Axl Rose breaks his silence!

After the release of Chinese Democracy and many weeks before, W. Axl Rose has gone completely invisible to the lime light. On December 11th, he decided to get in contact with the fans and posted in the two most known GNR fan forums on the internet!

Here we have the complete rounds of questions and answers from the red hairy fucker himself! The questions are bold and the answers italic. The red one were 2 questions asked by me!

Round 1

On a video for Better? THE BETTER MUSIC VIDEO WILL BE OUT IN A WEEK OR SO MONUMENTAL PROMOTION WILL START VERY SOON!

Who do you listen to for hardcore blues? I'm a blues singer and I can tell from your work that you have at least got way into a couple of blues records. Bessie Smith, Zep 1, Robert Johnson, Tumbleweed Connection, Janice.

Regarding multiple albums... For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double. And no offence but no one's trying to talk in parables. The issues are a bit more complex than anyone would like.

Hey Axl, is the song Atlas Shrugged as epic as the book? Who is your favorite character from the book? Song doesn't have all that much to do with the book other than trying to do what you believe in and a line about shoulders not being wide enough.

Axl was their ever a cover B and cover C for chinese democracy? Yes there are. There are 2 more covers/bk cover combos and the real booklet that is all artwork that will be out shortly in some form. It's been an ugly battle that hasn't made any sense to anyone and whether anyone cares about such things the booklet or artwork has always been something I've been passionate about and to release the album with unapproved and unseen final artwork with a 1st work only error filled draft when others more recent were readily available still has not been explained but is finally getting cleared up. My fave is the How Are You Grenade cover.

Axl do you control the weather or is that solely Oprah? Oprah

Jarmo, do you know the reason behind the name Dexter? Is he a fan of the show (on Showtime)? Just curious...No need to reply if the reason is deemed private/personal. could be because of the guy from The Offspring, too... but I'd rather it be the TV show. The show and my cat named after the show, she's a methodical killer.

Hi Axl, how's it going? Just wanted to ask if you had any fond memories from the UK leg of the tour from 2006, particularly the concert in Glasgow in July? Glasgow was great. I think that's where I got to do a lot of slides on the stage. Was like a race track or something rt?

Axl, thanks for Chinese Democracy which i personally think is your best work.
what's your pick for album of the year? and have you heard the new MetallicA album? Ours of course!! Yes, I like it.

Axl will you tour Australia next year, and when are you looking at doing so?
If you could work with buckethead again, would you have him just in studio, or also would you welcome him in the touring lineup? Austrailia's great and the crowds are really alive. No plans yet but I'm sure there will be. I have no issues with Bucket. It's hard to tell what was real or not in things we were told by Merck. He's more than welcome to tour with us in some form or other provided we're both interested at the time and come to some type of reasonable terms. Personally I have a blast w/Bucket on tour and get a big kick out of the guy. A lot of feelings were hurt on this side of the fence in how things went down and unfortunately others used our silence and the public's not knowing for their own purposes at both Bucket's and our expense.

Now that you said that please tell us if Robin's out or not... because, otherwise, we'll be reading several 'Axl wants Bucket back and Robin/Bumble/Richard out' type of threads for the entire '09 year and these threads annoy us, the new lineup fans. It really is what it is. No decisions have been made by either him, I or us that I'm aware of. When we're touring or working in the studio or there's social things like a friend's dinner or party whatever we would hang. But as people get older they have their own lives. The Stones aren't going bowling every Tuesday etc. Robin leads one of the most different lives I know of starting with the trapeze in his backyard to the tv in his closet. Robin's work on the next is done so there's not lots for him to do here except the elusive promo and he'd rather be on stage.
It's more about seeing where things are when Guns decides it's right for a tour and if we're able to make agreements we both are comfortable and can live with at that time.

As a native Colombian I must ask:
In 1992, while performing November Rain in Bogota (in November), it rained.
Wait no....it poured.
How weird was that, eh? Very surreal and religious feeling. So was being chased by the military in our plane down the runway gettin' outta Dodge there!!

Hi axl!
just wondering what stops you from playing more guitar live? skill

Hey Axl,
Are you checking your PM's??? Not rt now. It's a bit slow getting around on here rt now. Let's talk about Catcher!! Who's 1st?

Axl/Dexter, I'm fixing to pack everyhting I own into my car and drive out to L.A. from Arkansas to give a career in music a shot. Any advice? Or should I just shit in my pants, dive in and swim? Follow your heart, don't sell out and read every book on the biz u can find.

Catcher is one of the best songs on the album, why no Brian May? There's a few reasons and none of them all that big and definitely not in spite or to slight anyone. 1st off obviously I knew people liked the song but the Brian appreciation really only showed up in force publicly after we had moved on in Guns. In fact Not many seemed to care and most comments were aimed at why Slash in their opinions should be here. Brians solo itself is a personal fave of mine and I really couldn't understand as he's such a rock legend why it wasn't openly appreciated more at the time. In actuality all that feel and emotion referred to now had a lot to do with Sean and I and the parts I chose out of Brian's different runs, versions, practice runs etc to make sure we had those elements in one version. It's entirely constructed from edits based around one specific note Brian hit in a throw away take. And though Brian seems to have warmed a bit to it at least publicly he was unfortunately none to pleased at the time with our handiwork. I remember looking at Brian standing to my left and him staring at the big studio speakers a bit aghast saying "But that's not what I played." Sean Beavan and I were not in any way tring to mess with Brian we just did what we do and then try and do our best to stand up for our decisions.

Axl are you still thinking of suing Dr Peppers ass? Sure but the actions taken so far had nothing to do with me and I was taken off guard as I had specifically told our team who fucking cares rt now we have a record to deal with. My feelings are after their public response. It was cute. Maybe the guy who got it rolling originally meant well but it turned out sour and maybe it's just me but he seems like maybe he wants a bit too much attention so...

I'm sorry for posting this again! It's just..I don't get this chance everyday!
Ever still think about working with Jeff Lynne I think you two would be fuckin awesome together.
Would you ever give an unkown band a chance to open for you guys?
How do you feel about Double Fantasy? I could see u covering watching the wheels
Have you seen the movie The Aviator any thoughts it is my favorite of all time. Not presently but he's a true hero of mine. Absolutely. I think we have or at least relatively but I could be mistaken Big Lennon fan. I piss in jars all the time only I throw them at people!! j/k

when are the online shop opening? I haven't been involved much in any of our merch and the reasons are it's been a mess legally for years. Unbeknownst to most of you I was recently sued again by Duff and Slash for some murky Merckiness that I was unaware and not involved in. Fortunately that was resolved but it got ugly and took a while going into arbitration.
Merck shifted our merch from some of our newer styles to incorporating more of the old with some scam that actually and surprisingly lost sales in comparison but that's old news. What I look forward to is incorporating the new artwork into our merch and getting some for myself. I think u'll like a lot of it. My vote's for the How Are You grenade and the Sorry automatic rifle artwork on shirts etc.

DEXTER/AXL, How do you feel about artists covering your songs ? Depends but in general it's great.

