The Link Edition

Muchness to talk about! A feast of Zidane, music, resentment and secret-sharing follows; how good does that sound? Oh, so very.

Starting from the top, I have finally found the will to listen to new music again! There I was, feeling completely alienated from it, taking Life one or two albums at a time, when a few songs destroyed my ennui. These would be:

- Howling Bells – Low Happening. I personally hold them responsible for starting the wave. http://www.myspace.com/howlingbells Their whole album is actually rather excellent.
- Muse – Supermassive Black Hole. When whoever it is (Matt Bellamy? All of them? One, or all the above, plus machine?) whispers the title near the end, I think of Franz Ferdinand’s Darts of Pleasure. Darts of the pleasing kind, indeed, though is must be said that Mistuh Bellamy is rather too sweaty in the video. Is operatic rock more hair-spray than spray-on, then? http://www.myspace.com/muse
- Christina Aguilera – Ain’t No Other Man. Terrible though it is, the belief that people will swallow anything as long as it’s well-packaged is proven true here. However, it would grievously unjust to give this song no credit. A Jalapeno Popper fo’ sho’, it is gratifyingly, gratuitously gutsy. Her voice, and some inspired lexical choice (‘badass’!) , along with that fabulous, trumpet-rich groove, make ALL the difference. Good God, people have recorded many songs in this vein. Let’s see if one hand suffices for counting the number of them that were as GREAT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXU4ebQ2w8

I also enjoyed the video of Toxic by Britterspears. I finally kind of almost saw her sex appeal to guys, though I was disturbed by how puppy-dog her eyes are in it. Toxic is a necessary lifetime viewing experience for us all. It is ludicrous (red-haired Britters) and hilarious (again, red-haired Britters… and pretty much the whole video) – and she actually gets away with black hair! http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/videos.jhtml

That is the link between all these random listenings – I was finally able to relax and just get into it, just ‘rock out’ a bit. All of them are Just A Little Bit Anthemic (I don’t generally do anthems, they tend towards the brainless too often. I may be an enthusiastic pursuer of Music-As-Opposed-To-Religion, but I’m no zealot).

Speaking of zealots, I will probably identify my eldest sister on here as that at some point (Zealot). My other sister (8 years older!) has garnered the selective acronym SHITW (Stupidest (or Shittiest) Ho-bag In The World. Yes I know, the W ruins it). I say selective because
a) I’ll likely forget to use it at times, and
b) Like all werewolves, she does turn sometimes. You can never tell which way it’s going to be – sometimes it’s human! And that can be quite scary.

Anyway, kind of through her, I have fallen to watching Big Cat Week on BBC1. It is immensely pleasing to see how much the presenters love their job, especially Jonathon of the cheetah team (The Cheetah Team?). He has been profiling Toto, a 7-week-old cheetah cub. Now, I hate to admit it, but Toto is really rather gorgeous. Hearts were in collective mouths yesterday as he hid in long grass, a short distance from a prowling baboon, chirping for his mother. That’s right – he chirps! ‘A tiny, birdlike call’ is how an effusive, God-thanking Jonathon described it after his mother found him safe. Watch it, people – it’s worth it! http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/bcd/

Other things of interest – The Nanny, a sitcom produced by Fran Drescher http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Drescher . It is surprisingly funny, feel-good and charming, despite the ‘80s-ness. I am hooked http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nanny_(television) – and Lily Allen. I’ve been listening to her for at least 2 months now, but her single Smile is apparently going to #1. Or already has. Whatever, I love her. She’s a little chunky, rude, funky and unforgivably cute. WORK IT! http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic

Zinedine Zidane. He’s always been compelling, but even since the announcement of the World Cup finalists – whew. I am delighted at the furore his headbutt has caused, because I banged on and on about how it was odd for him, and how the cause behind it had to be established. As they ‘wrote’ on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris: Zizou, on t’aime! Zidane, we love you! You are softly-spoken and have long eyelashes and random outbursts of temper. Corblimeyphwoar, are those the nascent calls of a perverse sexual attraction I hear? Coming! http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=277278&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__sport/

