Something for Nothing

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

2007-02-07T12:55:00.000Z

Check out the latest weather report for the UK, I AM EXCITED!

ITN - 07.02.2007 07:07 from www.msn.co.uk

Britons Braced For Heaviest Snow in Years

A band of freezing cold weather is heading for Britain bringing with it ice and blizzards.

Most of the country woke up to sub-zero temperatures - it was as low as -8C in parts of Scotland - and forecasters are warning that the heaviest snow in years could fall within the next 24 hours.

Arctic conditions are already gripping North America where an extreme cold weather alert has been issued from New York to Toronto and some people are suffering from frostbite.

Weatherman Paul Knightley said cold air from the north mixing with an "active" mild weather system from the Atlantic would bring the snowfalls.

"On Wednesday night and Thursday morning a much more active weather system comes in from the South West," he said.

"Overnight Wednesday and Thursday morning are going to see quite a significant band of sleet and snow into south west England and South Wales and eventually by morning across much of Wales into the Midlands and into the London area and southern England as well as the South East."

He continued: "The snow will be potentially disruptive in London because it is predicted for rush hour and is going to cause some significant disruption, I think.

"It will probably be some of the heaviest snow in the last couple of years in the London area."

The Met Office issued an early warning of severe weather.

A statement said: "The Met Office is expecting a period of heavy snow to develop across south-west England and much of Wales during Wednesday night and this is expected to extend across the Midlands, London, the South East of England and East Anglia during Thursday morning.

"There is also a risk that the snow will extend into parts of northern England for a time before dying away from all areas during Thursday afternoon."

The one thing that always makes me laugh about this stupid country is that whenever there is even a *hint* that there might be "severe" snowfall, everyone PANICS. (and I laugh at that term severe, becuase if you live in the UK, you honestly don't know what severe is until you've been burried with 6 feet of snow over night, the temperatures are -40 with the windchill and you can't get the fuck of your house because your door won't open)

I guess to be fair, this country really isn't equipped for even a small amount of snowfall. It's quite sad really, but its just not the norm. I am sure if they were as equipped as most Canadian towns/cities etc. they would be able to respond so much better. Also, there is the issue that this 'phenom' we call snow may only actually occurr a few times during the Winter season. So in a way, whats the point in investing in so much equipment for the 3-4 days a year you MIGHT need it. I get it. It's just silly.

So tomorrow morning, if we wake up to a blanket of snow, and people are panicing because they aren't prepared and peoples cars won't start and chaos reigns on the roads, I will be cuddled up in my cozy bed dreaming dreams of snow plows and snow men...something which is rarely seen in this country.

* BREAKING NEWS*

2007-02-01T15:40:00.000Z

It has been reported and confirmed that one of my favorite bands of all time is reuniting. This band broke up quite some time ago, and hardcore fans like myself were shattered. BUT, I guess good things do come to those who wait because:

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is REUNITING!!!!!!!

This is AMAZING news. These guys kick so much ass and are wicked musicians, not to mention the fact they are one of the most politically charged bands out there to date.

It has been said that they are reuniting for a festival, dates and details are yet to be confirmed. The Coachella Festival is where the reuniting will take place and they will play alongside an impressive lineup of other great bands including the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Most people are speculating that this is nothing more than a reunion gig and that'll be it. I am HOPING that there will be more to come from this talented group. It's time that they got back on the airwaves and show everyone how its done.

Stay tuned...if I hear more, you can bet that it'll be posted here.

Cheers.

Little Miss Chatterbox

2007-01-24T12:07:00.000Z

First of all I want to say that a tragedy has occured back home and 5 local boys have unfortunately passed away as a result of a horrific car accident. The whole community is in mourning and also in shock at this horrible news. I just wanted to say that I didn't know the boys but that doesn't matter. It's such a shame what has happened, these young lads were so well known in and around our towns and were very respectable guys. This has affected everyone and I just wanted to make it known that my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends during this incredbile time of need. It has been stated that 'heaven is going to be a busy place', and it sure is. They'll be watching over us for sure. Rest in peace boys.

I also just wanted to say and I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear a seatbelt. BUCKLE UP. It's simple and it can save LIVES. Also, when the weather is bad you have to slow down and take your time and just be even more aware of what is going on around you. And you know, I'm the type of person that thinks, if that voice inside you says don't go, than don't go. Listen to your gut instincts because more often than not, you'll be glad you did.

----------------------------------------------------------------

On a completely different note, I had the opportunity to watch a brilliant film yesterday evening. Little Miss Sunshine was such a joy to watch, I highly suggest renting or buying this film to watch, and then pass it on to everyone you know. It's absolutely hilarious and you can't help but love this story of an off-the-wall family that we all know we can relate to some way or another. I'm not going to give the story away, but watch it for yourself and see. It's the best hour and a half that you'll spend in a while. It's awesome. GO WATCH IT!! What are you waiting for??!?

Mish Mash Rift Raft

2007-01-19T14:04:00.000Z

Well here we are. It's 2007 my friends, a new year which many will hope that things of a good nature will cross paths with them and find them good fortune. You know, I have a good feeling about 2007. My only New Years resolution was, well, to not have a New Years resolution. I hope for so much this year and I really believe that it will be full of excitement and opportunity.

You know what else fills me with excitement? Tim Horton's, you've done it again. I really believe that their new breakfast sandwhich is just a little piece of breakfast heaven. How do they do it? And trust me, from experience, it is also the best hangover hunger cure that I've had in a long time. It only comes second to a proper English fry up. If fried bread, bacon, eggs, sausage, tomatos and mushrooms (minus the tomatos and mushrooms for me) doesn't cure what ails ya after a night out, you better hope you can get to a Tim Hortons before 11am sucka.

I have to say that our trip to Canada was brilliant. Breakfast sandwhiches and all, it was fantastic. We couldn't have asked for a better trip. Christmas with the family was just awesome, I loved it so much. I am SO happy that we were home for that. We got spoiled rotten and we got so many lovely presents, but most importantly the time I got to spend with everyone meant a lot to me. Christmas dinner was delish, and we had a great time.

One highlight of my trip was going to my sisters house for the first time!! I totally enjoyed going up north, it is another world up there. It's beautiful, the landscape to me is what people envision Canada to look like. They have a beautiful home, I loved it! The hospitality that we received from my sister and her lovely boyfriend was second to none. Thanks for all the awesome meals guys!! You're really a pair of stars. We were fortunate to stay with them for New Years too and it was such a blast!! It was the best New Years we've ever had together. We had lots of drinks and drinking games, and just general New Years fun. The freezing rain was pretty crazy and made for an interesting run up and down the road shouting 'Happy New Year'...the neighbours across the road LOVED that.
"GODDAMN DRUNKS!!!" LOL

I was sooo sad to leave because I was having so much fun, but I guess as they say, all good things must come to an end. We did manage to get a few hockey games in which was awesome!!! Also, to Mal and Derek, thanks for the Wolves tickets! The stuffed wolf that flies across to the away bench when the Wolves score just made the trip for me LOL. Fuck the breakfast sandwhich, I dig the wolf. HAH.

Oh, did I mention the first green Christmas in like a billion years?!?! YUP. It happened lol. But there was plenty of Christmas spirit to go around.

Going out with friends and having drinks with them was wicked. I got to see my friend Nel play with his band and they kicked so much ass. It was brilliant and I had a blast! The night before that we were out having drinks also. It was so warm out that we actually went down to the harbour afterwards to consume Nelson's chips by moonlight. We had a laugh, and it was a lot of fun catching up and reliving old times.

I loved being home, and so did Anthony. It was hard to leave, but we were ok because we know that it'll only be a small matter of time before we're back again for good. We look forward to that SO much.

In terms of music, I haven't really heard anything interesting. The well is dry and theres no real sign of rain. When I do come across something, as always, you'll hear about it right here. Right now all I listen to is the John Mayer Trio. 'Another Kind of Green' is my favorite song of the moment.

Well, I think thats about all for now. I hope that all 4 of my loyal readers will stick with me throughout 2007. Who knows, maybe I might have something exciting to say LOL.

Cheers Everyone!

Megs

This is the last stop...for 2006 anyway!

2006-12-19T17:32:00.000Z

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is my official last post of 2006 and I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year. I hope that 2007 is a happy, healthy and prosperous year for all and I hope that Santa is good to you all!

It has been an absolute pleasure blogging for you for what has been 2006, and I look forward to many more new posts in the coming year.

So, I am raising my invisible glass to you so that I can say, Cheers!

Megs

***M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ***

Evolution of Dance

2006-12-14T11:45:00.000Z

This morning I woke up and checked my email and noticed that my sister had emailed me late yesterday. She sent me a hilarious video courtesy of youtube of this dude doing his rendition of the 'Evolution of Dance'. I think it's pretty funny, so naturally, like most things I find pretty funny, its ended up here, so peep this ladies and gents:

Update...finally!

2006-12-07T12:47:00.000Z

Things have been crazy busy lately...I haven't had much time to sit down and think of anything remotely interesting to post here on my lovely, but sadly neglected blog. So here I am, I'm back for now, but as Christmas is just around the corner posts will probably be few and far between. But feel rest assured, I will never give up on this blog that I call my own, like Celine Dion it'll go on and on.

So lately I've been listening to the music of a very talented gal named Martha Wainwright. She's a Canadian/American singer/song-writer. And thats a lot of slashes. Born in Montreal and sister of Rufus, Martha has appeared on various recordings from different family members and has guested on a number of different tracks played by different artists. Most recently you'll recognize her sweet and folky sound on the track 'Set the fire to the third bar' by another brilliant group called 'Snow Patrol'.

Her most recent album which is self-titled was, I believe, released in 2005 and is readily available and I highly recommend it. It's quite different and a really chilled album to listen to.

As always, I'm going to include the lyrics to one of her songs from that self-titled album. It's one of my favorites, and lets just say if you're in a pissed off mood and just don't give a shit, well then listen to this track and don't a give a shit for a whole 3:13 approx. It's brilliant. So here it is folks:

Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole by Martha WainWright

"Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole"

Poetry is no place for a heart that's a whore
And I'm young & I'm strong
But I feel old & tired
Overfired

And I've been poked & stoked
It's all smoke, there's no more fire
Only desire
For you, whoever you are
For you, whoever you are

You say my time here has been some sort of joke
That I've been messing around
Some sort of incubating period
For when I really come around
I'm cracking up
And you have no idea

No idea how it feels to be on your own
In your own home
with the fucking phone
And the mother of gloom
In your bedroom
Standing over your head
With her hand in your head
With her hand in your head

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

Oh I wish I wish I wish I was born a man
So I could learn how to stand up for myself
Like those guys with guitars
I've been watching in bars
Who've been stamping their feet to a different beat
To a different beat
To a different beat

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

You bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody mother fucking asshole
Oh you bloody...

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
For you, whoever you are
For you, whoever you are
For you, whoever you are

Light Grenades

2006-11-21T13:17:00.000Z

Some great news, another great band is crossing into the UK for a huge tour! Incubus have recently announced tour dates for the UK!! This is awesome as Incubus is my favorite band ever. And the best news is that they are playing at an arena which is like 15 minutes away from my house! Tickets go on sale Friday AM, and you can definately bet we are getting some. The gig is in April, so we have a bit of a wait, but it's something to look forward to.

Here's some lyrics to one of their new tracks that I really dig, its called 'Diamonds and Coal':

If its good to complicate
Then both of us are doing fine
Just keep your eyes on your part
And leave me alone to mine

If its good to instigate
We're a fast horse, bet on us
I'm not calling you an animal
I think we just fight too much
Come on!

In spite of this we're doing just fine
Even diamonds start as coal
Give us time to shine
Even diamonds start as coal

Both a like in frame of mind
But circumstance got us good
And now you see a side of me
I wish no one ever would

Yeah if its right to pick a fight
We're fingers in a sugar bowl
Life isn't perfect
Even diamonds start as coal

In spite of this we're doing just fine
And diamonds start as coal
Give us time to shine
Even diamonds start as coal

Even diamonds start as coal
Yeah we're incomplete and if i try
Even diamonds start as coal
Aye!

Give it time girl, the fire feels divine
The sweetest things they burn before they shine
We think way too much (we think way too much)
And we're losing touch (and we're losing touch)
A promise is a promise

Yeah in spite of this we're doing just fine
Even diamonds start as coal
Give us time to shine
Even diamonds start as coal

Even diamonds start as coal
Yeah we're incomplete and if i try
Even diamonds start as coal

DAVE IS CROSSING THE POND AGAIN!!!!!

2006-11-16T23:36:00.000Z

I can't believe it, it's official. Dave Matthews is crossing the pond yet AGAIN for another solo UK tour...what a treat! We saw him last May on his first Solo UK tour and he was incredible, and I never thought that I might get the opportunity to see that again before we move to Canada. This is awesome news, and I can only hope that we get tickets to one of the dates!!!

Here's what I've got so far:

An acoustic evening with DAVE MATTHEWS
UK Tour announced!

Grammy Award winning Dave Matthews – one of the world’s most successful frontmen - will embark on his first ever solo European tour this February. Kicking off in Newcastle’s City Hall on February 23rd, it’ll travel to several major European cities before closing in Germany on March 13th.

The tour marks Dave Matthews’ solo debut throughout Western Europe and will see him perform a wide range of material, including songs from his critically acclaimed solo album Some Devil. For an artist used to playing stadiums with capacities well over 30,000, Matthews solo tour will treat fans to a more intimate setting.

Dave Matthews Band have collectively sold over 35 million units since their 1994 major-label debut Under the Table and Dreaming and have sold over 13 million concert tickets since 1992. They have accumulated 12 Grammy nominations and took home two Grammy awards over their career. The band is currently working on their forthcoming studio album, which will be released in spring 2007.

This solo Tour will feature songs from the latest album Stand Up.

Tickets on sale Friday November 17th

UK TOUR 2007

FEBRUARY 2007
23 NEWCASTLE City Hall
24 GLASGOW Clyde Auditorium

MARCH 2007
01 MANCHESTER Apollo
02 OXFORD New Theatre

Also, for all of you DMB fans in other parts of Europe, be sure to check out DMBAND.com for more details on his other European dates!!

'I come bearing a gift. It's in my diaper and it's not a toaster...'

2006-11-13T13:10:00.000Z

In New Music We Trust

So today I got the new +44 album, and so far so good! If you are a fan of Blink 182 or any of their side projects than I highly recommend you grab a copy and give it a chance, it's pretty cool.

Edit: My favorite song is 'Little Death' so far...god its sooo cool, really catchy tune

It seems like every year we get some jumped up artist who decides to fling out a Christmas album onto store shelves, or these days, our digital music shelves and usually they suck pretty bad. Normally these are the types of albums you find lying in the discount bin the second that the new year rings in. On one hand its like, whats the point? You get them out once a year and thats it. On the other hand, just because Home Alone is centered around Christmas, it doesn't stop me watching it like 5 times a year despite that fact that its not Christmas lol. And, you have to admit that Christmas music livens up a Christmas party and brings a little Christmas spirit.

Christmas albums have always annoyed me slightly and to be honest I only own one, which I do actually like, and its a Winton Marsallis Christmas album that a dear friend of mine gave to me a few years back. It has been the only Christmas album that I could stand listening to until last week.

Sarah McLachlan has put out a CD called 'Wintersong', which is comprised of classic and favorite Christmas tunes, as well as a couple of new ones. I have always been a fan of Sarah and when I heard that SHE of all people was putting out a Christmas album I have to admit I was slightly skeptical. But you know what, she delivers. I really like how she puts her take on the songs, even the classics, and its just really nice to listen to. So if you're looking for some Christmas music to put you in the holiday mood, I think this album should definately do the trick.

Edit: A friend has informed me that the Barenaked Ladies have a sweet Christmas album too!

Fun With Computers

Yesterday we got an external DVD burner for our computer. We did this for many reasons, and the main one being that our computer doesn't have a burner at all, just a DVD drive. As I am sure you are aware burners are a staple of computers today and are really handy, especially the new DVD burners. We installed it with no problems, which was awesome. Now, another reason that we got one was because my fiance is getting into computer games, and is dying to play NHL 07. What we didn't realise is that of course, the game is powered by the DVD-ROM (which is the type of disc that the game is on) and when you try to play the game from the new external DVD burner it lags terribly and basically craps out on us...this can obviously be explained by the fact that the external burner has farther to go to process information and its simply just too slow to keep up with a game such as NHL 07.

The reason we got the external DVD burner in the first place was because the DVD drive that we have already would NOT play the game as it is a few years old and was having issues with the protection software that was on the game. So of course we go and get the external burner thinking everything would be ok, but didn't realise that it wouldn't be ideal for the games.

So now we need to take our lovely external DVD burner back and exchange it for an internal one. I hope that it's a simple install, my partner assures me it is. I am really looking forward to having a burner on my computer because now I can finally burn all of my music and photos and other bits and pieces, it's going to be so useful for us. So tonight, we'll try and get our new internal DVD burner up and running and hopefully that solves our problem when it comes to the games.

I will definately give a little review of NHL 07 once we hopefully get it up and running...from what little we saw, the graphics look freakin' amazing.

Well, I think thats all I have to write about today...as always if I come across anything interesting I will be sure to post it here so stay tuned!

I heart peanut butter jelly time

2006-11-09T16:47:00.000Z

2006-11-07T16:13:00.000Z

Everyone should check out my link for 'Toothpaste For Dinner'...I love the comics...

'Reunited and it feels so good...'

2006-11-06T11:47:00.000Z

Ever since it ended empowered 30 -somethings went out and bought shares in Manolo Blahnik. Ever since it ended we, the fans, have been trying to fill the void with Desperate Housewives and anything which showcases some cool chicks with kick ass wardrobes. Ever since it ended rumours have been circling that a movie was in the works.

For years now Sex and the City has been dearly missed on our television screens and millions of fans across the globe have had their hopes up for ages that a movie would be in the pipeline...and it was until cast members couldn't agree on salaries and just couldn't get along.

Well ladies and gentlemen, the rumours are back and they are more fierce than ever...according to media reports, Sex and the City, has been given the green light go ahead for a movie but at the moment they are in contractual talks with cast members, but it looks like something might actually come of it!

I definately hope that these rumours are true, and that they aren't just recycled ones which have festered their way to the surface again...it would be really nice to see the girls reunited.

Even if the other rumours are true, that some of them don't get along with each other, they have amazing chemisty on screen and they truly owe it to their fans to get together and bring back Sex and the City.

