A new era

So unless you've be living under a rock you will be aware that yesterday Muammer Gaddafi was killed.

And with it has come an absolute personal outrage at the way the media has dealt with this.  Oh, it is undoubtedly news of enormous importance but it is not important for us to see extremely graphic images of Gaddafi's last minutes, of a bloody corpse being dragged through the streets of Sirte.

Because as Spiderman/Voltaire (whoever floats your boat!) said "with great power comes great responsibility" and the media industry without doubt wield huge power-but they also have responsibility to act in a manner that isn't just akin to gratuitous voyeurism.  The responsibility to use sensitive imaging in a responsible way if it is absolutely necessary to use it.  What we didn't need to see was row, after row of paper - tabloid and broadsheet - depicting the death throes of an old man on the front page.  How can I ensure my child isn't exposed to age inappropriate material when, in fact, it is pretty much unavoidable anywhere that sells the news.

I fully understand that the people of Libya needed actual photographic proof of the fall of Gaddafi.  We didn't need to see it.  We didn't need to see video footage of a man begging for his life before being shot.  We didn't need "breaking news" to pop up on the channel we were watching including an image with "Gaddafi killed"emblazoned across the screen.

The media is so quick to set itself up as moral arbiter of our viewing, sex scenes too full on, video games too violent.   Yet both of those things are age restricted -as a parent I can easily ensure my child avoids them. But I can also say as a parent I would far, far rather explain a sex scene or a video game to my five year old than what we have seen on the news today.

We are told it is a new era for Libya.  What I fear is that this heralds a new era when the press seems to have no willingness to even contemplate what may/may not be appropriate and necessary information.

As a human being with a human heart I hurt from what I have seen.  There is never, ever a reason to celebrate death.  We should have been focusing on what the future holds for the people of Libya rather than on the trophy killing of an individual.

A very sexist Christmas and a happy new year!

 And so it begins....

The annual receiving of Christmas catalogues and the ire that follows due to the frankly ridiculous way the children's section is set out.

Let me give you a sneak peak of the Boots Christmas Catalogue.  This year the catalogue started out quite promisingly with a "Gifts for Kids" section (OK, I cannot abide the term kids but at least it's inclusive!) full of bright, primary coloured toys.  Good start Boots, I thought.  This continued for 20 or so pages and I'm beginning to think that they've sorted themselves out from last year.  Until I find the section entitled "girl's toys".....yawn.

And I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what this section includes.  Baby dolls, fashion dolls, Hello Kitty, Barbie, a pink fluffy hamster.  An awful range entitled "Glitter Babes" which comes with the strap line "gorgeous girlie treats and sparkly make-up for little girls who want to be pretty in pink"- shame it doesn't come with a sick bucket for the parent too.  This continues to the craft section which - I foolishly -hope will be better.  Except it isn't.  There's a princess making kit, a tea set painting kit, and various jewellery kits.

Onto the boys' section.  This includes dinosaurs, Lego, scooters, playmobil, Dr Who, Star Wars, Toy Story (all of which my 5 year old girl loves - clearly she didn't get the memo about liking pink and sparkles).

The worst offender of all is the Science Museum and National Geographic kits which appear only in the boys section.  Because apparently only boys like science.  Although I do tell a lie.  We're lucky to have on offer, for the girls in our lives, a "Super Science Make Your Own Perfume" kit.

I'm not saying girls and boys shouldn't like different things.  What I am saying is why are places that sell toys so keen to segregate.  Why can't there just be a toy section.  Is it so unheard of for a girl to want to play with dinosaurs and playmobil or a boy to like baking and baby dolls. 

So that's it.  Tune in next week for a rant at WHSmiths and why they see the necessity for a pink globe to teach girls about geography.

They tried to make me go to rehab...

I said "no, no. no"

So no prizes for guessing what this blog post is about.

