jan 4

It's around 1630 yesterday. I'm sitting in seat C13R on the 1418 from Brighton to Preston. The train is quiet, but we've arrived at Reading station and a lot of people come on. One of them sits in the seat opposite, recently vacated by a trainspotter. She says hello to me. Through a sleepy haze, I say "Hello," with a slightly curious tone in my voice. I know her from somewhere, but I can't place where.

We chat for a little about what we're doing, which suggests that we know each other from university. She's a solicitor now. Inside, I'm confused; one of my great friends comes from Reading, and trained across from maths to law, but this doesn't quite look like her. "How are the others doing?" I ask. "Well, Fiona's at Nat West...." Then it clicks who it is. It's Julia, top northern brain.

And it clicks as to how far we've both come. We'd not met since just before Christmas 1995, and almost lost touch in the years since. How can I tell Julia about the MSCL list. About the annual tradition of gathering, like flames to a moth, around one of the brightest shining stars amongst us. Or about the two marriages, half-dozen couples, and countless friends that we've brought together.

Julia laughs. "You're just as crazy as I remember you. Not that that's a bad thing."

But let me backtrack. Why was I on that train, rather than being driven down the M42 by a parent? Because I'd spent six wonderful, breathtaking, amazing days in Brighton. Why had I been in Brighton? To be a part of Shim City III, aka Mark Town.

Tuesday morning dawns. England is doing well in the cricket, forcing South Africa to follow on. I go down the VWC from Wolverhampton to Euston, and eat some sandwiches. One stop up the Victoria line takes me to Kings Cross Thameslink, and four direct trains an hour to Brighton. They go right through the heart of the city, no more than a hundred metres from St Pauls', and easily in vision of the Millennium Wheel. Then down, down, down through Sussex, finally coming to a halt at Brighton Central station.

I know where I'm going. But I need a cab to get there. A cab that is not at the cab rank. This is not good. This is a cue to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, a taxi turns up. I bundle myself in. "Ooh, three bags, that's going to cost more," says the friendly driver. "Shim City HQ," I say. We drive off. Out of the town centre and up a steep hill. We come to a halt at the end of a narrow lane. "It's just down that road. Can't take you down there coz - you see - triple parked." I pay the fare, give the man an appropriate tip, and ring the bell.

Shim has wet hair. Judy is sitting, the two are talking. Mark is upstairs. I throw around cassette tapes, and cards. We wait, talk, think, watch President Carol and Maury and Ready Steady Cook. Paulo arrives. We see the Teletubbies in German... "eh-ho, Tinky Vinky." I'm hot, and tired, and not feeling the best.

Eventually, we eat. Mark's patented chili non carne. It would be wonderful if it weren't so dashed hot. But, we have fun playing Uno and Categorically Speaking. And there's my tape to listen to. It takes until side two for Paulo to find something he knows.

Wednesday morning dawns, bright and early at 8. I'm up with the larks, ready to face the day. Only, I seem to be in a minority of one. By 9, I've eaten breakfast. By 10, I've read all the copies of the Brighton Leader there are in the house. By 11, I'm reading shim's textbooks. The one on Oscar and Noel is a cracking read, btw. By 12, I have some company.

We head off for the town centre. Shopping. An excuse to buy the year-end Billboard, only they don't have it in stock. An excuse to look round the record store sales, and purchase discs at a sensible price. An excuse to relieve the store of their last small plush Blossom Powerpuff doll.

By the evening, shim will have cooked up a delicious soup. In the absolutely unmissable category of delicious. I will have seen questions from the Millionaire quizbook, and found the ones I'm asked are far more difficult than anybody else's. And that Outburst really needs lots of players. And that Judy has a knack for Uno. And that "3-2-1" really hasn't aged at all badly.

Thursday is wet. Really wet. We had planned to go to the pier, but that gets washed away. Judy and shim go to Sainsbury's, while Mark, Paulo and I play Scrabble. Pizza gets ordered. shim sneaks a win at Uno. Pizza gets eaten. We play Taboo, forgetting to score it.

Friday is brighter, but we're waiting for Ross and Sara to come on down. Songs of the Century airs on Radio 2, giving us all an excuse to sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody and Over the Rainbow. Dale Winton camps it up, then a Countdown Ultra Final results in the totally unexpected* victory of Scott Mearns.

The phone rings. Ross and Sara are in town for a few hours, but Mark and shim are in the kitchen. I paraglide down through the drizzle to meet them halfway. Paulo joins me, and he has an excuse to climb the steep hill to HQ for the second time that day. The foursome wanders back up, somewhat more slowly than we'd come down, and we all eat lots of nachos and jacket potatoes. We watch CNN, for Completely Sensible Coverage of the new year, without all the fluff and missed lines that the BBC's coverage is inflicting on its audience. Taboo gets played, the Gentlemen beating the ladies by one point in 250. So does Uno, with Mark running out tonight's winner.

Thirty minutes before midnight, we decide to head on down to the seafront, so we can catch some of the fireworks. Only, it's a fair way to the seafront, and not much time before 00:00, and we only get about 60% of the way. We hear the local equivalent of the Z-93 Mental at Midnight truck play out the chimes from London, and hear some banging from the sea-front. The fireworks are going, but we can hardly see them, because of the drizzle and mist. Eventually, they finish, and we join the thronging masses coming away from the sea and back to civilisation.

Mark wants to see the River of Fire in London, so we click on to the BBC's coverage. Lesley Garrett is singing You'll Never Walk Alone to the masses in Trafalgar Square. Presenter Michael Parkinson is clearly about ten over the eight. The big draw for the lottery takes place, and even the combination of Dale Winton and Alan Dedicoat can't prevent them from being hit by the curse of pissed cameramen, as they see just one of the four numbers roll out of the machine. We don't see the River of Fire, but do get to see the smiley face in Sydney. The tower block in Seoul. The pyramids at Giza. And the Eifell Tower.