Well, I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens, but in the meantime, my fingers AND toes are crossed!

And the winner for best pumpkin carving ever goes to:

2006-11-01T23:02:00.000Z

I hope that you all had a safe and happy Halloween!

'I'll have a box of 20 Timbits and a large double-double please'

2006-11-01T12:57:00.000Z

I love wikipedia. It's a lot of fun as well as being a useful source for information of all sorts...you really can find just about ANYTHING on there! Recently I was having a look at Canadian Slang words for a laugh...*sniff* I miss my homeland lol...

Some great things popped up. For example, Timbits has its very own entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbits. How great is that? I freakin love those things. The Dutchie ones are my favorite in fact and I have been known to go into Timmy's and order a box of 20 Timbits, all of which are Dutchie flavoured, thus resulting in uproar from friends who feel that if you order a box of Timbits it's compulsory to get all different flavours. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. lol Whatever floats your boat eh?

The list of Canadian slang terms can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_slang

I espeically love that the list includes things such as: 'Crappy Tire', 'Lumberjacket', and my favorite the 'Double-Double' which is what I always have.

If you don't know what a double-double is, peep this:

'double-double': a coffee with double cream, double sugar (especially, but not exclusively, from Tim Hortons), recently added to the Oxford Dictionary. Triple-triple and four-by-four (less common) are three and four creams/sugars, respectively. Rarely, one can hear a request for a "Gretzky", nine cream, nine sugar after Wayne Gretzky's jersey number of 99.

I've really enjoyed looking at the list of Canadian Slang terms...as a Canadian myself I sometimes use words without thinking about it and then wondering why other people have strange looks on their faces because they don't really know what I am talking about, and of course those people are 99% NOT Canadian.

One thing that annoys the hell out of me about slang terms is that one thing can mean something in one country and something totally different in another...for example you can imagine my embarassment as I walk into a store here in England and ask for pants in a particular size. Now, as a Canadian, you wouldn't think anything of that right? That is normal. Well, here in England, 'PANTS' means underwear. So yeah. That was ALOT of fun.

Anyways, have a look at those links if you have some time, they are cool.

CONGRATULATIONS!

2006-10-27T15:58:00.000+01:00

I would like to give a HUGE shout out to my sister, the genius, who has just informed me today that she has a 4.0 GPA and she is kicking major ass at college!!!!

This is brilliant news, and I am so proud of her! I know that she will be reading this at some point, and I want her to know how happy I am for her. I'm happy that she is really enjoying what she is studying at school and she is doing so well at it. She's done her very best and I am just so proud. I know that being in college, you'll have good times and bad times, but keep at it, because the rewards in the end are far greater than the struggles that you have to endure along the way. Just do your best and follow your heart, and you can honestly never go wrong.

So best wishes to you Mal, you're a real star. I always knew it.

Cheers!!

Love Meggers

Trunk Monkey!

2006-10-26T18:39:00.000+01:00

How can you not love the trunk monkey? For more videos go to Google video and Google 'Trunk Monkey'!

Check this out!

2006-10-25T11:15:00.000+01:00

This is a report that I recently saw on the BBC News website:

Experts create invisibility cloak

By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News

A US-British team of scientists has successfully tested a cloak of invisibility in the laboratory.

The device mostly hid a small copper cylinder from microwaves in tests at Duke University, North Carolina.

It works by deflecting the microwaves around the object and restoring them on the other side, as if they had passed through empty space.

But making an object vanish before a person's eyes is still the stuff of science fiction - for now.

We've opened the door into the secret garden
Prof John Pendry, Imperial College London

The cloak consists of 10 fibreglass rings covered with copper elements and is classed as a "metamaterial" - an artificial composite that can be engineered to produce a desired change in the direction of electromagnetic waves.

Like visible light waves, microwaves bounce off objects, making them apparent and creating a shadow. But at microwave frequencies, the detection has to be made by instruments rather than the naked eye.

New chapter

Water behaves differently. When water in a river flows around a smooth rock, the water closes up on the opposite side. Someone looking at the water downstream would never guess it had passed around an obstacle.

The metamaterial cloak channelled the microwaves around the object like water flows around the rock.

"These metamaterials have opened a new chapter in electromagnetism. We've opened the door into the secret garden," co-author Professor John Pendry, from Imperial College London, told BBC News.

In the experiment, the scientists first measured microwaves travelling across a plane of view with no obstacles. Then they placed a copper cylinder in the same plane and measured the disturbance, or scattering, in the microwaves.

Next, the researchers placed the invisibility cloak over the copper cylinder. The cloak did not completely iron out the disturbance, but it greatly reduced the microwaves being blocked or deflected.

Hidden from view

"This cloak guides electromagnetic waves around a central region so that any object at all can be placed in that region and will not disturb the electromagnetic fields," explained co-author Dr David Schurig from Duke University.

"There is reduced reflection from the object, and there is also reduced shadow."

In principle, the same theoretical blueprint could be used to cloak objects from visible light. But this would require much more intricate and tiny metamaterial structures, which scientists have yet to devise.

"As an application, it's not clear that you're going to get the invisibility that everyone thinks about - as in Harry Potter's cloak, or the Star Trek cloaking device," said Professor David R Smith of Duke.

Broad applications

John Pendry commented: "There's a rule about the internal structure of the metamaterial: it has to be smaller than the wavelength of radiation. So for radar waves that's 3cm. You can easily engineer something a few millimetres across.

"You go up to optical radiation - visible light - and the wavelength is less than a micron. So your microstructure has to be a few tens of nanometres across. and we're only just learning how to do nanotechnology... maybe in five or 10 years' time you could do this, but not today."

The researchers say that if an object can be hidden from microwaves, it can be hidden from radar - a possibility that will ensure interest from the military.

Professor Pendry said a metamaterial cloak could be manufactured to wrap around a fighter plane or tank. But, he said: "You mustn't demand that the cloak be too thin. Despite the hype around Harry Potter, this isn't anything that flaps around in the breeze; it's more like a shed."

It could be used to hide objects from terahertz waves, a regime that is being exploited for numerous sensing technologies, or even from mobile phone frequencies and magnetic fields.

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/6064620.stm

Published: 2006/10/19 15:30:00 GMT

© BBC MMVI

Long time no chat

2006-10-24T14:41:00.000+01:00

At the moment my current favorite Dave Matthews Band track is 'Break Free', if you haven't heard it before, you should totally seek it out. It's fantastic.

I feel like I haven't written anything with any substance for a while...life has been hectic lately. The in-laws finally are aware of our big move across the pond. It was hard telling them, but I am so glad that we have. It's horrible to keep big 'ideas' like that from the ones who you are closest to and in my partners case, that would be his family. I say 'ideas' rather than 'secrets' because it's not really a 'secret' if they are going to know eventually right? (perhaps I am in denial...) The reaction was as expected, nothing too drastic...not much was said, which I think is a good thing. People need time to digest such big issues. Time to think and then form opinions and get used to the ideas. We have had some really lovely comments from a few family members wishing us 'all the best' which has been really encouraging and I appreciate it so much. It's nice to have support.

I can't wait to move back to Canada. It's going to be a little weird, as I have been in the good ol UK for over three years now. I will have to re-establish myself, and my partner will have to establish himself. It'll all be worth it though...I am looking forward to having friends again and going back to school. And, of course it'll be nice to see my family more often.

If all goes well, we should be moved by the summer! Brilliant!

Also, in some interesting and fantastic news, I am going to be an Aunt for the SECOND time! My partners brother and sister in law are expecting once again! I am so happy for them and this is really wicked news. I wish them all the best. I love spoiling my lil nephew already, so hopefully this time it'll be a little girl because I LOVE pink and always see so much cute stuff for girls lol.

Well that is all for now...I can't wait for Christmas...being home with family and friends is the best gift we could ever ask for...it's gonna kick arse!!!

Until next time, keep on keepin' on...Megs

'Bastard' by Ben Folds

2006-10-19T14:55:00.000+01:00

The old bastard left his ties and a suit
A brown box
Mothballs and bowling shoes
And his opinions so you'd never have to choose
Pretty soon, you'll be an old bastard too

You get smaller as the world gets big
The more you know you know you don't know shit
'The Whiz Man' never fit you like 'The Whiz Kid' did

So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
Why you gotta act like you know when you don't know
It's okay
If you don't know everything

Close your eyes
Close your ears young man
You've seen and heard all an old man can
Spread the facts on the floor like a fan
Throw away the ones that make you feel bad

Kids today are getting old too fast
They can't wait to grow up so they can kiss some ass
They get nostalgic about the last ten years
Before the last ten years have passed

So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know
It's okay if you don't know everything
Why you gotta act like you know when you don't know
It's okay if you don't know everything

Tears land on a hand on a chest
The old bastard had a paradigm arrest

He got smaller as the world got big
The more he knew he knew he didn't know shit
'The Whiz Man' never fit him like 'The Whiz Kid' did

So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know
It's okay if you don't know everything
Why you gotta act like you know when you don't know
It's ok if you don't know everything
Lyrics by Ben Folds
Taken from the album 'Songs For Silverman'

Congrats are in order! Edited

2006-10-16T12:15:00.000+01:00

Lately we've had a friend from Canada staying with us, named Sean and it has been a lot of fun! It will only be a couple more days until he goes backpacking around Europe and taking the trip of a lifetime. Before he goes, I would like to wish him the best of luck in everything that he does and I hope that he has a safe journey (especially in Amsterdam LOL). Congratulations are in order as yesterday he has heard that he has an interview at the school that he has applied to for teaching English as a second language. This is brilliant news, and I hope that it all goes well.

Sean has been a friend from highschool, and I have a lot of great memories from high school. One teacher who stood out from the rest named Mrs. Decoste, used to always say to us 'Follow your bliss' and do what you want in life and most importantly be happy. That saying has stuck with me through all of these years. You HAVE to do what you want in life, or life just isn't worth living. Live it to the full, through the good and the bad and just take it all in not missing a moment.

So cheers to sean for 'following his bliss' and best wishes from both me and Anthony.

EDIT: It appears that with some people, appearances can be deceiving. Congratulations aren't the order of the day, disappointments are. You think you know someone and it turns out they are much more different than you had expected. You think a friend wouldn't take advantage of you and your hospitality, but I guess some people think differently than others. It's a shame. A person who thinks that they are always right, and that everything else around them is wrong is sorely mistaken. You can't have everything you want in life, and sometimes you have to admit that you are wrong. Sometimes you have to GROW up and move on and do something with your life instead of just fuck around till you figure it out. You can't just depend on other people to sort your mistakes out and expect that everything will be given to you on a silver platter. Life is hard, and Lord knows we have been through some tough times, but you pull through. Going through the shit in life is what makes you stronger and even a better person. I've always found it hard to trust people, but just when I let my guard down I am shown that I had good reasons to have my guard up in the first place. I can't stand people who are disrespectful in someone elses home and just goes about treating it like it's their own place not giving a shit.

Life is just one big learning curve though, and I believe that people can learn from their mistakes its just a matter of if they actually do. I don't wish anyone ill thoughts, I'm not that sort of person.

Today there is an atmosphere of disappointment, embarassment and hurt in the air. I hope it clears soon.

A not so askew view

2006-10-11T17:37:00.000+01:00

Lincoln Cathedral

Last weekend my fiance and a friend and I went to the city of Lincoln, which I have talked about previously on another post. I love this cathedral, and I'd probably even go as far as saying its my most favorite building in England so far...

This picture was taken by my friend Sean from the top of Lincoln Castle through an old window where you get the most perfect view of Lincoln Cathedral. It's truly breathtaking to be up there and look out over such a great building. So that is why I thought I'd post this picture because its too good not to share it.

Cheers, Megs

Green My Apple

2006-09-30T12:33:00.000+01:00

I've recently discovered something rather interesting courtesy of Greenpeace and it's a campaign called Green My Apple...here is what Greenpeace has to say about the Mac computers that we all know and love...

"We're Greenpeace, and we want a fresh green Apple.

Right now, poison Apples full of chemicals (like toxic flame retardants, and polyvinyl chloride) are being sold worldwide. When they're tossed, they usually end up at the fingertips of children in China, India and other developing-world countries. They dismantle them for parts, and are exposed to a dangerous toxic cocktail that threatens their health and the environment.

You can't recycle toxic waste

If Apple doesn't drop the toxics from its products, it doesn't matter how good a recycling program they have. Because toxics make recycling more hazardous. And eventually, the toxic chemicals will be released. Dropping toxics makes reuse and recycling of products simplier, safer and cheaper.

Recycling - Apple finally came around to a limited recycling program in the US, but they can do better. We want them to offer a comprehensive take-back and recycling program worldwide. Not just in the US or where Apple is legally compelled to.

It's time for Apple to use clean ingredients in all of its products, and to provide a free take-back program to reuse and recycle its products wherever they are sold. That means:

Remove the worst toxic chemicals from all their products and production lines.
Offer and promote free "take-back" for all their products everywhere they are sold.

We're not asking for just "good enough." We want Apple to do that "amaze us" thing that Steve does at MacWorld: go beyond the minimum and make Apple a green leader.

Go on, be a tiger

It's not about bruising Apple's image, Apple should be an environmental leader. We want Apple to be at the forefront of green technology, and to clearly show other companies how to do it the right way. But YOU have to tell Apple to go green to the core -- they listen to their customers, not to Greenpeace.

Innovative or Conventional?

Of course Apple isn't the only company that needs to change its ways. But in a recent Greenpeace scorecard, Apple ranked lower than HP, Dell, Nokia, and Sony. For an industry innovator, Apple is falling off the cart while the leaders of the industry are speeding ahead.

Apple is lagging behind both Dell and HP, who have both promised to start removing toxic chemicals from their products. And HP and Dell both have much better global "take back" programs than Apple.

Start a revolution on your desktop

Enough talk - let's get going. Ready to take a bite of Green Apple? Join thousands of other cool Green Apple activists and take action today.

Info from: http://www.greenmyapple.org/

Shake Your Groove Thang

2006-09-29T14:24:00.000+01:00

Starting today, I am going on a hardcore diet. Low GI all the way baby...I will post my weekly results as the weeks progress...

Playlist

2006-09-27T15:21:00.000+01:00

Here's my music playlist for the day...just a mixture of songs to pass the time:

Blue October - She's My Ride Home

Blue October - Into The Ocean

Angels And Airwaves - a little's enough

Beastie Boys - The Negotiation Limerick File

Beastie Boys - Super Disco Breakin'

Beastie Boys - Remote Control

Billy Talent - River Below

Bob Dylan - Someday Baby

City & Colour - Save Your Scissors

City & Colour - Hello, I'm In Delaware

Coheed And Cambria - A Favor House Atlantic

Dave Matthews - Stay or Leave

Dave Matthews Band - Smooth Rider

Nick Drake- Pink Moon

Incubus - Talk Shows On Mute

Incubus - Megalomaniac

Incubus - Just A Phase

Jay-Z - What More Can I Say

Jay-Z And Linkin Park - Numb/Encore

John Mayer Trio - Gravity

Jurassic 5 - Work It Out (ft. Dave Matthews Band)

Matthew Good Band - Truffle Pigs

Matthew Good Band - Man of Action

Nerina Pallot - Damascus

Ok Go - Here It Goes Again

Our Lady Peace - Will The Future Blame Us

Panic! At the Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Radiohead - Karma Police

Radiohead - Creep (Acoustic)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby

Regina Spektor - Ode to Divorce

Regina Spektor - Us

Snow Patrol - You’re All I Have

Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen

The Killers - Mr. Brightside

U2 - Some Days Are Better Than Others

Green Day - Waiting

Barenaked Ladies - Lovers In A Dangerous Time

Beastie Boys - So Whatcha Want

Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

Blind Melon - No Rain

"Hey, you know what? You're not even supposed to be here today. "

2006-09-25T10:38:00.000+01:00

On Saturday evening we FINALLY got to see Clerks II. Man, was it worth the wait. It was awesome, the best movie that I have seen in AGES. I totally loved it and it was even better than the first one. Sometimes movies of this nature can be a bit predictable, but this wasn't at all. It was sheer Kevin Smith brilliance...I love the dialogue also...soooo funny, yet intelligent at the same time and "You gotta be as blind as Anne Frank not to see that."

If you haven't seen this movie, you need to go see it. Even if you're not a Smith fan, it'll make you laugh, there is NO doubt in my mind.

All I am left thinking at the moment is...poor donkey LOL

"I hope that donkey doesn't have a heinie troll!"

Stanley and OS

2006-09-23T11:52:00.000+01:00

“George Bush goes to a primary school to talk to the kids to get a little PR. After his talk he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and George asks him his name.

“Stanley,” responds the little boy.

“And what is your question, Stanley?”

“I have 4 questions:

First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?
Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?
Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?”
Fourth, why are we so worried about gay-marriage when 1/2 of all Americans don’t have health insurance?”

Just then, the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs the kiddies that they will continue after recess.

When they resume George says, “OK, where were we? Oh, that’s right, question time. Who has a question?”

Another little boy puts up his hand. George points him out and asks him his name.

“Steve,” he responds.

“And what is your question, Steve?”

“Actually, I have 6 questions:

First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?
Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?
Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?
Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when 1/2 of all Americans don’t have health insurance?
Fifth, why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?
And sixth, what happened to Stanley?”
From www.matthewgood.org

AND:

On a side note, the other day I was watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Here in the UK, the Tonight show is always at LEAST 3-4 days behind. During this show Jay was doing one of my favorite skits, 'Headlines". This is where Jay reads out and shows newspaper clippings of adds or stories which viewers have sent in because they have hilarious spelling mistakes or are just plain weird. I love it.

Whilst watching and as Jay is going through the ads, the next one comes along. For some strange reason the telephone number looks rather familiar. It was an ad for the 'Timothy Christian School' in Owen Sound!!!!! And there were loads of spelling mistakes and it was rather hilarious! I couldn't believe that an ad from Owen Sound made it to the Tonight Show. Finally Owen Sound is on the map people!!

Watch this and you'll be cool

2006-09-19T12:48:00.000+01:00

The case of the third rate Carrie Bradshaw

2006-09-19T12:01:00.000+01:00

Today I feel like writing, not about anything imparticular, I just feel the need to TRY and write something remotely personal and interesting. Afterall, this is a blog you know.

