the lion sleeps tonight

smirnoff black. lcd soundsystem. she sells sanctuary. she's in parties. emerge. take your hair out of the ashtray please. cool black shirt. i can't see anyone else smiling in here. it's 02.30 somewhere. ice. lemon slice. shoppping & fucking. you are so full of yourself. numb. don't go. even better than the real thing. we are so fucked up. tears. i am the only one to blame. hush hush. snoring. early morning wake up... ringtone. subway. no music. screenings. lights out. cold outside. nice. makes you feel less numb. that's a welcome feeling. back @ the office. a mountain to climb. tell me how am i supposed 2...

I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
It's almost like, almost like i don't exist
I'm twenty miles out of town in cold irons

The walls of pride are high and wide
Can't see over to the other side
It's such a sad thing to see beauty decay
It's sadder still to feel your heart torn away

One look at you and I'm out of control
Like the universe has swallowed me whole
I'm twenty miles out of town in cold irons bound

There's too many people, too many to recall
I thought some of'm were friends of mine, I was wrong about'm all
Well, the road is rocky and the hillside's mud
Up over my head nothing but clouds of blood

Oh, the winds in this city have torn me to shreds
Reality has always had too many heads
Some things last longer than you think they will
There are some kind of things you can never kill

It's you and you only I been thinking about
But you can't see it and it's hard lookin' out
I'm twenty miles out of town in cold irons bound

death from above

QUESTION: If your music is a wake-up call for an apathetic generation, are you having any effect?
ANSWER: Not really. It's a pretty big world out there, and it's pretty tepid. It's like a kettle into an ocean, isn't it? My plan is to make a musical meteor the size of the fucking moon that radiates atomic heat as it sheds protons, that ploughs into the Pacific Ocean killing everything in its path except a single butterfly that plays bass like Jean Jacques Burnel from The Stranglers.

Now, my beloved blog ones... that's the most original and adventurous question that was given... ever!

don't rain on my parade

Have you ever had the morning feeling that the day ahead of you will be horrible? Do you ever find yourself in the miserable place to realize and accept that, no matter what you do, it’s just not your day, simple as that? Have you heard a friend recalling the worst experience of his/her life, when the only not unpleasant memory was the time he slammed the door to start his/her soon-to-fall-down-day? Do you get yourself that kind of days often?
Well, I just had a day... far from that. I had a good day. And, at least today, my good day [so far] consists of…
· One professional success! Actually I fixed a terrible mistake I did yesterday but it’s funny – when you make up for a mistake, you feel like you have succeed something. It’s not fair, I know, but that’s how it is… :-)
· A great spinach pie for breakfast.
· My friend V. calling up and ask to meet for a lunch break. “We don’t do lunch break in Greece, silly, remember? Or did it take you one year abroad to forget all about the Greek way of life?”, I replied. “Ok, what about a walk in the city center?”, she re-proposed. I accepted, and spent one hour out of the office…
· A birthday present [I bought for my dad].
· Some new cd’s sent to me by Sony Music Greece. I know it’s a guilty pleasure, but I got the new Duran Duran album as well!!!
· Four excellent mails from three friends. One of them was hilarious! Thank you for the laughter, Joanne…
· One [more] professional success. Actually, that’s a fraud as well, as I have secured that almost a month ago, but it was just published today, so… there is no law against celebrating your victories, is it?
· A goody bag full of dvd’s and movie gadgets, COLLATERAL & SCHOOL OF ROCK included.
· Less business phone calls than any other day since I have started working here
· A personal thank-you letter from Ray Charles himself congratulating me, for my publicity work on RAY [jj]
· Two funny posts from my friend mighty John on footballholic.blogspot.com
· It was payday!

