Sunday, May 20, 2007
I set myself deadlines. The deadlines pass me by. Such is life. I will catch up with events, shortly.
Fancy a memememe before I get started in trying to catch up? Of course you do.
Courtesy of Mark who may have gotten it from somewhere else. (I am also a bit behind in what everybody else is up to. Sorry about that.)
1. Can you cook?
Not sure. Depends on what you want cooked. Lorraine has eaten everything I've put in front of her. (Oooh, errr...) I'll have a go at cooking anything, though.
2. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?
Probably panic, freak out and attack the person next to me. Claustrophobia. It's not a lifestyle choice.
3. What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I could write songs. In fact I wish I was a good writer, full stop.
4. Favourite place?
Here.
5. Favourite vegetable?
I've gone off vegetables quite a lot recently, but if pushed I would say potatoes. (Are potatoes a vegetable? It's a moot point.)
6. What was the last book you read?
Just finished "Equal Rites" by Terry Pratchett. (Not bad, but I didn't think it was as good as the first two "Discworld" books.) I am currently reading "The Circe Complex" by Desmond Cory. (I have a little story about the reasons behind that choice, which I will go into later.)
7. Are you Dirty or Clean?
I can be both. What did you have in mind?
8. Any tattoos and/or piercings?
None at all.
9. Worst habit?
Biting my fingernails.
10. What's your philosophy on life?
Life's too short to have a philosophy on life.
11. Negative or Optimistic?
Optimist.
12. What was your dream growing up?
To be rich.
13. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
My Dad dying.
14. Tell me one weird fact about you?
I have a target whorl fingerprint on one finger on each hand. My Dad had, and my Brother and Nephew have, the same fingerprint on exactly the same finger on each hand. Apparently it is incredibly rare. It looks something like this.
The circles are a bit too small too count, but I have a damn sight more than 7 of them.
15. How do you fall asleep?
Out like a light, most of the time, unless I've been eating chocolate or drinking ginger beer, in which case I am throwing myself around the bed for hours. Good job that I am not sharing the bed with anybody at the moment, isn't it? (Bitter? Moi? Nah.)
16. If you had one day to live, what would you do?
Probably kick some ass that needs kicking. See my Mom, see my family, write something on the blog.
17. A million bucks... what would you do with it?
Invest it carefully and never work for anybody ever again.
18. What is your worst fear?
Suffocation.
19. Favourite thing to do in your spare time?
Going to the cinema and reading.
20. Can you sing or dance?
Sure I can. I've always been a superstar, but the rest of the world hasn't cottoned on to the fact yet.
21. In one word, how would you describe me? Be honest!
Do you mean describe me (as in yer Pynchon) or describe the person you nicked the mememe from (yer Mark)? In that case (me) sad and (Mark) smart.
22. Will you repost this so I can fill it out?
Already done it, chief.
Wasn't that fun?
Now where was I? Oh, yes. Catching up.
A hell of a lot of things have happened since Wednesday night. I'll try not to go on for too long.
On Wednesday night Lorraine and I went to see Meat Loaf.
I once knew a guy. Bit of a muso. Knew his music. Hated pop music. Loved rock music. He told me that the "Bat Out Of Hell" album was great, but that it could have been fronted by anybody, as it was (and I remember this phrase exactly) "just a vehicle for Jim Steinman's Wagnerian concept rock".
Great phrase that. Of course, total bollocks. How could it have been the same without Meat Loaf?
I mean, just how important is the lead singer? If Jimmy Page had gone for somebody else to sing on the first Led Zeppelin album (and he asked a guy called Terry Reid first, but he turned them down), would it have made much of a difference? At that stage Robert Plant wasn't writing very much (he only has one co-writing credit on the first album), so it wouldn't have much of a difference to the songs, but I think it would have made an awful big difference to the sound.
Wednesday night was the fourth time I have seen Meat Loaf live. The first two times were brilliant. The third time was less that brilliant. It was towards the end of the tour. Lacklustre, slow, no energy. Actually really boring. Unfortunately it was the first time Lorraine had seen him with him and she said "never again". Not long after that show we heard that Meat Loaf had been hospitalised with a heart problem. I forgave him. Not his fault. We were determined to see him again, if he ever toured again.
On Wednesday night Meat Loaf was magnificent. Just brilliant. No other word for it. Over the top, monstrous, bombastic, sweat filled gig and as loud as hell. Explosions, guitar solos, foxy female backing singers, drums. A gig full of character. Meat Loaf's character. And it was really, really funny as well.
On screen, first clips of Meat Loaf as he was in 1977. The ruffled shirt and (suede?) jacket. The long hair. The red handkerchief. Then he came out. He looked exactly the fucking same as in the clips. Same shirt, jacket, hair and handkerchief. Straight into the song cycle "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (normally played later in the set), sharing vocals with one of his backing singers Aspen Miller (who, frankly was a fantastic looker and a fantastic singer), trying to seduce her, failing dismally.
Then suddenly it stopped and she said, "And I could never go with a guy who wears a wig" and she pulled his wig off.
... Well, I thought it was funny. I suppose you would have to be there.