We crack open the champagne, and talk and drink late into the night. A pit stop at 3:30 lets me see the CBC's coverage of Midnight in St John's. We could tell it was the CBC by the way it looked like New Year 1978.

Something important may have happened Saturday morning. Live and Kicking might have been funny. Dec might have, well, you know, with Cat, alone, in the flat. I don't know. I slept through it all.

Mark's parents pop in to see us that evening. I'd met Mrs Frost in Toronto, but not her husband. We were going to order pizza again, only the store is closed. Fission Chips are on the menu, though, so that's what we have. I sneak a win at Uno, thanks mainly to a private battle between Mark's parents, and also manage to dominate Categorically. 3-2-1 has its murder show, starring Frankie Howard, Sky One shows the Billboard music awards - giving Mark a chance to slag off Britney Spears - and there's Garry Shandling and his paddel.

Sunday takes us onto the pier. Shim and Judy go on the dodgems, eventually. Some of us buy freshly-made doughnuts. Mmmm. Others are content to visit the Starbucks for some decent coffee. The ITV pantomime is excellent, as is the pizza. And Richard O'Brien in The Crystal Maze. Paulo is half a Millionaire, and we talk and share late into the night.

But all good things must come to an end, which is why Mark (in his dressing gown, no less) and I watch two hours of Australians buying and selling and renovating their houses. Then my time to leave comes, the train pulls out of the station, and Bohemian Rhapsody plays again. It's somehow the most appropriate song. And England lost six wickets for 49.

Yes, we're just as crazy as we ever were.

Happy new year, everyone.

shim city iii: the recap
jan 6

paulo:
I spent a frightening amount of money in books and videos (and even more the last day, when I found myself in Oxford Street, London, with four hours to kill before heading to the airport),
Oh dear. That nice big Borders, and the Waterstones, and the HMV and Virgin and........

the english weather is ridiculous (okay, either rain or stop raining, but with this yes-but-no thing you don't even know what to do),
Treat it as though nothing is happening. Or carry an umbrella but don't put it up until it really starts raining.

Mark's chili is delicious,
shim's soup is worth crossing the Atlantic for. Yes it is.

Well, Judy is physically quite different from how I imagined her (as usual), but she's as kind and sweet as in the list.

Why do we all have an image of an Austrian lass being five foot not much with blonde hair in pigtails? I blame The Sound Of Music, myself.

Iain is... unequivocally british. Reading his digests will never be the same, now that I can imagine his voice reciting them [g] (and those of you who haven't heard him, you don't know what you're missing).
The cheque's in the post.

"Blink, man, blink!!!" (Iain to the CNN newscaster during New Year's Eve).
Ah, c'mon, the man needed to blink. For anyone watching, this was the guy on at 1pm ET, who just stared into the camera and read off the autocue for ten, twenty, thirty seconds. Without blinking at all. Reminds me of Ford Prefect in the Hitch-Hiker's Guide.

"Thanks, Dawson Leery" (Shim after the team guys' futon kicked their asses playing "Outburst").
The girls' error was passing categories across. It's not a smart move.

"Wait, I want to see how she makes a fool of herself" (Shim asking to see Britney Spears' perfomance on TV).
At the Billboard music awards; lots of cleavage and leg, lots of fringing, hair going everywhere, looking a total mess.

ms spears
jan 8

Sara :), quoting me
>My only interpretation was that "hit me" did not relate directly to
>walloping with a hand, but to kissing (or something similar). Without
>any proof of the theory, natch.
so you did have a different interpretation than I did. Okay :) See, she said it was about, okay I can't really remember, but completely different than what I thought it was about, and I just wondered, because I know she didn't write it, if she just wasn't getting it, or if I thought something totally different. I should have known :)
She didn't write it, of course she doesn't get it. The meaning, that is.

yes, this goes along with the first one, I thought...it made perfect sense to me, fitting along with the first one though - its like after you're abused, you're scared to go by anyone, just in case..but you really just want to be by them, and trust them. so it like..got me that way, but again, she said that it was about something completely different (dating, and how you're sometimes scared to talk to the person)
Given that the two songs were written by different people, I'd suggest that any connection along these lines could be coincidental.

>Ooh, no. Any excuse to holler "Crazy!" at quite a volume is good.
oh yes! sorry, I forgot about that one - I love that song :)
"Crazy!" Sorry, sorry, can't resist it.

>Oh, oh, she means song 4. Not good. Not good at all. And in that outfit...
wait, whats wrong with the outfit?
Oh, shoot, I'm thinking of the Billboard awards again. A skirt that might be a belt, a top that might, also, be a belt, and hair flying everywhere.

be there
jan 8

Dear Nieske's parents,
While attendance at shim city iv - The Millooneyum Starts Here - is not mandatory, we would strongly recommend that she takes this opportunity to discover more about one of her near neighbour countries. The organising team behind this event have managed many events of this size and larger, and there are no broken bones to show for it. This will also be a great excuse to pack your son off to relatives for a few days and enjoy some time without either child under your feet.

We look forward to welcoming Nieske to sciv at the end of the year.

sciv - getting there
jan 9

chellebelle:
his Weaverness:
It'll go straight to my head, you know (:

ok... sounds good :+) boy this will be fun... me, in a different country, trying to find the train, then the right train to get on, not knowing the language.... oh wait... well yeah, not knowing the language...
It really is simple. If she were around, I'd ask Judy to write how she did it, coz, like, she did it. As she's not, I'll reconstruct from memory (and I've not been to Gatwick Airport since 1990.)