Well… what more do you want? I’m an easy-going kind of fellow myself…

red eyes and tears

no more tears no more tears no more…Well, that was about it actually. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s glorious career can easily be summed up in these twelve words. And then they ditched the b/w image for a black/black pose and… take a wild guess: a black hole surrounded them and… gone are the days…
But, I mean… who cares? I only cared whenever I listened to that particular song. Some people cared because they thought BRMC were the new Jesus & Mary Chain. Like this would be an apocalypse or something…
Anyhoo, don’t know what I bother with them, as there are million other almost one hit wonders whom I prefer and could write many pages about. I guess I just like the words. Not the lyrics – the words. Some songs get the singer to use words that sound nonsense… but charming as the devil himself! For example, it’s been thirty years since Bohemian Rhapsody came out and I think that no one has ever found out what “bismilah” meant. :-) But anyone will sign along if the song’s on the radio… Not to mention Italian songs, that used to be extremely popular in Greece back in the late ‘60s, but few could speak the language, so you can imagine what kind of mistakes were made back then… Then again, how many Greeks do actually understand what’s being said in an Eminem track. Ok, it’s easy to say “Yo!” and “Lose Yourself” but… try to rap like this blonde guy and you will be arrested immediately by the rhyme police…
Yee-ha, I just remembered another unforgettable lyric, by Fish, this bald and tall Scotchman… Silly though as it may sound, it was the second biggest hit by Marillion, so that’s a proof that you don’t have to mean a thing if u just got the swing… Or sth like that…
“Lavenders blue, dilly dilly, lavenders green
When I am king, dilly dilly
You will be queen
A penny for your thoughts my dear
A penny for your thoughts my dear
I.o.u. for your love
I.o.u. for your love”
Amazing, huh? Hehehehe….
Finally, do you really think you can relate to what Bernard Sumner has to say in New Order songs? Well, if you are quite positive… think again, as the man himself has admitted that he took drugs just to write down words with no apparent meaning whatsoever… Unless of course you are under the influence as well…
Turn the page now…
I think I am starting to impersonalise the infamous Karoshi syndrome. Have u read about that? I think it’s huge in Japan, where people are so much addicted to work, that they start to get depressed whenever they have some spare time for themselves… I mean, here I am, 21.23, still @ work but for no special reason. I can leave actually. I can go out. I can make some phone calls. I can go home. But I do none of the above. And it’s not the blog that keeps me here. It’s the feeling that, in a way, there is no use trying to have fun within such a short period of time. I have to be at the same office in 13 hours, so it’s pointless, isn’t it? Walking back home, taking a shower, listening to some music, grabbing sth to eat, making plans for the night, going out, drinking some vodka, talking & laughing, listening to other people’s stories and feeling dizzy, getting back home, falling asleep, waking up, walking down again… Phew!!! Not exactly what you could call “promising”, right?
And as I am waiting for V. to ring me up, I begin to wonder whether she has forgotten all about our downtown meeting, but funny thing is by the time I wake up tomorrow, she will be sending sms pointing out that I am always off, never in the mood for hanging out etc.
Last but not least, I want to show off a bit, so I will mention another syndrome as well. It’s called Hikikomori, it’s taking Japan by storm [but what is it with the land of the rising sun and all this psycho-jumbo stuff?] and it has to do with teenagers deciding they want to get an early retirement from society. So they enter their room one day, and decide to stay there from 3 to 18 months… What a way to spend your youth!!! Then again, birth-school-work-death doesn’t sound so exciting either. So much for my pension plans…
[dilly dilly]

FRANKIE SAYS... no way Jose

For those of you who read the previous post and figured out... I am no longer the straight guy everybody knows and loves [...], I am afraid I am going to let you down once more... Nope, gay I am not!!! Hehe... I just copied and pasted an extract from Chasing Amy's screenplay, "donated" to me by Vague Tourist. I thought it was full of great lines and strong emotions, so I blogged it up. But then I read it once more and realised there might be some misinterpretations... so here I am, coming out that... I'm a ladies' guy. Sorry for that. And for what matters, you might as well try to shoot me [again]. But, this time, I won't respond with a kiss... :-)
Anyhoo, just a quickie today, as those bloody nominations turn the world upside down and, as a british friend once described... "STRESSING FUCKING HELL - I'M PULLING MY HAIR OUT AND SWEATING LIKE A PIG....getting the picture?????" Well... thank you lady D. for the description, I think we all got it.

