tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70164004351801359292024-03-13T00:59:09.578+00:00KAREN'S CURIOSITY CORNERThe aim of this blog is to depart snippets of interest and note. Whether this will happen or not remains to be seen... Also a way to catch up with what I've been doing.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-53523047239445822232016-10-10T20:52:00.000+01:002016-10-10T20:53:23.815+01:00The problem with brasThe time has come for me to rant about bras.<br />
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For those of you that don't know me personally, allow me to provide a little personal information. I'm 33 and have a reasonably large bosom; I shop in the DD+ range.<br />
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I hate wearing clothes made of man made materials next to my skin. Polyester makes me feel all hot and sweaty. Boobs are big sacks of fat. Fat makes you warm. Boobs are warm. DD+ boobs get really warm. Hey let's make them even hotter by putting them in a fabric that doesn't breathe.<br />
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Padding. It seems that all bras have to have this at the moment. Because everyone must have a massive bust. There are times when I want padding for a bit of extra volume for a special occasion, but for everyday wear I don't. I wear a DD+ bra; I have my own padding. Plus padding means warmth, and we covered sweaty boobs already.<br />
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Wanting an unpadded bra made of natural material seems to indicate that you're a middle aged lady. In fact, that's insulting to middle aged ladies like my mum. She wouldn't wear them either. Marks and Spencer I'm looking at you. One bra in the whole of your shop last time I looked. In three colours - white, pastel peach or pastel green. Yuck.<br />
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Then we come to the subject of linings. I've found a bra that has nice soft cups. I feel lining inside. It's polyester. And is made of really rough mesh. Who wants rough mesh next to their nipples? That's right. Not me.<br />
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All I'm looking for is a bra that is mostly natural material (cotton/viscose/modal), has underwire and doesn't have any padding or nipple-chafing lace. Oh and I don't want it to cost more than £20. And I want more of a choice than black, white or "nude".<br />
<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-72172323819071890612016-08-29T19:38:00.001+01:002016-08-29T19:38:55.355+01:00My Strictly Fantasy, AKA holy crap it's a blog post!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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OK so I haven't written for a long time. My health has gotten in the way. I'm still ill, but occasionally I have an idea. Today is one of those days. HURRAH! </div>
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Where to start. Firstly, Radiohead brought out A Moon Shaped Pool this May. I love it and it's up there with OK Computer and In Rainbows as one of my favourite of their albums.</div>
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Secondly, I enjoy watching Strictly Come Dancing. I took ballet and tap classes between the ages of three and 14 and I still love dancing. It's a bit tricky with chronic fatigue and a tibia fracture that's only 75% healed, but I do try. Endorphins and all that.<br />
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Some time last year I decided to make a list of tracks that I would dance to if I ever made it onto SCD. Today I was sitting in my yarden in the sunshine, thinking about the series of SCD that starts this week. I was listening to A Moon Shaped Pool and thinking how Burn The Witch would make a great ballroom tango song.<br />
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I take the fantasy further and it's Halloween week; in homage to the video I come up with the story for the dance. Tangos usually feature "a couple having some sort of argument" plot. So in this dance my partner would be a Witch Finder, possibly wearing a creepy plague mask. I'd be the witch he'd fallen in love with and he was torn about burning me at the stake. Pretty good argument fodder if ever there was any.<br />
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If you haven't heard the song or seen the video, here it is. Think The Wicker Man animated Trumpton -style.<br />
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As it's my SCD fantasy I'm dancing with Pasha Kovalev (pictured above). I like his choreography, OK?<br />
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Not every couple gets to do each type of dance, depending on which week they're eliminated. But it's my fantasy so Pasha and I at least get to the final so we can do all the styles. There are 14 dances, split between the disciplines of ballroom and Latin. To generalise, ballroom = man in a suit, lady in a ballgown, traditional hold; Latin = man in tight pants with his chest out, lady wearing not very much, and a lot of hip movement!<br />
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I've decided to add the rest of my list here (with accompanying videos) for your pleasure. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Waltz:</b> Elbow - The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver<br />
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<b>Viennese waltz:</b> Air - Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping</div>
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<b>Cha-cha-cha: </b>Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero</div>
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<b>Quickstep: </b>The Doors - LA Woman. If you don't know The Doors Alive, you need to check them out. They're as close as you're gonna get to hearing The Doors live without access to a TARDIS. The singer and drummer have changed from the lineup seen here, but I'm sure they're still great. This was filmed at a gig I was at and you can actually see the back of my head dancing!</div>
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<b>Tango: </b>Radiohead - Burn The Witch. As above. If you really want to know, my tango dance on the original list was Band of Skulls - Himalayan. Oh go on then...</div>
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<b>Rumba: </b>Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine. I thought this would tie in well with movie week, as it was featured in The Talented Mr Ripley.</div>
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<b>Jive: </b>Imelda May - Johnny Got A Boom Boom</div>
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<b>Foxtrot: </b>Everything But The Girl or Ella Fitzgerald - Night And Day. It's a hard choice between the versions! Everything But The Girl would be less likely to make me cry, as the Ella version was my grandparents' song. Sadly both of them have died, and they played it at my grandad's funeral.</div>
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<b>Paso doble: </b>Rammstein - Mein Teil. This was going to be my Halloween week before Burn The Witch came along.</div>
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Sadly the Blogspot video widget doesn't like Rammstein. Find it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBvwcH4XX6U" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b>Samba: </b>The Commodores - Brick House</div>
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<b>Salsa: </b>Paul Simon - Late Evening</div>
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<b>American Smooth: </b>Madeleine Peyroux - Dance Me to the End of Love</div>
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<b>Argentine tango: </b>Gotan Project - Una Musica Brutal</div>
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<b>Charleston: </b>tUnE-yArDs - Water Fountain<br />
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Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-49080389229069799422012-05-15T16:23:00.000+01:002012-05-15T16:24:25.563+01:00Apricot Cheesecake MuffinsI have recently discovered the amazing resource that is the <a href="http://www.philadelphia.co.uk/" target="_blank">Philadelphia</a> website. It has so many recipes I thoroughly recommend that you go there if you're stuck for an idea for tea, or even want to make yourself a sweet treat. That is if you like cream cheese of course! Philadelphia - I will gratefully receive free cheese/discount vouchers for this marketing :P<br />
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One of the many delectable cake recipes they have is for <a href="http://www.philadelphia.co.uk/philadelphia3/page?siteid=philadelphia3-prd&locale=uken1&PagecRef=609&rid=10475" target="_blank">Sour Cherry Cheesecake Muffins</a>. I thought that sounded amazing and was happy to note I had most of the ingredients. The only things I was short was an orange and the sour cherries. So I decided to make them with chopped dried apricots and lemon zest instead.<br />
