Went to see Hot Hot Heat last night - very rare to find a band that sound better live than on their records...very good fun (although couldn't go clubbing due to lack of funds and my newly found "old lady" syndrome*)
And also *breathe* *breathe* managed to get tickets for the Libertines Forum date in December (when there was only 30 something left for the upstairs bit!). Hurrah, hurrah!
Work side, gotta go to Manchester on Monday for the start of our training courses...wasn't expecting to go...don't want to go...have to go...blurg, means I won't get a full weekends worth full of lovin'...not bloody fair.
*Mustn't go out due to work, I'll feel tired tomorrow...busy, busy, busy...gotta get home to bed, mustn't drink too much - I'll feel awful etc, etc..
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Friday, October 24, 2003
So who saw that programme last night 'Does Prayer Work?'. It was about the Mantra Study in the US held over 3 years in 9 hospitals. The study took 750 people undergoing major heart surgery and 12 prayer groups prayed for 50% of them (double blinded the participants and the doctors didn't know who was being prayer for). Their health was monitored 6mths after their surgery.
The 12 prayer groups chosen included Christian mothers, a Buddhist group, an Islamic group (Sufi's in fact), Jews and a lone Christian.
The resulting stats on 5th September 2003, measured no significant difference between the health of the group prayed for and the group that were not BUT during the experiment another level of prayers were added in that another 12 prayer groups prayed for the original groups...this made a difference to the health of the participant 'double' prayed for!
Another finding of the study was that the use of MIT (music, imagery and touch therapy) reduced patient distress significantly but gave no long-term medical benefit (and in fact may have reduced the patients chance of survival).
The most interesting thing about the study was the reaction of the groups to each other and also the effect of September 11th.
The Christian Mother's and a Christian preacher were the most bigoted bunch of bastards! The preacher wanted religions assessed as to their effectiveness and the mother's disregarded any prayers but the Christian ones.
One man however said, "prayer is prayer - it's not the words, it is the intention and sincerity of the person reciting the prayers" and that prayer was "connecting to and using the divine energy, the life force". A wonderful, positive person.
After September 11th enrolment for study dropped dramatically...people didn't want Muslims praying for them...
Then I watched 'Lock Up Your Sons'. Teenage boys fighting...upsetting and also very funny...twats.
The 12 prayer groups chosen included Christian mothers, a Buddhist group, an Islamic group (Sufi's in fact), Jews and a lone Christian.
The resulting stats on 5th September 2003, measured no significant difference between the health of the group prayed for and the group that were not BUT during the experiment another level of prayers were added in that another 12 prayer groups prayed for the original groups...this made a difference to the health of the participant 'double' prayed for!
Another finding of the study was that the use of MIT (music, imagery and touch therapy) reduced patient distress significantly but gave no long-term medical benefit (and in fact may have reduced the patients chance of survival).
The most interesting thing about the study was the reaction of the groups to each other and also the effect of September 11th.
The Christian Mother's and a Christian preacher were the most bigoted bunch of bastards! The preacher wanted religions assessed as to their effectiveness and the mother's disregarded any prayers but the Christian ones.
One man however said, "prayer is prayer - it's not the words, it is the intention and sincerity of the person reciting the prayers" and that prayer was "connecting to and using the divine energy, the life force". A wonderful, positive person.
After September 11th enrolment for study dropped dramatically...people didn't want Muslims praying for them...
Then I watched 'Lock Up Your Sons'. Teenage boys fighting...upsetting and also very funny...twats.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Friday, October 17, 2003
Weekend went well (although didn't quite manage to get to My Own Private Idaho due to lack of ability to move from sofa!). Reflecting Skin was horrifically beautiful, lots of Gus Van Sant type shots of wide open sky...wonderful story, scary, interesting comment on how children take everything to heart and make up their own reality to the weirdness that goes on around them.
Pollock was very interesting too, although I ended up disliking the man (monstrous alcholic, evil to wife that supported him and in fact made him everything he was...).
Tuesday I went for some training on Practical Project Management - very enjoyable and in good time as I have now been given the task of writing schedules for the tour that is out at the min (of Woyzeck have a look at our website to see if you can get to any of the gigs, as it's an amazing show).