When the news broke that Amy Winehouse had died, my first thought was that I wasn't surprised.  And therein lies the tragedy of it all - to not be surprised that a 27 year old has died is a dreadful thing.  And it was a tragedy, for all the comments of "well she was offered the help and wouldn't take it" or "she was just a junkie, it was all self-inflicted" it cannot be denied that for anyone to lose their life at 27 years of age is a tragedy.  And for such a person - young, beautiful and undoubtedly talented, the tragedy is heightened.  It isn't ironic that she sang about it!

And before the reasons for her death have even come out there are the assumptions....drink and drugs, drink and drugs...it's an overdose etc etc etc.  Making the assumption from the well-documented problems of Amy's turbulent life.

I find myself wanting to shout addiction IS an illness.  It really isn't as easy as "oh right, let's just stop then" - it is a complex and heartbreaking condition that can reduce a fully functioning human being to a shell.  

But, Any Winehouse isn't the only person having gone through addiction.  Countless people lose their lives every day through conditions related to alcohol or drug abuse.  Perhaps if anything positive is going to come out of the death of such a talented person as Amy Winehouse it can be to raise awareness, to highlight the plight of thousands of young people who are in the same positions.  To maybe highlight to younger people that getting involved in drugs isn't cool and it is a life-changing thing.

So tonight as the world of music is still coming to terms with the loss of another artist desperately young, a family is trying to work out just how there is a huge hole in their lives there are people finding the best way to make a quick joke, the best way to get something really funny going viral on twitter.

But it isn't funny.  And the best thing we could get going viral on twitter right now would be directions to sites where people suffering from addiciton can help.  So, in the interests of getting something positive out of a senseless waste: -

Alcoholics Anonymous

Drug Addicts Anonymous

Monday's SPR

That's Small and Pointless Rant, the first of which can be found and read here

Actually today's SPR should be directed at me for my sheer lack of blogging recently.  But it's not.  Today's SPR is directed at Jeremy Clarkson.

Jeremy Clarkson.  Where to begin? A man who seems to have far to inflated a sense of his own self-worth and comedy value.  Let's face it Top Gear was mildly amusing circa 2005.  It's now samey and jaded and really not very funny at all.

So when Jeremy Clarkson says "I'd rather quit Top Gear than follow the BBC up North" I can't have been the only person giving a silent cheer.

Just FYI Jeremy when you're talking about your reluctance to relocate "it would be too disruptive to my family" and "it's not the right time for me to make such a move" are fine, perfectly reasonable and inoffensive reasons as to why you don't want to move.

Suggesting Salford is "a small suburb with little to offer beyond Starbucks and a canal with ducks on it" and to label London "the nation's Oxbridge, full of the nation's brightest and sharpest brains" isn't a great way to go about doing anything other than really pissing a lot of people off much less stating "if we ran the show from Salford, we'd be employing people from Salford, People who were born there and thought “Yes, I like this. I see no reason to go anywhere else”.

‘And in the world of television that could be a genuine handicap. Every year we’d end up making a Christmas special from the Dog and Duck or the nearest Arndale Centre.'

Well Jeremy, how awful.  Imagine, can there be anything worse?!  Believe it or not Jeremy, there are people in the North who are bright and have sharp brains and would be an asset to your show and may actually bring something new and exciting rather than the tired old formula you live by!

 

And my final point, where does Jeremy Clarkson come from - clearly he must be from that bastion of all that is good and right in England....pardon? He isn't? Oh....he's from Doncaster......right...... 

The Thirty Day Book Challenge - Part Two - Days 11 - 20

I'm finally getting around to doing the next part of this (work and school holidays getting in the way!).  My first part of the challenge can be seen here. So without further ado here are the next ten books.

Day 11: A book from your favorite author - Murder Most Royal - Jean Plaidy

This one was really tough for me as I don't particularly have one favourite author.  So I decided to go on the basis of number of books owned from a single author and Jean Plaidy is by far and away the winner! Murder Most Royal is probably my favourite one, telling the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.  Sad at times, infuriating at times, slightly inaccurate at times; nevertheless this book is vivid, colourful and I can never put it down!

Day 12: Book that is most like your life

I have really struggled with this one.  In fact I'm still struggling with this one.   I can't think of a book that is like my life because my life has been very, very normal.  Wonderful but normal.  So if anyone can suggest a book about a girl with a wonderfully happy childhood, who marries her soul mate and has a child then answers on a postcard please!

