As the music industry prepares to recognize its top artists at the Grammys, an unlikely line-up of convicted criminals is tipped to take home the recording industry’s most prestigious prize.
Category Archives: Viva!
EU steel workers march in Brussels against cheap Chinese imports
Thousands of protestors have rallied in Brussels to demand that EU officials do more to secure jobs and stop the flood of cheap Chinese imports. The EU has until year’s end to decide on China’s market status.
Denmark’s ‘jewellery law’ has brought in no money
In the first week that Danish police were allowed to confiscate cash and valuables under a controversial bill passed last month, the total sum seized was zero kroner.
Germany orders two-year-old girl to leave within a week
German authorities have given a 20-month-old girl a week to leave the country, arguing that because she never lived in Albania there is no proof she faces danger there, local media report.
‘Foreigners should adapt to France’: How well have you? – The Local
A French politician has insisted foreigners must adapt to France rather than the other way round, so let’s see how well you have done.
Source: ‘Foreigners should adapt to France’: How well have you? – The Local
Monday Open Thread | Jimi Hendrix Week
Hello 3 Chics family! This week’s featured artist is the incomparable Mr. Jimi Hendrix.
November 27th, 1942 – September 18, 1970
Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix’s innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form. Because he was unable to read or write music, it is nothing short of remarkable that Jimi Hendrix’s meteoric rise in the music took place in just four short years. His musical language continues to influence a host of modern musicians, from George Clinton to Miles Davis, and Steve Vai to Jonny Lang.
Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix at 10:15 a.m. on November 27, 1942, at Seattle’s King County Hospital, was later renamed James Marshall by his father, James “Al” Hendrix. Young Jimmy (as he was referred to at the time) took an interest in music, drawing influence from virtually every major artist at the time, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Holly, and Robert Johnson. Entirely self-taught, Jimmy’s inability to read music made him concentrate even harder on the music he heard.
Al took notice of Jimmy’s interest in the guitar, recalling, “I used to have Jimmy clean up the bedroom all the time while I was gone, and when I would come home I would find a lot of broom straws around the foot of the bed. I’d say to him, `Well didn’t you sweep up the floor?’ and he’d say, `Oh yeah,’ he did. But I’d find out later that he used to be sitting at the end of the bed there and strumming the broom like he was playing a guitar.” Al found an old one-string ukulele, which he gave to Jimmy to play a huge improvement over the broom.
By the summer of 1958, Al had purchased Jimmy a five-dollar, second-hand acoustic guitar from one of his friends. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy joined his first band, The Velvetones. After a three-month stint with the group, Jimmy left to pursue his own interests. The following summer, Al purchased Jimmy his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark 1560S; Jimi used it when he joined The Rocking Kings.
In 1961, Jimmy left home to enlist in the United States Army and in November 1962 earned the right to wear the “Screaming Eagles” patch for the paratroop division. While stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Jimmy formed The King Casuals with bassist Billy Cox. After being discharged due to an injury he received during a parachute jump, Jimmy began working as a session guitarist under the name Jimmy James. By the end of 1965, Jimmy had played with several marquee acts, including Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, the Isley Brothers, and Little Richard. Jimmy parted ways with Little Richard to form his own band, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, shedding the role of back-line guitarist for the spotlight of lead guitar.
Throughout the latter half of 1965, and into the first part of 1966, Jimmy played the rounds of smaller venues throughout Greenwich Village, catching up with Animals’ bassist Chas Chandler during a July performance at Caf‚ Wha? Chandler was impressed with Jimmy’s performance and returned again in September 1966 to sign Hendrix to an agreement that would have him move to London to form a new band.
Jimi Hendrix’s restored flat a glimpse into swinging London life
The ICONIC
Shanghai mall to open giant five-story slide next week, netizens scared out of their minds
What could go wrong?
YUM! Archaeologists discover that people in Xinjiang were snacking on dumplings 1,700 years ago
Xinjiang archaeologists provide a bite of history this Lunar New Year.
Why do Islamists hate Valentine’s Day?
For the record, I found Valentine’s Day to be a meaningless day that neither reflects nor advocates true love. Nonetheless, I see banning it as an even sillier, futile exercise that only reflects the shallowness of those who advocate it. Romance has lost its way in our country because we have lost our comfort zone and were pushed to the edge of insanity by the chronic decline of our society.
The court order against Abu Islam was a perfect decision, but it will not make his views disappear. Unless we regain our empathy, rationalism and values as true Muslims who practice religion with an equal balance of faith and rituals, body and soul, and materialism and feeling, the like of Abu Islam would be irrelevant. And, yes, it is true, God is love, just ask Rumi.
(Photo of Egyptian Preacher Abu-Islam via Reuters)
Originally published in the Daily News Egypt
“Valentine’s Day represents for the Christians, a celebration of adultery and prostitution, and those who go out on this day are prostitutes.” That is how Abu Islam, a radical Egyptian preacher has described Valentine’s Day. He took the hatred that many radicals share for this day to brand it with a new label and link it to Christianity, a faith that Muslims acknowledge and respect.
It is easy to dismiss Abu Islam as a marginal extremist whom none should take seriously, but I think we should take a look closer at his case as it is a perfect example of the flaws and the dangers of literal Islamism.
I still remember the remarks made by the Egyptian thinker, Mustafa Mahmoud, about love and Islam. He noticed that love was only mentioned once in the…
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Description: 24 hour world champ for mountain biking.
By Ned Hamson
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Found on: http://bitly.com/1WnGd8U



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