Love Songs

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you
If mountains crumbled to the sea,
There would still be you and me.
Kind woman, I'd give you my all.
Kind woman, nothing more.

If the sun refused to shine, ooh baby ooh girl
You know I'd still be loving you.
Mountains crumble to the sea,
There would still be you and me... (Thank You - Led Zepp)

I'm in a very sentimental kind of mood - and love this song. As someone who really doesn't understand love and its mysterious (and cruel) ways, songs like this (plus stuff by Stevie Wonder, Billy Fury, Buddy Holly, and many others) are a great means of self-expression. Read this line, taken from I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) by The Four Tops: "I'm weaker than a man should be, can't help myself - I'm a fool in love you see". (There's something endearing about the almost simple innocence of some 60's Tamla-Motown songs - just about love and expressing it in a really simple but effective way).

Then look at stuff from closer to today. Lifehouse's Hanging By A Moment - "I'm chasing after you/I'm falling even more in love with you/Letting go of all I've held onto/I'm standing here until you make me move." Again, simple but wow what power!
Plus Aerosmith's Fly Away From Here I mentioned in my last post. Ah some great stuff!
Queen's Las Palabras De Amor - "This room is bare, this night is cold/We're far apart and I'm growing old...So then my love we may whisper once more - 'it's you I adore'".
Puddle Of Mudd's Blurry - "You know that I will save you from all of the ugly/There's oceans in between us, but that's not very far".
Bad Company's Love Attack - "I think about you all day and all night/My friends all swear I'm going insane".

Ok, so not all those are recent but you get the point! Society and culture change, but you can bet that some human traits and emotions never will, and nor will how we express them. Take Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars and You're All I Have. More or less the same sentiment as heard in any Marvin Gaye song. Thank God for music, or how the hell would we be able to express all these things?! I'm no good with words!!

Argh. Gonna be mopey and soppy all day now aren't I?!

Job hunting

Hey all

The job hunting goes on...Have joined a recruitment agency, Blue Arrow, just to get some form of income! Have so far done some catering work at a Jaguar plant in Erdington, having to wake up at bird shit o'clock, and that was pretty damn easy but soul-draining. I was just serving food (fried brekkie) to the employees. And then last night, i was working at the Jay-Z concert at the NIA, pouring bottled drinks into plastic cups. The thing is, although the bottles were plastic too, they can still be thrown at the artist, whereas a plastic cup doesn't get very far! Was also stationed at a kiosk manically opening Carlsberg bottles and pouring into the cups so the bar staff could just grab them - don't forget how many people there are at these gigs, all wanting something to drink! Quite frankly, it got me away from having to watch the ultimate stereotype - wasn't exactly missing The Beatles, if you get me. The audience went wild when the intro for Crazy In Love began, yet he only performed it briefly before moving on to some unknown number. Dull. My left-hand is bruised from opening all the bottles so vigorously and quickly. But...i THINK i was on a damn good rate so not gonna complain anymore! Except to say that Central Trains are the definition of incompetence - had to get taxis there and back which i need to re-claim.

God, i'm a moody bastard aren't i?! Well, the Burlington Hotel (posh place in Brum centre) are gonna ring me Monday i'm hoping, offering me a more secure, full-time job, so i can pack in the temping. As for "proper work", I'm scanning various papers and websites, and being proactive. Writing out application forms and CVs, sending them into theatres. Am hoping my experience stage managing six large-scale University musicals/operas will count for something despite my lack of formal, professional training!! But, even if i get into the theatre working in an obscure or menial department, it's a foot in the door, from where i can work my way into the dept. i want to be in. As i keep saying, finding a job takes time, although i was so lazy in the Summer and did NOTHING to find a job - I'm talking here to friends in their final years who will be job hunting in 8 months, it pays to start early guys!

Also, some friends of mine are getting pretty depressed about it all - but you have to have a thick skin and be patient. You ARE skilled/experienced/intelligent/competent - but sadly, finding work is also about being in the right place at the right time, contacts and other factors. Hang on in there.

Song of the week: Hmm - gonna go with Aerosmith "Fly Away From Here". Have loved this song for ages now, but have really begun to appreciate it. It's about running away with your lover, getting away from all the crap....

"And anytime you want, we can catch a train and find a better place...Do you see a bluer sky now, you could have a better life now, open your eyes. Cos no-one here can ever stop us, they can try but we won't let them - no way". Definitely one of my all-time fav songs.

People who comment on Steve Tyler's looks rather than his songs and music?? Idiots. Oh yea, i need to get the new Scissor Sisters album...(they just came on the telly!)