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I only made half quantities too (six muffins) because I'm trying to be fairly good diet-wise, to try and keep myself from gaining more weight. My recent switch of antidepressants has made me put on at least one stone, maybe one and a half. The tablets themselves are not guilty directly; they make me super hungry and I therefore scoff more than I usually would. My BMI is currently about 28 (it shouldn't be higher than 25 to be healthy) and GP said if it got to 30 by the next time she saw me then we'd have to try a different tablet. We're both reluctant to change it though as I now sleep right through the night and my mood is a lot better than it was. Not perfect, but much better!<br />
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So, by the time I've finished writing this post the muffins are about to come out of the oven but I've yet to eat one. I'm sure they taste fab though because I had to lick a bit of the raw mixture off my fingers. I must go and get them out so they don't burn, and also Marwood is pestering me to be fed!<br />
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PHOTO AND TASTING NOTES TO FOLLOW!<br />
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<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-67390621517097378632012-04-16T15:01:00.008+01:002012-04-16T15:39:52.440+01:00All Change - From Sleepwalking to Staggering<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/06/14/zombie1_gallery__600x374.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 374px;" src="http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/06/14/zombie1_gallery__600x374.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image from http://www.theage.com.au/</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I recently changed medication for my depression from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Venlafaxine</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mirtazapine</span>.</span> The old stuff wasn't working anymore so it was time to try something new.<br /><br />My GP warned me that at first I might feel a bit sedated, but if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mirtazapine</span> suited me then this should wear off after about a week. She wasn't kidding. To sum it up in a pithy and amusing way it was like being a Zombie Cookie Monster: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mmm</span> brains! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mmm</span> cookies! Not only could I sleep 24/7 if I wanted to, when I was awake I wanted to consume every foodstuff in sight. It was also a bit like being drunk but without the fun; I felt uncoordinated, unsure of my own strength and very disconcerted. It felt like I had a new glasses prescription that my eyes hadn't adjusted to and that the film I was in had been filmed with a couple of frames/second dropped.<br /><br />Now I've got past that stage I feel much better. It takes me a while to come round in the morning, but because I fall asleep within half an hour of going to bed and rarely wake up I do actually see the morning! Insomnia was a terrible problem for me, and with that aspect of my illness taken care of my mood does seem improved. I might be able to get a better picture of how badly I'm affected by my chronic fatigue.<br /><br />Sadly I'm not side effect free and I seem to have turned into an old woman. My muscles hurt like I've done strenuous exercise, even rubbing moisturiser into my skin causes discomfort. My joints ache like I'm coming down with 'flu. It's entirely possible that I also have oedema in my legs which adds to the aching pains. I wish I could entirely blame the size of my stomach on bloating and oedema, but sadly I think the increased desire for food as more to do with it. I reckon I've put on about half a stone in almost 2 weeks. I know there is some bloating there because I feel uncomfortable. My GP should be calling me in the next couple of days so I can discuss this with her. I hope these newer side effects do go away because the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">meds</span> do seem to be working, I'd rather not be fat, aching and swollen though!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-21663108136566486782011-11-01T21:53:00.004+00:002011-11-01T22:28:17.443+00:00Where I reminisce, talk a lot and name drop a celebrity<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yeBcfjH9PaY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> 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10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I came across The Charles <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hazlewood</span> Show on Radio 2 by accident. Somehow I found out about it and it sounded exactly up my street: popular songs being pulled apart to work out why they’re so good with other music being played as examples. The first show was going to put Elbow’s Lippy Kids under the microscope. After loving them for about 10 years I finally decided this year that Elbow are my favourite band (but shh don’t tell <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Radiohead</span>).<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Charles <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hazlewood</span>’s passion for music really comes across in each programme, though of course he can’t get too bogged down in musical theory as not all the listeners will have that sort of background. <span style=""> </span>He therefore he comes up with some interesting turns of phrase such as “baked bean trombones”! Listening takes me back to sitting in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">GCSE</span> and A Level Music classes. Far from being dry, a lot of my classes were fun thanks to the teachers that I had. Jack Davies must’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ve</span> been around 10 years older than the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GCSE</span> class, which sometimes helped and sometimes hindered. He had quite a task ahead of him – a few of the pupils were really interested in the subject and some had simply taken it because they thought it would be a doss. He managed to keep the whole class’ attention mostly through the use of humour. He nurtured my passion for composition and introduced me to minimalist music; in fact it was through him that I first heard Electric Counterpoint without Ricky Lee Jones talking about what the skies were like when she was young.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ullyatt</span> was a more experienced teacher, and whilst his lessons were dryer (I think the A Level syllabus has a lot to blame for this) he still had a great sense of humour. This was probably essential as there were only four of us in the class and had very different personalities. He mentioned Vaughn Williams a lot so we used to tease him that he had an “I <span style=";font-family:";" >♥</span><span style=""> Vaughan Williams” tattoo and even made him a 40<sup>th</sup> birthday card to that effect. I’m not sure we thought he was up to knowing what our nickname for Dido & </span><span style="">Ae</span><span style="">neas was though.</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I knew I was going to enjoy Charles Hazlewood’s show but something I wasn’t expecting happened. My brain woke up. It has atrophied a bit due to not being used plus it’s suffering from the unfortunate effects of depression. Most of the time I find following a train of thought as difficult as navigating through Marmite. Which is also why I don’t blog very much anymore – it can take me days to produce the one post. Twitter is perfect because you can put ideas out there quickly and succinctly without having to worry too much about the way it’s written apart from fitting it into 140 characters. For instance it has taken me about two weeks to write this post in little dribs and drabs.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My brain is like a faulty switch – it will be off and you can jiggle it and poke it and it might come on. Or it’ll be on and as hard as you try you can’t get it to switch off. I once made the mistake of listening to the radio show before bed and I was awake for hours pondering what songs I would have played as examples and wanting to reply to comments Charles had made during the show. When I’d listened to the first episode I was super excited; it was like discovering a new band or great album, or getting to the end of a really good book. So I tweeted about it a lot, and lo and behold I get a notification that I am now being followed by none other than Charles Hazlewood. At first I was a bit dubious as to whether it was <i style="">actually</i> him, I have been followed by someone claiming to be Simon Pegg in the past. We have a little chat every now and again and he seems as lovely as he comes across on the radio and TV.