Cine ne mai dă fiori de Halloween? Dracula, un vampir creştin. Cui i-e frică de Béla din Lugoj?

Unul dintre cele mai valoroase autografe ale unei vedete nascute in Banat este cel al actorului Béla Lugosi, faimosul Dracula de la Hollywood. Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (n. 20 octombrie 1882, Lugoj – d. 16 august 1956, Los Angeles) s-a nascut la Lugoj, iar in memoria orasului copilariei sale si-a luat pseudonimul Lugosi, pe care l-a facut celebru mai apoi in America. Autograful lugojeanului se vinde astazi, la 54 de ani de la moartea sa, cu sume pornind de la 500 $. Putini stiu insa ca Lugosi, temutul vampir de mai tarziu, a debutat in primul lui rol important pe scena teatrului, in anul 1909, in rolul lui... Iisus Hristos. Am in colectie mai multe fotografii infatisandu-l in diverse ipostaze in piesa respectiva. Recent am intrat in contact cu fiul sau Lugosi Jr, care este un reputat avocat in Statele Unite si, prin amabilitatea domniei-sale, sper sa pot posta pe blog o poza interesanta a actorului care l-a intrupat cu cel mai mare succes pe temutul vampir Dracula. Nu am (inca!) in colectie un autograf al lui Béla Lugosi, cele prezentate sunt doar cateva mostre scoase la vanzare recent de colectionari din toata lumea.

Succes 2010: Benny Golson, jazz living legend

Benny Golson is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger.

While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and Red Rodney. After graduating from Howard University Golson joined Bull Moose Jackson's rhythm and blues band; Tadd Dameron, whom Golson came to consider the most important influence on his writing, was Jackson's pianist at the time.
From 1953 to 1959 Golson played with Dameron's band and then with the bands of Lionel Hampton, Johnny Hodges, Earl Bostic, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
Golson was working with the Lionel Hampton band at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1956 when he learned that Clifford Brown, a noted and well-liked jazz trumpeter who had done a stint with him in Hampton's band, had died in a car accident. Golson was so moved by the event that he composed the threnody "I Remember Clifford", as a tribute to a fellow musician and friend.
Golson has composed several other jazz standards, such as "Stablemates", "Killer Joe", "Whisper Not", "Along Came Betty" and "Are You Real?", that have gone on to be performed and recorded by many musicians.
From 1959 to 1962 Golson co-led the Jazztet with Art Farmer. Golson then left jazz to concentrate on studio and orchestral work for 12 years. During this time he composed music for such television shows as Ironside, Room 222, M*A*S*H, and Mission: Impossible. During the mid-1970s Golson returned to jazz playing and recording. In 1983 he re-organized the Jazztet.
In 1995 Golson received the NEA Jazz Masters Award of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Golson made a cameo appearance in the 2004 movie The Terminal, related to his appearance in the A Great Day in Harlem photo. As of 2007, he tours regularly.
In October 2007 Golson received the Mellon Living Legend Legacy Award presented by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation at a ceremony at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, during the same month, he won the University of Pittsburgh International Academy of Jazz Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award at the university's 37th Annual Jazz Concert in the Carnegie Music Hall.
In November 2009, Benny was inducted into the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame during a performance at the University of Pittsburgh's annual jazz seminar and concert.

Succes 2010: Valdis Zatlers, un chirurg ortoped ajuns preşedinte al Letoniei

Chirurgul ortoped Valdis Zatlers a fost ales presedinte al Letoniei in 8 iulie 2007. Autograf solicitat prin email.

Succes 2010: Marcia Barett (Boney M)

Marcia Barrett este una dintre vocalistele din formula originala a legendarului grup R&B, Boney M. Autograf solicitat prin email.

Succes 2010: Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama (Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་; Wylie: taa la’i bla ma; simplified Chinese: 达赖喇嘛; traditional Chinese: 達賴喇嘛; pinyin: Dálài Lǎmā) is a Buddhist leader of religious officials of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word Далай "Dalai" meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word བླ་མ ་"Blama" (with a silent b) meaning "chief" or "high priest. "Lama" is a general term referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers. In religious terms, the Dalai Lama is believed by his devotees to be the rebirth of a long line of tulkus who descend from the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Traditionally, he is thought of as the latest reincarnation of a series of spiritual leaders who have chosen to be reborn in order to enlighten others. The Dalai Lama is often thought to be the director of the Gelug School, but this position belongs officially to the Ganden Tripa, which is a temporary position appointed by the Dalai Lama who, in practice, exerts much influence.

For certain periods of time between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lamas sometimes directed the Tibetan Government, which administered portions of Tibet from Lhasa. From 1959 to 2001, the 14th Dalai Lama controlled the Central Tibetan Administration ("Tibetan government in exile"). He has indicated that the institution of the Dalai Lama may be abolished in the future, and also that the next Dalai Lama may be found outside Tibet and may be female.