Next month my fiance and I will have been together for four years! It's an incredible thing, this ideal we call a relationsip and I am probably one of few people in this world who can honestly say they are truly happy. I can't believe how much has happened over the past years, both good and bad, it has been an incredible journey, which will continue for many more years to come. I can't help but wonder though where the time has gone? I feel like the days go by quicker and quicker and I am left wondering where it all went. Maybe its just because I find Autumn to be slightly depressing...maybe its because I'm listening to the Audio of Being. Who knows. Summer is practically over, and winter isn't that fun here in England. It rains. Then it rains some more. Occasionally we get like three flakes of snow and that is it...hardly the makings of a decent snowball fight or at best, a pathetic anorexic looking snowman. Although the days go by quickly, it is kind of a reminder to really live the day like its your last. Now, by saying that I don't mean go out every day and and do crazy things like bungee jump and shit like that. I just mean simple little things...I don't like to take things for granted I guess. For instance, my fiance and I NEVER leave the house separately without first saying 'I love you'. It's our rule. Maybe it seems corny to you, but its important I think. You never know what life is going to throw at you. Sometimes things can be great and life is good, and then the next second life turns to garbage and you're left wondering what the hell you are doing. And its both that build character. We can't have it all. We need shit (not literally of course) to balance out the good. What kind of people would we be if there weren't miniature disasters in our lives occasionally? Maybe the shit helps us to appreciate the good even more.

As time goes by quicker and quicker, it only means that we are closer to achieving our goals and aspirations and that makes me feel good.

Sometimes I wake up and I feel like a permanent tourist. I just want to go home. WE just want to go home. And it won't be long. And trust me, I don't think its going to be easy, but it sure as hell can't be any worse than the proverbial shit that we have gone through before. I can't even begin to explain how good its going to feel being home for Christmas. We Canucks take for granted the six feet of snow you see piled up on Christmas morning lol. A green Christmas just isn't the same. I'm excited.

I feel very fortunate that I have a lot to look forward to.
I can't wait to see what lies ahead in this life for us, good things are going to happen. I just know it.

I forgot just how good the 'Audio of Being' is.

Mallrats Vs Superfriends...Genius

2006-09-18T21:00:00.000+01:00

New NANOS!

2006-09-15T12:01:00.000+01:00

My Christmas Present

For quite some time now, I have been eyeing up the iPods. I've said from the beginning that I'd love to have one and I have compared its best rivals, and in my opinion nothing will do for me except an iPod. Now, I have been thinking about asking for a 30Gb iPod video for Christmas, but I think I have found something that I love even more! The new nanos are out, and they are even better than before. AND-they come in different colours!! I am totally psyched and I'd looove the pink one for Christmas and I think that the 4Gb or the 8Gb would suffice. And it plays video and I believe that the screen is much clearer than the previous one.

The reason that I am thinking of getting a Nano instead of the full blown iPod vid is because well, I don't think I would use the iPod as much as I would like and I think the Nano would be perfect for those long trips where you just want some tunes to listen to.

I am totally psyched, I love it! lol. AND ITS PINK!!!

Clerks II-September 22nd at selected theatres near you...in the UK that is...

2006-09-13T15:18:00.000+01:00

For us English folk, only 9 more days till all hell breaks loose, and I am SO looking forward to it...

And in other news...

2006-09-12T13:14:00.000+01:00

"Sudan man forced to 'marry' goat"

A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.

The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.

They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.

"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.

Mr Alifi, Hai Malakal in Upper Nile State, told the Juba Post newspaper that he heard a loud noise around midnight on 13 February and immediately rushed outside to find Mr Tombe with his goat.

"When I asked him: 'What are you doing there?', he fell off the back of the goat, so I captured and tied him up".

Mr Alifi then called elders to decide how to deal with the case.

"They said I should not take him to the police, but rather let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife," Mr Alifi told the newspaper.

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4748292.stm
As reported on Friday, 24 February 2006

Going back a few years...

2006-09-07T11:53:00.000+01:00

I love Nintendo. I really do. And luckily we have the original Nintendo and it is soo much fun! I recently bought Super Mario 2 and Super Mario 3 for it because we only had the first one. Both arrived yesterday and so today I have been testing them out. Considering how old they are, they work pretty good, but I am having a little trouble getting Super Mario 2 working well. Super Mario 2 is kinda sucky though and definately the shittiest of the three...in fact, I really couldn't remember what Super Mario 2 was like at all but I definately remembered what Super Mario 3 was because you get to fly in it! Super Mario 2 is just so different and not a whole of lot fun, but at least I now have all three games.

I never had Nintendo when I was little so I often went over to friends houses to play with them which was always good fun! I remember it being the ULTIMATE in gaming at the time...and look at how far we have come today.

When I was like around 13ish we finally got a Super Nintendo for Christmas and I was overjoyed because I especially loved Super Nintendo...and we only had one game which was Donkey Kong. Games for Super Nintendo were still a bit pricey so I never really got around to buying any more for it, so mastering Donkey Kong became easy because it had all of my attention lol. I didn't even have MARIO Brothers which was my favorite too lol. Later on and very shortly after we got the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 came out. I think the Christmas after that or something my Sister got that for Christmas, and I never really played it. I tried to play Mario on it once but I just got so confused because of it being in like 3D or whatever.

And to date, I still haven't tried the Gamecube I still haven't touched an XBox...and probably never will.

My fondest gaming memories will always be of the old school Nintendos, there is just something about them that you can't get today...sure the graphics are crap compared to today, and now that I am MUCH older they seem a hell of a lot easier than say when I played them when I was quite young...but you can't beat it.

I might just have to get some Mario and Donkey Kong for my fiances Super Nintendo-he has Super Nintendo too but just a few crappy games to go with it, so I think that I will have to invest in some old favorites.

I love Ebay, it is awesome for finding things like that.

Well, I am off to take Mario through the trials and tribulations which are in store for him in Super Mario 3. Sweeeeet lol.

screw you redbull and your stinkin' air race too!

2006-09-04T10:34:00.000+01:00

What a weekend I have had...this past weekend my fiance and I were off to the Red Bull Air Race at Longleat. It looked like it was going to be amazing...check out www.redbullairrace.com for more information. It is basically these pilots who fly sweet planes around an obsticle course in the air at very high speeds and it is also a competition. The next round of the race takes part in October in San Fransisco.

Friday night we travelled down to our hotel which was lovely and comfortable. Just a hop, skip and a jump away was a very nice pub which served fantastic food and some very well deserved drinks.

Saturday morning we woke up at 8am and left the hotel at 9am, not knowing what was in store for us. Every one who was going to this event was to follow SPECIFIC instructions given to them to take them to a SPECIFIC car park. We were destined for the 'Blue' car park. Now here's the thing--our hotel was only about 25-30 miles away from the cark park, but we couldn't just go there the way we wanted. We were told that we had to follow the directions that were given to us to get to the Blue car park. We HAD to go that way.

What a freaking nightmare. There were 27,000 cars on the road all heading in the same direction trying to get to the race. It was insane...chaos in its most truest of forms. Traffic was backed up for miles upon miles, and it didn't help that the route that they made us all take was through small two lane roads in the backwoods of nowhere. They even took us around the city of Bath which was miles away from where we wanted to be-Longleat. What a pile of shit.

We were determined to get there no matter what. We really wanted to see the race. It took us SEVEN HOURS to get there. SEVEN HOURS. We left our hotel at 9am and got to the race at 4pm. The race was originally scheduled to start at 2pm but was delayed until 4pm due to the fact that not many people made it because EVERYONE was stuck in horrendous traffic backlogs. The reason we stuck it out was because the whole time we were listening to the local radio to get updates. For the whole time that we were trying to get there, they kept saying on the radio that everything is fine and the race is still on, it's just delayed. So that is why we kept going-we had hope. People were getting seriously frustrated-they were turning around and throwing in the towel...but we didn't. We kept on going. For SEVEN HOURS.

We got there at 4pm as previously mentioned. It took us a while but finally we got a place to park. We got our gear together and walked the 15 minute walk to get to where the race was being held.

The weather wasn't brilliant but it wasn't bad either.

We get there and the first two port of calls are the bathroom (aka disgusting port o potties) and then to get something to eat, because you see we were just in the car for seven hours and I didn't have the nerve to pee in the hedge, I waited.

So we take care of business and then go and get something to eat. It cost us £4.00 EACH for a burger. EACH. Thats EIGHT QUID for TWO burgers!!! Highway robbery. But we were starving and it was one of the cheapest options; we had to bite the bullet.

Now here's the best part:

After being there for about 20 minutes and paying for our stupid expensive burgers, an announcement comes over the giant speakers:

'Ladies and Gentlemen we would like to thank you for your patience as we know that today has been rather difficult but we regret to inform you that the race is now CANCELLED due to approaching high winds making it dangerous for the pilots to race. We'd like to thank all of you for coming, and there were a lot of you! 27,000 cars in total and as a gesture of goodwill we will be refunding all of your tickets'

WE WERE MAD. PEOPLE WERE MAD. I was approacing being livid. After 7 long boring hours of waiting and climbing at snail pace to get to this fucking race...they cancel it.

It took us a further TWO hours to get out of the cark park and onto a backroad. Two hours was good for us as there was still people trying to get out of the car park HOURS later.

We finally made it back to the hotel at 8pm, disappointed, very exhausted, hungry and angry. A refund of our £35.00 ticket doesn't even come close to compensating for money spent of this weekend. We had to pay for gas and a hotel and meals etc and this was not cheap.

We made the most of it and had a nice time at the pub, but the lack of organisation of this event is shocking. I am still in disbelief. Why in the hell didn't they just cancel it earlier in the day, and we could have all turned around and spent the day doing something productive. We could have spent the day in Bath, where neither of us have been before, and we could have went to see the Roman Baths and made a great day of it. But no...

I am so disgusted with the way this was put together...people were sooo mad. I can't even begin to describe it.

So that was my weekend, a whole lot of nothingness.

EDIT: Check out some other angry people who have expressed their disappointments also:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2006/07/05/red_bull_air_race_2006_feature.shtml?comment=response#comment
...

Has anyone heard the new Robbie Williams track?? I hate Robbie Williams' music, I think he is a nice guy and all, but his music just isn't for me. This is a matter of personal opinion and I don't judge anyone who DOES like his music. But his latest song is called 'Rude Box'.

What in the hell is a 'Rude Box' anyway?? Is it like a swear jar??? I don't know.

Well I hope that you, the reader, had a much better weekend than we did.

Next weekend we are doing nothing and we are sooo looking forward to it.

Cheers.

"Northern Sky"

2006-08-31T12:47:00.000+01:00

Nick Drake

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.

I've been a long time that I'm waiting
Been a long that I'm blown
I've been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known
Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye.

Would you love me for my money
Would you love me for my head
Would you love me through the winter
Would you love me 'til I'm dead
Oh, if you would and you could
Come blow your horn on high.

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.

'Northern Sky', Written and Performed by Nick Drake

For more on Nick Drake and the impact that he made on acoustic music visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Drake

A New 'Discovery'

2006-08-30T13:31:00.000+01:00

After coming back from a long weekend away (which was brilliant) we sat down Monday evening to veg out and watch some tv. Just as we are about to turn on The Tonight Show, Anthony decides to just check to see what is on the Discovery Channel (he's addicted lol). To our surprise, just about to start was a NEW, yes, a brand spanking NEW episode of American Chopper. We are both HUGE fans of this show. We watch Discovery Channel quite a bit. Yet, we haven't seen one commercial for new American Chopper episodes. What the hell is going on??? Here in the UK we have to wait AGES and AGES for a new episode of American Chopper and as fans it is always worth the wait, but we just wish we'd get them sooner. Normally when the Discovery Channel does get new episodes, they advertise these like crazy. This time around-Nada, None, Zero, Zip, Zilch...no commercials. So we stumbled across this new episode by accident, which was fantastic because now we know that American Chopper is back Monday nights at 9pm. We watched episode one of two where Senior has bought some old Indian choppers and is going to revamp them...it's great to have the show back, but boy do I wish I knew about it in advance!

So that is my rant for today...And in other news:

Feeling Grumpy? According to a study here in Britain, today is the most likely day for couples to argue. Why?? Because apparently the 30th of August makes people grumpy due to the fact that summer is very nearly over and done with and it makes people depressed/grumpy. LOVELY. I'm in a great mood actually lol Although I do relish the thought of summer being over with...August has been awful for weather, so I am hoping that September will more than make up for it.

OH...

2006-08-21T16:15:00.000+01:00

Whoever decided that Clerks II shouldn't be released in the UK until the 22nd of SEPTEMBER deserves a severe ass kicking.

Thats all I have to say...

"I hear in my mind all of this music..."

2006-08-18T11:40:00.000+01:00

Yesterday whilst looking to check out some music that is both interesting and cool, something which would hold my attention span for more than 30 seconds, I stumbled across an artist who does just that. And more.

Regina Spektor has been on the music scene for quite some time now, and not only is she an accomplished singer/songwriter/pianist, she also writes short stories.

Having been born in Moscow she later moved with her family to the Bronx in New York at the age of 9. Her music is widely associated with the 'anti-folk' scene centered on New York City's East Village.

"Spektor's idiosyncratic songs generally take the form of character studies, and are thus much like short stories in song. She states that she has written hundreds of songs, but that she rarely writes any of them down. Unlike the work of many singer-songwriters, they are not usually autobiographical, but based on scenarios drawn from her imagination. They range from playful to introspective in character, showing influences from classical, folk, Russian Music, and hip hop music . She has stated that she works hard to ensure that each of her songs has its own musical style, rather than trying to develop a distinctive style for her music as a whole." -Wikipedia

Her voice is like nothing I have heard before, it is just so varied and keeps your attention always. I know in the past I have raved about various other female artists, but I can honestly say Regina Spektor is the BEST by far.

"Spektor also explores the various timbres of her voice, including a breathy, angelic high register and a Billie Holiday-like lower register that she often allows to break into a trumpet-like tone quality. She often uses a jazzy vibrato and sliding tones in her voice's middle register. She also uses a variety of rather unorthodox techniques, such as verses composed entirely of buzzing noises made with the lips, beat-box style flourishes in the middle of ballads, or the use of a drum stick to tap rhythms on the body of the piano, or a chair." -Wikipedia

In 2003 Regina opened for 'The Strokes' during their tour which was Regina's first North American Tour. She has appeared on various talkshows to perform which include the Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan, and others. And this year, 2006, she has performed to sold out venues all across North America and Europe, proving to have a very successful tour. Unfortunately, as I have just come across her music, I missed a performance by her VERY near to my home which I was sooo disappointed about because it would have been nothing short of fabulous to see her perform.

Regina's Albums include the most recent titled "Being to Hope" 2006, and then:
2004- "Soviet Kitsch" with the brilliant song 'Us'
2002- "Songs"
2001- "11:11"

I highly suggest going out and finding these albums, and listen to her music. It's beautiful, it's different and I just love it.

Peep her website at: www.reginaspektor.com
At her site you can also listen to her music via the ultra cool radio player.

If you're smart...

2006-08-17T16:20:00.000+01:00

If you're smart, you'll listen to Regina Spektor.

Seriously, I can't believe I missed this one. I'm very excited.

www.reginaspektor.com (go there to listen)

MORE TOMORROW...

"So sorry it's over..."

2006-08-16T12:57:00.000+01:00

Over the past couple of years tv viewers who reguarly tune in to MTV will have noticed the huge influx of popular reality tv programs which showcase the lives of prominent and 'interesting' celebrity couples. Case in point, 'Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica', 'Till Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave', and how could we forget, and my favorite, 'Meet The Barkers: Starring Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler'.

Successful season after successful season (minus 'Till Death Do Us Part' because I believe there was only one series, or at least I've only seen one) these shows ran with great followings. Whether you love celebs or hate them, you have to admit there is something catchy about watching what these people do on a day to day basis and how they react to the trials and tribulations that life throws their way. I've noticed most problems are easily avoided as when you are a celebrity you probably have money. And these days if you have money to throw at a problem, it seemingly makes life that much more easier. Or does it?

After swirling reports of the Nick and Jessica official split, was this going to become a pattern of the future? Does reality tv kill the hollywood star? Next in line to separate are the goth couple that seemed a little more down to earth-Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro. And then, just when you least expect it the world finds out this past few weeks that Travis Barker has filed for divorce from his almost two year marriage with Shanna Moakler.

In my opinion it doesn't matter if you are a celeb or not, divorces and separations are horrible and awkward, especially if there are children involved. Who wants to have their marriage turn to shambles? I don't think anyone gets married with the thoughts of 'Oh I'll test him/her out for a little while and see how it goes, if its crap I'll just divorce him/her'...right?

It almost feels like if you are a strong couple and MTV offers you a reality show, run for the freakin' hills...it's like a curse! "So I heard you're doing a reality show, you must really want to split up with your other half man!" That is what I can see happening in the future.

Perhaps enough is enough, as we have seen it all. There comes a time where you have to draw the line in the sand and try your very best not to cross it. Maybe there should be a break in shows which showcase the relationships of not just celebs, but anyone in general.

I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have a relationship constantly in the spotlight, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy either. If your relationship doesn't work, than fine, I just hope that you gave it your all and if it didn't work than it is time to move on in life. But I just hope that there are couples out there who really work at their marriages/relationships, and that a divorce isn't just this easy way out because you have money and it doesn't really matter. We already live in a throw away society, lets not start throwing away something that should mean so much to us.

"North American For Life"

2006-08-14T15:08:00.000+01:00

Ain't got a job but the future's bright
Flip off the world you know they say it's all right
You never get what you want to
And modern love you just can't stand
That candy coating is just a scam
You never get what you want to
Oh ya, all right
North American for life
Ya mother fucker we're number one
All out of beer so go get your gun
And we'll take what we want to
The price of freedom is getting steep
For everyone one we spend three
Just to take what we want to
George is teaching the kids to fight
Look at the world and you tell me it's all right
My baby's New Amsterdam
If she can't do it no one can
And now I get what I want to
Oh ya, all right
North American for life

-Lyrics by Matthew Good

Taken from the album 'White Light Rock & Roll Review"

Can I get an Encore?!

2006-08-07T11:48:00.000+01:00

I've finally managed to hear the Grey Album by Jay-Z and I have to say it is amazing. I absolutely love it. I've always admired Jay-Z for being a skilled rapper and a successful businessman...a classic case of a person who came from very little and who worked very hard to gain a lot. Even if you are not a rap fan, you have to admit Jay-Z's talent is second to none in his game. This album rocks and is the most funky remix album I've listened to lately. The hard hitting beats and free flowing rhymes are totally complemented by the mixed in Beatles tracks and you can't deny that this is sheer brilliance. I definately suggest trying to listen to this one asap. You won't be disapointed.