The powerplay for today's show would be something like that:
* THE BLUE NILE Tinseltown In The Rain
* JOHNETTE NAPOLITANO The Scientist [yup, the Coldplay track, covered by ex Concrete Blonde singer]
* THE STILLS Retour A Vega
* KATHLEEN BATTLE Lovers [from House Of Flying Daggers]
* MYCHAEL DANNA featuring SISSEL She Walks In Beauty
* RAY CHARLES I got a woman
* ARETHA FRANKLIN I say a little prayer
* LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Daft Punk are playing in my house
* THE KILLERS Smile like you mean it
* ANNIE LENNOX Love song for a vampire
* FAME STORY BAND Δαίμονες [just joking...]

lyric sample
"She's vegeterian except when it comes to sex"
ABC, Unzip

chasing rainbows

"You know, I didn't just heed what I was taught, men and women should be
together, it's the natural way, that kind of thing. I'm not with you
because of what family, society, life tried to instill in me from day
one. The way the world is, how seldom it is that you meet that one
person who just *gets* you - it's so rare. My parents didn't really have
it. There were no examples set for me in the world of male-female
relationships. And to cut oneself off from finding that person, to
immediately halve your options by eliminating the possibility of finding
that one person within your own gender, that just seemed stupid to me.
So I didn't. But then you came along. You, the one least likely. I mean,
you were a... guy."
Ok, shoot me. But... may I kiss you first?

living in a box

I was djing last night and lots of people dropped by for a drink.
Here are some samples from what was heard in the BOX that particular Thursday evening [songs excluded]

“May I have an ursus vodka please?”
[A shy guy who thought I was the bar tender]

“Fuck, I have to get back home and study. This semester is too darn difficult!”
[a young girl to her boyfriend]

“I wouldn’t normally do that kind of thing, but it’s the aspect of joining the Army that scares the hell out of me” [the aforementioned boyfriend, a Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips’ singer) look-alike who seemed way too old not to have served his time so far…]

“Can you play «Touch Me», by Samantha Fox for me?”
[a girl I have seen in various occasions but have never been introduced to her]

“Could you please turn the volume down a little bit?”
[My boss, when The Killers' “Somebody Told Me” was on]

“Thank you very much!”
[a girl named Sophia, who asked for a Minnie Ripperton song called “Les Fleur” –she said it’s on a tv ad or sth but I couldn’t know, as I don’t have a tv set– but instead received a compliment for her white shirt]

“Blimey – It’s still 1.30!!!”
[The original bar-tender when the clock seemed stuck to, erm, 01.30]

“Fuck you, by Archive?”
[Samantha Fox. Well, not exactly. The girl who had asked for Sam Fox’s hit…]

“But, I mean… how can it be? You should, shouldn’t you?”
[The same girl, when I responded “Sorry, ain’t got it with me tonight”]

“When r u gonna spin your records again here? Do you play elsewhere as well?”
[Two girls who came to me giggling nervously and tried to split the questions. If u consider the fact that there were two questions and two girls, I still don’t understand how they managed to fail…]

“Sorry. We won’t make it after all.”
[My friend Dockman, via sms, announcing that they wouldn’t, erm, make it after all]

“Excuse me, what’s that?”
[FAQ]

“How much do I owe you?”
[The same shy guy whom I introduced in the beginning. Too drunk to remember I wasn’t actually the bar tender first time around]

this is a song...

I did a web test. You fill a multiple choice questionnaire and they tell you what's your theme song. Mine is Alkaline Trio's "Radio". I like this band. Three guys playing three minute punk songs... not bad for a theme band!!!
So her'e what the verdict had to say...
"You've got a fire burning inside of you. Vengeful and bitter, you've been hurt in the past, and don't plan on forgetting it soon. This may seem like a bad thing, but really, you're just holding others to the same high standards you hold yourself. And when somebody crosses you, they'd better be ready for a storm. You may be in the habit of keeping negative feelings bottled up inside you, brewing up to a bursting point. Are all those grudges really directed at who you think they are, or is it just bad energy trying to break out of you? Getting angry is a natural part of the grieving process, and if it will help you move on, anger can help you. Just remember to move on once you're done."
I'll try to keep that in mind...

What's Your Theme Song?
brought to you by
http://quizila.com

The sex of it

Timing is everything… Ours sucks. Take care…

Wow! Yeah… Way to go girl! Tell it like it is. Don’t do him any favors…

Well… please don’t, actually. No favors needed. Just do your thing and have a nice life. You will be missed – or not…