Seriously, though. Great gig and we really enjoyed it. Pure rock panto. It was billed as the "Three Bats Tour" because all Meat Loaf was playing were the songs from the 3 "Bat Out Of Hell" albums. All this meant, practically, was that he did not play was "Dead Ringer For Love", but look at some of the songs he did play.
"I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth", "Bat Out Of Hell", "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", "Objects In A Rear View Mirror Sometimes Appear Closer Than They Are", "Bad For Good", "Life Is A Lemon (And I Want My Money Back)", "Blind As A Bat", etc.
I think I need a lie down. I'm suffering from metal fatigue.
(Weirdest thing. Lorraine just shouted up to me that "Tits Ricci is on the TV" referring to the lovely Christina Ricci. I've just thanked Lorraine for telling me, but explained that I will be seeing Christina's tits' tomorrow in "Black Snake Moan" and that the delights of "That Darn Cat" can probably wait.
I've got Christina Ricci's autograph, you know.)
Friday morning I went to see "Next" starring Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel.
I get a lift home from work sometimes with a guy called Freddie Podge. Nice guy. Very amiable. Freddie goes to see all of the big, popular films. (That's fine by me. At least he is going to the cinema. I know more people who don't go to the cinema than do go to the cinema.) Freddie knows that I like movies and we chat about them in the car. A lot of the time we disagree about what we see, but that is fine as well.
Freddie went to see "Next". He said that he liked it, but described it as the most confusing film he had ever seen.
I wasn't confused by "Next", but a particular phrase does come to mind.
What is it again?
Got it.
"Next" is a piece of shit.
Not un-entertaining, in a TV movie kind of way, but with people like Nicolas Cage (very wooden, like everyone says he is, and I normally defend him) and Julianne Moore (who seems to be somewhere else in her head - maybe she was thinking about how the paycheck for "Next" will finance the improvements she needs to make on her house), it should have been so much better. Jessica Biel was really pretty, though.
"Next" is just lame and predictable and strangely unexciting. Probably not a good thing if you are making an action film. (Then again, if you could see two minutes into the future it would be predictable and strangely unexciting. Ha ha ha!) How many times have you see a stolen nuke plot recently? A couple of times.
I liked the ending. Or did I hate the ending? Was it a massive cop out or was it an ingenious head fuck? I don't know.
Maybe I am confused after all.
I have just been told that I need to cook food before we watch Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in "The Break Up" on Sky Movies at 8pm. I suppose I could tell Lorraine to cook it herself, and do the washing up, but I don't fancy broken fingers.
Tomorrow (I promise), From The Jam (Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) , "28 Weeks Later" and "Magicians".
Fancy a memememe before I get started in trying to catch up? Of course you do.
Courtesy of Mark who may have gotten it from somewhere else. (I am also a bit behind in what everybody else is up to. Sorry about that.)
1. Can you cook?
Not sure. Depends on what you want cooked. Lorraine has eaten everything I've put in front of her. (Oooh, errr...) I'll have a go at cooking anything, though.
2. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?
Probably panic, freak out and attack the person next to me. Claustrophobia. It's not a lifestyle choice.
3. What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I could write songs. In fact I wish I was a good writer, full stop.
4. Favourite place?
Here.
5. Favourite vegetable?
I've gone off vegetables quite a lot recently, but if pushed I would say potatoes. (Are potatoes a vegetable? It's a moot point.)
6. What was the last book you read?
Just finished "Equal Rites" by Terry Pratchett. (Not bad, but I didn't think it was as good as the first two "Discworld" books.) I am currently reading "The Circe Complex" by Desmond Cory. (I have a little story about the reasons behind that choice, which I will go into later.)
7. Are you Dirty or Clean?
I can be both. What did you have in mind?
8. Any tattoos and/or piercings?
None at all.
9. Worst habit?
Biting my fingernails.
10. What's your philosophy on life?
Life's too short to have a philosophy on life.
11. Negative or Optimistic?
Optimist.
12. What was your dream growing up?
To be rich.
13. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
My Dad dying.
14. Tell me one weird fact about you?
I have a target whorl fingerprint on one finger on each hand. My Dad had, and my Brother and Nephew have, the same fingerprint on exactly the same finger on each hand. Apparently it is incredibly rare. It looks something like this.
The circles are a bit too small too count, but I have a damn sight more than 7 of them.
15. How do you fall asleep?
Out like a light, most of the time, unless I've been eating chocolate or drinking ginger beer, in which case I am throwing myself around the bed for hours. Good job that I am not sharing the bed with anybody at the moment, isn't it? (Bitter? Moi? Nah.)
16. If you had one day to live, what would you do?
Probably kick some ass that needs kicking. See my Mom, see my family, write something on the blog.
17. A million bucks... what would you do with it?
Invest it carefully and never work for anybody ever again.
18. What is your worst fear?
Suffocation.
19. Favourite thing to do in your spare time?
Going to the cinema and reading.
20. Can you sing or dance?
Sure I can. I've always been a superstar, but the rest of the world hasn't cottoned on to the fact yet.