I've not really heard any other new albums lately, and in terms of movies I haven't seen much either. But, as always if I come across something which I find really cool, I'll be sure to blog about it.

I feel like shite

2006-08-01T12:27:00.000+01:00

Well, my poor fiance got sick over the weekend and had to take a day off of work yesterday because he really wasn't well at all...and now it seems that I have whatever he has too...so I feel sick today, and really really shitty...bummer.

The heatwave is finally over with, or so it would seem. Yesterday it poured with rain so hard that we couldn't even see out the windows-it was pretty wild! As I am updating my blog now, it is doing the same thing. Pouring with rain, it's really miserable but we can really use the rain so I shouldn't complain. At least its not 35C out lol. It's much much cooler and I can actually say it's kinda cold out today :S

I feel so crappy so I am going to make this short and sweet and then probably go and pass out somewhere lol.

We have recently discovered how awesome Ebay is. We collect records as mentioned in a previous entry and on Ebay there are LOADS of records and MANY bargains to be had. Needless to say we've taken advantage of some of those bargains. Also we collect hockey cards and we've bought loads over the past couple of days at cheap prices, it's fantastic. I am now a true fan of ebay and so far haven't had any problems, it's pretty great. You really can find just about anything on there lol.

Well I am off now, to make some tea and probably sleep. I hope that you, the reader, are feeling much better than I am today!

Cheers,

Megan

Music: Part Two aka Urge to Kill: RISING....

2006-07-27T18:34:00.000+01:00

Ok, so as previously mentioned I have been "waiting" for my two LIMITED EDITION Madonna records to arrive. I figured that seeing as they didn't come today they would be here tomorrow.

Lets backtrack a little bit here for a moment in order for me to explain my situation:

It's 6:55AM and I'm wide awake waiting for the mailman to arrive because I am expecting all THREE of my records to arrive to day. Two Madonna Ones and a Red Hot Chili Peppers one...all three (and I can't stress this enough) are LIMITED EDITION.

The mailman comes and and all that comes through the door are letters and one record...the 7" RHCP one. I WATCHED the mailman put them through the door...I now figure that it'll be Friday when I get my two Madonna ones.

Lets skip ahead to 6:12pm in order for me to continue to explain my situation:

I'm having a shower and I hear my awesome, lovely, gorgeous fiance come through the door and starts shouting up to me. "MEGS, MEGS TURN THE WATER OFF" Now, thinking something is really wrong (little did I know) I turn the water off immediately and say "WHATS WRONG WHATS GOING ON??"

That that he replies: "HUN, HOW COME YOUR TWO MADONNA RECORDS ARE SITTING ON THE DOORSTEP IN THE RAIN?????!!!!!"

I stood there in blatant disbelief..."WHAT!?" I said. Anthony says to me "Seriously Hun, I have them in my hand, they were sat on the doorstep."

***Partental Advisory: If you object to profanities and/or just don't like it or have something against it, than go watch the Carebears because this part of my entry gets a little graphic***

"THAT MOTHER FUCKER OF A MAILMAN!!!!!!" I said shouting down to Anthony. "I KNOW HUN I CAN'T BELIEVE IT" he says.

So I finish my shower, get dressed and go see Anthony and sure enough there they are in his hands my two Limited Editon Madonna records. They were sat out there all day. Now, I live in a rather decent neighbourhood but there are some assholes around and to be frank, I am so fucking surprised they are still there. I was home ALL DAY today and not once did anyone come to my door to say there was a delivery (because the Madonna records are 12" so they won't fit through the letter box, they need to be hand delivered).

I STOOD there this morning and watched the mailman put the rest of the mail through the door. So why in the HELL are my other records sat outside?? Either our mailman is fucking braindead, or he's fucking braindead.

Rest assured I will be complaining because that is not on...this is horseshit. Maybe that guy just forgot and set them down or something I don't know, but it is inexcusable because something shitty could have happened. Thank goodness it didn't, I love my records and I am a collector, and a new one at that.

I'll keep you posted what happens with my complaint-probably nothing as my records ARE fine in the end, but still. That man needs a good ol' bollacking!!!

Music

2006-07-27T13:32:00.000+01:00

I don't know if this is the case in Canada and the US as I've never checked before, but here at places like Virgin Mega Store and HMV you can buy records of current bands or artists albums. It's fantastic because I love records and have some really awesome collector's ones too. We have limited edition colour vinyl singles by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and we have Madonna records and U2 records and even Coldplay records...we just buy them when we see them or when they get released. And of course, the Madonna records are mine as I am a huge fan...she rocks.

Today we just got our limited edition 7'' picture disk of the current RHCP single 'Tell Me Baby', and I am still waiting for my limited edition 12'' picture disk of Madonna's newest single 'Get Together' and I am also still waiting for the 12'' limited edition record of her current album 'Confessions on a Dancefloor'...it is going to be kickass.

I love records they are great and are a fun thing to collect, and I think we have some which might be worth something some day. If you can buy them in the US and Canada go for it, they are a nice change from the ordinary CD...I am so glad that current bands are releasing these limited edition records its just really cool in my opinion.

Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink...

2006-07-26T15:35:00.000+01:00

For the past week it has been on the local news that we need to watch our water consumption as last week, several thousand people woke up only to turn their taps on and have nothing come out.

There has been a water shortage as people are using more than average amounts because of the extreme hot weather. Now, to me, it's only common sense to watch how much water you use ALL YEAR ROUND, but especially in the summer. I am VERY conscious of this and I wish that so many more people were too. I think people see water as this never ending resource and they can have as much as they want. To that I answer, NO YOU CAN'T.

During this time in which we are being urged by local authorities to really use as little water as possible, there are still people out there who are blatantly ignorning this and you know what? It's really pissing me off. People are outside washing their cars, leaving sprinklers on, leaving hoses on, filling up swimming pools...the list of offences goes on and on. These people are fully aware of the situation but continue to ignore it. These are the same people who when they wake up and find out that they have no water sit around and wonder why.

It's ridiculous...people need to realise that water is a precious resource and we shouldn't waste it. We all really need to come together and conserve water so that problems don't get worse in future.

So if you're reading this, think of ways that you can save water and help those around you.

I am a supporter of WaterAid also. My money goes towards helping people who are less fortunate in many different countries so that they can build wells and help people get clean water. WaterAid works in 17 countries providing water, sanitation and hygiene education to some of the world's poorest people. Just think about what YOUR life would be like without clean water. What would your life be like without water at all? It's scary. I don't think enough people think about these things.

Something so simple as turning the water off as you brush your teeth, or cutting showers short can really help...

If you feel like you could help to make a difference in the quality of someone elses life, please visit WaterAid. In these hot conditions we take for granted being able to have a cold glass of water...think of those who can't. It's horrible. For as little as £2 a Month you can help. Please if you can that'd be great. There are many other ways to help besides giving money also.

This month sees WaterAid celebrate 25 years of helping to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene education.

Check out www.wateraid.org and see how you can help.

''Now THAT my friend, is a shared moment''...

2006-07-24T11:57:00.000+01:00

Holden: So, uh, what do you wanna do tonight?
Banky Edwards: I dunno. Get a pizza, watch "Degrassi Jr. High".
Holden: You got a weird thing for Canadian melodrama.
Banky Edwards: I got a weird thing for girls who say, "Aboot."

So Saturday night my fiance and I finally watched the last Kevin Smith flick which we have both never seen...Chasing Amy. This movie is hilarious and I really enjoyed it, but I have to say that it's probably not one of my favorites. While the humour is brilliant, and the story, I felt that some of the long speeches were in fact, too long and it dragged a bit. Out of all the Smith films that I've watched this is probably like my third or fourth favorite, but like I said it is hilarious. Chasing Amy does not suck like Jersey Girl did.

I enjoyed it and I would say that if you haven't seen Chasing Amy, go rent it and watch it. It's worth it.

I am still dying to see Clerks II. It's so unfair that we here in the UK have to wait like another month.

Another movie which I saw on Friday night, not on DVD but in theatres, was the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I thought it was brilliant, perhaps not as involved as the first one but I really enjoyed it. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but what I will say is that they leave it WIDE open for the third. My gut feeling is that the third is going to be spectacular and bloody exciting! I feel like the third is going to be the most involved of the three and it will blow people away such as the first did. I highly suggest going to see this movie if you haven't been already. I thought the special effects were pretty good too.

Next weekend we might go and see Superman so I will report back on it if we do.

"Attempted murder, now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for attempted chemistry? "

2006-07-21T11:36:00.000+01:00

Now I can answer that quote from Sideshow Bob and the answer is No. But they do give Emmy's to people who provide great voice overs for fantastic cartoon characters.

It's no secret that Kelsey Grammer has been the voice behind the cartoon character, the evil Sideshow Bob. After Sideshow Bob starred alongside Krusty the Klown he then became bitter and decided to become the star of his own evil plot to frame Krusty the Klown and murder the infamous Bart Simpson. Popping up every now and then, and somehow out of jail on these occasions, Sideshow Bob can always be relied on to foil his own plans in the most humorous of ways.

In my opinion Kelsey Grammer provides the perfect voice for this character, lending a suspicious, sketchy tone which in no doubt leads people to believe that Sideshow Bob is ALWAYS up to something that he shouldn't be.

Thats why I feel that it is no surprise that Kelsey Grammer has just found out that he has won an award, an Emmy to be specific, for the voice over of this character that we all love to hate.

So, Congratulations are in order to Kelsey and I still think The Simpsons is the best show on tv bar none.

''Clerks 2 or Jerks too'' You decide

2006-07-20T11:39:00.000+01:00

So after my complaining about it being too hot over the past couple of days, I wake up this morning to overcast, cool conditions and it looks like we even had some rain during the night. Can you believe this weather?? Since last Thursday it has been hot, and since Monday it has been scorching and now today, Thursday, its the total opposite. Yesterday we had record temperatures of 36 and 37 Celcius, which are the hottest temperatures recorded in 1oo years here in England! And today looks horrible out! It's still quite humid mind you, but not as hot as yesterday or the day before.

I have come to the conclusion that mother nature is on crack!!!

RANT TWO:

I would also like to draw everyones attention to my links, and imparticular Snoochie Boochies, which is a link to Kevin Smith's blog, ''My Boring Ass Life''. Kevin Smith is a god in my eyes, a very talented, genius of a man. Now, you may not like all of his movies, you might find them offensive, you might love them...but, during a screening of his new movie Clerks II, would you stand up after having watched only a mere 40 minutes of it and shout to everyone's attention 'This is the first movie I have walked out on in 30 fucking years!' and storm out?

Would you do it? Even if you hated that movie with all your being? Or would you do the polite thing and either A) leave QUIETLY because there are other people in the theatre watching or B) Stick the movie out just to say that you have seen it and then you can form an opinion about it?

Well, lets just say that Joel Siegel didn't do either options, A or B, and is an unprofessional idiot who acted like a child when he went to the screening of Clerks II. It is disgusting behaviour, espeically for someone who is supposed to be a pro.

As I've said, on the right click on Snoochie Boochies and get on over to Kevin's blog to read and hear the full story. I was shocked.

Everyone needs to go see Clerks II, but I unfortunately have to wait much longer to see it here in the UK-and thats if I can even find a theatre who is going to show it. Rest assured I will find it somewhere though.

Here is a review for Clerks II published the other day:
(Found on MSN Entertainment)

You want fries - and attitude - with that? The boys are back in Clerks II

DAVID GERMAIN (written by)

July 17, 2006

LOS ANGELES (AP) - They may be the rudest guys ever to sell you a cup of coffee but Dante Hicks and Randal Graves are the most beloved store clerks the big screen has ever seen.

The boys are back in a followup to Clerks, writer-director Kevin Smith's comic gem that was part of an eruption of 1990s talent that led to the modern independent-film scene.

Clerks II, opening Friday, picks up a decade later with Dante and Randal as foul-mouthed, overly analytical and underachieving as ever, though they're dealing with grown-up matters like marriage, fatherhood and what passes for a career change in the slacker world.

Smith, who resurrected Clerks characters in Dogma, Chasing Amy and Mallrats, had tantalized fans by promising a Clerks sequel at the end of the Dogma credits. He later changed his mind.

"I was just like, that's a sacred cow, and I shouldn't really mess with the first movie," Smith said. "It's the one that put me on the map. What if your sequel sucks, and then people retroactively go back and hate the first one, and you lose all that good will?"

The good will is 12 years of adoring fandom for Clerks, a rambling, talky, black-white flick shot for a paltry $27,575. Smith paid for the film largely by maxing out credits cards while working as a store clerk himself.

After a disastrous debut to an almost empty theatre at New York's Independent Feature Film Market in 1993, Clerks caught some buzz in the press and was picked up by Miramax at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

Clerks took in a respectable but unremarkable $3 million at the box office, then gained a cult following as fans introduced friends to the movie on videotape.

"You're that 'Clerks' guy, aren't you?" a Blockbuster video executive once asked Brian O'Halloran, who starred as Dante. The executive told him Clerks was one of Blockbuster's most stolen or unreturned videos.

"I was like, 'That's our fan base. A bunch of no-returning thieves,' " said O'Halloran, who re-teams with Jeff Anderson as Randal for Clerks II.

What made Dante and Randal so popular?

"These guys don't have a filter in their conversation," O'Halloran said. "They're saying things in the male-companionship type of conversations that are taken obviously to a certain Nth degree that normal conversations wouldn't go. But it's subject matter not far from subject matter I and my friends and other people talk about."

Outlandish sexual escapades. Insults involving anatomical impossibilities. Idle speculation about favourite movies, such as the notion Luke Skywalker and friends killed innocent independent contractors when they destroyed the unfinished Death Star in Return of the Jedi. The plaint of the menial worker called in on a day off: "I'm not supposed to be here!"

That was the stuff of Clerks, which along with such movies as Slacker and Reality Bites tapped into the ennui and restlessness of twentysomethings in the 1990s.

"For me, it was always far more luck and timing than talent," Smith said. "It said the right thing at the right moment about being overeducated and underemployed."

Deciding against a Clerks sequel in the late 1990s, Smith announced he was saying goodbye to that world with 2001's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the misadventures of the dope-peddling pair in Clerks.

Yet after 2004's more adult comic drama Jersey Girl, Smith wanted to continue exploring his feelings about people in their 30s and felt Dante and Randal were the way to go. Producing partner Scott Mosier did not share Smith's concerns about bringing back the characters after proclaiming them kaput.

"He was like, 'So what? You changed your mind. You told me when you were a kid you wanted to be a Jedi knight. Are you a Jedi now?' "Smith said. "In the end, it wasn't a good enough reason not to do it when I felt I had a story to tell. So at that point, I was kind of off to the races."

Clerks II begins with Dante and Randal forced to move on with their lives after seemingly being frozen in time for a decade working at the Quick Stop convenience store and its neighbouring video-rental shop, actual stores where Smith worked while writing and shooting the original Clerks.

Without spoiling the opening gag, circumstances send Dante and Randal off to work at a Mooby's fast-food franchise, where lunch is served with some disgusting additives amid obscene debate about pop culture, sex acts and which is the one true trilogy, Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.

"There's something in this to offend everyone," said Rosario Dawson, who co-stars as the Mooby's manager. "So many movies that are made now are so safe. They're trying to get as broad of an audience as possible, and the product is so watered down it's just an insult to the intelligence of most audiences. That's not at all what Kevin does.

Clerks II features cameos from Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, plus the return of drug dealers Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), though they're no longer users themselves, a nod to party-hearty Mewes staying sober for the last three years.

"I think people relate to Jay and Silent Bob, dudes just sitting around smoking weed and being obnoxious," said Mewes. "A lot of people tell me, 'I have a friend just like that.' "

For all its vulgarity, Clerks II has a sweet sensibility and ultimately takes Dante and Randal to a place that should please fans of the original flick - and could leave them counting on Clerks III.

Smith said he would not rule that out, and he hopes to do a straight-to-video animated Clerks movie. But a third live-action film would be a tough sell for Anderson, who only agreed to do Clerks II after a lot of arm-twisting.

"If Kevin thought he had a hard time convincing me to do number two, he's in for a real battle to do number three," said Anderson, who initially thought the sequel was a bad idea but signed on because he liked the script. "This one's a very nice bookend to'Clerks, and I think the ending is really poignant."

It's too hot to blog

2006-07-19T11:32:00.000+01:00

Today we are supposed to reach a high of 37C and I have no idea what the humidex is. It has been like this since Monday and is expected to continue all through the week. Last weekend was gorgeous though, about 25-28C with a nice breeze and that was manageable. Now it is getting just too hot out...I swear to god we should have shares in all of the ice cream companies...they HAVE to be making a fortune.

I just wanted to say a little something about one of my favorite buildings ever while I am here...Lincoln Cathedral is breathtaking. I've seen it half a dozen times and every time it never seizes to amaze me. In August of 2005, the cathedral was used for the filming of The Da Vinci Code. Filming took place mainly within the cloisters of the cathedral, and remained a closed set. The Cathedral took on the role of Westminster Abbey, as the Abbey had refused to permit filming.

The town of Lincoln is gorgeous, with and oldy worldy feel to it, shops and buildings which have been there for hundreds and probably thousands of years. It's just incredible to me. Maybe it is because I come from such a relatively young country I can't help but appreciate these incredible structures. But, this cathedral is HUGE. When you stand at the bottom and look up at it, you feel so minute. At one point it was the tallest building in the world! The architecture and the stone carvings are immaculate and the inside of the cathedral is gorgeous. The stained glass windows are so colourful and light the place up when it's sunny out. If you are reading this and are planning a trip to the UK or you live here in the UK and have never been to Lincoln before, I urge you to go. It is fantastic!

Also in Lincoln, during selected weekday evenings throughout the year (Halloween being the most fun!) there is a Lincoln Ghost walk. The lady who does this is fantastic and she really knows her history. This lady definately knows how to tell a story and never disappoints. I have been on the Lincoln Ghost walk several times and I keep going because its just fantastic. You walk along guided by your host, this awesome lady who I think is named Margaret, and you visit different sites near the castle and cathedral and all around. She tells you some spooky stories about the area, but mainly a lot of really intesting history. It's such a fab learning experience and it's so much fun. If you go to Lincoln I totally urge you to go on this walk, its great.

