tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250193752024-03-23T18:30:43.868+00:00missprintlet me put you in the major keyHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-64144018231033153292009-09-17T11:36:00.002+00:002009-09-17T12:01:39.350+00:00"Cos your X is equal to my Y but equations pass me by"So, long time, no blog. It appears that the life of a student was more conducive to obsessively blogging about the state of pop music and upon graduation, life interrupted somewhat. In the intervening time, much has changed and much has remained the same. Inevitably older and wiser and quite a lot geekier (evolutionary biology has become a recent obsession), I am also almost in possession of some postnominals. Yes, dear readers, I have succumbed to the career choice which was so obviously staring me in the face all this time, I am (barring failure of my dissertation), a qualified librarian.<br /><br />Goodness knows why it took me so long to realise it (after all, I'd only been working in libraries for about four years before I had my epiphany) but once I did, the heavens opened and the angels and St Dewey were gazing down upon me. (As you might be able to tell, I'm not one of those librarians who is actively fighting the stereotype. Belle & Sebastian, tea and cardigans, there are some things that you just cannot fight in my experience.)<br /><br />I refer to myself as a librarian but let me pose a philosophical question to you: is a librarian really a librarian without a job? This morning I received a letter from <i>The Daily Mail</i> turning me down for a job. <i>The Guardian</i> reader in me is obviously thrilled, despite the fact that <i>The Daily Mail</i> is responsible for my <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209383/Fathers-outrage-pornographic-Haribo-MAOAM-sweet-wrappers.html">favourite news article of recent times.</a> (Seriously, every line is this article is a JOY to behold. Where to start? The somewhat eccentric capitalisation of "SWEET" in the first sentance? Mr Simpkins' assertion that the lime is the gentleman in the coupling? Or the distress of poor Mrs Simpkins whose frayed nerves could only be soothed by reclining on some car park tarmac?) So, whilst my moral compass and general principles are quite happy not to be swallowed up by the beast of Middle England, my unemployed ego cannot help but be a little bruised from a rejection from <i>The Daily Mail</i>. <br /><br />It seems that today is turning out to be one of those days in which the past comes drifting up in front of you. My Facebook status regarding MailGate has attracted a raft of comments from people that I've lost touch with or don't know very well. I've dusted off my copy of <i>Ghosts</i> after reading this <a href="http://www.ponystep.com/music/article/SiobhanDonaghyTheonethatgotaway_380.aspx">interview with Siobhan Donaghy</a>. And finally, I find myself here again. And to think that the day isn't over yet, what else could come back to haunt us? We can but hope that this retrograde in my life does not extend to something like Menswe@r reforming.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-89571703314521673502007-07-22T23:58:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:07.866+00:00"Did you ever think that loving would mean nothing more than walking me home? No, no..."Things I have learnt this week:<br /><br />- The new Girls of Allowedness single, the idiosyncratically titled <i>Sexy! No, no, no...</i>, leaked this week and somewhat improbably the Internet is in disarray over the correct punctuation to be used when referring to the latest Girls Aloud opus. There is some discussion on the <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Girls+Aloud/_/Sexy%21+No%2C+No%2C+No...">last.fm</a> listing for it and also on <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1385&Itemid=206">Popjustice</a>. (For the record I am sticking to the exclaimation mark, commas and ellipses and if anyone wants to quibble, talk to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexy%21_No%2C_No%2C_No...">Wikipedia entry</a> because the face ain't listening.) Anyway, despite the <a href+"http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1387&Itemid=206">citizens of Popjustice having simulateous multiple orgasms</a> over it, I can't quite seem to bring myself to adore it in the same way. I've listened to it ten times now and it does indeed sound like Girls Aloud having a particularly melodious rave in a Black & Decker warehouse, I'm still not convinced. It's a bit like that girl at school that <i>everybody</i> loves and is perfectly nice and sweet but you still just don't like her.*<br /><br />- I've rediscovered my love for the Harry Potter books (though I still maintain that JK Rowling is in need of a stricter editor). After seeing <i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> last week (more on which later) I've been in Potter-mode again. Somewhat foolishly, I thought I'd be able to plough my way through the previous six books in a week. I gave up on this foolhardy plan when it got to Wednesday and I was only halfway through the first book, so I just skipped ahead to the penultimate book. However, because I'm a working gal now I only managed to finish <i>Half Blood Prince</i> on Saturday evening in between frantically texting all my friends and commanding them not to tell me <i>anything</i> on punishment of death (or at the very least, a very stern glare). Anyway, I managed to speed read my way through <i>Deathly Hallows</i> in between pottering around with cups of tea (no pun intended) and sporting the Autumn/Winter look for Death Eateresses everywhere:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO57gXk4i1I-B9x8htm0_5qqZlqeteBdu0A30FSci78Lp6OTJMcfE78TbEAZE1Sg3AOGjSzkDznvbuE256hlt40Gu72JHcreakqHVdOfmhoyGequ5eqW07OSaeiEh83QoyD2F/s320/IMG_7096.JPG" height="200" border="3"></p><br /><br />What could be more useful for those stay-at-home Death Eateresses than a handy headscarf that not only shows your allegiance to the Dark Lord but also keeps your hair out of your eyes while you clean the house and torture Muggles? Available at all reputable evil emporiums. <br /><br />I found myself somewhat disappointed with the last two books, I felt that they didn't add much in terms of the story arc and characterisation of Harry himself (I became increasingly annoyed with his outbursts of self-righteous anger) and they needed <i>serious</i> editing. Also, I realise that JK Rowling's readership would have grown up quite a bit in the years since the first Harry Potter book was published and that accordingly the books have gotten darker and more adult in tone but the gap in between <i>Philosopher's Stone</i> and <i>Deathly Hallows</i> is more like a chasm. In the same way that I don't regard the <i>His Dark Materials</i> trilogy as children's books but more for the Young Adult readership, the Harry Potter series from <i>Order of the Phoenix</i> onwards is definately not aimed at the 8 year old who might have just started reading the series. Anyway, perhaps it's because I didn't devour this volume in the same way that I did the others that I enjoyed it on first reading much more. (Also, I must admit it's also because I had quite a few smug moments where my theories were confirmed...) Also, you can't beat a bit of Molly Weasley swearing which is quite possibly my favourite moment in the entire series. So in summary, <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> - yay!<br /><br />- I've been Miss Freebies lately because I've been stalking <a href="http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=37">Martin Lewis's forums</a> lately. There was a time where I managed to get free preview screening tickets almost every week but Heat magazine seemed to stop running these screenings. Anyway, I managed to make up for lost time and I procured free tickets for <i>Sherrybaby, Hairspray, Transformers</i> and <i>Knocked Up</i>. I'd heard a lot about <i>Sherrybaby</i> at the beginning of the year during the awards season and my interest was piqued because there was talk about Maggie Gyllenhaal's Oscar-worthy performance (and also because I have a girl-crush on Maggie). Anyway, the film wasn't what I expected, I was thinking more along the lines of a triumph-over-adversity, scene-chewing type of thing (see Will Smith in <i>The Pursuit of Happyness</i>) but it was something far more nuanced and complex than that. In the hands of a far less capable and intelligent actress than Maggie, Sherry would have been a far more straightforward and sympathetic character but instead we get this girl who bounces from being closed and tightly-wound agression borne of incarceration, self-assured seductress and overbearing euphoria of a mother being reunited with her daughter. I'm not sure that saying I enjoyed the film would be entirely accurate. The ever-present thunudering skies and rain in London failed to diminish my usual sunny optimism but <i>Sherrybaby</i> succeeded where British weather failed.<br /><br />Speaking of failures and damp squibs, where <i>Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third</i> and <i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</i> bombed spectacularly (in terms of the summer box office season that is), I'm hoping <i>Hairspray</i> will emerge as the plucky all-singing, all-dancing underdog. I shall level with you dear readers, I wasn't convinced that John Travolta in a fat suit would constitute what one would usually term as an evening's entertainment but I haven't seen a film that fizzes and sparks on the screen this way since <i>Hot Fuzz</i> earlier this year. I knew that loving <i>Hairspray</i> couldn't be wrong when about twenty minutes in, Allison Janney appeared onscreen and we all know that it's impossible to dislike anything that Allison Janney's in and therefore everything that Allison Janney is in is AMAZING. We are, after all, talking about a woman who has portrayed Ms. Perky in <i>10 Things I Hate About You</i>, Peach the Starfish in <i>Finding Nemo</i> and of course, Claudia Jean Cregg in <i>the West Wing</i>. I must admit, I've never seen the John Waters original after being severly put off his ouvre when I was required to watch <i>Pink Flamingos</i> (final scene included) for a film class at university but <a href="http://ottodixless.diaryland.com">Stuart</a> reassures me that anything after the 1980s is safe from Divine masticating dog excrement so I'm adding <i>Hairspray, Cry Baby</i> and <i>Pecker</i> to my Amazon rental list. (Though I am still ploughing my way through DI Sam Tyler's adventures with the scary TV test card girl and her clown so it'll be a while before I can test Stuart's theory.)<br /><br />It's fair to say that it's taken me quite a while to separate my favourite novels from their celluloid twins but I think I've finally learnt to let go and enjoy the Harry Potter films. It does help that Chris Columbus is no longer turning the franchise into two hour long wades through treacle. It also helps that <i>Order of the Phoenix</i> isn't one of my favourites of the series and in being trimmed down for the screen, it's also lost a lot of the narrative fat that I thought was unnecessary in the first place. It's as enjoyable as all the other Harry Potter films, the CGI excellent, the production design detailed and sumptuous as ever and with the franchise's reputation of seemingly cast every British actor ever born in it, you can guarantee great performances (perhaps less so in Daniel Radcliffe's case but moving swiftly on...) However, we're getting to the stage where the films are getting a bit predictable and they're just trundling along and despite changing directors more frequently than Paris Hilton does her paramors, the franchise needs to get a more interesting and slightly more avant garde creative team in. Terry Gilliam's name has been bandied about and an excellent choice he would be too but I just think that Tim Burton or Guillermo del Toro would be a perfect fit, especially for the last few films. <br /><br />- More on the living moral parable of our times that is <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007330734,00.html">Shayne Ward</a>. It appears that the karmic retribution for tossing a dwarf into a swimming pool is great indeed.