Now back to business…
I decided that I say a little prayer is the best song ever! Ask me again tomorrow and I will have changed my mind. Try to remind me about it next month and I will deny everything… But.. do you remember that hilarious scene from My Best Friend’s Wedding, where Rupert Everett makes a fool of Julia Roberts, when he uses those Hal David lyrics to describe the way those supposed-to-be-lovers met? When the whole family does the backing vocals and everyone in the restaurant sing along? Well, that is a great version – but not the best one. You got some jazz instrumental covers that are smoothly good and Dionne Warwick is doing and excellent job in her version, where she slows down the tempo a little bit. Let’s not forget Willie Mitchell either, the famous Hi producer. According to him, the track is instrumental but fully arranged to a middle of the road level. And there’s this British guy, Jackie Leven, who comes to Astypalea every September for his summer holiday. His is the best male version and he is smart enough to put an alarm clock buzzing just before the lyric “the moment I wake up”… Hahaha, you cocky little bastard… [I should know – I have interviewed the guy ages ago]
But the definite version is the one everyone knows. Yup! Aretha. She’s the one, she’s the queen. She’s not one of my favorite artists, because she screams more than I could ever want from any singer who’s not in a nu metal band. But what she puts into this track is just amazing. You can almost feel her breath. You can listen to the most silent sigh she makes. You can see her in front of you, aching and reaching out, crying for a sign that will let her keep the hope alive. Yeah, it is kind of pathetic, but you can’t help but admiring how focused she is…

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now,
And wondering what dress to wear, now,
I say a little prayer for you

Do you get it? She’s wondering what clothes to wear, although most probably she won’t get to see him. But she wants to be ready, she wants be beautiful. What’s wrong with that?

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
and I will love you
Forever, forever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me.

They are trying to confuse us here… But it’s obvious that she does not imagine how it would be to live without him. She’s already been living that life.

I run for the bus, dear,
While riding I think of us, dear,
I say a little prayer for you.
At work I just take time
And all through my coffee break-time,
I say a little prayer for you.

Actually, that’s the same story with Abba’s The Day Before You Came but… vice versa!!!

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
and I will love you
Forever, forever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me.

Up to this point her voice is magnificent and she takes the whole song off. The chorus and and band just follow – I mean, hands down, u can’t compete that…

My darling believe me,
For me there is no one
But you

Well, couldn’t agree more and your moves are right but, erm… your timing’s wrong.
Hahahaha

Oh, give me a break…

it's just...

Sometimes I feel I was born not to lose, as Ray Charles would say, but not to do a single damned thing. I am so bored… I feel so tired. I just want to shut down this computer, get my coat, leave all the doors unlocked and just go out. I know I am supposed to have a certain plan, I know that although I am already thirty sth I still got the right to dream a better future, I know I am the only one responsible for my choices, I know I’m lucky and privileged enough to get the chances to prove my value so far… but there is a big BUT(t).
But… what’s the point? I am not getting any younger, I am not getting any richer and, if I am getting any wiser… what’s the big deal?
I don’t know if I am doing sth wrong or if I am just lazy or if I deserve nothing more than I already have. I don’t know if it’s fair to be such a sorehead, querulous person [I looked it up], when life was always within frame for me, but… why do I have the feeling that I am just wasting my time so that someone else, or even worse, something else, manages to achieve his/her/its goals?
I am not saying I am destined to write history in this world, but… is it too much to ask for sth better than that? What’s "that"? It’s a job I don’t think I want or even can do, a salary that only lasts for half a month and a life that’s so below everyone’s expectations, mine included…
Yes, thank God, there are highs, there are surprises and, most important of all, I am healthy as fuck so… no complaints there…
It’s just that I need to take a long break. But the break doesn’t seem to need me…
A giant kit-kat anyone?

what a fantastic goal!