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">So imagine my excitement when I find out that one of his bands, The Charles Hazlewood All Stars, are performing Tubular Bells live. It has only ever been played live in its entirety in the 1970s. This band also includes Adrian Utley from Portishead and Will Gregory from Goldfrapp, two bands which I am very fond of indeed. For a lot of people hearing the opening of Tubular Bells gives them the shivers as it reminds them of The Exorcist. The first time I heard it was sitting in the back of the car doing a treasure hunt quiz as part of a fete at my primary school. My mum had just bought the cassette for my dad on a bric-a-brac stall. Now when I sit in the back of my dad’s car it is entirely possible that he will be playing a Goldfrapp or Portishead CD (if it's not wall-to-wall Rammstein). The concert is like he had been cosmic ordering!<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">The concert is in London, but my mum and I had been talking about going down there for a bit of shopping, going round some museums and galleries and perhaps catching up with some family that live in that area. “What more perfect excuse is there to go?” I think. I go to the venue’s website to see if there are any tickets left and I see my dad’s been “at work” again! Not only are they performing Tubular Bells but also A Rainbow In Curved Air by Terry Riley. My dad grew up when the first synthesisers were emerging so he has a few LPs of what I consider to be fairly obscure stuff. My mum and I tease him for liking that album because it sounds like lots of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVc2tJUjeZU">mobile phones going off at once</a> (listen for at least 1min to get the full effect). But the genius is that it was composed in the 1960s, long before mobiles were invented.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I quickly sent my mum the email equivalent of holding her at gunpoint telling her that we HAVE to go to this concert. Mum passed the news on to dad and she told me that he actually looked quite excited for him! Hotels can be expensive in London, but I found that there are two Travelodges nearby, they have room and are affordable. We decided it would be easier to get the train so we don’t have the problem of where to put the car once we get to London. I thought about seven weeks was booking quite a bit in advance, but it was still going to cost us £300 return. Altogether a one night stay, the concert and the train was going to cost nearly £500 for the three of us! Mum told me the terrible news that we can’t afford it. Of course I knew this as soon as I saw how much the train cost, but the fact that the concert programme even exists is like some sort of miracle and I am absolutely desperate to go. The thought of going had really improved my mood. I haven’t been to London for about 10 years and I do love going out to cultural stuff such as concerts or the theatre, and living in Cumbria there isn’t the greatest opportunity to do that. My hopes were dashed and I was plunged into the depths of despair.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I sent a tweet to Charles begging that the band came up to the Sage Gateshead and did the same concert. About 10 minutes later I got a reply saying “well... actually we are doing it there the following night”.<span style=""> </span>Elation and joy! I ran around, jumped for joy and made high pitched squeals, so enthusiastic was my happiness. It's probably a good thing he wasn't in the same room as I probably would've embarrassed myself further by hugging him! I was annoyed that I couldn’t tell my mum the good news straight away because she is only about half way home from my house. Trying to sit on that news was like trying to sit on top of a geyser.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My only regret is that the effect of being "woken up" doesn't last longer than a few hours. To end this long and rambling post I want to say thank you to my two music teachers Jack Davies and Martin Ullyatt. I also want to say thank you to Charles Hazlewood for helping to reignite that spark of passion that I feel about music (also apologies that it’s made me go on a bit). So cheers Charlie, the song above is for you. See you in December.</p>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-59558194196331367572011-10-28T14:50:00.005+01:002011-11-01T15:51:53.945+00:00A Christmas ListThe links I provide are just used for example, not necessarily the one I want or the place you should buy it from.<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.lakeland.co.uk/12667/Ceramic-Baking-Beans">Ceramic baking beans</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lakeland.co.uk/10996/My-Kitchen-Cook-and-Bake-Baking-Sheet">Flat baking sheet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=239704&searchTerm=slow+cooker">Slow cooker recipe book</a></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Know-Your-Sheep-Jack-Byard/dp/1905523831/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319811767&sr=1-2">Sheep breeds book</a></li><li><a href="http://www.llph.co.uk/PatchQ2/patchwork-pouffeCC601.jpg">Indian/ethnic pouffe</a> - preferably blues/greens (HINT - TK Maxx)</li><li><a href="http://www.staples.co.uk/technology/computing-accessories/computer-ergonomics/monitor-riser?r=se">Monitor riser</a> - dull but might help my stiff neck and shoulders</li><li><a href="http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=12;16;-1;-1;234&sku=246569">In-ear headphones</a>, preferably with mouldable fittings<br /></li></ul>I will add more as I think of them!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-24042020385199938212011-10-22T16:47:00.006+01:002011-10-29T15:27:10.898+01:00Best Imitation of Myself<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HaZOxnlZKUY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />I love cover versions of songs. I'm always worried that the cover won't do the original justice, or that it's so samey they shouldn't have bothered doing it. So many can be terrible, even if the artist doing the cover is brilliant. An example of this is John Martyn's version of Portishead's Glory Box. Ugh. But so many are brilliant.<br /><br />The above song - Best Imitation of Myself by Ben Folds Five is quite a perky little tune. I'm not a massive fan of them, they're a band I feel I should listen to more and for some reason I never do. Maybe because I'm not excited enough by them. There's nothing that shouts out at me that they're that little bit different. The songs I've heard have all been nice but there's nothing that's made me go WOW and get all passionate.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwlpX-DowCXuwVwP-4d_fhdfIinlktAeoJwQuX9ZuJ35nfAdXnbXQZ0jr3JmC7tdnaG78NtB1x-gRVmKk2c7Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />So, the Ben & Jason cover. Why do I think this works, and perhaps even surpasses the original? I had to make the video myself as I couldn't find a link to the cover anywhere online. To start with Ben Parker has a better voice than Ben Folds. He doesn't struggle so much with the higher notes, and if anyone slips in catches on the way up to or down from their falsetto I'm theirs! The tone of Ben F's voice is quite nasal and this gives the song a somewhat whingy feel; Ben P's clearer tone gets rid of that (a good thing).<br /><br />The cover has upped the tempo, which makes it less maudlin. I think that works better as it subtly changes the meaning of the lyrics, making them seem more cutting - I swear I was listening, but I started drifting round the part about me acting my age.<br /><br />Then there's the fact that it's accompanied by a string quartet. It takes the instrumentation of the original and cleverly arranges it for the strings. I'm sure they alter the colour of the chords a little by adding some extra notes here and there. Finally there's the wonderful ending full of sliding chromatics.<br /><br />Sadly my brain fogginess is preventing me from further comment, but hopefully it'll wake up at a later point.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-25062306141688113612011-07-17T11:26:00.002+01:002011-07-17T11:33:40.641+01:00ART!I was at my parents' house for a couple of days, my mum had bought some new watercolour paints so was itching to try them, the weather turned horrible, dad was watching the Open golf tournament on TV (yawn) and so art was made. Go over to my art blog <a href="http://theshadowofice.blogspot.com/">The Shadow of Ice</a> to see it!