total let-down

as this remained enjoyable.

i just don't see them as contenders for a jupiter...

:)~

HUGZ

DÉFILÉ de la St-JEAN BAPTISTE (MONTREAL, 2011), by TICKLEBEAR

2011-06-24T23:55:00.000-04:00

i believe that today was my first time i went to watch

the St-JEAN BAPTISTE parade.

a reflection on our history, culture and diversity.

i somewhat enjoyed this,

despite the fact they started a whole half hour late...

the weather was not the finest...

the crowd wasn't as big as they would probably have liked,

and much quieter...

from giant puppets to people dressed in colonial gears,

from traditional music to Hare Krishna to close the parade,

it was an eclectic mix,

just as we are!!

:)~

HUGZ

JUST A REMINDER, by TICKLEBEAR

2011-06-06T05:23:00.002-04:00

this is the schedule for the upcoming season of

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC.

i am looking forward to this,

but it appears i will already be missing

the performance from the canadian team...

as i'll be out of town presumably.

this saddens me.

still,

i will show as much as i can,

as usual.

:)~

HUGZ

BUTTERFLIES GO FREE 2011 (MONTREAL's BOTANICAL GARDEN), by TICKLEBEAR

2011-04-13T05:35:00.000-04:00

so i went back to

MONTREAL's BOTANICAL GARDEN

to enjoy the annual event,

BUTTERFLIES GO FREE.

i simply loved it!!

go before it ends,

on april 25th.

i dare you not to enjoy this...

:)~

of course,

you shouldn't miss out on visiting the other greenhouses.

the BOTANICAL GARDEN remains a sure value here in MONTREAL.

make sure to put it on your calendar!!

:)~

HUGZ

Molson Canadian 67

2011-02-26T18:49:00.003-05:00

A new beer out on the market, Molson's Canadian 67. Why the 67? Because it only contains 67 calories, low carbs and only 3% alcohol. This is great news as spring is coming along and many beer lovers want to get rid of the "beer belly" or "muffin top" ( in my case).

The best news of all is that this beer tastes wonderful. As a beer lover, I will never sacrifice taste for health benefits. In this case, I can have both.

Canadian 67 is a crisp, dry beer, bubbly and refreshing. I can very well imagine it served ice cold with a twist of orange on a very hot summer afternoon. Belly will not feel heavy, alcohol level will not make you pass out under the sun's heat. It will become my iced tea substitute for this summer.

With the beer market introducing stronger(more alcohol) beers or shots in the past few years, it is nice to know that there are more and more options for weight-conscious, designated drivers and beer-lovers who do not want to act stupid after drinking four. Their only competitor (as I am aware of in Quebec) is Sleeman Clear. Let's hope more breweries start bringing down the alcohol content while keeping our taste buds satisfied.

If you are looking for less than 3% alcohol in a beer, I recommend my personal favorites: O'Doul's and Le Choix Du President(0.5%).

On another note, just tried "Le Clos St-Ambroise" cheese. Love their beer and now their cheese too. It's a beer-ripened cheese, has great texture and a bit of a fuity-nutty taste... bye-bye Philadephia, my bagels have a new best friend.

The king of limbs - Radiohead

2011-02-19T18:30:00.103-05:00

Saturday morning (i.e.: cleaning day). Just read that I can purchase a digital copy of the new Radiohead album «The king of limbs» online ( thekingoflimbs.com ). Wow, this will make scrubbing and vaccuming a lot more fun. Whether spring comes soon or not, I don't care, I've got new Radiohead and it usually keeps me happy for a few seasons...

Cleaning the bathroom tiles:

First song "Bloom" has this experimental-off beat sound. OK, will listen.

Scrubbing bathtub:

I definetly have a beat here "Morning Mr Magpie", funky background sound, voice is definetly angry... You've got some nerve, coming here. Yeah, like it. Yeah, I'm scrubbing, my tiles are clean now!

Sink & toilet, gloves required:

"Little by Little" just love it, it had the power, registered to my brain's hard drive immediately. Great melody, brilliant arrangements. The refrain, reminds me of something you would repeat to someone to nag them (like a: na,,na, na, na-a... goodbye germs)

Steaming bathroom floor:

"Feral", part techno-Egyptian. Not quite sure yet, but has a beat I could not help but put my H20 mop in sync to it.

"Astiquer" les kitchen appliances:

I have Windex, Vim, Mr Net & Radiohead's Lotus Flower, I am so armed (Danger, Danger). Groove, voice it's all there for me. Yes I am set free. Wait, what is that synthesizer melody in the background, kind of remind me of a 80's song (which I cannot find on my hard drive).

Vacuum kitchen surface:

I actually turned the vacuum off 30 seconds into the song (Codex), sat down. Piano, voice, had to have whole experience here. BEAUTIFUL. Melody just got to my bones, Mr Yorke's voice floats through the clouds, I am now realizing that "King of limbs" is not a "happy" album, I actually feel someones' heart is in pain. Very intense song.

I do not want to clean anymore...but okay steaming kitchen floor:

Ouch... "Give Up The Ghost". I am reminded of some of my favorites (not in melody but in intensity), "How To Disappear Completely"(Kid A) / "Pyramid Song"(Amnesiac). I feel like it's a 60's ballad that could have been written by C S N & Y, guitar is there, chorus, purity in the voice, rhythm. "Don't hurt me...", no one wants to be hurt, the voice comes from the inside here, genuine.

OK, keep going, vacuum hallway:

"Separator", thought it was ok, but was not paying much attention.

Well, I still had more rooms to clean:
therefore I have listened 4 more times to the album before sitting down in front of my very clean desk and pc. It just grew on me, still listening to it while typing this (number 5 listening going here). The more I listen, the more I want to listen to it. (I am adding this today, Sunday, have listened again while going for a walk, all songs are excellent, even better than yesterday. I'm addicted I tell you).

Rhythm wise, not the energy of "In Rainbows", commercially heck I don't know, musically, it is brilliant, story wise, it touches my soul and relates to: Once I was passionately in love, but real life ("Obligation, complication, routines and schedules") killed that flame, my heart was broken, I tried to get over it and move on, did (?) but the scar remains.

Personally, music's beauty , is that even though there are 7 088 096 464 persons on the Earth (as I am posting), I sometimes feel that songs were written just for me, they directly connect to my vibes and my life experiences, makes me feel I am never alone. OK, enough of the EGO here, it must do this to many others too, still then makes me feel I am a "normal" "average" human. It is comforting to know we can connect in any way, always.

So,
Radiohead fans: :must.
Music lovers: gotta have in your library.
Not your "kind of music": listen twice, you will be addicted.

Hey, if you give dance lessons, I'm in, you look like you are having way too much fun there.
-jealous

MYLENE FARMER's "BLEU NOIR", by TICKLEBEAR

2011-01-09T10:27:00.003-05:00

welcome to the narcissistic world of

MYLENE FARMER,

where french pop reigns

and still manages to seduce you.

very moody,

the music is quite "chill" generally,

the words speak again of tortuous ways

to torture your soul

and yet,

you come out of it smiling...

pain has its own virtues

as it can be curative,

apparently!!

i grabbed this yesterday

and i must admit i remain fascinated with the woman and her work.

while not the greatest voice on the market,

she's always chose wisely the material she sang,

focusing on her strenght rather than her weakeness

and infusing everything with such a mood,

she just floats across your soul,

tainting it with her own.

this was nicely produced,

and she remains relevant

as she reflects our angst in this 21rst century.

i found out she was turning 50 this year,

just like me!!

admitedly,

i had never looked at her age,

perhaps in an attempt to keep up the mystery around her.

overall,

a most pleasant listening,
and my favorite would be:
"TOI, L'AMOUR".
no vid available yet...
(sigh...)

:)~

HUGZ

BEAST : METROPOLIS 16/12/10

2010-12-17T14:43:00.013-05:00

Hier soir, au Metropolis, a eu lieu la dernière montréalaise de la tournée de BEAST! Ouais m'sieurs dames! Le Metropolis bourdonnait de fans. La salle était pleine, nous étions tous fébriles.

La première partie:

Mais (oui il y a un "mais", rien n'est parfait hélas...), nous avons dû nous taper une première partie. Bon... je suis toujours ouverte à la découverte, à l'affût du prochain son qui me fera triper, mais là, ayoye, ça a fait mal à mon tympan d'animal! Qui était ce groupe? J'sais pas trop, je n'ai vu leur nom nulle part. Sur le site du Centre Bell où on annonçait le show de BEAST d'hier soir au Metropolis, il y a la mention "Avec : Freedom or Death". Après une brève recherche sur internet pour trouver de l'info sur eux, je n'ai rien trouvé. Toujours est-il que leur musique était correcte, voire même assez bien par bout, et je mentionne ici le beau travail du batteur qui a vraiment attiré notre attention, mais bonyenne que les voix m'ont irritée! En fait, l'absence de voix! Une lamentation insupportable, que l'on aurait toujours dit entre deux notes, et qui parfois atteignait des sommets incroyables lorsque appuyée par la voix du guitariste. Et que dire quand le claviériste venait s'en mêler aussi... alors là, comment trois personnes peuvent-elles chanter tant de phrases en même temps, avec les mêmes mots, mais sur des demi notes aussi différentes, c'était presque un exploit dans les prouesses du "chanter faux"! Tiens, ça m'a rappelé mon dernier séjour à l'hôpital lorsque que j'y ai passé quelques jours à la salle d'observation de l'Urgence. Pareil. La batterie en moins.