There’s this guy. His name is Fotis but everyone calls him Borelli, because of the physical resemblance to Juan Jose Borelli, an Argentinean soccer player who played for Panathinaikos somewhere in the early to mid nineties. I don’t know how old he is, but if I were to make a lucky guess I’d say 35 the most but he could also be 28, as far as one can tell…
He is not the smartest or the cutest guy in the world. What he does for a living is to… take the movie prints from, let’s say, a distributor company’s storeroom to theatres all over the city. That’s what he does. Usually, he is late. But no sane person in the world could ever be angry with him – because he is a true misfit.
He’s got no insurance whatsoever. He doesn’t have a family. He obviously doesn’t have a girlfriend, I reckon. He doesn’t have a home – he lives in an attic, in one of the companies he works for. I have spotted him a couple of times. Never got the chance to talk to him, though…
…Until yesterday, when I bumped into him after 21.30, when I left the office to get a drink. He was holding a souvlaki and a glass of wine. I said hello. He recognized me, so we said a few words about prints, delays, film distributors and…. that was about it, actually. I mean, I couldn’t think of anything other to say, and he wasn’t much of a talker either, so…
Then he put his hand in his pocket and gave a five-euro note to the guy at the restaurant. And he replied: “Nah… u can’t possibly mean that. Take away your money, don’t be funny!” And Borelli seemed to have mixed feelings about that, sth combining gratitude and awkwardness. And he insisted: “Please, take it, the treat’s always on the house – it’s not fair. I HAVE to pay sometimes.”
But it was hopeless. No one could ever charge Borelli. You just have to see the way he smiles, whatever happens. Yeah, I guess you could say he’s a bit crazy. And, to be honest, he’s so poor, we cannot imagine how he spends his time when he’s not late at work…
Later on, I found out that everyone in the neighborhood loves Borelli. They give him food, clothes, whatever. But most of all, they pay attention to him… Because, last night, just before Borelli was about to leave, the guy who was up to his neck with orders, bills, souvlakia, French fries and stuff, said, “Hey Borelli, where are you going mate? You haven’t said a word to your friend!” [referring to himself]
Our hero smiled, as always, and said “I know, but I think today is a bad day for you. Too much work. You don’t want me to annoy you on top of all this, do you?”
I was stunned. The “strange”, “funny” guy was more discreet than anyone of us would ever be.
But the man who was sweating over the broiler really needed that talk. He wanted Borelli to have a conversation with him. Because Borelli is a nice guy. And he only means good, because he couldn’t ever understand how on earth he’d benefit from something bad that would happen to another person..
Now, how many people like that do you know?…
And, just for the record, the real Borelli was a hell of a midfielder…

those we do not speak of

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Woke up this morning. Didn’t feel like getting up immediately. I pressed play on the cd player’s remote control. Explosions in The Sky’s “First breath after the coma” was on. Great track, bad timing. Got up. Changed the disc. It was almost twenty years ago… Frankie said WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME… Trevor Horn produced. Anne Dudley arranged the strings. Paul Morley was the verbal terrorist. And the lads were there. Relax is one of the most memorable singles of all times and, as they say, the rest is history. So the record was re-released last year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of pop music’s most significant and important double albums ever!!!

Aye aye aye aye……
Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away-yeah
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
For those with an eye for the finer details, we salute you…

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The Zen Master was asked the solemn question-what is Buddha? He took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked away.

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me

Vary pleasure incessantly [never more than two hours of the same task] and from all these successive pleasures make one continual pleasure.

This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

Right now, what Frankie has to say is very very entertaining. Right now, Frankie is hip, but how long is he going to remain hip?

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Coming next;
Post-Bang, and other things…

Yes I know, Frankie Goes To Hollywood are considered to be the Millie Vanilli of the 80s… but… that’s just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo unfair!
‘Cause, the demise of Frankie Goes To Hollywood left a gaping hole in the world’s pop scene and many, including myself and White Car In Germany, regret their passing. Hardcore Arena purchased a Holly Johnson solo album the other day. Imagine…
Says their notorious producer Trevor Horn [if u r under 25, u'd have heard of him thanx to Belle & Sebastian and...erm... Tatu]: “Listening to their tracks today – they still sound wonderful!”

They really do…
Aye aye aye aye…
I have to go....

but I guess if u say so...

...I'll just have to pack my things and go. It's 19.10. Still @ work. I think I'll be out of here in five minutes. I got no money, I just ain’t no good.
You’re the meanest readers that I ever have seen
And don’t you treat me this-a way
‘Cause I’ll be back on my feet some day…

For now… I am going to make just one phone call. Then I’ll go home. Gotta work for a stupid mobile phone service. But I’m getting paid, so… no options there for me. Thing is… am I going to finish quickly and manage to pop up to BOX for a few drinks? There will be people and there will be light. There will be laughter and there will be distractions… Isn’t it funny that the word “distraction” sounds almost the same with “destruction”. If u come to think about it, the former, usually is needed to help you forget the latter. But… do you know any Japanese who really forgot all about Enola Gay?… That’s right!!!
So, that’s what I am telling you. On my way home, I may even stop to spend some more money to things I do not need. ‘Cause, you could say that… what all people are trying to do continuously is just buy off some distractions. I guess this is what they mean when they say “u gotta pay for your own mistakes”. Then again, I got one question for all of you peeping toms…

Uh, whud jou say?