The current Dalai Lama is often called "His Holiness" (HH) by Westerners (by analogy with the Pope), although this does not translate to a Tibetan title.

"Dalai" (Далай) means "Ocean" in Mongolian, and is a translation of the Tibetan name རྒྱ་མཚོ་ "Gyatso," while "Lama" is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit word "guru". Together, the terms literally translate as "Ocean Teacher," although there are several theories regarding the meaning of the title. One idea is that the title means a teacher who is spiritually as great as the ocean.[citation needed] The name is also often translated as "Ocean of Wisdom," as in the following extract.

"The Institution of the Dalai Lama" by R. N. Rahul Sheel in The Tibet Journal, Vol. XIV No. 3. Autumn 1989, pp. 19-32 says on pp. 31-32, n. 1: "The word Dalai is Mongolian for "ocean", used mainly by the Chinese, the Mongols, and foreigners. Rgya mtsho, the corresponding Tibetan word, always has formed the last part of the religious name of the Dalai Lama since Dalai Lama II [sic – should read Dalai Lama III]. The expression Lama (བླ་མ; Bla ma) means the "superior one". Western usage has taken it to mean the "priest" of the Buddhism of Tibet. The term Dalai Lama, therefore, means "Ocean of Wisdom.

According to the current Dalai Lama, however, the title originated with the third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso; the Mongolian term "Dalai" was nothing more than a literal translation of the Tibetan name "Gyatso," implying that later interpretations used poetic license in applying oceanic qualities to the name.


Before the 20th century, European sources often referred to the Dalai Lama as the "Grand Lama". For example, in 1785 Benjamin Franklin Bache mocked George Washington by terming him the "Grand Lama of this Country". Some in the West believed the Dalai Lama to be worshipped by the Tibetans as the godhead.

The Sopranos

Clanul Soprano (în engleză The Sopranos) este un serial american creat și produs de David Chase. A avut premiera în Statele Unite la HBO pe 10 ianuarie 1999 iar ultimul episod, al 86-lea a rulat la data de 10 iunie 2007. A fost transmis și de postul A&E atât în State cât și internațional. Plasat în New Jersey, acolo unde a și fost produs, serialul îl are în centru pe mafiotul Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) urmărind dificultățile pe care acesta le întâmpină în încercarea de a face față atât în viața de familie cât și în cea pe care o duce în sânul Mafiei.

Fiind un mare succes critic și comercial, Clanul Soprano este serialul cu cele mai mari încasări din istoria televiziunii prin cablu. Seria a câștigat numeroase premii, printre care 21 de premii Emmy și cinci Globuri de Aur.

Fotografia poarta autografele a patru personaje pricipale ale serialului:

James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano (1999-2007)
Michael Imperioli - Christopher Moltisanti (1999-2007)
Vincent Pastore - Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (1999-2000)
Tony Sirico - Paulie Gualtieri (1999-2007)
Steven Van Zandt - Silvio Dante (1999-2007)

Succes 2010: Vincent "Vinny" Pastore. Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero din The Sopranos

Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (1945-2000), interpretat de Vincent Pastore a fost un personaj fictiv în seria HBO, Clanul Soprano. A nu fi confundat "Little Pussy" Malanga, alt mafiot din New Jersey, Big Pussy a fost unul din oamenii care a lucrat cu Tony Soprano cei doi fiind prieteni apropiați.

Bonpensiero a fost ucis de Tony Soprano, Silvio Dante și Paulie Gualtieri după ce s-a descoperit că era informator pentru FBI.
Impreuna cu fotografia semnata, Mr Pastore a trimis si un flyer - de asemenea cu autograf - al restaurantului al carui proprietar este.

Succes 2010: Valdis Dombrovskis, prim-ministrul leton

Succes 2010: Ray Thomas, flautist si vocalist la The Moody Blues

Ray Thomas is an english musician, best known as the flautist and as a singer and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.

Although he most commonly plays flute, Thomas is actually a multi-instrumentalist, playing various other woodwind instruments, such as the oboe on the album, In Search of the Lost Chord, and saxophone on Octave. The 1972 video for "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" features Thomas playing the baritone saxophone, although Pinder has stated on his website that this was just for effect in the video, and that Thomas was not the sax player on the actual recording. Although typically comfortable singing in the lower tenor register, Thomas was also responsible for the distinctive falsetto voice on many of the group's earlier recordings, before the arrival of Hayward and Lodge.

Thomas retired at the end of 2002. The Moody Blues - now consisting only of Hayward, Lodge and Edge plus four long-serving touring band members, including Norda Mullen who has taken over Thomas' flute parts - have released one studio album, December, since his departure from the band.