Sorry guys... mais il y a de l'espoir, la musique était bien, les introductions de tounes auguraient très très bien, ne reste qu'à vous trouver un chanteur, quoi!

Je sais que je suis dure envers eux, mais laissez-moi vous dire que nous n'avons pas été épargnés non plus!

Enfin, le show de BEAST:

Puis, BEAST est enfin arrivé! Oh là là là là!! Mes tympans embrassaient les speakers! Aïe! Ça, c'est de la voix! Et quel son! Quels musiciens! S'tie que la vie peut être belle par boutte! J'étais-tu contente d'être là? Mmmh? Ou ben si j'étais contente d'être là? Je vous laisse deviner... faut ben garder une part au suspense, après tout!

J'ai l'album de BEAST depuis sa sortie en 2008. Je l'ai écouté très souvent, mais j'avoue que ce n'est pas la musique de fond idéale lors de mes activités de tous les jours. Mais de les voir exécuter cette musique, est vraiment super! BEAST est réellement un groupe à entendre de visu! L'énergie dégagée par Bonifassi est incroyable. Les musiciens sont exceptionnels. Jean-Phi Goncalvès est un batteur éblouissant. Que du bonheur en décibels! Toutes la salle sautillait au rythme de leur musique. J'étais assise, mais il n'y avait que mon cul d'immobile! Bras, jambes et tête allaient dans tous les sens. Dans ma tête, je sautillais de joie sur les parois de mon crâne!

Bon... je me calme, je me calme, je me caaaalmeeee! Respiration...

Photo de Alain Carrière piquée sur le site de 7jours

Les oreilles étaient choyées, et pour les yeux, on nous a servi un beau jeu d'éclairage dynamique. La projection lumineuse sur le manteau blanc de Beatrice était vraiment chouette. J'ai trouvé un lien vers de superbes photos du spectacle d'hier sur Flickr. Ça vaut le détour.

Il y avait beaucoup d'émotion, aussi. Ce spectacle marquait la fin de la tournée de BEAST. Beatrice en a profité entre deux pièces pour remercier les fans, et aussi les conjointes des boys du groupe pour les avoir laissé partir si souvent, ces deux dernières années, loin d'elles et de leurs bébés. Pour lire sur le sujet je vous réfère encore à l'article de Raphaël Gendron-Martin du 7jours.

Au rappel, ils sont revenus habillés en "groupe jazzy" ; robe longue, chemises et cravates, petit chapeau de ginguois, assis au centre de la scène dans un set-up restreint, ils ont refait des extraits de la plupart de leurs pièces avec des arrangements totalement différents. À la Suzy Arioli, si je puis me permettre cette comparaison, mais avec la monumentale voix de Bonifassi! Jean-Phi Goncalvès flattant ses tambours avec des balais, et c'était super aussi!
BEAST unplogged, s'est écrié Beatrice!
Vraiment sympathique. Ils ont entamé Satan "unplogged", puis les musiciens se sont dirigés vers leurs places initiales, ont repris leurs instruments, et la toune s'est poursuivie de façon endiablée, c'est le cas de le dire, et nous étions tous transportés par l'énergie de cette pièce. Quel beau cadeau! Parle-moi de rappels comme celui-là!

Alors qu'ils étaient à faire leur salut final, des gens de leur boîte de production sont arrivés sur scène avec des disques d'or à leur remettre. Ça, ça veut dire plus de 40 000 mille copies vendues! Béatrice, la voix serrée par l'émotion (et oui, qui eût cru que cette voix puisse être serrée, hein?) n'en finissait plus de remercier les fans.

Et bien nous, on dit merci à BEAST!! Si cette musique n'avait pas été bonne, on ne les aurait pas acheté, ces 40 000 copies!

Ils se dirigent maintenant vers de nouveaux projets chacun de leur côté, mais ils nous ont aussi dit que BEAST reviendrait. Et quand c'est dit, c'est dit!! Alors on attend! ;¬)

En ce qui concerne les nouveaux projets, vous pouvez en lire plus dans cet article de Rue Frontenac par Philippe Renault. Et il me tarde de découvrir ce nouveau projet de Beatrice Bonifassi. C'est sûr que je vais aller voir ça!

Est-ce que je l'ai dit, que j'ai aimé ça?

LEUR SITE OFFICIEL

LEUR PAGE MYSPACE

AVALANCHE PRODUCTIONS

Beast - Satan (2010) from DBM. | Jean-Philippe Bernier on Vimeo.

En passant, je recommande toutes les vidéos de DBM. Beau travail.

CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE (RESTAURANT, MONTREAL, CANADA), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-11-14T16:16:00.003-05:00

in my many wanderings around the city,

i had noticed this new place last summer,

and after looking at THEIR WEBSITE,

i did promise myself

my friends and i would soon visit this restaurant.

HOW COULD YOU NOT?!?

:D~

"CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE"

is pretty hard to miss,

sitting at the corner of PAPINEAU and ONTARIO streets.

:)~

PIERRE was our waiter for the night,

as we celebrated LINOUE's birthday.

i'll say that the service is attentive.

VERY ATTENTIVE!!

to the point where i was a bit annoyed

as it often interrupted our conversation,

and commanded everyone's attention.

our fault perhaps

as we did mentioned it was our first time at the restaurant.

nonetheless,

his interventions were most informative,

about the restaurant and the food itself.

the chef prides himself

in promoting local products and fine cuisine,

and for good reasons,

as i believe we perhaps have the best table in the whole world,

and the chef makes proof of that,

testing our palates with some fine culinary experiences.

in the foreground,

a cod dish that left my buddy most impressed with...

the centerpiece...

underneath a floating candle.

:)~

between the terrine of piglet and nuts,

and the duck with fig chutney,

which was beyond delicious,

i could have done with a bit more bread here.

i guess i didn't lay it thick enough on each piece...

but it was well worth it though!!

you'll notice that the table top underneath

is a recycled bowling alley.

part of the charm of the place

as the overall effect is unique.

:)~

while the girls feasted on a piece of piglet from the rump,

which i tasted and found most tender...

... the ribs in my plate,

maple smoked flavored and cooked to perfection,

fell off the bones just from looking at them,

and filled my mouth with a most delicate and dreamy flavor,

while filling up my belly to my hearth's content.

too much perhaps!!

i must say the portions are a bit hefty from what we usually see

in fine cuisine restaurants.

but you won't hear me complaining!!

:)~

the parmesan fries were equally delicious

and a nice complement to the ribs.

the salad though wasn't too impressive,

but i was never a big fan of coleslaw and such...

too vinegary to my taste

and a stark contrast with the rest of the plate...

the dessert though was a welcomed relief for its lightness:

a mousse brule over a pear tatin

was most delectable!!

the crust offering a slight crispness over an orgy of cream,

and those delicious pears at the bottom brought a smile to my face.

:)~

my friends opted to share dessert.

i didn't inquire if these were sherbets or ice creams,

but judging from their reactions,

i expect everything was delicious

as they discovered many flavors.

looking at this,

who wouldn't be tempted?!?

:D~

i would say

this is a most satisfied customer here...

SAVOR THE MOMENT!!

:)~

over all,

the ambiance is intriguing and convivial,

if a bit noisy...

the service is ever present...

but who could fault them for that?

and the food is a revelation,

as quebecois cuisine remains one of the best you can ever have,

and the chef makes quite an homage to such fine cuisine.

i would highly recommend this restaurant.

the mark-up on the wine list is a bit steep in my opinion,

there is too much grenache on their wine list...

i LOATHE grenache,

but that is MY problem,

isn't it?!?

:D~

but when i saw the bill,

all things considered,

i figure this was still most affordable

for such a degree of fine cuisine,

meaning,

less than $100 per person,

including wine, taxes and service.

me and my friends were most delighted

with our first experience at

CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE.

come on,

R.S.V.P.

to a great experience.

you won't regret it!!

YOUR MOTHER NEVER COOKED SOMETHING SO GREAT!!

:)~

HUGZ

MONTREAL's GAY PRIDE PARADE 2010, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-08-16T04:41:00.000-04:00

WE REMAIN UNDAUNTED!!!

despite the uncertain weather,

the obvious lack of fundings,

(my special heartfelt thanks to STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS GOONS...

along with other political instances that came up short on the cash...),

and some other controversies,

the GAYS, LESBIANS, BISEXUALS and TRANSGENDERED

walked on RENE-LEVESQUE boulevard yesterday afternoon,

proudly, colorfully, determined to show to everyone

they are full-fledge citizens of this society we live in,

as individuals,

as families,

as workers investing as much as anybody else

into this country we love.

as i've distanced myself from the "scene"...

i don't know why the clubs weren't there,

but their absence was felt

as there was a bit less entertainment and eye candy...

but nonetheless,

those participants had the resolve to make this happen,

and montrealers and tourists showed up in large numbers to see it.

i was not overly impressed,

but as i said,

when the cash isn't there,

it's hard to give the best show in town.

it was still worth seeing,

if only for the principle.

we cannot afford to become invisible again,

as some would wish it.

we cannot afford to be silent either.

we must be heard,

we must be seen,

we must be recognized

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as the saying goes:
WE'RE QUEER,

WE'RE HERE!

GET USED TO IT

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

while the parade may have lost some of its political edge,

it is still a nice event to attend,

and if i may say so,

a most needed one,

as it brings everyone together,

for a change...

look at the photo gallery and enjoy!!