Tonight, I'm going to see Thoroughly Modern Millie @ Shaftesbury Theatre with Richie and Chris. Tomorrow the TATE Modern with the young man and Sunday Basquiat at NFT with Damaris. So much for a quiet weekend!!!
Pollock was very interesting too, although I ended up disliking the man (monstrous alcholic, evil to wife that supported him and in fact made him everything he was...).
Tuesday I went for some training on Practical Project Management - very enjoyable and in good time as I have now been given the task of writing schedules for the tour that is out at the min (of Woyzeck have a look at our website to see if you can get to any of the gigs, as it's an amazing show).
Tonight, I'm going to see Thoroughly Modern Millie @ Shaftesbury Theatre with Richie and Chris. Tomorrow the TATE Modern with the young man and Sunday Basquiat at NFT with Damaris. So much for a quiet weekend!!!
Friday, October 10, 2003
Last night in bed by 8pm!
Still tired though and, of course, come Friday afternoon...major mailout sprung at last min, computer doesn't want to open any files for me AND have you ever tried to book a Liverpool hotel for 7 people over a home game weekend. Don't. Bastard.
Plans for this weekend:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Watch telly
4. Go to movies (My Own Private Idaho and Pollock at NFT)
5. Watch videos (for example, Reflecting Skin - I adore Philip Ridley, so really looking forward to seeing the film).
There that made me feel better...
Still tired though and, of course, come Friday afternoon...major mailout sprung at last min, computer doesn't want to open any files for me AND have you ever tried to book a Liverpool hotel for 7 people over a home game weekend. Don't. Bastard.
Plans for this weekend:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Watch telly
4. Go to movies (My Own Private Idaho and Pollock at NFT)
5. Watch videos (for example, Reflecting Skin - I adore Philip Ridley, so really looking forward to seeing the film).
There that made me feel better...
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Overhung like mad. We went to see Dodger's band Smart Dogs at Metro's on Oxford Street. Dodger being one of Lorna's (many, many, many) young men. The band were technically good, nice riffs, looked pretty hot etc but no soul whatsoever. No content to them, nothing to make them stand out from the crowd of wannabe Oasis shite.
Post-gig, we walked along to Candy Box with Lorna, Carla, Jess and boy/f in tow. Tagging along was another young man of Lornie's. He who is known as 'Thuggy Beast'. Mainly due to him being a THUG and a BEAST. He was in amazing form, throwing Carla against a car, then a shop window, trying to hit me a number of times. Lornie of course thinks that all of this is cute...good start to the evening.
I end up in a corner with boy/f having a rather odd, deep conversation. I'm so fucking crazy about this man and he's downright refusing to fall in love with me...(or at least refusing to tell me he loves me).
Went to join the others later on (Hels had turned up meanwhile). Lorna and Jess had a screaming, shouting, crying match at the bar about various friendship/work/living together stuff. Jess went home early. My young man and me went home a little later. Jess still up and still very unhappy. We all go to beds after a chat. I am woken by Lornie and Hels throwing stones and shouting abuse at my window in the very early hours 'cos they'd lost their keys.
Bah, tonight I intend to be in bed by 10pm!
Post-gig, we walked along to Candy Box with Lorna, Carla, Jess and boy/f in tow. Tagging along was another young man of Lornie's. He who is known as 'Thuggy Beast'. Mainly due to him being a THUG and a BEAST. He was in amazing form, throwing Carla against a car, then a shop window, trying to hit me a number of times. Lornie of course thinks that all of this is cute...good start to the evening.
I end up in a corner with boy/f having a rather odd, deep conversation. I'm so fucking crazy about this man and he's downright refusing to fall in love with me...(or at least refusing to tell me he loves me).
Went to join the others later on (Hels had turned up meanwhile). Lorna and Jess had a screaming, shouting, crying match at the bar about various friendship/work/living together stuff. Jess went home early. My young man and me went home a little later. Jess still up and still very unhappy. We all go to beds after a chat. I am woken by Lornie and Hels throwing stones and shouting abuse at my window in the very early hours 'cos they'd lost their keys.
Bah, tonight I intend to be in bed by 10pm!