That’s right, I’m gonna hit the road now.
I guess I’ll see you when I’ll see you, Jack…

[just another] Manic Monday

Kate Moss is turning 31 today. I’m wondering whether Vanessa Paradis will call to say “happy birthday” or “I’m sending him back as a birthday present” or sth…
And it’s not really a manic Monday but you have to go after catchy post titles, haven’t you? It’s a competitive world and everything counts… So… bugger off you other bloggers! I am the master of smart titles. Here are some examples for possible posts in the future:
· Still crazy after all those beers
· Back in black… tie
· Waiting for a star to fall [upon you]
· Sex as a weapon [of mass destruction]
· Don’t shoot the piano player – eliminate all band members!
· What I hate about you
· Love me blender
· Every little thing she does is tragic
· Cool as fuck-ed up
· The city never sleeps… alone

Well, ok they’re not all THAT inspired, but… try me if you like. Put a subject on a comment and I reply with three alternative ideas. There is no way you won’t be thrilled at least with one of them.
I had a great time last Friday and then Saturday was an excellent day as well. But when I woke up on Sunday morning, just after two hours of sleep, I knew it would be a terrible day. And it was. I am not referring to the bad weather – I love walking in the rain and being surrounded by all the grey-coloured lights, pictures and moods but I hate working on Sundays, I hate HAVING to do things and I hate seeing projects I once proposed failing miserably. And, late in the evening, things didn’t go any better. Because, all I needed was to get some bloody sleep, whereas I was djing for 20 people, probably the only ones who left their apartments last night to get a drink [make them at least five…]. And that may not sound bad, but… I wanted out!!! Even music couldn’t boost me up. So it was a slow torture up until 02.30. And then I was knackered…
However, there were a couple of hours I really had a good time yesterday, and that was somewhere between 16.30 and 19.30. But it’s kind of strange, you see… because I don’t think I am supposed to do what I did, but I did it anyway and it was nice. It was simple. And I appreciate simple things. Because life should be like that but it’s not – it’s more complicated than my earphone cable when I try to take the disc-man out of my bag. And it’s hard to explain why it was simply nice, if u consider the fact that yesterday Athens resembled to a ghost town. There was nowhere to go, everything was or at least seemed closed and the wind could knock you sideways, quite probably as the best publicity trick for the movie with the same name [btw, go give Sideways a chance. It’s a good film].
And then I was given a ride home and it was very nice because… whenever I don’t drive my own car, usually other cars are all yellow and the drivers ask me for a fee just before I open the door. And it was nice because it was warm and Craig Armstrong was on the cd player and, for a moment, I wanted that ride to last longer. Didn’t feel like talking or doing anything in particular. I just wanted to lay back there, watch the raindrops making tracks on the car window and just be taken somewhere. And if one had asked me, I would have said that Closer might have been my favorite band, but closer is my least favorite distance these days.
May I have a one-way ticket to the Far Away Land please? Business class, non smoking. Thank you

clockwatcher

17 more minutes to go… If The Cure managed to squeeze a masterpiece into 17 seconds, I guess I can do miracles in 17 minutes. But I won’t. Cause I don’t want to… I just want to feel alive again. Sometimes it feels like my soul has been dried out. And I’m smart and capable enough not to let my slip hang. You couldn’t tell, you couldn’t know. But, if u knew, u would have noticed that the sparkle is no longer there. You may notice it re-emerging at a glance after the seventh drink or so… When Box’s crowded and ABC sing about the night someone murdered love. Can that be done? Can one really murder love? Please don’t ask me that. Because, from all people, I should know. Problem is, I wish I didn’t…
Anyhoo, it’s Friday, so I guess it could be worse. And if u whisper the word “Monday”, I ‘d say it could be way too bad…
Good, just 12 minutes to go. Whenever you are doing something you dislike, you feel like serving your military duty… For the last half hour of your guard, you are just in a mode of… “c’mon, c’mon, where’s my shift change?” It’s just basic psychology, actually: your duty fades away as time goes passing by. In the end, the only thing in your head is the forthcoming changing of the guard. Now imagine what happens when it’s not even a matter of succession, when all it takes is to see the clock hand move a little. That’s all. And you are good to go.
4 more minutes… What can you possibly do in four minutes? You couldn’t possibly start sth – it would be pointless. You could leave earlier, that’s what you can do. You can pretend it’s high time you left. So you will gain four minutes. And, maybe later, you can experience the best four-minute period of your life. Now… that’s a good thought. Let’s hold it for a while and get the hell outta here…
One minute left. Happy new year :-/