21. In one word, how would you describe me? Be honest!
Do you mean describe me (as in yer Pynchon) or describe the person you nicked the mememe from (yer Mark)? In that case (me) sad and (Mark) smart.
22. Will you repost this so I can fill it out?
Already done it, chief.
Wasn't that fun?
Now where was I? Oh, yes. Catching up.
A hell of a lot of things have happened since Wednesday night. I'll try not to go on for too long.
On Wednesday night Lorraine and I went to see Meat Loaf.
I once knew a guy. Bit of a muso. Knew his music. Hated pop music. Loved rock music. He told me that the "Bat Out Of Hell" album was great, but that it could have been fronted by anybody, as it was (and I remember this phrase exactly) "just a vehicle for Jim Steinman's Wagnerian concept rock".
Great phrase that. Of course, total bollocks. How could it have been the same without Meat Loaf?
I mean, just how important is the lead singer? If Jimmy Page had gone for somebody else to sing on the first Led Zeppelin album (and he asked a guy called Terry Reid first, but he turned them down), would it have made much of a difference? At that stage Robert Plant wasn't writing very much (he only has one co-writing credit on the first album), so it wouldn't have much of a difference to the songs, but I think it would have made an awful big difference to the sound.
Wednesday night was the fourth time I have seen Meat Loaf live. The first two times were brilliant. The third time was less that brilliant. It was towards the end of the tour. Lacklustre, slow, no energy. Actually really boring. Unfortunately it was the first time Lorraine had seen him with him and she said "never again". Not long after that show we heard that Meat Loaf had been hospitalised with a heart problem. I forgave him. Not his fault. We were determined to see him again, if he ever toured again.
On Wednesday night Meat Loaf was magnificent. Just brilliant. No other word for it. Over the top, monstrous, bombastic, sweat filled gig and as loud as hell. Explosions, guitar solos, foxy female backing singers, drums. A gig full of character. Meat Loaf's character. And it was really, really funny as well.
On screen, first clips of Meat Loaf as he was in 1977. The ruffled shirt and (suede?) jacket. The long hair. The red handkerchief. Then he came out. He looked exactly the fucking same as in the clips. Same shirt, jacket, hair and handkerchief. Straight into the song cycle "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (normally played later in the set), sharing vocals with one of his backing singers Aspen Miller (who, frankly was a fantastic looker and a fantastic singer), trying to seduce her, failing dismally.
Then suddenly it stopped and she said, "And I could never go with a guy who wears a wig" and she pulled his wig off.
... Well, I thought it was funny. I suppose you would have to be there.
Seriously, though. Great gig and we really enjoyed it. Pure rock panto. It was billed as the "Three Bats Tour" because all Meat Loaf was playing were the songs from the 3 "Bat Out Of Hell" albums. All this meant, practically, was that he did not play was "Dead Ringer For Love", but look at some of the songs he did play.
"I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth", "Bat Out Of Hell", "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", "Objects In A Rear View Mirror Sometimes Appear Closer Than They Are", "Bad For Good", "Life Is A Lemon (And I Want My Money Back)", "Blind As A Bat", etc.
I think I need a lie down. I'm suffering from metal fatigue.
(Weirdest thing. Lorraine just shouted up to me that "Tits Ricci is on the TV" referring to the lovely Christina Ricci. I've just thanked Lorraine for telling me, but explained that I will be seeing Christina's tits' tomorrow in "Black Snake Moan" and that the delights of "That Darn Cat" can probably wait.
I've got Christina Ricci's autograph, you know.)
Friday morning I went to see "Next" starring Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel.
I get a lift home from work sometimes with a guy called Freddie Podge. Nice guy. Very amiable. Freddie goes to see all of the big, popular films. (That's fine by me. At least he is going to the cinema. I know more people who don't go to the cinema than do go to the cinema.) Freddie knows that I like movies and we chat about them in the car. A lot of the time we disagree about what we see, but that is fine as well.
Freddie went to see "Next". He said that he liked it, but described it as the most confusing film he had ever seen.
I wasn't confused by "Next", but a particular phrase does come to mind.
What is it again?
Got it.
"Next" is a piece of shit.
Not un-entertaining, in a TV movie kind of way, but with people like Nicolas Cage (very wooden, like everyone says he is, and I normally defend him) and Julianne Moore (who seems to be somewhere else in her head - maybe she was thinking about how the paycheck for "Next" will finance the improvements she needs to make on her house), it should have been so much better. Jessica Biel was really pretty, though.
"Next" is just lame and predictable and strangely unexciting. Probably not a good thing if you are making an action film. (Then again, if you could see two minutes into the future it would be predictable and strangely unexciting. Ha ha ha!) How many times have you see a stolen nuke plot recently? A couple of times.
I liked the ending. Or did I hate the ending? Was it a massive cop out or was it an ingenious head fuck? I don't know.
Maybe I am confused after all.
I have just been told that I need to cook food before we watch Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in "The Break Up" on Sky Movies at 8pm. I suppose I could tell Lorraine to cook it herself, and do the washing up, but I don't fancy broken fingers.
Tomorrow (I promise), From The Jam (Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) , "28 Weeks Later" and "Magicians".
# posted by Pynchon @ 4:51 pm 
