Sometimes I write my thoughts down.

Last night I went to Lennons to see some bands that are apparently described as "emo-core". As far as I'm aware, "emo" is short for "emotional hardcore"... so does that make last night's music "emotional hardcore-core"? What if there were an emo band of 4 siblings, 3 pretty girls and a bloke that no-one cares about, that added an Irish vibe to their sound? "Emo-Corr-core", anyone? Cor!

It was an interesting night, nevertheless. I love the word "nevertheless". It's just 3 random English words shoe-horned in together. A whole phrase, in fact. I think I shall start using the new word "ontheotherhand". Who's with me?!

Yesterday I was having lunch in the John Lewis cafe, which is on the top floor and has a huge curved window looking out onto the wonders of Southampton... shipping containers, docks and a row of warehouse-y superstore things. Anyway, I don't know about anyone else, but there's something hypnotic about watching cars coming and going round a busy car park. At one point, two cars both started to drive into the same space from opposite ends, so they were facing each other. One was a huge new Mondeo-type thing, one was an aging hatchback. Neither would back down. For about 10mins they both sat there, occasionally exchanging hand-gestures. The tension was palpable. Eventually the older car backed off and went and parked in a newly-available space a few feet away. The newer car finished parking (though not very well since the space had a huge bollard thing at the end... haha). Youngish guy & girlfriend got out of the older car and walked towards the shops; the guy first taking a detour to walk up to the other car's front window (presumably to give some friendly advice). The occupants of the newer car sit there... and sit there... and after another 10mins or so, drive off and out of the car park entirely! Did the guy unnerve them sufficiently that they felt their only option was to leg it out of there?! Who knows. Ah well, it kept me entertained for a while anyway.

So last night Ben, Lucy, Hannah, Al and myself went to the Talking Heads pub quiz. Ben, Lucy and I had gone along before and done ok, but we were up against far larger teams. But with 5 of us, it was ours for the taking. Sure enough, we led all the way through, and even got the tricky "connections" round (each answer contained a number descending from "ten" (table tennis) to "one" (Al Capone) -- very clever). With one round to go we were 2 points in front. We managed to stuff up the last round, though, and ended up in second place. The annoying thing was, though, that we lost to a team of just 2 people!! And they walked off with £10 each. Gah!

So. In August, my girlfriend and I went to Paris for the weekend. On the way back, at Waterloo, after a long day's travelling and not enough food or sleep, I fainted. Except that apparently I also had some sort of mini-fit, and when I came round I was in an ambulance. They let me go after a few hours after ruling out obvious stuff (including diabetes - !!) and everything was fine. I put it down to just being knackered and obstinate (I'd felt faint for a few minutes beforehand, so I should've known what was coming), and forgot about it.

Just to be on the safe side, though, they booked me in to have an EEG (electroencephalogram, Scrabble fans! It means a brain scan) , which I had done yesterday morning. I didn't get to go inside a big machine thing like I thought, instead I just got 23 electrodes stuck to my head and was told to breathe heavily for 3mins and look at flashy lights and stuff. I then had to go and see a consultant, who hadn't actually seen the results of the EEG, since it had only just finished, which was a bit pointless. He also wanted to talk to my girlfriend, who couldn't get time off work. So he had very little to go on and wants me to go back in January, but in the meantime he's advised me not to drive. This vexes me. I see his point (if I black out I could cause a crash), but I'm sure there's nothing actually wrong with me. It's just a bloody good job I don't actually need to drive at the moment, I guess. "Grrrr" anyway, though.

I went to see Razorlight last night, at Southampton Uni, and they rocked! Johnny, the singer, is such a ridiculously cocky bastard it's funny... kinda like Howlin' Pelle (of the Hives) at times, only completely serious. He even went crowd-surfing at the end -- this is at a few-hundred-capacity venue -- and still kept singing :)
Their songs aren't as good as Johnny clearly thinks they are (and neither are some of his hilariously cliched lyrics), so I wouldn't get their album I don't think, but live he's such a showman that it doesn't matter. Go see them if you get the chance.

