Everything you ever wanted to know about Rock, but were too afraid to ask

Current track: High Contrast – Twilight's Last Gleaming

Here's one: what happens to you when you crowd surf to the front and security pull you out of the throng? Part of me thinks they get taken out back and ritually sacrificed to Satan, but then I am more than a little naive on this topic…

Current track: High Contrast – Return Of Forever

: 17 Dec 2005 15:13 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Happy birthday Richie Baby… and you too, Geoff

Current track: Letters To Cleo – I Want You To Want Me

So, as mentioned previously, today is Rich’s birthday. The big guy is now 20, and I believe that in his homeland (Up North) this now means he’s become a tribe elder, with a special flat cap of office and his own personal whippet. Or something.
I think he’s going to Walsall and hopefully his beloved Poolies can deliver a celebratory three points for him. Have a great day mate

Today I spent a large part of the late morning and early afternoon trying to find a hairdresser to cut my hair, ready for my parents’ Christmas ‘cocktail party’ tomorrow. After trawling Toorak Road I found a place, “Hollywood Beauty Salon” which, despite advertising itself as a unisex place, did not seem to have seen a male within its walls for quite some time. Ah well, I got a relatively cheap haircut and a decent latte, and the women who work there weren’t too bad – even if the one who cut my hair wandered off halfway through to cut someone else’s hair instead, and then returned to me; not very impressive…

So I got home after that and put on my most rocking-est outfit, as I was chaperoning my sister and her mate to a concert at the Telstra Dome. To be honest, I wasn’t that thrilled to have to do it but I had been coaxed into accepting and now it was too late to change my mind.
We got to our seats – we were in the second seated tier of the stadium – halfway through My Chemical Romance’s act. They were OK, a bit shouty, and I only recognised one song. They made us sing Happy Birthday for Geoff, a crew member, which must be quite an odd thing to be on the receiving end of: a stadium full of rock fans singing Happy Birthday to you.
After MCR came Jimmy Eat World (I wonder if they realised at the time their name is “Jew” when put in acronym form? Oy vey!). I knew three of their songs, which I thought was a pretty decent effort. I preferred them to the first support act, and they played a good set: Mr and Mrs Eat World should be proud of how little James did.
After a huge wait, interspersed with several Mexican waves, came the headline act: Green Dave. I’m not a huge fan of Dave’s work and I wasn’t expecting much of him, to be honest. As he was starting up the first song, ‘American Idiot’, the Telstra Dome’s roof opened and fireworks shot through into the early evening sky. A nice touch. Then came ‘Holiday’, which got everyone onto their feet, and was pretty good. There then followed a procession of songs I didn’t recognise and which sounded pretty similar. ‘Basket Case’ came and went, and I sung along. There was also a nice part with some jazz bits, which was pretty funky.
Near the end was some bizarre medley of covers, including ‘Shout’ and ‘Stand By Me’, but wasn’t too bad. The very last song was a bit disappointing as I didn’t know it and couldn’t sing along. The predictable encore was ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’, which was nice (I kept on slipping into Oasis’s ‘Wonderwall’, as per Party Ben’s ‘Boulevard Of Broken Songs’) and then a cover of Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’, which went down well but I thought was perhaps a little presumptive on Dave’s part. The equally-predictable second encore was ‘Homecoming’, which again I didn’t know so was a bit of a let down after ‘We Are The Champions’. But then the final, final song was a semi-accapella version of ‘Good Riddance’ which was really good and made me think of Daryl and drunk Tom. Dave walked off to a shower of confetti and a really impressive flame-and-firework pyrotechnic display on and above the stage. We left the stadium after this – Dave had been performing for the best part of two-and-a-half hours – and eventually Dad came to pick us up from the Rialto Tower.
Fuck it: I went to see Green Day with my sister and her mate and enjoyed the show. Am I converted? Don’t be ridiculous. I knew a reassuringly small amount of songs – so my taste in music has fortunately not been tarnished by my sister’s – but I’m not thinking about swapping my deebee for all that gee-tarr stuff any time soon.

