Euskadiko postaleak (II): Donostia

 Donosti a contrallum

 La mar basca convertida en un bany d'escuma

 La platja de la Kontxa en agost

 L'Ajuntament de Donosti, governat per Bildu, amb bandera espanyola i tot

 Un dels cubs del Kursaal, de Moneo

Qualsevol visita ha d'acabar amb uns gintoniak al barri de Gros

Euskadiko postaleak (I): Bilbo

 El teatre Campos Elíseos

 El Zuri buri

 Les torres d'Isozaki

 Tot amuntegat

 La torre fàli·lica d'Iberdrola per demostrar qui mana.

 "¡La hostia! ¿Has visto la caseta que le han hecho al perro?"

 Faroles a la porta del Museu de Belles Arts

 Txosnoak: la festa

 Si una paraula no porta K, no és euskera

 Mans basques

Patxaran

EL CAMÍ DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA







El cotxe avança i tot es barreja en un: el verd, els arbres, el blau, el cel i ell.



Els arbres que li donen la benvinguda a Galícia, són airosos i poderosos com ell.



Les estels són brillants com les joies de swarovski. Una d’elles es cola per la finestra del cotxe il•luminant el camí que va cap a Santiago de Compostela.



Hi ha quelcom espiritual. El silenci l’envolta i pensa que potser hi sigui a prop del seu somni.



De què serveix un record? El cotxe avança i tot es fa un: els arbres, la nit, la memòria, l’àngel.



Percep que aquest instant, és diferent, no és com altres, aquest moment pertany a terres peregrines, a encís de meigas i a llegendes gallegues.

FEMA launches Android App just in time for the Hurricane


FEMA’s had a mobile version of their website available for a while now, but all that information does you no good if you can’t get an internet connection. Given the fragility of mobile networks during disasters, going without web access is a very real possibility.
Enter FEMA’s new, self-titled Android app, which puts a wealth of emergency preparedness information right in the palm of your hand just in case.
The app contains information and advice on what to do for disasters ranging from earthquakes to wildfires, and everything in-between. Also present is the emergency kit checklist, which outlines all the items and provisions one may need to get through some trying times. Very useful, especially because some things they recommend (like a “whistle to signal for help”) aren’t exactly the first things to come up when brainstorming the contents of a survival kit. For those worst case scenarios when the best bet is to head for a nearby shelter, the app lists locations where it should be safe to hunker down.
It also provides a quick way for disaster survivors to apply for federal assistance, although it’s my sincerest hope that none of you readers will ever have to. While it’s essentially a pocketable version of the FEMA site, it’s a valuable resource in it’s own right, especially with Hurricane Irene poised to barrel up the East Coast in coming days.
Creating an app is a smart move for FEMA, especially considering the state of most mobile networks during an emergency situation. Cellular networks are quickly jammed up by handsets try to make calls, as some of you may have noticed during this past week’s earthquake. FEMA recommends sticking to text messages and emails when trying to contact others, and that the app works fine sansdata connection only helps. One less thing for the network has to cope with will hopefully mean everyone can get in touch with everyone else without too much headache.