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-66524477636156531832011-06-15T19:34:00.005+01:002011-06-15T20:34:06.487+01:00Defeating my own gingerism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://howcanigettallerfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Celebrity-Heights-seth-green.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://howcanigettallerfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Celebrity-Heights-seth-green.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> </a><p class="MsoNormal">As you can see from my profile photo, I’m a ginger. Redheaded and proud! <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/08/gingers-prejudice-redheads-bigotry">Gingerism</a> pisses me off. Some jokes can be mildly amusing, and I can take a joke. But change the "ginger" to someone black etc. and the joke would be racist and could potentially get you into a lot of trouble. Blondes probably feel the same way about all the "blondes are stupid" jokes.<br /><br />However, I am a gingerist myself. I don’t really find ginger men that attractive. It seems a bit incestuous to me somehow. But apparently we’re dying out, and to stop this we gingers have to stick together. So in the interests of maintaining a ginger presence on the planet, here are my top 5 gingery hotties, in no particular order:</p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seth Green (see above) </span>- actor. 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<w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UaLWp72nij4/TD-qJVDnTbI/AAAAAAAARew/lLd64dr6qTg/s1600/josh-homme.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 388px; height: 480px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UaLWp72nij4/TD-qJVDnTbI/AAAAAAAARew/lLd64dr6qTg/s1600/josh-homme.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh Homme</span> - lead singer with Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures. Where to spot him - on tour!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blindgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/michael-c-hall-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="http://blindgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/michael-c-hall-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael C. Hall </span>- actor. Where to spot him - Six Feet Under and Dexter.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_be6UWCLP7bU/S7OUIx5uQEI/AAAAAAAAC38/SUebqUwi4YE/s1600/Ewan+6.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 606px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_be6UWCLP7bU/S7OUIx5uQEI/AAAAAAAAC38/SUebqUwi4YE/s1600/Ewan+6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ewan McGregor</span> - actor. Where to spot him - Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lku4481KXA1qgx40vo1_500.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 595px;" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lku4481KXA1qgx40vo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Toby Stephens </span>- actor. Where to spot him - BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre and Bond film The World Is Not Enough.<br /><br />Please form an orderly queue gentlemen... ;-)Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-54777584132753887502011-06-10T13:27:00.006+01:002011-06-10T17:20:32.171+01:00Philip Larkin was right. Sort of.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.wikia.com/doom/images/c/c8/Doom_gibs.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 600px;" src="http://images.wikia.com/doom/images/c/c8/Doom_gibs.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">One of Larkin's most famous lines of poetry is "They fuck you up, your mum and dad." This is a blog about some of my childhood, particularly the influence of Doom, and how it could've gone horribly wrong.<br /><br />The computer game <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_%28video_game%29">Doom</a> came out in 1993. I was 10 years old. I think we got a demo of it free with my dad's computer magazine, and then my parents bought it. I was allowed to play it even though it's rated for players aged 16+. However, when I played it I was usually under my mum's supervision. Either she was playing it and I would watch, or I would play it but she had to sit next to me. This was not her doing, it was mine. I was too scared to play it on my own because of what monster might be around the next corner! That was until I discovered the cheat for 'God mode' which makes you invincible.<br /><br />Now, you could say that my parents are terrible for letting me play such a violent game at such a young age. The graphics may look terrible now, but in 1993 they were amazing. Doom wasn’t the first violent computer game I’d played. Before Doom, there was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacomb_Abyss#Catacomb_Abyss">Catacomb Abyss 3-D</a>. The sound for this used the internal PC speaker so all you got was a series of weird beeps. It also featured text information, such as “damaging blows!” when you were being attacked by zombies.</span></p><br /><br /><a href="http://dosgamer.com/info/img/?3"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://dosgamer.com/info/img/?3" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I don’t remember there being as much concern about children playing violent games back then. Maybe there wasn’t as much, or it could be that I was less media aware because I was a child. Violent video games get the blame for people (usually teenagers) behaving violently. They probably have a bit to do with me being weird, but I’m not (especially) violent.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For example, in Doom, when you kill things with a rocket launcher (as shown above) or blow up a barrel the monsters explode and make a squishy noise. I love that noise. Also in a follow-up game to Wolfenstein, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Castle_Wolfenstein">Return to Castle Wolfenstein</a>, you can shoot people in a much more accurate manner i.e. in specific body parts. 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So yes, that is a bit sick and wrong but I don’t go out and try and recreate those noises in real life. Shooting up freakish monsters and Nazis doesn’t make me want to shoot actual people. If I am feeling angry, pissed off and like I might lash out at people I don’t do a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_%28TV_series%29">Dexter</a>, I go and play a computer game. I could imagine there being more violence related to Pong, a very early computer game.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:11pt;" ></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pingpong-games.com/images/world_of_ping_pong.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 540px; height: 407px;" src="http://www.pingpong-games.com/images/world_of_ping_pong.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> 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</w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">How can a table tennis game be violent? I might be able to hear you ask. Well imagine you have the score of 0 and the person you’re playing has the score of 9. They beat you every time you play. That would be frustrating and would make me want to lash out more than if I’d been playing at shooting things. </span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">However, the most influential thing about Doom for me was the music. I have downloaded the MIDI files so I can listen to the music without having to play the game. It’s an influence that has made me a lover of metal. That and dad’s 70s vinyl collection. 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Doom didn’t just influence my tastes in music. Back in 1993, some of the members of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rammstein">Rammstein</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr-lQZzevwA">video</a>. You get to hear the exploding squishy noise about 2min 15s in. </span> were also playing it. In fact their drummer is nicknamed Cristoph “Doom” Schneider for copyright reasons. If you’ve never heard the Doom music, then watch this <span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="DE" >On Rammstein’s first album, <i style="">Herzeleid</i>, the opening track ‘</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISKndX1XfE"><span style="" lang="DE">Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen?</span></a>’ features some of the sound effects from Doom – the sound of the shotgun cocking (which you can hear at around 2min on the above video) and also the death scream of your character. Also note that the repetitive guitar riffs are reminiscent of Doom’s music. A lot of <i style="">Herzeleid</i> sounds like Doom music, in particular ‘Der Meister’ and ‘Asche Zu Asche’.