This is an angry post. Recently I've felt myself getting angry (or, more accurately I suppose, frustrated) far more often and at really little things, which anyone who knows me would (hopefully) agree is not like me at all. I've known for some time that I'm getting angrier socio-politically, basically as a result of reading more and finding out how just unfair the world is and how irrational, ignorant and hypocritical many of it's leaders (and assorted powerful people) are. But over the weekend I got in over-large sulks at stuff like my girlfriend & I not going to the pub because she wasn't feeling well, my housemates hogging the bathroom and watching random telly when I came back from the quiz so preventing me from watching MOTD2, and my bus being late and being full of annoying kids this morning. These are silly, pointless things to be angry about. This worries me.

And it's a shame, too, because the highlight of my weekend was a lovely romantic dinner out to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We went to a place called Wild Orchid (just off London Road, if anyone's interested), which was really quite posh but in the best possible way. Tasteful decor, nice and spread out, helpful and un-snooty staff, and mmm-mmm, delicious food. My starter was a wild mushroom salad... I'd never realised there were so many types of mushroom and with such different flavours. All in all, it was a really lovely evening :)

And it's Rock night at the union tonight and then Razorlight tomorrow! Yay!

Bob and Lauren have both done this now, so as I haven't got much work to do this afternoon, I will do it too :)
I feel it is important to note that only the bold statements apply to me!!

01. I miss someone right now.
02. I don't watch much TV these days.
03. I love olives.
04. I love sleeping.
05. I own lots of books.
06. I wear glasses or contact lenses.
07. I love to play video games.
08. I've tried marijuana.
09. I've watched porn movies
10. I have been in a threesome.
11. I have been the psycho ex in a previous relationship.
12. I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
13. I have acne free skin.
14. I like and respect Al Sharpton. (don't know who he is)
15. I curse frequently.
16. I have changed a lot mentally over the past year.
17. I have a hobby.
18. I've been told I have a nice butt.
19. I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
20. I'm really, really smart.
21. I've never broken someone's bones.
22. I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal.
23. I hate the rain.
24. I'm paranoid at times.
25. I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar free.
26. I need money right now.
27. I love sushi.
28. I talk really, really fast. Sometimes, when nervous...
28. I have fresh breath in the morning.
30. I have semi-long hair
31. I have lost money in Las Vegas.
32. I have at least one brother and/or one sister.
33. I was born in a country outside of the U.S.
34. I shave my legs.
35. I have a twin.
37. I couldn't survive without Caller ID.
38. I like the way that I look.
39. I have lied to a good friend in the past 6 months.
40. I know how to do cornrows. (I don't even know what they are! )
41. I am usually pessimistic.
42. I have mood swings.
43. I think prostitution should be legalized. If regulated properly, maybe.
44. I think Britney Spears is hot.
45. I have cheated on a significant other.
46. I have a hidden talent.
47. I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
48. I think that I'm popular.
49. I am currently single.
50. I have kissed someone of the same sex. Not with tongues though!
51. I enjoy talking on the phone.
52. I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
53. I love to shop.
54. I would rather shop than eat.
55. I would classify myself as ghetto. Eh?
56. I'm bourgie and have worn a sweater tied around my shoulders.
57. I'm obsessed with my LJ58. Again, eh?
58. I don't hate anyone.
59. I think I'm a pretty good dancer.
60. I don't think Mike Tyson raped Desiree Washington. Don't know, don't care
61. I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
62. I have a cell phone. Well actually, it's a mobile phone ;)
63. I watch MTV on a daily basis
65. I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
66. I love drama.
67. I have never been in a real relationship before.
68. I've rejected someone before.
69. I currently have a crush on someone.
70. I have no idea what i want to do for the rest of my life.
71. I want to have children in the future.
72. I have changed a diaper before.
73. I've had the cops called on me before.
74. I bite my nails.
75. I am a member of the Tom Green fan club.
76. I'm not allergic to anything.
77. I have a lot to learn.
78. I have dated someone at least 10 years older or younger.
79. I plan on seeing Ice Cube's newest "Friday" movie. Hahaha!
80. I am very shy around the opposite sex sometimes. If I don't know them, yeah...
81. I'm online 24/7, even as an away message.
82. I have at least 5 away messages saved.
83. I have tried alcohol or drugs before.
84. I have made a move on a friend's significant other in the past.
85. I own the "South Park" movie.
86. I have avoided assignments at school or work to be on Xanga or Livejournal.
87. When I was a kid I played 'the birds and the bees' with a neighbor or chum.
88. I enjoy some country music.
89. I love my best friends.
90. I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza.
91. I watch soap operas whenever I can.
92. I'm obsessive, anal retentive, and often a perfectionist.
93. I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
94. I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all.
95. I know all the words to Slick Rick's "Children's Story".
96. Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
97. I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it.
98. I have dated a close friend's ex.
99. I'm happy as of this moment.

