A thousand faces we'll choose to ignore...

Right, so my last post was a little harsh. I vented my feelings about the situation and now it's over and done with. Hoora! A friend of my mine recently got me thinking about love and how it practically controls everything we do. Well doesn’t it? Isn't love submission? Of course not. The great thing about being in love with someone is you don't have to do anything. You don't show your love by being made to do something but choosing to do it. If we HAD to do things it wouldn't be nearly as romantic. And it's not submission. Love is a two way street which both of you have to pass down to survive. I've been with my incredible girlfriend now for almost three years. We've survived these years because our love, not to sound cliché, is real. I don't know how else to explain it. Since being with her no one can even come in comparison to how I feel about her. No woman can match her beauty and no man or woman living or dead can make me feel as happy and euphoric as she does. I love her with all of my heart, body and soul and there are no words than can begin to describe how deep that love goes. I can only wish that in this lifetime I can show her a mere percent of how much love I have in my heart for her.

We didn't get here through giving in and giving up. We've embarked on what few couples can outlast (being at different universities) TWICE! That's right twice! I've been to two different universities over the last two years and she has been to two different institutions of learning (Art College and University) at different parts of the country and there has never been a moment of doubt in my head, never a moment of hesitation and that's what you need to be in this kind of relationship. This is going to sound slightly harsh but only the strong relationships survive what has come to be known as "university challenge". If your heart is not in it you will fail eventually regardless of whether it takes a year, two or three. When I first came to university people were surprised I was in a relationship and people still are surprised that after almost two years at Uni we are still together and still going strong. People say it's not worth it and it can't be done, well I think we're living proof it is worth it and it can be done. Love is not a battle to won or lost. It's being completely venerable with someone and sharing (that's a key word) life together. Couples fight it's a natural thing and if a couple didn't occasionally argue how can the relationship grow into something stronger? When these moments happen its better to shelve your pride and apologise rather than shelve your love. Because what’s more important admitting you are wrong or tearing apart something beautiful? Arguments come and go but love lives on and, forgive another cheesy cliché but I truly believe it, conquers all.


Peace, love and respect. as always.

-- Tom RDD

Right....

Be aware this rant may offend some of you. If you like celebrity culture and all that you might not want to read on. But other wise give it a read...

This has been on my mind for a while. Jade Goody. No, I'm not going to make any jokes about her but I WILL tell the truth as I see it. She was a washed up wannabe celebrity. She was famous just because she was on Big Brother and that is nothing to be proud of. She then went on Big Brother and called someone a "poppodom" which to be honest is insensitive but not exactly the worst racial slur in the world. Then everyone jumped on the "I Hate Jade" bandwagon and pretended to give a crap about racism just because it was on their televisions sets. Then after a wile flitting around doing pretty much jack shit she gets cancer. Now let me make this clear. Cancer is NOT funny. Members of my family have died of cancer and I know the pain it causes. But it makes me laugh at how the people who hated this woman for being "racist" then suddenly started feeling sorry for her. People saying she has kids, yeah well so do most of the other cancer patients that are in the UK but people don't care about them. Not that they really should, you don't know them, you’ve never met them and they've never influenced your lives in anyway. Cancer is just a very sad fact we have to deal with in this life. So the nation was worshipping a wannabe celebrity because she had cancer. I feel sorry for her family but you will not catch me jumping on the "it's a tragedy" bandwagon. It's not a tragedy; she did NOTHING this country can be proud of. It's sad that her kids are going to grow up without a mom but what about all the other kids who don't have parents that most of you don’t think twice about because they don't have a "celebrity" mother. And NOW to make matters worse for people like me who are sick of hearing about this bloody woman, they are making a film! OF WHAT?!?!? Her life? What the hell did she do that's worth a film deal? This is an honest question someone please tell me WHY! Was it all the money she gave to charity, oh wait she didn’t! Granted kids come first but how much money did she make from all those interviews she did in those wank magazines like Hello? And yet none of her money went to cancer research or other cancer charities. You would think after all the thousands of pounds she made she could at least give SOME money to charity. If someone can provide me with links and sources that she did give money to charity I will revise my opinion on that matter. However, the point remains. This country is becoming increasingly obsessed with 3rd rate celebrity and it’s starting to worry me somewhat.

