It Couldn't Happen Here

Over the Rainbow and other musings...

2010-05-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

So pleased that Danielle won Over the Rainbow! I think she'll do a really good job. I wanted Jessica to win and was sad she was voted out, but I think she'll get a job offer as well.

My mother in law is driving me crazy! Keeps harping at me about wedding plans - finally Andy got up enough gumption to tell her to knock it off. In a nice way of course.

I finished one MA essay and am still doing the other. Andy and I are going to the University of Essex Summer Ball so woohoo for going to a prom at our age! :-) It's a great excuse to get a prom dress as well.

Hopefully things will settle down a bit and then Andy and I can actually enjoy each other. It's hard with so many things happening at once.

Still plugging along...

2010-05-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

I'm still struggling to get my two MA essays done. They are late already and I'm stressing just a bit.

I got behind due to not feeling well and a general case of the blahs. It's such a lame excuse but it's the best one I've got!

I'm trying to fit in a lot of crochet as well, in between. It helps me to relax.

This weekend, Andy's parents are coming to build us some shelves for our wardrobe. Should be fun!

It's been too long!!

2010-05-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged here in nearly three years - where has the time gone? A lot has happened in those three years - I finished my BA degree in English, my dog Sherlock passed from lymphoma, I met my wonderful fiance and now live in England and I'm working on an MA in Literature! I would say quite a lot has happened!

These days, I'm trying really hard to get through this MA but it's not working very well. As long as I can stay with my fiance, all will be well. :-)

My main hobby right now is crochet and I'm a member of Ravelry. Hopefully, when I get my schoolwork finished, I can concentrate on that!

My fiance and I are getting married 14 August 2010 so we are excited about that! Planning is moving along and hopefully everything will go smoothly!

As far as PSB, I've seen them perform live four times since I last blogged. I got to go backstage in Los Angeles on the Fundamental tour and got a hug from Neil! It was the second best day of my life, having been replaced as the best by the day I met my fiance. I'm sure my wedding day will become the best by default! I am seeing PSB again in Brighton in July so am looking forward to that!

Until next time...

Ravelry
Pet Shop Boys

Canadian Idol - Top 22 Week

2006-07-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying this season of Canadian Idol. Overall the talent is very good. I have 5 favorites so far: Keith MacPherson, Craig Sharpe, Brandon Jones, Chris Labelle and Nancy Silverman.

I really enjoy Keith, but I can't quite put my finger on why yet. I think Craig has a beautiful voice for someone so young. Brandon is a hoot and so is Chris. I think Nancy is the most talented out of the girls. She seems more real than most female Idol contestents. A reason I have a problem with a lot of female Idol contestents is due to false sincerity. It's like they get all dolled up: perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect outfit and then warble on some tired old ballad with a smile as fake as a $3 bill. Nancy just gets out there, is herself and has a good time. She's entertaining in the process.

I really want Keith, Craig and Nancy to make the Top 10. My favorite has won CI three years running now; it would be a shame to end that streak.

Related Tags: Canadian Idol, Keith MacPherson, Craig Sharpe, Nancy Silverman

PSB on Tour!!!! (and other ramblings)

2006-06-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Pet Shop Boys recently announced their North American tour. There are no dates in Vegas, which makes me sad. There are, however, two dates in Los Angeles in November. I will definitely be there! I'm very excited about this tour, considering how great Fundamental is. As for older stuff, I do not care what they play, but my "must haves" are:

West End Girls
It's A Sin (my all-time favorite PSB song, every other song is a close second)
Opportunities
Always on My Mind
Go West
Se a Vida E

I could go on...:) Any song where Neil plays the guitar such as Se A Vida E is ok in my book.

In other news, there is a lot of rumor and speculation going around about Clay Aiken's new CD. The latest is that it will be out sometime in September. I hope so, because I've been chafing for a new CD for nearly two years now. Kalan Porter's new CD is supposed to be out in August, which would be great. His debut CD 219 Days came out the end of 2004 so it's about time for a new one from him.

I received my live CD of the Depeche Mode Las Vegas concert recently and it's been so great reliving the show. Both David and Martin were in great voice that night. Personal favorites were every Violator song they did: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and World In My Eyes. Martin did a great, nearly accoustic version of Shake the Disease that is just beautiful.

Lastly, GO ENGLAND! Here's hoping the World Cup is successful for you.

Related Tags: Pet Shop Boys, Clay Aiken, Kalan Porter, Depeche Mode, World Cup

Casanova in Hell

2006-06-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Pet Shop Boys have hit a grand slam, in my opinion, with their new album Fundamental. One track, in particular, speaks volumes. It is track 9 entitled Casanova in Hell.