Day 13: Book whose main character is most like you - Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

 My mother would say Scarlett O'Hara - which I refute most strongly...... I would have to go for Molly Weasley.  Nurturing, adore my family and over-cater on every know occasion.

Day 14: Book whose main character you want to marry - Rivals - Jilly Cooper


I defy anyone, ANYONE who has read this book not to immediately want to shack up with Rupert Campbell-Black!  He might be dreadfully profligate but he's gorgeous and very, very rich. 


Day 15: First “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child - Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery


I think I must have been about 6/7 at the time.  I can still re-read it over and over again!  It captured my imagine so much I went on the read all the other "Anne" books.  I can vividly remember playing with Victorian playmobil and having on rather conveniently with a long ginger plait that was my Anne!

Day 16: Longest book you’ve read - Dynasty series - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles


I'm possibly cheating slightly but given this is a series then I think I'm allowed.  And frankly who's going to care anyway! Starting in Tudor times the Dynasty series is a huge undertaking that Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is going to take to present day.  She is currently at book number 33 (I own up to 32 - have to be in paperback to match!).  My grandmother collected these books and every year I would buy her the newest for her birthday.  I was given the series of books when she died.  The collection will be finished one day Grandma, I promise!

Day 17: Shortest book you’ve read - The Turn of the Screw - Henry James


Short, sweet and very, very scary!  What's not to like?!

Day 18: Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like - Twilight series - Stephanie Meyer


My name is Rachel and I like Twilight.  There.  I've said it.  They're not the greatest works of literary fiction every but entertaining and very, very readable.  Especially if one is into vampires, which I am. 

Day 19: Book that turned you on - Once - James Herbert

I know, I know bear with me.  On the face of it a horror novel shouldn't particularly turn you on and I swear that it isn't the ghoulish horror aspect that does it.  However there are two very vivid scenes that are very erotic.  And I'm not going to tell you which, you'll have to read it and find out!  They are both...how shall we say it.....solo situations and highly, highly arousing!

Day 20: Book you’ve read the most number of times - Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte


I know I'm duplicating but I really have no choice.  I have read the book at least once a year since I was 9.  That's 21 years of loving and reading this book and I still find bits that I don't remember!  The alternative option is to say that the book I have read the most number of times is "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson.  I have read this book Every. Single. Night since February 2008.....when you have a poor sleeper for a child you will do anything and I mean anything to ensure an easy bedtime.  So daughter requires this to be read to her every night.  And there I recite read it to her every night.  It takes two times through for her to be asleep.

Tune in shortly for the third and final part of this challenge!

A small yet pointless rant....

These are going to become a regular feature in my blog for no other reason than in the name of catharsis!  The things that feature here are likely to be small, irrelevant things, but goodness they make my blood pressure rise.

So the first of my SPR (small pointless rants) is against the media.  Yes all of it. 

No in all seriousness, NOT all of it.  This is directed at certain tabloids, people who get their information from certain tabloids, a certain type of magazine and celebrity gossip websites.  Why, in the name of all that is sacred, why must you insist on persistently shortening the names of famous people to make, what I can only imagine you think to be "cool" monikers. 

Let us start with the recent Royal Wedding.  Arguably one of the main protagonists was a young lady with a beautiful, feminine name.  So why on earth is it virtually impossible for one to read about Phillipa Middleton or even Pippa.  Why must one read of the antics of the dreadfully monikered "P Middy". And then onto the wife of the Prime Minister, a position that brings with it a certain gravitas is apparently best described by the name "SamCam". Is it really so, so difficult to add an extra nine letters and call her Samantha Cameron?


It is all so "J-Lo" isn't it which in turn is all rather 1990s.  It may have worked for a pop star as part of their image and brand but it really, really doesn't work for every celebrity there is so if there's a chance we could call people by their proper names that would be smashing!

Thanks awfully.