Hey Axl , whats your favourite song from either Chinese Democracy, or from an unreleased album? The bridge in "Elvis Presley and the Monster of Soul aka The Soul Monster (working title Leave Me Alone)" which will no doubt end up "Soul Monster". I think it's r most Black Sabbath moment. Sang it on a Christmas eve. Imo the meanest section of anything I've sung to date. Which having said that I'm sure when it's heard others may disagree but we felt it was a Christmas card of unadulterated venom so to speak. I felt a lot better afterward.

Axl, how is your relationship with the former members/friends of GNR??? Not sure I understand the question.

Axl, do you know of any steak house in the Los Angeles area better than The Cut? Haven't been but I hear it's great. Maestros T.O. is pretty good. Someone give me a list of all the alleged song titles at once and I'll tell what's real or not. Most from the past like cockroach soup or eulogy aren't.

Atlas Shrugged
No Love Remains
Take That
When Love Collides (I believe that was the name)

only Atlas

I know this is jumping the gun big time, but any tentative idea when you would like to see the next CD come out? No, maybe same bat time, same bat channel next year but we'll have to see.

Hey Axl, Is there anything in the past that you have now looked back on and thought maybe I culd have handled that differently, also what are your ongoing hopes for GnR in the future? I have cyclothemia and sometimes get this feeling that I cant be around people and need my own space and area, how do you find the bipolar effect you, if you dont mind me asking that is? thanks again for doing this. Of course but in the world of sports and litigation.... I've not been diagnosed as being bipolar though many misconstrue statements I made earlier as alluding to such and unfortunately there's been an abundance of misguided or unqualified speculation of various events but I definitely can relate to needing my own space. In my world all bi polar means (and not to offend or make light of those suffering from a genuine condition or involved with those who are) is that someone can try to take cheap uneducated shots or try to claim I'm bipolar thus justifying why they should get paid a financial settlement for whatever nonsense they're up to. Fortunately that hasn't proved successful.

Axl,
- What is your honest opinion on why the old lineup disintegrated?
- What is your honest opinion on why it took so long for CD to come out?

I think that's what most people want to know but don't dare to ask!

2 great but complicated questions and I agree that people would like to know at least my take on things. Not avoiding them here but they deserve more than I can give as we've been at this a little while. But I'm attempting to speak out on several issues these being a major focus over the coming weeks and months. What I can say now is u've been told a lot of things in order for others to promote themselves that factually they cannot backup in regard to either. They are complicated legally, financially and have devoured a good portion of my life. The record Chinese u may have is nothing short of a miracle in almost each and every way that either it or I exist imo under the bizarre and ugly conditions of the last over 15yrs. Thanks everyone and thanks for all the support and the positive comments both 2nite and over the years. I hope to do this again soon, maybe sooner than u'd think! And u didn't scare me off I'm just burnt and would rather not mispeak on issues that may mean a lot to some.

Thanks again.
Peace,
Axl-

And Checkmate is a bogus title.

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Round 2

Imagine you post on the Britney Spears fan forum. Now imagine the son of Britney's maid posting on the forum and everyone gushing over him because of his association to Britney. Nevermind that he never posts anything notable and is generally annoying. That's Fernando. Might as well start here... You're a little cunt and since you've been posting you've pretty much always been a little cunt. Blind accusations and insults by an anonymous coward and whiny shit stirrer aren't impressive or needed by anyone. Everyone else...talk with your administrator. Who wants to chat?!!

Pot meet kettle. Not real bright are ya?

No, not really. Then again I'm not the one who needs a house keeper to wipe my ass. Ah... another cunt! So shocking! Aw c'mon, nobody wants to play? U go on forever about where am I and I'm right here.

Yeah, I'm a miserable cunt who's not a fan of the band and Axl doesn't need fans like me. Reality check here. The only one's who's a apparently a miserable cunt is somebody who alienates and hides himself from the world and blames fans who pays his bills so he eat his duck roast dinner's. Axl instead of coming here and calling me a cunt get off your ass and stick your head out of the fucking window. "All I've got in the press is shit after shit" which is exactly what we have gotten. Instead of being so butt sore over what some dude on the Internet says do what you do best put on a helluva of a show and make good music. I don't work for you. Just cuz u think so don't make it true. Blame the fans?

I never said you worked for me.. Is it that hard to talk to your fan base? Fuck you're apparently doing it now. I don't know what Beta and Del have told you but us the fans have put up with your shit were the reason CD sold as much as it did along with every Gn"R record. After all the years of telling people to suck your dick you'd think you'd grow a fucking pair to actually speak or say something after the release other than hiding in the batcave under your desk while WASP plays with strippers going up and down. Blame the fans or anybody else seems to be the GN'R moto. Why would anyone have to tell me anything? What would you know of anything actually going on in my world. Nice fantasy though, wish I had the time.

Does Beta cuts you chicken dinner for you or do you actually cut it yourself?
I'm not acting tough against a computer screen I'm trying to figure out why the thing's in the GN'R camp is such a mindfuck and get Axl out of this little world of comfort he's apparently built for himself. Your misconceptions and fantasies along with your misguided sense of entitlement don't dictate my actions.

Board administrator:
Just so there is no confusion, the user "Dexter" is Axl Rose.

fan: a fight between a forum user and axl rose oh how classic is this Nah. Friendly banter by those with opposing views.

If this is true. I have one question for you Axl. What is stopping the fans from seeing you Slash, Duff, and Izzy back on stage together? U've been lied to and misled for such a long time that sorting through all that here is virtually impossible. A lot will come out over time but the truth has been out there for a long time as well but that doesn't give you what you want so this dance just goes on and on.

thanks for playing Rocket Queen in Melbourne The red bike was awesome I think it's in the Better vid. Not sure if we cut it.

just a quick question Axl, how come you always come on stage so late at gigs? ps I LOVE YOU MAN !!!!!!! I've been an after midnight type since I was sneakin' out of my house in Jr. High. With old Guns we preferred 12am or so. When we moved to theaters etc obviously that changes but it's never changed inside me. Doesn't matter what I do so generally that's when I'm more myself. This isn't to mess with anyone that has an early schedule to keep it's just personal preference. And in regard to the size venues I'm on record as preferring what ever venues allow for our schedule but management and promoters can do a lot in their own interests behind the scenes that can rarely be avoided and their greed or whatever leads to a lot of double talk and ugly behind nonsense that generally eventually ruins things for everyone. Translated once a tour is scheduled however it's like parting the seas to change. As far as being late, I've been that way my whole life. It drove Izzy crazy but he would check himself and freely admit I was generally actually doing something that had to get done rather than watching basketball etc.

Hey Dexter, Just wanted to say I really appreciate the song ‘Scraped’…Awesome work….Also, while I was interning for President-Elect Obama, we all found ‘Madagascar’ to be very inspirational on certain days….Also, seen you in Iowa in ’06 and you certainly didn’t look tardy…and in Ill in 02…I think you and the guys gave top performances… I can’t believe you entered this particular jungle tonight…haha Obama! That's a big gig! I need some presidential press advisors and speech writers!! I'd like to thank everyone for their positive comments. They're very appreciated.

Axl do you really have 2 or 3 other albums of material? For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double. And no offence but no one's trying to talk in parables. The issues are a bit more complex than anyone would like.