<br /><br />- Our favourite goth moron, Victoria Newton, has created an even more idio moniker for a genre than <i>nu-rave</i> - <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006140003-2007330486,00.html">the 'whatevah!' set</a>. Nope, me neither.<br /><br />- Look! My other favourite Alyson on TV is a <a href="http://popsugar.com/gallery/98971?page=0,0,22">brunette now!</a> <br /><br />OK, bedtime now. I've two more episodes to watch before I finish the sixth season of the West Wing, hurrah!<br /><br />* This being the Girls of Allowedness and me being me, I will probably have changed my mind in an hour when I will have a popiphany (yes, really) and realise that it's the best thing I've heard since the opening guitar line of <i>Love Machine</i>.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com282tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-47438823262256328522007-07-13T16:27:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:07.966+00:00"I've had such a wicked time / Kissed the boys and made them cry"Random things for a Friday afternoon:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq96W-100u2f29NlDt7PrgGggm0t8rhLkMt_WNWTzGwSxLwY0j563KsOc4vhslvRq5CbMNloaDjude1LW5ysWMUFXBqyoqgdIOuqkZZVQQgjr-ywZPXs0CEd-4pA6pdIvVoJIv/s1600-h/IMG_7051.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq96W-100u2f29NlDt7PrgGggm0t8rhLkMt_WNWTzGwSxLwY0j563KsOc4vhslvRq5CbMNloaDjude1LW5ysWMUFXBqyoqgdIOuqkZZVQQgjr-ywZPXs0CEd-4pA6pdIvVoJIv/s320/IMG_7051.JPG" border="3" height="150"></a></p><br /><br />I've been meaning to post about the <a href="http://www.peckhampet-tastic.com">Peckham Pet-Tastic</a> thing I went to a few weeks ago. For those of you not in the know regarding pet fancy-dress picnics in South-East London, it's an art project conceived by Rachael House which is really just an excuse to slap a pair of angel wings on your greyhound. Anyway, nothing like free popcorn and dogs in fancy dress to bring the crowds out on a Saturday afternoon:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjhByAaE84JwWhsLseoRDQSlGHo8ZLbyBib7k7e02GN4NXEo240KOGlJlWRNjkTZRM839d-MDCJ4GJS-28LKdkaVt5SnvPaZs9yxD-pEsfojjw471ymeM1WcNjvDZ-47Jr0mC/s1600-h/IMG_7034.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjhByAaE84JwWhsLseoRDQSlGHo8ZLbyBib7k7e02GN4NXEo240KOGlJlWRNjkTZRM839d-MDCJ4GJS-28LKdkaVt5SnvPaZs9yxD-pEsfojjw471ymeM1WcNjvDZ-47Jr0mC/s320/IMG_7034.JPG" border="3" height="100"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mB75KzcrMM73QLtvBjm72I1Rr86xbM3ewyA5bMVNsw4IWPmfNWDuPH03zpCJ_WZxyPpKkBKhKXb_8lKY1gklenaWK02jxfWtmw_h0NKiQ4isOmmqMlGcTORATArXgFapII6T/s1600-h/IMG_2633.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mB75KzcrMM73QLtvBjm72I1Rr86xbM3ewyA5bMVNsw4IWPmfNWDuPH03zpCJ_WZxyPpKkBKhKXb_8lKY1gklenaWK02jxfWtmw_h0NKiQ4isOmmqMlGcTORATArXgFapII6T/s320/IMG_2633.JPG" border="3" height="100"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMoDsDykKGlNh5Avk2PIcrd7ZWZyHqpwG2YmJPSlSb_uPLaYTa_D-TS0tV8dJ-iLy4rTcBH9dQetkYefHdErHMfcS07eguBmRzbTlBP098KghdM-n0R-bGKeqTte6QWYRYP5-/s1600-h/IMG_2621.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMoDsDykKGlNh5Avk2PIcrd7ZWZyHqpwG2YmJPSlSb_uPLaYTa_D-TS0tV8dJ-iLy4rTcBH9dQetkYefHdErHMfcS07eguBmRzbTlBP098KghdM-n0R-bGKeqTte6QWYRYP5-/s320/IMG_2621.JPG" border="3" height="100"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XU5U9ViLeWbTvjIItd39cUPbDgyIYUWyyxDWGoMDoD8aPJxYsqu2NzFrKhZMZd_KjIySXKHYpIBQS9W4zfp6S4SwzUVBX-ZNido95G6N9rYJ3oMp7t9UMzFuekXen5_Ori4s/s1600-h/IMG_2628.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XU5U9ViLeWbTvjIItd39cUPbDgyIYUWyyxDWGoMDoD8aPJxYsqu2NzFrKhZMZd_KjIySXKHYpIBQS9W4zfp6S4SwzUVBX-ZNido95G6N9rYJ3oMp7t9UMzFuekXen5_Ori4s/s320/IMG_2628.JPG" border="3" height="100"></a></p><br /><br />Look what I found on my doormat when I returned home this afternoon!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyfHmOjyz1g43B-DCiWI7y0wIR7p5538_Z6cxkczT1PFKKR1eZ8dL_rweVBEbh3YsVuNysr7XBGzPHsx_CHdZ6LHck04el3BatCD4rQAM7zNv4vjuugETAovwn2w3H-JT7weQ/s1600-h/IMG_7058.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyfHmOjyz1g43B-DCiWI7y0wIR7p5538_Z6cxkczT1PFKKR1eZ8dL_rweVBEbh3YsVuNysr7XBGzPHsx_CHdZ6LHck04el3BatCD4rQAM7zNv4vjuugETAovwn2w3H-JT7weQ/s320/IMG_7058.JPG" border="3" height="200"></a></p><br /><br />It's nice to see that the Church is branching out into multi-lingual leaflets. I guess they have to compete with those pesky Jehovah's Witnesses with their hard-sell techniques. (Seriously, Sir Alan Sugar needn't look any further than the nearest Jehovah's Witness hall for his next apprentice. I bet a Jehovah's Witness could sell ten times the amount of QVC tat that Simon Ambrose could. Although considering Simon's sales record, that's not really saying much.) Anyway, nice try Christians, I'm not Chinese therefore I win! I am however a little worried that they knew to post the Chinese leaflet into my house. <br /><br />It's obviously slow news day for Victoria Newton today because she's reporting that <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007320382,00.html">the Arctic Monkeys are getting a Soviet makeover.</a> Well, at least Alex Turner is because apparently he's only answering to Aleks Turner now. Her source displays a sort of wonky logic here: “He has set up an email account in the name Aleks and now signs off with it. It’s the sort of quirky and rather puzzling thing that he does. I hope it doesn’t go too far. He’ll start replacing his name with a picture of a monkey next.” Quite.<br /><br />You know, I thought the <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001320029-2007300015,00.html">Michelle McManus/Discotivity!</a> story was going to be my favourite showbiz story until I read <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007310678,00.html">this</a>. Bearing in mind that this is the work of Victoria Newton, I am a little skeptical but surely even La Newton wouldn't stoop to slandering Shayne Ward's good name using dwarf wrestlers? The article features what is quite possibly my favourite opening line of any news article ever: "Shayne Ward almost drowned a midget on the set of his new video." Amazing.<br /><br />I was going to write a review of <b>Sherrybaby</b> and <b>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</b> (both of which I saw this week) but I've just realised that I'm running late for a televisual date with DI Sam Tyler. More later. Pip pip.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-77721297197763465022007-07-06T20:45:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:08.073+00:00"She can't carry on but her nimble fingers still feel the cold"Things I have learnt this month:<br /><br />- Despite having a leaked copy for a few months now, the Siobhan Donaghy album is marvellous. Even more so when it's accompanied by gorgeous artwork (courtesy of the dark genius of Floria Sigismondi) and the ever elusive lyrics of <a href="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/jamestm1/GHOSTS/scan0009.jpg"><i>Ghosts</i></a>. I cannot lie to you dear readers, I am somewhat disappointed that one of the lyrics is: "Phwoar so spirit smother me in" but really I shouldn't complain when it also includes other lyrical gems such as: "Fuel full fat her glass of milk". But anyway, all this doesn't detract of her status as a Sacred Cow of Pop and judging from the album booklet, even Siobhan herself is aware of her own canonization:<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDN1-IREU5eHCvP-FQOh143mNmWcPoVis0yh-PJekni3fVMBmdiAM753PXXhCIjJR4lgJjZ_Lvt2JB_BVlfaiH1ab4kWUCY33H6PYlMYMFanb8p17UHreS0vvf_x4a37QWVC4/s320/stsiobhan.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />- Despite my ongoing reservations about hairdressers, I decided to get my hair cut again. It was reaching ridiculous Rapunzel-esque proportions and I have a rule about waist length hair being unacceptable on anyone older than 9. Needless to say, I should have trusted my instincts and left well alone because it's been a month since The Cut and only now am I growing to like my hair again. For a <i>long</i> month, on a good day it felt like a wig and on a bad day it felt like a cheap wig of a pre-op male to female transsexual. Spot the difference:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOdYjs6JOcQY_1CmEzkX6Vxx7d8JffNEaiOB4Nv-jmX5Mv-3lotNHfiTf-FXPsa7C7ddq6e3V-mnbjxgvukO1MN9BmPOoa_xNMYElfgLEmK1YtWGKVV_g6G0fsXLPnQk5v8H9/s320/shesrobbie.JPG" border="3" height="150"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhik7RtL8MQftoYW-3CzOi4Tp0EYkq-WBdBahAFsCqbKC9Lwy0I3A_rS3hT5Jo0YxcH-NaTtzVXoIvapoeKzuhl4grFkGiVTJddSHEY_kVfw4KSEl_VESXXvNJKg6B1qkr8j924/s320/shesmadonna.jpg" border="3" height="150"></p><br /><br />- It's nice to see that Mutya's record label are wise enough to realise that <i>Song 4 Mutya</i> has "Stomper of the Summer" tattooed across it (which considering the Mighty Buena's involvement is probably in a classy place like it's upper thigh or strategically placed above it's heaving bosom. Ahem, I seem to have wandered off track somewhat.) So, like much of the Popjustice readership, I am still wondering why the promo video is so flat:<br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_lMJW4V49Yc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_lMJW4V49Yc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />At least she scrubs up nice in the video. Unlike the alternative version that she's promoting on her website:<br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbUZVG-u7cw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbUZVG-u7cw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />A prime example of why popstrels should not be let loose with Microsoft PowerPoint. <br /><br />Popjustice ran <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1323&Itemid=206">an article</a> today on alternative treatments for the <i>Song 4 Mutya</i> video. The winning entry adheres to one of the Cardinal Rule of Pop Greatness, "Thou shalt have multiple popstrels with the use of fancy CGI" (see also: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUueEVXw7ec">Kylie "Come Into My World</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqcoJw0GFko">Rachel Stevens "Negotiate With Love</a>" etc.) To this end, I would like to see a video with multiple Mutyas exacting various revenge scenarios on her ex-boyfriend and his new floozy, one of which could have a shoddy 'festival' setting, thus bringing the whole thing full circle.<br /><br />- I discovered <a href="http://www.thecustard.tv/comingup1.html">this page</a> today, thecustard.tv's list of new and upcoming programming for the year. Some of it reads scarily like <a href="http://www.tvgohome.com/">TV Go Home</a>, selected lowlights include:<br /><br />- <b>12 Angry Celebrities</b> ITV1 – Reality show in which celebrities act as the jury in a fictional murder trial.<br><br />- <b>Bonekickers</b> BBC1 – Drama about archaeologists written by Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham, of Life On Mars fame.<br><br />- <b>The Calais Rules 2007</b> BBC2 – Sitcom featuring badly behaved BBC foreign correspondents, written by journalists Tira Shubart and Sandra Jones with Jon Rolph – producer of French & Saunders. <i>(This has more than a whiff of "The White Van" in "Adrian Mole & The Cappucino Years")</i><br><br />- <b>The Clock Is Ticking</b> BBC1 Saturday night game show fronted by Dick & Dom (Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood) in which contestants sit in a room with no clock. When they emerge, they have to guess how much time is left to win a cash prize.<i>(Just when you thought television quiz shows couldn't get any more heart-palpitatingly, thrillingly suspenseful...they don't.)</i><br><br />- <b>DanceX</b> Saturday 14 July 2007, BBC1 – Saturday evening reality TV show hosted by Ben Shephard to find a new dance troupe like 1980s sensations Hot Gossip. Strictly Come Dancing judges Arlene Phillips, who choreographed Hot Gossip for their appearances on Kenny Everett's ITV shows, and Bruno Tonioli will compete to create the best troupe.<br><br />- <b>Delia Smith's Apprentice</b> BBC – In the planning stages, the cookery queen is set to appear in a series in which she picks an apprentice from a group of hopefuls. <i>(We can but hope that Sir Alan's catchphrase, "You're fired" is given a somewhat more literal interpretation in this version.)