Now, this song is a ballad telling the story of Casanova, the legendary lover. It is said, that later in life, he became impotent. It was through shame that he wrote about his sexual exploits. Regardless if that is true or not, this song is beauty on Earth.

I have always been impressed with Neil Tennant's lyrics but for some reason the lyrics of Casanova in Hell are just brilliant. He uses a lot of words that end in -tion and the use of rhymes make this song sublime.

The vocal itself is full of emotion, in particular angst and longing. Neil has always conveyed that emotion very well and this song is no exception. His vocal has a bell like quality that is just breathtakingly beautiful. It really is to die for.

While all the tracks on Fundamental are great in their own way, Casanova in Hell is definitely my favorite. It reminds me yet again of the amazingly beautiful voice Neil has and one I've enjoyed for 21 years. As Neil is going to be 52 this year, one might say his time is coming to an end. Years ago, when asked if they were going to ever split up, Chris said "I see no reason to not continue" (paraphrasing. I don't have the exact quote in front of me). I hope they continue to live by that axiom because the music world will be dead to an extent, should Neil's voice and Chris' musical talent ever be silenced.

Technorati tags: Pet Shop Boys

1 down....19 to go!

2006-06-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

I finished a one-week class yesterday. It may not seem like much, but I'm one class closer to getting my degree!

There isn't much going on at the moment. All my medical tests came back normal, which made me happy. I still have some things to look into.

Canadian Idol and Canada's Next Top Model started this last week. I'm enjoying them very much so far.

I've been blasting Fundamental by PSB for two weeks now. I'm gearing up for a "formal" review of the album, once I've recovered a bit. ;)

Joke of the Day: How do you squash a frog on the Information Superhighway? Give him a blog.

Related Tags: Pet Shop Boys

Clay has a new look....

2006-05-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Clay appeared on the American Idol finale tonight. It was very funny with the kid from the auditions getting an "award" for best impersonation. Then for him to sing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" badly, and then for Clay to come out of the middle of the set, sporting this interesting new look, was pretty cool. Here's a pic:

It will be fun to see what his new CD will bring.

Related Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol

Some random musings...

2006-05-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

I bought a car! Finally, it's nice to be independent again. I got a red 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, 4 door. It's very cute. I wanted another Cavalier (I had a 97 Cavalier) but the Cobalt has replaced the Cavalier.

It also means, I'm even more broke than I was. But at least now I have the means to go somewhere!

I also got my hair cut yesterday. It's very short at the moment.

I'm going to take Sherlock, my dog, to the groomer on Saturday. In this heat, he needs to have his fur a lot shorter.

My CD of Fundamental is on its way to me! I'm so excited! I'll be in PSB heaven for awhile when it gets here. :)

Related Tags: Chevrolet Cobalt, Pet Shop Boys

Low Level Flight - Ryan Malcolm's New Band

2006-05-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ryan Malcolm, the first winner of Canadian Idol, has formed a new band called Low Level Flight. You can check the band out here: LLF Official Site

Here are a couple of promo photos of Ryan. He's really come a long way since CI!

Related Tags: Ryan Malcolm, Low Level Flight, Canadian Idol

Album Review - Please

2006-05-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

Please is the first album by the Pet Shop Boys. It was produced in 1985-86. It has eleven tracks:

Two Divided By Zero
West End Girls
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
Love Comes Quickly
Suburbia
Opportunities (Reprise)
Tonight is Forever
Violence
I Want A Lover
Later Tonight
Why Don't We Live Together?

Back in the day, when we still bought albums and cassettes, the second side of Please was very enlightening for me. I was about 11-12 years old when I got this album. Of course I didn't understand all the implications, being so young. From Tonight is Forever on, every song is very sexually charged, along with the backbeats and basslines. They are quite an experience.

The singles that came from this album were West End Girls, Opportunities, Love Comes Quickly and Suburbia. In the videos, was PSB's signature look: bored as hell. :D Neil was 31 years old but he looked much younger IMO. Chris was about 24. They were both incredibly good-looking. I fell in love with Neil when I first saw West End Girls.

I love every track on this album. Two Divided by Zero was also featured in their movie It Couldn't Happen Here. It's always been one of my favorite PSB songs. The idea of just chucking it all and getting away from everything/everybody has always appealed to people.

As far as first albums go, this is a work of art. Of course their albums are all good in their own ways, depending on the career phase PSB were in, but Please is a great album that IMO is a classic.

Technorati tags: Pet Shop Boys

American Dreamz...Dreamz with a Z!

2006-05-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

I went and saw the movie American Dreamz today. It is a very hilarious satire of American Idol and I enjoyed it very much. Hugh Grant was really funny as the obvious Simon Cowell. Mandy Moore, who I didn't know much about before, was absolutely brilliant as the obvious Kelly Clarkson.