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So I’m a sicko who likes gruesome death noises and I love killing things. But only in computer games. Oh and I like Rammstein. It could’ve been a lot worse. I could be a mass murdering weirdo that likes Rammstein.</span></p>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-73985539250822253742011-05-09T23:31:00.002+01:002011-05-09T23:34:02.110+01:00Folksy shop Scrap-e-Do now open!It is a little bare but it is open! Why not <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/sefronia">visit it</a>? We also have a <a href="http://scrap-e-do.blogspot.com">blog</a> that you might like. Buy handmade items!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-20964383567978227482011-05-06T18:45:00.008+01:002011-05-06T19:16:21.910+01:00Ginger root in the shape of Makka Pakka<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SaYosfAdMk/TcQ1vSQy74I/AAAAAAAAATU/BwBj2Nq9dUM/s1600/makka-pakka1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SaYosfAdMk/TcQ1vSQy74I/AAAAAAAAATU/BwBj2Nq9dUM/s320/makka-pakka1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603662922828148610" border="0" /></a>People claim to find religious and celebrity faces in all sorts of things. Recently there has been <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/kate-middleton/8450314/Jelly-bean-resembling-Kate-Middleton-to-fetch-500.html">Kate Middleton on a jelly bean</a>; famously there has been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4562170.stm">Mother Teresa in a currant bun and Jesus in a slice of toast</a>, less famously there has been the face of <a href="http://darkblondes.blogspot.com/2009/03/gallstone-with-face-of-mother-teresa.html">Mother Teresa in a gallstone</a>. Seeing faces in things is a type of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia">pareidolia</a>.<br /><br />Now to add to this ever growing list is a piece of ginger root in the shape of Makka Pakka! It was kindly delivered to my by the kind people at ASDA. It certainly made unpacking the shopping more interesting.<br /><br />For those of you not in the know, Makka Pakka is a character from the BBC's children's show <a href="http://www.inthenightgarden.co.uk/en/default.asp">In The Night Garden</a>, much loved by toddlers, students and some middle aged women.<br /><br />The photo of the perhaps soon to be famous Makka Pakka ginger root:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQupTHItP6g/TcQ1vP3vb6I/AAAAAAAAATM/bolmbjQgDnk/s1600/makka%2Bpakka%2Bginger.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qQupTHItP6g/TcQ1vP3vb6I/AAAAAAAAATM/bolmbjQgDnk/s320/makka%2Bpakka%2Bginger.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603662922186190754" border="0" /></a>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-10404178790906200582011-02-11T12:52:00.002+00:002011-02-11T12:55:25.223+00:00Scrap-e-DoMy mum and I have decided to run an online business via <a href="http://www.folksy.com">folksy</a>. We haven't started it yet, but we do have a blog where you'll be kept up to date. So you best head over to it, <a href="http://scrap-e-do.blogspot.com">yeah</a>?Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-69666760869202347702010-11-21T22:44:00.001+00:002010-11-21T22:46:10.961+00:00New blogI have decided to start a new blog to share my art. Don't bother going there yet as I haven't scanned anything in. However it is called <a href="http://theshadowofice.blogspot.com">The Shadow of Ice</a>.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-25352193614774372782010-05-10T19:07:00.004+01:002010-05-10T20:07:17.211+01:00The merits of (charity) shopping<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.replaceyourchina.com/ekmps/shops/mrpottery/images/poppydinnerplate%281%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 554px;" src="http://www.replaceyourchina.com/ekmps/shops/mrpottery/images/poppydinnerplate%281%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I was a child and didn't have a big appetite I used to eat off a plate that looked like the above. My mum also had a few other pieces of the set. I have fond memories of the poppy plate because it reminds me of both my mum and my childhood.<br /><br />As a depressive I find it a bit of a pick me up to have a bit of retail therapy. Fortunately I don't suffer from bipolar disorder and don't get too carried away. It is even more of a thrill when you can say you've bagged an absolute bargain.<br /><br />Charity shopping is akin to shopping in TK Maxx. You have to be prepared to rummage. Sometimes there will be gems and other times there will absolutely bugger all. It also depends on where your charity shop is. The Oxfam in Cheltenham was fabulous, I bought many a brilliant book from there when on holiday. The charity shops in Stirling were pretty good because they contained a lot of student cast offs and also those of some of the fairly rich folk that lived in the area. I can't imagine anything of the Queen's ended up in them though. In Carlisle I try to buy most things from the shops on Botchergate as items are priced much cheaper than in the ones in the town centre. For example you might get a set of three cups and saucers for £2.50 on Botchergate whereas in the town centre it might cost you upwards of £5. I don't think I will ever find a bargain as good as the coat I bought though - £2.75 which is amazing for a massive winter coat, and astounding once I saw the label inside and saw it was Aquascutum!<br /><br />On the day I bought the Aquascutum coat (some time in late 2006) I saw a lovely dinner service in the window of a charity shop that had unfortunately closed for the day. It was made in the 60s/70s and had a green and blue bold floral motif in the centre. It was gorgeous and £10. As I'd recently moved from Stirling, and was just setting up home properly after graduating I really wanted a nice set of plates. I wondered how the hell I would get it home as I didn't have a car and didn't really have any friends in the area yet. My mum came up on another shopping trip to Carlisle very soon afterwards and went in the shop but alas someone else had nabbed it! It must have been charity shop karma saying that I couldn't get two such good bargains...<br /><br />In April 2007 I blogged about trying to find a milk jug in the charity shops and to no avail. I resorted to trusty eBay instead. I saw one with a lovely retro paisley-ish pattern on it and instantly recognised it as being by the same pottery (J & G Meakin) as the poppy plate because of the similarity in colours. I bagged it for a bargainous £4.50 including postage.<br /><br />Three years on my friend Sara and I have been pottering around the town centre and been for a coffee. We decide to walk home down Botchergate to browse the charity shop windows. They weren't open as it was a Sunday but we noticed a nice cake stand for her as she intends to have a retro tea party stall at Solfest this year. Further down the road there was a part dinner service in exactly the same pattern as my milk jug!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://funkyrustic.com/myPictures/SV400001dr12005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 359px;" src="http://funkyrustic.com/myPictures/SV400001dr12005.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It was priced £20 for the lot. Although the photo above is not of my actual dinner service, it is identical in content. However I only have one jug and no sugar basin. Altogether there were six dinner plates, six lunch plates, seven side plates, two serving dishes with lids, serving platter and one jug. Bargainous! Especially as I came across <a href="http://chinasearch.co.uk/buy/meakin/madrid/">this site</a> when looking for photographs and you can pay £20 for one piece! The actual pattern of my set is below, called Madrid:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stock.tablewhere.co.uk/PatternImages/JGM0296.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 293px;" src="http://stock.tablewhere.co.uk/PatternImages/JGM0296.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I swithered overnight whether I should bother going back today to buy the set as I have enough plates really. After splitting possessions with Vince I had needed to buy a few more plates and bowls and got a rather lovely set from <a href="http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Dinnerware/Kimono-Dining-Set-12-Piece/invt/0280469?htxt=PsAGyAqy%2FDSGVBgOHPBfATKVETOKIWHcwqoICuDrG%2FxTcDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB%0AtDs76aYYKg%3D%3D">Wilkinsons</a>. Did I need the plates or the £20 more? Would I kick myself if I didn't buy them? Sara sent me a text message asking if I wanted to go see if they were still there this afternoon as she was bored and wanted to get out of the house for a bit, having no plans for her day off (lucky part timers). I decided that if someone hadn't beat me to it this time it was a sign I should buy them, so they are currently drying on my draining rack!