This is my opinion and if you don't like it tough.

-- Tom RDD

LA.X.

Another song that I really like. WARNING RUDE WORDS!!!

Hey, elitists from L.A.; Los Angeles, California
you know who you are
you drive in fancy cars
your allowance exceeds my rent
well listen to what I have to say
remind yourselves every day
let's get the message on its way

well first of all,
fuck your fucking attitudes
how can you be so fucking rude?
you fucking look at me like when girls are jealous
and fuck your fucking L.A. bars
you're all a bunch of wannabe superstars
yeah, fuck your fucking act
you're a bunch of dressed up fucking rats

you get anything you want
mommy's jobless fucking runt
you're fucking lounging in daddy's fucking mansion
and all your fucking stupid names
Blair and Tavis, that's fucking lame
Z-A-C does not spell Zack,
what the fuck is with all that?

And you think you're so fucking impressive
You can get your name on the fucking guestlist
raise your nose to the people in line
give the doorman a fucking high five

and they go

do my shoes match my shirt?
does my shirt clash with my pants?
do my pants match my eyes?
do my eyes look good tonight?
will this place be cool enough?
your hair looks so, so tough
this looks so good for us
tonight my money's gonna buy me love
[x2]

and fuck all of your deceiving
what's your fake heart fake fucking bleeding?
and all the girls you lay to your mat
are the same fucking girls you fucking laugh at
and fuck your fucking fake ass world
and all your handed out fucking thrills
some of us, we have to work hard
just to get our little part
and maybe your glamour's not in Boston
but my friends are fucking awesome
and we'll keep on doing our best
even though our lives are a mess

Even though my life is a mess, yeah

and we go

will this check support this tour?
will this tour lose my job?
without my job where's the rent?
should we all just call it quits?
the dinner dates sure cost a lot
when 28 bucks is all you got
and your life is at a stop
and all your dreams are all self-taught
[x3]

and this is the difference between our lives
no wonder tonight you feel alright
and I'm sorry if my mind is occupied
I'm trying to forget to wonder why
[x2]

We're built up from nothing
I'm trying to forget to wonder why
[x4]


Peace, Love and respect. as always.

-- Tom RDD

Somewhere In The Between...

ok I lied. I will post again today. However it is only a quick(ish) one. Basically below are some song lyrics which I think are possilby some of the best lyrics I have ever heard in my life ever. Enjoy.

Streetlight Manifesto - Down To Menphisto's Cafe


If I were you, I would take this as a sign
Believe it's true, we were never meant to fly
And I owe you, I know you more than anyone alive
And I will not let go

They will not remember this song
No matter what we do we'll be wrong
They will not remember this song
No matter what we do we'll be wrong

I can't seem to see the seal we're breaking
I can't seem to see the seal we broke
I refuse to recognize your views
Someone shouted "Everything's for nothing"
Somebody shouted, "All is lost"
But I can't buy that nonsense too

Way back when the prophecies began
Do you think they really had a master plan
Or were they merely writing fables, stories?
I don't know but it has occurred to me
The punishment that they threaten constantly
It's only real if they could just convince me

We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
Down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe (We're going down)
And the gears will spin and the sinners sin, but at least we'll give them hell
And the righteous few will spit on you, so bid them all farewell
We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
We're going down (Right?) (Right!)

So fuck the flocks of sheep that keep amassing masses
Asses being led so far astray
And I won't claim to believe the things I read
Black books or agenda magazine
I'd rather see in shades of gray

If I were you, I would take this as a sign
Believe it's true, we were never meant to fly

And I knew you when you were you
Before they twisted all your views
Before you came unglued

We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
Down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe (We're going down)
And the gears will spin and the sinners sin, but at least we'll give them hell
And the righteous few will spit on you, so bid them all farewell
We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
We're going down (Right?) (Right!)

