Just a quick one

I did a depressing post just before Christmas. That was stupid. Generally, I had a good Christmas. I can't be bothered to write loads right now, but I didn't want that moany thing being the top post on here. So yeah, smile :)



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Now playing: Of Montreal - Labyrinthian Pomp
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Eminem - Rabbit Run

I don't listen to this song for fun. I just didn't think this Christmas would have much reason to play it. Oh well, same as ever. Nothing is ever just fun and games.



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Now playing: Eminem - Rabbit Run
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I know he'll stay next time...

Yesterday I watched the DS9 season 7 finale...again. What got me wanting to watching it? Firstly, I was browsing DVDs in Derby at the weekend and I came across the Star Trek Captain's Log collection. I immediately wanted to watch all the DS9 episodes mentioned on that, particularly In the Pale Moonlight. I haven't got that one here with me though, since season 5 is at my mum's house. Secondly, I wanted sci-fi, and it's been a while since I DS9ed, and Atlantis is off until January. Thirdly, I wanted something that'd really get to me. I was emotional anyway, and I always cry at the DS9 finale. I'd already cried far too much at the Dawson's Creek after Mitch dies (I realise that might sound pathetic, but anyone who doesn't cry at that one isn't human) and What You Leave Behind seemed perfect.

So what can I say? It is by FAAAR the best final episode of any series I've followed. Buffy had a great ending, but DS9 was perfect. Everything was wrapped up. Every character's story. Just perfect. I love how it comes down to Sisko vs Dukat at the end, as it should be. I love how Damar, someone who you had really hated after the Dominion occupation of DS9 and the death of Ziyal, died a hero, and without him the war may not have been won. I get upset every time the crew separates at the end though. The worst part, and the part that never fails to get me, is that Odo leaves. He leaves, granted because he really has to, after all that time waiting for him and Kira to get together. That is the saddest part of all of it. Well, I guess Sisko leaving his pregnant wife is a big deal, but Odo was always my favourite character. I joke to people that I watch it so often because eventually they'll come a time when I watch it and Odo decides to stay. Maybe one day he will...

Speaking of other TV things, I've seen the Lost trailer today. Looks interesting. It's weird that I'm not more bothered about it. I love Lost, and I'm obsessed when it's on. I was desperate for season 2 when 1 finished, and almost as bad waiting for 3. I am really excited about 4, but I think it's overshadowed by the fact that I'm so into Atlantis, and waiting for Battlestar series 4. That will be amazing. I have Razor waiting for me on the Sky+ back at my mum's, and I'll probably buy that on DVD as soon as it's out. This is why Lost gets put on the back burner. I'm too obsessed with sci fi.

If only writing essays came as easily as writing about TV :P I know I could get a first class degree in DS9. The only thing I could do better in is the history of Middle Earth :P


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Now playing: Rocky Horror - Rose Tint My World
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Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf

This song is by The Killers, and it's pretty fantastic. I listened to their Sawdust album when someone was sharing it on the network using iTunes (good legal way to preview music, listening to other people's shared libraries) and most of it is pretty average. Absolutely nothing else stood out, but I loved Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf from the first time I heard it. My Last FM will be fill of The Killers this week, because I listened to that and remembered how good some of their older songs were. It's just one of those songs that gets you the first time you hear it, and you need to keep listening over and over.

Other stuff. Stargate Atlantis season 4 episode 10. I was impressed. Not as dramatic a cliffhanger as some of their previous ones, but I still can't wait for January. Obvious lack of Carter, which was odd because she is supposed to be in charge, but on the whole season 4 has been great. More other stuff? I finished reading Dune. Now that was a good book. You can see that so much later sci fi was influenced by Dune. I'm tired now so I'm hardly in review writing mode, but people should read it anyway.

And now I think I'm gonna get off the computer for the night. The internet has bored me to the point that I've hardly been on this weekend.

Let's All Make Believe

Before I start, this title will be used over and over for posts. Go listen to the song by Oasis and tell me it doesn't apply to so much in life.

Here's the thing. Why aren't people easier to understand? You ask someone you think is a friend such a simple question, and don't get a straight answer. Is that person really the good friend you thought they could be? Have they ever been? The stupidest thing is that this applies to more than one person. When you've known someone for a few years though, surely it's time to walk away. Not me though! No, while I'm still getting mixed messages, I hold on thinking that we are really friends. Let's all make believe, eh?

In other news, I think I'm one of the gang at work, finally. All it takes is a night out on the piss and getting so trashed you can't remember how you got home! Haha, it was actually a really good night, the work Christmas do. I do regret drinking so much though, but it all ended okay.