</i><br><br />- <b>Dickinson's Real Deal</b> 2007, ITV1 – Seventy more editions of David Dickinson's antiques challenge. <i>(Seventy??)</i><br><br />- <b>Dumped</b> 2007, Channel 4 – Reality show in which 10 people go to live on Britain's biggest rubbish dump and learn to live a comfortable life on recycled materials. <i>(Again, we can only hope that this synopsis is not merely badly phrased and the contestants actually have to find a comfortable position on which to sit on a pile of recycled materials for a prolonged amount of time.)</i><br><br />- <b>Food Poker</b> BBC2 – Series combining poker and cookery in which two chefs compete against each other to win ingredients for a dish by playing cards before a member of the studio audience picks the best creation.<br><br /><br />Clearly, the void in my life that has been left by <i>Doctor Who</i> and <i>Any Dream Will Do</i> is set to yawn through to next year. Thank goodness I have two seasons of The West Wing that I've not yet viewed to see me through.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-16372379022929628802007-06-12T08:08:00.000+00:002007-06-12T08:12:01.140+00:00The Wolf ChorusThis is quite possibly my favourite thing on the interweb. Ever.<br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f3q8IHoUQyk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f3q8IHoUQyk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />I think that the boy Wolf should abandon his band and just have these boys instead. It would certainly mean no more of those pesky "Patrick Wolf brutalizes drummer shocker!" headlines. (Although I guess it's entirely feasible that there would be "Patrick Wolf brutalizes human beat boxer shocker!" headlines.) Well, if La Wolf doesn't want them, I would like them miniaturized and installed in my car instead.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-67899916522936575372007-05-21T11:21:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:08.140+00:00"They tried to make me sign a pre-nup / I said 'no no no'"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHZ-A7iSfbzBnAyjQziogZpJBFXGInq6X_vv-7Rj2Iz-hj1MGX7YltDYJ8kKqlM6GVIR2sNnOcX7sHB2EN05SCtsiK7k_Ux9gtuV-rSr-bFRCspa-HeK3aj7WN4VTxXnKYvSr/s1600-h/amycivilengineer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHZ-A7iSfbzBnAyjQziogZpJBFXGInq6X_vv-7Rj2Iz-hj1MGX7YltDYJ8kKqlM6GVIR2sNnOcX7sHB2EN05SCtsiK7k_Ux9gtuV-rSr-bFRCspa-HeK3aj7WN4VTxXnKYvSr/s320/amycivilengineer.jpg" border="3"></a><br /><br />Reportedly <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007230277,00.html">Mr. Amy Winehouse's</a> words, not mine. Yes, Dame Amy of Winehouse is now officially Duchess Amy of Civil-Engineering (or something like that). <br /><br />Anyway, I am off for seven days in the sun (more like a few days as the weather forecast for Gran Canaria is looking suspiciously drizzly) so I wanted to post the answers to my IMDb quiz before I come back addled with sunstroke:<br /><br />1 // Hit by bus / Mathematics / Suspected lesbian - <i>Mean Girls</i> <br />2 // 2500s / Kicked in the crotch / Terraforming - <i>Serenity</i><br />3 // Frozen river / Audio cassette / Poetry - <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i><br />4 // Herpetology / Child bride / Scrabble - <i>Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events</i><br />5 // Sunglasses / Thick accent / Scale model of city - <i>Hot Fuzz</i><br />6 // Language barrier / Title spoken by character / Christmas card - <i>Love Actually</i><br />7 // Body waxing / Asthma / Heiress - <i>Hitch</i><br />8 // Bathhouse / Identical twins / Environmentalism - <i>Spirited Away</i> (or indeed the Olson's Bette Midler biopic, don't you know?)<br />9 // Pop music / Misfit / Funeral - <i>High Fidelity</i><br />10 // Nazi experiment / Narration from the grave / Rubik's cube - <i>Hellboy</i><br /><br />How many did you get right? Right, have to finish packing now, pip pip!Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-20070488729123939692007-05-17T16:22:00.000+00:002007-05-17T16:31:50.872+00:00"Take the black off a crow / But don't tell me I have to go"There is a beautiful ramshackle house covered in vines opposide my house. For the past week, I have noticed lighting vans and a winnebago parked outside from very early in the morning to very late at night. Then last night, I spied some men in waterproofs emerging out of the church hall clutching some sandwiches. I've been vaguely wondering (considering my luck with being in close proximity to Doctor Who sets) whether it was anything exciting. Sadly, I've had little (i.e. none) in the way of celebtacular action. Then I happened to mention to a friend in an email today whose interest was piqued and she decided to <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=filming+peckham&meta=">Google it</a> and imagine my surprise when I hear that it's Madonna filming her directorial debut, <a href="http://www.drownedmadonna.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=18024"><i>Filth and Wisdom</i></a>. If only it were Girls Aloud, I would rush the set straightaway. As it is, I am going to strategically walk past the house on the way to work tomorrow to try and spy. Yes, I am that pathetic that this may be the highlight of my week. (I reserve judgement as I am going to be in the audience for <i>QI</i> tomorrow and my love for Stephen Fry is seemingly limitless.)Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-30848427346352698232007-05-15T23:42:00.000+00:002007-05-15T22:42:55.581+00:00"We can go to that private view but darlin' these days my favourite view is you"Surevey ahoy as I am lazy, it's past my bedtime and I haven't done one in a while.<br /><br />* Go to IMDb.com and look up 10 of your favorite movies.<br />* Post three official IMDb "Plot Keywords" for these 10 picks.<br />* Have your friends guess the movie titles.<br /><br />1 // Hit by bus / Mathematics / Suspected lesbian<br />2 // 2500s / Kicked in the crotch / Terraforming<br />3 // Frozen river / Audio cassette / Poetry<br />4 // Herpetology / Child bride / Scrabble<br />5 // Sunglasses / Thick accent / Scale model of city<br />6 // Language barrier / Title spoken by character / Christmas card<br />7 // Body waxing / Asthma / Heiress<br />8 // Bathhouse / Identical twins / Environmentalism<br />9 // Pop music / Misfit / Funeral<br />10 // Nazi experiment / Narration from the grave / Rubik's cube<br /><br />And yes, there is a Mungo film in there somewhere.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-91564050456816265132007-05-15T20:34:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:08.179+00:00Have you ever seen them in the same room?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYqVLQ_IzdpuDTRTrD2m8E2oidaXX-mpYhWguVX6oNLTMya-x90XmIOglBWzkurY3kA24fEyb9_qi4KSTHVOaYWzHR48f_N_Jv-rredwhSodSbG_3gbtroRmuTJDUg8QWaYn_/s320/maddox.jpg" border="3" height="160"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NOmjbiAMrGftdICYC9Bd709LL7hhFQllHQrmrCvdnJ1XVaxWm1VT5NiyiIB3jaP7BYPOy_dLErR9n6ew0On4zf1R0OR_U89kI4B_x1_I7OCIpMAZszB98TwSRz_OZiQC0HAn/s320/patrickwolf4.jpg" border="3" height="160"><br /><br /><i>l-r: Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Patrick Wolf</i><br /><br />Well, have you?Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-86706651599990593612007-05-10T23:51:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:08.343+00:00Crashed the webbing(You'll groan audibly at the title of this post in a minute. )<br /><br />So I went to see <b>Spider-Man 3</b> last night and I don't understand why I'm practically the only person who loved the film. Yes, it was a little goofy and yes, they shoe-horned in three (count them, three!) villains but I thought it highly entertaining. The Guardian ran an <a href="http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2066088,00.html">article</a> recently about black being the new black: "[...] those big blockbusters resurrecting tired old characters that were presumed to have breathed their last breath. Thanks to the miracle ingredient of darkness, they're all back, good as new!" Bearing in mind this recent darkening of the mainstream, it seems as though people have forgotten how to enjoy a popcorn blockbuster for what it is. What is this modern obsession with exploring the fraught and complex psychological landscapes of men in lycra bodysuits? Of course, the most pertinent question is when was Matt Willis cast as Peter Parker?<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVBwALhbvHTAYcEkM0fIM6DoEkEp1irHPNg2E6HXq8UvCkDFC9hb-MGN-iFrP5Pj60EXq8CMtY_TcT5Z_f0Z6cofTk1yRRIyal8VIJXPyX4k7UeyPpEzY0EQIBRUorco-PvdD/s320/spidey3.jpg" border="3" height="160" > <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThrNypcTIYJhNX6llQzxIQgrD8XUwnCbbzJyBgbONFbX-xyvMkZ3FJbF94gZI5paV9npAOQJgyEaCP49fHBIE6rdS0jUpEw8qwzhcsi4lgW9LUyQ3_h3GbucIvcwxmdX4TzeU/s320/matt-willis.jpg" border="3" height="160"></p><br /><br />(Oh hush - you try coming up with a good Spiderman/Busted pun!)Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-54104242429380799762007-05-08T01:13:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.034+00:00"Where the bassline jumps in the backstreet lights"This week has been a particular vintage for slightly odd pop news. First of all, there was the widespread joy at the news that Stock, Aiken and Waterman are making a comeback (which in itself isn't that odd really). However, as <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1084&Itemid=206">Popjustice</a> reported, this joy was not only premature but short-lived as SAW revealed that their stupendous return was to be helmed by faux-Australian faux-60s faux-girlband, The Sheilas from the Sheila's Wheels car insurance adverts. <br /><br />The Guardian ran a piece about the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2073012,00.html">Shockwaves promotional single scam</a> that <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1085&Itemid=206">Popjustice</a> uncovered. <br /><br />On a slightly more tenuous note (as I'm still debating whether I truly consider her a pop star), Paris Hilton is going to jail for 45 days. Victoria Newton had a field day with the story and wheeled out the following headline: <br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUxXmFLfLHVPXbRgApEtn5z7hFqMoXVLugkZm6VRdoEq2oyRZ0RgpXC-OSYcSVDJ9Q0xxFBoJ-ECVUJ9zUC6cjNNQ7u1vt4T3gITVIwkfQ6ojjCX3ZBsryteH_fmOzc8xcMVZ/s320/parislesbo.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />Amazing.<br /><br />However, my two favourite items of pop news this week are the SugaBarbie dolls and following Patrick Wolf's (sort of) retirement, a nascent modelling career alongside Kate Moss. <br /><br />Mattel have decided that there is a niche market for Sugababes dolls. I am hoping against hope that the dolls have buttons on their back which bark out random Sugababes lyrics. (Which considering <i>Easy</i> might be highly questionable. I'm not sure that Mattel would approve of their dolls purring: "I need a roughneck brother who can satisfy me" or indeed, "The weather's nice and wet just south of the border") Suffice to say, the SugaBarbies look nothing like the Sugababes as clearly Keisha has a enormodome for a forehead (one to rival Luke Haines' cranium) and instead of mobiles, laptops and minature pooches, they should be wielding nunchucks, crossbows and spears. <br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2poPLlDBFZZjjkDCHa9M7k6vo7Fzr55bT-UQw5Aya67fGr98T3V8LX_WrsPQcP4ao4n2IUHoBGU9FDlYpQqeMI__l5xgX7V1e2CCK_TV7QHnhXZid9mwlkwCGdaeJ61brjy-o/s1600-h/amelle.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2poPLlDBFZZjjkDCHa9M7k6vo7Fzr55bT-UQw5Aya67fGr98T3V8LX_WrsPQcP4ao4n2IUHoBGU9FDlYpQqeMI__l5xgX7V1e2CCK_TV7QHnhXZid9mwlkwCGdaeJ61brjy-o/s320/amelle.jpg" height="130" border="3"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRedR_8FRO0348_JUKDH3dFexRraCE4v3K33yCh12BjNW3mnElOWJ1FOY6U7AaLc9tSHL9T9glMI3Nu0dh5MHh8fg6GQcnqYapHKcjqufhC2JS8BfvINUAJwU-_VBZ-eeZtbju/s1600-h/heidi.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRedR_8FRO0348_JUKDH3dFexRraCE4v3K33yCh12BjNW3mnElOWJ1FOY6U7AaLc9tSHL9T9glMI3Nu0dh5MHh8fg6GQcnqYapHKcjqufhC2JS8BfvINUAJwU-_VBZ-eeZtbju/s320/heidi.jpg" height="130" border="3"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbP-LAGoEYjGN4v1rUjZXvbx5M_MUXmXgoVNcUTsTZRVC9JE1azFjBnB3Lk-1IqhMdhAVOiAUGbYycsMxEYSgn93CbNy8jfXJyQaVqUtFNi81OqgSQh_57J7B7q7DRR4qPhVk/s1600-h/keisha.