* Your plane lands, you have your passport checked, get your bags and go through the green channel. Can't help you much on this bit, sorry.
* You come out into the Arrivals Lounge. Follow signs to the Railway Station. If you're at Gatwick North terminal, you'll need to take the swift and comfortable (and free) monorail to Gatwick South.
* Keep following signs to the Railway Station.
* Approach the person in the ticket office, and ask for a Period Return (or Open Return) to Brighton Central. This allows you to make the outgoing journey at once, and the return trip at any time during the following month. At a guesstimate, the fare will be around 8 pounds per person, but I'll confirm this nearer the time.
* Collect your tickets and consult the information screen for the next departure to Brighton. It's a terminating station - trains can't go any further else they'll fall directly into the sea.
* Most trains heading south depart from one or other side of a platform. Sod's law dictates that the next train will pull out just as you arrive on the platform, and the one after that will be from the other platform. Sorry.
* Pile onto the train, making quite sure to take all your bags with you. I'm probably going to be on the train behind you, and if you leave a bag on the platform, the police will think it's a bomb and will close the station for the next ten hours. I'll not be happy.
* Sit back and relax for the next 30 minutes or so.
* Eventually, your train will wait in a shed for a very long time without moving. Congratulations. You've arrived at Brighton station.
* Exit the train through the doors, find the exit, and wait in the massive line for taxis.
* Ask the driver to take you to shim city hq. You will get a street address just in case there's a cabbie that doesn't know exactly what's hitting the town.
* Pay the driver, pile out of the taxi, ring the doorbell.
* You're on your own after this.

aye aye. i expect to keep receiving updates here... else i'll show up in brighton all by my lonesome.
Updates will be forthcoming; all we need is Mark or shim to say the word and the gears will roll.

woohoo!!!! :+) music is much cooler, it's like nitrous oxide ... quick, big high, rinse, repeat...
But of course. Where would the world be without music? Don't wanna go there...

if i can't come in december i'll make it *sometime*. :+)
Threat? Promise? Date? Pizza?

end of the end of the century
jan 10

It turns out that this "is it 2000 or 2001" debate is not new. Going back into time, we find this in The Times, 26 December 1799.

"We have uniformly rejected all letters and declined all discussion upon the question of when the present century ends, as it is one of the most absurd that can engage the public attention, and we are astonished to find it has been the subject of so much dispute, since it appears plain. The present century will not terminate till January 1, 1801, unless it can be made out that 99 are 100... It is a silly, childish discussion, and only exposes the want of brains of those who maintain a contrary opinion to that we have stated"

Taken from The Royal Observatory Greenwich

friends
jan 11

Nieske:
And hey, y'know what's funny - on Sunday they show episodes from the newest season (the one that started with the wedding one), and from Monday-Friday they show episodes from the first season!! I mean, same channel - how crazy are these people? Luckily it's not the same time, that would make me go even more crazy.
Just be glad you don't get all the UK channels. [4] is showing re-runs of season 4 Friday evenings at 9, and season 3 Monday evenings at 6. SKY ONE via satellite shows five old episodes a week; via DTTV, there's a further three, and season 6 starts Thursday.

Are we confused yet?!

Ah well, it's always a pleasure watching it anyway
Apart from the year or so when it was dull (end of season 3, early season 4.)

although sometimes it can get a little confusing
On the other hand, there's evidence of a Something between Chandler and Monica from way back when in the opening season. It's fun picking up all the plot points that don't get developed for months or years.

2000 or 1?
jan 11

Sara :)
yes, it does make sense, but when I looked up when jesus was born, the answer was that he was born between 8 BC and 4 BC, not 1 AD - so how would that fit in?
In our year DXXXI, (531 - Arabic numerals had not yet been imported at this early date) a clever chap called Dionysius Exiguus worked out the formula for calculating the date of Easter, and listed the dates for the next 95 years.

Under the convention of the time, Dionysius ought to started his table in year CCXLVIII Anni Diocletiani (248th year of Diocletian.) Only Diocletian had gone down in history as a chap who threw Christians to the lions before breakfast, and Dionysius though it might be better to "count and denote the years from the incarnation of our Lord, in order to make the foundation of our hope better known and the cause of the redemption of man more conspicuous."

Dionysius computed that Mr Christ was born exactly DXXXI (531) years earlier, which became his base year, AD I (Year of our Lord 1.) Like Arabic numerals, the number zero had not been imported at this date. [That is the key explaining why the millooneyum ends this year.]

However, he got his dates wrong. If Mr Christ was born during the reign of Herod the Great, he would have to be born before IV BC (4 before Christ's birth.) Most historians lean towards V BC.

It took time for Anno Domini to catch on; indeed, Coptic Christians in Egypt still use anni Diocletiani, and call this year 1716 in the Era of the Martyrs. Italian monks turned to AD over the next decades, followed by other regions of Christendom, reaching Gaul in the 8th century, Britain after the Norman revolution, and Spain in the 1300s.The BC designation was not invented until 1627, when French astronomer Denis Petau slung the designation down.

[Based on pp 100-102 of "The Calendar", by David Ewing Duncan, published by Fourth Estate, 1998.]

(5) and Lauren
jan 11

Jamie Morrison, quoting me:
>Channel 5 debuts "Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane".
Missed this - prob. because it was on Ch5 and I've stopped even bothering to look there.
Tsk, tsk and in all probability tsk. This is the channel that brings you such scheduling gems as "Learners", in which a bunch of Australians learn to drive while standing on their heads. Or "Xena: Warrior Princess", in which there's more battling than clothing. Or "One To Win", in which Going for Gold is re-created without Henry Kelly, or the catchphrases "Select", "Four in a row", "Play or pass", or that long spiel in the tiebreak. Or "Daria", in which a slightly animated teen bails her friends out of jail (or something.)

Sidebar to Nieske
I saw htmaaq on the BBC... Wow, that's one lovely movie.
I'm glad I ran a tape under that and watched ITV's "Predictions" as it went out. A greater show of bias I'm yet to see. For instance, Psychic Pjoe predicts "there will be a change of energy in the Kosov@ war on June 3 or 4." That covers a multitude of sins: Serbia stages an attack, the Chinese wade into the conflict, NATO dares to use a ground troop, Serbia sues for peace. As something (the last option) happened, this is chalked up as a correct prediction for the soothsayers.

Complaints are with the ITC as we speak; and if this is going to be typical of Kirsty Young's work on itv, I fear for her future.

