What is bitcoin?

Originally created by the pseudonimous developer Mr Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin is an online commodityfirst described in 2009, who tagged it a peer to peer electronic payment system. Based on an open source encryption protocol, bitcoin is not managed by any central authority, bank or institution. Bitcoin miners, servers that automatically create bitcoins run on an internet-based network and confirm transactions by adding codes to a decentralized log, periodically updated and archived. Each bitcoin is divided into 100 million satoshis, smaller units defined by eight decimal places.

Please find below a video briefly explaining what bitcoin is and how it works. A must see:

Astor Piazzolla

Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla (March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneónplayer. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music.

The Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, also known as the Estaciones Porteñas or The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, are a set of four tango compositions written by Ástor Piazzolla, which were originally conceived and treated as different compositions rather than one suite, although Piazzolla performed them together from time to time. The pieces were scored for his quintet of violin (viola), piano, electric guitar, double bass and bandoneón. By giving the adjective porteño, referring to those born in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital city, Piazzolla gives an impression of the four seasons in Buenos Aires.

1. Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer)
   written in 1965, originally as incidental music for the play ‘Melenita de Oro’ by Alberto Rodríguez Muñoz.^[1]
2. Otoño Porteño (Buenos Aires Autumn)
   written in 1969.
3. Primavera Porteña (Buenos Aires Spring)
   written in 1970, contains counterpoint.
4. Invierno Porteño (Buenos Aires Winter)
   written in 1970.

Source: Wikipedia

Watch below a performance of the Buenos Aires Four Seasons by the Absolut Trio.

The absolut Trio is; Piano: Peter v. Wienhardt, Violin: Johannes Brandl, Cello: Nicolas Altstaedt

The AbsoluTrio was founded in 2003 by Peter von Wienhardt for the occasion of a tour to South Korea

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese’s documentary about the origins of blues music. Feel like going home is the first in a series of 7 documentaries by seven directors in the PBS series The Blues.

Feel like going home – The Blues – Martin Scorsese

Watch Scorsese’s full documentary Feel like going home below!

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Peter Guralnick

Director Martin Scorsese (The Last Waltz, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York) pays homage to the Delta blues. Musician Corey Harris travels through Mississippi and on to West Africa, exploring the roots of the music. The film celebrates the early Delta bluesmen through original performances (including Willie King, Taj Mahal, Otha Turner, and Ali Farka Toure) and rare archival footage (featuring Son House, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker).

Says Scorsese: “I’ve always felt an affinity for blues music — the culture of storytelling through music is incredibly fascinating and appealing to me. The blues have great emotional resonance and are the foundation for American popular music.”

Performances in Feel Like Going Home
Corey Harris
John Lee Hooker *
Son House *
Salif Keita
Habib Koité
Taj Mahal
Ali Farka Toure
Otha Turner
Muddy Waters *
Keb’ Mo’
Willie King
Lead Belly *

*indicates archival performance

Interviews in Feel Like Going Home
Corey Harris
Sam Carr
Toumani Diabate
Willie King
Dick Waterman
Taj Mahal
Johnny Shines *
Otha Turner
Ali Farka Toure
Habib Koité
Salif Keita
Keb’ Mo’

Jimi Hendrix picture

Find here Jimi Hendrix: The uncut story, a documentary on the life of the musical genius, afro-american culture leader leader and god of rock n roll Jimi Hendrix.

From his upbringing in Seattle to his final days in London, JIMI HENDRIX: THE UNCUT STORY goes beyond all previously released documentaries to explore the complete life-story behind the legendary artist. The documentary comes in three parts; 1942-1961, 1961-1967, and 1967-1970

Watch Jimi Hendrix: The uncut story below. All full three episodes;

1942-1961

1961-1967

1967-1970

Leonard Cohen

In year 2005, an ensemble of some of te best musicians and artists got together to pay a tribute to Leonard Cohen.

Those artists were; Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen, Antony, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle, The Handsome Family.

A must see for Music and Leonard Cohen lovers!

Rock n Roll History

A brief history of Rock n Roll in 100 riffs played by Alex Chadwick in a 12 minute video, sponsored by the specialized vintage gear shop Chicago Music Exchange.

The video starts in 1953 with Chet Baker’s Mr Sandman, and takes the listener on a journey through the iconic riffs of the Rock n Roll history, from The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from Jimmy Hendrix or Led Zeppelin to the Ramones.

A must see for all rock n roll lovers.

Riffs featured here are;