Last night was an AIM DJ event at Lennons. I hadn't been to Lennons in faaaar too long, so I was looking forward to it all weekend. Unfortunately, tiredness, Monday-at-work-ness and, I suspect, ageing-ness, conspired to prevent me from really enjoying myself. I tried drinking lots (2 double G&Ts in the space of half-an-hour in the Union bar!) but that just made me tirederer, and the white rum in Lennons is really quite bad! Basically, I feel I must apologise to Bob et al, coz they were all great as usual and played some cracking tunes. In some way that I can't quite touch on, though, it just wasn't quite the same as it was a couple of years ago. Ah well. I think I'm feeling kinda like I'm in a bit of a rut at the moment. I'm sure it'll pass soon enough though.

In other news, this is quite possibly the best idea ever and should definitely be attempted over here! As Al said in response: "that should be a national service really... we can have people in Tesco pointing out to people picking up Pot Noodles that it isn't food, and someone standing by the "Welcome To Manchester" signs encouraging cars to turn around". (Why Manchester, I'm not quite sure ;-)

Last night I watched Van Helsing. It was a huge pile of high-camp silliness, and I loved it. It got me thinking, though - what makes the difference between an enjoyably shit film and just an irredeemably shit film? VH is very flashy and full of ridiculously overdone special effects, and I guess is also helped by having a plot that resembles a Roman road and a background that everyone already knows. Some friends & myself once saw "Anaconda" at the cinema after a few pints. This is getting towards the realm of true shiteness, with a rubbish and illogical plot and dire special effects, along with the usual hammy acting and awkward dialogue. But we were pissed, so none of that mattered. It was just great fun - hence why I remember such an otherwise forgettable film. But the worst film I have ever seen, by quite some margin, was Manos: The Hands Of Fate, which featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. MST is a show that rejoices in bad films, but even its die-hard fans agreed that Manos was in a class of its own. (MST's fans, I mean. If Manos has any devotees I will eat ALL the hats.) It had no budget, but even allowing for that, everything about it was bad. The first 45mins were entertaining in an Anaconda-like way, but by the end we were praying heartfeltedly (is this a word? If not, it really should be) for it to stop.

Last week, my good friend Bob informed me, via the medium of his face, that he had found this sorry excuse for a blog. So I guess I'd better buck my ideas up!

Classic blog stuff: I had a pretty good weekend by all accounts. Friday night I drunk continuously from 5pm till 2am - first some Juicy Lucys and G&Ts in Clowns, followed by a couple of glasses of wine at home with my lovely girlfriend Carly, then out to Wetherspoons and finally the Nexus. 'Twas a most excellent night, and I suffered accordingly the next day. Saturday night we saw a quite astounding firework display at the Union. It truly was one of the best I have ever seen. Then we went to see The Grudge, which made you jump lots but I don't think would stand up to repeated viewing. Then Sunday night I went to the quiz at the Drummond. We came last, but won a booby prize of crisps or chocolate (it's never actually boobies, is it!), which dare I say is almost worth losing for... I was supposed to go to the Union for Rock Lite but didn't as I was too knackered and had a sore throat :-(

Stuff which might actually be termed "interesting": One interesting thing to come out of the whole Bush (*spit*) debacle is that it's causing people to step back and consider who we are and where we're going. Current opinion suggests that the US is becoming polarised to a degree unseen since the Civil War, with people (e.g. Simon Schama) labelling it "Worldly America vs Godly America" or "Science vs Religion". We have the strange situation where Islamic fundamentalists are denouncing Western culture as sinful and immoral, whilst the Christian fundamentalists are, in a way, also denouncing it (at least the socially progressive parts - those that don't actually affect their way of life). Add to this the fact that birth rates (or replacement rates) in secular parts of the world are generally far lower than in more religious parts, and, well... what will happen to us liberal, peaceful, progressive, scientifically-minded, secular folk?! It's an interesting thought, anyway. I think.