But I seriously digress. HTMAAQ got taped, and viewed on Sunday. Good, innit.

Jared looked yummy with his hair like that
I'll take your word on that (:

am I the only one who thinks the young Sophia (the one who swims a lot - the "diver") also looks a bit like Claire? I mean, she could be her sister or something! For a second I even thought it was her.
No, you're not.

It's a good movie, really. Diverse, but still put together very well - love stories of several older women sewn together like a quilt.
Hence the name! Good movie, Jamie, you ought to see it some time.

>Those missing the airy, glittery, vocals of Lauren Laverne will know
>of her work with Mint Royale. The single, "Don't Falter", is
>scheduled for release here on January 24, along with new material
>from Gabrielle and the Utah Saints. The mob also opened CD:UK this
>morning.
Dagnabbit!!!!! I missed this,
Homer?

I haven't heard the Mint Royale song either. Any good?
It's got Lauren Kenickie in it, of course it's good.

Comparable to Kenickie?
Remember, Lauren's acting as vocalist to other people's backbeats, so it's not a direct comparison. Given that, though, it's the sort of fairy cake of a single that might well have bought the fab four their second appearance on the Pops.

Didn't you just love 'At the Club'? I thought that was actually seriously underrated. Classic stuff, honest too. One of the few indie records from that period that I think really endured.
He's right, of course. And I know I don't need to bring a copy to sciv, just persuade the hosts to let me rummage in their cd holder thing again. Not that I need to wait for the end of the year... [goodbye radio... hello car]

Any thoughts on "Get In"? Smickles or bobbins?

Btw, Buffy?
Repeat. Saw it Thursday.

A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon? Wild Man Blues? Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex (But were afraid to ask)?
The connection with this list would be..?

The X-Files?
Repeat. So old that David Duck On Knee still has his own hair.

If you want the full schedules, I suggest buying the Radio Times. Other listings magazines are available, but don't give radio anything like the space it warrants.

Lauryn Hill
jan 11

Chelle:
Lauryn Hill as an individual has been one of my favorite artists of the past few years; I pretty much knew from the beginning when I saw her in the Fugees that she would be a big star.
The vocals on "Fu-Ge-La" just wouldn't leave my head for days after I heard it (ah, Rick Dees on AFN...) That says to me that someone's going to be big.

Then came the fabulous debut solo album entitled "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". If you've not heard this album yet, this could be the best evidence by itself as to why Lauryn Hill is so great.
It's a great album. Case closed.

From a technical standpoint this album is VERY well produced;
I will have to take your word on that; spotting the difference between A-grade and A+ production is not something I can do.

As for the actual content of the album, (and she wrote I believe most if not all of the songs; some might have had a co-writer but for all practical purposes the writing credit is hers) the styles vary widely, marrying hip-hop with jazz, soul, funk and doo-wop in a manner that is fresh and exciting.
Reaching for the cd: everything written by Hill, co-production credit on two tracks of 15, co-writing on three.

For a new buyer considering the CD, my advice is to think about how you liked "Doo-Wop" and "Everything is Everything". Most of the album is more towards the lively "Doo-Wop" than laidback soul, but there are three or four tracks (including the not-very-well-hidden bonus) that are softer. Some territories had "Ex-Factor" as a single; that's about the middle of the album.

Her songs are about real life topics (being a woman, being a black woman, being a black woman and a mother) without being sappy or trivial; she really put her heart and soul into writing these songs, and that is blatantly apparent.
And created an album that is easily accessible, yet repays repeated listening with interest and bonus.

The only other thing I'd like to mention as pertains to why Lauryn Hill is fabulous is that she's a positive role model for everyone, but specifically women and more specifically young black women.
This is also true.

Besides, who ever liked that "Killing Me Softly" song until she touched it? :+)
There, we must disagree, though my fandom owes a lot to one of the most talented karaoke singers at uni...

obtori
jan 12

judy:
I want to buy a Tori Amos CD. I know everyone is going - shock she still hasn't got a Tori Amos CD!!! Well, sorry to disappoint you! ;) Anyway, I decided to buy one because I like the songs I know from her.
Now my question: What is your favourite album from her? - Please don't answer w/ all of them because I simple can't afford all of her albums. I have to start w/ one ...... then after time went by and can buy an other one! ;) The question is: how much accompaniment to the voice/piano combo do you want?

Just piano & voice - "Little Earthquakes"
A little backing, but not much - "Under the Pink"
A lot of backing and producing (strange vocals, drum loops, the works) - "From the Choirgirl Hotel"

I wouldn't recommend "Boys for Pele" as a starter, as that is a very experimental album. Neither would I go for "To Venus & Back", purely because it's an expensive double album.

Stick me against a wall and point a gun at my head, and I'll nominate "Under the Pink", but there are alternatives. Especially if they're being sold cheaply.

chellebelle:
and as a last ditch effort (though i expect it to fail) ... go buy Fiona Apple's "When the Pawn..." instead :+)
Here's why it will fail: No Release In Europe Yet. Apparently the record company is trying to translate the title into the various European languages, but keep running into problems when one of the German words exceeds 1023 characters.

music questionnaire
jan 16

Last song you heard: "The Love I Lost", West End feat Sybil, 1991. Appeared on Mayo's Mystery Years on Tuesday, and popped onto a mix tape I'm playing right now.

Did you like it and why: Of course. It's a great singalong, upbeat dancey track.

Last cd you bought: "Now 30" (UK), from early 95, reduced to 5 quid in the sales. Before that, singles: "Higher" - Creed and "One Man Army" - Our Lady Peace. And albums: "Left of the Middle", "Monster" and "Bat Out Of Hell II" in Brighton.

Cd you want to buy: BST4, W&S3, Chantal and GBS.

Favourite kind of music: Ones with good tunes and anthemic lyrics.

Favourite rock song: Of modern months, "Higher"; of longer ago, "You Could Be Mine", the G&R comeback.

