TIESTO-ELEMENTS OF LIFE TOUR-ON DVD, by TICKLEBEAR

if i had thought the CD was allright,

the "elements of life" DVD is another matter altogether.

it is just sheer amazing.

tiesto's music is pertinent,

the beat is plain mad,

all this delivered within a concept

that is bound to mesmerize you.

he is a true performer in his genre,

a crowdpleaser,

& he much deserves all of the recognition

he's been getting for all of these years.

he stands among the best DJs of this world.

this 2-DVDs set is well worth it.

to really understand tiesto,

you either need to see him in concert,

or get him on video.

that's how you get to fully embrace

the whole experience.

it is a world of its own.

i should know!!

if not a world of its own, at least a culture,

where people are able to love one another,

if only for a fleeting moment.

:D~

HUGZ

O'Thym : Raffiné, mais pas hautain...que non!

Sur la rue de Maisonneuve, presqu'au coin de Amherst, dissimulé entre les autres commerces du patelin, se trouve un des meilleurs restaurants du quartier. Il a la façade discrète, pas de grosse affiche criarde à l'extérieur, juste son nom : O'Thym collé sur la vitrine. Vitrine qui nous laisse voir l'ensemble de la salle à manger, ainsi que le menu, inscrit sur la grande ardoise tout au fond de la salle.

Le contenu du menu est directement inspiré de la cuisine française, mais rehaussé des élans de créativité du chef Noé Lainesse.

Tenez, c'est lui...

Pour vous donner une idée de ce qui titillera vos papilles durant l'heure du midi, suivez ce lien.
Si vous êtes curieux de savoir ce qui les ravira le soir venu, jetez un coup-d'oeil sur ceci.

Et je ne vous ai pas encore dit le plus beau, dans tout ça : vous pouvez APPORTER VOTRE VIN!!!
Si, si! Donc, juste à regarder les menus, faire votre choix, et aller vous choisir un vin qui s'accordera à merveille avec les plats du chef! Sinon, ils ont une belle carte des eaux.

Les employés vous serviront avec classe, discrétion et bonne humeur. Et ils connaissent leur menu!

Vraiment, une belle expérience. Personnellement, j'y suis allée luncher deux fois, et dîner une fois. À chaque fois, je me suis régalée! Il est préférable de réserver (surtout le soir). Deux services les samedi.

1112, boul. de Maisonneuve est

Montréal, Québec, H2L 2Z5

Réservation : 514-525-3443

Midis : mardi au vendredi

Soirs : 7 jours

Menus, carte des eaux et vidéo du chef Lainesse tirés du site web othym.com

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT? by TICKLEBEAR

i was planning to watch "flashpoint",

a cop drama,

but was mesmerized by the "miss universe 2008" competition.

go figure!!

quite different,

wouldn't you agree?

:D~

set in beautiful vietnam,

but hosted by jerry springer & a spice girl?

i had my doubts,

but it wasn't so bad.

the show ran smoothly

& was interesting to watch.

we first got a look at all of the contestants

in their national "costume"...

most dazzling if not quite "traditional".

(miss thailand got recognized

for having the best costume).

those girls that caught my eye were:

venezuela, kosovo, vietnam, colombia & usa.

those that made the final 15 were:

venezuela

kosovo

mexico

vietnam

south africa

australia

japan

domenican republic

italy

colombia

russia

hungary

czech republic

usa

spain

so i guess i ain't so bad

if 5 of the girls i noticed made top-15.

my only question is:

where are the black women???

aside of miss usa who looks afro-american,

but of a paler persuasion,

there were no black women in the top-15...

tanzania or ghana could have been there,

instead of australia & russia.

(that's my opinion. period.)

the swimsuit competition:

i liked

kosovo, domenican republic, italy, colombia,

czech republic & usa.

the judges went for:
venezuela, kosovo, mexico, australia,

domenican republic, italy, colombia,

russia, usa & spain.

the evening gown competition:

venezuela looked amazing

kosovo, an enchanteress

mexico looked good

australia unimpressed me

domenican republic was most dashing

italy, ah! italy

colombia looked gorgeous

russia. yawn!!!

usa fell on her butt

spain...

the judges decision for the top-5:

venezuela

mexico

domenican republic

colombia

russia

so,

i lost kosovo,

but colombia was still in the running.