Save Derby Playhouse

I was absolutely gutted to find out, when I was home last weekend, that Derby Playhouse has been put into administration (it was actually liquidation when I first found out) and has closed it's doors. Gutted because I was excited about seeing Treasure Island this winter, and gutted because I've seen some fantastic shows there in the past and had some great memories. A city without a producing theatre? It's not right.

The Christmas productions there have been great for the last few years. I didn't go last year because they put A Christmas Carol on again, I think because they were preparing to shut for refurbishment, and I'd seen that a couple of years before. It was great though, when I did see it a few years back. Merlin, too, was a really good play. I've seen a few productions with performances that wouldn't have been out of place in the West End. When you think that this is just a small theatre, with neither the money or the resources London theatres have, what they do is so impressive. To think that Derby have lost that is horrible.

I'd have loved to have been there for that last performance of Treasure Island. It went ahead without consent of the board, and all staff were unpaid. They opened the doors to the public and the Playhouse was packed, with people sitting in the aisles. They've had a few protests in Derby, and I wish I could have been there too. If they have another while I'm around, I'll definitely go.

http://www.savederbyplayhouse.org

EDIT - Okay, so I've managed to make a slight difference. I got 4 people to join the Facebook group, after I posted it :)

The Power Cut

This is the first of two blog entries tonight. I'm more keen to right the second one, because I think it's more important, but I want to get my moan about last night out the way first.

Basically, there was a power cut. Hospital power, including residences, was meant to be out from 6pm to 10pm. It ended up being out until 1.30am. How do I know when it came on? My lights coming back on woke me up.

No power meant no cooking, tv, computer, heating or light. I rushed to the canteen before 6 to get dinner before they lost power, and then I phoned people. It was 7ish and I was bored, and my flatmate who was taking me to Asda wasn't home yet, so I walked to Netto to buy candles. That was a good hour round trip, which seems like a waste of time just to spend £1.78 on candles. Didn't want to buy food though because it's cheaper (and better) at Asdas. Just as I get in, she gets home and we go out to Asda. Come back and it's still only 9pm. What to do? Even the emergency lights in the hall were out at this point. I set up candles and read Dune by candlelight, since I was too awake to sleep. Daft thing was that when I actually was tired enough, Dune was getting exciting. By the time I went to sleep, it was freezing. I didn't get to shower till the morning because there was no light in the bathroom, and I didn't know how long the hot water would last. I didn't get to do my washing, because obviously the washing machines were out. I missed Dawson's Creek. I had no internet all night. It was the longest I've been without power, and it was verging on ridiculous. The workmen must have screwed up pretty badly to leave us cut off for that long.

Exciting!

I doubt many will agree, but finding Trichuris trichuria in a patient sample, as in an actual faeces sample from a patient rather than a quality control sample or some teaching sample, is pretty exciting. The guy I was with today said that in 5 years of working there, it was his first parasite seen in a patient sample. Parasitology makes me laugh at work, in the way that it's always a group activity. If we get a QC sample, it gets looked at by everyone. This positive this morning, and everyone wants a look.

Makes the day more interesting anyway.



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Now playing: Morrissey - You Have Killed Me
via FoxyTunes

A shortlist of my favourite songs

I refrained from blogging all weekend. Why? To avoid ranting. Work pissed me off, then other things pissed me off, then yet another thing pissed me off. But why bother moaning? That's just how life is.

So anyway, what to write about? I'm thinking the one thing I can talk forever about. Music. The other day I came close to doing the impossible. I made a playlist on iTunes called Made of Awesome, and started adding my favourite songs. I don't think all my favourites are there, by any means. Some because I've forgotten right now, because the appropriate time to play a particular song hasn't come up lately, or because for whatever reason a song isn't on my PC. It's also hard to decide which songs are favourites of the moment, and will be forgotten in a few months, and which will always be favourites. Anyway, that impossible thing. Nine of those awesome songs were Oasis songs. That means I almost had a top 10! So here's the songs in that playlist. Hopefully doing this will help me decide what else to add.

• Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

This song is amazing. I first heard it in the context of Armageddon, and in that it's just... :-O and I've loved it ever since

• The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Perfect. This song is actually perfect. Why is it a favourite? Well other than the fact that it's perfect, I remember learning to play it with my sister on guitar, then going to see The Bootleg Beatles a few days later. We went to the front, and it was like they sang it at us. I'll always love this song.

• Bright Eyes - Road to Joy

Odd choice, compared to my others, but I love this song. I'm thinking I should add more Bright Eyes to this list, actually. I was first introduced to them with Nothing Gets Crossed Out and Lover I Don't Have to Love, and this made me get some more of their music, but it wasn't until I listened to the whole of I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and came to this song that I really took notice. It was playing in the background while I was studying, and this came on and I stopped what I was doing. Maybe it's not their best song, but it's the one that had an impact on me first, and is still my number 1 on Last.fm.