The Thirty Day Book Challenge - Part One - Days 1 - 10

There have been various of these challenges flying about on Twitter and Facebook (see my responses to the 30 Day Song Challenge here ) but as a self-confessed bibliophile I simply couldn't resist this one and I'm showing remarkable restraint to do it over 30 days and not cheat and jump ahead! Yes Stupidgirl, I'm looking at you with your shiny completed book challenge which can be read as Part One and Part 2 on her fab blog.   You can also read StripyZebra's thoughts on the challenge on her blog

So here goes my first 10 books for this challenge

Day 1: Favourite book - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I have adored this book since I first read it aged 9.  It was the first book I chose to borrow from my new prep-school's little library (this library was so small it fit into an alcove that housed a fire!) and it captured my imagination.  There is nothing not to like about this book, beautiful writing, great characters and a really strong storyline.  Everyone should read this book at least once in their lives!

Day 2: Least favourite book - The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Words cannot express how much I hate this book.  Honestly.  I actually resent the 3 hours of my life I spent reading it.  I thought the writing was dull and lifeless, the characters eminently unlikeable and the plot full of holes.  Obviously I am also avoiding the film at all costs although I suppose the film may have cut out huge chunks of the book which can only be a good thing!

Day 3: A book that makes you laugh out loud - Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

I love all of Bill Bryson's books but this one is absolutely hilarious.  Plus I think it makes for much more entertaining reading given its about "home".  I love the scale of what he set out to do and love the way he records it.  Not a book to read on public transport if you want to retain a modicum of dignity as I guarantee you will be guffawing before the end.

Day 4: A book that makes you cry - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I must admit that I'm a bit of a sap when it comes to books.  I can quite easily cry at an awful lot of books.  I find choosing a sad story and crying at it very, very cathartic. But if I had to choose one book that I can absolutely guarantee will make me cry it is Anne of Green Gables.  There are two passages that set the waterworks going for me; the first is when quiet, unassuming Matthew takes it upon himself to buy Anne a dress with puff sleeves that she has been coveting.  He is so obviously out of his comfort zone yet he buys this dress for his little orphan girl and when she opens it - sob, sob, howl! The other part is where Matthew dies and the descriptions of the different griefs felt by Anne and Marilla - too traumatic for words!

Day 5: A book you wish you could live in - Harry Potter by JK Rowling

I'm going to cheat a bit here and not choose one book per se but rather a series.  I want to live at Hogwarts, it is true! I want the feasts, I want to learn Transfiguration, I want to visit Hogsmeade and I quite fancy trying my hand at Quidditch.  I think I'd be a Slytherin - rather cunning you see (not to mention perfect access to certain Death Eaters....)

Day 6: Favourite young adult book - The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis

I love this book - although starts with a fairly dark situation in terms of two unwanted orphans, it soon develops into a fabulous tale of supernatural beings and the endless fight for good against evil.  Lots of fun.

Day 7: A book you can quote/recite - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I don't care that I'm duplicating.  And although I cannot foresee an occasion where I would be required to recite Jane Eyre, I can quote large quantities of the book simply because I've read it so many times.  "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day....."

Day 8: A book that scares you – The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

This book is frightening simply by deign of that fact that it puts your imagination into overdrive.  Nothing in the book is particularly scary in itself but the combination of seeing strange women, hearing a ghostly horse and carriage and an infants screams all adds to the feeling of impending doom.  This is novella length actually but I simply could not put it down and the author grasps in such a short space what many novelists have failed to do in much longer novels - quite simply how to scare.  Brilliant.

Day 9: A book that makes you sick – Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I very much have a love/hate relationship with this book.  It is such an excellent book and really gripping but the bullying and torture culminating in the death of two boys really upsets me.  I guess this is why this book makes me sick - that in such a short space of time children can become so feral as to deliberately inflict pain and suffering on their peers.  Very, very disturbing.

Day 10: A book that changed your life – St Thomas’ Eve by Jean Plaidy

This book actually belonged to my mother when she was young and my grandmother found it in her loft and gave it to me to read when I was about 10.  I instantly fell in love with the story and the author and since then have been on a mission to collect all Jean Plaidy's

So there we are - days 1 to 10 of the 30 Day Book challenge.  Parts two and three to follow when completed.