Below I am posting some links so that if you wish to visit you can get some info:

The official site for Lincoln Cathedral:
http://www.lincolncathedral.com/

The Wikipedia page for Lincoln Cathedral with lovely pics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Cathedral

News, Entertainment, and Goings On in Lincoln:
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/

The Official Lincoln Ghostwalk:
http://www.lincolnhistorywalks.co.uk/

You've Got Mail

2006-07-14T11:40:00.000+01:00

I found something on the net today that I have been searching for...

You know in the movie Eurotrip and every time that dude gets email on his computer, it says 'Mail Mother Fucker!'

Well I have found a place where you can download a torrent for it:

Go to : http://thepiratebay.org/details.php?id=3370979

That is where I found it and rest assured is going on my cell phone :P

The weekend is upon us

2006-07-14T11:21:00.000+01:00

Last night we had the joy of watching Kevin Smith on the Tonight Show. Is it just me or do you also like to see Jay Leno squirm a little bit? I like Jay, don't get me wrong, but it was hilarious to watch his face while Kevin Smith was explaining to him in great detail how he managed to get out of jury duty. For those of you who don't read Kevin's blog (aka My Boring Ass Life) and don't know the story, I will say this:

It involves a severe problem with the anus, a couch in the ladies room and a judge.

Needless to say he got out of it.

I am away this weekend and am really looking forward to relaxing and it turns out I am going a day earlier than expected too!! I must go now and pack and paint my nails! Gotta look spiffy...

I hope that you, my loyal reader (all three of you again...please don't laugh), have a fantastic weekend and I hope that the weather is sunny and warm as it is here.

Cheers,

Megs

PS-

2006-07-12T14:07:00.000+01:00

My Motorola V3 RAZR is working a treat!

YAY!!!!

Flying Facts

2006-07-12T13:30:00.000+01:00

In the past I have posted numerous entries about my experiences with travelling and any hints or tips that I could offer which may help someone who is about to book tickets to go on holiday. Today I found a fantastic article from MSN Travel which really sums up things that I have said in the past, and also offers some new helpful hints.
Here it is:

How To Book A Cheap Flight by Elizabeth Sahadeo, The soko.com

Travel agents do not always know best on the contrary to what most believe. They tend to steer you on the route of major airlines, which happens to be the most pricey. They neglect to inform their customers of the other methods of travel that are available to them, which makes sense because they will not gain any profit if you go with a method that they are not affiliated with.

With that said, why use a travel agent? Be your own travel agent. The following information will allow you to alleviate your dependence on travel agents as well the frustration entailed with the never-ending hunt for the cheapest flight.

Timing is Key

One of the most fundamental rules of getting the cheapest flight is to wisely choose the date you purchase your ticket. Flights leaving Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays are always more expensive. Try leaving and returning sometime in the middle of the week.

When you decide on a destination, try not to go when the city is at its busiest such as during holiday season because fares will increase considerably.

Prepare Yourself

If you do decide to consult with a travel agent, be sure to ask for the lowest possible fare. I emphasize this because the current lowest fares might not fall under the economy or APEX fare rate. APEX (advance purchase excursion), is much lower than normal fares and is valid in specific sectors of economy class. It also must be purchased at least seven days prior to time of departure. When consulting with a travel agent, you should educate yourself on airline lingo, like APEX, and also the options you may have available to you so you won't get blinded-sided and find yourself heavily influenced by options that may benefit the travel agency rather than you.

If you don't have the intention of re-locating to your destination of choice, make sure you purchase a return ticket along with your ticket there. In other words, purchase a round-trip ticket, which is much cheaper than purchasing two individually.

Know Your Rights

Make sure you take advantage of deals that cater directly to your age group or status. For example, students and youth are privy to a wealth of discounts due to their status.

The Internet

The best deals for flights for major airlines are located and sometimes only valid on the company's website. To increase your chances of getting a good deal, sign-up for the airline's newsletter, which is offered by most major airlines. You will be sent notifications of deals through email, which at most times are before they are featured on the site itself.

Try Getting Bumped

Most airlines slightly over-book certain flights because they anticipate that some passengers will be unable to make their flight and in order to maximize revenue, they incorporate this tactic. However, if all passengers do show up and the flight is in fact over-booked, the then airline must ask for volunteers to relinquish their seat and wait for the next boarding. Seeing that the vast majority of passengers refuse to do so, the airline gives out incentives. These incentives could include money as well as vouchers for free flights.

Most often bumping occurs during holidays and on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity arrive early and wait by the desk so you will be first in line to volunteer to be bumped.

Charter Flights

(This is what we use and we have never had a problem, www.airtransat.com or www.flyzoom.com are fantastic charter airlines)

Charter flights, for the most part, offer fares that are much lower than major airlines. The reason for this is because charter companies lease an airplane for a specific route and allotted time. The already low price for tickets begin to decrease as the departure day approaches. However, if not enough seats are sold, the flight will be cancelled without notice, and other airlines are not at any obligation to accommodate you if such an occurrence happens.

Courier Flying

Extremely cheap airfare is given to individuals willingly to use their checked luggage allotment for parcels, which need to quickly get to a designated place. If you decide on this option, all you basically have to do is meet a courier company employee before the flight with your ticket and board the plane. It is very unlikely that you will ever have to handle the parcel. If a courier company is in dyer need of a flyer they do offer free flights.

The downside of this method is your trip will be based on the courier company's schedule, where you might spend as little as two days at a destination.

Ethnic Bucket Shops

Foreign airlines usually distribute discounted airline tickets to ethnic pockets around popular cities. So Little India in Toronto may provide specials from Air India to destinations all over South Asia.

To find these shops, ask around when in the region. Most of these shops are advertised in local ethnic-language newspapers.
_________________________
why fly?

Yes, flying is the most convenient, comfortable and time efficient way to travel. However, if you are thinking in terms of cheapest method of travel it is from being the best. In order to fly for cheap, you must explore your options and be willingly to be flexible in your travelling endeavours.

Federline vs Timerblake...

2006-07-10T15:44:00.000+01:00

Check out: http://popbytes.com/archive/2006/07/kevin_federline_vs_justin_timb.shtml

The celebrity death match between:

Kevin ''Hey baby, spot me some of that cash and I'll put a ring on yo' finger'' Federline

and

Justin ''I'm gonna make like my hit single and rock your body'' Timberlake.

RIP Eddie

2006-07-10T11:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I heard that the Jack Russel Terrior who played 'Eddie' on Fraser died at the age of 16 I believe. That's really sad! I liked that dog. He was one of the coolest dogs on tv dammit...at least all dogs go to heaven. :P

So it's Monday morning and my Motorola V3 RAZR Status is: Working perfectly.

Lets hope it stays that way!

Hello Moto...Part Two

2006-07-09T16:14:00.000+01:00

So yesterday my fiance and I made it our mission to go searching for a new cell phone for me...yet again. After having returned my Motorola V3 Razr a few weeks ago, I was left disappointed and wondering what I was going to do as my old cell phone was a pile of junk. Over the past couple of weeks I've been looking at trying again and going for a new phone. I looked at some pretty snazzy Nokia phones, and I've had a Nokia before and it was a great little phone. The one that I looked at recently was the pink and silver slide phone, the ever popular Nokia 6111. What a great phone...so we went to the stores yesterday to pick one out and I looked at the Nokia 6111 and some other Motorola phones, mainly the PEBL and the SLVR (which my fiance has and its brilliant). None of them just really caught my eye or made me very excited...I still loved the V3 Razr. For those few days when I had it and it actually worked, it was such a fantastic phone. I was so disappointed when I had to return it because I loved it so much and wasn't sure if I'd ever try another one in case I had the same problems with it. But, in the end, I decided to give it a whirl. I went to a different store and bought the V3 RAZR. I've had it for two days now, and its been charging up for most of that and now I'm just starting to use it. I am HOPING that this one is a good one and I don't have any problems with it. So, my fingers and toes are crossed that I've got a good Razr phone with no defects.

I will definately keep a close eye on it this week and hopefully all goes well. If not I am determined to get one that works, and if this one is faulty I'm returning it and trying again. Some people we know have bought them and they have worked perfectly and others who have bought them have had to exchange them in becasue of problems with the battery and software. So its kinda 50/50.

All in all I am excited because it's such a great phone. I love it.

I've had a really great weekend, had loads of fun yesterday and did a bit of shopping. The weather hasn't been so nice, its totally cooled off and its very windy. I'm hoping we get some sun soon...I have to admit that the cool temperatures have been a welcome break from all of the hot and humid 30 degree C weather.

That's all for now, I'll keep ya posted on my new Razr phone.

Cheers,
Megs

Don't Drink the Water

2006-07-07T17:31:00.000+01:00

Some interesting things which I have learned today in the news:

Toronto's Pearson International Airport has been deemed the most expensive airport in the world! It's expensive for airlines and for the people in general. Next time you fly out of Toronto check out all of the surcharges, taxes and airport fees. They are quite expensive and add a lot on to the cost of your ticket.

Also today it has been said that if you suffer with a low immune system, you should avoid drinking the water on airplanes, which include the coffee and tea. Apparently the water from the taps in the washrooms are the worst, but who's going to suck on those if they're thirsy, certainly not me. I've posted the article below.

And tickets go on sale July 22nd for this years Farm Aid backed up by music legend Neil Young. It'll take place this September in the state of New Jersey and is a very worthy cause, so make sure you take part! Help some farmers dammit!
A list of performers so far include: the man himself Neil Young and his Farm Aid co-founders, Willie Nelson and John Mellancamp. Also performing will be the Dave Matthews Band.

Hope you're having a great start to the weekend, Cheers Everyone!
Megs

Don't Drink the Water:

OTTAWA (CP) - Airline passengers with compromised immune systems are being warned to avoid drinking any tap water on flights - and that includes tea and coffee.

The new Health Canada advisory follows a series of random tests that revealed both total coliform and E. coli bacteria in some airline water systems.

Health Canada said 15.1 per cent of airlines tested positive for total coliform, while only 1.2 per cent showed traces of the more dangerous E. coli.

The presence of total coliform usually suggests water is of poor quality or stale.

Most of the contaminated water came out of washroom taps.

While all airlines have taken steps to sanitize their water systems, Health Canada said tap water can still be a danger.

I can't even think of anything clever for this...words just do not describe

2006-07-05T16:07:00.000+01:00

While standing in my kitchen in front of the sink washing dishes, I was staring out the window. The window in the kitchen faces the street and you can see everyone who walks by. I've noticed that people are really nosy and are always looking in to the house when I'm stood there trying to wash the dishes.

Today I saw something which totally angers me, and always has.

A pregnant woman walked by smoking like a friggin' chimney.

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! I just can't believe that women do that to themselves these days. Everyone is quite aware what the disadvantages are of smoking, and everyone knows that smoking during pregnancy can cause complications for the baby!! Why, as a mother or mother to be, would you even put you and your baby at risk?? Not only are you fucking over your life, your fucking over someone elses which hasn't even totally started yet!

If you're a smoker, than fine that is your choice. You know where to get help if you need it. Who am I to judge? But if your pregnant and you're smoking (and this goes for drinking too) than you are a dumbass. You need to stop and think about the consequences. Is it really worth it? What if something drastic happened to YOUR CHILD>?

I feel compelled to speak out on this because it's just not right. If you're pregnant and you're a smoker who is smoking during pregnancy, just please stop. Just think about what it is your doing. For the sake of your kid...and after your child is born, think about the effects of second hand smoking as well...don't even get me started on that one.

A new report released on the 27 of June says:

TUESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -

No amount of secondhand smoke is safe.

And the only way to protect nonsmokers is through smoke-free environments. Separating smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space or relying on sophisticated ventilation systems just doesn't work.

That's the conclusion of a new U.S. Surgeon General's report issued Tuesday, which determined that nonsmokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work had a 25 percent to 30 percent increased risk of developing heart disease and a 20 percent to 30 percent increased risk for lung cancer.

"Science has proven that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Let me say that again: There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke," Dr. Richard H. Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General, said in prepared remarks. "Only smoke-free environments effectively protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure in indoor spaces," he said.

Paul G. Billings, the American Lung Association's vice president of national policy and advocacy, added: "Essentially, the Surgeon General slammed the book on any scientific debate on secondhand smoke. The evidence is clear. Secondhand smoke is harmful and needs to be eliminated."

The sweeping report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, was based on the latest research on the topic. The last comprehensive review of secondhand smoke by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services came out in 1986; that report concluded that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in nonsmokers.

Some 126 million Americans are still exposed to secondhand smoke. The risks are well documented and include heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults as well as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory problems, ear infections and asthma attacks in infants and children. Slightly more than 20 percent of children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

"Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can damage cells and set the cancer process in motion," Carmona said. "Brief exposure can have immediate harmful effects on blood and blood vessels, potentially increasing the risk of a heart attack. Secondhand smoke exposure can quickly irritate the lungs, or trigger an asthma attack. For some people, these rapid effects can be life-threatening. People who already have heart disease or respiratory conditions are at especially high risk," he added.

According to the report, nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. In 2005, an estimated 3,000 adult nonsmokers died from lung cancer as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke, 46,000 from coronary heart disease and 430 newborns from SIDS.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 carcinogens and is a known human carcinogen, the report said.

The report also found that living with a smoker increases a nonsmoker's risk of lung cancer and heart disease by up to 30 percent. The evidence linking secondhand smoke and breast cancer, at this point, is only suggestive.

And while progress to control secondhand smoke has been made, it's not nearly enough, health officials said.

"The good news is that, unlike some public health hazards, secondhand smoke exposure is preventable," Carmona said. "A proven method exists for protecting nonsmokers from the health risks associated with secondhand smoke exposure: Avoiding places where secondhand smoke is present," he said.

According to the report, comprehensive smoking bans such as those in New York City and Boston have not hurt the hospitality industry. Also, restricting smoking in the workplace not only reduces secondhand smoke but also reduces active smoking.

Such statements are likely to fuel legislative efforts to ban smoking indoors.

"The report is going to provide an additional tool and some very robust conclusions to support smoke-free laws and ordinances across the country," Billings said. "If anything, the momentum and the pace of passing smoke-free air laws will increase as a result of the report," he said.

"Those are very powerful conclusions, because those are some of the arguments the foes of eliminating secondhand smoke try to use," Billings continued. "I think this report will rebut those kinds of claims once and for all," he added.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General has these tips on protecting yourself and your loved ones from the effects of secondhand smoke:

- Make your home and car smoke-free.

- Ask people not to smoke around you or your children. -

- Make sure that your children's day-care center or school is smoke-free.

- Patronize restaurants and other businesses that are smoke-free.

- Teach children to stay away from secondhand smoke. -

- Avoid secondhand smoke exposure especially if you or your children have respiratory conditions, if you have heart disease, or if you are pregnant.

Link: http://healthandfitness.sympatico.msn.ca/News/

I'm out...

Megs

I don't know why there ain't no sun up in the sky...stormy weather...

2006-07-05T11:19:00.000+01:00

After a week of scorching hot weather, today looks set to finish the trend with severe thunderstorms on the horizon...

In a matter of minutes it went from being so hot, to overcast with dark ominous clouds , high winds and a drop in temperature which is VERY noticeable. I guess I won't be hanging my laundry out to dry today. It looks pretty scary outside and it's predicted that we are to get storms mid afternoon and into mid-late evening...it looks to me as if it's all kicking off quite earlier than the weather people expected. LOVELY! I HATE storms, they scare the shite out of me, and whats worse than a thunderstorm? Well, that'd be being home alone in a thunderstorm...I can say however that I am looking forward to some hopefully cooler temperatures tomorrow. This heat is just crazy, it makes people feel so lethargic and also really bitchy! lol.

Yesterday evening was great because we finally got to see the Hearts of Dartmouth Trailer Park Boys Special...it was pretty cool...I especially liked the part where they talked about where they got all the crap for the trailers...sweetness...And later into the evening, good ol' Crocodile Dundee II was on. How could we resist!? We watched that, evening though we have it and the first one on DVD and even though we've both seen it a trillion times lol. We were interupted halfway through our viewing though because of a surprise invasion of ants near our front door and parading into our kitchen. Not only do I hate thunderstorms but I have a phobia/fear of bugs. (Both are long stories)

So, we raced out to the store to buy ant traps at 10:30pm and left them over night and I haven't seen one ant so far today...they are such a pain!! They always try to get into the house with humid weather. A month or so ago the same thing happened and we had to buy traps. Stupid ants.

Well I'm off to find a place to hang my wet laundry other than outside and to run some errands.
Have a good one,

Megs

The MMVA's on TV in the UK, OMG!

2006-07-04T10:50:00.000+01:00

So last night while we were flicking through channels trying to find something decent to watch, we came across something that I haven't seen in a LONG time! On this channel that I've never heard of before and looks like its new, they were playing the Much Music Video Awards! Can you believe it? I haven't seen that awards show in years! We ended up watching and nothing much has changed over the years. I always felt that the MMVA's lacked the high budget lustre that the MTV Video Awards has...and I think the Juno's are even worse. I don't know what it is, I can't put my finger on it. I have to say though, some of the performing acts were great at the MMVA's, including some of my favorites like Yellowcard and Fall Out Boy. But I really thought that having Nick Lachey there and people like Paris Hilton was a bit dodgy. -At least they 'said' they loved Canada. Don't even get me started on Tori Spelling...I think enough people have.

And one thing that I noticed that hasn't changed over the years as well is the annoying VJ's! Where do they find these people?!

One thing that I did find fantastic was a performance by a guy named Dallas Green from the band Alexisonfire-which I've never heard before either...but this guy goes by the band name of City & Colour and he performed a song which totally captivated me, in my opinion it was the highlight of the night. This song was called 'Save Your Scissors' and I thought it was lovely.

I went on to Amazon immediately to see if it was available for purchase and sure enough it was. It was a little pricey but I can't wait to get it. I don't know what the rest of the album is going to be like, I don't even know this guys work with his other band, but I am hoping that I am going to love it. From what I heard its a lot of acoustic guitar type songs. Once again it is 'City & Colour' with the album 'Sometimes'.

I should get it in the mail over the next couple of days and as soon as I listen to it and make my mind up, I will post my feelings over this record.