Axl I would like to know why you avoid the press so much. I think it's definitely hurting album sales, I mean, you haven't even done one interview. I know for sure you'd be able to get a few magazine covers. So why don't you? Why be such a hermit/recluse? That's ur opinion and it very well could be true. What I have to say a lot of people have no desire to hear. With our team we were able to negotiate thru a mountain of issues to be able to release the album. Within' those negotiations I believed I had secured agreements, commitments and assurances that would have allowed a promotional strategy to be implemented that obviously I've had a fair amount of time to consider. Unfortunately those things never happened and once the record was closer to release the biz went about things in their standard business as usual mode.

axl, why did you change "the bues" to "street of dreams"?? The Blues was my first working title and I was never comfortable with it in the sense that I felt that should be used with a bluesier based song. And here in Hollywood with the walk of fame etc I had always seen that imagery in my head when I think of it. I also like the idea of the song having in affect two titles.

Axl, have you been in contact with steven adler at all? Not as far as playing with him or anything, just to like lend him support? do wish Steven the best and in my heart hope that he finds some peace and security. As far as direct contact no. It unfortunately gets too messy too quick. In Steven's mind I'm the one who holds the keys and power over his happiness so I'm the bad guy pretty quickly.

A video for "Better" was mentioned. Any ideas for a date of release, and/or in what capacities it will be released? What style of video is planned - live footage, some more dramatic theme? Great song. Can't wait to see what you guys have created for a visual. Soon is the word as in a week or so.

Axl, cherry or original flavor Nyquil? prefer cherry night time for breakfast around 11pm

Hey Axl, Is Mickey going to pay you back for letting them use SCOM in the Wrestler by starring in a new Guns video? Actually Mickey agreed to play The Shackler if we were to make a vid for it.

I keep asking questions (like everybody else, I suppose) and feel stupid for asking so many, but I am also curious as to your relationship with Mickey Rourke. He's one of my favourite actors, and I saw an interview with him recently where he said you were kind enough to give him songs for The Wrestler. My question is: how long do you and Mickey go back, and do you have any interesting stories from "back in the day"? You guys strike me as being pretty similar in a lot of ways (I mean as far as personalities and what you've been through in your lives) and it's cool for me to see two of my pop culture "heroes," for lack of better description, being friends, and also making similarly timed "comebacks." (Or whatever you want to call it.) Mickey and I haven't really hung much but have a lot of mutual friends over the years. He's always been massively supportive. I've always been a big fan of his as well. It's probably better for both of us we didn't hang directly back in the day!!

Who do you listen to for hardcore blues? I'm a blues singer and I can tell from your work that you have at least got way into a couple of blues records Bessie Smith, Zep 1, Robert Johnson, Tumbleweed Connection, Janice.

Axl what do you think about Portuguese girls? Lots!!

Havin' a bit of trouble posting replies. Interrupted connection and all that. Here's some answers.
- Into Sorry musically most rt now. Estranged and Civil War probably somewhere.
- I probably just fucked the song up, wish it had deeper meaning.
- Sometimes but not underground!
- PC but I use both.

Hey Axl, is the song Atlas Shrugged as epic as the book? Who is your favorite character from the book? Song doesn't have all that much to do with the book other than trying to do what you believe in and a line about shoulders not being wide enough.

Yeah the internets going slow because so many users are online Axl was their ever a cover B and cover C for chinese democracy? Yes there are. There are 2 more covers/bk cover combos and the real booklet that is all artwork that will be out shortly in some form. It's been an ugly battle that hasn't made any sense to anyone and whether anyone cares about such things the booklet or artwork has always been something I've been passionate about and to release the album with unapproved and unseen final artwork with a !st work only error filled draft when others more recent were readily available still has not been explained but is finally getting cleared up. My fave is the How Are You Grenade cover.

Axl how do you feel about Kanye outselling Chinese Democracy? Do you like Kanye's music? I met Kanye at the Versace awards. He was very gracious. I love Gold Digger and told him so. I'm a big fan of his stage performance as he seems to go for it physically which I relate more to. B4 r release I sent him a msg that any nonsense from the media had nothing to do with us and wished him the best. I'm humbled we've done as well as we have considering.

YOWZA!

CONFIRMED BY THE GUNS N' ROSES OFFICIAL SITE
CHECK THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT HERE.

Estaba revisando la web, y vi que...

una modelo de nombre Karolina Kurkova, no tiene ombligo!
wtf haha.

Chuck Klosterman reviews Chinese Democracy

Es el mejor maldito review que alguien pudo/puede/podra hacer acerca del album "Chinese Democracy" de Guns N' Roses. Some props to Klosterman.

Guest reviewer Chuck Klosterman is the author of five books, including Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey In Rural North Dakota and the new novel Downtown Owl. There is no one in the world more qualified to review the exhaustingly anticipated new Guns N' Roses album than he is.

Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It's more like reviewing a unicorn. Should I primarily be blown away that it exists at all? Am I supposed to compare it to conventional horses? To a rhinoceros? Does its pre-existing mythology impact its actual value, or must it be examined inside a cultural vacuum, as if this creature is no more (or less) special than the remainder of the animal kingdom? I've been thinking about this record for 15 years; during that span, I've thought about this record more than I've thought about China, and maybe as much as I've thought about the principles of democracy. This is a little like when that grizzly bear finally ate Timothy Treadwell: Intellectually, he always knew it was coming. He had to. His very existence was built around that conclusion. But you still can't psychologically prepare for the bear who eats you alive, particularly if the bear wears cornrows.

Here are the simple things about Chinese Democracy: Three of the songs are astonishing. Four or five others are very good. The vocals are brilliantly recorded, and the guitar playing is (generally) more interesting than the guitar playing on the Use Your Illusion albums. Axl Rose made some curious (and absolutely unnecessary) decisions throughout the assembly of this project, but that works to his advantage as often as it detracts from the larger experience. So: Chinese Democracy is good. Under any halfway normal circumstance, I would give it an A.

But nothing about these circumstances is normal.

For one thing, Chinese Democracy is (pretty much) the last Old Media album we'll ever contemplate in this context—it's the last album that will be marketed as a collection of autonomous-but-connected songs, the last album that will be absorbed as a static manifestation of who the band supposedly is, and the last album that will matter more as a physical object than as an Internet sound file. This is the end of that. But the more meaningful reason Chinese Democracy is abnormal is because of a) the motives of its maker, and b) how those motives embargoed what the definitive product eventually became. The explanation as to why Chinese Democracy took so long to complete is not simply because Axl Rose is an insecure perfectionist; it's because Axl Rose self-identifies as a serious, unnatural artist. He can't stop himself from anticipating every possible reaction and interpretation of his work. I suspect he cares less about the degree to which people like his music, and more about how it is taken, regardless of the listener's ultimate judgment. This is why he was so paralyzed by the construction of Chinese Democracy—he can't write or record anything without obsessing over how it will be received, both by a) the people who think he's an unadulterated genius, and b) the people who think he's little more than a richer, red-haired Stephen Pearcy. All of those disparate opinions have identical value to him. So I will take Chinese Democracy as seriously as Axl Rose would hope, and that makes it significantly less simple. At this juncture in history, rocking is not enough.

