brought to you by yours Tru-ly
The writer’s strike has really messed this show up. With the rushed ending of season 3 (which was still good, but honestly needed more back story, and the whole Booth scenario needed something more), and the first two episodes yet again just seemed like a lot of character development crammed in to a short space of time to make up for the gap. Sorry writers, I’m sure you’re doing your best, but it’s not quite cutting it.
Spoilers – Not seen season 4 or the end of 3? Don’t look!
The mister took me to V Festival at Chelmsford for my 21st birthday. We only went for the Saturday, primarily to see Muse (making this my fifth time)
We spent the day down at the main stage, enjoying the atmosphere and dipping in and out of the crowd for the bands we wanted to see.
We inadvertently saw the Futureheads a second time (they supported Muse at the Albert Hall) and I still wasn’t impressed although that song with the noises did get the whole place making the same silly noises, which was pretty entertaining.
We then made our way into the crowd. It was pretty early in the day so it wasn’t too busy just then. I was quite excited to see Alanis Morissette. I’ve never been that into her music, but the chance to see it live seemed like too good to miss.
Turns out I was right. Songs like Thankyou and Ironic were amazing. I didn’t realise quite how busy it had got either - whenever the camera panned back on the crowd I got quite a shock as we were quite near the front and there were just so many people! That many people singing in unision is awesome. Alanis was awesome, if not a little crazy 
Following Alanis were the Lostprophets, who I also wanted to see. I wasn’t familiar with all their music, but it’s pretty easy to pick up for the most part. The crowd had a great energy for their set, really screaming from the rooftops. The lead singer got a good rapport going with the crowd, singling out a guy waving a giant, inflatable penis (heh), telling him to represent. They played one new song, and plugged their new album quite excessively (out 2009, dontchaknow?). I was quite impressed, for some reason I thought they might be a band who produced good sounding albums and then wouldn’t be able to cut it live. I was wrong.
Watch @ youtube
Can’t Catch Tomorrow & A Town Called Hypocrisy
We took a break for lunch, not really interested in Maximo Park or the Kooks, although we did mooch back into the crowd during the Kooks – figuring when they left that we could make our way forward (it was necessary to be in front of the sound stage, otherwise there was a large stretch of crowd where you could barely hear anything) during the break between them and the Stereophonics, and then again in the gap before Muse.
The one thing I will comment on about the Kooks, is their crazy notion of making everyone sit down on a piss soaked, beer covered, rubbish strewn floor. Needless to say it didn’t work. We think he wanted everyone to jump up at the same time. No one did it. They threatened to not continue until everyone did. No one much seemed to care.
The Stereophonics were amazing. I had no idea what to expect, what they looked like, what the majority of their songs were (turns out it was a bunch I liked and had never bothered to find out what they were). I’m sure it’s been said, but the lead is sex on legs. Honestly. The sun was setting while they were playing and the camera got some great shots of him against the sun. It wasn’t until sometime during the week I found out his name was Kelly, and the whole idea of him was ruined 
Back to the night, they did a great set, all the classics, got the whole crowd singing, and performed a new song. I thoroughly enjoyed the set, and would definitely go and see them live again given the chance.
Watch @ youtube:
And then, we just had to wait patiently for Muse. Or pretty impatiently. Standing up for 10 hours, being pushed and shoved, not drinking a lot to make staying in the crowd easier – we were exhausted, but not disappointed.
We were right by the sound stage for Muse, getting any further forward would have been impossible although it didn’t stop people from trying. We and some others tried to form some kind of impenetrable wall and just refuse to move, but it seems nothing stops the selfish people who didn’t bother to get in the crowd in time to see the show. Nevertheless, Muse did not disappoint, playing Dead Star which I’d never seen live, and it was totally awesome. Saw Butterflies a fifth time and it just gets better and better.
They had lasers decorating the sky, and things reminiscent of the Wembley setup, which was cool. I was a little disappointed they didn’t live up to all the promises they made leading up to V (new songs, collaboration, space ships), but it was still worth the trip, and the standing up for much too long.
Watch @ youtube:
Knights of Cydonia
Hysteria
Supermassive Black Hole
Man with a Harmonica
We staggered back to the mister’s dad’s car, and were driven back to my little flat, ready for my birthday the next day, much in need of a shower and some sleep.
I was having a hard time choosing birthday presents for myself when I had the idea of going to a spa. With just one manicure to my name I had no idea what to expect. My mum and I were booked in at the Dove Spa in Reigate, Surrey for a manicure, pedicure, hot stones massage and a facial with the skin analysis.