It's still hot...almost too hot to blog! So that's my two cents for the day! Take er easy,

Megs

Put my luggage down before I go all Bruce Lee on your ass...

2006-07-03T12:02:00.000+01:00

Hello there, long time no post, so here I go!

For those of you who are reading this and are Canadian I hope that you had a kickass Canada Day and a brilliant holiday weekend!

It has been so hot and sunny all weekend so I hope that there was some great weather back home to make for a fun weekend...rain on a holiday weekend should be illegal!!

I just finished watching the E! True Hollywood Story (THS) about That '70s Show...it was pretty interesting but also very confusing...I've missed like the last three seasons due to living in the UK and having to put up with really old reruns that I've seen a zillion times...I've still not seen the season finale for the show, but I kinda get what happens after watching the THS. It was such a great show, I loved it so much, but heard it went downhill in its last season due to main characters leaving. Even still, I think it will definately go down as one of my most favorite shows ever.

Our weekend was good...I bought some new awesome luggage for our trip home to Canada! It's silver and bright PINK!! It's by a company that makes awesome, tough, durable and stylish luggage called Antler. Pink is my favorite colour...my reason for choosing such bright luggage is actually a really valid one.

Last time that my fiance and I flew home, it was a fairly normal landing...you go through all the procedures such as stoping at customs, and then you go and collect your luggage. The luggage goes round and round on a carousel and you have to wait until yours comes out and pick it up off the conveyor belt.

This is all well and good, except that anxious assholes make this much more difficult by thinking that EVERY bag is theres, and so they pick it up to look and see if it really is theirs and when they see that it is in fact NOT their luggage, they just dump it anywhere on the floor!! NOT back on the conveyor belt like they should.

Most peoples luggage is either blue or green or black or brown...so I have decided that buying luggage with a really bright, unusual colour would be the way to go so that people definately know that it's NOT theirs and it doesn't get picked up and thrown around.

It happend to me last time we landed and I started to panic because my bag was nowhere to be found. It turns out that this foreign guy 'thought' my bag was his, and when he saw that it wasn't he just dumped it on the floor!!! The only reason I found it was because I was panicing and thought that someone took my bag by mistake and looked around and saw this guy standing beside my bag...I went up to him and said 'THANKS A FUCKING BUNCH THAT'S MY GODDAMN BAG!!' People stared at me but I was so pissed off...it's not right.

Moral of my story: Just LEAVE peoples bags on the belt and let THEM find it...don't take bags off and throw them any which way just because you're an idiot and can't tell what is your luggage and what isn't. GOD.

I was pretty testy as well because I had just got off a 6 1/2 hour flight and these two ladies were sat in front of us. Now another thing that pisses me off about flying:

I can't afford to fly first class. So we go economy just like every other poor bastard. This is fine except the leg room is quite small and I am fairly tall. When I sit in the seats there is barely any room as it is, and last time we flew in to Canada this lady who was sat in front of me had her seat back THE WHOLE WAY!! Now, you might be thinking, well that's her choice if she wants to put her seat back or not...big deal. Well, IT IS A BIG DEAL because she had an extra leg room seat!!! These are seats on a plane which are located near the doors and have NO seats in front of them and have like 4 feet of space in front of them!! These women had NOONE in front of them and approx. 4 feet of room...and they HAD to put their seats back the whole time leaving my legs red and sore! I have really bad knees as it is and they were so sore and cramped by the end of that flight, so that didn't really put me in the best of moods to begin with, and then some jerkoff goes and just decides to take it upon himself to throw my frickin' luggage around the airport.

So yeah I'm really looking forward to flying LOL...

So next time you fly, just buy bright coloured luggage or make your bag unique. Or buy UGLY luggage or something with a really ugly pattern that no one else will have. Trust me it could save you a lot of hassle.

Or just don't fly...LOL.

So that was my unplanned rant for today...isn't it great how one story leads to another lol.

Have a great day...Until next time,

Megs

Steady As She Goes...

2006-06-23T15:04:00.000+01:00

The two best songs ever at the moment are:

Broken Boy Soldier by The Raconteurs

and

Store Bought Bones by The Raconteurs

EVERYONE needs to check this band out, they rock so much. Broken Boy Soldier by The Raconteurs is one of my top albums so far this year.

...a fish cake, battered sausage, two small portions of chips and a cup of gravy please luv...

2006-06-21T13:30:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we were so extremely busy in the evening...I returned my Motorola V3 RAZR phone and in the end I decided that I would exchange it and try again. Everyone knows that the RAZR and also the PEBL has had issues, mainly with software and batteries and if you get one and it's a dud you just need to return it and try again. And if that one doesn't work, take it back and try again...try, try again. My fiance works with a guy who had to return FIVE RAZR's before he got one that worked. When mine did work it was sweet so I do want to try...

So I go to return it yesterday and decided to exchange it and try another one. Yeah right...they were out of stock. So, I had to just get my money back. This weekend I'm going to get another one from another mobile phone shop downtown. Hopefully it works and if not, I'm so determined to find one that works.
A lot of people have bought them and got ones that work sweet, so here's hoping!

So last night we were out doing that and had to run a few other errands. There was no time to cook dinner so we decided to go to the chippy and rent a few movies from Blockbuster. Sounds like a good night in to me!

chippy Noun. 1. A chipshop. {Informal}

While we were in the chippy, this guy walks in wearing a leather vest, cowboy boots, cowboy hat and all dressed in black. I was laughing and I was like, haha it's probably some American guy who has moved here and likes to dress like a cowboy.

While we were waiting for our order, I took a closer look and the guy had loads of pins on his vest and his hat...and guess what they were pins of????

THE CANADIAN FLAG!!! LMAO

He was chatting and joking around with the owner of the chippy too and man, it was SO obvious he was Canadian. I'd recognize that accent anywhere!!

Anthony turns to me and says 'Megs, can you tell where he is from just by listening to his accent?' And I said, 'No, but I bet he's from Saskatchewan!'

HAHA.

Thank ya ma'am!

2006-06-20T22:29:00.000+01:00

It was reported yesterday by CTV News that Toronto is the third most polite city in the WORLD! I have to say that I was surprised. I was even more surprised to see New York as number one, but I guess I didn't think Toronto would make the top three. I thought that it would make at least the top ten, but the top three is fantastic. From personal experience, the more I think about it, the more I think that Toronto deserves that honour. Sure, it's a city and you'll eventually run into someone who is rude and ignorant, but hey, you can do that anywhere. Anytime that I've actually been downtown Toronto there have been some really friendly people who have helped me find where I am going. Here's an example:

Anthony and I were downtown not too far from the CN Tower as we had just been there to visit. We wanted to get to the Eaton Centre and walked around for a while following a fairly vague map that we picked up at tourist information. We got to a bus stop and read the map and it said that a certain bus was due to go in the direction of the Eaton Centre and there was a stop nearby. So the bus comes about 15 minutes later and lets a bunch of people off. Then, Ant and I were the only ones to get on and the guy said that he was finished his shift and wasn't taking anymore passengers. We said, 'Oh well we're from way out of town and we're just trying to find the Eaton Centre, could you point us in the right direction?' And you know what, that bus driver did BETTER than that. He told us to hop on and DROVE us right there to the Eaton Centre. How awesome is that...so Congrats T.O on your third place honour. Here's the official story below and also the full and complete list of the top most polite cities around the world:

CTV.ca News Staff

Toronto has always had a reputation of being nice, and now a global survey proves it.
A Reader's Digest evaluation testing politeness and courteousness conducted in 35 countries worldwide ranked Toronto as the third most polite.

Hogtown finished behind Zurich, Switzerland, while New York City topped the list of friendliest cities in the world. Montreal, meanwhile, finished 18 spots behind Toronto at number 21.

The monthly publication tested residents by sending undercover reporters around the world to test three specific types of politeness. They included:

whether people would hold open a door for them;

whether store clerks thanked them after a sale; and

whether anyone would help if they dropped a folder of papers on a busy street.

New York passed the tests 80 per cent of the time; Zurich scored a 77; and Toronto finished with 70.

Mumbai, India, finished last with a score of 32 upon completion of the 2,160 "real-life" situations.

The region where the least amount of courtesy shown, according to the survey, was Asia, where eight of nine cities finished in the bottom 11.

Test subjects were asked why they acted the way they did after the experiment. Most said they were polite because that was the way they were raised.

Those in New York said their city has become friendlier since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In Toronto, 11 out of 20 helped when the Reader's Digest reporter dropped his or her paperwork, the lowest score of the three experiments.

However, those who failed the test were in their 60s and older.

"I knew I should have helped, but I'm too old to bend down," explained 79-year-old Sergio Balmant after ignoring a researcher in need.

Other seniors said they didn't want to get involved in someone else's personal documents.
In the overall global survey, those older than 40 fared much worse than their younger counterparts.

In Toronto, women were slightly more courteous than men, and both groups were significantly more polite towards their own sex. Some men said they worried about patronizing modern, independent women.

"I'm originally from Romania," said Valentin Punga, a 30-something Montrealer. "Over there I wouldn't hesitate to help pick up the papers. Here it is different. Once, I tried to help a woman who had dropped something, and she told me she was perfectly capable of doing it herself."

Conversely, men in New York were more willing to help women in the document drops, and all men held open the door for female reporters.

The Toronto reporters -- one of whom was born here -- weren't surprised their city ranked so high. "I've always found people here to be very polite and courteous," said reporter Ian Harvey, who emigrated from England in 1972. "This is a fast-paced city, we're all busy, but it's the norm for people to take the time to help out."

London and France placed in the middle of the pack with scores of 57, while Milan and Australia finished 24th with scores of 47.

In Europe, Moscow ranked the least polite city.

When a woman failed to hold a door open for one reporter she replied, "I'm not a doorman -- it's not my job to hold open doors. If someone gets hurt, they should be quicker on their feet."

Here's the link for the story:
http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060620/toronto_nice_060620

Here's the list:

Reader's Digest list of most courteous countries

The following is a ranking of the most courteous to the least courteous -- 35 major cities included in RD's Global Courtesy Test. Figures reflect the percentage of people who passed in each city. When multiple cities had identical scores, they are listed in alphabetical order.

City List

New York, U.S.A.
80%
Amsterdam
52%
Zurich, Switzerland
77
Helsinki, Finland
48
Toronto, Canada
70
Manila, Philippines
48
Berlin, Germany
68
Milan, Italy
47
Zagreb, Croatia
68
Sydney, Australia
47
Auckland, N.Z.
67
Bangkok, Thailand
45
Warsaw, Poland
67
Hong Kong
45
Mexico, City Mexico
65
Ljubljana, Slovenia
45
Stockholm, Sweden
63
Jakarta, Indonesia
43
Budapest, Hungary
60
Taipei, Taiwan
43
Madrid, Spain
60
Moscow, Russia
42
Prague, Czech Republic
60
Singapore
42
Vienna, Austria
60
Seoul, South Korea
40
Buenos, Aires Argentina
57
Kuala, Lumpur Malaysia
37
Johannesburg, South Africa
57
Bucharest, Romania
35
Lisbon, Portugal
57
Mumbai, India
32
London, United Kingdom
57
Paris, France
57

Here's the link for this list:

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060620/readers_list_060620/20060620/?site_codename=toronto

Call me crazy...Screw you Motorola

2006-06-20T10:44:00.000+01:00

I am in a bad, bad, bad mood for two reasons:

The Oilers didn't win the Stanley cup ...after we stayed up until 4am to find out that they weren't going to get it.

I am having SEVERE cell phone problems. The phone that I currently have is over a year old and is a giant piece of junk. I HATE it. It constantly says that there is 'no network available', the screen just randomly goes blank, it randomly shuts off. In short, it's a piece of unreliable shit.

Now, not too long ago my lovely fiance got a new phone because it does way more useful stuff than his old one, such as having a memory card. I tell him, that I really need a phone because mine isn't working and I would like his old one because it's reliable and I used to have the same one so I know how it works. It's a good phone.

So, what does he do? He goes and gives it to his chain lad at work because he went to Florida and lost his brand new phone on a goddamn roller coaster. NOT MY PROBLEM. NOT ANTHONY'S PROBLEM. This is after I told him that I NEED his phone. He gives it away...Great. But, with that my fiance says that he wants to get me a new phone. Fine....

So, we were out Friday night doing some late night shopping and the phone that I want is on sale. It's a Motorola V3 aka RAZR, and it's fucking sweet. I am sooo stoked that finally I am going to have a reliable phone which works.

WRONG.

This new phone, my V3 or RAZR is also a giant piece of shite!! Something is seriosuly wrong with it. It just keeps switching off and won't turn back on, and then if it does come on it says that the battery is invalid and all sorts of crap.

So where am I left now? WITH NOTHING! New phone=crap. Old phone=crap. Fiances old phone=with someone else who is more than capable of claiming his insurance money and getting a new phone or buying himself a CHEAP one in the time being.

Am I mad? Yes. Am I returning this new phone tonight? Yes, with bells on.

Do I care if I ever see a cell phone in my entire existence? HELL NO.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am SO disappointed that the Oilers didn't win the Stanley cup. It's such a shame as I feel like they are a team who really deserved it. Game 6 was just unreal and I thought they had it going for them in Game 7, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Unfortunately...but I guess Carolina must be pretty happy getting their first ever Stanley Cup win. I am really looking forward to seeing what next season has to offer and LETS GET THE CUP HOME TO CANADA WHERE IT BELONGS!!

Well, I hope you, the person who is reading this, is having a much nicer day than I am. lol

Cheerio!

GO OILERS GO!!!

2006-06-19T11:50:00.000+01:00

Saturday evening was a huge night for the Edmonton Oilers as they took on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of the 2006 NHL Playoffs. Due to the time difference, the game wasn't on until 1am our time. It finished at 4am and we were exhausted. My fiance and I were determined to stay up and watch this game! There was no way we were going to miss it.

It was SO worth staying up for. What a game! We so badly want the Oilers to take home the cup and Game 6 was proof of just what the Oilers are capable of. It was a fantastic game and I can't wait until Game 7 tonight. Unfortunately it's on really late again, so we are going to have to watch the repeat on Tuesday. I am going to be avoiding the news like the plague!!!

Anyways, Congrats to the Oilers on such a well played series so far...bring home the cup boys!!

It won't be long...

2006-06-12T12:51:00.000+01:00

Canada

Are you disappointed?
And have we destroyed it... I
But I've been stumbling down this long and winding road
And these times are changing
And it's complicated... I
Well I don't wanna know

And I ....
Don't ask why anymore
And I ...
Don't ask why anymore, anymore

And is it getting better?
Can we live forever... I
And I'm not sure what the hell we're fighting for
And does the money make us?
And will the future blame us... I
Oh I don't wanna know

And I ...
Don't ask why anymore
And I ...
Don't ask why anymore, anymore

When you're tired and alone
And you feel like letting go
Come home

When you can't take anymore
When you're beat up and ignored
Come home

The sun's inside a hole
The faster you don't know
A long, long way from home
There are things you need to know
The answers leave you cold

You're a long, long way from home
And the summers coming back
And it brings a second chance
If you're not part of this
Then I don't wanna know ...

And I ...
Don't ask why anymore
And I ...
Don't ask why anymore, anymore

When you're tired and alone
And you feel like letting go
Come home
Oh when you can't take anymore
When you're beat up and ignored
Come home

Will The Future Blame Us by Our Lady Peace

You're such a hoser eh!

2006-06-12T11:14:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I was trying to explain to my fiance what a hoser is. Now, I gave him the long and short of it, but felt he deserved a proper explanation. That's when I turned to our friend, that wonderful online Encyclopedia called Wikipedia. I wanted to find out a proper definition for what a hoser is. This is what Wikipedia came up with and I found it to be hilarious, especially the parts which I have highlighted:

''HOSER is both a slang term and a stereotype, originating from and used primarily in Canada.

Like the very similar but less well-known term hosehead, it originally referred to farmers of the Canadian prairies, who would siphon gas from farming vehicles with a hose during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The expression has since been converted to the verb 'to hose' as in to trick, deceive, or steal - for example: "That card-shark sure hosed me." Hosed has an additional meaning of becoming drunk - for example: "Let's go out and get hosed." Extensive examples of hoser and hosed can be found in the newsgroup alt.tv.sctv

Today, the word hoser evokes - sometimes sympathetically, with gentle ribbing, and sometimes negatively - a stereotypical Canadian male, typically lower to middle class, white and English Canadian. He is especially concerned with drinking beer and watching hockey. The hoser is understood as a product more of rural, suburban or smaller city Canada than of the cosmopolitan larger cities.

He's often imagined wearing heavy winter clothing, usually a flannel lumberjack shirt, Kodiak boots and a tuque. He is generally a young adult to middle age, and may be somewhat aggressive given the beer and hockey, but may conversely be passive and amiable, given the beer. In musical culture, he is correlated with classic and mainstream rock music, particularly with Rush and the earlier, rowdier works of The Tragically Hip.

A hoser's flannel shirt may also be referred to as a Kenora dinner jacket. (Some regional variations of this term also exist, usually substituting a hoser-stereotyped local community's name in place of Kenora.)''

How funny is that LOL.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoser

2006-06-09T13:02:00.000+01:00

Everybody needs to go see Clerks II!

...The best game you can name!

2006-06-07T11:00:00.000+01:00

For all of you Canadian hockey lovers, I hope that you have been voting in the Hockeyville competition! If you could vote for Hanover as well, that'd be great!!

If you haven't voted yet, or want to find out more about what Hockeyville is, than be sure to check out the following link, and cast your vote!

http://www.cbchockeyville.ca

Would you like fries, actually scratch that. Would you like blue plastic with that?

2006-06-06T12:22:00.000+01:00

I was having a really bad day yesterday. Sleep deprived and frustrated, I couldn't wait for the day to just be overwith. I was so happy when my fiance came home because no matter what kind of day I have, he always makes everything so much better. We cooked dinner together, which consisted of Aberdeen Angus beef burgers, with a really nice salad. I couldn't wait to sit down and have dinner together and just chat about the day and chill out for the night, and watch crap on the TV.

So we cook the dinner, sit down and begin eating.

Halfway through my burger, I notice something isn't right. Yes it's cooked completely, the ratio of ketchup to bun is perfection...what could be wrong?

Well there is a giant fucking piece of blue plastic in my burger. EW! DISGUSTING!
I am really picky about my food and as soon as I saw this I was ready to vomit, and then my second thought was I hope to god that I haven't ingested anymore of this shit.