wired up

Last evening was great. H.A. passed by and we went out for a coffee. I ordered vodka lemon. Then another one and then another one. Then we changed bars, and it was vodka for both of us… In the meantime, we had fun, we said our confidential mumblings, we exchanged advices and then I was given some sample cd’s. There was this promo cd single by this band called Athlete. I got their previous album and was not impressed but it was ok. This new track’s called “Wires”. I was told by H.A. that it’s the first masterpiece of the new year. I was intrigued but I wasn’t convinced, to be honest. So, when we got back home [not the same one, hehehe], I put it on…
Blimey!!! That’s a great track. It’s an almost slow tempo song. It reminds be of another great and underrated band, MEDAL. Those guys had a great track called “Is your soul in your head?”. Now Athlete’s Wires is at least as good and that means… it is actually the first masterpiece of the new century. You can’t find it in the shops – it hasn’t been released yet. But try to spot it somewhere, sometime, and you will be amazed. Imagine Coldplay with a more rocky and laid back vocalist, imagine Elbow but in a more structured way, imagine all the great british indie ballads you love. And then listen to it. Listen to how his voice cracks in the end, listen to the way strings help the chorus take off… And until you’re lucky to listen to all of this, just take a look at the lyrics…

You got wires
goin’ in
You got wires
comin’ out of your skin

You got tears
making tracks
I got tears
that are scared of the freckles [facts?]

Running down corridors
through automatic doors
Got to get to you
Got to see this through

I say hope is near
In a plastic box
I see Christmas lights
reflecting your eyes

You got wires
goin’ in
You got wires
comin’ out of your skin

There’s dry blood
on your wrist
Your dry blood
on my fingertip

Running down corridors
through automatic doors
Got to get to you
Got to see this through

First night of your life,
curled up on your own
Looking at me now
you will never know

I see it in your eyes
I see it in your eyes
You ‘ll be all right

I see it in your eyes
I see it in your eyes
You ‘ll be all right

Alright
Running
down corridors through
automatic doors
Got to get
to you
Got to see
this through

I see hope is here
In a plastic box
I see Christmas lights
reflecting your eyes

[running] Down corridors
Through automatic doors
Got to get to you
Got to see this through

First night of your life
Curled up on your own
Looking at you now
You would never know

And there’s an instrumental version as well. Sometimes, some songs may be better than we can afford to deal with… Wires is one of these songs. Can you handle it?

and then she said...

She got up from bed. Stretched, washed, dressed up, ate sth quickly then got out. Caught a taxi. Went to work or whenever. Did what she was supposed to do. Left the office later on. Walked around. Spent some time browsing. Met with friends. Had a cup of coffee. Talked & laughed. Back home. Took a shower. Ate sth light. Watched some tv. Surfed on the net. Put some make up. Dressed nice. The bell rang. She answered "coming down in just a second". It took her ten minutes but she came down at last. She smiled at him. They went out. Had a great time. Cool, relaxed, smooth. He was sweet. He is sweet. Night was still young. So they danced, they flirted, even touched each other accidentally. It was high time they drove back. At the door, a hug. Maybe a kiss. [now there might be alternative endings but, emotionally speaking,I cannot afford to think about them all]. Goodnight. She closed the door. Put some music on. Undressed. Put away the eye lenses. Turned off the light. Left the lava lamp open. It was a gift. One of many... She took a look around. His things were still there. Not this guy's things. Another one's. Long story. T-shirts, cd's, dvd's, clothes, gadgets, shoes, lots of stuff. She held his military id tag tight upon her chest. Silent sighs. Knobs. Why can't she be happy after all?
And then she said: "Is it always going to hurt like that?"
And he'd say... "I don't want us to find out". But he wasn't there. So she never heard these words. And they both fell asleep alone.
It was not a good night. It was a night like any other...