:)~

THE QUESTION:
venezuela did very well

mexico did very well,

despite a stupid question...

domenican republic did well also

colombia did me proud

russia.

well? russia.

nevermind...

the final decision:

4th runner-up;

mexico

3rd runner-up:

russia

2nd runner-up:

domenican republic

1rst runner-up:

colombia

new miss universe:

miss venezuela,

dayana mendoza.

get use to this face,

as we'll be seeing a lot of her

for the next year.

so,

all in all,

a nicely produced show in general;

a selection that showed still some discrimination,

in my opinion;

a concept that still stereotypes women;

but if the girls truly enjoy this

& want this,

well,

why not?...

it's their life after all.

on a sidenote,

miss el salvador was named miss congeniality.

what comes to mind with that prize is:

"always the bridesmaid, never the bride"...

but i would love to be once in my life a "miss congeniality",

since it is SO opposite to what i am...

one can always keep dreaming.

:D~

HUGZ

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT: CLOVERFIELD, by TICKLEBEAR

cloverfield.

i had mentionned before on cromagnon

that i was curious to see this movie.

with all the hype they caused over the internet,

i was intrigued.

it turned out

i couldn't see it in the theater

for various reasons.

i finally took the time

to watch it on VOD, via videotron,

& let me tell you this right now:

STAY THE F*CK AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!!!

what a piece of crap...

a bunch of "beautiful people",

(& that's only a matter of taste, not mine)

are trapped in manhattan

while it's under siege by a big monster

& a bunch of tiny monsters...

i couldn't feel a damn thing for their plight,

the scenario was... (the what???).

the adrenaline stayed in the slumps.

it is a short movie that felt long.

it has no purpose.

the scary factor?

please,

let me laugh here.

the whole thing just felt so dumb.

i wish now i had seen this sooner,

to spread the word.

but if i can spare one person,

only one,

from seeing this bullsh*t,

i'll have done my duty.

to think that "reportedly",

77% of reviews are "positive"...

well,

I AM NOT !!!!!

it had a great marketing campaign,

but the final product

isn't worth all of the hype.

apparently,

there are rumors of a sequel.

guess what???
nothing in this world

will make me watch that!!!

i swear,

in writing!!

(do you think videotron would refund me,

for watching such a piece of crap???

they do offer an exchange at their videoclubs

when crap like this happens...)

to think that "reign of fire"

was the worst i had seen...

well,

cloverfield is now the worst.

don't rent it.

don't buy it.

unless you're a total moron...

ready to swallow just about anything

:(~

HUGZ

FIREWORKS 2008: PORTUGAL, by TICKLEBEAR

allright.

so i'm still reeling.

tonight was the presentation from portugal,

by grupo luso pirotecnia.

on a soundtrack going through

the whole repertoire of hollywood movies,

(or almost...),

it went from "gone with the wind" to "ghostbuster",

"indiana jones" to "titanic",

some oldies & some goodies.

it was quite a ride.

the only thing that blemishes their presentation is...

i think someone got triggerhappy

as the fireworks started even before the countdown,

thus desynchronizing everything by a few seconds.

but this said,

the spectacle was still amazing.

i believe this team came here with the resolve

to win this competition,

& they did put on quite a show.

not a SINGLE boring moment,

this was the fastest halfhour ever!!!

it was simply...riveting.

you know what?

for my 50th birthday,

if someone is thinking of throwing me a party with some fireworks...

(i wish!!)

i want these guys!!

& they can do exactly the same thing they did tonight

for "be our guest" from disney.

for technical reasons,

i have to give them 4.5,

but in my heart,

they get a 5+ !!!!

i think the applauds you got at the end

were most deserved.

(yes, i heard that from across the river...)

you've lit up montreal

with a most splendid show.

thanks a lot!!

:D~

HUGZ

WILL YOU BITE INTO THE APPLE? by TICKLEBEAR

will you be one of those biting into the "apple"

& indulge in buying the new iphone 3G,

being released in canada today?

i know i won't...

i like gadgets,

but i find there's a limit.

i guess i'm not part of their target market.

the iphone has many capabilities.

let's review this,

from MY perspective...

cellphone capability:

i have one already,

which i haven't used lately.

it's in my desk,

& will remain there.

i have no immediate need for it.

also,

i find people's usage of cellphones

downright abusive,

their behaviour anything but sociable,

it's often rude & inappropriate,

especially when you listen to what people have to say

on the damn thing...

(a total waste of time...)

camera capability:

at 2 megapixels,

it's nothing to shout about.

i have an ordinary camera with 6 megapixels,

& i wouldn't want to get less.

(i would prefer to improve rather... you know!!)

improve the quality,

i might think about it...

mp3 player:

i've always favored my sandisk,

that can play my music & video,

when i feel like it.

otherwise,

you're stuck with that big thing

that you can try sticking in your pocket

& not look ridiculous...

trust me!

the only thing

i want to see bulging in my pants is...

