Galileo Galilei

The tomb (L) of astronomer Galileo Galilei is seen at the Santa Croce basilica in Florence January 22, 2009. Italian and British scientists want to exhume the body of 16th century astronomer Galileo for DNA tests to determine if his severe vision problems may have affected some of his findings. The scientists told Reuters on Thursday that DNA tests would help answer some unresolved questions about the health of the man known as the father of astronomy, whom the Vatican condemned for teaching that the earth revolves around the sun.

La Flota Rusa del Pacífico

NEWS - RUSSIA
Entrenamiento de paracaidistas de la Flota rusa del Pacífio
Los paracaidistas de la Flota rusa del Pacífico se dirigen al avión An-26.

El instructor conversa con los paracaidistas de la Flota rusa del Pacífico.

Paracaidistas de la Flota rusa del Pacífico saltaron del avión An-26.

Galileo Galilei

NEWS - ITALY

The 1635 portrait of astronomer Galileo Galilei by Dutch painter Justus Sustermans hangs in the Palazzo Pitti art gallery in Florence January 22, 2009. Italian and British scientists want to exhume the body of 16th century astronomer Galileo for DNA tests to determine if his severe vision problems may have affected some of his findings. The scientists told Reuters on Thursday that DNA tests would help answer some unresolved questions about the health of the man known as the father of astronomy, whom the Vatican condemned for teaching that the earth revolves around the sun.

Muhammad Ali

NEWS - USA
At the inaugural Bluegrass Ball
Muhammad Ali, right, is presented with two paintings as his wife Lonnie Ali, far right, and presenter Ashley Judd, second from left, look on at the inaugural Bluegrass Ball Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington.

Kentucky Gov. Steven L. Beshear, left, presents Muhammad Ali, center, with a bust of Abraham Lincoln as his wife Lonnie Ali looks on at the inaugural Bluegrass Ball Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington.

Muhammad Ali / Time Capsule

Muhammad Ali / Don King / Joe Frazier

Muhammad Ali and the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley

Muhammad Ali / Time Capsule

Muhammad Ali - Time capsule

Putin’s First Painting

Putin’s First Painting Raises 37 Million Rubles for Charity
By Paul Abelsky

Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Vladimir Putin’s first painting fetched 37 million rubles ($1.14 million) at a charity auction in his native St. Petersburg last night.
.
The Russian prime minister’s picture of a frosty window made the highest price of 30 works on offer. Buyers showed support for the artists and the sale’s chosen charities, two hospitals and a church that is being restored in Putin’s hometown.
.
“The painting shows another aspect of a great personality,” its buyer Natalia Kournikova said. She just had to buy it because of its creator and will put it on display in her Kournikova gallery, she said.
.
Organizers said the evening sale showed that the economic crisis has not ended some rich Russians’ desire for good deeds.
.
“What difficulties in our country can anyone be talking about if we have generous people like this,” said Igor Gavryushkin, head of the foundation that organized the auction. “No one expected such staggering results.”
.
The auction tallied 70 million rubles, more than triple the 20.5 million rubles raised last year.
Putin’s work featured a frost-encrusted window framed by embroidered curtains and the Russian letter “u,” for “uzor” (pattern). He produced the painting in collaboration with local artist Nadezhda Anfalova during a Dec. 26 visit to the city and prominently inscribed his signature in the upper-left corner.
.
The 30 pictures, each featuring a different letter, were loosely based on “Christmas Eve,” a story by 19th-century author Nikolai Gogol, and were painted on woolen cloth, a reference to another Gogol story, “The Overcoat.”
.
Governor’s Picture
Russia’s prime minister beat out other local favorites, including St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko’s “Blizzard,” which went for 11.5 million rubles to Alexander Yevnevich, chairman of retail chain Maxidom, with his daughter Maria bidding for him.
.
The other top-selling lots included a painting by Father Frost, the Russian Santa Claus, which was sold for 4 million rubles, while the work of Vadim Tulpanov, head of St. Petersburg’s legislature, fetched 1.6 million rubles.
.
A painting by opera soprano Anna Netrebko was bought for 1.1 million rubles.
Putin, 56, is a former KGB colonel who succeeded Boris Yeltsin as president in 2000 before stepping down from the post last May.
.
During his tenure, Putin helped along the ascendance of other natives of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-biggest city, including President Dmitry Medvedev and Alexei Miller, chief executive officer of OAO Gazprom.
.
The prime minister enjoys an 83 percent approval rating, according to the latest poll available from the Moscow-based Levada center.
-
LEER ESTA NOTICIA EN SU LUGAR DE ORIGEN