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-54227708658717847302010-04-23T14:57:00.006+01:002010-04-23T15:08:41.394+01:00Out with the old, in with the new<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9Go-QzGO7I/AAAAAAAAAOU/qFZkfTSqi8o/s1600/this+is+my+chair.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9Go-QzGO7I/AAAAAAAAAOU/qFZkfTSqi8o/s400/this+is+my+chair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463333610591763378" border="0" /></a><br />Vince finally moved out at the end of February, and I have slowly been turning the spare room where he slept into a craft den. It is still not finished but it has been painted nice relaxing shades of green and been fumigated to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. I managed to get myself a lovely knitting chair in the sale in Next (for much cheaper than advertised on the <a href="http://www.next.co.uk/shopping/homeware/livingroomfurniture/5/2?extra=sch&n=homeware&pid=476-509&exclude=00IJ00%7C00I00&returnurl=%2fshop%2fcat-sofas-0%3fnxti%3d0%26nxtv%3d000%26isort%3dbst&bct=%26quot%3bShop%20By%20Product%26quot%3b%26nbsp%3b%26gt%3b%26nbsp%3bSofas">website</a>), although I'm not sure how much knitting I'll get done on it as I think I'll have to fight Marwood for it!<br /><br />"This is MY chair."Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-37641005112746108742010-04-23T13:17:00.012+01:002010-04-25T15:00:35.512+01:00Feel the fear and do it anyway......is the title of a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feel-Fear-Anyway-Susan-Jeffers/dp/0712671056">self help book</a> my mother mentions from time to time. It is what she sometimes says when I ask for advice. It annoys me because I know it's what I should do, it's just difficult! I suppose I always hope she'll come up with an easier solution, a bit like being a child again. I think most adults want this from time to time, or when you stop wanting this does it mean you're a grown up?<br /><br />I'm an anxious sort of person. I'm not entirely sure where this came from because as a child I'm sure I was irritating as hell. I wanted to be the next Bonnie Langford and used to dance and sing all the time. I used make dens out of the old foam sofa and jump off the top onto the cushion from the papasan chair. In part I blame educational safety information films that I was made to watch. I could have done without most of these - as an intelligent girl I knew that train tracks, fires and farms were dangerous (especially growing up in one of the most rural counties!). I did not need to see people get electrocuted (trains), run over (trains), beheaded (head out of train window), burned (fires), suffocating (fires), maimed by machinery (farms) and drowing (in a slurry pit). My mum telling me not to do such things without graphic representation would have been enough, absolutely no need to fuel my overactive imagination.<br /><br />In day to day life I probably face the fear and do it anyway without even realising it. If I do realise then I often don't give myself a pat on the back because it is something that had to be done, and everyone has to do it. But not today!<br /><br />My friend Hayley-Jane had mentioned that her cat Missy had been playing in the garden and had unsuccessfully been trying to catch butterflies. I later looked out the window and saw the little black cat, that I have nicknamed Salem, chasing something in part of the closed off school playground (wall repair works due to extreme cold). From a distance I guessed it was a large bee.<br /><br />About an hour later I decide it is time to do some dishes, so head downstairs to put Rammstein on so the task isn't so unbearable. There is Marwood jumping around madly chasing something. An <span style="font-size:180%;">ENORMOUS </span>bee! I am scared of bees and wasps. Quite a normal phobia as they sting. Wasps are beasts of Satan; bees just bother me if they get too close because I know that they'll fly away once they realise I am not a flower. I wonder if it is the same bee that Salem was chasing.<br /><br />I manage to call Marwood away from batting it so he doesn't get stung, and shut him out the room. I look to windowsill and bee is not dead. I climb onto sofa to open the window in the hope that it will fly out. It does not. I go into the kitchen to deal with some of the washing up, run away and hatch a plan.<br /><br />Through the kitchen window I can see through the living room window to the sill. And the bee. It is wiggling its back legs over its behind, much like you see a fly doing. I wonder if Marwood has injured it, and also whether if injured they commit bee <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku">seppuku</a> by pulling out their own stings. Bee becomes still. I go to see if bee is dead. Bee is still alive and looks as if it is having palpitations; the only bit moving is the back end moving subtly up and down. I am both happy and sad. Although I still wouldn't really want to deal with bee corpse it is preferable to live bee, but they are apparently becoming endangered and I like honey and don't want the world to end.<br /><br />I go back to the kitchen to further consider plan and wash up. I decide the traditional removal of creepy crawlies of glass-over-the-top-with-cardboard-underneath will suffice. This means I will have to get closer to bee than I would like. But my only other option is to wait until my friend Jan comes round to knit at 7, which is more than seven hours away, and I might lose bee in the meantime. I would much rather know where bee is. So, I have to deal with bee myself.<br /><br />At the sink I finalise the plan: glass over bee, may as well be a dirty glass as I'll want to wash it afterwards anyway. Cardboard under bee, take glass containing bee outside and release hoping it will be so pleased by freedom it will just crawl/fly away without wanting to sting me. As I have very sensitive skin I wear gloves to wash up, and couldn't help but think:<br /><br />WITHNAIL: ...Keep back. Keep back. The entire sink's gone rotten. I don't know what's in here.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> A space for the saucepan is cleared. </span>MARWOOD <span style="font-style: italic;">stares at it while </span>WITHNAIL <span style="font-style: italic;">pours water from the kettle and envelops himself in a cloud of super-heated steam. A volcanic growl comes from the fog. Bellowing loudly, </span>WITHNAIL <span style="font-style: italic;">passes at speed with his hand in the air.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>MARWOOD: I told you. You've been bitten.<br />WITHNAIL: <span style="font-style: italic;">Burnt. Burnt. </span>The fucking kettles on fire.<br />MARWOOD: There's something floating up.<br />WITHNAIL <span style="font-style: italic;">paces back into the kitchen. A voice laced with revenge.</span><br />WITHNAIL: Fork it.<br />MARWOOD: No. No. I don't wanna touch it.<br />WITHNAIL: You must. You must. That shit'll bore through the glaze. We'll never be able to use the dinner service again.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He tugs at a drawer stuffed with domestic items.<br />Produces a tool.</span><br />Here. Get it with the pliers.<br />MARWOOD: No. No. Give me the gloves.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rubber gloves are handed across. </span>WITHNAIL <span style="font-style: italic;">stares as they go on.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">WITHNAIL: That's right. Put on the gloves. Don't attempt anything without the gloves.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Please note that my sink had not gone rotten, and that I named my cat after the 'I' character, he cannot talk. Well not English anyway).</span><br /><br />So donned in my gloves I opened all doors between me and outside, grabbed a glass waiting to be washed and went into the living room trying to find something to slide underneath. At last I found a use for one of the many Conservative election flyers which had been put through my door. Who needs the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He-Man">Power of Grayskull</a> when you have the power of Rammstein! Also quite aptly this track came on, and I had my CD player on shuffle:<br /><br />Sehnsucht versteckt (longing hides)<br /> sich wie ein Insekt (like an insect)<br /> im Schlafe merkst du nicht (while asleep you don't notice)<br /> dass es dich sticht (that it stings you)<br /><br />Bee caught, Tory crap placed underneath, out into the yard and FREEDOM! Bee just flew right away so obviously hadn't been too injured by Marwood's paws and claws. And just to prove that I am not overexaggerating, I was brave enough to take some photos once bee was captive.