• Cock Sparrer - Because You're Young

I first heard this played as a cover in The Vic by a guy who had the right attitude, but couldn't sing it. I loved the lyrics though, even then. "Because you're young, you're torn between, a world of hate, and a world of dreams" - I love those lyrics.

• Little Man Tate - Just Can't Take It

Little Man Tate are so last summer. Followed them about the country to see 4 gigs in 4 cities, met them twice, autographs and all that...but although they were so much fun live the music won't stand the test of time. With the exception of this song. It's a strange one to call a favourite ever song, but I love this one. It stands out over everything else they've done.

• Mando Diao - Ochracy

Should this be on here? I've tried to keep out recent obsessions. This is one of those. The difference is though that I think this one will stick around. Mando Diao are a band I discovered a couple of months ago, and most of their music is fun to listen to, but nothing spectacular. I think they're almost like my LMT of this year. Ochracy, however, is not only a great idea (it means the time between the end of a great gig and sunrise, and everything that happens in between) but a mind blowing song. Mind blowing in the sense that it's...amazing. Everything about it.

• Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger

Okay, so here we go with the Oasis. Starting with an obvious one. This song is fantastic. One of the best songs you'll ever hear live. I swear, I had a tear in my eye the first time I heard it played live, in Manchester in 2002.

• Oasis - Champagne Supernova

See reasons above + the times this song reminds me of. A holiday at Butlins with that magical black Oasis tape, and a new year with family watching a Wembly gig on tv. Good times, and an amazing song.

• Oasis - Don't Go Away

This song was written by Noel Gallagher about his mum when he thought she had breast cancer. It's beautiful. The acoustic version I have makes you want to die, it's that good. This song is the reason I think it's sad that Noel hates Be Here Now as an album and won't play it live.

• Oasis - Slide Away

Back when I first liked Oasis, it was all about What's the Story. My sister raved on about how good Definitely Maybe was, and especially a song called Slide Away, which was her favourite song. I remember picking up on Definitely Maybe when it was being played in the car, and this song stood out as being beyond awesome. It's a beautiful song, and it quickly became one of my favourites. Now, I would say that it is my absolute number one favourite song ever. I didn't copy my sister. She didn't make me listen and influence me to like it. I heard it independently and came to the same conclusion. It's playing now actually, and that first note...wow. Words can't describe how much I love this, especially from someone who isn't good with describing with words.

• Oasis - Keep The Dream Alive

This song is inspirational. The lyrics are among Oasis' best. I was just about to say that it was their best song for years, but I've realised that Let There Be Love isn't on the list. I may rectify that later, but this song is great.

• Oasis - Sad Song

You know what's sad? That this only made the Japanese version of Definitely Maybe. Having this song on there would end there What's the Story vs Definitely Maybe debate for good. It's one of my favourite songs to sing, and I love the lyrics.

• Oasis - Half the World Away

Pretty much the same as I said above, really. A great song to sing with great lyrics. Both are great songs to listen to when you're down, because I think they're actually uplifting, in an odd way.

• Oasis - The Masterplan

I feel repetitive, but again, same as above. Great song, great lyrics, good to listen to when you're down.

• Oasis - Let's All Make Believe

My favourite B side. This song is true, and that's why I love it. Let's all make believe that we're still friends and we like each other. This line is true. This makes sense to me. People not saying what they really mean. People not helping each other. It's depressing, but it makes sense, and that's why it means something to me.

• Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah

Yes, I know this isn't his song. This is my favourite version though. I love the emotion in it. This song moved me from the first time I heard it sung by Rufus.

• The Who - Tea and Theatre

I feel wrong putting a song from The Who's latest album before all their others. The thing with many of there others, at least those I know, is that I love them, but none move me like this one. It was great to hear live, and I often play it as my last song before bed. It's fuelled by emotion, and whether it is about lost band members or not, it's still a beautiful song.

Wow, that list seems short. I know more belongs on there, and I think with the addition of Let There Be Love, I might have an Oasis top 10. It needs more thought though, as do more additions to the Made of Awesome playlist. I feel like Pink Floyd should be represented, and AC/DC. With the latter, I can think of 3, but it depends on mood. The Who need more on their too, but again, it depends on mood. This is hard :P

And that was a great way to waste time. I enjoy making lists like this. PBS lists don't allow you to explain properly though, and this 19 is just provisional, with a thought to an alltime great list consisting of perhaps 30-40 songs. PBS threads expect 10. TEN! I can't even get a definitive Oasis 10!

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Now playing: Oasis - Keep The Dream Alive
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