BE PROUD, PEOPLE!!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: CLOSING CEREMONY AND JUPITER WINNERS, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-08-14T23:24:00.000-04:00

well,

every good thing must come to an end...

and so,

the festival of LOTO-QUEBEC's fireworks of MONTREAL 2010 is over.

SNIFF!!!

we got to enjoy a few last minutes of fireworks,

even if the music wasn't broadcasted...

here were my favorites:

FRANCE

SWEDEN

TAIWAN

the jury seemed to feel differently:

FRANCE (BRONZE)

SWEDEN (SILVER)

CANADA (GOLD)

i must say i am most surprised by this last one.

TAIWAN, in my opinion, was so much better on all levels,

but being just an amateur...

who am i to say?

but when i think i had rated

the USA, the Portugal, POLAND and ITALY

even better than CANADA,

you can imagine my surprise at the outcome...

still,

i think it was a fantastic year

and i am SO looking forward to next year.

and i did get two out of three right...

thanks for having dropped by and see you in 2011.

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: FRANCE, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-08-08T09:32:00.000-04:00

the french raised the bar last night!!!

much to our delight!!

:)~

if they had tasted in the past the silver,

this year,

they aimed for nothing else but the gold.

a spectacular entrance,

a jaw-dropping display of their savoir-faire surely insured their place among the best this year.

it was refreshing to see a company step away from the easy choice

of a crowd-pleasing soundtrack relying on the pop charts,

to [successfully] introduce more original material

that splendidly supported the fireworks.

this was an absolutely dazzling show

that remained captivating from beginning to end.

throughout the show,

i couldn't help but think of VERSAILLES

as the sky was gilded in gold

and beset with celestial jewels sparkling over the city.

BRAVO LES FRANCAIS!!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: SWEDEN!!! by TICKLEBEAR

2010-08-01T02:04:00.002-04:00

well,

i'm all sweet over the swedes!!

:)~

what a lavish show they've given us last night.

truly a moment to remember.

so cheerful, so graceful,

a lively music selection covering the hit parade of past decades,

kicking things off with ABBA [obviously!!],

including a medley of MICHAEL JACKSON's songs,

and various songs that made us dance for hours in the past [and still now!!],

and one of my faves,

CINDY LAUPER's "TRUE COLORS",

done ever so gently,

it was beautiful!!

an all-you-can-eat-buffet of colors and sensations.

you'll understand here

that the swedish team is,

in my opinion,

a strong contender for the gold jupiter.

this was truly an impressive display of their craftmanship.

LYCKA TILL LYCKA TILL!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: CANADA!!!, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-25T10:51:00.001-04:00

CANADA, EH?!?

sadly,

the overall impression was a bit gloomy, musically speaking...

i did recognize at one point the music of AVATAR,

which should be a shoe-in,

but TAIWAN did it so much better...

if i forget about the music,

the show itself was awkward at times,

and fabulous at others.

a bit uneven,

and despite a few bangs,

i felt unimpressed.

there was a novelty piece [for me],

which happened once only and poorly emphasized...

i did give it an extra half-star after reviewing my pics,

as it shows well,

but to have seen it "live",

i must admit i was non-plussed...

emotionally, it didn't register for me.

sorry!!!!

:/~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC MONTREAL 2010: USA !!!, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-18T11:35:00.001-04:00

well,

it looks as though the americans are the ones this year

being stuck with lousy weather,

as they gave their show under a heavy sky,

rain right in the middle of it as ANDREA BOCELLI was singing...

and i kept seeing out of the corner of my eye lightning striking the south shore.

more bangs then they had planned for!!!

:/~

while the show didn't strike me as the most original,

it was impressive enough as these were fireworks on steroids.

i actually had to zoom out to catch everything,

much in the american tradition:

"ALWAYS HIGHER!!"

:D~

the soundtrack was most enticing,

from BARBRA STREISAND's "SOMEWHERE"

to good old rock and roll,

opera and R&B.

i was smiling in glee throughout the show.

they did good!!

thanks guys!!

:)~

HUGZ

L'INTERNATIONAL des FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC: HOMAGE to CELINE DION, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-11T01:27:00.000-04:00

a special presentation as an homage to

CELINE DION
?

it sure sounds great,

doesn't it?...

but it had its share of aggravations...

first,

the presentation was delayed

because some jerks make it a lifestyle

to never being on time for anything in their sordid lives...

just about 15 minutes!!!

i feel the organizers were inconsiderate

towards all of those who were on time,

and insensitive to those who came in early

to secure a good place,

on the site,

or on either side of the river...

i say to those people:

YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE!!!

:(~

but my aggravation didn't stop there...

not only i am on the regular path of those damn choppers

that keep circling the site

just so the medias can photograph and film the show,

but the firemen showed up!!!

no fire alarm,

so, no fire?

if it were a suicide,

paramedics or the coroner would be there with cops as well.

maybe an elevator issue?

they left after a while,

but the whole time they were inside the building,

they left the motor running.

not the most inspiring atmosphere,

and quite distracting...

:(~

now that i've vented a bit,

on with the fun stuff!!

:)~

well,

CELINE DION
may be on hiatus,

but she still make the news:

not only she is pregnant and expecting twins,

but the rumor was confirmed this week

that she's expecting twin boys!!

CONGRATS!!

and last night,

she had a firework honoring her repertoire,

french and english,

with a beautiful display of shapes and colors

that would have certainly rejoiced her.

a great homage to one of our own.

no ratings,

as this is not part of the competition,

but i've liked it,

despite the aggravations.

:)~

HUGZ

THE LOST SYMBOL, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-04T20:20:00.004-04:00

"THE LOST SYMBOL"

would probably give any freemason a chuckle or two

with its fictional facts, or is it factual fiction?...

you have LANGDON,

the unwilling hero...

facing the archvillain MAL'AKH,

a demented megalomaniac with a mystic delirium,

and a dark secret of his own,

which is predictable...

while these two collide over a freemason secret,

a series of other characters involving the CIA, freemasons, the clergy

and some others are not always what they appear,

as we still have to define whether they are good or evil.

it's not always as simple as you may think.

it is a wild rush to read.

it took me 16 hours in two sessions to read it

and it could have been shorter

if i hadn't stopped so often to ponder on a few things,

or to make myself something to eat...

if his writing is becoming like a safe recipe for success,

it is nonetheless quite entertaining,

and isn't it the whole point?

i expect they'll turn this into a movie.

i just hope it'll be better than "ANGEL & DEMONS"

as i loved the book but not so much that movie.

so,

a great book,

and i can't believe i had this for months on my bookshelf

but didn't have any decent time to read it.

now it's done

and i want more!!

MISTER BROWN?

how's the new book coming along?

:)~

HUGZ

TWILIGHT-ECLIPSE, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-04T20:00:00.004-04:00

SPOILER ALERT:

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING

BEFORE SEEING IT,

BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WILL SEE IT...

:D~

so,

"ECLIPSE",

the third chapter in BELLA and EDWARD's saga.

possibly the best one yet,

and certainly the best movie so far this summer.

it offers a deeper insight into the characters

we've become familiar with.

there's enough action

as the COLLINS have to ally with the werewolves

to fight off a rising army of newborn vampires

lead by VICTORIA.

but the interesting part of course is

when EDWARD proposes to BELLA.

YES, HE DOES!!!

and BELLA accepts!!

BUT!!!...

the girl also kisses a certain werewolf of her acquaintance...

so,

obviously,

a vamp and a wolf are butting heads over the girl.

how predictable!!

throughout,

it kept me captivated

and i can recommand it highly.

i think i'm getting hooked here.

you should know,

i've never read the books,

so the movies are my only reference.

and i'll admit

things are getting quite interesting.

so,

what's your bet?

the wolf or the vamp?

:)~

HUGZ

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: PORTUGAL, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-07-04T06:08:00.005-04:00

a windy night,
but no matter,
the show must go on!!

the portuguese team of
MACEDOS PIROTECNIA
illuminated the sky of montreal
over a soundtrack issued from today's and yesterday's popcharts.
it was really nice!!
OBRIGADO OBRIGADO
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC 2010: POLAND, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-06-27T05:26:00.007-04:00

another saturday,

another firework to watch from my balcony.

this week,

the entertainment is provided by a first time visitor,

the SUREX FAMILY COMPANY,

from POLAND.

they have certainly earned their invitation to this festival

as they presented to us last night

an elegant display set to CHOPIN's music,

along with some canadian singers

like BRYAN ADAMS and GAROU.

a nice touch to keep it popular and familiar to us,

while mixing it with something out of their own culture.

two heritages blended!!

:)~

sober, graceful and colorful,

it was a most pleasant experience.

i can only show you the highest fireworks

because the bridge blocks part of the view,

but i've enjoyed what i could see on the lake.

they really took full advantage of the full scene.

they will certainly gain a reputation here in montreal

and may it reflect well on their future.

perhaps they'll even come back to show us some more.

dziękuję dziękuję !!!

:)~

HUGZ

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC 2010: TAIWAN, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-06-20T01:22:00.010-04:00

always trust the female instinct!!

my friend LINOUE wanted to see the taiwanese.

so be it!

well,

what a grand show that was!!

big, ambitious and seductive.