Saturday, October 04, 2003
Just got back from the holiday. These are a few of the things that I did:
Saturday 20th September
Stopped off in Sheffield to visit my old babysitter, husband and kids. I used to look after the kids when they were younger and it was very strange to see them all ‘teenage’ (14 and 17 yrs old)…they also revealed that I am responsible for getting them addicted to cheese and tomato sauce sandwiches!
The parentage and I went for a walk around Sheffield’s botanical gardens. Really beautiful and babysitters husband told us about the arsonist that is currently at work in Sheffield – he only sets fire to conifer trees…(cue many jokes about incidents with xmas trees as a child “daddy, not the baubles” etc)
Sunday 21st September
Drove to Newcastle. Got my first really good look at the Angel of the North I have seen it from the train but you only get a glimpse. From the motorway you can see it for ages. It’s wonderful, striking, beautiful, etc..
Monday 22nd September
Spent today walking around Newcastle. Went to the Baltic and the Millennium Bridge – both amazing to look at…unfortunately the Baltic have forgotten to put enough art in there (but the Jane and Louise Wilson video piece was pretty good). Much TOO minimal.
Spent the afternoon watching Whalerider at the Tyneside Cinema. Erh, I suggest that you wait for the video. Not the best film of the year by a long shot.
In the evening I cracked and had to go out. I rang Stu and asked him to take me to the ‘new gay triangle’. There are 3 bars and 1 club in the genetics area – leading to the question, is Newcastle the new centre for ‘gay’ experimentation??? Met his boyfriend, worked out that I hadn’t been in Newcastle for over 3 years. We got suitably drunk as fuck and ended up clubbing! Hurrah, it was wonderful to catch up with Stu (minus dreads!). Can’t wait to get him down to London again…
Tuesday 23rd September
Hungover as fuck!
Meet Paul at the Monument at 4pm. Went to the ‘gay triangle’ again. I’m so hungover I drink shandy for the first time in my life! Dan (Paul’s boyfriend) and Gina come to meet us. Then we go back to Paul and Dan’s for my first fondue…ummm, melted cheese…It was really good to catch up with Paul especially to see him settled (this is a man that I spent a lot of time with, drinking cheap cider and getting morbidly depressed to MSP and Suede and vomiting and dancing – not particularly in that order!!!)
My other mates Emma and Sarah were also meant to turn up but they didn’t…I texted them to ask if we could meet up another time but they didn’t get in touch, so y’know…“whatever”
Wednesday 24th September
Watched Spirited Away – beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Thursday 25th September
Went to a new gallery Biscuit Factory. Very interesting – discovered a wonderful artist Jacqueline Boyd. Lots of fun indeed.
Payday, so I went shopping – sensible shopping. 2 new pairs of shoes (£6.99 and £14.99!), M&S knickers (10 pairs, black, sensible), socks (poundstretcher, 10 pairs, £5.00).
In the evening the family went to see Underworld. Good fun, vamp and werewolf romp. Lots of lovely overacting, ended with the biggest “there’s a sequel y’know” ending!
Friday 26th September
Dad, Dash (baby bro) and mate were getting stoned so Jan and I went to see Young Adam. Dark, slow, empty shots of Scottish canals, power filled sex scenes, brooding Ewan McGregor. Flashback scenes throughout the movie as the plot unfurled were stunning (apart from the unnecessary (but disturbingly horny) sex scene halfway through).
Thoughts about Newcastle – very odd being back, I spent most of my teenage years here and there are memories jumping out at me from everywhere…emotionally heavy moments. The corner where I had my first ‘proper snog’, the street where I had the biggest fight with my best friend when we were 16 (she had shagged my other (male) best friend…), the first flat that I got with my boyfriend (who I ended up moving down to London with and who broke my fucking heart a couple of years later), the pubs and clubs I used to go to, the replacement window in the door that I smashed during the argument with my mother that ended up with me moving in with my father…, the 24hrs garage where we all promised to meet up in the year 2000!, major emotional rollercoaster moments.
Saturday 27th September
We drove back to London via the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Romping through fields, looking at art, eating lovely food in the restaurant.
Got home to Lornie, Hels (who is staying on our sofa for a while) and Ali G being hungover. It’s so good to be back!!!
