Definitions by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫
Corpse Princess
After being murdered, Makina Hoshimura turns into a "living corpse." Armed with dual MAC-11 submachine guns, she must kill 108 other corpses in order to gain entry into heaven. She is assisted in this task by Keisei Tagami, a Buddhist priest with links to an anti-corpse group known as the Kougun Sect. Her ultimate goal is to avenge the death of her family, by destroying the corpses known as the Seven Stars.
Corpse Princess by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 22, 2010
Bossa Nova
In the late 1950s and early '60s, songwriters like the classically-trained Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim and the soft-voiced guitarist João Gilberto created a smoother, jazz-influenced version of the Samba - which itself was a product of the nation's poorer classes. Middle-class Brazilians preferred the newer sound, which was dubbed Bossa Nova, or "The New Way." Bossa Nova is velvet sophistication atop a feathery five-against-four rhythm, and is most famously epitomized by Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema." American jazzmen like Stan Getz - who went on to collaborate frequently with Gilberto and Herbie Mann visited Brazil and brought the Bossa Nova to international attention. Some commercial distortion followed, but Bossa Nova continues to influence modern Brazilian pop and other regional styles today.
Bossa Nova: Antonio Carlos Jobim Aka Tom Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto, Baden Powell, Eliane Elias, Elis Regina, João Gilberto, Nara Leão, Sérgio Mendes, Stan Getz, Maria Rita, Sitti Navarro, Rosalia De Souza, Celso Fonseca, Luiz Bonfá, Carlos Lyra, Tamba Trio, Gal Costa, Seu Jorge, Vinicius de Moraes.
Bossa Nova by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 17, 2010
Pali
Among early Buddhists Pali was considered linguistically similar to, or even a direct continuation of, the Old Magadhi language. Many Theravada sources refer to the Pali language as "Magadhan" or the "language of Magadha." This identification first appears in the commentaries, and may have been an attempt by Buddhists to associate themselves more closely with the Mauryans. The Buddha taught in Magadha, but the four most important places in his life are all outside of it. It is likely that he taught in several closely related dialects of Middle Indo-Aryan, which had a very high degree of mutual intelligibility.
Pali by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 15, 2010
Nirvana
"Cooled" or "quenched," the unconditioned state of liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth-redeath; Pali: Nibbana.
When someone reaches nirvana, it means that he or she has broken free of samsara, the cycle of reincarnation and suffering which characterizes all life on Earth. In addition to being free from suffering, the individual is also beyond obsessions and earthly concerns. He or she has a high level of wisdom and compassion, and has reached a state of perfect peace with all life. For Buddhists, nirvana is the highest state one can attain, and it can take a very long time to reach this state. The term “nirvana” literally means “to extinguish,” although the term refers to the extinction of life as one knows it, not to a final end. Buddhists strive to attain nirvana by following the Eightfold Path and other precepts of their faith, and many believe that they have no way of knowing how long they have been on Earth, working towards eventual nirvana. It is also believed that people must achieve enlightenment in order to reach nirvana, but that enlightenment is not necessarily an automatic ticket to nirvana.
Nirvana by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 15, 2010
Mambo
Among the many dance forms that became popular among Cubans and their tourist visitors between World War II and the Cuban Revolution, the Mambo was arguably the peppiest. During the era of Latin big bands in the 1940s and 50s, Mambo artists such as Perez Prado and Machito and his Afro-Cubans were similar to and influenced by American Swing orchestras with their swollen brass sections. In fact, Mambo is named after the instrumental break when horn players would trade licks and push the dancers into a frenzy. Like the Cuban cha-cha-cha, it became popular in New York City with non-Cubans and was quickly adopted into the repertoire of the popular big bands.
Mambo: Xavier Cugat, Perez Prado, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, Tito Puente, Tito Puente Jr., Tito Rodriguez, Machito, Orlando Marin, Benny Moré
Mambo by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 15, 2010
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara was an Argentine Marxist Revolutionary, physician, author, guerilla warfare leader, diplomat, military theorist, and a major figure during the Cuban Revolution. Today he has become an icon among popular culture and is worn on many t-shirts. 3/4 of those who wear his shirt do not even know much about Che. Che was simply a product of his environment and after travelling all over South America with his friend Alberto Granado, he was very disturbed by the poverty, sickness, and injustices he witnessed. These travels of his are written down in "The Motorcycle Diaries." He believed that these problems in South America existed because of monopoly capitalism, imperialism, and neocolonialism. In addition, he believed that the most sufficient solution to these problems was a world revolution. Guevara became even more radical in his beliefs after witnessing the coup d'état of Guatemala's government which was carried out by the United States government and CIA. Guatemala’s government was then replaced by a military junta, headed by Colonel Carlos Castillo. Che later met Raul and Fidel Castro while in Mexico City and decided to join their revolutionary group - the 26th of July Movement (named after the day of Fidel's failed attack on the Moncada barracks). They then boarded an old beat up yacht appropriately named the “Granma” and headed to Cuba to begin their revolution in an attempt to overthrow the U.S. backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Upon their arrival, Batista’s army takes out 2/3 of the 82 rebels and only about 12 witness their victory over Batista’s governenment after Batista flees Cuba. In January 1959, rebels led by Che Guevara captured La Cabaña and used it as a headquarters and as a military prison for several months while leading the Cuban revolution. During his five-month tenure in that post, Guevara oversaw the revolutionary tribunals and executions of suspected war criminals, traitors, chivatos (informants), and former members of Batista's secret police. Che acquired the additional position of Finance Minister as President of the National Bank, which along with Minister of Industries, placed him at the zenith of his power, as the "virtual czar" of the Cuban economy. After their victory in Cuba, Che made trips to China, the Soviet Union, and also helped rebels during the Congo Crisis. When he began his revolutionary campaign in Bolivia, no one was sure about whether he was alive or not. Ultimately, Che was discovered and captured by Bolivian forces. His finals words to his executioner were, “I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.” As he was getting shot, he bit into his wrist to prevent himself from crying out. His body was then buried in an unmarked grave. His hands were cut off and sent to Fidel Castro with a picture of his corpse as proof of his death. In 1997 his remains were discovered and buried in Cuba.
Che Guevara by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 15, 2010
Naruto
Naruto closely follows the life of a boy who is feared and detested by the villagers of the hidden leaf village of Konoha. The distrust of the boy has little to do with the boy himself, but it’s what’s inside him that causes anxiety. Long before Naruto came to be, a Kyuubi (demon fox) with great fury and power waged war taking many lives. The battle ensued for a long time until a man known as the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime, the strongest ninja in Konoha, fiercely fought the Kyuubi. The fight was soon won by Yondaime as he sealed the evil demon in a human body. Thus the boy, Naruto, was born. As Naruto grows he decides to become the strongest ninja in Konoha in an effort to show everyone that he is not as they perceive him to be, but is a human being worthy of love and admiration. But the road to becoming Hokage, the title for the strongest ninja in Konoha, is a long and arduous one. It is a path filled with betrayal, pain, and loss; but with hard work, Naruto may achieve Hokage.
Naruto by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 13, 2010