"we are the world",

"it's a beautiful world",

were a nice introduction.

a big of classical music with a bit of frou-frou stuff over the lake were nice.

but when they played the AVATAR theme,

well, sorry folks,

but you might as well cancel the rest of the competition,

the way they rendered the spirit of the movie,

so colorful, so lively, so vital.

i'm watching the movie right now because of them,

as i just had to pop in the bluray once again...

and ending their show with a song of CELINE DION???

we have a strong contender here!!

they aimed high,

and they just might have nailed it!!

表示感激）謝謝你

:)~
HUGZ

THE RANCH, Kahnawake / MEN IN BLUES Band

2010-06-15T21:55:00.073-04:00

Getting there is half the fun!
In a world where everything is given to you priced, weighed, packaged with instructions, ingredients and side-effects, it gives great pride and joy to go out on an adventure and actually discover something on your own. The pioneer in me discovered THE RANCH & the kid in me had loads of fun.

I could give U directions since we are not talking "paved road" here, but if U wanna go, find the pioneer in yourself, figure it out and you shall be rewarded. The Ranch is located on the 2nd floor of one of the buildings in The Royal Mohawk Equestrian Center. Why would you leave the Island and lineups at "IN" bars.? Many reasons my friend...

1- THE STAFF:
No, they will not ignore you.
They will ask for what you want with a smile and deliver pronto.

2- PRICES:
When was the last time you ordered a vodka-cranberry and the total came out to $3.75?
No cover charge.

3- MUSIK:
The Ranch hosts live bands.

I got to see "MEN IN BLUES". What a wonderful show we were treated to. Experienced musicians, they invite anyone who wants to sing or play an instrument, to go up on stage and join the jam. 100% blues sound, the singer's voice is amazing, he sings with his soul. Everyone who was there felt their vibe.

At The Ranch, Sundays R Country Sundays, musik starts at 16:00, wear your cowboy hat, cowboy boots and bring your dancing skills (pro-line dancer or beginner). There are also concerts in The Royal Mohawk Equestrian Center, check it out.

4- COME AS YOU ARE
The Ranch is a friendly place, there only mission: enjoy yourself.
Bring your friends, have fun, chat, have a drink, dance if you feel like it. No pressure here.
5- OH, U CAN SMOKE INSIDE...
Yep it's 2010, and it's okay to actually smoke indoors without being thrown out by 2 huge doormen because U had too many drinks, thought U were in the 80's and lit one up inside.

Visit THE RANCH's web site at: http://www.theranchktown.com/ to find out about upcoming shows and events. Please look at map provided on the site, or you will never discover where THE RANCH is.!

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC de MONTREAL 2010: ITALY, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-06-13T02:04:00.007-04:00

once again,
l'international des feux loto-quebec are hosted by la ronde,
to offer us yet again a great experience
where pyrotechnicians from around the world
will try to impress us
and get their hands on the prestigious golden jupiter.

last night was the premiere,
and the italians (PIROTECNIA SOLDI) were opening the competition.
on familiar opera music,
they offered us a refined and graceful bouquet
making for a grand entrance.
while i have seen bigger,
it was in the details
and there were plenty of those.
and the music made it all the more moving.
certainly a great team,
and all i can say is:
BENVENUTTO and GRAZIE
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)~
HUGZ

just a reminder:
i am not a professional,
but a fan of those events,
therefore,
i am only sharing my impressions,
and my pictures with you.
:)~

SEX & THE CITY 2, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-05-30T06:32:00.005-04:00

last friday night,
it was for me the occasion to reunite
with my real friends and the fictive ones,
as i had cocktails with my friends
before we all went to see
SEX AND THE CITY 2,
the latest instalment in the adventures of
CARRIE, CHARLOTTE, MIRANDA and SAMANTHA,
these women we've come to love.
the presentation was sold out to a majority of fashionistas
who cheered often enough during the movie
to show their approval,
especially when AIDEN appeared...
as eager as i was to see this movie,
i was left a tad nonplussed.
we see MIRANDA living blissfully at home
while going through turmoils at work,
bringing her to the point of reconsidering her career choices.
CHARLOTTE's fairy tale life is more exhausting
than anticipated.
SAMANTHA deals pro-actively with menopause,
providing some good comedic moments.
and CARRIE, well... CARRIE.
now that she's finally become the missus of mister PRESTON...
she now misses her glam life
and wishes her husband hadn't become such a couch potato.
as the girls all come to a crisis point,
they decide to escape to a faraway land
to forget their problems
and leave the city behind.
while in the tv series,
when the girls ended up in hollywood,
it was a fun adventure for them and for us as well,
this escapade here is not so fortunate.
sure!
it's the opportunity for a fashion extravaganza
and some oddly funny situations,
but i feel it didn't do a thing for their respective storylines.
i might have prefered to see the girls remain in NYC,
where they belong...
and deal with their issues,
rather than having this whole "new middle-east" thing
that lasted forever...
(yes the movie is long and you feel it somewhat.)
only to see them return to NYC
and see all of their problems fixing themselves
in a precipitated fashion.
the moral of this story is:
"there's no place like home",
and much like DOROTHY,
the girls clicked their shoes to go home,
only too happy to find themselves again
on familiar grounds.
this will not be the best movie of 2010,
but certainly a success due to its fanbase,
and another chapter in their lives.
if there is a third movie,
i'll obviously go see it,
but i'd be hoping to find the girls on hometurf,
rather than abroad.
one thing that bothered me:
the make-up!!!
we are all aware the girls have aged,
but to see them,
especially CHARLOTTE and SAMANTHA,
all plastered up to the point of disfigurement,
was simply ridiculous.
aging is not a sin,
and to see them as if they'd just seen a mortician
was not the most appealing to me.
i'd rather see healthy looking middle aged women
than someone pretending to have the skin of a 16 years-old.
i'm just saying!!
lay off the heavy duty make-up.
on another note,
if i were to attend a gay wedding like the one in the movie,
i would think it was a riot,
but would never confess to being there.
i guess there is a limit to my gayness...
i now realise there is something like being "too gay".
just how much can one stomach?!?
to conclude:
not the best movie,
nor is it the worst.
it's something that'll be welcomed by the fanbase,
even if it is not the most memorable moment
we'll be sharing with the girls.
i guess we'll be seeing them again in a couple of years,
yes, but with cocktails!!!
:)~
HUGZ

CELINE DION: TAKING CHANCES (LE SPECTACLE), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-05-07T14:54:00.020-04:00

OH CELINE, CELINE!!!
i don't kiss the ground you walk on,
i lick it!!!!
:D~
i remember:
une adolescente aux dents croches,
au show de michel jasmin,avec une assurance frisant l'arrogance...
my, my!!
you've come a long way
and you have achieve so much!!!
who knew?!?
when you started to sing in english,
i found you a new appeal,though "incognito" had a little something...
moi, la colombe, le pape, etc, non merci...
but when you aimed for the american market,
you got it right.
a survey this week declared you
the americans' favorite female singer!!
no small feat!!
CONGRATS!!
:)~
this said,"TAKING CHANCES",
your latest tour,
shot in montreal for the DVD,
is, simply put,
wonderful
!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!
a square stage,
right smack in the middle of the BELL center,
to better embrace the audience on all sides.
it looks sober but is quite effective
as it has a few perks,
allowing CELINE and her dancers
to entertain everyone equally.
one detail that makes me smile...
the inclined walkways....
does she misses the stage in vegas?????
despite all of the aggravations it caused?...

her fashion is a dream...
those shoes in the beginning are fierce!!
what are they, prada, louboutin, what?!?
i'll have to look it up.
her voice is at her best,
CELINE looks splendid
and she goes through her french and english repertoire,
singing in front of her fans
on home turf.
it had been a while,
given her stint in las vegas...
but we don't hold a grudge,
always willing to embrace again
the prodigal child...
which she is!!
alright!so, i'm a big fan of CELINE!!
but i can still bitch...
as she was singing,
a strap of one of her shoes fell down a bit...
(because she's a tad too skinny...)
her hair needs some hair conditioner...
(those backlights don't lie, too much static!!)
and she says "may" instead of "meeh!!"
keep your eyes on ME!!,
not on MAY!!!

but when one has to bitch about such things...
doesn't it mean her show is simply...
F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but seriously,
CELINE,
next time,
i expect your hair to look like those PANTENE commercials...
frivolity aside,
her homage to HEART and QUEEN showed her potential to expand,
and was a great tribute.
all in all,

such a great show!!
she proves once again what a great artist she is,
(no lipsynch for her, no siree!!),
and the closest to my heart.
you give so much,
as an artist,
and as a woman.
don't think eveything goes unnoticed!!

we hear things...
you are a good woman!!!
and such a great artist!!
did you know she could twirl?!?
if she wishes to ever retire,
(god forbid!!),

she could work for our football team,
the ALOUETTES.
she'd be quite the sensation on the field,
wouldn't she?!?
il me semble de la voir la!!!
now..
excuse me while i watch
"CELINE AUTOUR DU MONDE",
the DVD of her tour around the planet.
a woman that can evoke such passion and compassion,
can't be bad,
can it?!?
may your son take after you...
:D~
HUGZ

it is a unique experience to see the world
through CELINE's eyes and her big extended family.
while her reality is remoted from ours,
she remains genuine, caring and loving.
if her life is considered to be privileged,
it is also extremely demanding,
and...
SHE GIVES ENORMOUSLY.
the care she has for her fans,
no matter where on the planet is admirable.
always the right words to please,
the wardrobe adjustments so not to offend people,
always respectful of their ways.
but it is absolutly fascinating
to see how the world is responding to her as well.
fans around the planet show her the same courtesy.
in the vid,
i saw fans in shanghai, china,
holding a sign in french,
"je t'aime".
and you see people of all creeds, races, nations,
tell why they love CELINE DION.
and their love is intense, unconditional,
just like CELINE herself.
music is truly universal,
and CELINE is its best ambassador.
you'll guess she gets another five stars for this.
what an artist she is!!
she embraces the world,
and the whole wide world embraces her too!!
:)~
HUGZ (again!!)