"me"!!!

there are so many other features,

but for MY lifestyle,

these are mostly useless.

but on the technological side,

i'll give this much to apple:

they are really pushing the enveloppe

& forcing their competitors

to improve on their design & ease of use.

it is a good product,

per se...

but not one for me.

also,

here in canada,

the carriers,

rogers & fido,

offer contracts that differ from those in the states.

i've heard their reasoning

& it does have some merits,

but their 6G download limit is ridiculous.

do you know how much stuff i download,

even on a daily basis????

:D~

i'll keep my desktop PC at home,

i'll carry my sandisk mp3 player whenever i feel like it.

even bring my camera once in a while.

& i'll keep my phone off the hook.

i hate phones!!!

maybe i should have started

with this statement...

:D~

i haven't even discuss the price of the phone

& the carrier's contract.

find out for yourself!!

as nifty as this gadget can be,

i saw nothing there

that compelled me to get it.

all i see

is a bunch of people rushing to get this

only to impress their friends

& appear all self-important.

i know who i am,

& my worth,

& i certainly don't need this

to validate myself.

but then again,

i did say

i didn't think

i was part of their target market,

didn't i...

:D~

i'll wait a "few more" generations

& see what the product looks like.

until then,

i'll just be happy with what i've already got.

& since i'm already spending a whole lot of time

in the virtual world,

wouldn't it be nice to get away from it all,

& have an actual life?

:)~

HUGZ

(no ratings as some might think

i am biased against this product,

which i'm not.

get it!!!

if you really, really must...)

:)~

HUGZ

a little update here,

about apple's iphone 3g coit interruptus.

am i glad i didn't partake in this?

yes i am...

:(~

MUVEE REVEAL, TESTED FOR YOU, by TICKLEBEAR

"muvee reveal",

the latest generation from

"muvee producer".

i am quite familiar with their products

as i had muvee producer 2 when i was using windows XP,

then moved on to windows vista,

& got myself muvee producer 5, then 6.

& now,

the new generation,

muvee reveal.

i thought i'd give it a try

& see what the fuss was about.

well,

i'll admit this much:

nicer & easier interface,

& the end product is as good

as it used to be,

if not better.

i'm on the trial period,

but i say this is a keeper.

i give it a definite 5!!

:)~

i threw a few things together

just to show you its potential,

& you'll also get to see

what i put my friends through

with photoshop,

& myself as well...

enjoy!!

:D~

HUGZ

WE SACRIFICED OURSELVES FOR YOU HERE !! by TICKLEBEAR

yes, yes, we did!!!

as i had said here ,

i will comment on those wines

we drank the other night.

& it's all for you!!

imagine taking your tastebuds on a worldtour,

starting in france,

more exactly in the pyrenees;

then jumping off to south africa,

only to land even further,

in new zealand.

let these names evoke faraway lands:
mouscaillo,

le bonheur,

marlborough.

:)~

" domaine du mouscaillo",

2005 ,

limoux-france.

a great start to our evening it was,

as you get to taste a fruit nurtured

by the sea & by the earth.

a mineral note combine with light fruity accents,

it stays agreably in your mouth.

:)~

"le bonheur",

2007,

south africa.

(look completely at the bottom of their page.

that's where you'll find this wine.)

an enchanting name,

from an exotic region,

with an aroma & a taste

that'll make you swoon.

it is definitely tropical

& a revelation for your palate.

most enjoyable.

:)~

& now,

le coup de grace:

"kim crawford-marlborough, sauvignon blanc"

2007,

new zealand.

if you hate white wines,

you'll love this one.

if you love white wines,

you'll only swear by this one.

a mix of citrusy accents with herbal undertones,

it piques your tastebuds

into a brand new experience.

this stands in a category of its own.

the aroma is so refreshing,

you can almost feel the coastal breeze

while smelling an array of fruits

basking in the sun.

as i've said before,

i'm neither a writer nor a wine reviewer,

but i know what i like.

& this is clearly a moment of indulgence.

try it.

you deserve it!!

:D~

so,

all this because i couldn't find another bottle

of hermanos-lutton...

though i'm usually the faithful kind

& will stick to what (or who) is most familiar to me,

i am willing occasionally

to venture beyond familiar grounds.

& this was quite worth it.

just a reminder:

all these are affordable,

as i refuse to pay too much

when i know there are great products

still quite affordable.

you only have to check things out

at your local saq,

& you may be as lucky as i am sometimes,

maybe even more!!

my heartfelt thanks to the personel

at my local branch,

on the corner of sainte-catherine & beaudry.

they've given me great advices

throughout the years,

as friends have often commented

favorably on my selections.

there you have it!!