Barco de la Juventud

NEWS - JAPAN
SHIP FOR WORLD YOUTH PROGRAM
Itinerario del Barco de la Juventud Mundial

El itinerario de la XXI gira del Barco de la Juventud Mundial 2009 es como sigue:

14 / enero / 2009 - Llegada de los participantes desde los paises invitados.

15 de enero - Llegada de los participantes japoneses.

23 de enero - Salida del puerto de Yokohama, Japón.

02 de febrero - Abastecimiento de combustible, alimentos y agua en el puerto de Vanuatu. (Ver fotos, oprima)

05 - 07 / febrero - Actividades en el puerto de Tonga (Nuku'alofa).

11 - 14 / febrero - Actividades en el puerto de Nueva Zelandia (Auckland).

19 - 20 / febrero - Abastecimiento de combustible, alimentos y agua en el puerto de Vanuatu.

05 de marzo del 2009 - Regreso a Tokio (Japón).

.

El ''Programa Japonés Crucero Juvenil de la Buena Voluntad'' fue reorganizado y mejorado como ''Programa Mundial del Barco de la Juventud'' en 1988.

El objetivo principal del programa anterior, que era el de enviar jóvenes japoneses al extranjero, se cambió, por lo que el intercambio entre japoneses y jóvenes extranjeros se convirtió en una de las actividades principales.

Tambien los contenidos se volvieron más académicos por medio de la introducción de actividades tales como discusiones y seminarios.

.

English
.

The itinerary of the 21th Ship for World Youth program 2009 is as follows:

Arrival of the participants from overseas: January 14, 2009.

Program for overseas participants in Japan: January 15－22.

Departure from Yokohama Port (Japan): January 23.

Refuel, food and water supply in Vanuatu: February 2.

Port of call activities in Tonga (Nuku'alofa): February 5－7.

Port of call activities in New Zealand (Auckland): February 11－14.

Refuel, food and water supply in Vanuatu: Feb. 19 - 20.

Return back to Tokyo (Japan) March 5

Participating countries for SWY21 are:

Canada Arab Republic of Egypt Republic of the Fiji Islands Japan Republic of Mauritius New Zealand Kingdom of Norway Republic of Peru Kingdom of Tonga United Arab Emirates Republic of Vanuatu Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Republic of Yemen

Purpose of the program:

The purpose of the Ship for World Youth program is to broaden the global view of the Japanese youths, to promote mutual understanding and friendship between Japanese and foreign youths as well as to cultivate the spirit of international cooperation and the competence to practice it, and furthermore to foster the youths with capability of showing leadership in various area of international society.In addition, this program aims at establishing networks and promoting joint activities among youths around the world through providing, as the concrete and practical opportunity, the cohabitation and the joint activity on the board of the "Ship for World Youth," which is the epitome of international society with wide variety of cultures and ideas, to make an visible international contribution from the perspective of human resource development.In this program, approximately 120 youth from Japan and 140 youth from various areas of the world live together on board the ship and engage in various multilateral exchange activities such as studying and discussing common issues from a global viewpoint on board and in the countries visited.

How the Ship for World Youth Program started:

The international youth exchange program of the Cabinet Office originally started in 1959 when it implemented the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Mission Program” which the then Prime Minister Kishi had proposed personally in order to commemorate the marriage of H.M. the Emperor, who was at that time the Crown Prince.

In 1967, the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” started as one of the projects to commemorate the Centennial of the Meiji Restoration. Both the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Mission Program” and the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” gave a big dream and hope to the youth of Japan since the government would take the initiative to send the youth overseas at the time when it was still very difficult for them to go aboard on their own.