The secret is somewhat disappointing now. Or is it…? I bought 2 pairs of earrings for Sophie – don’t remember her getting me owt for my birthday... For some reason, I think I feel this justifies not getting her a card. Confused? You bet I am! My party piece shall be showing her one then both pairs, and asking which she wants, if not both. Oh, what comedy if she chooses neither…! >_< I plan to to hit the party for about an hour, put on a good show, all smiles – maybe even participate in some of that ‘80s karaoke (fucking hell!) – and leave in a blaze of triumph, having used her own tactics against her. HA!

Oh la la, and a bottle of rum (Life is a pigbum)

I think everyone has these episodes in your life that just seem to be wrenched from some postmodern contemporary novel (wooh, look at the big words!). Specifically cringesome chick-lit type moments, where you agree to something and then think "Why did I do that? Oh God, OHGOD, WHY?!"

Except in this case - no, it is not the wedding of a former best friend / school-time enemy / random better-off acquaintance (also probably from your days in some sort of education). Oh no - I agreed to go to Thorpe Park on August 4th for my school-time friend Katie's birthday (there, I told you, didn't I?!).

Why is this a big deal? I mean, we all DREAM of going to places like that and shakin' off the pretentiousness to live again as kiddies, right? Wrong. Firstly, I am only 18, so I don't need to be doing that just yet. Secondly, AAAAAAAAAAARGHWHY?!

OK, let me explain. There are ISSUES here. ISSUES. I am only too well acquainted with the glorious notions of self-sacrifice. I came from a culture that thrusts it at you (Indian), and I chose to drop it as though it were HOT and run like hell. Giving things up for your family is one thing. Enduring things for your friends is another. Seeing as how I'm pretty much in the s*** now, I think I'm fairly entitled to complain lots about it. This does take the piss somewhat, dammnit!

Attempting the vaguely numerical system again: firstly, I will be paying for an experience which I would avoid like the plague if it were FREE. I do not like Thorpe Park; I do not like theme parks. I admit that they are a genius rip-off, but good God are they childish and uninspired. And, anticipating anyone who tells me I'm pretentious and just scared, HELL YES, I shout out in response. Oh, YES am I pretentious, and yes I am scared (to a degree). I don't mind some rides; if people want to go on things that spin them round with all the support of a good bra, that's fine by me! I just don't think that having a minor cardiac infarction is necessary to improve my quality of life. I don't see the need to pay in order to nearly die of fear, you know? I can smell the roses just fine without it!

Secondly, I am feeling really disillusioned with all my friends. If you make sacrifices for your mates, you want to feel like they're really great and worth your time. I'm really feeling like I've outgrown all my sixth-form mates. They always want to do the same things, talk about the same things, and it just feels like utter tedium. I can't talk to them about music or films or books. I can't see them going to any gigs without complaining about the price. I'm pretty sure I'm the most politically left-wing of all of them too, which makes me nervous. It would make ANYONE nervous! Katie and Zaneta can really veer towards the right-wing sometimes, and Angela and Joanne are just like Yes-men types. Going along with everything, agreeing with them - it makes me uncomfortable.

I'm still not sure if I should go to Sophie's 80s karaoke party this Friday. Karaoke is not something I ache to spend the whole evening participating in, especially not with 80s music. Fucking hell, I wasn't even born till after half-way through, why should I care?! And SingStar is all very well and good, but everyone's psycho competitive tendencies come out, and then I feel like screaming. Yes, I've been to one of these parties before! I also end up getting stranded there because she doesn't exactly take into consideration that I don't have a car or anything. Is it wrong of me to want her to take things like that into consideration? Am I too nice? I don't do that to people. Then again, I don't invite people who dislike each other to the same party and expect them to get along just for me. Is that proactive and mature? Or is it arrogant and selfish? I really don't know. And Sophie's a good friend. It really sucks when you're struggling to see the good side of any of your friends.