What do you think - do you agree/disagree, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

An open letter to my daughter

I should have done this a long time ago, done a letter each year of your life to open when you’re 18 because I will not be able to express to you when you’re older just how much you mean to me as a little girl.

All mothers love their children, of course they do, but the bond we have makes me amazed that such a feeling of love can exist.

You’re at school now, and I just know that you will be able to do anything you want. You’re clever and you’re popular and you’re kind and generous – in fact everything that I had ever hoped for in a child I have in you.

It fills me with delight that you want to learn, that you love the same things I do – writing, reading, history and Harry Potter! Your imagination is second to none.  Today you have gone to school pretending to be Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride.  Last term you wanted to be Professor Lupin – and your teachers called you Professor Lupin for an entire day! 

You love playing football with your Daddy and it makes me so happy watching through the window whilst you and Daddy play in the garden.  

I know you desperately want to be a big sister but it looks like that isn’t going to happen.  But to make up for it we will give you the world.  Every minute of my time will be yours, little girl.  Far from it being a negative I am so looking forward to special “girls” days as you get older – trips to the cinema, bowling, visiting museums.  We WILL have a blast.  You don’t know it yet but we have booked to take you to Euro Disney in June – I cannot wait to see your face when you realise where you are.  The weekend will be yours – to choose what we do.

I will be there to hold your hand when you run, pick you up when you fall, cuddle you when you are sad.  I will be there to encourage you to do things you’re worried about, to stand behind you when you’re nervous.  You still need me to help you go to sleep and do you know what? That is ok – as long as you need me, whatever you need me for I will be there.  In the future when you’re taking your first steps as an adult I will be there as I was when you took your first steps as a toddler – letting you go, giving you your independence but always there to right the wobbles and the times you need a bit of help.

Nothing could have prepared me for the changes to my life becoming a mother made.  But in amongst the warnings of sleepless nights and loss of spontaneity and lack of time to be me not one person told me it was amazing, it was wonderful.  I gave up my career without a second thought to spend time with you and not once have I regretted it – for the first three years of your life we spent every day together and that is so precious, how could I regret?

You are everything to me and I love you more than I could say.  

Be happy always darling girl

Love your mummy  

The 30 day song challenge!

A really fun challenge that I was introduced to by the fab blogger @demonwrangler who's blog you can read here

I got a bit behind posting on twitter but here they are - my responses to the 30 day song challenge.

Day 1 - your favourite song 

This is probably no surprise.  My absolute favourite song is Made of Scars by Stone Sour.  I love the anger, the riffs and the amazing vocals.  Plus Corey Taylor is pretty darn good to look at too!

Day 2 - your least favourite song 

Nothing against them, I'm sure they're a very nice group of lads but the song Everybody in Love by JLS drives me up the wall.   Simply by deign of the fact that it was played All. The. Time when it first came out it became a complete earworm....except I only knew one line of the song, altogether now "everybody in love, put your hands up" ad infinitum! Shudder!

Day 3 - a song that makes you happy 

This song is so, so cheesy but I adore it.  The song is Eagleheart by Stratovarius.  It reminds me of summer and driving around with the song on full blast singing along.  How can a song with a guitar intro like this one, and the immortal lines "Heart of an eagle/He flies through the rainbow/Into a new world and finds the sun/Spreading his wings above all the sorrows/The glory of Eagleheart" fail to make anyone happy.  It is making me happy just thinking about it!

Day 4 - a song that makes you sad 

Oh god this is such a tearjerker.  I can't tell you how much the Theme from Champions by Carl Davis makes me howl.  From the film about Bob Champion and Aldaniti it has everything - a jockey with cancer, a broken down racehorse destined for the knackers yard, winning the National, a killer key change.  I defy anyone to listen to this and not get a lump in their throat.  Come Grand National Saturday the BBC will start playing this song as part of their coverage about 1.00pm and I will howl for the next three hours!  I am all teary eyed simply finding the link for this blog.  If you listen to no other track on this list, please listen to this - it is beautiful!