1 Mr. Sandman – Chet Atkins

2 Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
3 Words of Love – Buddy Holly
4 Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry
5 Rumble – Link Wray
6 Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran
7 Pipeline – The Chantays
8 Miserlou – Dick Dale
9 Wipeout – Surfaris
10 Daytripper – The Beatles
11 Can’t Explain – The Who
12 Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
13 Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
14 Black Magic Woman – Santana
15 Helter Skelter – The Beatles
16 Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
17 Crossroads – Cream
18 Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
19 Paranoid – Black Sabbath
20 Fortunate Sun – Creedence Clearwater Revival
21 Funk 49 – James Gang
22 Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
23 Bitch – Rolling Stones
24 Layla – Derek and the Dominos
25 School’s Out – Alice Cooper
26 Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
27 Money – Pink Floyd
28 Jessica – Allman Brothers
29 La Grange – ZZ Top
30 20th Century Boy – T. Rex
31 Scarlet Begonias – Grateful Dead
32 Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
33 Walk This Way – Aerosmith
34 Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
35 Stranglehold – Ted Nugent
36 Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy
37 Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
38 Carry on My Wayward Son – Kansas
39 Blitzkreig Bop – The Ramones
40 Barracuda – Heart
41 Runnin’ with the Devil – Van Halen
42 Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
43 Message in a Bottle – The Police
44 Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) – Neil Young
45 Back in Black – AC/DC
46 Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
47 Spirit of Radio – Rush
48 Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
49 Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
50 Holy Diver – Dio
51 Beat It – Michael Jackson
52 Hot For Teacher – Van Halen
53 What Difference Does It Make – The Smiths
54 Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
55 Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
56 You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
57 The One I Love – REM
58 Where the Streets Have No Name – U2
59 Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
60 Sweet Child ‘O Mine – Guns N’ Roses
61 Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue
62 Cult of Personality -Living Colour
63 Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
64 Running Down a Dream – Tom Petty
65 Pictures of Matchstick Men – Camper Van Beethoven
66 Thunderstruck – AC/DC
67 Twice as Hard – Black Crowes
68 Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson
69 Enter Sandman – Metallica
70 Man in the Box – Alice in Chains
71 Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
72 Give it Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
73 Even Flow – Pearl Jam
74 Outshined – Soundgarden
75 Killing in the Name – Rage Against the Machine
76 Sex Type Thing – Stone Temple Pilots
77 Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
78 Welcome to Paradise – Green Day
79 Possum Kingdom – Toadies
80 Say it Ain’t So – Weezer
81 Zero – Smashing Pumpkins
82 Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
83 Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
84 Smooth – Santana
85 Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chili Peppers
86 Short Skirt, Long Jacket – Cake
87 Turn a Square – The Shins
88 Seven Nation Army – White Stripes
89 Hysteria – Muse
90 I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
91 Blood and Thunder – Mastadon
92 Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
93 Reptilia – The Strokes
94 Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
95 Float On – Modest Mouse
96 Blue Orchid – White Stripes
97 Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
98 Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs
99 I Got Mine – Black Keys
100 Cruel – St. Vincent

James Brown Miso Soup Japanese Commercial

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, recorded some commercials for a japanese ready made company, where he aimed at selling Miso soup.

The recordings made in 1992 show Brown in a sparkling blue suit dancing around soup in what can be labeled s nothing else than catchy, funny and memorable.

Johnny Depp

In 1995, PBS broadcasted a show called The United States of Poetry, featuring poems from Joseph Brodsky, Derek Walcott, Czeslaw Milosz and Allen Ginsberg amongst others. Each poem would come with a highly polished and paced video where images would be paired with the voice of people such as Lou Reed,  Leonard Cohen or Jimmy Carter.

Depp appeared in “Show 5: The word” reading a selection of Kerouac’s 1959 improvisational poetry book “Mexico City Blues: 242 choruses”.

Watch the Johnny Depp’s video reciting Kerouac:

Chorus 113

Got up and dressed up
         and went out & got laid
Then died and got buried
         in a coffin in the grave,
Man–
         Yet everything is perfect,
Because it is empty,
Because it is perfect
         with emptiness,
Because it’s not even happening.

Everything
Is Ignorant of its own emptiness–
Anger
Doesn’t like to be reminded of fits–

You start with the Teaching
         Inscrutable of the Diamond
And end with it, your goal
         is your startingplace,
No race has run, no walk
         of prophetic toenails
Across Arabies of hot
         meaning–you just
         numbly don’t get there.

On June 12, 2005, Ateve Jobs, the iconic co-founder of Apple and Pixar Animation Studios, addressed the 2005 Stanford class in a commencement (the university’s 114th commencement) speech labelled “Connecting the dots”.

As video use grew in popularity in the internet via the use of Youtube and similar tools/companies, the recording of the speech grew in relevance, eventually becoming a “must see” for digital entrepreneurs and in general to all those wanting to innovate, found companies or just get a flavor of the particular vision of the world by the genius of Cupertino.

In the speech, and drawing upon the pivotal moments of his life, Mr Jobs urges graduates to pursue the dreams of their lives in spite of opposition or lack of understanding and look and strive to find the opportunities that lie hidden in life’s setbacks.

A must see, please find below Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech “Connecting the dots”.

Anna Wintour‘s “The September Issue 2009″ movie poster

Anna Wintour has been the chief editor of American Vogue since 1988. Through her support of young designers and widely praised eye for trend spotting, she has become a true institution throughout the fashion world.

Her name became known to the mass market and general audience after a 2003 best selling book written by one of her former assistants Laura Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada, was turned into a successful movie starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, a fashion editor believed to be based on Wintour.

On 2009, she was portrayed in another movie “The September issue”. Vogue’s fattest issue is the september one, in which the famous magazine shares the trends and specials that’ll give shape to that year’s world of fashion. A large amount of resources, both creative and financial are put behind such issue within the framework of the ego’s that roam freely throughout the fashion industry‘s landscape. An unparalleled opportunity for fashionistas to check Wintour’s mastermind and genius approach to solving such a complex puzzle, the film is a must see for all fashion lovers.

Please click here to purchase the original DVD of The September Issue

Please find Anna Wintour’s “The September Issue 2009″ free online below.