And that’s pretty much it for now
Like I said, tomorrow we’re having people over for a ‘cocktail party’ and I know I won’t know anyone who comes. Should be a fun evening then…

Just watched Villa-Man Utd; can’t believe it finished 2–0, United were taking the piss near the end and could easily have had four or five
The mighty Addicks play Wigan this afternoon – kick off is in a few minutes but they’re showing Pompey-WBA on Fox Sports instead. As in the second game of the season, we’ve won our last game and the Latics have lost their last one, but I’m not that hopeful to be honest: Wigan have been really good this term and I would think they’re looking at us as the game to get their form back on track. Hopefully my boys will prove me wrong and deliver the three points for a second week in a row
I guess I’ll just cross my fingers for the next couple of hours

Hope y’all are having a nice weekend…

Current track: High Contrast – Twilight’s Last Gleaming

: 17 Dec 2005 15:04 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Saving the best 'til last…?

Current track: Kano – Nobody Don't Dance No More ft. Katie Pearl [Remix]

Just to keep a certain physicist off my back…

• Chris Chris – from Swindon. Yes, he is


• Tom – likes things that are fast or explode. Both would be best. Needless to say, he's an engineer


• Rich – a lot more interesting than this profile suggests. It's his birthday tomorrow! Happy birthday mate! Likes German people


• Daryl – it's best not to ask

Current track: Gnarls Barkley – Crazy

: 16 Dec 2005 15:11 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Living in three timezones

Current track: Sarah Khider – Mermaid

Yes, I am fully aware that I haven't written anything on my blog for over a year now. But that's all going to change! Well, at least for a while…
I have no real sense of direction for this post so I'll just ramble on a bit and then you can all leave comments telling me how much you miss me grin

Oh dear, the stupid formatting thing on this 'blogbuilder' will stick that into bold font, won't it? Rubbish! Well, let's see how it goes and maybe I can play around with it later…

So yes, here in Melbourne. Currently 11 hours ahead of everyone in the UK, and 16 ahead of a particular someone in Miami. And it's a total pain in the arse, I can tell you. My laptop clock is still set on UK time as it means I have a better sense of the time elsewhere. Whilst no longer jet-lagged (I travel so much it doesn't really seem to get to me, although this time it took me a day or so to adjust) I still get confused as to what the time is, and even what day it is. Not a good thing, really
Plus, whlist on the subject of time, I just want to mention that Melburnians (yes, I know: "Where did the 'o' go?") are stupid. It's Christmas. Perhaps the busiest time for shoppers in Christian countries all over the world. So when do the shops close? 6pm, if you're lucky; 5 or maybe 5:30 if you're not. It's so annoying to find yourself, in full-flow shopping mode, being kicked out of shops at 6pm. Although at least it means I can get back home for Neighbours…

Neighbours! Today was the season finale. It's so weird to think that they have a break between series; as it's something we rarely have to contend with back in the UK. That said, the UK is catching up with Australia in terms of when 'new' episodes are aired; in not too long, I think, we'll have to face the very real danger of having to live without our double-daily dose of Antipodean life (don't talk to me about Home and Away...). Student life as we know it will be destroyed! laughs
On the plus side, the break between series is only three weeks or so, so it could be worse…
I would tell you what happens but I don't want to ruin it for you all. Though the whole of the final week is pretty great. Don't miss it!

So, Melbourne.
It is a really great city, and it's easy to see why it was recently voted as the world's "most liveable" (is that even a word?), together with one of Vancouver and Toronto – I forget which exactly. Would I live here? It is possible. I'm not much of a city person – much as I adore London, I would never live there – but in the districts outside of Melbourne's CBD (I don't think anyone actually lives in what is technically 'Melbourne') you feel a world away from being in a city. South Yarra is a nice area and I love the house we have here. As we have a park at each end of the road, it's cunningly called Park Street; most places in Australia either have Aboriginal names or stupidly stating-the-obvious names ("See those mountains? With the snow? What shall me call them?" "How about, I dunno, the Snowy Mountains?").
Tonight in the Botanic Gardens they were showing Batman Begins. How cool is that? I've got a list of half a dozen films I might go to watch there before I leave. I didn't go tonight as I had planned to see King Kong but it didn't happen in the end; only the cinema in St Kilda was showing it and that's a fair bit away (the closest cinema to us was showing the old, original version of the big ape going, um, ape).
I don't know how long my family will be here though. Plus, Kelli has a long-term plan to live in England once she graduates from FIU and hopefully I'll manage to not screw things up with her long enough to think about living together…
But I would definitely recommend Melbourne to others. I know it's a long way away and it's expensive to get here but it really is a great city, and you can't say fairer than that smile