The weirdest (yet more predictable) aspect of Chinese Democracy is the way 60 percent of the lyrics seem to actively comment on the process of making the album itself. The rest of the vocal material tends to suggest some kind of abstract regret over an undefined romantic relationship punctuated by betrayal, but that might just be the way all hard-rock songs seem when the singer plays a lot of piano and only uses pronouns. The craziest track, "Sorry," resembles spooky Pink Floyd and is probably directed toward former GNR drummer Steven Adler, although I suppose it might be about Slash or Stephanie Seymour or David Geffen. It could even be about Jon Pareles, for all I fucking know—Axl's enemy list is pretty Nixonian at this point. The most uplifting songs are "Street Of Dreams" (a leaked song previously titled "The Blues") and the exceptionally satisfying "Catcher In The Rye" (a softer, more sophisticated re-working of "Yesterdays" that occupies a conceptual self-awareness in the vein of Elton John or mid-period Queen). The fragile ballad "This I Love" is sad, melodramatic, and pleasurably traditional. There are many moments where it's impossible to tell who Axl is talking to, so it feels like he's talking to himself (and inevitably about himself). There's not much cogent storytelling, but it's linear and compelling. The best description of the overall literary quality of the lyrics would probably be "effectively narcissistic."

As for the music—well, that's actually much better than anticipated. It doesn't sound dated or faux-industrial, and the guitar shredding that made the final version (which I'm assuming is still predominantly Buckethead) is alien and perverse. A song like "Shackler's Revenge" is initially average, until you get to the solo—then it becomes the sonic equivalent of a Russian robot wrestling a reticulating python. Whenever people lament the dissolution of the original Guns N' Roses, the person they always focus on is Slash, and that makes sense. (His unrushed blues metal was the group's musical vortex.) But it's actually better that Slash is not on this album. What's cool about Chinese Democracy is that it truly does sound like a new enterprise, and I can't imagine that being the case if Slash were dictating the sonic feel of every riff. The GNR members Rose misses more are Izzy Stradlin (who effortlessly wrote or co-wrote many of the band's most memorable tunes) and Duff McKagan, the underappreciated bassist who made Appetite For Destruction so devastating. Because McKagan worked in numerous Seattle-based bands before joining Guns N' Roses, he became the de facto arranger for many of those pre-Appetite tracks, and his philosophy was always to take the path of least resistance. He pushed the songs in whatever direction felt most organic. But Rose is the complete opposite. He takes the path of most resistance. Sometimes it seems like Axl believes every single Guns N' Roses song needs to employ every single thing that Guns N' Roses has the capacity to do—there needs to be a soft part, a hard part, a falsetto stretch, some piano plinking, some R&B bullshit, a little Judas Priest, subhuman sound effects, a few Robert Plant yowls, dolphin squeaks, wind, overt sentimentality, and a caustic modernization of the blues. When he's able to temporarily balance those qualities (which happens on the title track and on "I.R.S.," the album's two strongest rock cuts), it's sprawling and entertaining and profoundly impressive. The soaring vocals crush everything. But sometimes Chinese Democracy suffers from the same inescapable problem that paralyzed proto-epics like "Estranged" and "November Rain": It's as if Axl is desperately trying to get some unmakeable dream song from inside his skull onto the CD, and the result is an overstuffed maelstrom that makes all the punk dolts scoff. His ambition is noble, yet wildly unrealistic. It's like if Jeff Lynne tried to make Out Of The Blue sound more like Fun House, except with jazz drumming and a girl singer from Motown.

Throughout Chinese Democracy, the most compelling question is never, "What was Axl doing here?" but "What did Axl think he was doing here?" The tune "If The World" sounds like it should be the theme to a Roger Moore-era James Bond movie, all the way down to the title. On "Scraped," there's a vocal bridge that sounds strikingly similar to a vocal bridge from the 1990 Extreme song "Get The Funk Out." On the aforementioned "Sorry," Rose suddenly sings an otherwise innocuous line ("But I don't want to do it") in some bizarre, quasi-Transylvanian accent, and I cannot begin to speculate as to why. I mean, one has to assume Axl thought about all of these individual choices a minimum of a thousand times over the past 15 years. Somewhere in Los Angles, there's gotta be 400 hours of DAT tape with nothing on it except multiple versions of the "Sorry" vocal. So why is this the one we finally hear? What finally made him decide, "You know, I've weighed all my options and all their potential consequences, and I'm going with the Mexican vampire accent. This is the vision I will embrace. But only on that one line! The rest of it will just be sung like a non-dead human." Often, I don't even care if his choices work or if they fail. I just want to know what Rose hoped they would do.

On "Madagascar," he samples MLK (possible restitution for "One In A Million"?) and (for the second time in his career) the movie Cool Hand Luke. Considering that the only people who will care about Rose's preoccupation with Cool Hand Luke are those already obsessed with his iconography, the doomed messianic message of that film must deeply (and predictably) resonate with his very being. But how does that contribute to "Madagascar," a meteorological metaphor about all those unnamed people who wanted to stop him from making Chinese Democracy in the insane manner he saw fit? Sometimes listening to this album feels like watching the final five minutes of the Sopranos finale. There's no acceptable answer to these types of hypotheticals.

Still, I find myself impressed by how close Chinese Democracy comes to fulfilling the absurdly impossible expectation it self-generated, and I not-so-secretly wish this had actually been a triple album. I've maintained a decent living by making easy jokes about Axl Rose for the past 10 years, but what's the final truth? The final truth is this: He makes the best songs. They sound the way I want songs to sound. A few of them seem idiotic at the beginning, but I love the way they end. Axl Rose put so much time and effort into proving that he was super-talented that the rest of humanity forgot he always had been. And that will hurt him. This record may tank commercially. Some people will slaughter Chinese Democracy, and for all the reasons you expect. But he did a good thing here.

Grade: A-

Antonio Cassano y su "Dicco Tutto"

"Si no hubiera sido por aquel gol al Inter en 1999, ahora quizá sería un ladrón o un tironero, en definitiva un delincuente". Esta es una de las muchas confesiones que hace el ex madridista Antonio Cassano en su autobiografía 'Lo digo todo', que se pondrá a la venta el próximo 19 de noviembre y para la que ha contado con la colaboración del periodista Pierluigi Pardo, según informa La Gazzetta dello Sport. Cassano también habla de su vida personal: "He estado con 600 o 700 mujeres, una veintena de ellas del mundo del espectáculo".

El futbolista, que tuvo una infancia difícil en Bari, su ciudad natal, dice: "Fui pobre, pero tengo que precisar que no he trabajado en mi vida, quizá porque tampoco sé hacer nada". Con sus entrenadores es especialmente duro, empezando por Capello: "En Tarragona me tuvo calentando todo el segundo tiempo junto a Ronaldo. En el vestuario le dije: "Eres un hombre de mierda. Eres más falso que el dinero del Monopoly". Los demás no salen mejor parados: "A Del Neri no se le entendía un carajo. Todo lo que decía tenía dos caras. A Gentile lo detestaba. Con Fascetti es con el único que no me he peleado".

