graham’s blog

Un Spectacle deux articles

Je lisais les journaux ce lundi et deux articles dans deux journaux ont attiré mon attention. Il s’agit du concert de Jenifer à l’Arena la semaine passée. Pour ceux qui n’habite pas la Suisse ou même la France je dois ajouter que Jenifer est une gagnante d’une de ces émissions de télé-réalité ou un artiste est sélectionné au fil des semaines de participation. Je déteste ces émissions donc je n’ai pas plus (et pas envie non plus d’en avoir) de détails sur l’artiste.

L’article dans Le Matin Bleu (journal gratuit) n’avait que d’éloges sur l’artiste

“C’est à l’Arena que la lauréate de la première «Star Ac’» avait choisi de donner rendez-vous, vendredi, à son public. Elégante et sexy, la belle nous a montré le visage d’une jeune femme épanouie aussi bien physiquement qu’artistiquement. Olivier Menouar - le 06 avril 2008, 21h02 Le Matin Bleu”

Une autre reportage cependant dans la Tribune de Genève nous raconte que faute d’avoir vendu suffisament de places, ceux qui ont acheté des billets à 60Frs (debout ou places non-numérotés) et qui se sont déplacés avec leurs enfants très tôt pour avoir lesdits places assises, se sont fait dirigés sur les places debout. L’organisateur à refusé d’ouvrir des gradins et les enfants n’ont rien vu du spectacle. Quelques spectateurs ont pu, avec de la peine semble-t-il, faire rembourser leurs places.

“Vendredi vers 21 heures, après avoir passé près de trois heures dans les couloirs de l’Arena, la maman a dû annoncer à Lauren qu’elle ne verrait pas son idole.

Une centaine de personnes ont vécu la même mésaventure. Leurs billets devaient leur donner accès soit aux places assises non numérotées, soit aux places debout, leur avait-on assuré lors de l’achat à la Fnac comme à Ticketcorner.” David Haeberli, 7.4.2008.

Je pense que soit nous ne devrions pas lire des articles dans la presse soit nous devrions lire tout les articles dans tout les journaux afin d’avoir une meilleur idée de ce qui se passe réellement autour de nous.

Tags: shows

It’s (almost) the weekend

Rounding off the week it’s been busy at work with some nice projects on the go, mostly to do with records management and document handling. I’m still intrigued more than satisfied with my Logitech Digital Pen and appalled at my bad handwriting.

This is probably where mobile computing comes to the rescue of hidden social handicaps like bad handwriting and uncomprehensable speech. Fistly you have to write decently to increase the succes rate in transcribing handwritten text and lastly it is preferrable to have good speaking skills in order to use speech recognition correctly.

I try to have a social life and not spend more than 50% of my leisure time in front of a computer which is not as easy as it sounds - what’s your percentage?

So at home I watch some TV (mostly the BBC channels) and some shows on DVD. After reading Kathy Reich’s book “Cross Bones” I obtained the first season of Bones and my wife and I are currenlty watching it. It’s not bad. Not excellent but still very watchable. I like the characters and geta few laughs. The quality of the French subtitles leaves a bit to be desired but at least I don’t have to watch it dubbed in French. Quel horreur!

When I’m “working” at the computer I like listening to music but if my wife is watching TV at the same time I sometimes try listening with headphones and I’m getting quite a collection. The last ones I bought are a Logitech USB headset with mike but although I can dictate with them, too much ambient sound from the TV comes through and I have to push up the volume and it all turns into a sound-fight in the end (the TV almost always wins). I have some cordless headphones for use with my iPod or other MP3 players but these are not comfortable for more than a half-hour or so.

I’m contemplating getting some “real” headphones with noise cancelling  and ear covering features. What can you recommend? You will have to be quick as once I have something in mind I usually rapidly pass to a purchased solution!

Tags: shows

Local guitarist

I was in training this last Thursday and Friday. I attended a course on Managing tension. I had the chance, once again I might add, to meet some great colleagues from the other departments of the Geneva State administration. We were ten in all and I had a most rewarding time meeting and exchanging views with them. I hope to meet them again individually.

One of them plays the guitar and gives music lessons.

He’s playing live at one of our local Pubs here in Geneva every Sunday midday until the 17th of December. His name is Laurent Naef and he composes and plays his own songs while interpreting other musicians works. Although I have never heard him play I am convinced that it will be well worthwhile to go. I plan on going soon and I’ll be sure to post here about it. I wonder if he would let me post an mp3 or some snippets?

The pub is called the Britannia and is at the Place Cornavin 6 opposite the church. The brunch is only 19Frs and that must be another reason to go! You can catch him between 11.30am and 2pm. The first set is acoustic and the second is electric.

Tags: shows

Poya

I want to bring you some Swiss culture today. From my Office Window we can see the back of a hotel and over the last months there has been some funny goings on. A scaffolding was erected and artists have been painting the exterior of the building with a mountain landscape.

It turns out that this is a “Poya” which is a representation of “La Montée a l’Alpage”, a ritual in the Swiss Alps where farmers bring their cows up to high mountain pastures to graze the fresh grass in the summer.

These sceneries are commonly represented on large pieces of wood and hung on the facade of barns in Switzerland.

This one is an urban “Poya” as you can see.

Here is a link to the artist, DeLaPerouze , and another to the Hotel .

As the scaffolding has been dismantled I’ll try and take a photo of the finished work sometime next week.

I’m in training on Monday and Tuesday so it won’t be until the middle of the week at the earliest.

I hope you are having a great weekend.

I’m not feeling too good since yesterday so I’m going to continue taking my medicines until I get better.

Tags: art, shows

Some music today

I’ve just learnt how to add a video feed to a blog post. I know you know how to do it already but better late than never eh!

I actually discovered this a few months ago and have it as one of my YouTube favourites together with a Toto extract of a guitar solo (Steve Lukather) of the same song “While my guitar gently weeps”.

Enjoy! Incidentally this guy has some great albums if you like this sort of music.

Tags: shows

Limousine at Wedding Show

Limousine

Originally uploaded by JustGraham.

My wife and I went to the Wedding Show last weekend. It was a dismal affair. It was the very first one in Geneva but only attracted 30 (it felt less) booths.

One of the better attractions were the cars available for hire for weddings and functions and here is a rather nice limousine and an interior view. (Yes I actually sat inside to take the pic. I told them to let me know when we arrived)

Tags: cars, shows