I got shoal but I'm not a shoulder.

Hiya, everyone.
Today's entry goes out to one person in particular. "Your moooother, there's no-one quite like your mother!"...Maybe not. No, if you're tuned in, by the end of this post you'll know who you are. Before I get to the main body though, you folks in general need to know a couple of things:
Firstly, EPs are my new best buddies on iTunes. They're like...mini albums. What a great idea, huh? Mini albums! It's like, if you really like somone's music, but you can't afford to buy a whole album, you can get an EP. These can be long singles, such as the Veronicas', or small albums with seven or eight tracks, like Coldplay's new set, Prospekt's March. Especially with the Credit Crunch hitting, EPs look set to become even more popular.
Anyway, now that we've got that straight, those who know me in real life will soon be able to download a vodcast with me in! Vodcast? Like, a video podcast. With me and someone from the year below. Lysander from the play, for those in the know. Yeah, it's not a proper podcast, it's for the Language department at school. It's so you can watch me make a complete fool of myself AGAIN whilst you revise for your Oral exams. I'm a teacher apparently. So I've gotta dig out some geeky glasses.
In a similar-ish vein, it's time to dust off the old Shakespeare speech one last time, and join the gang for our final appearance at the ESU Christmas party. And you can betcha the posh triangle sandwiches will make an appearance again, too. It's going to be awesome. Now all I have to do is remember the speech!
I think that's all I have to say otherwise...So yeah. While I was sitting around raking in my babysitting cash last night, I decided I needed to write a song. Inspired by recent events, this goes out to my newfound love. I just wish I could mention a name, but for security reasons I'd better not. But she knows. And if any bands are reading this and like the song, any other day I'd say yes, you can have it. But not this one. It wouldn't be the same. PS, sorry about the dots, that was the only way I could make a new line.

Sunny Weather

.

Yesterday I saw you

Standing like you do,

With your hands on your hips,

That smile upon your lips.

Man, I swear this can't be real

'Cause you look just how I feel

When I think of you and me,

All the things that we could be.

.

And if I ever hear you shout,

I won't know where to begin.

And I never want us to fall out,

I just want to fall in...

.

Into your big blue eyes.

They don't tell no lies.

They just shine like the moon on a starry night,

And you know this has gotta be right.

Now I'm under this big blue sky

And I'm wondering why,

Or why not stay this way forever,

In rain or sunny weather.

.

Now it's been three days.

I can't shake this haze.

Do you know how much I miss you?

Or how much I want to kiss you?

So come and fix my head,

And we can paint the whole town red,

Or whatever. I don't care,

'Cause I've got so much to share.

.

Oh, you gave me enough,

Somewhere to begin.

And when I think I'm out of love,

I keep falling in...

.

Into your big blue eyes.
They don't tell no lies.
They just shine like the moon on a starry night,
And you know this has gotta be right.
Now I'm under this big blue sky
And I'm wondering why,
Or why not stay this way forever,
In rain or sunny weather.

.

Now and then,

I'll relive that day again,

And if our love can only grow,

Well, it's awesome just to know

That I've got someone I can hold,

And maybe be with 'til I'm old.

So let's seize the day.

We've got to make our getaway.

.

Oh, you know that you're a beautiful girl,

Shining out from within.

And if you throw me out of your world,

I'll just fall back in...

.

Into your big blue eyes.
They don't tell no lies.
They just shine like the moon on a starry night,
And you know this has gotta be right.
Now I'm under this big blue sky
And I'm wondering why,
Or why not stay this way forever,
In rain or sunny weather.

.

Sunny weather...

You, me, sunny weather and the big blue sky.

.

Sunny weather...

You, me, sunny weather and your big blue eyes.

.

Sunny weather...
You, me, sunny weather and the big blue sky.

.
Sunny weather...
You, me, sunny weather and your big blue eyes.

Jack

Making the unmissable unwatchable.