De su vida amorosa dice: "Cuatro novias en once años son pocas. Pero he tenido muchas aventuras, 600 o 700. He jugado grandes partidos después de haber practicado sexo. Por ejemplo, un Roma-Juventus que ganamos por 4-0. Me dieron las seis de la mañana con una de las muchas amigas que tenía entonces. En Madrid era todavía más fácil porque residía en un hotel y podía invitar a quien quisiera y luego devolverla al corazón de la noche. Tenía un camarero amigo. Su obligación subirme tres o cuatro crusanes después de haber hecho el amor. Quedábamos en la escalera y hacíamos el cambio. Él se llevaba a la chica y yo me quedaba con los bollos. Sexo y comida, la noche perfecta".

También recuerda su infancia: "Jugábamos detrás de los bancos y todos me querían en el equipo. Luego apostaban diez, quince o veinte mil liras al combinado en el que estaba yo. Como era el más importante, tenían que darme un porcentaje. He tenido 17 años de desgraciado y nueve de millonario".

Bah, talentino.

Cabeza hueca :)

Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses | Review : Rolling Stone

Let's get right to it: The first Guns n' Roses album of new, original songs since the first Bush administration is a great, audacious, unhinged and uncompromising hard-rock record. In other words, it sounds a lot like the Guns n' Roses you know. At times, it's the clenched-fist five that made 1987's perfect storm, Appetite for Destruction; more often, it's the one sprawled across the maxed-out CDs of 1991's Use Your Illusion I and II, but here compressed into a convulsive single disc of supershred guitars, orchestral fanfares, hip-hop electronics, metallic tabernacle choirs and Axl Rose's still-virile, rusted-siren singing.

If Rose ever had a moment's doubt or repentance over what Chinese Democracy has cost him in time (13 years), money (14 studios are listed in the credits) and body count — including the exit of every other founding member of the band — he left no room for it in these 14 songs. "I bet you think I'm doin' this all for my health," Rose cracks through the saturation-bombing guitars in "I.R.S.," one of several glancing references on the album to what he knows a lot of people think of him: that Rose, now 46, has spent the last third of his life running off the rails, in half-light. But when he snaps, "All things are possible/I am unstoppable," in the thumper "Scraped," that's not loony hubris — just a good old rock & roll "fuck you," the kind that made him and the old band hot and famous in the first place.

Something else Rose broadcasts over and over on Chinese Democracy: Restraint is for suckers. There is plenty of familiar guitar firepower — the stabbing-dagger lick that opens the first track, "Chinese Democracy," the sand-devil fuzz in "Riad N' the Bedouins" and the looping squeals over the grand anguish of "Street of Dreams." But what Slash and Izzy Stradlin used to do with two guitars now takes a wall of 'em. On some tracks, Rose has up to five guys — Robin Finck, Buckethead, Paul Tobias, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Richard Fortus — riffing and soloing in broad, saw-toothed blurs. And that's no drag. I still think the wild, superstuffed "Oh My God" — the early Chinese Democracy track wasted on the 1999 End of Days soundtrack — beats everything on Guns n' Roses' 1993 covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?

Most of these songs also go through multiple U-turns in personality, as if Rose kept trying new approaches to a hook or a bridge and then decided, "What the hell, they're all cool." "Better" starts with what sounds like hip-hop voicemail — severely pinched guitar, drum machine and a near-falsetto Rose ("No one ever told me when/I was alone/They just thought I'd know better") — before blowing up into vintage Sunset Strip wallop. "If the World" has Buckethead plucking acoustic Spanish guitar over a blaxploitation-film groove, while Rose shows that he still holds a long-breath vowel — part torture victim, part screaming jet — like no other rock singer.

And there is so much going on in "There Was a Time" — strings and Mellotron, a full-strength choir and Rose's overdubbed sour-growl harmonies, wah-wah guitar and a false ending (more choir) — that it's easy to believe Rose spent most of the past decade on that arrangement alone. But it is never a mess, more like a loud mass of bad memories and hard lessons. In the first lines, Rose goes back to a beginning much like his own — "Broken glass and cigarettes/ Writin' on the wall/It was a bargain for the summer/An' I thought I had it all" — then piles on the wreckage along with the orchestra and guitars. By the end, it's one big melt of missing and kiss-off ("If I could go back in time . . . But I don't want to know it now"). If this is the Guns n' Roses that Rose kept hearing in his head all this time, it is obvious why two guitars, bass and drums were never going to be enough.

It is plain, too, that he thinks this Guns n' Roses is a band, as much as the one that recorded "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Used to Love Her" and "Civil War." The voluminous credits that come with Chinese Democracy certainly give detailed credit where it is due. My favorite: "Initial arrangement suggestions: Youth on 'Madagascar." Rose takes the big one — "Lyrics N' Melodies by Axl Rose" — but shares full-song bylines with other players on all but one track. Bassist Tommy Stinson plays on nearly every song, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed, the only survivor from the Illusion lineup, does the Elton John-style piano honors on "Street of Dreams."

But Rose still sings a lot about the power of sheer, solitary will even when he throws himself into a bigger fight, like "Chinese Democracy." In "Madagascar," which Rose has played live for several years now, he samples both Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and dialogue from Cool Hand Luke. And at the end of the album, on the bluntly titled "Prostitute," Rose veers from an almost conversational tenor, over a ticking-bomb shuffle, to five-guitar barrage, orchestral lightning and righteous howl: "Ask yourself/Why I would choose/To prostitute myself/To live with fortune and shame." To him, the long march to Chinese Democracy was not about paranoia and control. It was about saying "I won't" when everyone else insisted, "You must." You may debate whether any rock record is worth that extreme self-indulgence. Actually, the most rock & roll thing about Chinese Democracy is he doesn't care if you do.

Fan thoughts:

"5 of 5 stars.

You have to love the haters on the board. It's "sexy" to hate Axl Rose...because he doesn't cater to what everybody wants. The actual definition of Rock n Roll is "not giving a fuck" and nobody personifies this better than W. Axl Rose. If you want to pretend to like Rock n Roll and also want everything to go absolutely as planned...that's your problem.

I've seen Axl live several times...and everytime I've seen him he's been nothing short of incredible. The man may take 2 hours to get on stage...but once he does he plays for over 3 hours. And he rips the hell out of the stage.

I've seen Cinderella, I've seen Soundgaren. Neither hold a candle to Axl Rose on stage as a performer. Chris Cornell even admitted in an interview after they opened that Axl was one of the greatest frontmen he's seen.

Hell, even James Hetfield himself...who HATES Axl Rose with a passion...came out recently about Axl's new album saying "there is no denying that the man is talented...he's one of the greatest frontmen in history."

Like I've said, it's "sexy" and the cool thing to do to hate Axl Rose. Read the bashing from the writers...listen to the nobody bands that are jealous of his success...the bottom line is...he does what he wants...and like the review states above..he really doesn't give a fuck whether or not you like him.

I've heard most of the album and it's absolutely phenominal. It's the equivelant to a harder "Achtung Baby" style record...where there's a little bit of everyone on there...

Here's a question...if you hate the album and Axl Rose so much? Why do you take the time...YOUR TIME...the time out of your day to write hatred about him...seems to me you don't hate him enough where he's not worth at least a little of your time..."

"I am one of the few that has actually heard all of the songs in both finished and unfinished form.