Talking of living arangements, I think next year I'll be with a couple of girls from my course, Abi and Alison. I don't know Alison but Abi says she's nice and that's good enough for me. It'll be nice to live with Abi at least; I didn't get to know her as well as I should've last year when we were in Dunsmere together but I'm getting to know her better now and she is a really great person. Plus she is a very dilligent worker and that will definitely be a good thing for me as I'll be in my final year.
At the moment I live with Adam and Jill, a couple of engineers. They're both really nice people and I don't regret my decision to live with them this year. There is a chance I'll be living with Adam again next year too, which would be great as he is a proper mate and houselife is good with him. I think Jill mentioned earlier in the term that she'd be with other housemates next year; I'm not offended in any way, and I know that as much as Jill is a great housemate, we don't have much interaction as we seem to be at home at opposing times of the day. Ah well, I know the next two terms at least will be good: not that they can be any worse than the one we've just had, with various bits of the house breaking pretty much continuously…

Hoakie koke, I'll probably leave this here now. Various 'shout outs' to my 'homies':

• Adam – although he seems even less committed to his blog than I
• Jill – she is scarily committed to hers
• Mike - he yelled at me to take pictures of Melbourne and stick them on here (they're on there way, Micky!) and I yelled at him to stick his Barbados pics on his blog... go and yell at him as well grin

Oh! A final thing. The track I was playing at the start of this entry is beautiful. Unfortunately, the song is a pain in the arse to track down. It's from a Chivas Regal advert which might have been shown in the UK too but I've only seen it here… If you can find it, it is well worth it
In fact, I might play it again now…

Current track: Sarah Khider – Mermaid

: 16 Dec 2005 14:37 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Can you blog it like this?

Current track: The Clash – Rock The Casbah

I had hoped to be home today. Instead I got dragged back to see my MMW tutor for 'feedback' on my essay. I got a 66, not too bad, but to be honest I'd rather have been on the train going back "dahn saaf" and get the paper back next week. All this was just before finding out you have to have an appointment before getting a bloodtest in the medical centre on campus. Just bloody useless! (Ha, no pun intended there)

I missed my Dragon lecture first thing today (read: midday). Ah well. Apparently, it was all about foot binding. Man, is that ever screwed up. Far be it for me to criticise other cultures outright, but I really can't see the attraction in that at all. I ran a quick GIS for 'lily feet' and found this picture. What the hell is alluring about that? Cue sexist jokes about women, small feet and standing nearer the sink/ironing board/oven etc…
I guess it's one of those things that I'll never understand, much like quantum (don't repress me Chris) or when Tara Reid became such a skanky crack whore

— Skip a few hours of watching Spaced with Rachel —

Now I can't even remember what I was saying. Never mind, it'll come to me soon enough. Tomorrow I have a free day and so I'm going home; Charlton take on the pitiful Chelsea on Saturday and I'm going to watch the Addicks march on up the table… *fingers crossed*

Hope y'all had a swell Thanksgiving

Current track: Ladytron – Seventeen [Soulwax Mix]

: 26 Nov 2004 03:35 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The report of my death was an exaggeration…

Current track: Roni Size/Reprazent – Railing

Fairly bizarre events on Monday, when I came home (well, back to my hall) to find that a few of my friends seemed to beleive I had died. All because – shock horror – I had actually gone to lectures and stayed on campus for the rescheduled MMW class. They had been banging down my door, going outside to peer through my window and calling my phone to ascertain if I was actually alive.

Slightly more disconcerting was that Rachel, Luke and Nabeel had also been thinking about the method of my death. Apparently I'm the suicidal type (I get the feeling that was determined pretty early on in the process), and so ideas had been settled on for both the motive and style in which I had topped myself. The most popular one by far was hanging, by scarf. Of course, I'd be immaculately turned out (huh?) so as to ensure minimal fuss for the undertakers. Motive? That I'd had an argument with KK and now my life was not worth living…
This may be odd enough, but wait, there's more. If the scarf/KK model was perhaps not on the money, the other suggestions included

• sleeping pill overdose – again, minimal fuss and mess
• something involving a complicated system of mirrors and pulleys – which only actually killed me when someone burst through my door to see if I was OK (oh, the delicious 'irony')
  and all because
• I was having a bad hair day
• I was having a bad scarf day
• I was having a bad hair/scarf day – this seemed to be the worst thing that they could ever imagine could happen to me

All in all, it was quite odd. I suppose it's nice to know that your mates seem to care about you that much, but still… planning the events of your suicide? Hmmm…