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbP-LAGoEYjGN4v1rUjZXvbx5M_MUXmXgoVNcUTsTZRVC9JE1azFjBnB3Lk-1IqhMdhAVOiAUGbYycsMxEYSgn93CbNy8jfXJyQaVqUtFNi81OqgSQh_57J7B7q7DRR4qPhVk/s320/keisha.jpg" height="130" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />So, according to <a href="http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,4123019,00.html">this recent interview</a>, Patrick Wolf has just been signed as the new international face of Burberry (I'm guessing it's for Burberry Prorsum as somehow I can't see him decked out head to toe in the Burberry check). If that isn't enough to fan the flames of desire of fangirls and fanboys, there is the following quote which I expect will be doing the rounds: "I'm a lot easier with selling my body than selling my music, so why not?" This is possibly even more odd that the story about <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/26854">the drummer of the Arctic Monkeys designing a clothing range.</a> Anyway, it's an intriguing prospect, seeing the boy Wolf modelling alongside Kate Moss, Ioan Gruffud and Rachel Weisz. I expect that I shall find that much of my time waiting for a bus outside the Burberry store on Haymarket will be more entertaining in future.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-79986819981906229122007-05-03T22:30:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.047+00:00"Second floor and I'm in trouble / Gotta get me down to street level"The mania that gripped Mungo during his recent shorts'n'beans rampage seems to have me in its thrall. Fear not, I haven't been lobbing tubs of Heinz macaroni cheese at any unsuspecting paparazzi but I have just spent £130 on a bag. On eBay. <br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKBhJYKrDhLTZp7B5I_TP10HUm55zD_C6B7RpcHNdG0RU97UdQZ2T7WOL8jx-OR7maAod_MOBLzCfPTkim6Jo4ojeecBQKgGRRB4lQME5OyeUvhS078EjIqbD-O7QlKldOC4K/s320/miumiu.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />Excuse me, I think my throat is suddenly swelling up.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-46173874917465909312007-04-10T23:26:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.057+00:00"POP! goes my heart"I seem to be going through a phase of being obsessed with looking things up on Wikipedia (partly because the glaring inaccuracies never fail to entertain me). I somehow ended up on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Grant">Hugh Grant's</a> Wikipedia entry and what I find even more amusing than the fact that his middle name is Mungo (yes, <i>Mungo</i>!) is that the image that illustrates his Wikipedia entry is of a waxwork figure of him (yes, a <i>waxwork</i>!) Behold:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNpOGfpSJu1P6k9BgtPu-794dr6n-lgelOtEad6Ck2UjfIuTeBm1sScWaBS3iQgf4dhPyPq2Pw7XvtlN5EBz0-ra6T5N5RVAdHNhHPxaf6e6KXFEO5AfAirYYas84OZf9HT0Y/s400/mungo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNpOGfpSJu1P6k9BgtPu-794dr6n-lgelOtEad6Ck2UjfIuTeBm1sScWaBS3iQgf4dhPyPq2Pw7XvtlN5EBz0-ra6T5N5RVAdHNhHPxaf6e6KXFEO5AfAirYYas84OZf9HT0Y/s400/mungo.jpg" border="3"></a><br /><br />This is quite possibly the best thing I've seen on Wikipedia ever.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-20580188312441237172007-04-03T17:47:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.069+00:00"You get what you see, when you see what I got"Hurrah, the new Mutya Buena video has leaked and fabulous it is indeed! <br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-GC-4XUjM8M"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-GC-4XUjM8M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />Highlights from the video:<br /><br />- Mutya writing her own name, complete with the kind of fancy 'A's 14 year old girls are partial to<br />- Mutya wandering around the mean streets of London with her digital camera around her neck. Good God woman, you're just asking to be on Crimewatch.<br />- Some nifty morphing effects featuring some beautiful people who were clearly hired to be Friends of Buena for the day.<br />- One of whom appears to be Dutchess Amy of Winehouse dressed as a Camden Goth:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjfipe99kuJ5oHZUxYXRDnPCl5KhAglb8uhRq2Fv6AhGNe6fp9_XJvTaEHNWIiBx6R1KoG8zihRtHBFajDgOJgSbDpkrRHzxRSKOicnbSagtziI97_VAICYlZSX0-Gh9dozX1/s1600-h/winehousebuena.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjfipe99kuJ5oHZUxYXRDnPCl5KhAglb8uhRq2Fv6AhGNe6fp9_XJvTaEHNWIiBx6R1KoG8zihRtHBFajDgOJgSbDpkrRHzxRSKOicnbSagtziI97_VAICYlZSX0-Gh9dozX1/s320/winehousebuena.jpg" border="3"></a><br /><br />Rather alarmingly, I have just returned from the hairdressers and my fringe isn't a million miles away from what Dutchess Winehouse is sporting there. Anyhow, time ticks on and I have yet to find a dinner recipe for smoked mackerel. Pip pip.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-51768188680328219602007-03-31T20:05:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.113+00:00Martha the Plasmavore Slayer<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2sc4BpsVD_2vSrfG_VtKLr5aoib19YCrD15a4JIuWJUinP0UNLFafkq5KivaaqI_9HQQJGvux4fA-audgGNCiAH5kRYFH3aHABLB5IueZvgmTHaVzFzj9sWVtq9gLZdFJLIE/s320/martha.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />I know I have a self-imposed ban on Whedonverse/Whoverse comparisons but Russell T. Davies is making it mighty difficult for me to adhere to it. Not only does he create a noir-ish, adult spin-off featuring an immortal hero in billowy coat but now we get a new shiny companion whose first task is to slay a vampire masquerading as an OAP armed with a straw pilfered from a carton of Ribena. Snarkery aside, I thought <i>Smith and Jones</i> was a solid start to the new series and was equally thrilling and absurd (vigilante space-rhinos anyone?) As ever, I present to you my dissection of tonight's episode in gushy note form:<br /><br />- I like Martha, even though so far it seems as though she isn't too much of a departure from the Rose formula of spunky-cockerney-companion. I imagine much will be made of the fact that unlike Rose, Martha has a burgeoning career which will divide her loyalties between her life with the Doctor and her life as Reggie Yate's sister.<br />- I suppose it was inevitable but I must confess, I was a little disappointed to see that Martha is being positioned as a love interest for the Doctor. Note to RTD: emotional histronics due to unrequited love does not a character arc make.<br />- That said, the tight suit/halfway across the universe banter did endear Martha to me quite a bit. That brief look of disappointment which flashes across Martha's face when she bluffs the Doctor about her feelings for him was heartbreaking.<br />- Hurrah for continuity, it does make my little fangirl heart skip a beat. The not-quite funny hospital shop joke was recycled from the series two opener, <i>New Earth</i> and there was a neat bit of TV-logic with the Adeola/Martha connection. <br />- Stupid TV-logic ahoy!: When faced with a complicated bit of machinery, a hefty operator's manual and a Time Lord shouting "Now!!" at you, it suddenly becomes clear that the Giant Yellow Button is the one to go for.<br />- Don't even get me started on the resuscitation techniques that miraculously revive a man drained of blood.<br />- RTD gives good dialogue, there were some choice lines in this episode. RTD seems to have learnt from the chav debacle last year and the pop culture references are a little less throwaway. (I was particularly tickled by the "Planet Zovirax" quip.)<br />- Line of the Week is a toss-up between: "Judoon platoon on the moon" and "Barefoot on the moon!"<br />- The Doctor got a new pair of Chucks! Not so keen on the new suit though, it's a bit too polyester 70s medallion man for my liking.<br />- Perhaps all the costume budget got spent on CGI because there were some pretty impressive effects in this episode alone. I particularly liked the crispy-on-the-outside-creamy-lava-on-the-inside effect of the Judoon's exterminator guns.<br />- Let's take a moment to ponder this rather alarming picture:<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEROQzyAihbGNhnJdpPFVR3tDtJ7SHPtDfaCaW9_X7LaPuLrb7BBHCVH2t56ttJLtrldDWw2Z8DbpihXDj8y3Cwx7ESwos3RK2zunBN9OkYmpvemDwGKYB1L8mQBPpy_lZR2Bc/s320/zovirax.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />(Please insert your own purile and childish caption.)<br /><br />In other news, I have spent the week feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in self-pity because I have the flu and lost my voice a few days ago. The situation has improved somewhat and I now can articulate myself (albeit sounding like Madge Bishop) rather than the strange hybrid honking/barking noises that passed for speech a few days ago. However, I have a rather shameful confession to make gentle readers. Earlier on today, I was feeling particularly sorrowful and weary and finding no food in the house and no-one at home to look after me, I ended up taking out my anger on the cutlery drawer. Overwhelmed by shame, I precariously balanced the drawer front between the two other drawers and hoped that the next person to open the drawer will assume that they're at fault. However, my dark mood has lifted somewhat as I have secured tickets for <a href="http://www.mutyamusic.com/">the Mighty Buena's</a> gig at The Borderline on Wednesday, yay. Back to bed for me as the Benylin 4flu has kicked in and everything is currently moving in slow motion now. Ah the sweet kiss of pharmaceutically enhanced sleep...Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-61836253848056138322007-03-06T22:47:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.127+00:00"Pour myself over him, moon spilling in"I have recently come to believe that I am somewhat cursed. A few weeks ago, I won tickets for a special preview screening of <i>The Illusionist</i> at the NFT which was followed by a Q&A session with the lovely Edward Norton. Unfortunately, as I had prior arrangements, I had to pass the tickets onto my friends. Then I managed to wrangle a pair of preview tickets for the following week, only to be informed at the cinema that the print was terrible quality and would I accept some complimentary guest passes by way of apology? (Mais oui, naturellement!) Then, this morning I got a text from M inviting me to an Amy Winehouse gig that was being filmed for the BBC at Porchester Hall. I was sorely tempted to accept but I once again had prior arrangements for a word games night (which I have dubbed in my head as <i>Scrabble my Boggle!</i>) and I am also going to see her on Friday already. <br /><br />However, one free thing I did manage to attend was the preview screening for <i>Becoming Jane</i> tonight. <br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAm8Lwrsm_qqQAfMQp5GTZRVQLjhxwQREscJfWE54q-ttBxw-4SNv3iw4P8RDFoGu1GdRq8bLaxbJvu0ujXS0BCYvU1Mof6pQ0kfvaUad9l2AoT3KM-IqKGyazf5Jd8fXMyMZU/s320/17278.jpg" border="3"><br /><br />When I heard about this film last year (through my infatuation with James McAvoy), I had quite earmarked it as a must-see for this year. Ignore the outraged cries of Austenites, protesting that Anne Hathaway couldn't possibly portray the <i>terribly</i> English Jane Austen. It's understandable, anyone who saw <i>The Prestige</i> and witnessed Scarlett Johansson's performance would assume that most Hollywood starlets would have trouble with perfecting the accent as well as delivering a solid performance. (For the record, I think that Scarlett is all ornament, no use. She was great in <i>Ghost World</i> but it's all been downhill from there. I like to think of her as the second generation Kirsten Dunst (if you substitue <i>Ghost World</i> for <i>The Virgin Suicides</i>)) To my eye, Anne Hathaway has the perfect English Rose look - she's more Lizzie Bennett than Jennifer Ehle or Keira Knightly and who ever doubted she could act? (You have to admire any actress who could keep a straight face whilst wearing some of the wigs required in <i>Brokeback Mountain</i>.)