deft dissonance.

stumbled upon this a few days back:
James Brown dies at 73
One of music's biggest stars passes on Christmas Day

James Brown, Godfather of Soul and one of the 20th Century's biggest musical names, has died this week aged 73.

On Monday, Brown was admitted to an Atlanta hospital after a home visit by his dentist revealed him to be suffering pneumonia. Brown's illness rapidly escalated, and by 1.45am on Christmas day it took his life. James was quoted saying "I'm going away tonight" sometime before he passed away. According to reports, he took three long, quiet breaths, and closed his eyes before dying.

Throughout his remarkable career, Brown would be defined by his energy and dedication to showmanship, with the veteran star over the summer for London's Tower festival, as well as last month's BBC Proms, both part of his "Seven Decades Of Funk World Tour".

A friend who was by his side when he died, Charles Bobbit, said he wanted people to know he was someone 'who preached love from the stage.""

He was a true humanitarian who loved his country," he told press outside the Atlanta hospital. US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson added this week to the Associated Press he "was dramatic to the end, dying on Christmas Day."

"He'll be all over the news all over the world today. He would have it no other way," he said.

In Brown's hometown of Augusta, Georgia, flowers were laid at a statue of star to mark his passing, where Mayor Deke Copenhagen described his friend as "just a wonderful giving man".

James Brown 1933-2006 R.I.P.

Source: http://www.soundgenerator.com/news/showarticle.cfm?articleid=8762&CFID=22908744&CFTOKEN=42548529
---

Yup, the godfather of soul left his body.
if i were at his bedside when he heaved his last breaths, i guess i'd go "Get up! Get up!"

the world lost one of the most infectious musicians that day, James Brown was the absolute real deal. he was such a lover of life and it was intrinsically inherent in every note he wrote. He got people listening.

he was infectious.

after all, what is music but the delivery of ideas.

Brown- he would fulfill that definition superfluously.

Lester
rest in peace.

Posted by Lesterizer at 1:14 AM | Permalink

just gobbled up a white chocolate snowman the mom got from mandarin.
curse my deadly penchant for white chocolate!

the flute section came over for the eve lunch party (i'm the king of scrabble);
t'was quite a smashing christmas eve.

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Lester
today's the 25th. cheers.

Posted by Lesterizer at 1:21 AM | Permalink

In "Life!", Pg 9:
Junior College Band Festival
Join the bandwagon to cheer on musicians, under the baton of renowned conductors Kikuo Atarashi from Japan and Joseph Cheung from Hong Kong.
Esplanade Concert Hall, Today: 7.30pm, Tickets: $13 & $16.
Tel: 6348-5555

Oh my. They left out the delightful, ineffably convival Mr. Alan Lourens.
although some peeps from my band would also use "sonorous" and "percussive" to describe him.

This is very obviously a last-ditch attempt to up ticket sales, which are still quite abysmal. Please heed Life! and come down. You'll prolly be able to get tickets there.

Lester
let's play.

Posted by Lesterizer at 1:02 PM | Permalink

i'll be succint: i've been participating in this years wasbe band fest, so as to replace my college juniors who pulled out at the eleventh hour. my compadres would know i'm always dashing around like a busy bee; but they'd also know that i'm always game for something new.

yea! i know; i'm an amazingly spontaneous person.

i'll be on flute at the Esplanade on the 21st (This thurday).
the full day rehearsals have been arduously long. but nonetheless very fulfilling. This is by far the most interesting event on the band college calender. Every band is randomly formed from the different jcs and are instructed by dynamic conductors that wave in different colours to the tapestry of the music played. i really was looking forward it.

i'll stop droning.

PLEASE cell me if u wanna get tickets, even at the last minute. sales have been abysmal completely to the previous yr. (i always knew my batch was beettter)

AH. did i mention rehearsals have been long and tiring.

the cute one of the section turned around and snooze on my stand.
right in the middle of the rehearsal.

arduously long.
just ask her.
---

here's your poison eleanor.

stop bugging me for doggie pics.

Lester.
as of this moment, my wunderkind-k9 can shake your hand, give a low-five, and beg for food.
email me for a video of the tricks. It's a short-clip, just play it thrice.
awesome.