John North goes South

So the enigmatic columnist John North has finally shuffled off his mortal coil. Today his last column appears in The Northern Echo. Writer Mike Amos (above) is retiring JN before his own retirement in October. The column, described as "a quirky view of the region's people and places", has had many guises. When I joined the Echo in 1979 it was written by John Simkins who went off to the FT. He was replaced by Bill Hearld, later deputy editor of the Yorkshire Evening Press. Others included Stephen Brenkley, the Independent's cricket correspondent, and Terry Ramsey who became TV editor of the Standard. When John North was on holiday there was an occasional woman's perspective by Jane North. But the column mainly belonged to Mike, who celebrates 46 years at the paper this year. He relinquished it while he was the Echo's news-editor but came back to it as a weekly column years later. In its heyday the column was daily. It was a full-time job and the brief was to be out there picking up the interesting snippets, the oddities, the grassroots stories that were peculiar to the North-East. The JN chair in the office was always empty. It was also one of the most high pressure jobs in the business. Every day JN had to find fresh, compelling material and, unlike the national columnists, he was on his own. There was no team of researchers, no juniors or back-up staff. And Mike, who doesn't even drive, delivered day in day out. In these austere times there are few regional papers who can afford a full-time, off-diary writer. But there was no doubt JN brought in readers, gave the paper an essence and a unique voice. There are many reasons why regional newspapers are in decline but I am certain that one of them was the whole 'value for money', high story count policy peddled by the beancounters. Legs of briefs on car boot sales and choir rehearsals may be easy pickings but they are of no interest whatsoever to the general reader. What JN offered, and what all newspapers need, was a reason to buy the paper every day. So RIP JN, he will be missed. But I wouldn't be surprised if, somewhere down the line, he doesn't make a comeback.
Hat-tip to Neil Hacking
Mike Amos picture http://theshrineofstbruno.yolasite.com
        

How to Correctly Pronounce Designer Names

Label Whore?
Remember when you weren't sure if Ralph Lauren's name was pronounced  like the girl's name or the Italian actress Sofia Loren?  Here's a cheat sheet of some labels from across the pond that aren't as easy as our own Thom Browne and Michael Kors.

Alessandro Dell'Acqua: Ala-SAND-roe del-LA-kwa
 
Ann Demeulemeester: ann DEH-moo-lah-MEE-ster
 
Bottega Veneta: BO-teg-a VEN-eta
 
Burberry Prorsum: BUR-bur-ree proar-SOME
 
Comme des Garçons: Comb day gar-SON
 
Dior Homme: dee-OAR OM
 
Dolce & Gabbana: DOLE-chay and gab-BON-a
 
Dries Van Noten: DREEZE van KNOW-ten
 
DSquared2: DEE squared
 
Givenchy: Zshee-VON-she
 
Gucci: GOO-chi
 
Hedi Slimane: Eddy slim-MAHN
 
Hermès: AIR-mehz
 



John Varvatos: John var-VAY-toes
 
 
Junya Watanabe: JUNE-ya Wah-TAH-nah-bay
 
Kris Van Assche: Chris van-ASH
 
Lanvin: lon-VAUN
 
Louis Vuitton: loo-E vo-WE-ton
 
Maison Martin Margiela: MAZE-on Mar-TIN mar-GEL-a
 
Moschino: mo-SKEEN-o
 
Raf Simons: rauph SEE-mon
 
Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-TOH-reh Fair-a-GAH-moe
 
Veronique Branquinho: Ve-ro-NEEK BRANG-kee-no
 
Versace: ver-SAH-chay
 
Yohji Yamamoto: YO-jee ya-MA-moto
 
Yves Saint Laurent: EVE Sane-LOR-aunt
 
Zegna: ZANE-ya
 


The Hair You Don't Want !

With a wide array of products on the market there is no 
excuse for unwanted body hair. Trim it, Shave it,Wax it or Laser it.  Hey, everyone has something that they’re self-conscious of, and if unwanted hair is one of them, there are plenty of solutions!

Room with a View: Dana Hotel & Spa Chicago

An astonishing number of people want to keep up with the Kardashians. Well, give it a try. Make like an overpampered reality star and stay at Kim K's favorite boutique hotel in Chicago, the Dana. This 216-room spa and hotel is just steps from the Windy City’s (in)famous Michigan Avenue and right in the heart of trendy River North’s restaurant row. You can’t turn right or left out the front door without bumping into a bistro, café, eatery, boutique, department store or wine bar.


‘Tricolored Calfskin Sneakers’ By D&G

D&G introduces new reinforced metal eyelets. Crust leather insert at back at heel and along topline. Leather innersole and lining. Rubber soled tricolored calfskined sneaker.  Starting at $325.