Whilst on the subject of odd things, I also learnt over the weekend that Adam and Rachel were having a 'contest' to see who I would choose to live with. I didn't know whether to flattered or kind of scared. Due to various factors, it looks like I may be with Adam instead of Rachel, but things are never totally decided. I am actually quite worried about next year; the uni seems to be putting a lot of indirect pressure on us to get out choices sorted for next year now despite the advice of the SU. I don't want to live in a grotty little hole, but then I wonder if by next term all the good places will have been allocated…

Anyways: it's 5:25AM, KK has gone, I'm tired, and going to bed

Current track: The Fugees – Ready Or Not [Zinc Remix]

: 25 Nov 2004 05:30 |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

IntroInspection

Current track: The Future Sound Of London – Papua New Guinea [High Contrast Remix]

Well looks like perhaps my first foray into the world of Warwick Blogs wasn't a resounding success. Chris said I sound "really smarmy" and Daryl makes me out to be some sort of attention whore. On the plus side, Ad was (perhaps overly) generous and KK made her prescence felt.

Talking of which: Happy Thanksgiving! *smile*

Oh and Tom's post was some impostor. Although I'd like to think that I am the greatest… actually, scrap that. I'm not vain enough to see myself as the best at anything. I do history as I enjoy it and I'm pretty good at it: I recognise that most people on my course will be better at the subject than me but I'm happy with that. Unlike some people *glares at Rachel*

Today, bit of a non-event. Had two hours sleep, waking at 9am after bed at seven o' clock due to essay problems. Ah well, at least I got it done. No more essays for a good few weeks woohoo! And this time I promise to actually get myself organised and have them done to correct deadlines. I won't say it doesn't piss me off, being such a slacker; I hope that next term I realise from the outset that I should really endeavour to get my stuff sorted and finished on time. Ah well.

Had my Dragon's Ascent seminar (great module, so-so seminars) where I had minimal input due to having had two hours' sleep and only having read one of the texts. Then North Am lecture (interesting course, great seminars) which was OK, about slavery in the southern states.

I realise these general ramblings are no fun. I apologise. Here are some random links to make it worth your while so far:

• Fark Random funny links, stories etc
• The Best Page in the Universe Maddox is King of the Blogs. Fact. Doesn't update nearly enough but what he has there is pure comedy gold. Don't click if you are easily offended though
• Osymyso If you recognise the title of this blog entry, then well done, you have musical knowledge. Check out some of Osy's mega bootlegs, including the half hour 'Puckish Mix'.

There was more, but I can't think now. I should best go and do the readings for my MMW seminar tomorrow (fun fun fun)...

Current track: Gat Décor – Passion

: 25 Nov 2004 00:55 |  Comments (11) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Intro

Current track: Embrace – Gravity

Well I registered this thing ages ago, thought now would be as good a time as any to actually put something on it. As a History student, I'm soon going to start having to use this for work too, so it makes sense to try it out a bit…

Um well my name is Michael, though I go by Mike and (occasionally) Miguel too. I'm a first year History student, and I'm currently in Westwood accommodation. It's not too bad: the walk to campus is exaggerated and food isn't always totally unpalatable. I can't cook to save my life though, so I am kinda worried about what I'm going to do for food next year.
My family is back in Kent, though soon they'll be moving to Australia, leaving me all on my lonesome *sad* I'll get a couple of free return flights each year though, so it's not too bad really.

Interests? Well, I enjoy watching movies and just chilling with friends, maybe just going to a restaurant or even just meeting up and doing nothing… nice and relaxing. I love football, though I'm hardly the world's greatest player. I have a season ticket for Charlton Athletic but living up here means I do not get to see my beloved Addicks very often.
My real love, however, is music. Man, I can't get enough of it. I'm a huge drum and bass fan, and house is another Very Good Thing. For all you haters: deebee is God's music *smile* That's not to say I don't listen to other kinds of music though; name a genre and chances are I have at least one or two songs on my lappy which I like from it. As you can see, I like Gravity even though it is pretty mellow.

Latest news? Well not too much really. My "friend" (make of that what you will) is coming over from Miami to see me in January, which I am so looking forward to. Although we speak every night (either phone or online) it's not the same; I've not 'seen' her for over three months now, and she means a lot to me. If I keep this blog thing up (for personal, rather than simply work-related stuff) then I'm sure I'll end up posting more about her…

Well must dash. Leave comments if you wish, I may well post again and turn to them for 'inspiration' *laughs*

Current track: Tali – Grey Days

: 23 Nov 2004 15:13 |  Comments (7) |  Close comments |  Report a problem