Posted by Lesterizer at 12:23 AM | Permalink

little big bad drummer boy Ethan (age 7) doing his thing, near the Paragon.
the little tyke's got a fanbase.
This is the best shot i got.
crowds don't take too kindly to big guys. lol

oh, Crystal had this to say a few days back when we met up: "why aren't u aware that people are always talking about you."

i guess i'm not one to bother.

Lester
-does not have an affinity with passport photos.
PDL

Posted by Lesterizer at 12:12 AM | Permalink

Joy to the world!
for it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
GAH I'll be home for christmas this year.

I guess good ol' st. nick is gonna be more lovingly avuncular this year. I'll probably be spending christmas with family and friends, gathered at a eve party the mom's got planned out. Despite the fervidly portentuous outlook i had on christmas this year, it's what you get when you make extemporaneous plans for the holidays. The parentals were pretty occupied these recents weeks and kinda made me the designated holiday planner at the most impossible time, evidently. We couldn't get tickets to anywhere nice.
-

Having walked the winter wonderland the past 3 years doing christmas- seeing snow suddenly seems gratuitous, especially with the perfunctory (READ: big-is-good) care they took with all thing *SHINY*, like the steamers & the christmas tree "round-thingys" in town.

there's an increase in dead magpies, in town, evidently due to accute exhaustion. Rigor mortis confirms that they died with wings extended forward slightly curl- in a hugging position.

(if you didn't get that i feel sorry for you. and your mother.)

However i do think the relevant authorities should peruse (again, pls) through my proposal to line the roads with fine, imported snow, just so i can relive my white christmases.

Well, let's just say that i develop insatiable cravings for coke when i'm on a vacation, and i like spreading the christmas cheer.

like i've always said- nothing like reliefing the memories.

shoppers be fawned! just not thirsty.

So it's not gonna be a white christmas this year. I mean was surround by white people in New York 2 holidays ago, and the tanning salons were closed during my last holiday trip to Japan.
---
First Greeting of the season:
came in the mail bout a week ago.

ho ho ho, samuel lee.

---
Will be spending quite some time at bbdc in the coming weeks.
i will get my license to honk at children.
---

Lester
it's a holly jolly christmas,
it's the best time of the year.

Posted by Lesterizer at 10:40 PM | Permalink

started sax lessons again today.
did quite of practice today. gonna get my chops back.
got a random pic of my furry critter.

Will bust out the cookbooks when i'm done fattening him.
all in good time, and all in a day's work.

heh.

Lester
squirrels.

Posted by Lesterizer at 11:50 PM | Permalink

gonna make this quick.
caught "Deja vu" today.
frankly, i loved washington's performance in "Johnny Q" a tad more.
exited the theatre hall sheepishly 'round midnight, to a ghost-mall. Suntec's the ultimate for scaring children at this hour; if there ever was a twillight zone, i'd imagine it exactly like this, save for the rotund narrator who talks too much.

Gonna risk my randysavagemachoman rep: yes, it was spooky.

nonetheless, we all should catch a midnight movie once in a while. would have taken pics if not for my friend's aversion to the occasional janitor. (apparently, they have the uncanny ability to get rid of blood stains, lol.)

segway- youtube finally unbanned this video. It's Peter showing the Proclaimers who's boss. Yup, it's a dog-eat-dog world in the music business.



Lester
quick one.

Posted by Lesterizer at 4:02 AM | Permalink

Check out dave foley on THE Craig Ferguson Show, speaking bout TIME's Person of the Year.



I love how Craig pronouced Bono as "Broneo". Foley's hubris is absolutely jarring.

---

Trotted down to thomsonjazz after more than 2 months. It was a refreshing afternoon, to say the least.

Lester
oh dun be a playa-hater.

Posted by Lesterizer at 10:39 PM | Permalink

Q219. When approaching children while driving, you should
(A) reduce your speed and drive carefully
(B) increase your speed in order to bypass them quickly
(C) stop and horn at them

Answer: A

I'm such a "C" person.