Love
J

Richard Hammond

Thinking of Richard Hammond at this time...bit of shock but guess these things happen when you have a penchant for driving very fast things very fast! Have only recently started getting into Top Gear...Great show! Funny presenters. Hoping he'll get back to it as soon as poss!
Jackwin

Funny quotes

Ok, maybe this will publish this time - second time lucky!
Ali came over yesterday - spent the afternoon just chilling, chatting about the usual random stuff, and watching Ice Age and The Simpsons. And as per, there were some priceless moments:

Upon learning i gave blood, Ali told me about the time she tried to give blood but almost fainted before the needle had even gone in. She was keen to donate, so told the nurses: "Take it from me! Take it while i'm lying down!"

"Jack, are you a fiddler?" Cue Jack supressing laughter. "I mean, err, do you play with things? Do you fiddle?" This is a girl who works with kids, incidentally...

There were some other gems, but i guess you had to be there! And apparently my Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation is improving. Savvy?
x

Back in Brum!

Yes, have been back in Birmingham now since Tuesday evening. Spent Weds and Thurs getting my ass into gear and job hunting, getting phone numbers, signing up to recruitment agencies...you guys know the deal! Not much fun at all but hey it's gotta be done and i can't complain, i've only just begun. Some friends (Ali in particular, who's been working her butt off all Summer) have been searching for months. Makes me feel pretty guilty!

Fri and Sat were a complete write-off, as went over to Bedford with Rox and Adam to see Rosie's opera, Orpheus of the Underworld. Great show, real talent, funny, partial nudity. What more do i need? The group had adapted it a fair bit it seems from the original, hammed it up - there was one character who was brought up to date and was essentially Austin Powers (did a fairly good impression too...). Not in any way to be taken seriously...good good!

The mystery of the printer remains. A few weeks ago i received an e-mail from Dan (housemate), stating that Royal Mail had tried to deliver a package but i hadn't been around, obviously. They weren't allowed to open it for me so i could find out what it was, so seeing as i was stuck in Gloucestershire at the time, Dan kindly picked it up for me. He reported back, saying that it was a printer-scanner-copier comby! I certainly hadn't ordered one, nor has anyone ordered one for me...no sender address, zilch. No money has left my account. Don't want to use it or decide to keep it just yet just in case someone gets in touch. So the mystery goes on.

Thanks to Ali for the food yesterday - her fridge-freezer packed in, with little hope of one arriving before Weds. So they've been frantically trying to eat all their food, and i decided to help out...well it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it! Watched the Incredibles too. Went to a bluegrass gig in Stirchley last night with Dan, to see a group called The Toy Hearts. Dan's entire rationale for going was:

Dan: "The two girls in the band are really, really hot"
Jack: "Ok, i'll come too"

He wasn't wrong, you know. Seriously though, they were pretty damn good, and while bluegrass and folk isn't my thing (i would listen to it very rarely if it was on my laptop) this band had real capability. Long way to go before i'm anywhere near as good!

Brum's good. Great city. Great people (well, most...). Wouldn't want to leave anytime soon. Tetbury's nice, great people and friends too, but not much to offer me job/future wise.
Keeping fingers crossed. Jack-Jack

Steve Irwin

1962-2006

I've got to say, until just now, i know very little about Steve; he seemed to be another crazy TV personality, perhaps an attention-seeker not too dissimilar from the Jackass team. After checking him out on Wikipedia (a site which is probably responsible for my being able to pass my degree..!), i realise he was a man dedicated to the preservation and conservation of all species and the environment. He promoted anti-poaching initiatives and wanted to save the natural world by sharing his experiences with ordinary you and me. The world needs more Steves. Steve mate, g'day and g'night!! As everyone seems to be saying, maybe there'll be crocodiles up there...

Rock God

Rockin' on in Heaven...!

This man has given me so much over the years, in terms of inspiration from his music. Wouldn't be the same person without it, and so today i guess i'm thinking well what would have Queen become had Freddie lived to be 60? Queen were the first band i got into in a big way, and since then i've been exposed to innumerable other bands and artists, who in turn have affected me in one way or another. I keep saying music is a big part of who i am, how i look upon myself etc, and it's true!!

What a shame that his birthday celebrations on Zanzibar (his birthplace) are being marred by local religious (Muslim) groups, denouncing his gay lifestyle. Music is a medium that is meant to bring people together, not divide. There are always losers and bigots out there just waiting to judge, denounce or taint. Get a life. Freddie wouldn't have changed who he was for anyone.

He was a man of contradictions - shy yet extrovert on-stage. Ironically, although he had many lovers, he was always looking for love, never finding it until his later years. This is reflected in so many of his songs - "At the end of the day i take home my hard-earned pay all on my own...Can anybody find me somebody to love", "Love kills, drills you through your heart...It's just a living pastime, ruining your heartline, gives you a hard time", "In a world that's filled with sorrow, there are people searching for love in every way...I look back on myself and say i did it for love". Guess that's what i've been doing for the last 21 years. Ha!

My God what a voice!

"Only the good die young, they're only flying too close to the sun, we'll remember...forever"