Now everybody's telling taller tales
And I don't know who to believe
Ok, if your father really loves you more
What about the other families?

Finally, I met a man with kindness in his eye and fire in his heart
He said you'll never have to choose a side
It's rewarding but oh, the road is hard....

They broke him wide open
Like a dam and a cork that's holding everything inside
You can play the role of rebel
Just be sure to know your wrong from right

I remember it was years ago
You know I still count the days
You and I had quite a ways to go
I never once heard you complain
And you said

Don't crack, because you might not make it back
And if you do you will be alone and you can't live like that
Well I know when I'm wrong and I sure as hell ain't wrong this time

We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
Down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe (We're going down)
And the gears will spin and the sinners sin, but at least we'll give them hell
And the righteous few will spit on you, so bid them all farewell
We're going down, down, down to Mephisto's Cafe
We're going down (Right?) (Right!)




peace, love and respect. always.

-- Tom RDD

Talking about the right state of mind

Just a quick one today. Today I have been blitzing my Mad Caddies albums and boy have I forgotten how good they are! Possibly one of the best ska bands in the world today and what a sound that guitar makes (that guy is a reggae genious!). Here is one of their slower songs off their latest album. Enjoy!

Come on son you haven't got a chance now...

This picture is literally making me smile... rather a bit!






10 points to the person to guesses what it is (not that it is difficult). Anyway, sorry about the lack of updates. Haven't really had much brewing around the old noggin of vague intelligence over the last few days, however someone did tell me that my blog was "very intellectual" which made me laugh a fair bit. I will say one thing however; to give the vague impression I am doing something to inspire you blog readers. Isn't it amazing how the weather can affect our mood? Where I am at the moment (which is Worcester in the west midlands, UK) it is ridiculously sunny and rather warm. And because of this smashing weather I have been feeling very positive. For example I woke up the other day in literally the worst mood ever, I missed my girlfriend, missed home and felt generally lonely. I went out in the sun with some friends and within 10 minutes my problems just faded away. I of course have my very good friends to thank for this but also the weather. Thank you Mother Nature! I of course still miss my beautiful girlfriend and home but the weather helps me see the bright (no pun intended) side of life and remind me I will be with them soon. But until I get to hold Becki in my arms again I will just have to make do with the great weather and lay on the grass and literally do nothing (thank you [Scrubs]). Anyway, wherever you are, whatever you are doing I hope you are enjoying yourself and making the best of it.

Peace, love and respect. as always.

-- Tom RDD

OMG!

Watch this. Makes me want to go riding even more!

What I want!

I used to be really into riding the old BMX. In my years of riding I spent some great times with my friends riding street, dirt and whatever we could find. So no surprises that I want to get back into it and seeing as my first was a Mongoose Menace, I really want a new Mongoose. Below are some bikes I would like. Enjoy.

Peace, love and respect. as always.

-- Tom RDD

How can I be satisfied when everything is overrated?

That's a lie. I am very satisfied with my life. For those of you who do not know that is a quote from a rather brilliant band called Less Than Jake, who I have been listening to a lot as of late. This post has very little to do with anything else but music. Recently I've pretty much just vented my frustrations on this blog and reading the posts back to myself I laugh at how I rant on about something, I even imagine myself saying it aloud in a really pissed off voice, god I know myself well. Anyway recently I have been getting back to the one of two (the other being blink 182) loved bands of my teens and I have to say it has been far too long since I have cranked the LTJ. They really are an amazing band. Also I don't know if I mentioned it in my last post, me and my friend Max (check out his blog!) are going to see an Australian band called Cat Empire. If you have never heard of them check out the video I have posted (fingers crossed it works). Another amazing band I strongly suggest everyone listen to. The video below is probably their best song (in my opinion) although all their songs I've heard, which is two albums worth, are really good and danceable. So get your dancing shoes on!

Peace, Love and repsect. always.

-- Tom RDD

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Some free advice...