:)~

HUGZ

MONTREAL FIREWORKS 2008: SOUTH KOREA, by TICKLEBEAR

last night was south korea's hanwha corporation's turn

to dazzle us & they did!!!

i believe it is the first time we get a south korean firm

at the montreal firework festival,

& if this is their calling card,

well,

they can come back anytime.

& i know i can speak for lucrecia & myself,

as she cheered them all along,

& very enthousiastically at that...

:D~

they started their presentation with classics of occidental music,

which surprised us,

as we were sort of expecting something more exotic,

but fear not,

toward the end,

they gave us a sample of something closer to their culture,

for a most splendid result.

there was never a boring moment,

& we definitely both enjoyed this very much.

hanwha corporation,

thank you,

& please come back.

:)~

HUGZ

ZAKI IBRAHIM AU FESTIVAL DE JAZZ 2008

Enfin! Hier soir j'ai pu voir et entendre ma découverte du mois dernier, sur la Scène Bell Groove du Festival de Jazz de Montréal. Ticklebear et moi étions assis par terre, à l'avant de la scène, et attendions patiemment qu'il soit 22:00.

Ils sont entrés en scène, comme une famille des quatre coins de la terre. Même un petit garçon faisait partie de ce groupe, et il dansait le hip hop avec toute la fougue et l'entrain de son âge.

En guise d'ouverture, ce magnifique (aïe, aïe, aïe! Hmmm!) musicien du nord de l'Afrique y est allé d'une mélodie à la flûte traversière suivi d'une mélopée sur des notes arabisantes. Superbe et ravissant! Et Zaki a entammé sa première pièce « Love Like » dont voici mon extrait vidéo:

Malheureusement la qualité du son ne rend pas justice

à ces artistes, mais ça donne une idée...

Zaki a bel et bien cette belle voix chaude qui m'avait tant plu à la première écoute de son CD et en plus, une belle présence toute en sourire et en douceur.

Ce court concert fut parsemé de plusieurs pièces Hip Hop, interprétées, chacunes, par divers membres de ce groupe. Personnellement, bien que j'adore la musique en général, ce style ne me rejoint pas vraiment. Mais j'avoue que le coeur y était, surtout le rythme, et je suis certaine que les amateurs du genre ont apprécié ces pièces à leur juste valeur.

Bref, un concert qui a passé trop vite, un concert durant lequel j'aurais voulu entendre un peu plus Zaki. Mais comme elle nous l'avais dit au début, ce groupe est comme une famille.
Et comme dans les bonnes familles, il semble que tous les membres aient la même importance...

Belle soirée tout de même, et à la fin matante et mononcle n'étaient pas fâchés de se lever, car passer plus d'une heure assis sur l'asphalte, ça t'ankylose un amateur de musique si endurci soit-il!

DEAR ZAKI, by TICKLEBEAR

dear zaki!

for you,

i let myself be dragged to the jazz festival,

amid a large crowd,

(& i'm SO fond of that...)

i sat on the ground

of what is usually a parking lot,

i presume...

all this to watch you for a first time.

& i'd do it all over again!!!

for you.

:D~

**********************

zaki is our passport to enjoyement,

in a whirlwind of urban sound

& ethnic rythm.

she was surrounded by her band,

& while i was expecting her to be the main,

if not the sole focus,

she gave room to the others to express themselves,

sometimes to great results,

sometimes not...so much.

but still,

her voice is powerful & touching,

a caress in the evening.

in her looks,

she reminded me somewhat

of alannah myles,

way back then.

as for her songs,

especially when she sang "take a stand",

it was a tad reminescent

of angelique kidjo,

whom i love.

she certainly has an appeal

that can't be ignored

& i wish her much success.

zaki,

'till next time!!

:)~

HUGZ

O'Vignes, resto bar à vin

tapas galore,
terrasse with a view,
vin divin.

O'Vignes, resto charmant situé à Lachine sur les berges du Lac Saint-Louis.

Un bon repas commence par l'apéro sur la terrasse avec vue "déconcertante" sur le lac Saint-Louis (ie: habituée au brou-haha de Montréal, j'avais oublié qu'on est sur une ile... la terrasse nous rapelle quelle chance géographique on a ).

Pour la bouffe, j'ai dégusté quelques (moi j'y vais à coup de 5 dans tout) tapas à ma première visite qui ne sera pas ma dernière.

Quoi de mieux que de partager un repas avec plusieurs plats qui apparaissent durant une rencontre. On relaxe, on bouffe, on partage, on boit, on rigole, on bouffe encore, on reboît, festin continuel. Non, je ne suis pas morte, je ne suis pas au paradis. (mais j'exige obtenir la même chose en temps & lieu!).