ONE NIGHT ONLY, BARBRA STREISAND at the VANGUARD (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-05-07T11:45:00.007-04:00

when an icon sings at a NYC landmark,
BARBRA STEISAND at the VANGUARD.
a woman who could fill stadiums just with a snap of her fingers...
singing to about a hundred folks...

while i find there's too much bla-bla-bla,
rehearsed jokes and name dropping,
her performance still commands attention.
she still send shivers up through your spine.
who would say no to that?
for a woman who has been there most of my life,
her endurance is commandable.
if you're a diehard fan of BARBRA,
how come you don't have this already???
me loves BARBRA!!!
BARBRA is FOREVER!!!
[apparently!!...]
she's SO vibrant!!!
and to hear her in french...
no.
je ne quitterai jamais!!
I SWEAR!!!
:)~
HUGZ

MYLENE FARMER au STADE de FRANCE (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-05-07T08:34:00.010-04:00

MYLENE FARMER,
the french goddess of pop,
in what i think may be her greatest show yet!!
her show has nothing to envy to any other pop stars of this world.
SHE ROCKS!!!
:)~

looking in top shape,
even perky if i dare to say so...
JEAN-PAUL GAUTHIER's costumes are amazing,
the visuals throughout the show are dazzling.
only the choregraphies left me non-plussed.
the dancers did well,
doing what was expected,
but the choregraphies lacked a little something,
some originality,
to compete with the rest of the production that was beyond superb!!

but the "coup-de-maitre" was when MYLENE proceeded
along the walkway to reach a star-shaped stage,
and transformed a stadium filled with 80 000 fans
into an intimate concert,
sobbing on cue to let her fans sing the lyrics in her stead.
we do love a drama queen,
don't we now!?!
this was filmed on her birthday,
which gave those fans present the opportunity
to convey their good wishes directly.
i like that!!
a most enchanting experience
where MYLENE proved she's at the top of her craft.
my only disappointment was when she did "DEGENERATION",
as i was expecting something more outrageous...
it's good but the video was so amazing.
but this said,
this is a MUST!!
not just for the fans,
but anyone who likes music
and can be impressed by a great performer.
her older material reamins as fresh and pertinent as her newer material.
just goes to show!!!
to give you an idea,
this is the fourth time i watch the DVD since tuesday...
and we are friday morning here right now...
is is good or
IS IT GOOD?!?
it is THAT good!!!
to enter MYLENE's univers is a unique experience,
and while she may have a dark side
and be provocative in her topics,
she remains high-class,
contrary to some other pop star
that think it's cool to swear
and throw a "motherfucker" in your face...
yes, MADONNA, i'm talking to you...
MYLENE's world is fragile like a mist,
you can see it but never quite grasp it.
pity the girl wouldn't come to montreal.
pretty sure her fanbase here in eastern canada would rush
to see her at the olympic stadium.
MYLENE,
should you ever change your mind,
"appelle mon numero!!"
and the bonus DVD is a gem,
giving you a look behind the scene
that is priceless.
the whole creative process is fascinating.
:)~
HUGZ

MECHANT BOEUF (MONTREAL's RESTAURANT), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-05-01T18:05:00.011-04:00

i revisited the restaurant in old montreal,
"LE MECHANT BOEUF".
why do i keep going back yearly
during the NHL finals is beyond me...
it makes the place even noisier than usual,
but my friends and i were fortunately still able
to carry on the conversation
and enjoy some casual dining in an elegant setting.
we were attended by two,
a waiter and a waitress.
as usual,
the waiter was quite cute...
sure, the girl was fine,
but you know my preference.
:D~
service was efficient
and my every requests were met to my satisfaction.
as my friends opted for beer (le cheval blanc)
and some spanish cabernet sauvigon,
i chose to start with a portotini
which delighted my palate
and prepared me for the meal ahead.
i also chose a cabernet sauvignon i'm already familiar with
and which i thought would be better suited
for the dishes i was ordering:
LE BONHEUR,
an african wine.

while the others selected either the mechant burger or the vegan one...
which they shared,
and one of my friends concluded
she preferered the vegan version.

i personally had an hot entree of oysters,
the ROCK-a-FELLA,
which is well suited for those who don't like oysters
as they are smothered in a mixture of
leeks, spinach, fine herbs and a tad too much parmesan...
i should have had a cold plate instead
as i love oysters.
it wasn't terrible nor excellent.
just not the experience my tastebuds were expecting.
if they would ligthen up a bit on the mixture
and sprinkled just one dash of parmesan,
it might be better.

here i made a daring choice for me
as i'm not a fan of fish.
i love shellfish and mollusques,
but fish i just can't swallow,
for some odd reason.
so i picked the CAJUN TUNA,
served with a most delicious remoulade of crispy vegetables,
baby spinach, sesame dressing and fresh coriander.
not quite my idea of cajun cuisine,
as to me,
cajun is spicy and that's what i've tasted in the past,
in other venues.
but nonetheless,
the tuna proved to be a dream,
medium cooked and just melting in my mouth.
so,
for me to like fish,
it must have some merits.
:)~

i followed this with a NELLIGAN coffee...

...and chocolate cake.
an indulgence as i was already full,
but since i don't eat much dessert at home,
why not!?!...
:)~

all in all,
it costed me about $139,
including taxes but not tip.
i was happy to be seeing my friends again
and to share a meal with them.
we made fun of the noise
and weren't sorry to see our hometeam lose to PITTSBURG.
no cars honking their horn late at night.
good for me!!
downtown life is noisy enough as it is.
i may have made the best choice as far as dinner goes,
but that is my lot in life:
i always get the better plate!!!
funny though
that a fish plate should prove better
in a place called MECHANT BURGER...
:)~
HUGZ

GAINSBOURG : VIE HÉROÏQUE

2010-04-07T16:20:00.006-04:00

Gainsbourg : Vie Héroïque est un film de Joann Sfar, bédéiste.

Le fait que ce film soit écrit et réalisé par un bédéiste, a titillé ma curiosité. Tout d'abord, j'aimerais préciser que je ne suis nullement fan de Serge Gainsbourg et je suis non-fumeuse. Les rares fois où je l'ai aperçu en entrevue à la télé j'ai été plutôt perplexe de voir cet être à l'allure négligée, entouré d'un nuage de boucane, marmonnant des insanités, se foutant de toute évidence de l'animateur (et probablement des téléspectateurs) alors qu'il était présenté et considéré comme un artiste illustre. Je ne comprenais tout simplement pas. Et ce n'est pas ce film qui m'a aidé à élucider ce mystère.

Mais ce film m'a bigrement plu! À défaut d'en découvrir plus sur Gainsbourg, j'ai découvert un artiste : Joann Sfar. Et un acteur : Éric Elmosnino.

Le film ne se veut pas une biographie de Gainsbourg. Il s'agit d'un comte. D'une fantasmagorie. Le tout débute avec une très belle animation montrant un jeune Gainsbourg déjà la cigarette vissée au bec se terminant pas ce banc de poissons nageant tout en fumant aussi des cigarettes. D'emblée je suis ravie. Pas par la cigarette, mais par l'imaginaire de Sfar.

La première partie du film nous montre un jeune Gainsbourg (Lucien Ginsgurgh) avec ses parents et compagnons de classe. Déjà, un être particulier à la réplique réactionnaire, accompagné de cet immense bonhomme imaginaire qui le suit partout. J'ai vraiment adoré cette première partie. Le jeune est drôle, frondeur, ne semble avoir peur de rien et est très sûr de lui. Du moins, c'est l'image qu'il veut montrer aux autres...
La musique est déjà présente dans sa vie. Mais c'est qu'il dessine bien, et veut devenir peintre (et là, nous sommes gavés des dessins de Sfar, et on redemanderait tout le long du film!). Cet autre bonhomme imaginaire, que j'ai interprété comme étant son égo et qui l'accompagne tout au long du film, fait bifurquer ses aspirations artistiques vers la musique. Il joue dans des clubs de travestis et des boîtes de jazz, où il commence à interpréter ses chansons. Et là, commence la deuxième partie du film, où se côtoient aventures sexuelles, musique, alcool et/ou comment "dealer" et créer avec une image et une réputation plus grandes que soi.

Il rencontre Greco (Anna Mouglalis) à qui il présente La Javanaise.

Puis c'est la Bardot (Laetitia Casta) avec qui il aura une liaison qui interprétera ses chansons. La période jazz fait place au yéyé.

Rupture, puis il rencontre Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon) qui interprétera la fameuse chanson qu'il avait écrite pour BB : Je t'aime Moi Non Plus. Et le yéyé fait place au scandale!