Saturday 20th September
Stopped off in Sheffield to visit my old babysitter, husband and kids. I used to look after the kids when they were younger and it was very strange to see them all ‘teenage’ (14 and 17 yrs old)…they also revealed that I am responsible for getting them addicted to cheese and tomato sauce sandwiches!
The parentage and I went for a walk around Sheffield’s botanical gardens. Really beautiful and babysitters husband told us about the arsonist that is currently at work in Sheffield – he only sets fire to conifer trees…(cue many jokes about incidents with xmas trees as a child “daddy, not the baubles” etc)
Sunday 21st September
Drove to Newcastle. Got my first really good look at the Angel of the North I have seen it from the train but you only get a glimpse. From the motorway you can see it for ages. It’s wonderful, striking, beautiful, etc..
Monday 22nd September
Spent today walking around Newcastle. Went to the Baltic and the Millennium Bridge – both amazing to look at…unfortunately the Baltic have forgotten to put enough art in there (but the Jane and Louise Wilson video piece was pretty good). Much TOO minimal.
Spent the afternoon watching Whalerider at the Tyneside Cinema. Erh, I suggest that you wait for the video. Not the best film of the year by a long shot.
In the evening I cracked and had to go out. I rang Stu and asked him to take me to the ‘new gay triangle’. There are 3 bars and 1 club in the genetics area – leading to the question, is Newcastle the new centre for ‘gay’ experimentation??? Met his boyfriend, worked out that I hadn’t been in Newcastle for over 3 years. We got suitably drunk as fuck and ended up clubbing! Hurrah, it was wonderful to catch up with Stu (minus dreads!). Can’t wait to get him down to London again…
Tuesday 23rd September
Hungover as fuck!
Meet Paul at the Monument at 4pm. Went to the ‘gay triangle’ again. I’m so hungover I drink shandy for the first time in my life! Dan (Paul’s boyfriend) and Gina come to meet us. Then we go back to Paul and Dan’s for my first fondue…ummm, melted cheese…It was really good to catch up with Paul especially to see him settled (this is a man that I spent a lot of time with, drinking cheap cider and getting morbidly depressed to MSP and Suede and vomiting and dancing – not particularly in that order!!!)
My other mates Emma and Sarah were also meant to turn up but they didn’t…I texted them to ask if we could meet up another time but they didn’t get in touch, so y’know…“whatever”
Wednesday 24th September
Watched Spirited Away – beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Thursday 25th September
Went to a new gallery Biscuit Factory. Very interesting – discovered a wonderful artist Jacqueline Boyd. Lots of fun indeed.
Payday, so I went shopping – sensible shopping. 2 new pairs of shoes (£6.99 and £14.99!), M&S knickers (10 pairs, black, sensible), socks (poundstretcher, 10 pairs, £5.00).
In the evening the family went to see Underworld. Good fun, vamp and werewolf romp. Lots of lovely overacting, ended with the biggest “there’s a sequel y’know” ending!
Friday 26th September
Dad, Dash (baby bro) and mate were getting stoned so Jan and I went to see Young Adam. Dark, slow, empty shots of Scottish canals, power filled sex scenes, brooding Ewan McGregor. Flashback scenes throughout the movie as the plot unfurled were stunning (apart from the unnecessary (but disturbingly horny) sex scene halfway through).
Thoughts about Newcastle – very odd being back, I spent most of my teenage years here and there are memories jumping out at me from everywhere…emotionally heavy moments. The corner where I had my first ‘proper snog’, the street where I had the biggest fight with my best friend when we were 16 (she had shagged my other (male) best friend…), the first flat that I got with my boyfriend (who I ended up moving down to London with and who broke my fucking heart a couple of years later), the pubs and clubs I used to go to, the replacement window in the door that I smashed during the argument with my mother that ended up with me moving in with my father…, the 24hrs garage where we all promised to meet up in the year 2000!, major emotional rollercoaster moments.
Saturday 27th September
We drove back to London via the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Romping through fields, looking at art, eating lovely food in the restaurant.
Got home to Lornie, Hels (who is staying on our sofa for a while) and Ali G being hungover. It’s so good to be back!!!
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