shi mian mai fu

...meaning ambush in ten directions in korean...
Saw House Of Flying Daggers last night. One of the most beautiful paintings you will ever see displayed on the big screen... There are some pictures you wish could be freeze framed for hours. What a beauty...
Now, I don't want to spoil it for you, if u intend to see the movie, but... there is a sequence sometime at the end of the film when we assume that Zhang Ziyi [one of the most pretty faces in movie history ever!] is dead. She has a dagger stuck in her upper left, she's down on the ground and almost covered by snow.
Her lover, Takeshi Kaneshiro is fighting with a jealous admirer, Andy Lau. Takeshi's in danger, as he is led by love but his opponent is full of anger, fear and jealousy. So... he's more determined, whereas our guy has no reason to live, given that he thinks the love of his life is dead. The duel is hard and it seems Takeshi is going to lose, as Andy is ready to throw a deadly dagger at him from a distance. And mind you, Andy never misses. Then, a miracle happens. Zhang Ziyi gets herself up and warns Andy that if he kills her lover, she will kill him at the very same moment with the dagger that's stuck in her body. Now Takeshi realises that if Zhang Ziyi does that, she will die from fatal bleeding. And he tries to come closer to Andy, so that he gets killed first and not put Zhang Ziyi in danger.
I won't tell you what happens next. It may even not be that important [well, it is, but anyway]. However, when Zhang Ziyi "woke up", assumambly from the dead, the audience burst into laughing. Yes... hahaha, funny. [Please note that throughout the movie you get to see the most amazing and ubelievable battles you could ever imagine, so spare me with what's realistic and what's not]. I mean... come on all you people. Are you so proud of yourselves that you don't care showing off you don't know what's it like to be in love? Because I didn't laugh. I was touched. Yes, Zhang Ziyi was "gone". But her lover needed her, so she came back for one last time. To save him. As he had done twice in similar circumstances. Because true love never dies. Never. "You shouldn't have come back for me", she whispers, just before the end, when she's lying/dying in his arms. "I did come back", he responds. "I came back for you, my love". And then she passes away. Silence... and then she's gone. Tears in his eyes, he's left alone. But, as the famous Caravan song say... "If I could do it all over again, I'd do it all over you". I would. I really would. And I will, I promise you that

you are so money baby

you are. cool cat. swinger. hip & sexy. you are so money... Cocktails first, questions later. Get a nightlife. There ain't nothing wrong with letting a girl know that you're money, and that you want to party. It plays reality. You're money and you don't even know it!
Whatever happened to the original Swingers though? Vince Vaughan got fat and starred in Dodgeball. John Favreau got fat and co-starred in Wimbledon. Heather Graham got thinner but starred in Lost In Space, From Hell, Guru & Commited [good gush!!! four flops in a row!!!]. Ron Livingston could be thinner or not but no one would ever notice as he still has only one claim to fame: he went to the very same university with Edward Norton. So... bollocks to that. Cool movie, nice director, and great actorship but... it's eight years down the road and it still doesn't mean a thing if it ain't got a swing... BUT... no swingers left in sight...
We had a great time, though. We won't forget them. And if we ever want to swing some more... it's just a click away.
After all, as Dino used to say, You're nobody till somebody loves you... Then again I know somebodies who are loved by nobodies, so... does it work the other way round as well?

explosions in the sky...

teardrop explodes...
wanna post sth... don't know what. wanna feel sth... don't think I can, though...
I wanna write sth nice. I want all of you to post comments to congratulate me, secretly envy me. I want to write the perfect text. as if I were the perfect ten...
Tried twice... Never published them...
But I really need to write sth. it's been a while... I may have lost my knack. Thing is... I don't really care, because there are other, more important things that are gone. Gone missing. And it's so quiet now... Everything's quiet now. And I don't know if quiet is the new loud but I sure as hell know it's no good, to quote Martin L....
Lots of great activities start with "s", have u ever thought about that?
Sleep, smile, sex, seduction, starshipping, sweeten, surprise, swearing [and yelling], sweating [and pushing], swan singing, supernatural, surrender [to me], songs [any Embrace one will do], surpassing [your weakness is none of my business], [lips like] sugar, swimming, shack up, spliff, styling, striptease, stealing [one's heart], spilling [wine], spell, shagging, smouch, smart money, skirts, shirts, sinking cups of tea, sine qua non [???], simplify [you think too much], signify, show stopper, stomping, sea & sun, sandwiches [hehehe], salty kisses and most of all...
SWAY

When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more

Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
You know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

but I guess all that's left now is shut up and survive. How about that? Those words start with "s" as well...