Country song: Of recent: Lonestar's "Amazed"; older, "Passionate Kisses" as recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Alternative song: Alternative to what? Oh, you mean MR... "Take a Picture" and "Happy" (Filter and Ned's Atomic Dustbin, resp) spring to mind.

Classical song: Shurely "work". Recent: "Adiemus" (Jenkins) and "MGV" (Nyman); older: "The Planets" (Holst) and "Zadok the Priest" (Handel)

other genres (blues, goth, world, folk, etc): ObGreatBigSea: "Rant & Roar"; ObSlade "Run Run Away"; ObLatin "Reach" (Gloria!)

What song have you listened to way too many times: "I Try".

What song do you never want to hear again: Whitney's massacre of "I Will Always Want To Retune" and Elton's '97 remake of "Candle In the Wind".

Favourite singer: Right now, it's Lauryn.

Can you sing: Better than I give myself credit.

Do you play an instrument: No.

Music or food: Food, but not by much.

Sexy song: Back to "MGV".

Happy dance song: It's not Wednesday, I'd best not answer.

Angry song: Don't really have one.

Crying song: Same here.

Theme song for your life: "The Boys of Summer"

Theme song for your day: "Steal My Sunshine", coz it's a bit nippy out.

Favourite lyric quote: We could be here for a very long time.

Earliest music memory: "Wombling Merry Christmas". A prezzie at age 13 months.

1st album you bought: Now 4 (UK)

1st song you learned all the words to: Oh dear. "Agadoo". There goes my credibility.

Favourite 70s song: "Bo-Rhap"

80s: "Freedom" - Wham!

90s: "Susan's House" - eels

00s: "Don't Falter" - Mint Royale

Favourite music video: Recent: "Freak On A Leash" - Korn. All-time: "Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel

First concert: Probably a school Christmas bash

Favourite concert: Crowded House / Voice of the Beehive, June 92.

Who do you want to see in concert: Lots of people.

what's on the last mix tape you made: The one that's going off the radio: Blink 182, Faith Hill, Paul Hardcastle, a Talk Radio ident.

what's on the last mix tape someone gave you: I'd have to dig that out.

what's on your favourite mix tape: See the sciii list.

guilty pleasure song: ?

favourite music website: billboard.com or my own.

us politicos
jan 16
the post was a fwd addressed to al gore

Sara :)
To be honest, I think its very important to preserve the right of a woman to have an abortion,
Not that I disagree with this, but (as ever) the content poses more questions than it answers. Those who find politics boring may wish to skip to the next post.

1. According to the National Right to Life Committee, as a member of the House you voted 84% of the time against the Pro-Choice position.
According to research by the LAT (reported in slate.com), a Democrat following the party line on all House votes during that period would score 77%.

2. In July 1987 you wrote: "I have consistently opposed federal funding of abortions... It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong... I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected, and I am committed to furthering this goal.”
1) This is twelve years old. No doubt Mr Gore would also have supported huge defence spending then, but wouldn't now.
2) This is a personal statement of opinion. How much store should we set by opinions voiced in the election that Bush won. (Remember Bush? Exactly.)
3) What is "this goal"? We're led to believe it's a reduction in the number of abortions, but might it be a reduction in the number of teen pregnancies? Or unwanted pregnancies in general? The whole quote is not given. We deserve to be told.

3. In July 1984,
[snip]

4. In 1979,
[snip]

I'm objecting to dredging up issues from the Bush election. These come from the Mondale and Carter elections. (Remember them? Exactly.) This is ancient history.

What did Gore say in 1992, the last time he ran for president? The campaigners are ominously silent on this issue. Did he have a revision of views between 89 and 92? We should be told; we're not.

beth orton
jan 16

kristy hutchinson:
I've heard heaps of you guys talk about Beth Orton but I don't think I've even heard any of her music. What is she like? What sort of music does she sing and what are some of her songs called?
Beth's a British singer-songwriter who is probably the closest we've got to Jewel. There's a distinct folksy touch to much of her work, but it boils down to woman + guitar + small backing band singing really obscure lyrics that make little sense on first hearing. "She Cries Your Name" and "Stolen Car" are the most familiar songs over here, being a little bit more sing-alongy than the rest.

As to whether you should see her: think what you would be missing. She's certainly worth a listen, but I wouldn't miss my fave bands for her.

pointless
jan 17

Sade:
i forgot to tape South park yesterday. Tragedy.
Oh! That would be the episode where a pre-fabricated pop band comes to town (one of the Mayor's attempts to get publicity), and the fab four are picked to join them and perform a routine based on the Bee Gees song. Of course, Kenny stands next to Cartman, and when the ol' big boned chap dances with any vigour - never mind raise his arms above his head, and there are falls off the stage - well, you can guess the rest.

gen-x
jan 18

Dunja Bonacci:
Can you describe yourself as a typicall X-generation person.
In the immortal words of Henry Kelly, "I need more information." I need more information because it's a very broad question - too broad to answer without probing for more first.

How are we defining GenX? Douglas Coupland's original definition was very narrow - people born after the post-war baby boom, but before those boomers started to reproduce themselves. That's roughly 1951-1969. By that definition, I don't fit in by some years, and neither do most of the people here.

Do I identify with that generation? Not in the slightest. There is a yawning chasm between me and people just a few years older, one that I'm in no hurry to bridge.

But what about other definitions of GenX? Some use it to refer to teens, others to those straight out of college, others to Roaring Twentysomethings [(c) Deca MCMXLVII]. There are so many varied definitions around that the phrase doesn't convey any meaning. It could apply to any segment of society from 13 to 49, and that's a huge swathe of population to get confused about.

do you realise..?
jan 21

paulo:
And do you realize that, after the first episode(s) airs, there will be quite a lot of people online looking for information about The Show? And that a number of them will unavoidably end up here?
If I might wave my own flag for a moment... Readers of alt.tv.game-shows may have seen my summaries for UK Millionaire. Thursday's edition included a gratuitous plug for the show that launched Claire Danes and Jared Leto, and also featured Wilson Cruz (of Rent fame.) If it only increases the viewing figure by one, it'll be worth it.

we'll be able to experience:
-A number of new people subbing...
Let me get the practice in first. Hello. Welcome. Good to have you here.