Evening, all!
iPlayer keeps malfunctioning on me today. Well, not malfunctionig, as such, but just taking an excrutiatingly long time to load. I wouldn't mind if it was like YouTube, where once a part has loaded, it stays loaded, but every time you replay something, it has to load again. Also, I think the availability time should be 2 weeks, rather than just the one. It's more convenient for the viewer, and looks better ratings-wise for the BBC.
Anyway, having got that in the clear, Yivvits and MrBubble are back!! For those who don't know, Yivvits and MrBubble are a duo who run a podcast about Star Wars Galaxies. Galaxies is a MMORPG (Many Men Online Role-Playing Girls...or something) set, as you would expect, in the Star Wars galaxy. Yes, it has a bit of a reputation as being quite unpopular when compared to WoW, Everquest and the newly-released Warhammer Online, but it's still a great game, and I reccomend it to everyone who is a Star Wars fan. Yivvits and MrBubble have recently broken the big 100 episodes, and have gone into a bit of a slump. Episode 101 is quite a bit shorter than average, and from what they're saying, that could be the format for quite a while. Nevertheless, they usually have some good laughs, some good rants, and some great voice-clips. And all for absolutely free!
Other than that, today has been a pretty depressing day. Got a little stressed out in English Lit, but we're starting Creative Writing next week, so that's all good. And my best friend has just broken up with his girlfriend. It's one of those moments when I want to say something to make everything better, but I know there's a good chance I'll only make it worse. I know just bringing this up is a bit risky, but if she really loves you (and it sounds as though she does), you'll be back together in no time. Besides, Christmas is coming! Everyone likes Christmas!

Oh yeah. Apart from Scrooge. Bah, Humbug.

Jack

Love is a many splendid thing...

Hey guys and guy-ettes!
It's happened. I think I have a girlfriend. I say I think, we've decided to sleep on it to make 100% sure. But there it is, the one thing I never though would happen. One way or another, I'm happy to be with someone who's happy to be with me. No doubt if Larkin was here he'd grumble about it not lasting or turning into a routine, or something, but I don't care what Larkin thinks. Because just for once I've done something for me, and not made a mess of things. Yeah, I know, it was selfish, I didn't take the bigger picture into account, et cetera et cetera, but I think the karma points I've built up over the years will allow me to do just this one thing for myself. Eat that, Larkin! You're dead and I'm not!
In fact, come to think of it, d'you reckon Larkin would have written all his brilliant poetry (It is brilliant, for all its depression) if he knew that decades in the future a bunch of schoolkids would be slaving away at huge presentations with one day's notice? I mean, poetry's written so that people can admire it, not pick it to pieces. Surely you don't have to grasp why Larkin used "The" exactly four times in that stanza just to appreciate his poetry. It's the same with Shakespeare: Why can't you just take it at face value, as brilliant drama?
OK, rant over. You can go now.

Jack

Almost there...

Hi gang!
Everyone seems to be flagging today. Why is that? Half the world's come down with the flu and the other half is looking decidedly lacklustre. It's that time of year when Christmas is just out of reach, homework is starting to weigh down like a tonne of bricks (Still moving that house!), and sometimes you could just break down and cry. Well, you could, I suppose. If you really wanted to.
But let's not forget that, in this world of dread and fear...no, wait. That's Band Aid...In this world of turmoil and tyrrany...that's better...There is still one spark of hope! The one thing that keeps us fighting until the next week, and the next, and the next. When it's here, it's that thing we love to hate, but when it's gone, we wish it would come back. That's right...It's Hit 40 UK!
Don't we all love laughing at the junk in the charts, discovering some new music, pretending to be "cool", and just forgetting all our worries for that blissful period from four o'clock until seven. Honestly, if you don't listen in, I would thoroughly reccomend it. Not only does it showcase the country's favourite music...I think...it's also hosted by two of the best presenters on Radio 1 at this moment - the brilliant Fearne and Reggie! With almost as good a rapport as Yivvits and MrBubble, they make counting down the charts so much more fun than a continuous playlist.
As for the music itself, you never know what gems you might turn up amid the pile of randomness. It was on this very program that I vaguley remember discovering Avril lavigne, all those years ago, as well as Scouting For Girls, Panic at the Disco, a lot of the stuff I listen to today, actually. It's not all yodelling Leona and the Kings of Leon screaming about burning socks.
This may seem like a bit of a random outburst, but i really do prescribe this to anyone with "almost-december" syndrome. It's enough to put a smile on anyone's face. Well, mine, at least.

Jack

Jack Argent's "People Watching for Dummies"

Hey everyone.
I'm thoroughly aware that, for the "Diary of a People-Watcher", I haven't said a lot about people-watching. It's OK, it'll come. I was in Oxford the other day, but unfortunately I was too preoccupied with money and presents to get any people-watching in. But really, it's not the sort of thing that you can easily share. It's quite a solitary activity, not something you do as a club, or whatever. So, in the absence of my notes, go and do some of your own watching. Here are some guidlines to get you started:

1. Go in to your nearest busy town. For me, Cheltenham or Oxford are the best. Ideally go when something interesting's on, like a festival or a Christmas market. Yes, this'll mean the traffic's really rubbish, but you can betcha the people will be fascinating.
2. Find yourself a cafe or gastropub (they have the right ambience) with big, ceiling-to-floor windows facing out onto the high street. If these are upstairs, all the better. Here you can look down on people with less chance of them looking up and seeing you. Try to position yourself next to the windows, but near enough to a large-ish crowd so that you can pick up any juicy gossip which might be flying around. I find Starbucks' are the best for this, but beware of peak times. At around 11am and 3pm, virtually every seat will be full - believe me, I've been there. Surprisingly, a relatively large number of people will go elsewhere for their lunches, so lunch is a good time.
3. Make sure you grab a coffee or hot chocolate on your way in. A, you may be asked to leave if you don't buy anything, and B, they help you think. I usually find the Starbucks' Hazelnut Hot Choc does the trick, but different people have different preferences. Generally, a would advise hot drinks over cold, as the former give you a sense of comfort and relaxation, upping your patience metre and meaning you're less likely to leave.
4. OK, so now you're in the zone. Just a few warnings. One, don't get yourself into trouble. If you think a big strong builder will misinterpret your curiosity as giving him evils, you might want to move on to someone else, however fascinating he may be. It's OK to be a little risky from time to time, but only if you know you can get out of trouble. Two, don't people-watch people you know. You already know pretty much what they're like, and besides, you'll probably talk to them later on anyway. Three, don't hide behind a newspaper like people on movies do. In fact, unless you're planning to just listen, which is fine, drop the paper altogether. If you really do want to read about such gripping stories as The Credit Crunch and Chelsea's Latest Loss, fold up the paper to the bit you want and rest it on the table. Anything else looks way too artificial, and you could end up making a fool of yourself. Remeber, I've done it so that you don't have to.
5. OK, so watch. Look out for strange clothes and habits: why does that lady keep her hat covering her eyes? Why is that guy wearing such a big coat? It's like that bit from Hot Fuzz, when they're in the car, only not as...accusing...Look out for buskers, they're brilliant. The tunes and instruments they choose can tell a lot about their feelings. Someone playing Money Can't Buy Me Love would probably be happier/more upbeat than someone playing Summertime, for example. Look out for how people walk. If a guy was "promenading", however chhesy it may sound, one foot in front of another, he would probably be quite well-to-do, and you can cross-reference this with what he wears - Suit? Rolex? Polished shoes? Similarly, someone who ambles with hands in pockets would probably be a bit of a daydreamer - Messy hair? Old-fashioned coat or jacket? Not-quite-cool clothes? Tying all the elements together can help you deduce what one or two habits can't tell you.
6. Diaries are good fun to keep. Like this one! Be careful, though, this, too, can look too artificial. True, you could pass off as someone doing bogstandard work-planning, or if you have a laptop with you it's very easy to pretend to be someone catching up on work during their lunch hour. iTouches are the ideal piece of kit. You can take clean, readable notes at the time without need for a pen or waste of paper, and to everyone else it'll just look like you're browsing your music or playing a game. Obviously, not everyone can afford one just for people-watching, so an old piece of paper, a corner of the news, would be ideal with a tatty pencil. Or you could simply make mental notes and write up when you get home. Of course you then risk forgetting these notes, but it's worth a try.
7. Listening is also a good skill. Listen out for buzz-words. "Love" is a good one. "Government" another. Most people tend to get turned off if they pick up "business talk", but stay with it - it could be a particularly interesting type of business. And who knows, you might find out something important. After all, if the government can leave a laptop full of files on a train, they can just as easily let slip a word or two in the street. Not everything you hear has to be important; the trick is picking the interesting conversations from the tumult of noise.
8. Not much else I can say here. But people-watching is by no means limited to cafes and gastropubs. You can do it anywhere there's a crowd. In the street, in shops, at parties, on buses, even on the road. This works especially well if you have a tinted window! In addition, other hotspots are malls, italian-esque plazas, airports and concerts.

So there you go. the jack Argent guide to People-Watching for Dummies. Now get out there and find your own crowds, this one's taken!

Jack

The name's Argent. Jack Argent. Liscenced to Rant.

Hi everyone!
Coldplay's new EP came out today, and I can't wait to get my hands on it, although it'll probably be after Christmas till I do. I haven't heard much of the new material, but the lyricised version of Life In Technicolour was on the radio the other day - Fantastic! They've taken an already great instrumental and put some brilliant lyrics to it. Let's hope the rest of Prospekt's March is a similar kind of stuff! In other news, I bring before you two, yes TWO rants today. I'm not usually the ranting type, but these have been really bugging me lately. So in Yivvits' absence, allow me to waffle about the little things which annoy me.
OK, the first rant is about school. Lately our Head of Sixth Form has been driving home the point that good attendance is vital. I know that not many people have been turning up to assemblies or PSHE, and because of this he's getting annoyed. But recently, I've noticed the fault is not with the pupils, but the teachers. Only today, my English AND French teachers were away. