when's my birthday?

so i thought the simpsons had been making it up, but no - Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp really exists! for just 6000 pounds, you could be learning to rock and / or roll from such rock has-beens as Nick Mason, Bill Wyman, Pete Best and Kip Winger. Yep, Kip Winger. where do i sign up?

the news as it happens

so last night i was in a pub and friend were talking about how madonna and guy's divorce is the main story despite the world falling apart. so i say 'yeah, this morning i heard on the news that a plane in turkey was hi-jacked, so i went straight to the bbc website but it wasn't reported, what's wrong with them?'. and then this guy sitting alone at the table next to ours, replied 'well, i was working at the bbc this morning when the news broke, but by the time we were ready to put it online the whole hijack was called off'.

that shut me up.

either totally made his day or totally ruined his day.

2 weeks

so we've got just two weeks left in london. we're leaving because in feb G applied for a work visa, but in may they finally replied, rejecting her application because although she had included two proofs of her previous income, she hadn't explained why she hadn't included a different proof as well. bureaucracy at its stoopidist. obviously we appealed, but heard nothing back.

until two days ago when they sent us a letter saying they've accepted the appeal and we are now eligible to fly home, pay the home office lots more money and G can have a new stamp in her passport. but we've already left our flat, given away all our stuff, quit our jobs, burnt our bridges (i haven't spoken to my manager in weeks). it's time to go home. but first we have some exciting adventures in spain and thailand planned, so watch this space.

now its 2008

so i know i sing about wanting a jet pack, but actually these things look damn scary
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7637327.stm

ain't no use to sit and wonder why baby

so i finally got around to watching I'm Not There, the wonderfully trippy biography of Bob Dylan. Six different actors each portraying a different dylan myth, none telling the true story, and none following any obvious chronology. Didn't always understand what was going on, but still a much more interesting film than Walk The Line, Ray, La Bamba or any other biopic that ties up a musician's life into one key theme and story. Lives just don't go like that. Besides Robert Zimmerman may have been a small town boy who moved to New York hoping to be Woodie Guthrie, but that doesn't mean that Bob Dylan was. Dylan is a fictional character by Zimmerman who can have any life story that Zimmerman sees fit.

Sometimes knowing too much truth about a musician is a hinderance. Right now i'm reading The Dirt - the Motley Crue story, where all four band members plus all sorts of hanger-ons dscribe their sordid experiences or rock, rape, drugs, stupidity, satanism, more rape, lots more drugs, and occasionally more rock and roll. As a young one i did like a few crue songs and its been interesting to have some perspective on what was going on (and down their throats) as they recorded each album. As a young music fan, i believed that if you liked a band then you should listen to all their albums and i kind of almost imagined that they were all made by the same band always trying to make the best possible album, but as this book illustrates really well, is that it was a different four blokes who made each cd, even if they always inhabited the same four bodies. they were in different places, taking different drugs (or none at all for their most boring records), and trying not to kill each other in different ways. Plus each album had a different producer with his own vision, different record company guy with his own agenda, and different wives with their own issues. I guess albums are like photos that you can't throw away, so you're stuck wearing that shirt and having that haircut forever.

These days i no longer assume that just because i like one album by a band that means i'll like everything they make. can't think of any band that has consistently made great albums. and making a bad disc doesn't take anything away from their earlier great ones. i'd love to hear anyone name a band that has made only good albums.

Shana Tova everyone

families

so i just discovered my brother has a blog. actually my other brother does too. guess we're a family of bloggers. but then while i just ramble on about random stuff, they both seem to be educating the masses about the weekly Torah reading, obscure Halachik facts or dodgy right wing politics. please don't judge me by their politics. in fact, please don't judge them on their politics, because they're actually nice guys.

but anyhoo, michael recently posted about songs for our sister's wedding (oh yeah, btw, my sister is getting married in Feb). you know stuff to walk down the aisle to, first dance etc. not sure if my brother's list is particularly helpful but its definitely more helpful than this list of particularly bad songs to walk down the aisle to:

Theme from Titanic - one because of the titanic motif and two because its a particularly bad song, although having said that i have been to a wedding where the bride did walk down the aisle to that song and if you're reading this, i'm relatively sorry.

Every Rose has its Thorn - Poison - this song was used on the simpsons when otto got married, with poison really performing it.

I've had the time of my life - dirty dancing soundtrack - actually don't even remember who sang this, but past tense is always a bad idea at the start of a wedding.

Han's fiancé suggested Jaws theme, which would be fun.

Far Q by Das Ben (in fact i don't think any das ben songs would make appropriate wedding music)

Woke up this morning - Alabama 3 - theme from Sopranos - actually that'd be quite a cool way to walk up the aisle. wonder how i can convince my sister to go for it. Down in a Hole - theme from the Wire would be equally as cool, as would a bond theme.

a few more suggestions like this and my invite may be revoked.

mudwords

so way back on 6 sept West London Writing Group (of which i'm a devoted member) put on a 2 hour performance of rehearsed readings at the West London Literary Festival. West London Literary Festival is such an impressive way of saying two tents on a muddy field, but the festival did feature big names like Andrew Motion (Poet Laurette) and Richard Briers (Good Lifer).

my short script Headed for a Heartbreak was impressively performed by a group of great actors, particular kudos go to David Sayers, who played the main part of Rikki Knight, and nailed the part, coming across with the perfect combination of bogan rock naivity and stoopid love-struck geek. The script tells the story of Rikki searching London for the city's finest Winger Tribute band so that he can impress the girls of his dreams. He finds tribute bands in such strange places as Southhall Indian Restaurants, primary school choirs and bag-piping buskers. but only once he finds London's best band is he able to win over Michelle's heart. Unfortunately not for him.

It was probably the first time a Winger song had been played through a Chiswick PA in years, and for that I am sorry, but the performance went well, and for that I'm proud, and in truth, as best as i can tell there are no Winger tribute bands in London and for that i am very relieved.

(btw if you don't remember how awful the song was, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzuAKBu366k )