-Some people asking why we here talk about everything except MSCL, and requesting people to be "on-topic"...
In the years since MSCL finished, we've discussed the show to death and beyond. Posts related directly to MSCL are, of course, welcome. We have defined the topic for this list to include our lives, so-called or otherwise.

-Some other people asking loudly how to unsub, despite the instructions at the end of every mail...
Dear Exceedingly Unobservant of the US, full instructions are included at the bottom of every single mail. Traps can be set.

-Some people posting a bit about MSCL and then, after seeing that most of the content isn't really Show-related, silently unsubbing...
I have a suspicion that there will be a lot more ON-topic posting over the coming weeks, based on the repeats in a major market.

...And finally, some people who will stick with us, get along, become friends with some of us and become a part of this community.
This is always good.

As they usually say, "may you live in interesting times"...
Hasta la vista!

sugarcrush
jan 22

Victoria Myers, Lady of the Sea:
I was supposed to see Crazy Jane with her tonight, but no she had to cancel because tomorrow and Sunday are going to be too busy for her. Huh? Let's see there's tonight, and then there's tomorrow. Seems to be a little gap in between there, am I right?
Little gap? It's about the size of the space inside Quinn Morgendorfer's head.

I'm being dragged to a baby shower tomorrow
A what? So, instead of showering in water, they use infants? Think I'll stick to lightly modified H2O.

Quoting chelle, >and then - boddabing boddaboom! make up sex RULES !!! :+)
Yeah, thanks. Cos I'm really not sexually frustrated enough already. Join the club. Sometimes I feel like quoting Xander: "the thought of linoleum turns me on."

Blaspheme! :) Nah, I think the show wouldn't have made it for very long and stayed as good as it was. But a nice wrap up episode woulda been nice!
Naah, best to leave things hanging. We wouldn't have all the fanfic otherwise.

Grr, stupid ABC.
At least they research their version of Millionaire. I had to call "Shenanigans!" at last night's UK version. The starter question...

From the earliest, order these singers of hits from when they worked with George Michael

A - Lisa Stansfield B - Elton John
C - Andrew Ridgeley D - Aretha Franklin

The quoted answers...
C - 1982 D - 1987
D - 1991 A - 1993

Yet George and Elton worked together on Elton’s 1985 “Ice on Fire” album, and Yog got joint billing on the “Wrap Her Up” single that Christmas. Does Chris Tarrant (host, and over-paid DJ) not proof-read the questions?

Moi a dit:
>There's not been a flake of snow here all winter.
Want to borrow some of ours?
No, thanks. There's a non-zero chance that we'll get some in the next few days, before any package from your good self could arise. Besides, customs seems to think snow is very expensive stuff, and impose huge taxes on its importation.

Have you been listening to my niece's silly song tape? Don't sing Little Bunny Foo Foo! For the love of god man, don't do it!
No, I've not been listening to said silly song tape. It must be the mention of Constantinople on a couple of quiz shows earlier in the week that got me to dig out "Flood" and listen to TMBG and generally get a bit carried away.

And Foo-Foo was a poodle. Belonging to Walter the Softy, constant target of Dennis the Menace.

that's the beano's dennis, not the united station imposter.

Maybe I was feeling rebellious.Maybe I wanted to push the envelope and break the spoiler rules.
Maybe you just wanted someone to come round wielding a bat. I know your type, young lady.

I'm a loose cannon. Yep.
Well, someone will have to bring some rope to tie you down with. And I'm going to leave this subject right now.

Thank you. Wait a second...'sweet, intelligent...' You're insulting me! Who are you calling cute?!
Well, compared with me, anyone's sweet and cute.

'Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.'
Chesterton was almost right. Poets have been silent on the subject of cheese. But for good reason.

Ode to Cheese.
By E. J. Thribb (age 17 and three quarters)

Oh cheese!
Your cheesy smell
And cheesy taste
Always reminds me
Of unwashed socks
And cheese!

amazing scenes!
jan 25

Those of you who were at shim city will remember my amazement and delight at getting an answer in The Times crossword. For those of you who have never seen it, this is a very difficult puzzle. None of this "small insect (3)" [ant] stuff one might find in other nations. This is hard.

Yesterday, I managed to get not one, but two clues in this puzzle. Those who want to test your wits against one of the most difficult daily puzzles in the English language can sample the clues below...

11 across. Language once spoken in school at Inverness (5)
14 down. Scan Times frantically for meaning (9)

answers...

popup
jan 25

This is how quiet it is. I'm replying to my own post. Send more mail, people!

* Set the video to record Pop Up Video UK, for viewing Sunday evening.
And this is what I saw...

"Perfect Ten", the Beautiful South attempt to crack the US market. 'Who?' I hear you cry. It was that successful.

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears driving around California. Well, Curt Smith driving around Cali - Roland Orzabel, the other member, has a fear of flying and won't go out there just for a video shoot. Curt drives a fast car, but didn't tell the director till after the shoot that his driving license was suspended.

"World In Motion", Englandneworder's World Cup 90 song. Yes, Bernard Sumner is known as Barney, but someone didn't show a clip of Barney Rubble to explain why he got the nick. Match footage is from England 1, Brazil 0 in May 89. Question for the audience: is this a better anthem than "Three Lions"?

"Digging In the Dirt", Peter Gabriel tries to re-create "Sledgehammer", and fails. It's all about his time in therapy, apparently. And you see the guy put his hand through the car windscreen? That's Pete, that is.