Dennis Quaid played a very funny parody of President Bush and Willem Dafoe was his Chief of Staff. Chris Klein played the unlucky boyfriend (Who is very cute btw). Also the actor who played Omer was just brilliant as the unsuccessful Taliban soldier.

As a lover of American Idol, but not a lover of their manipulation techniques, I enjoyed this movie very much. I adore satire.

I cannot understand why this movie was not more successful. It really is very funny and I am someone who has watched about 15 seasons of Idol. It also satirized our government and the goings on of today. I'm sure the references to the situation in Iraq, probably struck a few nerves, but if you take the movie in the context it's meant, it is not offensive. Well, maybe I'm not a good judge because not much offends me.

Anyway, I whole-heartedly recommend this movie. Brilliant stuff.

Related Tags: American Dreamz, Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe

My brush with fame on MTV

2006-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from the Pet Shop Boys for a split second, I want to relay my brush with fame. :)

For 50 days at the end of 2003 beginning of 2004, I was on Total Request Live on MTV. How you may ask? I'm shown in the crowd scenes of Clay Aiken's music video "Invisible".

Clay's official RCA site had a thing where if you wanted to be in the video, you called a number, left a message and they would let you know if you were picked or not. IIRC, it was supposed to be for the first 200 fans. Anyway, I received a call saying I was due in LA the next day to be in Clay's video! My call time was 1pm. I was very excited.

I got to Hollywood and Highland and saw a very big stage set up and Clay up on the stage. It was only 9am and they were filming the professional extras first. I hung out til they wanted the fans and off we went.

We filmed take after take for about 5 hours. I somehow managed to get to the equivalent of about three rows back from the stage on the right side (as I was looking at the stage from the audience). I remember Clay taking my hand a few times during takes. It was very exciting being a part of it.

After the shoot, I was drenched from head to toe with sweat. It was October in Los Angeles after all.

In the finished product, I can be seen in the video 6 times. Look for me in the crowd shots, left hand side, looking out from the stage.

So, even though you have to look really quickly to see me (tall blonde with a white t-shirt), it's a lot of fun to be part of a retired TRL video on MTV.

Here's a screenshot of me in Invisible. It was the best I could get, considering I'm only seen for a split second. :)

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken American Idol

I'm With Stupid

2006-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

PSB's new single arrived from the UK yesterday. It is called "I'm With Stupid" and it's fantastic! It arrived with two discs. The first one was the traditional CD single with "I'm With Stupid" and the B-side "The Resurrectionists". The second disc has the single, the B-side remixed, a bonus track "Girls Don't Cry" and the "I'm With Stupid" video. The video is hilarious. It features the two guys from Little Britain and is a parody of some of PSB's earlier videos, most specifically the videos from the Very album.

The song itself is very bouncy and catchy and is very reminiscient of their early pop hits. I'm thrilled that they are going back to this style as they do it very well.

10 more days til the album Fundamental! I'm very excited.

Related Tags: Pet Shop Boys

Meeting Celebrities - Part 2

2006-05-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I forgot to include meeting the Pet Shop Boys in 1999!

It was on their Nightlife tour and I was seeing the show at the Warfield in San Francisco. I was talking to a guy ahead of me in line and after some chit chat he said "Are you going to the signing tomorrow?" I said, "WHAT SIGNING???" Neil and Chris were doing a signing the next day at Tower Records on Fisherman's Wharf.

The next day I blew off a temp job I had, and went back to SF to see them. The line was not too long and I only had to wait about two hours. We were allowed only two things to sign, so I had my copy of Nightlife and my CD single of "It's A Sin". I was very nervous going up to the table, but I managed to say hi to Neil and tell him how much I loved him. Fangirly, I know, but come on, it's Neil Tennant. I told him how much I enjoyed the show and he said thank you and was just very sweet to me. Chris wasn't feeling too well, but he was still pleasant.

I floated around for about a month after that. Neil and Chris, thank you. I look forward to the new album and tour!

Related Tags: Pet Shop Boys

Meeting Celebrities

2006-05-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

I've been very fortunate to have met many actors and singers over the years. It seems like it is always through theater, concerts or book signings.

Most of the celebrities I have met, have been in London. It's a lot easier there. The very first one I met was Peter O'Toole, who is a living legend. This was in 1992. He was doing a play on the West End called Our Song. It was a great play. The whole thing was just a vehicle for Peter, mostly consisting of his characters' monologues. I waited for him outside the stage door after the show and he very kindly signed my program. It was a very brief encounter. I did not fully appreciate the meeting until a few years later. I was after all only 18.

That same year, I also met Tony Slattery after his musical on the West End called Radio Times. Most people in America would know him from the UK version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? I also met British comedian Julian Clary at his book signing of How To Be A Real Man.