Lester
dora the explorer (18 years and above)

Posted by Lesterizer at 1:38 PM | Permalink

astute economic analysis aside, i just had a thought.

you know, a widening income gap wooould mean that there's a 50% chance you're on the side of the rich.

now think about that.

Lester
nonsense for the weekend.
to tag-board or not to tag-board??

Posted by Lesterizer at 3:22 PM | Permalink

was having one of those usual exchanges on the phone with melvin a few hours back. We were toying with the idea of a bunch of us going on an overseas trip to somewhere far, considering the inherent cosmopolitans we are. (WELL, 'cept for melvin, who still gasps ungayly when he hears "homo". Although we do have poh, who oddly enough, embraces each of the 4 letters)

yea, we're an interesting bunch. amen to that.

anyway, we figured that it'd be the ultimate tourist experience going to somewhere like the US, especially if we went during jan/feb- the most empty malls and the shortest queues at theme parks. Here's why:

1. Stastically, they're the months with one of the lowest birthrates- fewer peeps at the malls shopping for presents, high tensile strength rope, and groin guards. (see poling)

2. Over there, people actually make way for us. Can almost forsee the throes of people parting like the red sea so they dun get swiped or picked. The asian on the street has nimble mind and dexterous fingers, which can be put to deadly use apart from the calculator. Yes, we will be counting your money.

3. No ugly dogs sniffing us out on the streets, or grand central park for that matter. people know we might get hungry.

amazing how stereotypes work out for everyone. :)

all in all, i dun really have an opinion where we set the jet, but disneyland's a sine qua non. I didn't get to rollercoaster in the dark the last time i was in the Land of plenty.
---

Was planning to write about the hell of a week i had, but it's 'bout time i turned in. Anyway the Bond movie actually exceeded my expectations. Despite bypassing traditional elements like the smashing car, elaborate tools of destruction and an "explosion" ending (complete with hottie), i felt it was an adequate elucidation of the nascence of the whole bond franchise.

loved the part where he ran through a board-wall like a stripper jumping out of a cake at a bachelor party. It gave way like vanguard sheet.

oh- we later find out that he has balls of steel... kinda explains alot.
----

currently blogging on a notebook i acquired during the week. It's the HP pavillion 9014. The most awesome chunk of hardware available on the market, coupled with a 17-inch lcd and 240 gigs (non-paying) of memory.was watching channel 5's "one leg kicking" on it.
one WICKED machine. DVDs are crystal-clear.

(only if u support the war against piracy; smuggled crystals tend be lackluster.)
Now, i can brandish my new toy at the thousand and one starbuck branches around the island. It's practically a membership to join all the poseurs at starbucks doing "work". yes u.

I just have to get my class 5 license, then purchase a medium size crane at COURTS so i can move the thing from my table.

like i said, one WICKED machine.
---

I'm a huge fan of Craig Ferguson and the late night show. He's got to be one of the most talented comedians. His routines are always ostensibly infused with vitality and a brimming enthusiasm that has since become his signature. I had to put this here:




Lester
welcome back my naughty lil' donkeys. welcome back.

Posted by Lesterizer at 3:01 AM | Permalink

i'm finally done tweaking with the new template; have been searching for a new skin and this one's not too shabby and it's far from cluttered. I have a disdain for overklls.

will put the typing digits to action tomorrow- it's been a hell of day and i'm spent.

zy just logged on msn to confer his "Happy World Aids Day" wishes.
Prima facie, this is kinda irrevelent. I guess it's pretty safe to assume that i don't have aids. I checked off none of the symptons AND have been keeping prudent tabs on all my illegitimate children in the asia-pacific. yuup. no aids.

BUT! we must remember that a united front against this disease is critical. Judging from deplorable statistics, the battle is very much the proverbial uphill climb.

Do stay positive.

lol.

Lester
this writer does indeed support the international efforts against aids and in no ways demeans the struggles that many entities or individuals go through due to this debilitating disease. Please take this as trigger happy blogging. Do forward complaints to:
getasenseofhumour@halfprice.com
*logo property of site linked.

Posted by Lesterizer at 2:07 AM | Permalink