"Wired For Sound", Cliff being the funniest thing on television all day. The concept is bizarre: pop's most famous celibate is roller-skating (yes, roller-skating) around a deserted shopping centre in Milton Keynes (yes, that dump.) He's accompanied by half a dozen female skaters in head-to-toe skin-tight costumes in neon colours. The patron saint of pop then whips out a pair of those tinny little headphones and attaches them to a personal stereo the size of a house. And, er, prances about for three minutes, going on about putting the needle to the plastic. The mobile record player never quite caught on, did it. In fairness, this was a clip from 1982, but it has not aged well.

And, er, that's it.

ok
jan 26

Judy:
I have a question that came up last time in Latin class.
Does "o.k." mean anything? I mean I know what it means or how to use it, I use it all the time but is it an abbreviation for something? Where does it originally come from? Do you know?
Well, I didn't know, but the spirit of academic research is alive and well here. Besides, it's an excuse to spend an hour in the warm library...

Scholarly opinion is divided. The best guess is that it's an abbreviation of "oll korrekt", a corruption of "all correct", popularised by writers in Boston and New York around 1830. They were poking fun at the supposedly less intelligent country dwellers - bumpkins - outside the city. [source: Merriom Webster, Dictionary of American Slang]

Some attribute the corruption to William van Doren, a politician who was born in Old Kinderhook, near Albany, NY. His slogan was something along the lines of "Oll Korrekt From Old Kinderhook". [Oxford dictionaries]

Yet others say it's from the Scots Gaelic "Och aye", meaning "Oh, yes," in a casual, not very enthusiastic, way. [Funk & Wagnells]

As the saying goes, you pay your money and take your choice. I've copied the list in on this reply, so that all the writers and wordsmiths out there might add anything in. Please remember to copy Judy in directly (:

How is the list? It is quite stressy for me right now. I had my Latin exam, the written one, on Saturday and the prof said we (all his students) are positive!!!! Yeah!!! :) (he can't tell us the exact grade until the oral exam which would be Monday for me) On Friday I have my first big exam at university and I am quite nervous already! :|
From all of us, the best of luck. Not that someone as smart as you will need it.

Crossword Answers

11a) Language once spoken at school at Inverness (5).
We're either looking for something one would find at an educational establishment in Scotland, or a foreign tongue. As there aren't any famous schools at the mouth of the Ness, start by looking for a "Language".
A "Language once spoken", indicating it isn't used much any more.
We'll find it in (at) the phrase "school at Inverness".
The use of "at" rather than "in" strongly suggests that those two letters are part of the answer.
So, it's "schooL AT INverness" - LATIN.

14d) Scan Times frantically for meaning (9)
Are there any words in the clue of exactly nine letters? Yes, "Scan Times". Try doing an anagram of these letters.
The anagram will mean either "frantically" or "meaning", the other words in the clue.
MASTENICS and SCENTIAMS pertain to chewing and smelling respectively.
But SEMANTICS is all about meaning.

So, the answers were LATIN and SEMANTICS.
Hearty congratulations if you got either or both of these clues.

new girl in town
jan 27

Karen Garde Toft:
Hello. Welcome to our little mad house. None of us bites.

My name is Karen. I'm 28, Danish, and a chat/sub-virgin, so please excuse my lack of net-speak! I'm utterly fascinated by what you guys can do with a keyboard!
That's nothing compared to what some of us can do with a bundle of green LAN cables, but that is a whole other story (:

I was intent on just lurking, until I found myself wondering about Iain, Angela, Henna (I love your name) at the strangest times. So here goes!
You're not alone there, Karen. I find myself wondering about me at strange times, too.

I've read several posts, where fanfic is mentioned. Is it stuff, you've found on the net or what?
A lot of fanfic has been posted here in the past, though I don't recall any large works (as distinct from Angela's pithy characters-in-a-situation) for well over a year. The best place for fanfic is mscl.com where there's a lot of it about.

I assume most of you have read the book, which I personally wasn't crazy about
Nope. Read the introduction and the first half chapter, got bored, put it down in favour of some new Adrian Mole. Gotta love other people's bookshelves.

Anywhoo, welcome, and hope to hear more from you.

am i ok?
jan 27

We knew we'd arrived in the 21st century 340 days before the official start when Bridget Oliver said this:
I don't listen to CD's anymore.
Welcome to the future, everyone.

>And then, like, I had Tom Green on right? And I didn't laugh. At some stuff, yeah, but it's like, I'm starting to find that humour not funny anymore, and that scares me.
As in that guy who plays practical jokes on his parents? He cropped up on Tarrant on TV, where the host of UK Millionaire makes snide remarks about foreign television. I can see that Green would be funny in small doses, but the joke would wear thin very quickly.

[BTW, nice to see a United Station using the word "humour". She'll fit in well in the UK, Canada, Australia...]

Like I don't listen to Korn or Limp Bizkit anymore and I acutally said bad things about Korn the other day. This is only THREE MONTHS after seeing them both on the Family Values tour and being blown away by them.
I can't get enough of these bands, mainly because the amount of airplay they get and the number zero are too close for comfort.

I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP!! BUT I CAN'T STOP IT!!!
I fear this is a price you have to pay. On the one hand, there's the carefree teen; on the other, there's the young lady who's going to foreign parts. I don't think the circle can be squared.

[hugs]

patti gets drunk
jan 28

Angela Bigos:
What *really* happened later that night when Patty got drunkies?
With Graham and Neal, and his floozie, out looking for magic mushrooms, Patricia was at something of a loose end. Diving into the hotel's bedroom, she found they had left a few notes of paper and a slightly blunt pencil. Tiring of doodles, and playing noughts and crosses with herself, Patti turned her attention to writing a song. It wasn't a very good song, it went "Green-de-be-de-da-be-de-da-ba" to a thumping techno beat. She added a verse, about having a greenhouse with a green window, but fell asleep just as it got really silly.