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9GiWLAzG8I/AAAAAAAAANk/C24B0Bh7W1Q/s1600/bee+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9GiWLAzG8I/AAAAAAAAANk/C24B0Bh7W1Q/s320/bee+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463326324774083522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9GiV6WfqUI/AAAAAAAAANc/XXsuxX6ui-0/s1600/bee+4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/S9GiV6WfqUI/AAAAAAAAANc/XXsuxX6ui-0/s320/bee+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463326320301680962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sehnsucht </span>lyrics copyright Rammstein, English translation copyright Jeremy Williams, from <a href="http://herzeleid.com/en/lyrics">Herzeleid</a>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Withnail & I</span> script copywright Bruce Robinson.<br /></span>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-9899698931286385882010-02-03T17:45:00.013+00:002010-02-05T22:02:38.348+00:00Liebe ist für alle da - Rammstein<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425">Is there anything more embarrassing going to a concert with your middle class, middle aged parents? You would think it would be especially so with Rammstein but this was not the case. There were a lot of people there with their parents; OK so most of them HAD to go with their parents because they were under 18. But I had to go with mine too because I don't really know anyone else who would want to see them live!</object></p><p>That morning I had an appointment with a psychiatrist in Whitehaven (because I know all of them in Carlisle) and was told I was definitely depressed. Well, yeah. It was good though because it put my mind at rest about a few things and seem to be on the right medication. In the interview she asked me if I self harmed and I said no, then I could see her looking at the cat scratches on my arm and I had to suppress a giggle. I wonder what she'll say in the letter...</p><p>Soon we were on our way, with <span style="font-style: italic;">Liebe Ist Für Alle Da</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Reise, Reise</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sehnsucht</span> on the stereo to get us in the mood. This week I have been mostly reading <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kevin-McClouds-Colour-Now-Choosing/dp/1844006999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265220200&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Colour Now</span></a> by Kevin McCloud. As a result I was viewing all the scenery, especially on Shap, as one huge colour scheme. Even the horrid yellow and purple-grey of the snow laden sky got a look in.</p><p>Mum had printed off directions and a map but we still managed to get lost. This was partly because the car park was badly signposted, but mostly because dad didn't listen to mum's instructions of "turn right". Perhaps it was because he was hoping they would play <span style="font-style: italic;">Links 2, 3, 4<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span>? He wasn't disappointed in that respect anyway. I was just sad that I never got to shout "ÜBER DIE KREUZUNG!" (over the crossroads) which is one of the few useful phrases I remember from GCSE German.<br /></p><p>Our hotel for the night was the <a href="http://www.stayinn.co.uk/">Stay Inn</a>, on the cusp of Manchester city centre and the less salubrious Salford. "Make sure you take all the valuables out of your car. They won't be able to get away with your car but they would break into it" said the German receptionist cheerily. When we told him we were going to see Rammstein he was at first surprised (none of us like metallers most of the time, apart from dad with his long hair) and then jealous. It seemed he'd had to put up with a lot of people saying that was the reason for their stay.</p><p>Mum slipped into her custom made Rammstein tshirt, made up of patches of an official one which was too small, dad lay on the bed as he wasn't getting changed (a white shirt and a cardigan. A CARDIGAN I tell you). Of course I embraced the night and dressed head to toe in black - black dress with lace, black leggins, black boots. I didn't bother doing my hair properly as it was raining a bit but did put a bit of rocker's shadowy make up on. I would have been more OTT but I didn't want to look to Corpse Bride whilst eating in Pizza Express.</p><p>The MEN Arena is the worst gig venue I've ever been too. It has a corridor all the way round it with little shops and stalls in, but no seats. I could understand if they had no bins like a railway station, but what's wrong with seats? We'd been avoiding the support act <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/combichristofficial?blend=1&ob=4&rclk=cti#p/a/u/1/xkk7bjudISE">Combichrist</a> by going to Wetherspoon's so fortunately we weren't stood in the Corridor of Boredom for long. But then began the Walk of Terror. The MEN is set out like an amphitheatre with the stage at one end, a flat section for standing and then rows upon rows of seats. We were standing, and in their wisdom the designers decided to make us walk down lots of stairs. I am scared of heights. It was dark. The stairs must have been at a 30 degree angle with a descent of about 200 feet. I have never been so pleased to enter a crowd before.</p><p>Our timing was perfect. We heard one and a half Combichrist songs, so in essence have heard them all. The two drummers were impressive and when the singer wasn't screaming/growling they weren't too bad. More standing around whilst the roadies prepared the stage. Evil man farts and Major Tom wandering selling beer. Then all becomes dark for Rammstein are about to take to the stage...</p><p>The two guitarists hack their way through "walls" with axes. Then the singer, Till Lindeman, cuts his way through a metal door using a "welding flame". They open with <span style="font-style: italic;">Rammlied</span>, the first track from <span style="font-style: italic;">LIFAD</span>, a perfect opener as it begins with Till singing unaccompanied and then all the band joining in at once with a huge blast of noise. Plus we get to shout "RAMMSTEIN!" during the song a lot, and it's about them being fabulous and just what you need if you're feeling down.</p><p>Rammstein are famous for their pyrotechnics and stage design. Plenty of pyros, an exploding petrol pump (during <span style="font-style: italic;">Benzin</span>), exploding babies with Borg-like laser eyes which dropped down from the ceiling, huge angel wings with fiery tips (<a href="http://darkblondes.blogspot.com/2010/02/rammstein-engel-manchester-men-arena.html">see my mum's blog for a video</a>), and a flaming gimp. The poor keyboard player is killed in a different way on every tour. During the <span style="font-style: italic;">Reise, Reise </span>tour he was flambéed in a giant saucepan during the song <span style="font-style: italic;">Mein Teil</span>, which is about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes">the German</a> who advertised on the internet for someone to eat. This time Till picks up the keyboard player, which is incredibly easy as the guy is like a stick and Till has arms like legs (swoon). He puts him in a hole onstage, grabs a bucket, and is then lifted into the air on a hydrolic platform. The contents of the bucket start fizzing and Till pours hot molten lead on top of the keyboard player. After a couple of minutes he returns unscathed, apart from the fact that his boiler suit is now all sparkly!</p><p>I had such an amazing time and didn't think I could get so hoarse and partched at a gig where the songs are not in my "mother's tongue". I ended up with an adoring fan myself because I was singing along so much. Sadly he was only about 18 and shorter than me. And no I was not wearing huge rock boots, men in Manchester seem to be made short! German GCSE and repeated listening to the songs mean I can sing some parts of songs and partly understand them, and other bits I can imitate the sound but won't be saying the right words.</p><p>As much as I liked Rammstein before I have become a little obsessed now. I fancy Till (even though he's old enough to be my dad). Songs keep getting stuck in my head, the most bothersome one being <span style="font-style: italic;">Ich tu dir weh</span>. This song is part of the reason why <span style="font-style: italic;">LIFAD</span> has had a limited release in Germany. It was placed on the "Index", a list of media not to be sold to minors, due to the sexual content of its lyrics. Whilst I can see their point to some extent, this is not the first Rammstein album with provocative lyrics and as far as I know none of the others are on the Index. Fortunately it is only the chorus that is stuck in my head (not that most people hearing me sing speak German)! If you're not easily shocked then head over to Herzeleid.com, a fantastic site that provides the <a href="http://herzeleid.com/en/lyrics/liebe_ist_fuer_alle_da/ich_tu_dir_weh">lyrics and translations</a>.