Farewell to the Irish Post

It may have slipped the radar in the current newspaper turmoil but the London-based Irish Post closed yesterday. It is always sad to see a newspaper go under, especially when you have a personal association with it, but I can't say I am really surprised. The Irish Post had been losing money and, with its parent company TCH facing its own economic challenges over the water in Cork, its closure has looked inevitable for some time. Perhaps the short life of the Post is an illustration of what is happening to many, longer-established titles. It started in 1970 as a voice for the Irish in Britain when emigration was at its height. It was the brainchild of journalist Brendán Mac Lua and for years provided the Irish communities, particularly in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, with news from back home and in the UK. Its mission statement was 'If it's Irish in Britain, we've got it covered.' For years it ran the prestigious Irish Post Awards. But as the second and third generation Irish became absorbed and as the internet allowed instant access to news from home, it became less relevant. Distribution was also enormously difficult. In 2003 the paper was selling almost 32,000. When it closed yesterday it was about half that. 
In 40 years the paper's raison d'etre simply disappeared. Its audience changed and technology made it surplus to requirements. Sound familiar?  
It was a great institution though, a place full of characters. I first redesigned it in 1996, when Doug Baxter (now married to the actress Victoria Smurfit) was the chief executive and the late Donal Mooney was the editor. I then put in a consultant editor, Brian Page, while we helped to recruit a new full-time editor Norah Casey. In 2005 we redesigned it again. Last year I met the editor Mal Rogers, an award-winning travel writer, on the editor's chair course that I run for PA Training. We discussed the paper's strategy, its long term ambitions and the size of the task became clear. He was passionate about the Post and it is a real shame its closure came on his watch. I wish him and his team well.

The way all newspapers could be produced ...



Here is the cover and my Newcastle United preview from the Irish Examiner's 40-page pre-season football supplement. It was published last Friday and includes a page on each club, predictions, betting, analysis and some great writing from the likes of Ben Lyttleton, Adrian Clarke and Iain Spragg. I produced it while sunning myself on the family summer holiday on the Med. I was aided by Paul Wick and Mike Brough who are based in Darlington. It was printed and published in Cork. We have done this for years. We receive a flatplan from the Examiner, they provide some of the material and we commission and write the rest. We then edit the copy, write the headlines, select the pictures, layout the pages, proof-read them and send them to Ireland. They email any changes, we carry them out and send them hi-res PDFs to put directly on their system. It works and it's cost effective. Three people producing a 40-page paper at a rate per page. In May the Full Time supplement we did in the same way was 56 pages. I have long advocated that this is how newspapers should be produced. Subs can work from anywhere - in their bedrooms or in the South of France (indeed, the Evening Herald in Dublin is produced entirely at Castres in the South of France). Subs don't all have to be in the same room, the same building, the same town or even the same country ... which is why all the fuss in regional newspapers about moving production sites from one city to another struck me as nonsense. In future I reckon all newspapers will be produced this way. Who needs complicated management systems? Bedroom subs armed with a computer, a set of stylesheets, the right fonts, broadband, a piece of software (doesn't matter if it's Quark or InDesign) and Distiller will be contracted to do so many pages per day to deadline. And where would you rather work ... in a pokey office in an industrial estate or in your own back garden or, perhaps, in the South of France.


      

Tercera parada estiuenca: l'actualitat estival



Mariano Rajoy, tot just al contrari que l'actualitat informativa, sembla decidit a allargar les seues vacances més que les d'un mestre de primària i, així, mentre qui té totes les paperetes per convertir-se en el futur president de la Confederació Ibèrica de Nacions porta setmanes dedicat a passejar per aldees gallegues menjant polp i qualsevol altra cosa que li posen a tir, este mes d'agost el món no ha deixat de rodar.