.J'aurais préféré que la magie du début persiste tout le long du film ; à moins que le cinéaste ait intentionnellement fait disparaître la fantasmagorie au fur et à mesure que l'alcool et la cigarette altéraient l'essence même de l'être de Gainsbourg. Là, ce serait plus plausible. Néanmoins, reste que ce fut un super moment de cinéma, comme je les aime! Une histoire, des comédiens, beaucoup d'imaginaire, de la musique, de belles images, du beau monde (si, si, même Gainsbourg arrive à être attachant) et absolument rien du cinéma américain (bon là, c'est personnel).

Et la meilleure actrice de soutien est... roulement de tambour, gros plans sur les anxieuses nominées... La Cigarette!

Si vous êtes curieux de voir cette merveille, je vous recommande fortement de vous traîner la carcasse au cinéma. Ne serait-ce que pour l'animation du début, le grand-écran (de fumée?) est de mise. Très beau film. Et je suis franchement heureuse qu'il ne s'agissait d'une biographie formelle de Gainsbourg, mais d'une vision imaginaire des fantasmes et de l'art de ce personnage marquant de la culture pop française.

Et heureusement que le film n'est pas en odorama!!!

STICKY and SWEET (on DVD) by TICKLEBEAR

2010-04-06T17:47:00.007-04:00

MADONNA's "STICKY & SWEET" tour on bluray,
for me to hold and cherish,
F-I-N-A-L-L-Y
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)~

so, let's go!!!
aside from a bad wig she uses twice...
and a few shrieking outbursts,
usually involving some derivations of the "F" word...
which i could have done without,
the rest is flawless!!
the scenography is very dynamic,
the stage is expansive,
affording props and choregraphies comfortably;
the videography in the back is ever interesting,
including a few winks,
to britney, justin, keith haring, eurythmics and others.
the musicians look sharp in their suits,
and they play beautifully.
the dancers are fabulous.
the costumes are interestingly wearable
while being urban/ghetto/kink
and complete well the ensemble effect.

musically,
it is thrilling to see MADONNA revisit some of her classics,
with a twist,
along with more recent material.
my faves are VOGUE [obviously],
THE DEVIL WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU,
and RAY of LIGHT !!!

to me,
MADONNA remains a most pertinent artist in the 21rst century.
but some might say i'm just being subjective here...
this DVD is beautifully shot,
the extra "behind the scene" is great to watch.
it is money well spent,
you get the best seat in the house,
and you know what????
i'm gonna watch it all over again...
R-I-G-H-T N-O-W
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIVA la MADONNA!!!!
good show girl!!!
(stop swearing though...)
:D~
HUGZ

LE VERRE SELON TIFFANY AU MBAM

2010-04-05T19:11:00.003-04:00

Hey! Vous aimez le beau? Le Joli? Les couleurs? La lumière? La nature? Les plumes de paon? Les beaux objets? Le verre de couleur? Les motifs floraux? L'Art Nouveau? Vous frémissez d'émerveillement devant le travail délicat d'une toile d'araignée? La vue des ailes de libellules vous rendent gaga d'humilité?

Vous allez ADORER l'exposition "Le Verre Selon Tiffany"!

Cette merveilleuse exposition est en cours au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal jusqu'au 2 mai 2010. Ne reste que quelques jours pour vous y ruer. Je vous le dis, j'ai été "faberglasstée"! C'est beau, c'est beau, c'est BEAU!

Ignare que je suis, je croyais que Louis C. Tiffany n'avait fait que créer de magnifiques lampes et abat-jours. Je m'en donne des coups de pieds rétro-actifs depuis la semaine dernière. Quelle ignorance. Il a travaillé le verre sous toutes ses formes. Des vitraux, oui, des lampes en vitrail, bien sûr, mais aussi des vases magnifiques, des encrier, des tuiles décoratives aux motifs et couleurs infinis. Il a élaboré des techniques pour colorer le verre selon ses besoins, pour le modeler selon qu'il voulait reproduire les remous sur l'eau ou les drapés pour ses personnages. C'est absolument fascinant. N'est-ce pas justement le but de ces expositions? Faire connaître des artistes en démontrant leur génie par les techniques développées par eux? Nous déniaiser, quoi!

On y apprend qu'il a débuté sa carrière d'artiste en peignant. Qu'il a été fortement impressionné par les couleurs vives et chatoyantes des pays de l'Afrique du nord, qu'il a plus tard intégrées dans ses oeuvres. Qu'il a acquit sa formation d'artiste peintre à New York et en France, où il a plus tard présenté ses oeuvres en verre à l'Exposition Universel de 1900.

Nous sont présentés lors de cette exposition, en plus de nombreux objets décoratifs dont des vases magnifiques, plusieurs croquis d'ébauches pour manteaux de foyers en tuiles de verres faites à la main, des oeuvres à l'huile, des "patrons" pour vitraux, et bien sûr, des vitraux en tant que tels, magnifiques dans leurs couleurs et compositions. Des heures de plaisir la mâchoire pendante!

Pour toutes les informations sur l'exposition de Tiffany, je vous invite à visiter le site du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal.

Certaines oeuvres de ce diaporama ne sont pas nécessairement celles présentées pour cette exposition. Elle ont été glanées sur le web pour leur similitudes et pour donner une idée de la variété et la beauté des créations de Louis C. Tiffany.

BUTTERFLIES GO FREE (2010), MONTREAL's BOTANICAL GARDEN, by TICKLEBEAR

2010-03-12T15:08:00.005-05:00

ever the crowd pleaser,
the annual event at montreal's botanical garden:
BUTTERFLIES GO FREE.
enjoy a unique experience
as butterflies roam free in the greenhouse,
sometimes showing a friendly attitude
and landing on people,
much to the delight of some,
and creeping out some others...
never touch them!!
they touch you.
period.
it was certainly fun for me
to see them again this year.
a must-see,
for the young and old[er...].
:)~
HUGZ

THIS IS IT !! (MICHAEL JACKSON), by TICKLEBEAR

2010-01-27T21:48:00.007-05:00

MICHAEL JACKSON's

THIS IS IT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the greatest show that never happened.
he left too soon,
never giving the chance to his fans
to savor what i feel would have been his masterpiece,
but they don't come out of it empty-handed,
as we now all get to enjoy the rehearsals.
i dare not imagine the volume of taping hours
the producers had to sift through
to deliver this last testimony to MICHAEL's greatness as an artist.
i must say i feel sorry
for the dancers, the musicians and the technicians
who all worked so hard for this,
a lifetime dream of their own for many,
and to see it all end like this,
it is sad, so very sad.
but it will look good on their resume,
that's certain!!
as for MICHAEL,
he will never have had this last accolade
from his fans and the industry,
as this would have certainly earned him
the recognition that,
to this day,
he remains the king of pop...
and to get a sneak peak like that
of how MICHAEL and his team created greatness
is awe inspiring.
and it was nice to see
how people treated MICHAEL with a certain reverence;
but then,
so did MICHAEL
as he always addressed people respectfully.
one begets another.
this splendid production reflected MICHAEL'S musical legacy
and his belief in mankind.
i admit,
the MAN managed to move me one last time.
i had seen the movie already
and hadn't comment,
waiting for it to come out on bluray,
which it did this week.
GET IT!!!
WATCH IT!!!
LOVE IT!!!

THIS IS IT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(your last chance...)

AVATAR (2009), by TICKLEBEAR

2009-12-20T13:23:00.010-05:00

AVATAR,
from director JAMES CAMERON.
all i can say is "WOW"!!!
what a great journey!!

as i'm no specialist in the techno babble,
i cannot discuss this on that level;
but did the movie work for me?
damn right, it did!!!
it's totally scifi,
but very reminiscent of mankind's history here on earth.
to quote BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:
"all of this has happened before
and all of this will happen again."
think of the europeans that invaded the americas,
eradicating the indigenous life and cultures
that had grown in harmony with nature,
to make way for the white man "culture",
destroying everything in its path...
same scenario here,
as mankind faces the na'vi on the planet pandora,
wanting to exploit a mineral found on this planet.
except,
the locals sit inconveniently on it...
a soldier is sent in their midst,
via his avatar,
to learn about them and report to his boss
valuable informations to defeat these people.
but the soldier goes "native" and decides to side with the people of pandora.
(very "DANCES WITH THE WOLVES"...)
i'll stop here,
as i don't want to reveal too much.

this said,
i loved AVATAR,
as JAMES CAMERON gave us a beautiful new world to explore,
and i can only rejoice in the certitude that
there will be more,
this being possibly a trilogy,
if all goes well.
i daresay this is the MUST-SEE of the season.
i still have a conventional DVD player,
but when the DVD comes out for this one,
i will go BLURAY,
finally having a good reason to do so.
see it!!
it will astound you.
to compare,
as much as i liked FINAL FANTASY, THE SPIRIT WITHIN,
with its CGI characters,
AVATAR is a few notches above...
quite a few,
as it is that much more vivid.
the CGI doesn't deter you from relating to these characters.
after half an hour,
i actually cared about what would happen to the na'vi people.
it is a nice critique of the corporate greed
that exists in our own world
and for which some people are willing to sacrifice anything,
and anyone...
(just think of what we're currently doing to the amazonian forest...)
GREAT MOVIE!!!
JAMES CAMERON has given us the best christmas[?] gift ever,
that will last for a long, long time.
i want my DVD, NOW!!!!!!
what an amazing adventure that is.
:)~
HUGZ

THE BLIND SIDE, by TICKLEBEAR

2009-12-18T22:37:00.006-05:00

well,
i've just spent the best two hours in a while now,
thanks to
THE BLIND SIDE.
since the story revolves around football,
it already had a shoe in with me.
sandra bullock?!?
another shoe in,
even if not everything she does is golden,
i still love the girl immensely.

the movie is based on the true story of MICHAEL OHER,
a black kid from the projects,
who grew up in very difficult circumstances,
but without the anger and general issues that come with such a life.
his life is about to change as his path crosses the one of the TUOHYs,
a wealthy christian white conservative family,
who take him in to help him,
on a temporary basis...
until it becomes permanent.
this movie made me feel better about mankind,
knowing the story is true,
and that such people do exist.
the movie is engaging,
the cast is remarquable
and the ending is great.

above,
the real MICHAEL OHER and family.
they must be so proud of their son now.
the boy had a long way to come from,
to achieve his goals and become the man he is now.
he can thank the TUOHYs for that;
and they must thank him for making them becoming
the people they are now.
watch it!!
it's SO worth it!!
awh!!
this felt so good!!!
:)~
HUGZ

'Tis the season to be... bitchy'

2009-12-09T19:36:00.022-05:00

Molson «M», tu M ou tu M pas.