1992 was also the year I met my first Python - Michael Palin. He was doing a book signing of the companion books of Around the World In 80 Days and Pole to Pole. He was appearing at Stamford's the map store in London. I was really nervous, being a huge Monty Python fan. He was very nice and did not mind my saying how much I loved Python.

In 1996, I found myself in London once again. I met Richard O'Brien of Rocky Horror fame after his West End one-man musical called Disgracefully Yours. He was very nice, but thought his performance was substandard due to his being sick. I thought he was great. Also that year, I saw Oliver! on the West End with Jim Dale as Fagan. I got to meet him after the show as well. He was a very nice man who spoke to me for a few minutes. My grandparents had seen him in the musical Barnum in San Francisco years before. My mother is a big fan as well and I got Mr. Dale to sign a program for her as well.

1996 marked my second meeting of Michael Palin. He was at a book store in Covent Garden signing his novel Hemingway's Chair. Again, he is one of the nicest people in the world.

When the Idol phenonemon started, my meetings have gone up a bit. In August 2003, I was fortunate to meet Clay Aiken, along with the other American Idol Season 2 finalists at a Meet & Greet. This was during the American Idol 2 tour. I did not have a pass, but Jerome (security) kindly let me in. I just had a photo for Clay to sign but nothing for the rest. I took their pictures and said hello. That was a lot of fun. Clay looked down at my photo (it was his first RCA promo photo) and said "Wow it's a better copy than the one I have" He signed it, "To PSBFAN, All My Love, Clay Aiken" It is very cool.

March 2004 saw me travelling to Montreal, Canada to see Ryan Malcolm perform. He won the first season of Canadian Idol. Ryan signs autographs at the end of his shows, so that was my first meeting with him. I subsequently met him 3 other times after that.

December 2004 marked my meeting of another Python - Eric Idle. I was even more nervous, as Eric is my favorite Python. He was doing a show at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. Early on in his tour, people were given the opportunity to purchase ticket/meet and greet pass packages. I was very excited, and anticipated when the Vegas packages would come up. Unfortunately, those were discontinued. However, when I got to the show, there was a little sign saying "Eric will be signing after the show" I was very excited and barely got through the show. When it was my turn, I was shaking so badly and so giddy, he couldnt help but notice. I gave him my name and said "I've been a fan for 23 years" He laughed and shook my hand and said "Thank you for being so loyal" All I could think of was "He touched me!" It was quite funny and an experience I'll never forget.

June 2005 is the first time I met John Stevens, American Idol Season 3 finalist. John came in 6th place and produced an album called Red last year. My first meeting he was performaing at Feinstein's in NYC. Two great shows and a really great guy. I had a lot of fun. John came out to LA to do a show in August 2005 and of course I went to that as well. He is a geniune guy with a real talent. I look forward to more things from him in the future.

Along the way, I have also met several Oakland A's players at Photo Days, a few sports figures who did signings in grocery stores. I think going to signings, concerts and the theater is so much fun. It really personalizes things more when you get a chance to say hello to the performers involved. I hope to continue this in the future.

Related Tags: Eric Idle, Peter O'Toole, Tony Slattery, Ryan Malcolm, Clay Aiken, John Stevens, Michael Palin, Jim Dale, Richard O'Brien

My quest to be able to reproduce

2006-05-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I recently had severe abdminal pains so I went to the gynecologist I saw four years ago. Four years ago, I had a cyst on each ovary so the doctor said, "No problem they will go away." I've been having painful periods off and on since I was about 19. This time, the pains were EXCRUCIATING.

Anyway, the doctor thinks I may have endometriosis, which is not making me very happy. I have to go for an ultrasound on May 17, 2006. I am hoping that I'll be able to manage it with medicine and not with surgery. I still would like to be a mom someday and I just feel with this and everything, my time is running out.

Listening to PSB has been helping me through this. Neil has seranaded me for going on 22 years and I see no reason for him to stop now. The new single "I'm With Stupid" from the album Fundamental, is on its way to me, which means two new songs and a new video! If that doesn't keep the pain in check, nothing will.

The best movie of 1987...

2006-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

is It Couldn't Happen Here starring Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe better known as the Pet Shop Boys. It is a surreal day in the life of PSB on their way to a gig. Featuring songs of their first two albums, Please and Actually, it's just a great movie.

They did not write the movie, but it is still very well written. Neil and Chris run into a myriad of different characters against the soundtrack of their songs. They revisit their youth, dine on oysters in a greasy spoon and are stalked by a murderous hitchhiker.

I remember paying about $70 for this movie on VHS and having to special order it from Blockbuster. I don't watch it much anymore because my copy is wearing out. I am trying to find another new copy at the moment.

If you're a fan of the Pet Shop Boys, you will love this movie.

Related Tags: Pet Shop Boys