The best part is, these burgers are part of 'The Very Best of' line that this grocery store carries. I was totally put off and so was Anthony. It was 3 minutes to 8, and the store closes at 8, but I thought screw it. I'm going to call and see if there is a manager about because I am shocked. I call them, and speak to a very nice deputy supervisor who apologizes profusely. I am told that I need to bring in my burger into the store as it is, in a plastic bag and I need to bring the packaging that in came in too.

So today I have to go to the store with my half eaten burger in a friggin' plastic bag which looks like a science fair project gone wrong...I have to fill out paper work and my burger is going to be sent to a lab to be tested.

Needless to say, I am not going to be eating a burger for a VERY long time.
Our dinner was ruined so we ended up going to the fish and chip shop to get a bite to eat.

Today is a much better day though. The sun is shining, so I can't complain.

Fun, Fun, Fun, all the way campers!

2006-06-03T19:35:00.000+01:00

http://www.churchsigngenerator.com/

2006-06-02T13:51:00.000+01:00

Who knew?

'Go Little Song Go...'

2006-06-01T12:36:00.000+01:00

Nerina Pallot

Nerina Pallot is a singing sensation whose voice is distinct and such a pleasure to listen to. Obviously influenced by a Joni Mitchell/Country/Rock sound with a hint of Alanis Morisette (minus the bitterness), Nerina has formed her own very unique voice.

Her brand new album entitled 'Fires' will ingnite the airwaves with the first single 'Everybody's Gone to War'. When I first listened to this single I knew instantly that I had to hear more and so I ventured on over to www.nerinapallot.com to see what she's all about.

Her bio is really interesting and her upbringing is much different than most peoples, this self professed prodigy of music and everything artsy, who hails from the island of Jersey deserves all of the attention she receives.

On her website, click on 'Entertainment' and you're in for a real treat! You can listen to ALL of her songs. I can honestly say that I feel like this is going to be one of the best records of the year. She is going to give a lot of people a run for their money!

Go check her out (I insist!) at: www.nerinapallot.com

Listen to her tunes and then go buy her album and show your support. You won't be disappointed.

''All At Sea''

2006-05-30T12:23:00.000+01:00

ALL AT SEA by Richard Walters

Silence is empty, filled with breaths from mouths
that never move no more

She talked some more, she talks now

And all the lights went out in empty rooms
and now the empty hall

I talk alone, I talk now

And all I wanted was a Chance to see you anyway

Hold me, fold me up in your arms
Faster, my love, sinking and gone

I was aware the time, I was a son before I met you dear

I talk alone, I talk now

And all the lights go out in empty rooms
And now the dirty hall

I talked alone, I talk now
And all I wanted was a Chance to see you anyway

Hold me, fold me up in your arms
Faster, my love, shrinking and gone

Hold me, my love
Telling me don't be afraid
Wouldn't you want me to swim
Wouldn't you want me to stay?

Hold me my love
Telling me won't be afraid
Wouldn't you want me to swim
Wouldn't you want me to stay

You can purchase the Richard Walters EP 'Umbrella Songs' from the Beard Museum:

www.beardmuseum.com

It's definately worth the money, this guy is fantastic. Be sure to pick this up, an essential for any Richard Walters fan.

The Hip are taking the trip...

2006-05-26T12:41:00.000+01:00

Just a short post today to let you know that another great act is crossing the pond to do one lonely date here in England.

The Tragically Hip will be playing Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, England on the
7th of July, 2006. The show stats are on the Shepherd's Bush Empire homepage which is:

http://www.shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk

Tickets are reasonably priced as well, so if you're a hip fan and happen to live in the UK or you can get to the UK for that date you'll be in for a treat.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! It's a holiday weekend here in the UK, I am soo looking forward to it.

Cheers!

Megs

Never Fail Vodka Creme Pasta!

2006-05-25T11:25:00.000+01:00

Today I watched the Oprah show and there was an episode on where they were talking about the best foods and great recipes. Famous and brilliant chef Rachel Ray was on the show and she showed everyone how to make this amazing Vodka Creme Pasta! It looks gorgeous and I am a huge lover of pasta, so I thought that I had to post this recipe for everyone to look at and hopefully try! Rachel said on the show that this is a great date meal, as it's virtually impossible to screw up. Sounds fantastic right?! Here it is, give it a whirl!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 shallots, minced (shallots are a type of onion)
* 1 cup vodka
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
* Coarse salt and pepper
* 16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Serve with:

* Crusty bread, for passing

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots.

Gently sauté shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan (3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup).

Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes.

Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente
(with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat.
Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

Pass pasta with crusty bread.

I am going to give it a whirl this weekend, and I'll post the results next week! Enjoy!

Bad Baby Names!

2006-05-24T16:10:00.000+01:00

What is it with celebrities? They get enough attention as it is (unless you're Pauly Shore lol) and you'd think that they wouldn't want anymore of it right?

Well, you wouldn't think so with the way they are naming their babies! It's getting rediculous in my opinion. Is there some secret bad baby naming contest going on in Hollywood that we don't know about? For godsake, even Britney Spears named her son a reasonable name!

Sure, it's great to name your kid which is something different and unique, but there is a fine like between different/unique and stupid/your kid is going to get its ass kicked at school.

For instance we all know Apple Martin, daughter of Chris Martin from Coldplay. That one isn't too bad really, compared to some. And then there is Moonunit Zappa, Peaches Geldof (who has like a trillion middle names by the way, look it up), and Pilot is the name of Jason Lee's kid! (Jason Lee who you'll all know is from Almost Famous, most Kevin Smith flicks and My Name is Earl.)

Today is no exception. Geri Halliwell, former Spice Girl has named her baby girl Bluebell Madonna.

God help my fiance and I someday when we have kids. We already have names picked out (sad but true) and they are nothing like those ''original'' ones. God help us if we named our daughter 'Mango Trillium'.

2006-05-23T11:13:00.000+01:00

Windows Error

'What we are going to learn today is how to whoop somebodys ass with empty hands'

2006-05-22T11:41:00.000+01:00

Hey All...It's Monday. 'Nuff said, I don't really have any news at the moment, the weather has been insane. Last night I thought that the end of the world was upon us. It was like all clear out and it had stopped raining about mid-evening, and then all of a sudden there were huge roars of thunder and scary lightening!! For those of you who know me well, you'll know that I am terrified of storms! It's pathetic, but I have good reasons. (That's a whole other blog entry entirely lol)

Then it started to hail stones the size of peas, and then just poured with rain. And I mean poured! I have never seen rain like it in all my life, and I have been through some pretty crazy shit. And then like within the hour it was back to raining.

It's raining today. God I am so sick of the word 'rain'. Grr...

For those of you who read this and might happen to live in the UK, HMV has a massive sale on their website and everything is free shipping. I am buying the dvd of 'Clerks' this week, finally. I was going to get it on Amazon because it is on sale for 9.99, and you get charged for shipping. So I checked out HMV last night and they have it on sale for 8.99 and free shipping. That is a deal if I ever saw one. So check that out.

Listen to Richard Walters at www.richardwaltersmusic.co.uk

And everyone should own the following albums: 'Stand Up' by the Dave Matthews Band &
'Some Devil' by Dave Matthews

Well, that's all for today...Have a good Monday.

Cheers,

Megs

Dave Matthews vids from the Birmingham Gig

2006-05-18T12:13:00.000+01:00

Hi there everyone,

Some real nice peoples put some videos up on YouTube from the Dave Matthews gig that Anthony and I went to last Saturday. I thought that I would post the links to them so that y'all could have a look...

Here they are:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vcpwGVhPgro&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vOZKxXOl-E4&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-Bbw0HNzQFI&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kOGY8pRqRs4&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uWCRKySUbr8&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EXeAk-cbRr8&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WAYKyja2SGU&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FrtjmJ2rHnA&search=Dave%20Matthews
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qe3LyCE75CI&search=Dave%20Matthews

Just copy and paste each link into your web browser and it couldn't be much simpler!

The vids are in random order. I hope you enjoy watching them, it gives you a little taste of what we got to see last Saturday.

Have a good day!

Cheers

Megs

Set Fire to IE!!!

2006-05-16T18:28:00.000+01:00

Today I have switched from using Internet Explorer to Firefox! Man you can tell the difference right away, it's so fast and reliable and comes with many appealing features, I especially like that it blocks unwated things such as pop-ups and viruses etc.

I highly recommend it, it's fantastic and I think it's even more user friendly than IE!

Check it out at: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

''Rock on Bitches''-Dave Matthews

2006-05-15T12:20:00.000+01:00

Dave Matthews
13th May 2006
Birmingham Carling Academy

Saturday night, we were fortunate enough to see the best show on the planet. Dave Matthews was at the Carling Academy in Birmingham for his very special acoustic evening. It was incredible, there really aren't words to describe it. I have always been a fan of the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) but they were always my fourth or fifth favorite band. After seeing Dave live, I can honestly say they are number one now!

Here's how the evening panned out:

Anthony and I drove the hour long trip to Birmingham, which is a great city but is a HUGE pain in the ass to drive around. It's just insane. Two words: Spaghetti Junction.
We got lost, but somehow, by pure accident, found where we were supposed to be and parked the car. We decide to get out and walk around and try to find the Carling Academy, we had no idea where it was...so we start walking and low and behold it's literally right around the corner, a mere two minute walk away. Talk about luck...Birmingham really is a nightmare...

So we walked up to the Academy and there is already a line up of about 30-40 people at approximately 2:30pm. We take a look at the line and decide that it's short enough and we'd be safe to leave and go and get a bite to eat. The concert is due to start at 6pm so we figure we have loads of time. We wander off, have a nice bite to eat. Take the 5 minute walk to the Bullring and find Selfridges. Why in the hell were we going to Selfridges you might be asking? Well, they sell fucking Krispy Kremes of course! BEST DONUTS EVER! We decided that a Krispy Kreme was what we needed to keep our energy up, as we had just eaten a really healthy lunch. Mmmm...donuts.

We wander around and check out a few shops and then decide at about around 4:30pm we should go take our spot in line. We want to have a decent chance of getting near the front of the stage, because this is a standing room only venue. We walk back to the Academy and the line up has more than doubled. Possibly tripled, but was still pretty good, very manageable and we figure we still have a great chance of getting up front.

As soon as we got there it felt like everyone else started to show up. Two Australians joined the line up behind Anthony and I. They were really nice and we started chatting, when another guy jumped into the lineup. He was from Brazil! So we kinda just started chatting about the concert and how we had all found out about it...all of us had found out from other DMB fans! (Once again, props go to Dave from Mass Hysteria!)

It started to get really busy with people and about 20 minutes after standing in line, we start to hear some music.

Where we were standing in line, it was right alongside an alley which lead into the back of the Academy. Surely it couldn't be Dave Matthews warming up? Was it? Could it be?

YES! While we were standing in line, we literally had a preview of what was to come. We all could hear Dave warming up, and it was just awesome! The sounds of Dave Matthews himself were flowing out of the alley way providing us with some entertainment whilst we were all freezing our asses off in line. Last week the weather was beautiful and warm, and then as soon as the weekend rolled around it was so cold and miserable. We were freezing, but we knew that it would be worth the wait.

There were people lining up to see Mr. Matthews from all over! There were people from South Africa, Norway, America, Canada, Australia and of course the UK.

Just after 5pm, a couple of drunk kids walk up to the lineup which was by that time massive. ''Hey who the fuck is playing here tonight man?'', one of them yells. 'DAVE MATTHEWS' someone shouts back....'WHO?' is the response and we all start laughing.

So eventually 6pm rolls around, and we are all so thankful. It was freezing, our feet felt like they were going to just fall off and we still had the whole concert to stand as well...They start letting us in and there is a huge sigh of relief.

Our tickets are ripped, my purse is searched and we are on our way!! We walked down a couple flights of stairs and into the academy where Bob Marley tunes were blasting from the speakers. The place is virtually empty!! I felt like a feeling of panic and excitment came over me. I turned to Anthony and said 'FUCK! WE CAN GET TO THE FRONT!! LETS GO!'. We went over and found our places at the front of the stage and couldn't believe it. Anthony held our place as more people came in...I thought about finding where they were selling t shirts and stuff...I wanted to get in early to see what they were selling. I get some cash from Anthony and go over to where they are selling things, and there were like two people in the lineup! So I grabbed two official tour shirts right away and went back to see Anthony.

We couldn't have asked for more! T shirts were bought, our place in front of the stage was secured. Roll on Saturday night!

A guy named Richard Walters (www.richardwaltersmusic.co.uk) opened for Dave and he was fantastic! I believe he mentioned he either has a CD or a single coming out in July. This guy was good, so be sure to check out his site.

So Richard goes off the stage...people are starting to get restless. Some American fans who are along side keep running back and forth to the bar to get beers which is really annoying, but novel for them I'm sure coming from a country where the drinking age is 21. Jack Johnson music starts to blare out of the speakers. How much longer can we wait?!

Guitar techs are running around stage getting things ready, another guy comes out with a hot cup of herbal tea and sets it down on a stool. The lights dim, the music blaring from the speakers stops.

People start screaming and cheering.

Dave walks on stage and everyone goes nuts...he grabs his guitar, fumbles with the mic a bit, looking slightly nervous. We didn't know what to expect, but I think Dave didn't know what to expect either. He takes a sip of his tea, walks up to the mic and says 'Hello, I think um, I think I'm gonna play this one now...fuck it!' And the first song of the night is 'Bartender'... the second 'Grey Street' which sounds amazing as an acoustic song. Everyone seems to be singing along and have a great time! It was just incredible, I was awe struck.

The whole evening was brilliant, there was a great atmosphere, and Dave told some really funny stories and even plaed a new song for us called 'Sister'. He kept saying that he might be a bit 'crappy' at some of the songs because he usually plays them with a few friends, but every song was perfect. Flawless. He's so humble as well.

Here's the setlist from the evening, which I think is brilliant, a fresh mix of both old and new:

Bartender, Grey Street, So Much To Say, Where Are You Going,
Smooth Rider, Stay or Leave, Save Me, Old Dirt Hill, Dancing Nancies,
Some Devil, Everyday, Gravedigger, Crush,
Lie In Our Graves, So Damn Lucky,

Encore: Sister and All Along The Watchtower

Encore:Too Much and Crash Into Me

He finished with our favorite song, it was almost surreal.

During the night he talked about how he used to live in Amsterdam and how one day he was out on the streets busking for 'beer' money when all of a sudden this huge guy in a leather coat walks up to him and puts his hand on his guitar as if to say 'Shut the fuck up!' and then tosses some money his way...what an insult lol, but he got some beer money.

He talked about how when he was writing the song 'Crush' his wife came to him and read the lyrics and said 'that mother fucker better be about me!' lol.

I have never in all my life seen people go crazy until Dave said towards the end of the evening

'Next time, I think I am gonna bring a few friends with me'.

We all went mental!! It would be a dream come true. I think he has realised that there is a demand for them over here albeit slightly underground, people want the Dave Matthews Band. We need them!

Even though our feet were killing us, we managed to stick it out and had a blast. The evening went on from 6pm through till 9:30pm...it went by so quickly I think because everyone was just purely enjoying themselves.

What a night...like I said, we are both fans for life. It was unreal. I urge you to go see a DMB concert if you haven't been already. I can't even imagine how brilliant it would be with the whole band...

A great night in the end, I'll never forget it.

Someone has posted a video of the concert, and I have the link, it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bbw0HNzQFI Hopefully that works!

Check it out!

Cheers everyone!!!

Megan

Apologies

2006-05-13T11:58:00.000+01:00

Hi there, loyal blog reader.

Unfortunatley I am unable to post a huge entry today as I have to go and get ready to see

Dave Matthews perform.

Suckers. LOL

Be sure to look out on Monday for a post on how fantastic it was lol. Ok, I'll stop rubbing it in.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers, Megs

''The Sun is Shining, The Weather is Sweet''

2006-05-11T11:38:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! Warm, sunny, and perfect for gardening. Today is the exact same!! I can't believe how spoiled we all are at the moment, this weather is awesome. Except, the weather lady is predicting a repeat of last week which would mean the weekend isn't going to be great. As always, we'll have to wait and see.

I am, of course, hoping that the weather holds out because as you know, we are going to see Dave Matthews perform! I am getting really excited. I think it's going to be a blast. Early Saturday morning I am getting my hair done, and hopefully getting a snazzy new summery outfit to wear as well. It'll be fun.

Ok, now for a couple of half assed reviews:

Jose Gonzalez-Veneer

After hearing the hit single 'Heartbeats' from his critically acclaimed album 'Veneer', I seriously thought that Jose Gonzalez was the next huge thing. Apparently he is already huge in Sweden and has been for some time. Well, he has disappointed me, and I wish I hadn't spent the £10 on the album. I was really frustrated while listening to it, honestly. 'Heartbeats' is the only GREAT song on the album, and coincidently it's the only song that is NOT written by him! Go Figure. There is one other track that is good, and it is called 'Crosses'. Other than that I am just not impressed.

What some people might call 'moving and classic', I call 'droning, endless dribble that just is messy and confusing'.

Right now I am part way through reading the book 'No Lifeguard on Duty' by my favorite super model, the one and only Ms Janice Dickinson.

I am only a couple of chapters into this book, and it's just brilliant. It's an insane, roller coaster of a ride following the beginnings of the worlds self professed FIRST model of super. She is just brilliant, I am a huge fan of hers. She doesn't bullshit, she says what she means. I think we could all learn a lot from her. I highly suggest going out and finding this book, because you won't want to put it down. The way she writes this book, it makes you feel like you are sitting right beside her on a couch listening to her talk directly at you in a no-nonsense kind of fashion, pouring her heart out. This woman is truly unique, and makes you believe that you can over come even the worst of obsticles-and I'm not even finished reading it yet!! GO READ IT!!

Well, that is my two cents for the day. Like I said, it's beautiful out and I need to go finish tidying the garden...and hopefully I will get a tan! I look as pale as Casper !!

Have a good day, and remember tomorrow is FRIDAY! Best day ever!

Cheers, Megs

''Crosses''

2006-05-09T12:14:00.000+01:00

Don't you know that I'll be around to guide you

Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you

Returning nightmares only shadows

We'll cast some light and you'll be alright for now

Crosses all over, heavy on your shoulders

The sirens inside you waiting to step forward

Disturbing silence darkens your sight

We'll cast some light and you'll be alright for now

Crosses all over the boulevard

The streets outside your window overflooded

People staring they know you've been broken

Repeatedly reminded by the looks on their faces

Ignore them tonight and you'll be alright

We'll cast some light and you'll be alright

-Lyrics by Jose Gonzalez

''I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair...''