The finished version of the songs sound more like the old songs but with some modern twists. There are two songs on the album which I would consider as filler. There first is the title track Chinese Democracy. It is a farely decent rock track but it doesn't represent the album well. I am assuming it was chosen as a single because it was the title track. Riad is the second filler track. Once again it is a decent rock song but doesn't represent the album well.

Songs like Better, Scraped, and IRS are the classic Guns N' Roses rock songs. The song Shacklers Revenge, sounds more like Axl singing over a song by Disturbed.

There Was a Time, Madagascar, This I Love, and Street of Dreams (The Blues) are epic songs like you would find on the Use Your Illusion Albums. Catcher (In the Rye) is another epic, but made in the mold of the legendary band QUEEN. Sorry is the most venom filled slow grinding song that is a cross between the old Guns N' Roses and Pink Floyd.

With all the innovation it still remains classic rock.

I have to give this 5 stars."

Este Madrid...

Tomo aire, inhala... exhala... esto va a ser estresante.

En el partido de Champions entre Real Madrid y Juventus no me ha gustado nada, excepto Del Piero. Ni me ha gustado mi Madird, ni el equipo italiano que con orden y defensa nos ha metido dos; y ni hablar de Schuster que hace los cambios cuando de poco sirven. Ni siquiera Casillas me ha gustado, que en el segundo gol ha errado colocando la barrera y haciendo la estatua para inflar a un Del Piero que en la ida ya se había excedido.

De ese partido puedo decir que el Real Madrid no tiene sustituto para el único extremo del equipo y que para colmo se lesiona hasta en el calentamiento. Que la banda derecha está vacía y solamente Sergio Ramos está para cubrirla, y cuando Sergio está mal el ataque se produce por la banda contraria, que si por ahí está Robben no pasa nada, pero estaba Drenthe, y se notó. Drenthe, además jugando donde a él le gusta y donde se supone que da más de sí. Pero se le nota muy desesperado, sobre revolucionado e impreciso, pero al menos corre... y es que eso en este Madrid aveces es un lujo. Ni Raúl intentando sacar penaltis de la nada, ni tampoco Van Nistelrooy metiendo su casi habitual gol. La realidad es que el Real Madrid no ha conseguido marcar un gol en su propio estadio.

Y con que poquito se ha llevado la Juventus el partido. Un gran Del Piero que aparece para lo que aparece: para decidir el choque. La verdad es que la Juve tampoco ha necesitado mucho más. Hace unas semanas también fue vital. Qué locura de jugador, a sus treinta y cuatro años sigue definiendo importantes partidos con goles de falta, de fuera del área y de crack, que es lo que "Pinturicchio" es.

Ganar le hubiese venido al Madrid de maravilla. El club de mis amores necesita agua, y urgente, para apagar el incendio en el que se ahoga y en el que Del Piero, el eterno Del Piero al que el Santiago Bernabéu ovacionó como en su día hizo con Ronaldinho (vaya dia en el Lago Bar), echó más gasolina. La Juventus, con menos que poco sacó petróleo de la casa blanca. Un zurdazo y un derechazo de su estrella en declive (ficticio) bastaron para complacer a Claudio Ranieri, quien explicó su particular mensaje a sus futbolistas en los vestuarios ("Les dije que jugaran como en el play station.")

A quien el discurso le falla es a Bernd Schuster, de cuya boca salió: “Hemos estado tácticamente fenomenal”. Y tan fenomenal: más humo de la hoguera. (h!j0 de p.#$@)

Desde la derrota frente a la Juventus, Schuster parece Dos Caras, uno de los malos contra los que se enfrenta Batman. Dos Caras era antes de ser quemado por el ácido, Harvey Dent, uno de los aliados de Batman en su lucha contra el crimen, que enloqueció gracias a un desorden de personalidad múltiple, al no poder hacer que la justicia protegiera a su amada (vean la película, es en serio). Escuchar en la rueda de prensa a Schuster retando a los periodistas para que le faciliten el nombre de un jugador que les mejore en invierno, es en el fondo una forma para defender a una plantilla que ahora padece de falta de autoestima, y que señala con el dedo al que considera el culpable de todo esto, Mijatovic.

Schuster se ha convertido en Dos Caras, de puertas a dentro piensa otra cosa a lo que dice en público. Su batalla personal por retener a Robinho no era más que reconocer su importancia dentro de una plantilla que sangra por las bandas y que no tiene ni un sólo jugador desequilibrante.

Como el personaje de Batman, Schuster ve enemigos por todas partes, y se enfrenta contra los que no tienen vela en todos los problemas del club. Aunque si dice lo que piensa, seguramente sellaría su salida del club blanco. Sin embargo, debe entender que a quien señala como culpable está esperando acontecimientos, y que pese al título ganado, le ha tenido siempre enfilado.

Pierde crédito poco a poco... y aliados. El fútbol es así, no hay buenos sentimientos, sólo resultados. Y lo peor es que el FC Barcelona, está retratando todos los males del Madrid.

Cuando Eto’o se aburre e improvisa lo que le sale al celebrar los goles, cuando Carles Puyol se ubica en el lateral izquierdo, cuando Messi pone de pie a un estadio entero cada vez que agarra el balón, cuando Víctor Valdés luce como buen portero, cuando Gudjohnshen define ccomo un grande… Cuando todo eso ocurre es que algo muy bueno está pasando en el Camp Nou.

El Barcelona enamora, y me calla con su fútbol.

Mata en los primeros tiempos, baila a sus contrarios. El Barcelona de Pep Guardiola es "un deprave." Las dudas que muchos tenían en cuanto a darle el banquillo a un hombre sin experiencia se han ido con fútbol total. El Barça de Guardiola da rienda suelta a la imaginación... y golea. Ya suma cinco goleadas en diez jornadas.

Eto’o las clava como se pone los guayos, casi sin darse cuenta. Messi rompe las defensa con una naturalidad loca, pasando de la aceleración a la pausa en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Xavi dirige la orquesta con los ojos cerrados. Dani Alves imprime un impulso en la derecha descomunal, las coberturas de los centrales no fallan nunca, los suplentes salen y la rompen… El Barça cautiva a su gente y lo que no se entiende, de ninguna de las maneras, es que el Camp Nou no se llene.

Una imagen vale más que mil palabras, dicen en la calle. Basta con ver por televisión las caras de los aficionados celebrando los goles, rostros de incredulidad, de alucinación e incluso incomprensión ante lo que están viendo, un vendaval de fútbol salvaje y frito, un trato al balón exquisito, con un ilimitado "tiki taca" como dice Jimmy, cada toque repleto de criterio e intención. En el último juego fueron seis goles pero pudieron ser catorce. Por cierto, no jugaba Iniesta, lesionado.

Jamás pensé que el partido del Real Madrid ante el Málaga lo fuese a ganar el Madrid. No hay que hacer un gran ejercicio mental para saber que el once titular que Schuster nos ha ofrecido esta noche es más que novedoso, fue como uno de esos peinados de Beckham: único e irrepetible. El Madrid sin Robben, osea: equipo sin extremos... y sin Van Nistelrroy es otro. Por suerte hay un tal Higuaín que vale tanto para la derecha, como de segundo punta o jugando arriba él solo, y de ésto último fue donde jugó todo el encuentro.