Due to the recent expansion of the international role of Japan and the remarkable advancement in internationalization in various fields all over the world, the improvement of the contents of international youth exchange programs of the Cabinet Office has been found necessary in order to cope with such a changing social environment.

Firstly, therefore, the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” was reorganized and upgraded to the “Ship for World Youth Program” in 1988.

The main objective of the former program, which was sending Japanese youth overseas, was changed, so that the exchange between Japanese and foreign youth became one of the main activities.

The contents also became more academic through the introduction of activities such as discussions and seminars.

13th(FY2000) 2(To) Our Own Ocean
Sept. 9 toOct. 24, 2000(49 days) Russia (Vladivostok, September 9 to 10)U.S.A. (Hawaii, September 18 to 20)Tonga (Nuku'alofa, October 2 to 4)New Zealand (Auckland, October 8 to 11)
252(JPY: 117/OPY: 135)

14th(FY2001)
Wa Wa Wa-Unity, Friendship, Harmony-
Oct. 25 toDec. 13, 2001(50 days)
Fiji (Suva, Nov. 6 to 7)New Zealand (Auckland, November 10 to 12)Singapore (Singapore, November 25 to 27Thailand (Bangkok, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2)
258(JPY: 119/OPY: 139)
15th(FY2002)
Noitaroballoc-One people, many minds-
Oct. 31 toDec. 13, 2002(44 days)
Australia (Cairns, November 8 to 9)U.S.A. (Honolulu, Novermber 18 to 19)Canada (Vancouver, November 25 to 27)
247(JPY: 117/OPY: 130)
16th(FY2003)
Challenge to Change
Jan. 21 toMarch 3, 2004(43 days)
India (Mumbay, February 3 to 4)Tanzania (Dar es Salaam, February 10 to 12)Seychelles (Victoria, February 15 to 16)
258(JPY: 124/OPY: 134)
17th(FY2004)
Together Towards Tomorrow
Jan. 19 toMarch 2, 2005(43 days)
Australia (Sydney, Feb. 1 to 4)New Zealand (Wellingtin, Feb. 10 to 13)Fiji (Suva, Feb. 17 to 19)
260(JPY: 120/OPY: 140)
18th(FY2005)
Bonding Beyond Borders
Jan. 19 toMarch 2, 2006(43 days)
India (Chennai, Jan. 30 to 31)Kenya (Mombassa, Feb. 7 to 9)Mauritius (Port Louis, Feb. 13 to 14)
250(JPY: 118/OPY: 132)
19th(FY2006)
AHOY!Achieving the Hopes Of Youth
Jan. 25 toMar. 8, 2007(43 days)
Australia (Brisbane, Feb. 5 to 8)Australia (Sydney, Feb. 12 to 14)New Zealand (Wellington, Feb. 19 to 21)
252(JPY: 117/OPY: 135)
20th(FY2007)
Friendship, Leadership and Partnership
Jan. 24 toMar. 5, 2008(42 days)
Oman (Muscat, Feb. 11 to 13)India (Chennai, Feb. 19 to 22)
250(JPY: 116/OPY: 134)

VER TODAS LAS FECHAS DESDE 1988 EN,

http://www.swyaa.org/history/swydata.htm

HISTORIA DE ESTE PROYECTO JUVENIL en este enlace,
http://www.swyaa.org/swyprogram/index.htm

Anna Netrebko

Música / Semblanza
Anna Netrebko, la primera diva del siglo XXI
La voz prodigiosa de la soprano rusa, sumada a un hábil aprovechamiento comercial de su belleza, la han convertido en la cantante del momento. Su nuevo disco, Souvenirs, acaba de ser editado localmente.
La artista se encuentra en un momento de crecimiento profesional. La intérprete se concentra ahora en la música ligera.

La primera condición de una diva es, por supuesto, la voz.

Luego, sobre ese mérito innato, se monta una mitología hecha de brillos, caprichos, extravagancias y desplantes.

En ese sentido, salvo la distancia cronológica, no hubo un salto muy grande entre Maria Malibran y Maria Callas.

Desde hace un tiempo, sin embargo, la mitología fue reemplazada por las maquinarias de promoción. Anna Netrebko es la primera diva del siglo XXI.