Yes, Craig, that's the real story of how your favourite record of all time was created (:

buffy spoilers unspoiled
jan 28

Jamie Morrison:
Oh, you mean 'Ken-DRA!' with the worst Jamaican accent known?
Wait, that was meant to be a Jamaican accent? [gives Jamie a funny look.] She sounds exactly like one of the broadcasters at the last World Cup for Pakistan domestic radio. It's almost note-perfect. So, I'm sorry, Kendra is from the Indian sub-continent, where they're good at cricket. If she's meant to come from the West Indies, where they're not as good cricketers as they once were, try employing a decent acter.

bubblegum
jan 30

Bridget Oliver:
i don't think anyone understands how appreciative i am of all styles of music. yes, even country.
Why is it always "even country," as if it's always all-or-nothing for that style. Personally, I find rap hard to enjoy, but some acts break through the barrier.

what i do appreciate about these artists are their talent. and they have talent.
Indeed they do. One doesn't survive more than three singles without some talent. Just look at the original Spice Girls, 80% of whom have gone on to solo success, and Victoria's just famous for no reason.

months ago i crowned the backstreet boys' *larger than life* with the title "best pop song ever written".
A hotly-contested title indeed. I'm not sure quite how it'll compare with "Waterloo" in a quarter-century, or "Relight My Fire" in five years, but I agree, it'll stand the test.

i say that nsync's *bye bye bye* beats it out.
Dear Gambo,
Stuff the backpack, play this.
Oh, you just did. Cheers.
Weaver.

pop songwriters know what the fuck they're doing these days, and they're doing it good. that song is flat-out amazing. i actually get into this song.
It's got the same, epic, sound as "Larger Than Life", with the crashing drums, punky keyboard stabs and slightly treated vocals. It deserves to be huge, coz it's great. Personally, I prefer choruses that spiral downward than upward, so won't call it best pop single of the year, but this is still a class track.

now the great thing about this is the video. i said before how i watched the making the video, right? well i have got to say that even though january isn't even over, this is my favourite video of the year!
Again, I've not seen it, but it'll have a way to go to beat "Otherside".

truth be told, i'm not even sure why i'm writing this. i just need to get this opinion out, and most of you will probably look down on me for it or snicker at me, but that just shows you how close-minded some people can be.
To them, I say Pah! And Pah! again.

Other wowfabgroovy Pure Pop Stuff to seek out in a CD store near you:
+ Steps "Step One" album (1998). The follow-up wasn't quite up to the dizzy heights, but the harmonies and hooks just pop into one's mind and stay there.
+ Take That "Greatest Hits" (1996). Three ballads and fifteen uptempo tunes.
+ Five "Invincible" (1999). Up there with the BSBs. Honest.
+ Scooch "More than I Needed To Know" (single, 2000). Stock and Aitken's protoges pump out a tune that cuts through all the marketing crap. Probably the best new thing I've heard this month.

by the way, my tim once said that he "appreciated" the *larger than life* video. =Ţ
"Appreciated"? The song is a chuffin' classic, man!

I'll leave my credibility at the door, shall I?

mariah-bashing
jan 31

Never let it be said I don't provide what's on the subject line.

Courtney:
Sighhhhh...I have been a HUGE Mariah fan since her inception and, I'll tell ya, no one understands. I'm so happy to hear that someone appreciates this diva's unmatchable talent..her voice is amazing, I hope (and pray) that people can acknowledge this.
I will agree that she is not an incompetent singer. She can hit notes with good precision, which is more than can be said for (say) mother's church choir.

What gets my goat is that she's not a good singer. Her voice doesn't have any warmth or depth. It's just a sound, there's no emotion behind it. That's just about acceptable on pop records, but not on ballads. It's a disaster on soul records.

I also don't understand why so many people bitch about her, yet her albums are always in the top 10 on the billboard charts...
No-one ever lost money by underestimating the Great American Public. With the sole exception of "Musicbox", her UK albums have been poor sellers.

For the record, "Rainbow", her most recent release, has spent just seven weeks in the US top 100 albums, and has not featured there since the new year.

Mark could write reams on this topic [hint...]

brit-politics ramble
jan 31

paulo:
Anyway, one of the most funny things that I've read about the subject recently was another spanish leftist journalist calling Margaret Thatcher "the bride of Dracula", apropos of her public love and support for Pinochet...
I'm sure said columnist thought they were being so funny and so witty. Over here, we did the "Bride of Dracula" / "Duchess of Darkness" stuff around 1985, when she had Norman Tebbit to be dark with. It all got a bit silly after 87, when Tebbit left, and she had to try to be a character against John Major.

No, the Scary Creature of the Right now is Anne Widdecombe. All because she slagged off former Interior Minister Michael Howard just after the last election. Never quite figured out why she should be drawn as dark just because she pointed out what we all knew: Howard Was Rubbish.

"Did you threaten to over-rule him?" - Jeremy Paxman. [Repeat 14 times, or until next item is ready]

i'm ba-ack
jan 31

Cory, quoting me:
>I may come down in time to make the next post sensible.
No need.
Oh, good. Coz it never happened.

We haven't had a long rant about the Fabulous Mr. Loaf in absolutly months. It's about time, aint it?
You're right, this has been a loaf-free list in your absence. Though I did pick up Bat II over new year, finally reduced to a decent price. This, dear friends, is a kick-ass album.

I will have 9 months sober in 3 days. (YAY! Me. I win.)
Hurrah! [utterly massive hugs. But then, any excuse is a good one.]

I finally got my first tattoo.
More information? Or should I read further?

And I have made it my life mission to seduce Britney Spears.
Just make her some of your grilled cheese. No-one on earth is able to resist the allure of Cory's Grilled Cheese.

"I don't understand the parisians."
Non? Vous ne comprends pas les parisiennes? C'est tres facile, actuellement. Elles sont bonnes, elles sont tres attactifs. Et toutes elles aimes du fromages grillardes. Elles aimes tres, tres...

Bien? C'est bon.

No? You don't understand the Parisians? It's very simple, actually. They are beautiful, they are very attractive. And they all love grilled cheese. They like it very, very much... Good? Very good.