Primero marca el Málaga, y empata Pipita. Vuelve a marcar el Málaga, vuelve a empatar Pipita, y antes de que el Málaga se volviera a poner por delante Sergio Ramos caminaba con la boca cerrada hacia el banquillo con otra roja más en su lista dejando la banda derecha madridista huérfana de jugador, totalmente. Le cae el tercero a Casillas en un penalti. De nuevo “Van Higuaínstelrooy” al rescate para meter un golazo desde fuera de área... y para acabar con su hazaña marca el cuarto cuando no habían pasado ni diez minutos del anterior.

No es la primera vez que Higuaín salva al Madrid, y seguro que tampoco será la última. En estos meses que Van Nistelrooy estará fuera, el argentino no es que sea la mejor solución, es que es la única.

Me gustó Marcelo, otra vez con Drenthe por delante de él, será que con 'Tyspn' parecerá mejor de lo que realmente es. No me gustó Heinze otra vez de central, un gran jugador de equipo pero que jugando en el eje de la zaga no puede disimular tanto sus errores. Y sobre todo me gusto Higuaín, porque sino estuviera el partido acabaría con la derrota de mi madrid.

Respira el Real Madrid, pero deja en claro dos sensaciones: esto no es la Champions, tal y como jugó el Madrid, la Juve hubiera sacado otra vez petróleo, y la liga es de cinco o seis equipos, más un bojote de 14. El partido de hoy deja en mal lugar a la liga, al Real Madrid recogiendo las sobras que va dejando el Barcelona en los rivales contra los que le toca enfrentarse a los blancos una semana luego. Unos ganan silbando y con baile de salón, mientras otros lo hacen con sangre, sudor y lágrimas, y fumando una "pipa".

¿Por qué no es titular indiscutible? Ahí Schuster tiene la respuesta, como la de hacer cambios en el sistema de juego, o la de recurrir como única arma al espíritu encomiable de la plantilla. Algo con lo que, ante rivales exigentes, no vale.

El mito de esa gran plantilla que proclamaba Calderón, derrumbándose. ¿Qué pasará cuando no le acompañen los resultados? Ni Batman pudo darle esa respuesta a Harvey Dent.

Al final, entre todos, hacen grande a Capello. Los caprichos del dios fútbol.

La "Obamanía" y Hugo Chávez

Es imposible escapar de la Obamanía.

Se ha dicho mucho sobre este hombre, lo cual es ínfimo con respecto a lo que se dirá. Cada cual descubrirá un ángulo, asomará un algo peculiar, y después de tantos hallazgos e inventos, el hombre de carne y hueso, Barack Obama quedará recubierto de la imagen que el mundo se habrá construido de él. Poco permanecerá de aquel exitoso senador, de grata sonrisa y aguzado ingenio, que se atrevió a desafiar lo previsible. Obama ha entrado, veloz, al mundo de los mitos. Y como todos los mitos ya hay quienes quieren hacerlo decir lo que no ha dicho, y significar lo que todavía no se sabe. A pesar de todas las prevenciones hay pistas.

Antes que haga nada en la Presidencia de EEUU, Obama representa un cambio gigantesco. Él es el cambio; después se verá si hace que las cosas cambien; pero él ya es un cambio. Reunió casi 70% de los nuevos votantes, así como la mayor parte de los latinos, de los negros y de los católicos. Allí ha cristalizado una voluntad que puede o no lograr lo prometido, pero que ha condensado una fuerza que buscaba dirección. Así como ha sido posible durante estos años recientes encontrarse a ciudadanos de los EEUU abochornados por su Presidente, hoy es asombroso el orgullo que los posee. Pasar de la abominación al orgullo no es fácil.

Obama es una apuesta riesgosa para su país y para sí mismo. La voluntad de cambio que encarna es tan grande que el riesgo es mayúsculo. Si se llega a percibir que lo que hace es más de lo mismo, se acabará el encanto y el agraciado príncipe hawaiano puede convertirse en un feo ratón orejudo. Hay algunos indicadores vivificantes, el fundamental de los cuales es que mantuvo una línea en su campaña, consistente, lo cual puede augurar compromiso firme con su propuesta transformadora.

Si hace rápido algo de lo que ha ofrecido o si muestra que toma los pasos adecuados en la dirección de sus promesas, un país orgulloso lo acompañará. El tiempo de Obama es mucho más reducido que el de los demás mortales. Ahora se le juzgará cuando se vea cómo enfrenta los problemas que Bush ha tenido. Por cierto, entonces también se juzgará a Bush. Estos días, un comandante militar destacado en Irak descorazonó a algunos de los soldados a su mando cuando les desmontó el sueño que tenían de volver a su casa este diciembre, para celebrar las Navidades. Pensaban que, de ganar Obama, así ocurriría. La esperanza cobra rápido sus deudas.

América Latina.

La región no fue importante en la campaña electoral, aunque Obama ha manifestado su disposición a reunirse con amigos y enemigos. En el caso latinoamericano eso significa, concretamente, que estaría dispuesto a reunirse con Chávez, Correa, Morales y Ortega; es decir, con aquéllos con los cuales Bush no se reunió.

Sin embargo, no resulta útil pensar que un presidente serio se va a congregar sin trabajo previo, sin agenda definida y sin aspectos formales muy bien establecidos. Esa idea de que Obama se va a reunir con unos fulanos para que lo regañen es combinar desparpajo con ignorancia. Él sabe que Lula no es Chávez, que Tabaré no es Morales, que Lugo no es Ortega, que Kirchner no es Correa.

Si el nuevo presidente de EEUU es audaz, suspenderá el embargo a Cuba, eliminará Guantánamo como centro de reclusión y tal vez inicie los trámites para su devolución. Establecerá relaciones cordiales con América Latina, lo cual comenzará con un lenguaje deferente y amistoso. Tendrá que domesticar la tentación proteccionista, para abrirse a la posibilidad de un tratado realista de libre comercio para las Américas.

No tratará de construir las políticas de seguridad sobre sistemas migratorios odiosos y discriminadores. Entenderá el problema de las drogas prohibidas como un mercado de dos puntas, oferta y demanda, que deberá ser tomado en conjunto. En fin, insistirá en la promesa de amistad a América Latina, la misma que se le fugó a Bush después de los ataques terroristas de 2001. Pero, ¿tendrá la audacia de ocuparse de una región que su predecesor ha considerado poco importante? ¿América Latina existirá para Obama? Las guerras de Afganistán e Irak, junto al desastre financiero y económico de EEUU y el mundo, auguran poca atención. A pesar de esto, ¿se atreverá?

Chávez, en forma prudente, cambió el discurso según el cual McCain y Obama eran lo mismo al mostrarse, ahora, proclive a entenderse con el nuevo Presidente. Esto podría significar leve signo de cordura. Sin embargo, en su naturaleza no está insinuar una mejoría en las relaciones sin meter la pata hasta el fondo.

Chávez afirmó que los vientos de cambio que se habían iniciado en Suramérica estaban llegando al Norte; con lo cual estaba intentando proclamar, con la mano boba suelta, que él, Chávez, en algún modo era el promotor del cambio que ahora llegaba a EEUU. Idea enloquecida y ridícula, que sería como decir que la razón del movimiento de los planetas es que el caudillo venezolano baila joropo, y como aquéllos y éste se mueven, entonces el uno es la causa del otro.