Efectivament, esta primera quinzena del mes ens regalat uns gravíssims aldarulls a Londres, la final de la Supercopa ibèrica, l'anunci-farol de Rubalcaba de suprimir les diputacions provincials, la reaparició del bou Ratón (!), els atacs dels especuladors a la prima de risc espanyola i italiana i l'afonament de les borses de mig món... i, per descomptat, la tercera visita de Ratzinger a la reserva espiritual d'Occident.

Esta última notícia em té particularment fascinat i no puc evitar indignar-me per tot un poc, però especialment per un discurs que la caverna descarada i, també, la més dissimulada porta dies llançant: aquells que critiquem la visita de Ratzinger, a banda de ser paràsits, no respectem tampoc el sentiment religiós de milions de catòlics.

Hem arribat a un punt, doncs, en el qual no només hem de patir i pagar la visita d'un vell retrògrad que llança un missatge ranci i ple d'odi, sinó que ara hem de suportar que l'església catòlica agafe el paper de suposada víctima de la Història i que els seus portaveus ens diguen que les nostres crítiques a la seua visita/cavalcada/festival d'estiu ofenen tota la cristiandat.

Així, no només hem d'assistir resignats al fet que l'església catòlica haja abandonat les tasques religioses i es dedique a fer política, sinó que també hem de prescindir de qualsevol crítica a les seues activitats, com si es tractara de la Casa Reial!, perquè alguns que han decidit creure unes històries ben antigues tenen la pell massa fina.

Com no podia ser d'una altra forma, però, m'he passat pel folre dels collons l'opinió de la caverna i el sentiment suposadament religiós que estos dies se respira a la Villa y Corte y, a banda d'abocar-me en cos i ànima al pecat (incloent-hi, com no podia ser d'una altra forma, el sexe amb joves que ben bé podrien portar una d'aquelles motxilles que hem pagat tots), m'he dedicat a criticar i a posar en dubte les suposades bondats de la visita vaticana començant per una prou elemental, aquella que diu que la visita del papa de Roma generarà un gran impacte econòmic i de projecció internacional sobre la ciutat de Madrid.

Imagine que esta qüestió, com tantes altres que envolten la visita de Ratzinger, serà allò que es diu un dogma, perquè només cal fer la vista una miqueta enrere i buscar els beneficis i la projecció que la visita del papa de 2006 suposà per a la ciutat de València i comparar-les amb les actuals xifres econòmiques del País Valencià i la situació política que hem patit des d'aleshores.

I, sobretot, si jo fóra Esperanza Aguirre començaria a preocupar-me.

Jay-Z + Kanye a Marriage Made In Hip-Hop Heaven

In this age of the regional hit, the no-budget viral video, the Twitter star.  It seems the center of the hip-hop world has been weakening, and the genre readjusting to life built from the bottom up. 


Against this back drop, along come a marriage made in hip-hop heaven ---Jay-Z and Kanye West.  These are two old-fashioned icons, the last of a dying breedThere are younger stars who have their sort of dominance on their mind — Lil Wayne and Drake primarily — but the landscape they have to navigate doesn’t favor the lengthy reigns of old, especially when the entrenched powers refuse to cede any ground.

Still, by all measurements, Watch The Throne is a collection of relevant socially themed songs in an age of financial and political unrest is a challenge these two artists at least pay lip service to. Like a charitable donation, it’s a combination of maturity and duty. But the real tests on “Watch the Throne” are musical, not conceptual. The scattered nature of this album’s creation is evident most in the production, which can be roughly segmented into three categories. There are the Southern-inflected tracks, which are the most obvious concessions to modern hit making, and which are curiously few here: just “H•A•M,” produced by Lex Luger, and two of the album’s highlights, both with unprintable titles, produced by Hit-Boy and Southside. (Mr. West also receives production credit on almost every song.)

Segona parada estiuenca: cinc coses que poden passar en agost si abandones la platja per unes hores



Primera: que et trobes preguntant als amics l'edat dels acoliquets que acompanyen el capellà a la processó d'unes festes de poble mentre beus cervesa i te'n fots de les festeres de la mare de déu del Carme.