++ :

Great can design, saw the bottle, but bought the can, very sophistacated, great use of silver, gold & black. Loved the embossed effects on bullets. (Saporro, you have nothing to worry about, no one can do it like you do!))
The «microcarbonated» saying, seems like code, U definetly got my attention but I was expecting the magical capsule (Guinness, Kilkenny & cie...Yep, Boddington too, U R right there). Nothiing exploded or happened when I opened can.
The bubbles, they are just very cool to look at. Molson M has this golden color, usually seen in Canadian beers, with "champagne" styled bubbles.
Price: affordable (ie: do not require credit crad at convenience store)
Alcohol level: 4.9%.

-- :

The taste, nothing that differienciates it from other Molson products

The foam: I did pour it right, but I want more!!!! Make it luxurious & luscious.

So overall, I give it:

Sorry Molson. I do always encourage local products and am & always will be a Montrealer, but please get creative: stop being beer makers, and become Nectar brewers.

DANIEL BÉLANGER : NOUS

2009-11-13T15:07:00.014-05:00

Oooooh, YEAH!!!
Cela fait 72 heures que je me trémousse, que je me languis, que j'ondule, les yeux dans la graisse de bine, les joues rougies par la volupté et un sourire béat étampé aux lèvres. Cela fait aussi 72 heures que je passe en compagnie de Nous de Daniel Bélanger. Nous est devenu mien à la boutique en ligne iTunes genre à 00:01 le 10 novembre, jour de sa sortie en magasin. Depuis, nous avons sillonné pendant des heures les rues ensoleillées de mon village, nous avons préparé de bons petits plats ensemble, nous avons folâtré entre mes draps douillets jusqu'à ce que le sommeil nous sépare. Et à aucun moment je me suis lassée de Nous. Bref, je suis énamourée de Nous.

Passons au choses sérieuses. Tout d'abord, ceux qui ont déjà lu mes "critiques" ont dû s'apercevoir que mes billets sont à peu près n'importe quoi sauf des critiques! Je ne suis aucunement impartiale. Donc, ce qui suit, comme le reste de mes écrits sur ce blogue, ne sont que mes impressions toutes biaisées par mon affection pour certains artistes. Mais là, je puis vous affirmer sans être dans le champ, avec la plus grande certitude que ce nouvel album de Daniel Bélanger est excellent! C'est tout bon.

Comme toujours, sa musique n'a rien d'une pop uniforme et linéaire, dont on pourrait fredonner l'air à l'avance, à la première écoute, comme la plupart (malheureusement) des "artistes" de l'heure. Que non. Il s'agit d'une musique que je qualifie de multidimensionnelle. Et oui. Un savant mélange d'influences, de sons, d'instruments, et c'est jamais trop, ou difficile d'écoute. Ça coule dans les tympans comme une eau dévalant joyeusement les flancs des cimes enneigées sous un soleil printanier (non mais hein, c'est presque cinématographique comme texte!). Sa musique groove, ou s'enroule en spirales mélodieuses qui aspirent tous nos sens (oh boy! arrêtez-moi quéqu'un!). Et le côté inattendu? Et bien c'est cet irrépressible besoin de se faire aller la patte, le popotin, la tête, de jouer de la bass imaginaire, et de traverser les rues en dansant alors que Nous résonne dans notre baladeur.

Les textes sont fidèles à la prose de Bélanger. Là aussi, je serais portée à les qualifier de multidimensionnels. Plus on les écoute, plus ils révèlent divers paliers de compréhension (bon en tous cas, moi, je la comprend, ma phrase). En gros ils parlent d'amour et de guerre, et ce, tout en nous faisant danser! Faut le faire!

Et pour vous démontrer que mon enthousiasme est plus que justifié, et vous convaincre que j'ai totalement raison, j'ai choisi pour vos oreilles avides deux pièces au hasard sur les treize qu'il nous propose sur ce super album. Voilà qui devrait vous inciter à vous ruer chez le disquaire de votre choix pour vous approprier ce nouveau cru de Daniel Bélanger.

LE TOIT DU MONDE:

(attention, à 2:19 arrive la "guétare", à 2:34 les cuivres se déchaînent, à 2:48 voyage en apesanteur, à 3:29 commencent les p'tis cris à la Mickael Jackson, puis les cuivres, puis...)

SI L'AMOUR TE RESSEMBLAIT:

(cette utilisation des cuivres ainsi que du piano, dans la dernière portion me font vraiment tripper)

Et en plus, la pièce RESTE dure 2 minutes de plus que sur la vidéo promotionnelle de l'album! C'est-y pas merveilleux? D'ailleurs, je vous la colle ici cette vidéo promotionnelle.

ÉLISAPIE ISAAC : THERE WILL BE STARS

2009-10-24T18:43:00.012-04:00

J'ai eu ce coup de foudre il y a quelques semaines, et depuis, je me suis procurée le CD. Il s'agit, tout comme le titre de ce billet l'indique, de "There Will Be Stars" de "Élisapie Isaac". Cela fait deux semaines que je me le repasse à tout moment soit en écoute active, en background pendant que je vaque à quelque occupation, ou dans mon lecteur mp3, et je dois dire que je l'aime de plus en plus après chaque écoute. Il s'agit d'une musique riche et simple à la fois, aux diverses influences. Et que dire de la voix d'Élisapie! D'une douceur infinie. Cette voix faisait autrefois partie du groupe Taïma, et voilà qu'Élisapie décide maintenant de voler de ses propres ailes et de nous faire planer avec elle sur ses belles mélodies.

Le CD s'ouvre tout en douceur sur une chanson en inuktitut (c'est qu'elle s'exprime en trois langues, la belle!) sur une musique des plus agréables. C'est planant et rythmé à la fois. Le ton est donné pour l'ensemble des pièces qui flirtent parfois avec le reggae, parfois avec le rock, tantôt avec un son plus jazzy et même une que l'on pourrait presque qualifier de disco (Turning My Back) avec tout l'aspect quétaine en moins, mais aucune des pièces ne peut vraiment se faire identifier à un de ces styles. C'est un style pop personnel définitivement moderne, tourné vers l'avenir et porteur à la fois de la tradition et des origines du peuple inouit, habité par la douce voix d'Élisapie. C'est enchanteur, envoutant et tellement unique.

Difficile de dire quelle pièce est ma préférée. D'ailleurs, il n'y en a même pas que j'aime moins! J'aime bien la basse jazzy, la guitare, oh, ce son de guitare, et les sons de gorge propre à la manière de chanter de son peuple sur "Inuk". Et que dire de "Why Would I Cry" langoureux et planant. Si on a pas l'impression de se vautrer sur une peau d'ours polaire après ça, j'sais pas ce que ça prendrait! Avec "Wish Song" on a envie de se laisser dériver doucement entre les banquises. Pour plus de rythme, "Out Of Desperation" nous donne envie d'être une jeune fille et de danser dans un grand champs de fleurs sous un soleil radieux.

M'enfin... toutes bonnes, j'vous dis! Allez, je vous laisse faire connaissance.

À noter la seule chanson en français (Moi, Elsie), écrite par nul autre que Richard Desjardins, qui est loin d'être le dernier des paroliers! Un texte magnifique et touchant taillé sur mesure pour Élisapie qui l'interprète accompagnée seulement d'un piano. Puis nous revenons sur terre avec la pièce finale "Do You Hear Me" qui nous reste plantée dans le cerveau en même temps que la flèche qu'elle nous a décochée en plein coeur.

Oh que oui, je t'entends, et tu as réussi à me les faire voir, tes étoiles!

Voici maintenant une vidéo de la pièce Butterfly enregistrée lors de l'émission Studio 12 il y a quelques semaines. (Je suis très reconnaissante à la personne qui a enregistré et mis cette vidéo sur YouTube, mais j'aurais tellement apprécié qu'elle ait su ajuster les paramètres de sa télé HD!! On croirait voir un band de hobbits!)