<br /><br /><i>Becoming Jane</i> is...solid. James McAvoy is all puppy-dog charm, hops and skips and Anne Hathaway is the epitome of the spirited heroine that is so often attributed to Austen's novels. Throw in the ever fabulous Julie Walters and James Cromwell and the cantankerous-old-lady reliable, Maggie Smith and it has that gloss all over it that screams "quality Sunday night BBC adaptation". The problem with <i>Becoming Jane</i> is that it doesn't really seem to take off, it just meanders along and then slowly comes to a stop. You only need to see the Joe Wright adaptation of <i>Pride & Prejudice</i> to see that the static style of the heritage films is not essential to filming a period piece. But really my problem with <i>Becoming Jane</i> is the lazy and clumsy way in which the script tries to tie in Jane Austen's flirtation with Tom Lefroy with the genesis of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. I don't want to come across all strident feminist but I hate the way that a lot of female authors get mythologised. (If you were to believe the popular imagination then the Brontes roamed free on the Yorkshire moors and Jane Austen spent her days promenading down the genteel streets of Bath.) In terms of literary analyses, female-penned books are much more likely to have a biographical analysis than male-authored texts. It all goes to discrediting the talent and literary merit of female authors and their works. And for all of Jane's passionate protestations in the film about the popular 19th century perceptions of the novel as a female past-time, her argument is undermined by the narrative.<br /><br />It seems to have been quite the week for cultural disappointments. I went to see <i>The Science of Sleep</i> on Sunday afternoon and whilst it was kitschily adorable and as eccentric as you would expect of a Michel Gondry film, it did stray into obtuse art-house noodlings at some points. Then yesterday evening, I went to see <i>Les Miserables</i> and failed to care about any of the characters or understand why it was the longest running West End show. On my way to the theatre, I was also confronted with the disquieting sight of Daniel Radcliffe's naked torso ten feet high on Shaftesbury Avenue. 'Twas not what I wanted to see on an empty stomach I tell you dear readers.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-81681880446480437832007-03-02T13:05:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.141+00:00"Wooden boat"After two and a half hours, I managed to bag myself two pairs of Take That tickets. <br /><br /><b>!!!</b><br /><br />Here's a lovely picture of Jason Orange by way of celebration:<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqjSoihCd_yT8z29G6YwDmC8eb8gMd8GdCx_Dc4Dq6mG6YXXMbERXjznqbxk9SvFUq466_ivHO0MAFaFNEmHtsvK4PAn3uTVd6rnvuFhe9ewMlv8E43NB-HUCVER9ikY_5vG4/s320/0,,12359~3024643,00.jpg" border="3">Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-55838995823694412612007-02-27T23:00:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.248+00:00"My girl eats a wounded preacher 'tween two loaves of bread"It's been a while since I've done a survey and this appeals to the listmaniac in me.<br /><br />SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!<br /><br /><br />( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show<br />(x) Grease<br />(x) Pirates of the Caribbean <br />(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest <br />( ) Boondock Saints<br />(x) Fight Club<br />(x) Starsky and Hutch<br />(x) Neverending Story<br />( ) Blazing Saddles<br />( x) Airplane<br />Total: 6<br /><br />( ) The Princess Bride<br />(x) Anchorman<br />( ) Napoleon Dynamite<br />( ) Labyrinth<br />(x) Saw<br />( ) Saw II<br />(x) White Noise<br />( ) White Oleander<br />( ) Anger Management<br />(x) 50 First Dates<br />(x) The Princess Diaries<br />( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement<br />Total so far: 11<br /><br />(x) Scream<br />(x) Scream 2<br />(x) Scream 3<br />( ) Scary Movie<br />( ) Scary Movie 2<br />( ) Scary Movie 3<br />(x) Scary Movie 4<br />(x) American Pie<br />(x) American Pie 2<br />(x) American Wedding<br />( ) American Pie Band Camp<br />Total so far: 18<br /><br />(x) Harry Potter 1<br />(x) Harry Potter 2<br />(x) Harry Potter 3<br />(x) Harry Potter 4<br />( ) Resident Evil 1<br />( ) Resident Evil 2<br />(x) The Wedding Singer<br />( ) Little Black Book<br />(x) The Village<br />(x) Lilo & Stitch<br />Total so far: 25<br /><br />(x) Finding Nemo<br />(x) Finding Neverland<br />(x) Signs<br />( ) The Grinch<br />( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre<br />( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning<br />( ) White Chicks<br />(x) Butterfly Effect<br />(x) 13 Going on 30<br />(x) I, Robot<br />(x) Robots<br />Total so far: 32<br /><br />(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story<br />( ) Universal Soldier<br />(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events<br />(x) Along Came Polly<br />( ) Deep Impact<br />( ) KingPin<br />(x) Never Been Kissed<br />(x) Meet The Parents<br />(x) Meet the Fockers<br />( ) Eight Crazy Nights<br />( ) Joe Dirt<br />(x) King Kong<br />Total so far: 39<br /><br />(x) A Cinderella Story<br />(x) The Terminal<br />( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie<br />( ) Passport to Paris<br />(x) Dumb & Dumber<br />( ) Dumber & Dumberer<br />(x) Final Destination<br />(x) Final Destination 2<br />( ) Final Destination 3<br />( ) Halloween<br />(x) The Ring<br />(x) The Ring 2<br />( ) Surviving X-MAS<br />( ) Flubber<br />Total so far: 46<br /><br />( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle<br />(x) Practical Magic<br />(x) Chicago<br />( )Ghost Ship<br />( ) From Hell<br />(x) Hellboy<br />( ) Secret Window<br />( ) I Am Sam<br />( ) The Whole Nine Yards<br />( ) The Whole Ten Yards<br />Total so far: 49<br /><br />(x) The Day After Tomorrow<br />( ) Child's Play<br />( ) Seed of Chucky<br />( ) Bride of Chucky<br />(x) Ten Things I Hate About You<br />( ) Just Married<br />(x) Gothika<br />( ) Nightmare on Elm Street<br />( ) Sixteen Candles<br />( ) Remember the Titans<br />(x) Coach Carter<br />(x) The Grudge<br />( ) The Grudge 2<br />(x) The Mask<br />( ) Son Of The Mask<br />Total so far: 55<br /><br />(x) Bad Boys<br />(x) Bad Boys 2<br />( ) Joy Ride<br />(x) Lucky Number Slevin<br />(x) Ocean's Eleven<br />(x) Ocean's Twelve<br />(x) Bourne Identity<br />(x) Bourne Supremecy<br />( ) Lone Star<br />( ) Bedazzled<br />( ) Predator I<br />( ) Predator II<br />( ) The Fog<br />(x) Ice Age<br />(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown<br />( ) Curious George<br />Total so far: 64<br /><br />(x) Independence Day<br />( ) Cujo<br />( ) A Bronx Tale<br />( ) Darkness Falls<br />( ) Christine<br />( ) ET<br />( ) Children of the Corn<br />( ) My Bosses Daughter<br />(x) Maid in Manhattan<br />(x) War of the Worlds<br />(x) Rush Hour<br />(x) Rush Hour 2<br />Total so far: 69<br /><br />( ) Best Bet<br />( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days<br />(x) She's All That<br />(x) Calendar Girls<br />( ) Sideways<br />(x) Mars Attacks<br />( ) Event Horizon<br />(x) Ever After<br />(x) Wizard of Oz<br />(x) Forrest Gump<br />(x) Big Trouble in Little China<br />( ) The Terminator<br />( ) The Terminator 2<br />( ) The Terminator 3<br />Total so far: 76<br /><br />(x) X-Men<br />(x) X2<br />(x) X3<br />(x) Spider-Man<br />(x) Spider-Man 2<br />( ) Sky High<br />( ) Jeepers Creepers<br />( ) Jeepers Creepers 2<br />(x) Catch Me If You Can<br />(x) The Little Mermaid<br />(x) Freaky Friday<br />( ) Reign of Fire<br />( ) The Skulls<br />(x) Cruel Intentions<br />( ) Cruel Intentions 2<br />( ) The Hot Chick<br />(x) Shrek<br />(x) Shrek 2<br />Total so far: 87<br /><br />( ) Swimfan<br />( ) Miracle on 34th street<br />(x) Old School<br />( ) The Notebook<br />( ) K-Pax<br />( ) Krippendorf's Tribe<br />(x) A Walk to Remember<br />( ) Ice Castles<br />( ) Boogeyman<br />(x) The 40-year-old-virgin<br />Total so far: 90<br /><br />(x) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring<br />(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers<br />(x) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom<br />(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade<br />Total so far: 96<br /><br />( ) BASEketball<br />(x) Hostel<br />( ) Waiting for Guffman<br />( ) House of 1000 Corpses<br />( ) Devils Rejects<br />( ) Elf<br />( ) Highlander<br />(x) Mothman Prophecies<br />( ) American History X<br />( ) Three<br />Total so Far: 98<br /><br />( ) The Jacket<br />( ) Kung Fu Hustle<br />(x) Shaolin Soccer<br />( ) Night Watch<br />(x)Monsters Inc.<br />(x) Titanic<br />(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail<br />(x) Shaun Of the Dead<br />( ) Willard<br />Total so far: 103<br /><br />( ) High Tension<br />( ) Club Dread<br />( ) Hulk<br />(x) Dawn Of the Dead<br />(x) Hook<br />(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe<br />(x) 28 Days Later<br />( ) Orgazmo<br />( ) Phantasm<br />(x) Waterworld<br />Total so far: 108<br /><br />(x) Kill Bill vol 1<br />(x) Kill Bill vol 2<br />( ) Mortal Kombat<br />( ) Wolf Creek<br />( ) Kingdom of Heaven<br />( ) The Hills Have Eyes<br />( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman<br />( ) The Last House on the Left<br />( ) Re-Animator<br />( ) Army of Darkness<br />Total so far: 110<br /><br />( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace<br />( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones<br />( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith<br />( ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope<br />( ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back<br />( ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi<br />( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage<br />( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor<br />Total so far: 110<br /><br />(x) The Matrix<br />(x) The Matrix Reloaded<br />(x) The Matrix Revolutions<br />( ) Animatrix<br />( ) Evil Dead<br />( ) Evil Dead 2<br />( ) Team America: World Police<br />( ) Red Dragon<br />(x) Silence of the Lambs<br />( ) Hannibal<br />Total so far: 114<br /><br />Now Add them up and......apparently, I am devoid of a life. <br /><br />Completely ridiculous. Who in their lifetime has not seen more than 85 films? I've probably watched about half of those films more than once. Also, I'm a little confused as to why they were in little groups. Was it to aid the counting because as far as I can see, most of them don't have anything in common with each other. <br /><br />Anyway, I'm feeling lazy so this is going to be a bit of a show and tell entry.<br /><br />I've been on a bit of a baking frenzy this week. I keep on buying bunches of bananas and not eating them, so what's a girl to do on a Sunday afternoon but bake Nigella's banana bread? Not only is it idiotically easy to make but the call for rum in the recipe provides the perfect excuse for you to swan around your kitchen in your apron and pyjamas muttering: "But why the rum?"<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNppOC1SrWgMrfM6u6XF61X8ha-g7xmuIrnp8LzXn2h5AavOoJ40w60acaiD-OaNZtMZQtcuccdfDimqLsNPpGkfSnWA6Q1DuR0e3A4IUJj6dzC3E8NP7ZmdNas8xRNR0LdHSd/s1600-h/IMG_5282.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNppOC1SrWgMrfM6u6XF61X8ha-g7xmuIrnp8LzXn2h5AavOoJ40w60acaiD-OaNZtMZQtcuccdfDimqLsNPpGkfSnWA6Q1DuR0e3A4IUJj6dzC3E8NP7ZmdNas8xRNR0LdHSd/s320/IMG_5282.JPG" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />Then yesterday, as I was going to see <i>Hot Fuzz</i> for a second time with a friend, I also managed to make good on a bet I won with him. A few weeks ago, we made our predictions for the Brits and we agreed that the winner with the most correct predictions would be entitled to a homemade cake from the loser. So, I skipped home with a belated Christmas present and lovely fruit cake with some sort of cream cheese icing (I'm guessing). <br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3aeVHaOqkM2ByH29TZSC1UNBkKLALL50dlmi5ibg1jSbmZvyI3hIdaUgyxL8dMbGaM1uzKLmHjL6OI_kwunE7cA6U6cS_Kmprmsk6LcrH22x86o3_gHklKTZe04yZWXFFyD2/s1600-h/IMG_5285.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3aeVHaOqkM2ByH29TZSC1UNBkKLALL50dlmi5ibg1jSbmZvyI3hIdaUgyxL8dMbGaM1uzKLmHjL6OI_kwunE7cA6U6cS_Kmprmsk6LcrH22x86o3_gHklKTZe04yZWXFFyD2/s320/IMG_5285.JPG" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />And today, I decided to wade into the murky waters of savoury baking with <a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/buttermilk-scones-with-cheshire-cheese-and-chives,1007,RC.html">Delia's buttermilk cheese and chive scones.