Some free advice for you all today. Don't be different when you can't be yourself. Simple as that. What does it mean? Well it's pretty self explanatory. People sometimes forget who they really are at heart in the society we live in (which has taken a dicking from me as of late) with people obsessed with being cool, being in with the "right" crowd and fashionable. I'm not suggesting everyone is like this and I'm not saying the above things are bad (although all have bad aspects) but I'm merely pointing out that when we strive to be liked by people and we try and keep up with the latest "in thing" we sometimes forget things about ourselves. Our morals, our values and our self respect. For instance I've seen people who I thought I knew pretty well turn into assholes over the last year because of fear of being considered "un-cool" (but I guess it's all from my perspective). It's easy to forget ourselves when we are trying to fit in and be "hip" but hopefully we never do anything we will hate ourselves for. So my advice to you is just remember your roots and your morals. Never become something you hate. Trust me it's not a nice feeling.

Peace, love and respect, as always.

-- Tom RDD

Laugh a nervous laugh and listen to what's on the radio...

Recently I have realized something about my fellow man. People (in general) will do anything to get on top and some of today's society just want to be famous for practically anything. As long as they get there name in some second rate magazine about another new hair style for some washed out wannabe pop star, they are happy. What happened to society? Do we really live in an age where people would rather sleep with someone to get to the top over hard work? When was this choice made? I always hoped we were a society in which we would try and fight tooth and nail to be number one BUT not stoop to lowest of levels to get there. Do people have no self respect anymore? I guess some people just don't care and will do anything to get to the "top". Well I pity them because if their self respect is anywhere near as low as the respect I have for them they will have none, nothing, nada! Maybe I am on my high horse here, but I have standards. I want to be the best because I am the best not because I can sleep around.

Anyway, rant over now. I have such an urge to get back into music. I really want get involved in the general music thing again. It has been far too long since I took to a stage and played music. In fact it's been a while since I even picked up an instrument and played it with the passion I used to have. Need to start a band me thinks and get playing again.

Peace, love and respect (as long as your not included in the rant above)

-- Tom RDD

Surburban Myth

After spending a long weekend with the most important person in my life (the lovely Miss Rebecca Hawkes) I have put some rather important things into perspective. I've realized that some things in life are more important than others. I've previously said I don't believe in living life as a competition and as a race to the finish line whilst picking up meaningless achievements along the way. I still believe this, I think people should do things in their life they enjoy not because a book called "100 things to do before you die" tells you to. In my future I just want to be happy. I don't care what I do (well of course I want to do something I have a passion for and something I love, I am not settling for second best if that’s what you are thinking) as long as I get to spend it with someone, a certain special someone, I love. Now I am only a youngen but I don't think you have be a rocket scientist to know what makes you happy and to know what you want. Maybe my dream is rare for a person of my age, but I see it as a more down to earth approach to life. I'm not chasing something impossible. What I am in chasing, in my mind, is happiness. I am pursuing happiness. And to that I think it's more important to spend life with someone you love that live by a list of things to do. Of course there are things I want to do in my life, but I will not consider my life a waste when I die if I can look back and say with all honesty I enjoyed myself, spent my life with the woman I love and taught everything I know to my children and my grandchildren. What an odd dream for a 19 year old boy. Maybe things will change in the years to come but who knows. I will just have to wait and see.

Anyway, rambling over.


Peace, love and respect, as always.

-- Tom RDD

Review

as promised.... my review:

Armed with a pen, paper, an open mind and a fairly decent seat in the Warwick Art Centre, I was more than pleasantly surprised to bear witness to nothing less than a masterpiece performed by Knee High Theatre Company. Knee High’s latest outing, “Don John”, takes strong influences from Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” and holds true to the original structure of two acts following the life the womanizing, charismatic and yet oddly irresistible protagonist, Don John. Using visually inventive motifs, spectacular sets and a live band that cannot be described as anything less than fantastic, Knee High have brought Mozart’s former masterpiece kicking and screaming into the modern day (although setting the show in the late 1970’s).