2006-05-05T12:24:00.000+01:00

Sandi Thom.

Remember that name, because in a few weeks time you won't be able to get it out of your head for a very good reason.

Sandi Thom is a phenomenal singing talent, which in my opinion is a fresh breath of air. Her voice is edgy, yet smooth, and she is one of the best breakout talents of 2006. She is a true testament of what can happen to people with a little bit of technology and a lot of guts.

Her story is genuine and one of a kind and it has blown me away completely.

For those of you who are musicians you will know that travelling around the country trying to make it from gig to gig in a clapped out, old beater of a car/van/truck (whatever happens to be available that particular week) can be challenging, and most of you have probably thought at one point in time that, 'man, there has got to be a better way'...Well, folks, Sandi Thom did.

Instead of trundling around from gig to gig, she decided not to go to the people, but to let the people go to her! GENIUS! She set out to buy a £60.00 webcam and launched webcasts from her very own website www.sandithom.com and the rest as they say is, well...history!

From the basement of her South London flat she announed 21 gigs that would be performed and broadcast live on the internet. On the first night, 70 people tuned in to her performance. On the second, 670. By the third night, a whopping 162,000 people were firing up their computers to get a taste of the singing sensation.

By that time, heads were starting to turn and she caught the attention of every major record label and had visits to her flat by music execs. What they heard blew them away...to quote her bio from her website www.sandithom.com:

''What they heard was a singer with a sensational voice - strong and expressive enough to fill the largest theatres, but also warm and soulful enough to win over hearts and minds in the most intimate of settings.''

After her two week virtual tour, all of the record companies offered her a deal and ultimately she signed a recording contract with RCA...and true to form, she did so live, in front of her webcam.

Her debut album is released here in the UK on 5th June, and is entitled 'Smile...it confuses people' and the first single to be released is 'I wish I was a punk rocker'.

Be sure to check it out and buy this cd, it will be essential to the music lovers collection.

''The song's bittersweet payoff line - "I was born too late to a world that doesn't care" - clearly comes from the heart. But in reality Sandi Thom has arrived in exactly the right place at the right time. And already the world is starting to care.''

Source: www.sandithom.com

Check out the video for 'I wish I was a punk rocker' at:

http://www.sandithom.com/site/media.php

"My show ain't no Dr. Phil, with people sitting around crying,"

2006-05-04T13:03:00.000+01:00

It's official...Mr. T has his own frickin' show. Well, if that doesn't cheer me up than nothing will!!

Here's the article with the details from MSN:

''The TV Land network announced Tuesday that the former star of The A-Team will host a new series where he travels across the U.S. to dispense advice and inspiration to Americans battling personal or professional problems.

"I'm going to talk it up. It's what I've been doing all my life," the 53-year-old actor, whose real name is Laurence Tureaud, told the Associated Press.

The series, which begins in October, is entitled I Pity the Fool, a catch-phrase for which the Chicago-born personality has become known.

"My show ain't no Dr. Phil, with people sitting around crying," he added.
"You're a fool - that's what's wrong with you. You're a fool if you don't take my advice."

Mr. T is best known for his starring role in the 1980s TV series The A-Team, about a group of Vietnam veterans turned heros-for-hire. But he's also a former boxer, bouncer, bodyguard and performer with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment).

Mr. T followed The A-Team with the short-lived detective series T. & T. Since then, he has mostly popped up in TV commercials and cameo appearances, ranging from the 2001 film Not Another Teen Movie to the teen TV series Sabrina. He has also appeared several times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Howard Stern Show.''

Source:
http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca

'I've got a dark alley and a bad idea that says you should shut your mouth'

2006-05-04T12:45:00.000+01:00

I am the original one and only Canadian Megs! Don't be fooled by the many imposters floating around the net these days...and this is the ONLY blog I have and ever will have. I do NOT have an MSN space. I have enough space between my ears, I don't need MSN to give me any more.

Just to clarify...

So today is not a good day. Well, you know its Thursday and I guess we all have Friday to look forward to and Friday is my favorite day of the week. And the weather has FINALLY cleared and its sunny and warm...for that I have to be thankful...mother nature has stopped pmsing and we have some beautiful, well needed sunshine.

The bad part is I am sooo tired. We have neighbours either side of us, and they are nice, good neighbours. But this morning our one neighbour decided to tackle some DIY (i think) and has been making a f'ing racket since 6:45 am this morning. Did I get any sleep this morning?> No. Have I been sleep deprived for a week> Yes. Am I a ''grumpy bum'' this morning> Yes.

Paint me blue, rub my tummy and call me grumpy bear...

I do have my morning 'cuppa' (cup of tea) now though which is slowly waking me up.

I can't wait for the weekend, I think it's going to be a good one. I just have a feeling lol. Town in the morning, out to lunch at noon, and maybe tidying the garden later that Saturday afternoon. I want to plant some more rose bushes, as last spring/summer my 'trial' rose bush did so well. I love roses so much and they look beautiful in our graden. So this year I have opted for more. Once it's all done and looking all pretty maybe I will post a pic.

So that is my blog for today...not much I know, but more to come still.

Have a nice day...

2006-05-03T12:28:00.000+01:00

Past Blogs

2006-05-03T11:57:00.000+01:00

Just a sidenote...

Please feel free to take a walk down blogger memory lane by checking out my previous posts, dating back almost a year! Time flies when you're having fun...

There are some great blogs about my fav charity Amnesty International...its a huge entry but it means a lot to me. I think you can find it around March 2005.

And theres some generally interesting random stuff too...the stuff that makes this blog so darn varied and interesting lol.

Top Rated TV

2006-05-03T11:18:00.000+01:00

America's Next Top Model

Tv just can't get any better at the moment. Although sometimes I feel completely bombarded with Reality shows, I don't think it's as bad here in the UK as it is in the US and Canada. For instance, take the popular tv show 'Survivor'. We don't even get that in the UK, and it used to be a decent Reality show- I have no idea what it's like now as I don't get the opportunity to watch it, but in Canada and the US it has a cult-like following. People are obsessed!

My favorite shows are quite vast in genre, comedy always being my favorite. The Trailer Park Boys are absolute genius, and with a movie opening up in theatres this Summer 2006, it can't get much better. I can only hope that we will get to see it here in the UK. Also, we are still waiting on the start of Season 6.

If it's one thing that I have learned about UK television it is that if we do get programming from the US/Canada, it takes us ages to get the latest episodes.

Desperate Housewives is brilliant and also a favorite of mine. Sex and the City was awesome, I loved that show, and when it finished I know it left fans wondering what they were going to do next-Desperate Housewives filled that void for sure. Can you say Drama? The end of each episode leaves you wanting more.

Also, America's Next Top Model is awesome. I LOVE it!!! Ok, I'm obsessed!! It's a girl thing...roll on Cycle 6!

Other top rated tv shows to check out are:

Rescue Me with Denis Leary , an edgy dramedy about firefighters trying to cope with life post 9/11. ***Rescue Me can be watched on the Showcase channel in Canada***

Lost-Although I have not seen it I have heard that it's fantastic.

The Apprentice-right now we are in the middle of the UK version, and in fact I think tonight is the finale. I like the US version better, and can't wait to get the current season of it.

American Chopper, Miami Ink, Meet the Barkers, Homewreckers....also great too.

So that is my top viewing at the moment. I am looking forward to what the summer brings.

You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals...

2006-05-02T11:33:00.000+01:00

Well, its Tuesday morning, but it really feels like a Monday morning because yesterday was a holiday here. I am super tired this morning, I'm not really sure why, I even went to bed early. I am super cheezed off because I haven't had my Dave Matthews tickets yet, as well as some other things in the mail. Sometimes our mail system can be really unreliable...it worries me. lol I am also super cheezed off because we haven't had a nice day in f'in ages!! Its MAY, wheres the sunshine, wheres the flowers, its too cold! Its raining, its very windy...this doesn't look or feel like Spring at all. The weather in England sucks. Hopefully it clears up soon, I need to buy some summery sandals, but I'm not getting any when its like that outside.

So, on Saturday we went to the zoo. The zoo for me is a difficult thing, as is the circus. For those of you who know me well, you'll know that I boycott the circus unless its strictly humans only, than that is ok. If there are animals involved than I refuse to go, simply because as a consumer I have no way of telling or proving which circuses treat their animals poorly and which treat their animals as good as they possibly can. So I just don't go at all. Yet, I went to the zoo.

The zoo on one hand is awful, animals both large and small which aren't in their natural habitat, locked up in smallish cages and forced to do stupid tricks and be humiliated by us, the ticket payers.

On the other hand, most renowned zoos have excellent educational programs to help educate the public on what is happening to various animals all over the world-extinction, illegal hunts, trade etc and how we can stop it. Also, most zoos incorporate breeding programs to help certain populations of animals which are slowly disappearing. To me, those are all great points. I enjoy the zoo like anyone else and this zoo that I went to did a good job in making sure they had lots of stimulation and room to play around. I just can't help but think, it still isn't enough.

Its a tricky one folks. I guess it just is a matter of personal choice really, but going to a regulated zoo, one that is regularly checked out and has to conform to strict, high standards is probably the best way to go, if at all.

Hopefully zoos help to educate people on the problems, which creates awareness and
then maybe more people will come together to help animals that are in danger.

So there are more good points to zoos than bad ones, in my opinion. You be the judge though, and think with your head and heart and go with your gut instinct. If you think animals are being treated poorly ANYWHERE, not just a zoo or a circus, than please report it to the relevent people. See my links on the right for more info.

We saw lots of animals, and I felt the best kept ones were the elephants. They had LOADS of room to wander and have fun.

And you know how when you go to a zoo you fear the inevitable...well, yup it happened. We saw monkeys doing it LMAO. Try explaining that one to a very young troop of brownies who have come to the zoo to try and find out more about animals from other countries. I pity their group leader, although it was quite entertaining watching them try to steer the group in another direction...'Come along girls, lets go look over there...'

Fun times.

All in all, not a bad weekend.

Less than too weeks today until we get to see Dave Matthews...thats if the tickets ever arrive!

It ain't easy being cheesy...

Traditional Capitalism Explained

2006-04-30T15:38:00.000+01:00

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.You sell the herd and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows.You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows.You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows.You re-design them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.You then create irritating cow cartoon images called Cowkimon and market them world-wide at a fantastic profit.

A GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows.You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month,and milk themselves.

ENGLISH CORPORATION: You have two cows. Both are mad.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.You break for lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows.You count them and learn you have five cows.You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.You count them again and learn you have 12 cows.You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION: You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.You charge others for storing them.

A HINDU CORPORATION: You have two cows. You worship them.

CHINESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them.You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest thenewsman who reported the numbers.

A WELSH CORPORATION: You have two cows. The younger one is rather attractive.

AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION: Western suburbs style.You have 2 stolen bulls but think they are cows.You die the first time you try and milk them.

AN IRISH CORPORATION: Who cares, The EU really owns them now and the pub is still serving.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION: You have two cows.You don't know what they are used for as they aren't sheep.You shag them anyway.

''Celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet for certain...''

2006-04-27T19:04:00.000+01:00

Dave Matthews

Well, guess what. I am lucky. My fiance and I are going to a very intimate, rare gig that is sure to be a night to remember! Dave Matthews is making a rare appearance here in the UK, and is playing a couple of gigs at some small venues, and we are fortunate to have tickets to one of them! Now, I can't take all of the credit, and here's why:

A massive thanks to Dave from Mass Hysteria for pointing out the fact that Dave Matthews is touring here in the UK!

I had no clue, and as soon as I heard, the tickets were booked, signed, sealed and hopefully delivered soon!!

I can't begin to explain how excited I am. We have been looking to go to a gig for ages now, so this is great. I have never seen Dave Matthews in concert before or the Dave Matthews Band even, so I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm told it will be a fantastic evening.

The gig is in a couple of weeks, so be sure to stay tuned to find out how it went, I will definatley have a blog entry for that one!

Thanks Dave!!

Cheers, Megs

I'm back...no really, I am...for good! insert evil laugh

2006-04-26T10:58:00.000+01:00

Well, it has been a while, but I have made that giant leap once again back into the 21st century and I now have internet access...man, I missed this lil blog. So, I imagine this is great news for all 3 of you who read this...ok fine, all 2 of you. (way to rub it in lol)

Over the next couple of days, there will be few but minor changes, so please bare with me as I remember how in the hell I do this again.

Also, there will be changes to links on my page as some need updating and some I don't need.

For all Mass Hysteria fans (see Dave, I big up your site all the time, 'cause thats what friends are for, and hosting dancing napolean dynamites lol) there is a new site, which I need to obtain the address for because I forget what it is already.

And, some features to look forward to:
The fact that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are playing in my city and I had no F'ing clue because I ham sofa king we todd ed.

Anthony and I are supporters of Water Aid, and I will introduce who that charity is, what they do and how you can help. Its a worthy cause, trust me. I wouldn't lie to my faithful readers. (yes, plural haha)

So, if you're reading this, take care and make sure you visit soon and often.

CHEERS!!!

Guess WHO?

2005-12-18T08:31:00.000Z

Blog? huh? Wha? Yup, here I am after a very long break from writing anything in my blog! That reason being I no longer have access to the net at home...which sucks, but I have managed to find a computer today and the very first thing that I wanted to do was check my blog. I thought someone might have deleted it or something due to lack of activity (if there is such a thing), but I am happy that its still here. I probably won't be posting much at all over the next few months, but I will as and when its possible for me to get to a computer. I was going to ditch my blog, but I just don't have the heart. So, like I said, over the next 6-8 months I may only make occasional entries, and later on in the not so distant future I will get it up and running with updates daily.

Not a whole lot has been happening lately, as we are gearing up for Christmas. Our house is decorated, the tree is up and there even a few pressies under it! I'm pretty excited about Christmas, and my fiance has some well deserved time off so that will be nice.

I do have to admit that I am missing my friends and family really bad at the moment, but I just keep looking at the bigger picture and can't wait to be home for next Christmas.

As for reviews, quite a while ago I bought the new Jack Johnson album, and I have to say that its absolutely fantastic! If you don't have it, I highly suggest you run, not walk, to the stores and snap that masterpiece up. Its just so refreshing, and its such a chilled out cd, I love listening to it in the mornings.

I'm still waiting to see the Chronicles of Narnia, the new Harry Potter movie, and King Kong. All three movies look spectacular, so if you if happen to stumble upon my humble little blog and you have seen them, let me know how they were.

Well, I am off now, to explore the many websites that I haven't looked at in ages, so take care and have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and Happy whatever else it is you happen to celebrate over the next month or so. Cheers everyone!

Megs~

I'm back and I'm Capitolizin' on a trend thats currently rising...

2005-07-29T19:48:00.000+01:00

Well well, its been a while. I don't have much time to write anything interesting as I am at an internet cafe at present, and my time is swiftly dwindling. I will say, that last weekend I saw the movie 'Wedding Crashers' and its awesome, if you're thinking of seeing it but aren't too sure, GO SEE IT!!! WHATS WRONG WITH YOU! Its definately the movie of the year lol. Well, comedy anyways.

Tonight we are out and about causing havoc where the streets have no name...I like to remain slightly anon. lol haha.

We are off to see War of the Worlds....I hope its as good as the trailers make it out to be, if not, Anthony just wasted £9.90 of his hard earned pennies.

As mentioned previously, I will be updating as much as possible, so keep checking back. Damn, I love this blog. I wish that I could add more but I just simply am running out of time.

If you're reading this, I hope you are doing well. There, thats my good deed for the day, now I can sleep easy tonight Lol.

Caio!!

Megan

Something for Nothing

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Britons Braced For Heaviest Snow in Years

*** BREAKING NEWS***

Little Miss Chatterbox

Mish Mash Rift Raft

This is the last stop...for 2006 anyway!

Evolution of Dance

Update...finally!

Light Grenades

DAVE IS CROSSING THE POND AGAIN!!!!!

'I come bearing a gift. It's in my diaper and it's not a toaster...'

I heart peanut butter jelly time

'Reunited and it feels so good...'

And the winner for best pumpkin carving ever goes to:

'I'll have a box of 20 Timbits and a large double-double please'

CONGRATULATIONS!

Trunk Monkey!

Check this out!

Long time no chat

'Bastard' by Ben Folds

Congrats are in order! Edited

A not so askew view

Green My Apple

You can't recycle toxic waste

Go on, be a tiger

Innovative or Conventional?

Start a revolution on your desktop

Shake Your Groove Thang

Playlist

"Hey, you know what? You're not even supposed to be here today. "

Stanley and OS

Watch this and you'll be cool

The case of the third rate Carrie Bradshaw

Mallrats Vs Superfriends...Genius

New NANOS!

Clerks II-September 22nd at selected theatres near you...in the UK that is...

And in other news...

Going back a few years...

screw you redbull and your stinkin' air race too!

"Northern Sky"

A New 'Discovery'

OH...

"I hear in my mind all of this music..."

If you're smart...

"So sorry it's over..."

"North American For Life"

Can I get an Encore?!

I feel like shite

Music: Part Two aka Urge to Kill: RISING....

Music

Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink...

''Now THAT my friend, is a shared moment''...

"Attempted murder, now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for attempted chemistry? "

''Clerks 2 or Jerks too'' You decide

DAVID GERMAIN (written by)

It's too hot to blog

You've Got Mail

The weekend is upon us

PS-

Flying Facts

Federline vs Timerblake...

RIP Eddie

Hello Moto...Part Two

Don't Drink the Water

I can't even think of anything clever for this...words just do not describe

I don't know why there ain't no sun up in the sky...stormy weather...

The MMVA's on TV in the UK, OMG!

Put my luggage down before I go all Bruce Lee on your ass...

Steady As She Goes...

...a fish cake, battered sausage, two small portions of chips and a cup of gravy please luv...

Thank ya ma'am!

Call me crazy...Screw you Motorola

GO OILERS GO!!!

It won't be long...

You're such a hoser eh!

...The best game you can name!

Would you like fries, actually scratch that. Would you like blue plastic with that?

'Go Little Song Go...'

''All At Sea''

* BREAKING NEWS*

I'm back...no really, I am...for good! insert evil laugh