Hay un cambio global en marcha; las sociedades tradicionales están saltando en pedazos. Algunos de esos cambios son realmente progresistas y otros son reediciones de viejos episodios militaristas y autoritarios. En todas partes hay cambios, pero no todos tienen el mismo sentido.

La falta de prudencia ha conducido a Chávez a anunciar una reunión la cual es de dudar que Obama haya, siquiera, considerado. Le puede ocurrir como ya le aconteció cuando pregonaba a los cuatro vientos que le había dicho a Bush “I want to be your friend” y que -según él- Bush le había contestado “I want to be your friend too”. El resultado fue que el presidente de EEUU se reunió con María Corina Machado y dejó con los crespos hechos al audaz barinés.

Ojalá el nuevo presidente de EEUU se reúna con el de acá porque para ese encuentro las diplomacias de ambos países tendrán que subir un corozo sin pañales. ¿Se habrá enterado el de acá que Obama se ha planteado eliminar/disminuir la dependencia de su país del petróleo importado? ¿Comprenderá que esto es un propósito que puede ser un destino para Venezuela?

Sería pensar que en EEUU un presidente es omnipotente, como pretende acá el caudillo criollo. Es útil que alguien le recuerde a Chávez que Washington sigue en el mismo sitio, que allí hay instituciones poderosas que nadie se las puede pasar fácilmente por el arco de triunfo. Que sí, que hay un poder presidencial gigantesco, pero que las instituciones constriñen y condicionan. Para bien o para mal, a EEUU le será más fácil entenderse con la familia Castro en Cuba, altamente predecible en sus conductas, que con las loqueteras de quien acaba de expulsar al embajador norteamericano del país que regenta.

Algo que Chávez parece ignorar, y es que el imperio no es el imperio porque Bush lo maneje. El imperio fue, es y será siempre igual.

Por cierto, Hugo, ¿los gringos siguen siendo, como dijiste, “gringos de m…” o ya se dejaron de eso?

"Chino & Nacho" no se saben el himno nacional

HAHA.
Seguramente les pego la presion.
"Pero si ellos han 'cantado' en grandes eventos como el miss Venezuela o la orquidea..."
"Ah no cierto, verdad que alli doblaron siempre."

An Open Letter to Axl Rose, from Every Time I Die

Every Time I Die have posted an open letter to Axl Rose, it reads as follows:

An Open Letter to Axl Rose Ending With an Impression of Howard Dean,

Thanks a shitload Axl. You haven’t put out in GNR record in 10 years and the month we decide to go out on a tour cleverly named NOVEMBER REIGN, you find it prime time for 'Chinese Democracy' to hit shelves. You couldn’t have waited another 3 weeks? We haven’t done a single headlining tour on 'The Big Dirty' so this was a really big deal for us. You should have seen Josh’s face light up when he thought of the name. The guys in THE BRONX and STICK TO YOU GUNS were happier than pigs in shit to be a part of this epic journey across the East coast. But you just couldn’t stand to see us happy. Buckethead probably wouldn’t have stolen our thunder. And when I met Matt Sorum at House of Guitars like 16 years ago, he came off as a real nice dude who would be glad to let us have November to ourselves. Well fuck it, we’re doing it anyways. Starting November 1st, we’re going to Quebec City! and then we’re going to Milwaukee! And then we’re going to JOPLIN…AND NASHVILLE…AND RICHMOND AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO FARMINGDALE TO TAKE BACK THE CRAZY DONKEY!!! BEYYYYYAAAWWW!!!!!

love every time i die.
ps. you rock.


HAHAHAHAHAHA.
los amo <3

Ojala haya sido por distraccion...

Esa "evolucion"

"En algún momento este país se convirtió en el que es hoy. En un instante crítico, o en varios, que hoy brillan como lámparas de hospital en la memoria, esto se cubrió de violencia, estupidez, egoísmo y confusión.

Sin embargo, hubo varios presagios. Nos preguntaron qué pasaría en Venezuela si no existiera Pepeganga, y creíamos que era un simple eslogan comercial. La gente prudente advirtió que venían tiempos de vacas flacas, pero los mandaron a callar y los llamaron "profetas del desastre". Y los demás, al parecer, teníamos la cabeza en otras cosas. Estábamos muy distraídos.

En 1983, la fe en que el petróleo nos convertiría en Miami fue reemplazada por la irritación ante los desconcertantes términos económicos que poco a poco se harían tan comunes en los noticieros. Nuestra prosperidad de los setenta resultó ser una promesa de borracho. Pero no hicimos lo que había que hacer en los años siguientes, porque eso hubiera equivalido tal vez a perdernos Las ama zonas, bajarle el volumen al picó donde escuchábamos a Wilfrido Vargas y pensar en algo más que comprar franelas Town&Country en Margarita.

En 1989, se desmoronó en tres días lo que Moisés Naím y Ramón Piñango llamaron de modo inolvidable "la ilusión de armonía". Nuestras vidas no volverían a ser iguales y el miedo se convertiría en la gran emoción común. No obstante, en ese momento la prioridad era aprender a bailar lambada y salsa erótica. Hermosos carros importados sorteaban los huecos y nos los comíamos con los ojos.

En 1992, se puso de moda echarle la culpa a CAP de absolutamente todo y descubrimos los cacerolazos. Según recuerdo, a casi todo el mundo le pareció finísimo que los rumores de golpe de Estado se hicieran realidad. "¡Pana, parece una película! ¡Los cañones sonaban bum, bum, bum!" Celebrábamos el fin del aburrimiento nacional con canciones de Fito Páez y creíamos que el país cambiaría como lo estaba haciendo Europa oriental. Era chévere ser cínico y vestirse de negro. Los síntomas de nuestro enloquecimiento incluyeron, por ejemplo, creer que comprarse un carro fabricado en la recién derrumbada Unión Soviética era buena idea. Tener televisión por cable era más urgente que conservar una democracia.

En 1999, un hombre se agarró el país para él solo, con la inapreciable ayuda de gran parte de la población. Mientras tanto, nosotros estábamos ocupados en el resurgir de la chicha y los churros, en conocer cines remodelados o en lamentar la decadencia de la producción de misses.

En 2002, lo que estaba de moda era una curiosa combinación psicológica: creer que el presente no podía ser peor, y a la vez, que unos pocos actos providenciales harían de la mañana siguiente un paraíso. Vino el bendito paro que no trajo nada bueno, pero nos las arreglamos para conseguir cerveza fría y convertir una protesta en una bailoterapia. Confundimos a militares con estrellas pop y a estrellas pop con estadistas. Todo cambió para seguir igual, y sumergimos nuestra frustración en reguetón, bebidas energéticas y celulares.

No es por ser pavoso ni aguafiestas, pero me pregunto: ¿qué estará pasando ahora, mientras estamos de nuevo concentrados en Latin American Idol, en aprendernos la ley de la atracción de El secreto, o en ir a conocer un nuevo mall? ¿Cuáles nuevos presagios estamos ignorando?"

RAFAEL OSÍO CABRICES
(fuente): REVISTA SIEMPRE EN DOMINGO DE EL NACIONAL