</a> I was trying to recreate the scones which are served at the <a href="http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/index.cfm?UUID=8AC46D2A-7E5B-45A9-8359609A424E2697">Pump Rooms</a> in Bath. Unless you are venturing there for breakfast anytime soon, you will have to take my word that they are light, moist, crumbly bites of a particularly cheesy heaven. Behold:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKyBnUDT3bNyk3Gxk-FHsok2Jhc-BaDQX2T2UdWRoSu0Lw59W1SjwLtAaFXDMOKpxLU5nkCFCnkjC1gnvoqMxTIZ_-bt8HwX0ThBgH6aGiQhulAw1xnc0bjzLfS9e8REEwZy6/s1600-h/IMG_5281.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKyBnUDT3bNyk3Gxk-FHsok2Jhc-BaDQX2T2UdWRoSu0Lw59W1SjwLtAaFXDMOKpxLU5nkCFCnkjC1gnvoqMxTIZ_-bt8HwX0ThBgH6aGiQhulAw1xnc0bjzLfS9e8REEwZy6/s320/IMG_5281.JPG" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />I must admit, I cannot resist a recipe which calls for me to use all the shiny baking accoutrements that I have amassed (in this case, a rolling pin, cookie cutters and my faux-Cath Kidston cake tins). The sense of accomplishment that accompanies a successful bake is doubly enhanced if you have, at some point, wielded a floury rolling pin.<br /><br />Finally, I bid goodbye to my lovely electric blue iPod mini this week. As much as I love it, it was proving a little inadequate for my record collection. (My Girls Aloud back catalogue was taking up at least half the memory...) Say hello to my new iPod:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlvuaxBje7ahNrKa2-ulqOELj4vYaWvf7yhqPHKUl8txr1Cr5eNYDuXUiA_eh92LvqWnXoT1tHe8v3Jzt2wt3xbk2QRBIjCJ_OemLh825EnhKuNrCl9l0iBj6fNaJNGJ8993P/s1600-h/IMG_5269.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlvuaxBje7ahNrKa2-ulqOELj4vYaWvf7yhqPHKUl8txr1Cr5eNYDuXUiA_eh92LvqWnXoT1tHe8v3Jzt2wt3xbk2QRBIjCJ_OemLh825EnhKuNrCl9l0iBj6fNaJNGJ8993P/s320/IMG_5269.JPG" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />Dishy, isn't it?Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-12836444222911274492007-02-23T21:44:00.000+00:002007-02-23T21:47:06.781+00:00"I'm gonna lose my baby / So I always keep a bottle near"<p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzRyF3ER3lA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzRyF3ER3lA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />Altogether now: <b>No! No! No!</b>Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-29157850642880111142007-02-22T23:44:00.000+00:002007-02-24T20:47:58.615+00:00"Magic stays where myth remains"<p align="center"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/IMG_5232.jpg" border="3" height="300"></p><br /><br />Last night, I found myself in the midst of a pop sandwich (a popwich, if you will). But let me start from the beginning dear readers. After much badgering of my friends, I have yet to persuade them to attend a Popjustice night with me. So when <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/live">Popjustice Live</a> was announced with Siobhan Donaghy DJing as part of the bill, I managed to rope a friend and fellow Siobhan fan into going. To be honest, we were both a little grumpy and very tired and it was Wednesday which meant that we were missing a solid 4 hours of good television, so we weren't really in the mood for electropop (Canadian or not). <br /><br />Being my rather shambolic self as usual, I turned up late which meant we missed all but half a song of Trademark's set. I was thoroughly enjoying the Stefy set when I made the mistake of striking up conversation with a drunken suit with a severe saliva regulation impediment. Thankfully it was after Stefy performed <i>Chelsea</i> but I would have rather not have had to answer the same question three times ("So, what kind of music is this?") I think that The Suit got the wrong end of the stick when I told him that I was there for the DJ and he started a monologue about electro and house (no, me neither). I stopped listening about halfway because I started staring at a man seated nearby because I was fairly convinced that it was <a href="http://www.aledhaydnjones.com">Aled from the Chris Moyles Show</a>. <br /><br />Despite Martina Dragonette's highly entertaining stage banter re: rubberised pants (or something like that, I was very tired and a little gin-soaked), I didn't enjoy their set so much. So it was halfway through that we decided to decamp to the toilets and search for a seat. As I was coming out of my cubicle, who was standing before me but Siobhan in a lovely spangly green dress? Ohmigod! I decided that it was best not to engage a popstrel in conversation whilst she was making a beeline for a toilet cubicle. Walking out of the toilets, who did I bump into but Stefy (of Stefy, naturellment) in a lovely spangly black dress? Ohmigod! For those of you readers who are lacking in imagination, I have reconstructed this popwhich in JPEG form with the aid of Google:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/popwich.jpg" border="3" height="200"></p><br /><br />AMAZING.<br /><br />(N.B. Sadly, Siobhan didn't have a bird on her head or neither did I go dressed as Joan of Arc. Stefy does really have the fantastic hair as the photo suggests though.)<br /><br />And even more A to the Mazing, when we emerged from the toilet and found a sofa by the DJ booth, Dragonette struck up their cover of Lil' Chris's <i>Gettin' Enough</i>. I would type AMAZING again here but I think my head might start spinning around and explode in the manner of a Cyberman.<br /><br />So, all in all, a rather poptastic evening which was marred somewhat by my going home early and downloading the <i>Music & Lyrics</i> soundtrack. (That will explain the presence of Hugh Grant in my <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/missprint">last.fm</a> chart next week)<br /><br />Another thing that makes me sad was to be found in my inbox this evening:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/QUINN.jpg" border="3"></p>Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-47868548223091731862007-02-15T01:22:00.000+00:002007-02-15T08:53:48.670+00:00"You wanna thrilla in mah nilla?"<p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XC_GnG1wO38"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XC_GnG1wO38" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />OK, so I'm a little late in coming around to the charms of Robyn but she is officially my new favourite pop star after seeing this video. In homage to the costumetasticness of <b>Konichiwa Bitches</b>, I present to you a series of self-portraits entitled <b>Hats Ahoy!</b>. This is what a week without your boss or your friends at work will drive you to:<br /><br /><p align= "center"> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/minnie.jpg" border="3" height="200"></a> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/mardigras.jpg" border="3" height="200"></a> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/fagin.jpg" border="3" height="200"></a><br><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/crusader.jpg" border="3" height="200"></a> <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/missprinte/carnival.jpg" border="3" height="200"></a></p><br /><br /><i>l-r: my best impressions of Minnie Mouse; scary Mardi Gras person (or a raven); Fagin; a crusader and a saucy carnival lady.</i><br /><br />I went to see <b>Music & Lyrics</b> last night which was somewhat underwhelming. As it is rather late considering it's a school night and I've already spent two hours of my life on this film I shall condense my thoughts: no plot to speak of; terrible dialogue and even ropier lyrics; it's a sign that the funniest part of the film is right at the beginning and also in the line "My face is in the butter"; the poor, half-hearted pop parodies only serve to display the writer's passing acquaintance with advances in pop music since the split of Wham!; Hugh Grant's dancing hasn't really improved since his crab dance in <b>Love Actually</b>. <br /><br />It seems that my <b>Pictionary</b> skills aren't quite up to scratch yet (judging from the guesses so far). Anyway, the landmarks of pop culture that I was trying to reproduce through the magic of biro and paper were: Toy Story, Angel and <i>Love Machine</i> by Girls Aloud. (No sniggering at the back please.)Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-4289986697755430482007-02-10T23:19:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.342+00:00"I don't know what you do but I stagger and fall / Trip up in my shoes when I'm walking with you"11:22pm on a Saturday and I have spent the last hour quite happily bellowing along to my new favourite mix of Patrick Wolf, Siobhan Donaghy, The Cure and All Saints whilst cleaning. It seems that I have metamorphosed into Nicky Wire circa <i>This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours</i>. Fear not, I shan't spend the remainder of this entry waxing lyrical upon the subject of Dyson vacuums but it does seem that I find cleaning and organising somewhat relaxing. <br /><br />Ah, many a happy hour has been spent catagorising my vast collection of cosmetics into themed bags. The library assistant in me revels in catagorising my possessions for easy access. Thus, when I bought a lovely new faux-antique chest of drawers from IKEA, I decided that it would be rather a stroke of genius to split all my products into two separate drawers: face and hair. Imagine my horror when I emptied my hair drawer to find this (<b>warning</b>: not for the faint of heart):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oiIvhmP15GVIDw_fMlqkH46TKQC3bU0HPPMzl1d-6G15-Out3kKBv6oPYqrr_uCYwHf7b575gprEwGXVK9A0XbWCd9hqvI4RomSQVVx3aqreZtGPe8jqjAUJlGyWmwaiWtD/s1600-h/IMG_5206.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oiIvhmP15GVIDw_fMlqkH46TKQC3bU0HPPMzl1d-6G15-Out3kKBv6oPYqrr_uCYwHf7b575gprEwGXVK9A0XbWCd9hqvI4RomSQVVx3aqreZtGPe8jqjAUJlGyWmwaiWtD/s320/IMG_5206.JPG" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030053065614467826" /></a><br /><br />Eww. <br /><br />Anyway, armed with a bumper pack of baby wipes and Mr Sheen, this is what my hair and face drawers look like now:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevIWotenjhYwBs9_yWMixqC8gyoiVE-njfNbNPg0XBCRk36VGblw5m4y6MheHe2O8C60d4MwGoV1iOBTrW9egbS3e4LGIFMil_vfQK7C6ADrk5nH1QwM_PKCcw4VHrymownae/s1600-h/IMG_5208.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevIWotenjhYwBs9_yWMixqC8gyoiVE-njfNbNPg0XBCRk36VGblw5m4y6MheHe2O8C60d4MwGoV1iOBTrW9egbS3e4LGIFMil_vfQK7C6ADrk5nH1QwM_PKCcw4VHrymownae/s320/IMG_5208.JPG" height="200" border="3"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlo07NAjyTOcPyuotRWgB_VnI9lh4gnl6wl1Y4IAheYnaEffhBMcgfIr1nZTvowniop5N82_qzWxq2xUjjFP18nVgAKcj5Qbxv_6p3MWyRN8Hhbeuoo8oK_5JT_rRQkevPzM6/s1600-h/IMG_5207.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlo07NAjyTOcPyuotRWgB_VnI9lh4gnl6wl1Y4IAheYnaEffhBMcgfIr1nZTvowniop5N82_qzWxq2xUjjFP18nVgAKcj5Qbxv_6p3MWyRN8Hhbeuoo8oK_5JT_rRQkevPzM6/s320/IMG_5207.JPG" height="200" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />So, rather excitingly we had snow in London this week and it actually managed to settle. Sadly no snowcapades for me as by the time I made it out of the door some pesky schoolkids had scraped all the snow off my car. Surely there is some legislation regarding the ownership of the snow on your car? Snow isn't as fun when you have to go to work. How I long to be a student again so that I can make a Snow Sarah Jessica Parker like I did last year. Le sigh. Anyway, here are some generic snow pictures:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB7jVMlrd3JyRskw-RPeRcBmgDdJWNHHvaozMFV95HfuJRsuqT8BhnYvwOxRZJZJNjC_3Uh_eoM0TNn1TAZPs6m171qJcKSYUaYE7NXRIVSkVqVaigrNbTjfwg_sJfBIXfE6e/s1600-h/IMG_5193.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB7jVMlrd3JyRskw-RPeRcBmgDdJWNHHvaozMFV95HfuJRsuqT8BhnYvwOxRZJZJNjC_3Uh_eoM0TNn1TAZPs6m171qJcKSYUaYE7NXRIVSkVqVaigrNbTjfwg_sJfBIXfE6e/s200/IMG_5193.JPG" border="3" ></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEskdbkdm0EWGc382mVt4Iuy8lx94vjp9M3DzvbVV3ydHsKmnmlhpLlDn4e0DnJrzqAHboZ4VTiMwSBc9Aak9Lx6Flz4BQnBagFKm5mcRwZhFnt0FW3ncyaM7s5BbXvAFC3w5u/s1600-h/IMG_5196.