did u catch this year's eurovision song contest?
have u seen the winners, finnish 'melodic hard rock' group, lordi?
this band of 'horror/monster rock' gents, dressed in costumes which would fit in well on an iron maiden album cover (for example), have won eurovision MMVI with their song 'hard rock hallelujah'.
lordi (also the name of their lead singer) originally hail from arctic lapland and over the past 5 years have risen to some prominence with albums entitled 'get heavy', 'the monsterican dream', and 'the arockalypse' (i partiuclarly like that last title).
surely there can be no dispute that lordi are, in many ways, something like the KISS of the current decade (albeit on a smaller commercial scale, at least to date). and like KISS, lordi have been implicated in perpetuating satanism and the like; although they perhaps quashed this hypothesis to some extent via their hit (in finland) single 'devil is a loser'. nonetheless there are no doubt other influences - e.g. some of the costumes have something of a masters of the universe - or perhaps valhalla-with-a-dash-of-thriller - aesthetic.
for now i'll leave the final word to lordi's lead singer, lordi:
“We have the same aesthetic as horror films. The scarier the film, the more fun it is. And rock music should be all about fun.”

~

i have just scanned over some of the contents of previous posts (it is possible that i am indeed the only one who has done so), and i must say:
*what a crock of absolute tripe & drivel!*
at least, i suppose, i am living up to the above subtitle of this blog.
i'm going to have to try to do better than this ... but no promises; don't hold you breath!

actually i'm curious about the term 'crock' as used above: i wonder, does it refer to a piece of crockery, such as a pot?

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i love the multi-dimensional & intoxicating aromas
of thai food
as i drive home with it, take-away,
in my little 2-door hatch car

just what the doctor ordered!
[in more ways than one]

~

i have spent quite a bit of the past 12 days or so reflecting on the life, death, and songs of grant w mclennan, half of the core of the band, the go-betweens. i have also given considerable thought to the sad fact that he lost his father when he was only four years old, and to the impact that this had upon him and his songs.

well, what more can i say? except that he has left a great legacy, a magnificent collection of great songs, not only by the go-betweens but also solo, and with steve kileby as jack frost ...

i'm also grateful that i didn't lose a parent when i was young, and furthermore that i still have both my parents.
my father has told me numerous times whilst i was growing up that a singlet will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. i can't argue with the first half of the statement, but am not sure that i fully agree with that last bit; altough i do acknolwedge that in summer (or other sweaty times) a singlet can at least absorb the sweat from one's body. maybe that's what he was getting at?

in any case, nowadays i do typically wear singlets to work, at least in the cooler months ...

~

'a white moon appears
like a hole in the sky,
the mangroves go quiet ... '

grant w mclennan

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‘it’s funny how someone you’ve never met, manages to stay with you’
regrettably, i never saw him play live
‘you won’t find it again’
but his songs are often in my ears and mind
‘don’t call me gone’
when i see an empty blue sky above trees i hear those songs
~

'it's cold & dusty in here'

vale, grant mclennan

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i can't resist noting the following quote i heard on the radio this morning. it is from george w bush and relating to the sentence handed down to zacarias moussaoui for his apparent role in the events culminating in 9/11.
bush said, " ... he has been given a life sentence in prison, where he will spend the rest of his life" (or something very close to that).
i know that george produces such inanities and a (at least) daily basis. on this occasion, as often, it was very magnanimous of him to clarify the situation for listeners/viewers, and/or himself.
~