Now to set the scene: If you are wondering why director, Emma Rice, has chosen the “battered Britain” of 1978 as a setting it is rather simple yet brilliant. The decision to set their bleak update of the Don Juan story in the “winter of discontent” (or the winter of 1978 for those of us not around to witness it first hand) is a direct insinuation of our own modern day society with the UK going through a recession and everyday seeming to turn into the worst day “since records began”.

Now enough of setting the scene it’s time for the action and plot: The stage consists of metal containers you would see down the docks of a shipping yard, which later turn out to be the rooms in which the action of the piece is played out, the lights go down and the audience are greeted with a congregation of workers who are on strike gathered around a barrel with flames flickering in the dim lighting that fills the stage. A radio, held by one of the workers comes to life and is fiddled with until Jim Callaghan’s voice comes over the radio saying he won’t be calling an election until the spring and promising “that we’ll see this through together”. The inhabitants of a small English town will certainly be seeing the next few hours through together as Don John descends upon them to wreak his own unique style of havoc by playing fast and loose with an elegant women who adores him even though Don John does not return the love nor the respect she gives him, a vicars wife who is a secret alcoholic and mistakes Don John’s sexual advances of those of her less than sexually motivated husband and of course Zerlina the polish cleaner who despite being engaged to a nice chap who only wants the best for her, cannot resist Don John’s strange attraction or his charm.

Knee High’s adaptation of Mozart’s classic opera mixes a wide variety of styles and genre’s together. Flitting between comedy, which is probably used to stop us slitting our wrists from the tragedy it would undoubtedly be if we were not saved from time to time by some comedy gems such as the vicar’s constant attempts to be “hip” by singing popular songs from the decade such as songs from the film Greece and mimicking the dancing from Saturday Night Fever. Which is in complete contrast to the erotic sex scenes (which by the way were not as graphic as everyone made them out to be) where Don John works his magic on the unsuspecting female population of the stage whilst using fantastic acrobatic skills on the part of Zerlina the cleaner, and finally the darker side of the piece by constantly reminding us of the dark political issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, strikes, and unemployment which was abundant in the late 1970’s and could become just as abundant in the present day.

One of the highlights of the piece was the superb use of the live band on stage. Whenever the metal container housing the band and their instruments was opened my heart leapt in anticipation to see what the band would come out with next. Mixing recorded classical music by Mozart from the original Don Giovanni story with fantastic live reggae, DUB, punk and a bit of 70’s funk into the mix not only gave the piece an exciting edge and soundtrack but also helped put things into context (did anyone see Don John as some sort of punk figurehead “sticking it to the man” as they say or was it just me?) by using popular music of the period, accompanied with dancing from the supporting players, but yet not forgetting where the piece came from and what the story is based on with references to Mozart’s original opera.


So in conclusion a good night out but is it, as Emma Rica suggests, “appropriate for all”? Maybe this Knee-High performance is not for the younger viewers or those who would rather not see vivid sex scenes on stage, but for those of us old enough to appreciate it and not be offended by the content. But what of Don John? What have we the audience learnt from his antics? Is Don John the villain he appears to be? Or is he an anti-hero embodying freedom and individualism, which over the coming years would almost be destroyed by Thatcherism. This is for each individual audience member to decide for themselves as of course everyone will take away a different part of Don John’s story for better or worse.

I am king and my queen will come at dawn...

Gar! Reviews are harder to write than professional reviewers (if there is such a thing) let on! I have to write a review after going to the theatre (yeah I go to the theatre being the cultured guy I am) to see Knee-High Theatre Company's performance of "Don John" which is based on a Mozart opera. Anywho, I have to write a review on the damn thing (which was excellent for what it's worth) and it has to be intelligent and the like and intelligent writing is not my forte. So struggling a bit but hopefully it will be alright. Here is an extract from it so far:


But is Don John the villain he appears to be? Or is he an anti-hero embodying freedom and individualism, which over the coming years would almost be destroyed by Thatcherism. This is for each individual audience member to decide for themselves as of course everyone will take away a different part of Don John’s story for better or worse.

Not too bad (I hope) I will post the finished article when I have finished it! But until then...

Peace, love and respect. as always.

-- Tom RDD