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEskdbkdm0EWGc382mVt4Iuy8lx94vjp9M3DzvbVV3ydHsKmnmlhpLlDn4e0DnJrzqAHboZ4VTiMwSBc9Aak9Lx6Flz4BQnBagFKm5mcRwZhFnt0FW3ncyaM7s5BbXvAFC3w5u/s200/IMG_5196.JPG" border="3"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtTlizkh6sWBBgBSXoQftvgIMWYlLsd7T0NN3ZP4EKHJb60VTyWbxgkDjuFVnXwBc8pYgv_ikbdbGZjyciwaE9N1mP2QEEWnWo3JYIpzonk1nSoMU-OWGIltaQt8QSh7MkJlX/s1600-h/IMG_5201.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtTlizkh6sWBBgBSXoQftvgIMWYlLsd7T0NN3ZP4EKHJb60VTyWbxgkDjuFVnXwBc8pYgv_ikbdbGZjyciwaE9N1mP2QEEWnWo3JYIpzonk1nSoMU-OWGIltaQt8QSh7MkJlX/s200/IMG_5201.JPG" border="3"></a></p><br /><br />I read in one of those free London rags that the leisure activity du jour for young, hip gunslingers nowadays is to go to Cargo and play board games. I must say, as terribly organic-raspberry-flavoured-beer as this concept sounds, I'm rather intrigued. Ever since myself and my friends have taken up poker, we have branched out into board games and our current favourite is <b>Pictionary</b>. Before I got around to buying a Pictionary board, we just improvised with good old fashioned tree pulp and ink. So, quick quiz for you gentle readers - what am I trying to portray through the medium of biro and A4 medium lined paper?<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiqRQavDJ8m8J5mD5ICRxgbWBqj9GL-m77T8BmZ5UWEJAX0dY3XT3Pblvc3DAq3WEt58rmZuC8e2ouJGz9qtDLFXdulnMTd1LmmXCZIX4o06JfBO9LCRc1zdvDDAx1LFZySpO/s1600-h/IMG_4776.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiqRQavDJ8m8J5mD5ICRxgbWBqj9GL-m77T8BmZ5UWEJAX0dY3XT3Pblvc3DAq3WEt58rmZuC8e2ouJGz9qtDLFXdulnMTd1LmmXCZIX4o06JfBO9LCRc1zdvDDAx1LFZySpO/s200/IMG_4776.JPG" border="3"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHlaMWSn58RVFoRMO9p6W2U6Vk2fK7GOUnR0qCx5q-w5NOmxiuRXWt1mKQ0NGS_V4btWc2GymA_9FG6qwi_qGsW08hSGGk-xZYocKpBUsCxSWG0WZWr7TsWRd1k9CEkszO8HH/s1600-h/IMG_4777.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHlaMWSn58RVFoRMO9p6W2U6Vk2fK7GOUnR0qCx5q-w5NOmxiuRXWt1mKQ0NGS_V4btWc2GymA_9FG6qwi_qGsW08hSGGk-xZYocKpBUsCxSWG0WZWr7TsWRd1k9CEkszO8HH/s200/IMG_4777.JPG" border="3"></a><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsTLFGz2Bu-NaqLpTs3-vzFIs-WPtbafIZOPPqXmemhOKsoSyZ8lqgnDlpiU3Tu_m-xCH-Q-dGEVFFjCMkT_qe33gmknalGIw0VXtEg_7ZpLMRGZbwCNTeDOy919IdItJWSM4/s1600-h/IMG_4775.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsTLFGz2Bu-NaqLpTs3-vzFIs-WPtbafIZOPPqXmemhOKsoSyZ8lqgnDlpiU3Tu_m-xCH-Q-dGEVFFjCMkT_qe33gmknalGIw0VXtEg_7ZpLMRGZbwCNTeDOy919IdItJWSM4/s200/IMG_4775.JPG" border="3"></a></p>Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-47455591502733438362007-02-09T22:08:00.000+00:002008-12-10T16:36:09.379+00:00"Let me put you in the major key"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWC75KuGBxSNc8hO6qB2jqLD7_a-S_Ro8vFlqznOI1w6jYg_cWS9RvJ5NW6h5fGrBE_21oO9l3YmpeJuNHywt1WKwenYedkxBWeNiSwfSUqCyEcrIbXU9KLw_6OMtZbSvwVn2/s1600-h/IMG_4768.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWC75KuGBxSNc8hO6qB2jqLD7_a-S_Ro8vFlqznOI1w6jYg_cWS9RvJ5NW6h5fGrBE_21oO9l3YmpeJuNHywt1WKwenYedkxBWeNiSwfSUqCyEcrIbXU9KLw_6OMtZbSvwVn2/s320/IMG_4768.JPG" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029662180640858786" /></a><br /><br />Nouvelle Année Heureuse! OK, it's a little belated but I do mean it wholeheartedly gentle readers. My seemingly callous abandonment of this blog can partly be blamed on the technological tempest that I weathered in between July and October of last year but also because I have foolishly taken on a 40-hour working week. I know this sounds terribly naive of me but where do people get the time to live a full and varied cultural and social life (read: television watching and blogging) whilst working full-time?? I shall level with you dear readers, I am struggling. I currently am behind on <i>Desperate Housewives</i> by two episodes, <i>The O.C.</i> by one and I completely missed the pantaloon-a-thon that was <i>Torchwood</i>...quelle horreur! <br /><br />Fear not, I am working my way through <i>Torchwood</i> from my Amazon rental list and BBC3 repeats. Preliminary verdict: My! Russell T. Davies clearly worships at the temple of Whedon, doesn't he? If he hadn't stated it before, he very obviously intends <i>Torchwood</i> to be the <i>Angel</i> to <i>Doctor Who</i>'s <i>Buffy</i>. Everything from the (admittedly gorgeous) noir-ish shots of Cardiff's roadways lit by the sulfurous glow of the streetlamps to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yoko_Factor">"Mr. Billowy-Coat King of Pain"</a> He even stole the trick of killing off a supposed regular cast member in the first episode! (Remember <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_McNally"> Jesse</a> anyone?) Anyway, Buffyverse comparisons aside, it was a promising concept which was all too quickly ruined with gratuitous lesbianism and the revelation that Captain Jack is impervious to any blade, bullet or other blunt object you care to hurl at him, thus sucking any suspense out of the whole show. Also, apparently period military = gay. Huh. Who knew? Certainly not Donny Tourette, Pete Doherty or any other pavement-licking Camden urchin I can think of.<br /><br />I despair of the state of music in Space Year 2007 if all it takes is a tattered straw boater and skinny jeans is all it takes to become a chart sensation. (Yes, <i>The Kooks</i>, I am talking to you. And don't even get me started on <i>The View</i> who seem to be shamlessly plundering the back catalogue of <i>The Proclaimers</i>.) All this is more reason to turn to the bright side of pop. Reasons to be cheerful:<br /><br />- <b>Patrick Wolf</b> - I am new to the charms of the ruddy-haired one but how can anyone not be won over by the Technicolour charms of <i>The Magic Position</i>? And I don't mean Technicolour in the giddy-E-number-rush of the like that Mika is peddling. Which is not to say that I am not fond of the love child of Elton John and Freddie Mercury who was adopted by Jake Shears but there is so much more density and lushness to be found in <i>The Magic Position</i>. You have to love a pop urchin who is beloved by both the <a href="http://www.popjustice.com">Popjustice</a> and <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com">Pitchfork</a> readership. You also have to love a boy who looks like the love child of David Bowie and a matador:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeyqex85kdNPhkaESkMguoUR-hn1GZf6y5bf3tA4SVp7vOw-XndJL4nFj1T-eMbfK3XRzvQNWdBAswn0Tg1JmRuUj8OD78rj2uOQYwK345yzlne4EXll7XUolhM9re2oAVq5K/s1600-h/patrick_wolf372.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeyqex85kdNPhkaESkMguoUR-hn1GZf6y5bf3tA4SVp7vOw-XndJL4nFj1T-eMbfK3XRzvQNWdBAswn0Tg1JmRuUj8OD78rj2uOQYwK345yzlne4EXll7XUolhM9re2oAVq5K/s320/patrick_wolf372.jpg" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029672973893673650" /></a><br /><br />More reasons to love Patrick Wolf: he has hair the colour of Nicola Roberts and Siobhan Donaghy (which as we well know equals a precious and underrated pop talent); he's an precocious electro-folk multi-instrumentalist who has a <a href="http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2008392,00.html">widescreen pop vision</a> and the second single, <i>The Magic Position</i> is a joyous, churchy Motown stomp which is just on the right side of twee (think bluebirds, lemonade and crayons). Oh, it also has the cheeriest ending to a pop song...EVER. <a href="http://www.patrickwolf.com">Listen</a><br /><br />- <b>Sophie Ellis-Bextor</b> is back, hurrah! Not only does the Blondie-tastic comeback single <i>Catch You</i> slot neatly into the All Time Top Five Songs About Stalking but the video also pays homage to Venice's finest celluloid moments (namely, <i>Like A Virgin</i> and <i>Don't Look Now</i>):<br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XmEj1M0EaYk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XmEj1M0EaYk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />More reasons to love this video: the starring role of the coffee cup; the faux-sailor tattoo that Mrs. One-of-The-Feeling is sporting; the abundance of puposeful pointing and especially the amazing bit at 1:18 where Sophie does a nifty bow and arrow gesture. It'll become a dance sensation, mark my words.<br /><br />The album is called <i>Trip The Light Fantastic</i> and thus hopefully is, in the grand tradition of all things pop, a paen to the joys of dance. (See Madonna, Britney, the Girls of Allowedness etc etc). If you thought that <i>Catch Me</i> was good wait until you hear releases <i>Me & My Imagination</i> which reunites SEB and disco strings. Hoorah!<br /><br />- <b>Dame Lily of Allen</b> is releasing <i>Alfie</i> which doesn't make sense as a single (hence the double A-side with the far superior <i>Shame For You</i>) until you see the AMAZING video:<br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/13TXPdCVxds"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/13TXPdCVxds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />Not since Bender and <i>Futurama</i> has cartoon porn been used so well.<br /><br />Lily seems to be doing well in the US (in no small part due to the hype generated by bloggers) and her album was released there last week. It seems that all the clearence issues that Parlophone had with <i>Nan, You're A Window Shopper</i> at the time of <i>Alright, Still</i>'s British release have been resolved for the US release and it is included after <i>Alfie</i> along with Mark Ronson's saccharine-soul remix of <i>Smile</i> which is currently sneaking its way up my last.fm charts.<br /><br />- <b>Mutya Buena</b> Fierce as she may be, the material that was premiered on her <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mutya1">myspace</a> was dreary paint-by-numbers r'n'b balladry that sounded like a 90s throwback produced by Babyface. That was until <i>Paperbag</i> surfaced recently which is infinately more interesting. Try to imagine if you will, a pop gem that combines the zing and sweetness of <i>Overload</i> and the sass of <i>Freak Like Me</i> (arguably two of the finest points of the Sugababes' career) and you will find <i>Paperbag</i>. Not only is it a contender for All Time Top Five Break-Up Songs but it also manages to employ a metaphor previously unknown in pop: the paper bag as a failed relationship. Sample lyric: "I don't know how it can fit / Cos it's all we were / It's all we ever had / (Memories) / Sitting all alone in a paper bag / Maybe I should get rid of it / But it's all the love / It's all the dreams we had / (You and me) / Sitting on the shelf in a paper bag." AMAZING.<br /><br />- <b>McFly</b> Not only is <i>Motion In The Ocean</i> surprisingly good (in fact, I would venture so far as to suggest that it might be their best album yet. Which isn't much considering that this is only their third album and <i>Wonderland</i> doesn't even really count it was that bad. But anyway...) It seems that the love-child-of-Gary-Barlow, otherwise known as Tom Fletcher, has allowed Dougie-penned track onto the album and it is by far the best thing in the McFly "cannon". If I were to utter the phrase "homage to <i>Bohemian Rhapsody</i>", I would probably scare you off the track. So, instead I shall post this picture which manages to convey how utterly stupid-yet-brilliant <i>Transylvania</i> is:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPH-ONkdSfIc0qWopbwj64JfD6R5yOkZax4xzPjao3RzPCvafURAN_9lb4WEZy1NVFg8SSGpXL2rXh5MvzTvxFU1JFL28Zk4uM53KnazxMdWmMHRWOTk5dF6pUU3LSF2gw4C_/s1600-h/0,,2007051075,00.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPH-ONkdSfIc0qWopbwj64JfD6R5yOkZax4xzPjao3RzPCvafURAN_9lb4WEZy1NVFg8SSGpXL2rXh5MvzTvxFU1JFL28Zk4uM53KnazxMdWmMHRWOTk5dF6pUU3LSF2gw4C_/s320/0,,2007051075,00.jpg" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029687675566727874" /></a><br /><br />Reasons to love <i>Transylvania</i>: Dougie's rather endearing vocals which just fall on the right side of adolescent boy and it combines my favourite period of history with jaunty boy band pop - apparently the song tells the bodice-ripping story of Anne Boleyn's affair with a <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858634155">farmboy (!!)</a><br /><br />Note: <i>My Chemical Romance</i> fans will be pleased to know that Gerard Way has joined McFly:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlE14PyI8fUOe0s8Td4zTm6CwifpUq0lK5IPyATrLIxk3tIgZ6V949gvr4ab3Hsjp0ZP8bIlEG9jKAZcQHk958kLpbvgx0ERGWVovXZuIjHm86Rb4EjxsAYeta6AB1fhG0J15/s1600-h/0,,2007051076,00.