Aussi les vins sont excellents à prix abordables, verre ou bouteille et le service excellent.

Je vous invite à consulter l'article dans Le Devoir pour plus de détails. Moi, je ne suis pas une crititque de resto professionnelle je suis simplement une gourmande (mon estomac est comme le fleuve Saint-Laurent à la hauteur de Tadoussac...on a pas trouvé le fond encore) je peux par contre vous garantir que je suis sortie du bistro O'Vignes: comblée, impressionée et en plus il me restait de l'argent dans mon porte-feuille!

O'Vignes
3194, boul. Saint-Joseph, Lachine
514 637-1888

Que aproveche!

La Banquise... un classique redécouvert!

Il est tard, j'ai faim!
L'inventaire de mon frigo, ne m'inspire point. Je veux qque chose de chaud, je veux qque chose de gras, je veux bien dormir.
Je me pointe à La Banquise ouvert 24/24 coin Rachel & Parc Lafontaine. J'ai mangé quelques fois des poutines la auparavant, c'est leur spécialité. Le menu de poutines est inimaginable. Si vous y trouvez pas votre poutine de rêve, imaginez la pi y vont la faire!
Ce soir la, je regarde le menu et pour la première fois, j'ai opté pour le "cheeseburger". Pas de poutine, un "cheez". Wow, il était bon mon burger, ça me rapellait les boulettes de ma mère cuites au BBQ de mon père. Compacte, juteuse & assaisonée.
Il est certain que je n'étais point assouvie par la suite & j'ai du me commander une poutine comme dessert.
Bon mis à part le fait que j'étais plus "mature" que le staff, la clientèle pi le quêteux sul trottoir, j'ai bien aimé.
Je suis une amateure de burger, mes endroits favoris:
- Anecdote
- La Paryse
- Café Universel
- Garage Café
- Café Européen

Si vous avez des endroits à me suggérer pour assouvir la junk-foodie en moi, svp laissez-moi savoir.

HERMANOS LURTON- BLANC 2007 (RUEDA), by TICKLEBEAR

i am blessed!!

pretty much any time

i pick up a bottle,

am i rarely disappointed.

i was hesitating

when i picked this one up,

& i now wonder why...

a spanish white wine,

by hermanos-lurton.

it's quite a mouthful,

with a peculiar taste.

but when i say peculiar,

i mean it is most pleasant to my palate.

it is MOST affordable too,

(i.e. $15.70 can, currently...)

:)~

this made for a most delightful degustation,

this afternoon...

there are some good WHITE wines after all...

you'll obviously want to know more about it,

& rightly so,

you should go here!!

enjoy!!

i sure did.

we are far from those insipid wines here...

:D~

HUGZ

Melody Gardot

Une très belle découverte jazz, que celle de Melody Gardot! Jeune auteure, musicienne et chanteuse qui nous emmène sur les notes jazzy de son piano vers des zones intimes de son âme, en passant par des sonorités folk/blues. Tout ça nous est livré par une voix douce et suave. À écouter religieusement, sans faire de bruit pour ne pas faire cesser la magie.

Cette talentueuse jeune femme n'a que 22 ans, et est de la race des combattantes. En effet, il y a un peu plus de deux ans, alors qu'elle roulait à vélo, un Jeep l'a heurtée, et elle fut hospitalisée durant des mois, pensant passer le reste de sa vie avec une canne et quelques séquelles neuro-motrices.

Un médecin croyant aux pouvoirs de la musique sur le cerveau, l'a encouragée à en faire, sachant qu'elle avait suivi des cours étant jeunes.

Parlez-moi de suivre sa prescription!!

Deux ans plus tard, elle nous sort un premier CD, et elle fera partie de tous les festivals de musique de la planète! Dont le Festival de Jazz de Montréal! C'est-y pas mar-ve-lous-se?!

Plus qu'une survivante, c'est une résurectée!

Quel destin!

Je vous colle ici la pièce titre de son album : Worrisome Heart

Mettez vos écouteurs, baissez les lumières et... bon voyage!

Vous pouvez écouter son album dans son intégralité sur son site, et jeter un coup d'oeil sur l'horaire de ces concerts, qui en ferait pâlir de jalousie plus d'un(e). Au fait, son album se vend seulement $6.99 chez Archambault. Vous seriez fous de vous en passer!

Elle est actuellement en salle, au TNM, les 2 et 3 juillet au coût ridicule de $25.50 beaux dollars, avant de s'envoler pour l'Europe.

Je me demande si elle a besoin d'un agent...