</p><p>There were many videos on You Tube that I could have shared with you but I chose this one because it's the title track, and also because of it's superior quality. Enjoy!<br /></p><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/FSi05NwhqTY" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/FSi05NwhqTY" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-4352373642244374492010-02-03T17:23:00.004+00:002010-02-03T17:36:31.289+00:00Poem in progress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a5.vox.com/6a00c225292ac78e1d0123ddb9defd860c-500pi"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 308px;" src="http://a5.vox.com/6a00c225292ac78e1d0123ddb9defd860c-500pi" alt="" border="0" /></a>Influenced by the film <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Ashes-DVD-Robert-Pattinson/dp/B0021XUHT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1265218103&sr=1-1">Little Ashes</a>, which is about when Dali met Lorca at university. Not sure if it is finished, or indeed if it is any good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cadaqués<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Silver, blue, black,<br />water, moon, skin.<br />Two fish without scales;<br />drops of<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span> </span>milky light.<br />Leaping -<br /> for joy, for freedom.<br />They will not dance for you<br />for you paint with blood.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-8535517707537808392010-01-17T18:03:00.005+00:002010-01-17T18:09:06.621+00:00"Normal" service may be resumed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://frontierpsychiatrist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/cat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 500px;" src="http://frontierpsychiatrist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/cat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So I've gone back to work part time on a phased return. I am not better, just rested. I still don't have very much to say for myself, except that if you would like to see what I am doing in the knitting world then <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/sefronia">go here</a>.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-43899907004062931502009-12-07T19:40:00.003+00:002009-12-07T19:48:48.632+00:00Signed off<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.unidocs.co.uk/images/in/sicknote.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 201px;" src="http://www.unidocs.co.uk/images/in/sicknote.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />At the moment I am currently signed off with depression. I feel guilty for not being in work, even though they are hiring a temp to cover my work. I feel like I have let it beat me because up until now I have carried on going to work and taken only the occasional day off. My boss was actually quite sympathetic which did surprise me a little. Although I feel a bit crap about it I am also quite glad because I don't have to cope with work, I don't have to keep plodding on and gritting my teeth as I am so tired because I'm sleeping very badly at the moment. Hopefully being off will give me space to heal rather than make me more miserable.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-75866131921824475612009-11-23T22:41:00.005+00:002009-11-24T19:33:01.340+00:00p/hop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.p-hop.co.uk/index.php/2009/11/a-wild-and-woolly-weekend/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.p-hop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/birthday-blog-image.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.p-hop.co.uk/index.php/2009/11/a-wild-and-woolly-weekenda-wild-and-woolly-weekend/"><br /></a>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-87780708369287403102009-11-23T20:30:00.007+00:002009-11-23T22:18:18.989+00:00Dreaming of Ravelry<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/EZyGWg0uqkw" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/EZyGWg0uqkw" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>Thank you Kings of Leon for almost writing a song titled after one of my most visited websites!<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-72840470453236467712009-11-13T10:13:00.004+00:002009-11-13T10:22:30.564+00:00Long time no blogWhy? Overcome with depression, by Facebook, ravelry and knitting. I am coming out of blog hibernation to make an important announcement for charidee.<br /><br />If you support the causes of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) then please do your bit to help out. Part of their fundraising is through a knitting initiative called p/hop, or pennies per hours of pleasure. You can get knitting patterns and many other lovely knitting related things for donations based on how much enjoyment you will get from them.<br /><br />p/hop is one year old this November and they are having a mega blog-athon. All they ask is that instead of blogging on your usual site you post it on their blog instead, of course leaving a note to say where you've gone! It doesn't have to have anything to do with knitting or MSF at all. Just put up what you would have said anyway! Just post sometime during the week of 23rd November, and you can visit their site beforehand to <a href="http://www.p-hop.co.uk/index.php/2009/11/the-phop-super-duper-great-big-birthday-blog-along/">find out more information</a>.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7016400435180135929.post-38368964146143775872009-06-03T18:35:00.008+01:002009-07-05T00:05:09.825+01:00Flower Arranging for Dummies<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-UTuZ7mI/AAAAAAAAAM0/3dYzOtyYMfs/s1600-h/flower+bunch.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343167264023244386" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-UTuZ7mI/AAAAAAAAAM0/3dYzOtyYMfs/s320/flower+bunch.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In May I had tonsillitis. My <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">grandparents</span> sent me the lovely bunch of flowers above. Now I don't know if any of you watched <a href="http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/kirstie-s-homemade-home/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kirstie's</span> Homemade Home</a> but I saw the easiest way of arranging flowers with very short stems, or preserving ones that have been in a big bunch for a bit longer. It's so simple that even <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kirstie</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Allsopp</span> could do it. OK, being a bit harsh there as she's not stupid, just a bit irritating. I think it's the way she gets so over <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">enthusiastic</span> about things.<br /><br />So all you need are a bunch of flowers, a dish that is wider than it is deep with some water in it and some sticky tape:<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-T0QGrFI/AAAAAAAAAMs/sNohk1SgFF0/s1600-h/what+you+need.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 194px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343167255574654034" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-T0QGrFI/AAAAAAAAAMs/sNohk1SgFF0/s320/what+you+need.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Arrange strips of sticky tape over the top of the dish to form a grid pattern, and put flowers into the holes:<br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-TwGsDWI/AAAAAAAAAMk/dBeLqC_Fuoo/s1600-h/grid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 194px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343167254461418850" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-TwGsDWI/AAAAAAAAAMk/dBeLqC_Fuoo/s320/grid.jpg" border="0" /></a>Keep doing this until you can't see any of the sticky tape:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-TrxfW-I/AAAAAAAAAMc/Ry29E4v3l0w/s1600-h/flower+arrangement.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343167253298764770" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AsfwB2Ec-n4/Sia-TrxfW-I/AAAAAAAAAMc/Ry29E4v3l0w/s320/flower+arrangement.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Et</span> voila! Sadly I only had a Pyrex dish to put my arrangement in but once it was full of flowers you couldn't tell anymore.</div></div></div></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09284082835424987769noreply@blogger.com3