Day 5 - a song that reminds you of someone 

This reminds me of my husband.  When we got together this was our song.  Probably not a usual choice but then we aren't a usual couple!  We used to request Chop Suey by System of a Down when we went out together and had it on all compilation CDs we owned (yes people this was before the days of MP3 players!) 

Day 6 - a song that reminds you of somewhere 

The song Wytches by Inkubus Sukkubus reminds me of a fab event my husband and I went to with my sister and her husband.  It was called Dance of the Vampyres and was a gothic ball in Morecambe at an old hotel.  Atmospheric, gothic, seaside - a truly fab weekend full of characters including a drunken but well meaning hotel owner and a crazy couple from Burnley!  This song appeals to my pagan nature.  The rhythms and backing are brilliant and I adore Candia Ridley's vocals - she is gorgeous! I'd like to be Candia Ridley when I grow up!

Day 7 - a song that reminds you of a certain event 

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls was our first dance song and therefore reminds me of our wedding.  It was the most amazing day - almost 6 years later people are still saying it was the best wedding they've ever been too, after all we did have a mosh pit!  The song is made even more special by the fact that my husband chose it as our first dance song and I think it was the perfect choice.  It still makes me smile now.

Day 8 - a song that you know all the words to 

There are so, so many songs I know all the words to.  I love singing.  This was therefore a really hard choice but the one I have chosen is Don't Stop Believin' by Journey.  Note that this is the original not the travesty courtsey of Glee! This is just such a fun song to sing and one of my favourites to belt out. All together now "Just a small town girl....." Ah so much big hair and lycra! Superb.

Day 9 - a song that you can dance to 

I defy anyone to listen to Smooth by Santana ft. Rob Thomas and not at least tap your foot.  The guitar playing talents of Carlos Santana are at their best in this song and the gravelly voice of Rob Thomas is perfect.  I'm not a big dancer (more of a rocker!) but I could dance to this all day.   I think it is a really sexy song.

Day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep 

A little bit of a cheat here as this song doesn't send me to sleep per se but it was a song I used to listen to at university whilst I was going to sleep.  I had the same song and nothing else on a tape that I used to play at bedtime.  I think Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith is such a lovely song and even now it can transport me back instantly to being in my little room at university, lying in bed and looking out of my window towards the woods.

Day 11 - a song from your favorite band 

In my opinion songs should be loud and angry and 30/30 – 150 by Stone Sour fits the bill perfectly.  Hearing this live and seeing the crowd moshing and screaming at the same time was one of the best experiences of my life! I particularly like the line "Let us hear you say that shit to our face" - and a line I live by, I don't give a damn what other people think of me and whatever they say about me I'm sure they would never be brave enough to say it to my face! 

Day 12 - a song from a band you hate

Again there could have been a multitude of songs here but I went for Jump by Girls Aloud.  I can't bear everything they are - manufactured, lacking in any real talent, dreadful role models for young girls.  I'm sorry to even put a link to this song here!

Day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure

My husband is probably going to wince at this but my guilty pleasure is the song Marching on Together.  Strictly a Leeds United song it reminds me of many a happy evening on the terraces and at Wembley with the Leeds Rhinos.  It also hit number 10 in the charts in the 1970s which I don't think is bad for a football song about a single team!

Day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love 

Another rugby related one and a song that Leeds would play every time Kevin Sinfield scored.  I had Hey Ya by Outkast as my ringtone for a long time.  So cheesy and so not me but I still love this song! Although bizarrely, finding this link is the first time I had ever seen the video!

day 15 - a song that describes you 

Probably very cliched but a song that describes me is My Way by Frank Sinatra.  I was certainly brought up to believe the world is my oyster and this song is really the way I want to live my life - living the way I want to not the way others feel I should - and a song that becomes even more apt when you're parenting.  A mantra we could all have for the Health Visitor perhaps?!  Frank Sinatra would be one of my fantasy dinner guests - utterly charming, utterly roguish swoonworthy voice and completely gorgeous.