Segona: Que et creues amb un veïnet que porta la samarreta de la JMJ i que t'entren ganes d'apuntar-t'hi.

Tercera: Que hages de recórrer mig poble per poder comprar tabac perquè tot està tancat.

Quarta: Que, al remat, trobes un bar xinés obert en el qual han penjat junt a la màquina de tabac un retall de diari que diu “La propietaria de un bar da a luz en los baños del local” i que la foto siga la de la xinesa que t'ha saludat en entrar.

Cinquena: Que durant una guàrdia el detingut et diga que si agredí a un policia local fou perquè li havia dit 'musculitos'.

En definitiva, que vull necessite tornar a la platja.

A $1,000 Emergency will be Difficult for Most Americans to Handle

Sixty four percent of Americans don’t have enough cash on hand to handle a $1,000 emergency expense, according to a survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or NFCC, released on Wednesday. Only 36% said they would tap their rainy day funds for an emergency. The rest of the 2,700 people polled said that they would have to go to other extremes to cover an unexpected expense, such as borrowing money or taking out a 
cash advance on a credit card.



"For consumers who live paycheck to paycheck -- having spent tomorrow's money -- an unplanned expense can truly put them in financial distress," said Gail Cunningham, a 
spokeswoman for the Washington, DC-based non-profit.


The lingering recessions' toll and the large number of Americans without jobs has helped to exacerbate this problem. 

Street Style!

It's so f**king hot outside today, makes me wanna loose my shirt and hang around the office like this.  How's the weather in your town today?  Let us know in the comment section. 

Office Cool for Sweltering Days

Finding a suit that will go from the sweltering days of a midsummer day to the freezing temperatures of an office cubicle is easier said than done. Most of us will rely on throwing our suit jacket on-and-off in desperate moments of sweat and chill. Not that that is a bad thing - it just might be time for something a bit different, something a bit modern. 


Linen suits are a perfect way to cope with these unforgiving dog days of summer. The way to wear th linen suit: Embrace the wrinkles. Right in line with the leisurely summer season that it's best worn in, the suit looks better when carefree with wrinkles. And it keeps you surprisingly cool and airy, even when in the midst of a heat wave. Designers from Michael Bastian to H&M are making the weather-appropriate suit this season. Wear with light colors and patterns, and you're summer ready. But then there is the khaki suit. The best thing about the khaki suit: It instantly makes you look summer-appropriate.


This season, J.Crew has also built a great collection of summer suits that compromise all aspects of summer office-wear that are worth looking into. 

How A Suit Should Fit

When it comes to tailored clothing, nothing --not fabric, craftsmanship, or provenance-- is more important than fit.  After all, it doesn't matter how fine the fabric is, or how many tailors hand-stitched the finishing details if the thing is hanging off your shoulders and grazing your knuckles like a prom rental. 


The Shoulder
This is the single most important part of the fit of a jacket. Every other part of the garment can be re-cut, but the shoulder is the deal breaker. The pad (if there is one) should come right to the widest part of your shoulder muscle—and never past it. If it does, return the suit and go down a size. Period.


Trouser Length
Because suit pants, typically, come unfinished, you’ll have to get them hemmed. So the power is in your hands here. No break is the way things are going these days, this works best if your trousers are slim. If you’re more of a traditional cut kind of guy, go for a small break. And the large break? Save it for your 60-year-old tax-lawyer. (And hey, no offense to tax lawyers—they saved us a bundle last year.)

Sleeve Length
As with trousers, the power is in your hands here, so exercise it properly. With arms at your sides, your suit sleeve should extend just past your wrist, just to the base of your thumb. Too long, and it’ll look like you’ve broken into Dad’s closet again. But “if your cuff goes much higher than your wrist, you run the risk of looking like Lurch.”  And as everyone knows, the Lurch look isn’t due to get big ‘til fall 2013.