.

Anna Netrebko, primera diva del siglo XXI

Lo es, naturalmente, por su voz prodigiosa; pero también por el hábil aprovechamiento de su belleza y del sistema de popstar que, cada vez más, se importa de los géneros populares al mercado del disco clásico. En las notas que acompañan Souvenirs , su nuevo disco editado localmente y disponible también en la tienda virtual de Deutsche Grammophon (www.dgwebshop.com), la soprano explica que la música elegida es como un "ramillete de novia".

.

¿Qué nuevas nupcias celebra aquí Netrebko, aparte de su ya consolidado affair con la industria del entretenimiento?

Antes que nada, con algunos momentos de su biografía. Después de sus intervenciones inolvidables en las grabaciones de La Traviata , con Rolando Villazón como partenaire , en Las bodas de Fígaro , con dirección de Nikolaus Harnoncourt, y de los CD Sempre Libera (dedicado al repertorio italiano con la Mahler Chamber Orchestra dirigida por Claudio Abbado), Duets (con Villazón) y de Russian Album , Netrebko se concentra ahora en la música ligera: arias de operetas, piezas de salón y algunas canciones populares. Cada una de las arias y canciones de Souvenirs deparan, justamente, una evocación. "Hei, in den Bergen", por ejemplo, pertenece a Die Csárdásfürstin , de Emmerich Kálmán, la primera opereta que Netrebko vio en su pueblo natal, y "Solveigs Sang", de Peer Gynt de Edvard Grieg, fue una de las primeras piezas que estudió en el Conservatorio de San Petersburgo, sin contar las dos anciones exquisitas e íntimas de Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov.

.

Pero "ligero" no quiere decir en modo alguno "alegre". Por el contrario la conmovedora "Solveigs Sang" o la espléndida versión de "La rosa y el sauce", de Carlos Guastavino, en este caso con orquestación del guitarrista y compositor argentino Guillo Espel, exhiben una melancolía inmarcesible y, al mismo tiempo, aérea.

Todo el disco es un tour de force que obliga a la cantante a recorrer diez idiomas y otros tantos lenguajes musicales. La comparación con los discos anteriores revela una expansión de su voz, sobre todo en el registro grave. Esto tiene un efecto directo sobre el repertorio. Así, su versión de "Belle nuit, ô nuit d´amour", la barcarola de Los cuentos de Hoffmann , de Jacques Offenbach, es una de las más logradas que se hayan grabado, y rivaliza incluso, entre las recientes, con las de Edita Gruberova y Claudia Eder (con dirección de Serji Ozawa) o la de Jessye Norman y Ann Murray: el "empaste" con la mezzo letona Elina Garanca resulta sencillamente asombroso.

.

Con "Wiegenlied" (Op. 41, Nº 1), una de las tres canciones del pequeño ciclo Die Mutterlieder que Richard Strauss compuso para su esposa, la cantante Pauline de Ahna, llega el punto más alto del disco. Cuando Netrebko canta los versos "Blüten schimmern da, die beben/ Von dem Lied das deine Mutter singt" (Brillan allí las flores, y tiemblan/ con la canción que canta tu madre), algo parece verdaderamente agrietarse en la serenidad de la canción de cuna; se introduce en ese momento una inquietud insidiosa y desoladora que le confiere otra densidad a la canción.

.

Por su parte, la tarea del director Emmanuel Villaume al frente de la Filarmónica de Praga es en general de brocha gorda, no siempre atenta a los detalles, aunque acompaña con sobriedad a la cantante.
.

''Sigo creyendo en la ópera''
"No tengo ningún interés en convertirme en una cantante de crossover o en cantar con micrófonos y amplificación. Sigo creyendo en la ópera", dijo hace poco en una entrevista concedida a The Guardian.

.

Souvenirs es, además todo, un testimonio -podría decirse, incluso, un caso- de la negociación entre las exigencias del mercado y la preservación de cierta dignidad artística. Hasta ahora, ni el mercado ni el arte salen perdiendo.

-

ENJOY AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF HER CELESTIAL VOICE ATTRIBUTES

http://mx.youtube.com/watch?v=OC9XxH78VNw