Day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate

Back when I was living at home I used to hear Dig by Mudvayne on Kerrang all the time.  I used to love it but I think it is a case of over-exposure and far, far too much of a good thing.  I wouldn't say I hated it, but I'm certainly not a fan anymore.

Day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio

I don't listen to the radio very often but when I'm out and about Firework by Katy Perry is on a lot.  I'm very ambivalent about it - don't hate it, don't love it! Might be a good kareoke song though!

Day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio

I often with more alternative bands were on mainstream radio stations rather than being relegated to "rock and metal" stations.  If I could choose any song to introduce to the mainstream it would be Before I Forget by Slipknot - it is a lot more gentle than their usual style!

Day 19 - a song from your favorite album

Sorry to sound like a stuck record (badoom-tish) but another one from Stone Sour.  My favourite album is Audio Secrey and my the song I have chosen is Say You'll Haunt Me.  Lovely sentiment and very melodic.

Day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry 

Sorry, sorry and again a Slipknot song, this time Surfacing. There's no better way to get rid of any pent up rage than screaming along with this.  "Fuck it all/Fuck this world/Fuck everything that you stand for/Don't belong/Don't exist/Don't give a shit/Don't ever judge me". Cracking message!

Day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy

Nothing makes me happier than being with my little girl and she loves singing too.  At the moment one of her favourite songs is the Hoedown Throwdown by Hannah Montana.  I can't say I'm a big fan but I just adore the way my daughter sings and dances along and so it makes me happy.

Day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad

This is the one I have struggled with most really. Maybe I'm an emotional cripple! Ok a song guaranteed to make me feel sad is this one by Lea Salonga from Miss Saigon, I'd Give my Life for You.  Such a beautiful song and really makes me want to keep my daughter by my side for ever!

Day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding 

Bit of a cheat again as we've already had our wedding but the song I wanted played at the wedding was Temple of Love by Sisters of Mercy.  We signed the register to this song and it still makes me so happy to listen to it. We had the long, long version though!

Day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral 

Could there be any better choice for a funeral song than Highway to Hell by AC/DC.  There's nothing more to say really except I won't be having a funeral - horrid, maudling events and will be leaving instructions for me to be buried followed by the party to end all parties!

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh 

Despite this actually being a really good song and Jack Black being a good singer, the song Tribute by Tenacious D really makes me laugh every time.  Hilarious!

Day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument 

In a Gadda Da Vida by Iron Butterfly.  A true 1960s classic and one that lends itself to being played on the piano! Rawk! I do, in less rock style, only play the shorter version or one's fingers get rather tired!

Day 27 - a song that you wish you could play 

There are so many songs I wish I could play but the piano doesn't really lend itself to hard rock.  I adore the riffs in Dance of Death by Iron Maiden though and if I could choose anything to play it would be this song.  I love how they can make the guitar sound so amazing!  This is a very long song but one of the best and for those who don't want to listen to it all, the bit I want to play starts at 4 minutes! One of my regrets is not seeing them live with the rest of my family when I was younger.  Damn finals getting in the way!

Day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty

I don't really do guilt as I don't think I have ever done anything that was too dreadful!.  I don't think guilt is a healthy emotion.  But I guess a time of my life that wasn't my finest hour was when I was "dating" two members of the same band at the same time.  It ended up splitting the band up.  The song that reminds me of that time is Rock Superstar by Cypress Hill as it was playing in the club when the provervial hit the fan.  The only time two guys have ever fought over me! The song is utterly brilliant though so it never stops me from listening to it!

Day 29 - a song from your childhood 

The song that reminds me of my childhood is Marguerita Time by Status Quo.  My Grandad had this on a record and I can remember so clearly getting him to put it on loop and making up dances to it.  I must have been all of five!  It still reminds me of my Grandad who I still miss and who died 20 years ago. 

Day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year 

And, to finish the list of nicely we have come full circle because my favourite song at this time last year was Made of Scars by Stone Sour.  I'm nothing if not loyal.

So there we are - I've loved doing this because I love music.

Apologies for the laggardly nature of my blogging recently.  Once the show is out of the way normal service shall resume!