Pants Volume
Nothing undercuts a smartly tailored suit coat like a pair of big,billowy pants. Your pants should be cut to the same trimness as the jacket, if not slimmer. And while most guys tend to get their suit pants altered in the waist only, a good tailor can recut—and reinvent—your trousers from top to bottom for around $50.


Neapolitan Tug (or lack Thereof)
Finally, a jacket should follow the shape of your body, but it should stop short of pulling when it’s buttoned.  A dapper man might go for a slight tug. Ultimately, this one’s your call. If your occupation involves more conference rooms than catwalks, you may want to give yourself a bit more room. 


On jacket length,back in the day, the rule was that you should be able to curl your fingers around the hem of your jacket, but now the right jacket length is around the first or second joint of your thumb. 





Desk-It Notepad: Because Square Yellow Pads Don't Always Cut It

If you’re as tired of Outlook and Gmail pop-up notifications as we are then you’ll appreciate the refreshingly simple Desk-it ($10). The 7-day notepad is a simple, honest technique for keeping the week’s to-do’s organized. Keep it near your keyboard for a visible reminder of what’s next on the docket — and as much as we love technology, there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a to-do list. A graph version is also available for you sketching types.

Where to Find Back-to-School Deals


Wether you are preparing to go back to school or college or are sending someone off, its best to shop around for the best back-to-school deals available.  
Most stores offer back-to-school promotions, so it's up to you to figure out what you need, the best time to buy it and where to go -- especially whether you should buy in-store versus online. Many stores continue their deals through the second or third week of September, though sometimes sales can end earlier depending on the part of the country. Here are tips on where to shop, when to go and what to expect.
Supplies: There are always weekly deals out there, in which products like pens, glue sticks and index cards can cost as little as a penny but more often range from 50 cents to $2 at stores like Staples, Target, WalMart and Office Depot. But you're not the only one hunting deals. You'll benefit by shopping early in the week when the deals first start to ensure the shelves won't be empty when you arrive, says Jevin Eagle, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Staples.


"Our plan is not to sell out.... But you're better off shopping Sunday or Monday because it's limited quantities," he says, adding that the best deals are often two to four weeks before the beginning of school.
There are longer-lasting promotions. Office Depot has a free loyalty program and gives you discounts when you shop. Staples, on the other hand, offers a Back-to-School savings pass for $10 this year, which will get you a 15% discount on supplies ranging from backpacks to binders to calculators. Mr. Eagle says you need to spend $67 for the pass to break even.
Clothing and accessories: It's often easier to find discounts by checking online before heading to the store. Some shopping malls, such as those owned by Simon Property Group, have experimented with mobile applications to help consumers navigate stores and find sales and special discounts.
Stores like Target offer promotions through email, phone and Facebook. Shoppers can receive new mobile coupons every two weeks by texting "COUPONS" to Target (827438). Deals on anything from pants to tops to shoes occur throughout the summer and into early September, sometimes varying depending on location.
Technology: More students need laptops at earlier ages, but is your child one of them? For some, options like e-readers with WiFi access or tablets may be more efficient. Jim Barry, media spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association, says e-readers range from $80 to $180 and tablets go for $200 to $800.
Mr. Barry says it's important to check out any product, either through review websites like CNET.com or TechTarget.com, or by actually going to a store and testing it out yourself. "It will give you a little ammunition before you go into the store or go online to buy," he says.
Even Apple has changed its popular back-to-school deal. It used to give a free iPod with the purchase of a Mac laptop; now you get a $100 iTunes gift card.
And although scientific calculators are often required in high school, the price usually stays steady, stores say. Karol Boes from Austin, Texas, checked several stores to find one for her son. But she found they all cost about the same and ended up buying it at Target. The good news? If your child is still using a USB flash drive to transfer documents, the price continues to drop from previous years.