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, by TICKLEBEAR

2009-10-24T09:34:00.011-04:00

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN,
with jamie foxx and gerard butler.

alright,
the chance to see gerard's butt,
even if only for 2 seconds,
unless it was a body-double...
was sort of an incentive for me.
what can i say.
the flesh is weak!!
but beyond that,
i do need more than a show of flesh to convince me
whether a movie is good or not...
this one barely makes it,
as one shoudn't watch this too rationally,
but rather in a visceral way,
and here's why:

you are assaulted & stabbed,
tied up & gagged,
made to watch your family being tortured
and murdered right in front of you,
and then,
left for dead.
except you don't die,
you live to tell your tale,
the cops mean well,
the lawyers & the judge do what they think is best,
but you feel you're not getting justice for the death of your loved ones,
as the one you know is the true murderer
is getting away with murder
because of a deal he strikes with the ambitious self-centered prosecutor.
what do you do?!?
WHAT DO YOU DO?!?
you make your own justice,
that's what!!

i don't expect this movie to win any award
or to be remembered for far too long...
but it kept me interested if not excited,
and the ending surprised me.
it goes against any constitutional right,
and i like it!!!
trust me,
i haven't said too much.
you can still see this & enjoy it.
it's an OK movie.
it worked for me.
was it gerard's butt i saw?!?
:D~
HUGZ

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, by TICKLEBEAR

2009-10-24T07:14:00.006-04:00

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY,
by Oren Peli.
it should be called instead
PARANORMAL INACTIVITY,
as there is significant activity after 86 minutes,
for about half-a-minute,
like 12 minutes before the end of the movie.
what is the big hype about?!?
this movie has neither any educational value about paranormal phenomenoms,
nor any entertainment value
as i remained bored the WHOLE f^%#@&g TIME..
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!
i still can't believe i sat the whole way through.
the plot?
an hysterical woman with delusional paranoia
with a moronic guy "encounter" a phenomenom...
a winning combination.
stay away from that one!!
:(~
HUGZ

THE MAGIC of LANTERNS 2009 (MONTREAL's BOTANICAL GARDEN), by TICKLEBEAR

2009-09-26T22:57:00.006-04:00

the magic of lanterns,

at montreal's botanical garden

is an anuual rendez-vous not to be missed.

this said,

my visit this year was probably the most dreadful

as the event is victim of its own success...

it may have taken me hardly ten minutes to hop in a cab

to hit the express way & reach my destination,

but the waiting in line to get tickets for the site

took forever...

& much to my delight... [NOT!!!]

i was surrounded by throngs of children in strollers or running around,

crying & screaming,

& people in wheelchairs...

i strongly recommend you go during the week.

weekends are simply sheer madness.

people pushing you while you try to take pictures,

the paths are narrow & uneven,

which in my opinion is neither

strollers or wheelchairs friendly.

(just my opinion...)

since i'm none too keen on kids or big crowds,

it took something away from the experience

as there's really not much room to move around.

still,

i'm glad i saw it,

even if it weren't in the best circumstances.

the organizers obviously made good use of the pieces of years past,

& the new setting on the pond is just gorgeous.

it is truly an enchanting view to be enjoyed,

when you're not threatened to be pushed over into the pond by this mob...

(do you get the sense i may be just a tad pissed off here?!?)

as you follow the paths & cross those little bridges,

the view keeps revealing itself anew,

with more details to admire amidst the plants

& over the water.

you also can visit a few chinese pavillions,

(which i skipped, i wonder why?!?).

definitely a destination not to be missed

D-U-R-I-N-G T-H-E W-E-E-K !!!

don't worry,

i'll be back next year,

& i'll try to remember my own advice...

:D~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC: JUPITER AWARDS & HOMAGE TO MICHAEL JACKSON

2009-08-22T22:58:00.010-04:00

well,

the 25th edition of the international loto-quebec fireworks of montreal

has just concluded with the award ceremonies,

& i must say this year's competitors from around the world

have all honored this prestigious event

with their performance.

without further delay,

the winners are:

ROYAL PYROTECHNIE,

representing quebec, canada,

has earned the golden jupiter.

(i had personally given them 4.5)

OOPS!!

:D~

PYROMAGIC PRODUCTIONS LTD,

representing hong kong, china,

received the silver jupiter.

i missed that show

& i knew it'd be that good.

it just had to be...

sniff!!

MELROSE PYROTECHNICS,

from the united states earned the bronze jupiter.

good for them!!

(i had given them a 5...)

all in all,

a great year!!

:)~

part of the evening's event was an homage to michael jackson,

entertainer extraordinaire!!

from my vantage point,

it was difficult to see it all as there was no wind to move the fumes away;

& there was no radio broadcast of the event,

as this was not a scheduled event.

who knew michael would die, right?!?

nevertheless,

it was fun & sparkly enough.

the eternal boy that he was

might have like that.

it certainly ended with a bigger bang than he did...

may his soul rest in piece.

i'll admit

i've followed the fireworks this year

more enthusiastically

than in some previous years,

& it is thanks to the competing teams this year

that have made me want to see more & more.

in my heart,

you're all winners

& you have an open invitation

to come back anytime.

see ya all in 2010!!

:)~

HUGZ

DISTRICT 9 : YOUR MUST-SEE OF THE SEASON !!!

2009-08-22T14:18:00.007-04:00

DISTRICT 9,

by peter jackson.

my apologies as i should have written this days ago...

let's start by saying this is your must-see of the season.

there, i've said it!!

where other movies have more or less disappointed me,

such as transformers 2 which i liked but was annoyed with too many things;

harry potter & the halfblood prince was fine, in its genre;

g.i. joe-rise of the cobra was a total let-down...

it is nice to see that this far into the blockbuster season,

something like this can come up & still enchant me.

set as a mockumentary,

with the handheld camera that comes with that,

of which i'm never a big fan of,

but for which i'll make an exception here

as it is pertinent,

it is the drama that ensues

when habitants of johanesburg (south africa) wake up to find

a spaceship over their city,

filled with bereft aliens trapped in this useless ship,

& in need of asylum.

the CGI is ever present but subtle

as it never distract you from the story,

because yes,

THERE IS a story.

it is an intelligent film,

not an orgy of CGI with no plotline in sight...

a story that reveals is not the monster whom you might think.

though it is a scifi movie,

i personally felt it was way more a social critique

of the way humans treat "others"...

those others coming from another planet as in the movie,

or from across the border, as in real life.

it is way-too-close to reality to ignore that fact.

we have enough refugee camps on this planet

to bring this to evidence.

but in the last minute of the movie,

& i won't spoil it for you, promise!!,

there is a glimmer of hope for the human spirit,

as the better side of our nature may prevail [in some cases...].

see it & you'll understand.

it's the story of a man who is part of the system that oppresses those aliens,

& after becoming contaminated by some alien technology,

(i'm keeping it vague here...),

fights to retain his humanity & a grasp on his life,

while gaining a better understanding of the aliens

as he gets treated as one of them [or worse even...];

only to find out that,

no matter what happens to him,

he'll always remain "human".

(that's the part i find so moving...).

DISTRICT 9 is one of those movies

i cannot wait to add to my DVD collection.

that & STAR TREK,

the other great movie this season

both at opposing sides of the genre,

& both doing a great job at it.

this movie has graphic violence,

not too gory, just violent,

so not for too-young-a kids please,

as this is not WALL-E or E.T.,

nor should you expect a mindless over-the-top action movie.

there are plenty of sleek special effects & enough action,

but it will appeal to the two neurons you've got left

in your numbed mind.

it'll be a nice change!!

go see it!!

period!!

3 f*ck*ng thumbs up...

or 5 stars +1 in bonus!!

:)~

HUGZ

MONTREAL's GAY PRIDE PARADE 2009, by TICKLEBEAR

2009-08-16T16:53:00.009-04:00

the theme this year was FIESTA!!

& people have delivered

as there was a lot of colors,

most seemed in good spirit

& it made for a great event.

i went with linoue to see the parade

& we were both enchanted with the experience.

there were clubs & community associations,

lots of music & some dancing [in this heat!!!].

polite statements were made

& it shouldn't create any scandals as in some previous years...

gays are just SO polite!!!...

enjoy the pictures (some are captioned) & the videos!!

thanks to the organisers, sponsors & all of the many participants.

a two hours well spent,

despite the heat...

you can say

mother nature was shining on us!!!

& even though there were many politicians present at the parade,

i don't recall seeing a tory from ottawa.

i guess they do have a sense of survival,

after the affront they did to montreal,

denying divers/cite their grant

for our first gay pride.

yes,

we have two gay pride festivals here in montreal.

jealous?!?

that's just how proud we are!!

(if only...)

:)~

HUGZ

L'INTERNATIONAL DES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC 2009: CONCEPT FIATLUX

2009-08-15T22:52:00.012-04:00

CONCEPT FIATLUX

was supposed to give us something never seen before...

a 45 minutes program instead of 30 minutes.

the beginnning with the narrative was just a big yawn!!!

& the rest was even worse...

one word to CONCEPT FIATLUX:

GO HOME & DO YOUR FUCKING HOMEWORK

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this was supposed to be an hommage to the CIRQUE DU SOLEIL!!!...

"SUPPOSED"

???????????

i fucking missed michel dorion's show for THIS??????

for 45 minutes,

i waited to be impressed,

always hopeful...

the cirque du soleil NEVER failed to impress me,

even when i saw those shows numerous times.
just don't hire this company,

since they won't deliver......

any suburb city could have provided better entertainment.

this was beyond boring!!!!!!!

F-U-C-K !!!!!!!!!

FUCK YOU VERY MUCH FIATLUX!!!

can laliberte sue for misrepresentation???

no fucking slideshow for them!!!!!

too boring!!!