We started with the skin analysis where they basically measure your skin’s moisture, elasticity, tone etc. They then tailor your facial based on this and give you some information on how to improve these factors.
The majority of the visit was spent in a private room for the hot stones, facial and pedicure. The hot stones massage was enjoyable, but very peculiar. I found it quite hard to relax which made some parts a bit uncomfortable. I then had a 45 minute facial where I have no idea what she did but I thoroughly enjoyed it. My face felt lovely and clean afterwards, and during the facial I had a head massage (which was nice, but the noise of my hair rubbing together was a bit off-putting) and an eyebrow tidy. Having never had my eyebrows waxed that was a pretty interesting new experience :S
Following this she gave my feet a treat (I tend to forget about them, as I’m told a lot of women do), and painted them a snazzy pink to match my hair. I foolishly forgot to bring some suitable shoes to prevent smudging, and was provided with some little foam sandles, which lasted about two seconds once I got out the door, but at least they tried. The result was one smudged big toe, but the rest still looked beautiful. Word to pedi-noobs: take suitable shoes.
I was then taken downstairs for the finale – the manicure. I naturally have long nails, but unfortunately had lost one of them somehow, meaning the rest of them had to be taken down to be the same length. Because of this my French manucure was perhaps less effective than what it could have been, but I still really liked the way it looked. The one thing I will say is it didn’t last very long, however a lot of nail varnish doesn’t last very long now that I have to clean my own place, and am doing more active things at lunchtime and in the evening.
It was £268 for both me and my mum, who had a shorter facial. From what I understand, as a total noob, it was worth it and I’d recommend a visit. I did take a look at the products they used to see if I wanted to purchase any, but at £30 for a moisturiser I had to pass. One day
4/5
Death Du Jour is the second in the “Bones” series by Kathy Reichs, this book picks up some while after the first book, Deja Dead. Phorensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is again facing a killer who may be targeting someone close to her. Touching on the issue of “cults”, mass hysteria and ritualistic killing, Death Du Jour is another compelling read.
We begin to learn more about Brennan and her family, her relationship to the people she works with (including the agent who I assume is the series’ “Booth”), and we’re taken on many twists and turns to solve the mystery.
Being able to identify with the characters more and knowing the back story from the first book perhaps made it more enjoyable than the first. While with the first book I was unsure as to if I liked the story being told from Brennan’s perspective, by the time I’d finished this one I understood why it worked so well. It would be quite hard to relate to Brennan and the cases, I feel, if it weren’t given from her perspective. The fear, the calculation, all of it would be less “real” if it were being described by some obscure third person.
The only thing I was unsure of was how plausible the locations of the cult would be in relation to Brennan, but I suppose its fiction, anything can happen
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first and am looking forward to reading the next book.
Well it’s no secret I love Bones. I thought I’d try the books. Picked this one up as a treat. Found the next one in a charity shop for cheaps. It’s not bad. The titles leave a lot to be desired, but the content is good. I was unsure about the first person stance but it works out alright. The only trouble I have is reading books like this and getting scared that every noise is someone come to kill me like in the book. I have no trouble with spooky films, books are a whole other kettle of fish.
It was a compelling read, kept me involved. It’s not the same as the show, although I guess some of the later ones might be. This is fair enough I guess, since the show is just based on the character in the books, not the books themselves. Worth a read if you like crime fiction
Thus begins my book binge!
Amazon Summary
The meticulously dismembered body of a woman is discovered in the grounds of an abandoned monastery. ‘Too decomposed for standard autopsy. Request antrhopologic expertise.’ Enter Dr Temperance Brennan, Director of Forensic Antrhopology for the province of Quebec, who has been researching recent disappearances in the city. Despite the deep cynicism of Detective Claudel who head the investigation, Brennan is convinced that a serial killer is at work. Her forensic expertise finally convinces Claudel, but only after the body count has risen…Tempe takes matters into her own hands, but her determined probing places those closest to her in mortal danger. Can Tempe make her crucial breakthrough before the killer strikes again?
4/5
I forgot to review this, I read it a week or two ago. It’s been on my bookshelf for about a year. Finally starting to get through them all. There’s a lot I’m really excited about reading, particularly some my uncle got me.