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlE14PyI8fUOe0s8Td4zTm6CwifpUq0lK5IPyATrLIxk3tIgZ6V949gvr4ab3Hsjp0ZP8bIlEG9jKAZcQHk958kLpbvgx0ERGWVovXZuIjHm86Rb4EjxsAYeta6AB1fhG0J15/s200/0,,2007051076,00.jpg" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029689646956716754" /></a><br /><br /><b>Sugagirls vs. Babes Aloud</b> Well, something like that anyway. Like so many things in life, the prospect of this was so much more appetising than the reality of it. <br /><br /><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w8fZbDpSK3Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w8fZbDpSK3Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><br /><br />Reasons I should love <i>Walk This Way</i>: it's my two favourite girlbands...ever! in a pop-off; the first half of the video where they pay tribute to Aerosmith and Run DMC by arguing (via the medium of music) through a wall; the second half the video where they have a dance-off on a nice glossy catwalk and swing aesthetically-pleasing retro microphones at each other and the fact that had this never been recorded, the world would never have been treated to Nicola Roberts in a giant comedy foam appendage:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2X8hNQ1OUxEM_5w-8NmYiIFx6Il8aXeueXuOxu3f8x7DvW14aZsPNTKQILQ64sh4-YPO0a7kYXze58uofltoE6omFnXIGHI2Mf6j8KRPs91dXy3G2q2T3sxYU_G7LdMZkH6j/s1600-h/comicrelief4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2X8hNQ1OUxEM_5w-8NmYiIFx6Il8aXeueXuOxu3f8x7DvW14aZsPNTKQILQ64sh4-YPO0a7kYXze58uofltoE6omFnXIGHI2Mf6j8KRPs91dXy3G2q2T3sxYU_G7LdMZkH6j/s320/comicrelief4.jpg" border="3" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029692391440818914" /></a><br /><br />Hmm. Maybe it is, as they say, a grower.<br /><br /><b>In other news</b>: I am becoming increasingly convinced that the DJing world needs me. I was out at <a href="http://www.theroxy.co.uk">The Roxy</a> last weekend and after enduring seven minutes of my brain dribbling out of my ears (read: The Stone Roses <i>I Wanna Be Adored</i>), I decided to take the situation in hand and make some requests. Not only were my choices suitably poptastic but also brought the masses flocking to the dancefloor. Clearly, you cannot trust a DJ who plays <i>Jump (For My Love)</i> when a Girls of Allowedness track is requested. So, a second trip to the DJ booth was required to rectify the situation and lo and behold, witness a mass of sweaty drunks attempting to recreate the dance routine for <i>Love Machine</i>. My second choice of Boney M's <i>Daddy Cool</i> also rather brought the house down, if I do say so myself.<br /><br />Another reason to be quite pleased with myself: I managed to install an Airport Extreme card in my eMac and crack the Dark Arts required to print wirelessly (!) <br /><br />Another thing I would quite like to write about but sadly don't have enough time for because I have work tomorrow morning (boo hoo, etc etc): I managed to wrangle myself a pair of tickets for the free preview screening of <b>Hot Fuzz</b> yesterday. Not only is it the best film I have seen all year (yes, I know it is only February but still) it has also managed to rekindle my inappropriate crush on Simon Pegg. Hurrah!Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-1162341014786145962006-10-31T23:30:00.000+00:002006-11-01T00:30:32.340+00:00"I get a chick fit when I hear your name I totally flip"<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/320/IMG_4030.jpg" border="3" alt="" /><br /><br />Joyeux anniversaire à moi! Yes dear readers, it's that time of the year. I am mourning the passing of yet another year of my existence. In truth, I'm not as melancholy as I have been about past birthdays, even though I did bake myself a birthday cake today. (Unfortunately the garishly tinted concoction you see adorning this entry isn't said cake. That was a cake I baked for someone else's birthday. I made an ill-advised foray into the world of flourless cakes today. I've never encountered a cake that is crisp on the outside and a mousse on the inside. I imagine that a Baked Alaska isn't far off.) <br /><br />Anyway, perhaps my joyous demeanour can be attributed to a few things:<br /><br />- I had an excellent time in Sheffield this weekend. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy long distance train journeys. Not only does it remind me of my backpacking exploits this summer but it gives me a chance for an hour or two of uninterrupted reading. I pretty much finished Maggie O'Farrell's <i>The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox</i> between the outbound and return journeys. I end up playing a game with myself on train journeys of trying to decide who I'd be friends with on the basis of their reading material. Anyone wielding a candy-coloured-gold-lettered novel is immediately ruled out. As are those who are reading classics (inevitably students who are furiously cramming). It's all a little silly anyway as I decided a long time ago that points of commonality (taste-wise at least) between people becomes increasingly irrelevent the longer you know them.<br />- Anyway, back to the point, staying with Steph in Sheffield allowed me to pretend I was a student proper for a weekend. A proper student union! A shared house! Campuses! (Campii?) Also, Lily Allen was fabulous from start to finish - even despite the dodgy Keane cover! Even despite the fact that I was stuck behind a ridiculously tall man for most of it! Even though my concert photography skills are still rather shoddy! I did get a few nice ones though:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/1600/IMG_4419.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/200/IMG_4419.jpg" border="3" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/1600/IMG_4476.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/200/IMG_4476.jpg" border="3" alt="" /></a> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/1600/IMG_4438.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/200/IMG_4438.jpg" border="3" alt="" /></a></p><br /><br />- I was contemplating staying on an extra day in Sheffield as I had the day off work on Monday anyway but I decided that I'd better let Steph get on with her work. So I headed home late Sunday night and blissfully had a full day to myself on Monday. I managed to catch up with most of my blog reading in the morning. Then realising that it was Monday and it was £2.99 ticket day at Peckham Plex, I hurriedly got ready and headed out to see <b>The History Boys</b>. As I got there a little late, I spent the first twenty minutes trying to desperately figure out what was going on and the rest of the time thoroughly enjoying it and ogling the lovely <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1304386/">Stephen Campbell Moore</a> (who incidentally I think is the secret love child of Hugh Laurie and Toby Stephens.) As a film I think it could have strayed a little further from the stage, slapping a good soundtrack on top of the play does not a film make. Also, I think that perhaps using the original cast showed a little too much, there were a few moments of overemoting which aren't so noticeable from five rows back in the National Theatre, but ten feet high in Peckham, it becomes a little overegged. Anyway, all this doesn't detract from the fact that I desperately want to see the West End revival at the end of this year. Watching the scene where Posner recites Hardy to Hector reminded me of something Ted Hughes (my latest literary crush, even despite his status as a domestic despot) said about the lost art of learning poems off by heart. I've decided that I should at least learn Andrew Marvell's <i>To His Coy Mistress</i>. Anyway, with this in mind, I headed to Borders and bought an anthology and also <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Dont-Penguins-Feet-Freeze/dp/1861978766/sr=8-1/qid=1162339844/ref=pd_ka_1/202-3915513-5104664?ie=UTF8&s=books">Why Don't Penguins Feet Freeze?</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/End-Unfortunate-Events-Lemony-Snicket/dp/1405226730/sr=1-1/qid=1162339893/ref=sr_1_1/202-3915513-5104664?ie=UTF8&s=books">The End</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wicked-Gregory-Maguire/dp/0755331605/sr=1-1/qid=1162339922/ref=pd_bowtega_1/202-3915513-5104664?ie=UTF8&s=books">Wicked.</a></i> To top off a lovely day, I got given a free bar of Green & Black's milk chocolate by the nice lady in Borders. Slurp.<br />- I managed to win (on eBay that is) a pair of tickets for The Feeling on Friday. MOR-tastic!<br />- I'm going to a free preview screening of <b>Sixty Six</b> on Thursday. Even the presence of Catherine Tate in this film doesn't put me off. Although the plot hinging on the 1966 World Cup final does make me a little anxious.<br /><br />I stupidly forgot to tape both <b>The X Factor</b> and <b>Strictly Come Dancing</b> this weekend, so I am feeling a little culturally deprived. So all I have to say on the subject is that I think that these two were separated at birth:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/200/astroboy.jpg" height="200" border="3" alt="" /> <img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/200/ray.jpg" height="200" border="3" alt="" /></p><br /><br />Also, general public, you are almost as moronic as Louis Walsh. I guess I shouldn't expect any less of you than to vote out Dionne who is the British Beyonce (by virtue alone of being possessed by the spirit of Tina Turner) but please please please don't vote out lovely Eton Road because that means that in all likelihood I will lose my X Factor sweepstake with my friends. Thank you and goodnight.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25019375.post-1161989289279294352006-10-28T00:18:00.000+00:002006-10-27T23:25:37.003+00:00"He walks away / The sun goes down / He takes the day"A few things:<br /><br />- I have my beloved broadband connection back!<br />- Well, technically I had it back ages ago. Other technological issues arose which meant me having to completely wipe my hard drive without being able to back anything up.<br />- Which meant I lost my beloved monkey photos from Longleat. I no longer have any evidence that I once had a Rhesus monkey perched on my wing mirror.<br />- I got my hair cut. <br />- I wanted it to look like this: <p><align="center"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/320/devil200.jpg" border="3" alt="" /></align><br />- Instead it looks like this*: <p><align="center"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7900/2606/320/20040625-t_shirt_emily_dietro.jpg" border="3" alt="" /></align><br /><br />Anyway, onto more pressing matters, namely pop. Not only does November herald my birthday but also <b>The Sound of Girls Aloud</b> (complete with endearingly shoddy cover art) and <b>Overloaded: The Singles Collection</b>. Hurrah! To celebrate my (whisper it) 23rd this year, I am attending more gigs that I have done in the past five years. Tomorrow, it's Lily Allen in Sheffield, next week, everybody's favourite 70s MOR rockers, The Feeling and the week after that, the Winehouse. Expect to find me bellowing "no! no! no!" during <i>Rehab</i> (surely if there is any modern pop song that is designed to be a call and response song, it's <i>Rehab</i>??) <br /><br />I went to see <a href="http://www.bent.lastminuteliving.com/"><b>Bent</b></a> tonight. Being somewhat vertically challenged, I was pleased to discover that I had third row centre tickets and then within the opening five minutes of the play, Alan Cumming proceeds to bare his rump to an imaginary mirror and the audience. Anyway, naked camp frolicking aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the play, despite the fact that the transitions between high camp comedy and the more harrowing moments. I can't decide what was more disturbing - the fact that the Stormtroopers had more than a whiff of The Producers about them or the fact that I found one of them rather attractive. Nevermind. It's bedtime for me now so I can direct my mind towards more inane and innocuous matters such as the book about the history of shoes that I'm reading. Expect an update soon either raving or slating Lily Allen. Pip pip.<br /><br />* This may have something to do with the fact that I don't have Anne Hathaway's face.Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736052391386631639noreply@blogger.com1