I picked this up in HMV pretty cheap, I think along with The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: And Other Stories
That said I think this is obviously a book for people who like his work, who want to know a bit more, why he does this that and the other. Some of it’s pretty funny. The intro by Johnny Depp is good. It was interesting to see why their relationship works so well. There was also a lot of things I didn’t know, that he animated some of the Fox and the Hound for example. I guess I never realised how hard it is to get a film made.
Amazon Summary
Tim Burton is one of the great modern-day visionaries of cinema, a director who has fabricated his own deliciously nightmarish universe in movies as extraordinary as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Mars Attacks! - not to mention his twisted take on the tales of Batman, Sleepy Hollow, and Planet of the Apes. Coinciding with the release of his re-imagining of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with long-time comrade Johnny Depp, this updated and fully illustrated new edition of the definitive Burton interview book casts light on Burton’s Burbank childhood, his early work at Disney, the recurrent themes and stunning designs of his movies, and the creative obsessions that fuel them. One of the best - selling books in the series, this brings his career right up to date Includes interviews on all of his most recent films, including the long awaited Charlie and the Chocolate Factory He never gives interviews, so this is the one opportunity film fans will have of hearing Tim Burton’s opinions on his work.
2/5
I don’t know where to start with this book. I’ve not read ‘The Rainbow’, nor have I ever read any other D. H. Lawrence books, so I had no expectations or frame of reference. I picked it up for £1.50 about three years ago and read about three pages while I was waiting at a train station. I picked it up a week or so ago to give it a proper try (trying to read up all the unread books on my shelf).
I don’t think I enjoyed it, however I was compelled to read the whole thing. A lot of the time I felt it was trying to tell me important things, but in such a roundabout and confusing way that I never quite grasped it. I felt like it would be a book I’d really enjoy if I had to analyse it for class or something and get other people’s opinions on it.
I understand it’s quite acclaimed and I’m sure there’s good reason why, but for a sleepy bedtime read it mostly went over my head. The biggest example I can think of is the sex scenes - if that’s what they were, we’re still not sure (the mister and I are immature and had a bit of a giggle trying to work out if that was in fact what was going on, although we’re fairly certain it probably was - “invisible fluid lightning”!)
If you’re a literature buff, read it, if you like romance stories, you’ll probably like it, but if you just want something to drift off to, there’s probably a better choice.
Amazon Summary
“Women in Love” is widely regarded as D. H. Lawrence’s greatest novel. The novel continues where: “The Rainbow” left off with the third generation of Brangwens: Ursula Brangwen, now a teacher at Beldover, a mining town in the Midlands, and her sister Gudrun, who has returned from art school in London. The focus of the novel is primarily on their relationships, Ursula’s with Rupert Birkin, a school inspector, though he gives that up, and Gudrun’s with Gerald Crich, an industrialist, and later with a sculptor, Loerke.
My copy of Adbusters came today. Like every year they’re doing a TV Turn-Off week, only this time it’s called “Mental Detox Week” which makes more sense in that the digital explosion of the last few years means we’re hounded by more than just TV.
The premise:
“The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult - yet also how life-changing - a week spent unplugged can really be.”
Find out more at this link.
Last night’s South Park, titled “Over Logging” actually highlighted some key issues surrounding always being “turned on” to the internet in particular. It’s really hilarious, but also a little disturbing. I won’t spoil it, but I did want to mention a few things that have tied into things I’ve read in Adbusters material. Not knowing how to behave in a face to face situation, feeling compelled to check and reply to emails etc, becoming numb to real relationships and sex, having too much information etc.
I’m all for the internet, I just thought it was funny and thought provoking and tied in well with Adbusters’ message. Check it out if you get the chance
I think in America you might be able to view the full thing where this clip is, if not, here’s a clip!
4/5
the art of promotion
I won’t say I read these books in full, more like skimmed them and pulled out the relevant and interesting information and interviews that I needed.
the art of promotion is very interesting - I like looking at other people’s work and the primary goal of this book seems to be to show you work and deconstruct it. It’s an inspiration source really and I found some innovative things which will work very well to inform my development of my self promotion. The accompanying text is both informative and interesting too.
3.5/5
Becoming a Graphic Designer (2nd ed)
Again, skimmed and pulled out relevant info. I’m a web designer so there was quite a lot of irrelevant stuff that I’m sure is really interesting for people in those different fields. The web design section had some interesting interviews and while I think this version is a bit dated, it was still worth the read skim through.
Both of these were on the reading list for my self promotion unit and they are both useful if you’re going into the graphic design/web design field. Probably more so for graphic/communication design.
3.5/5
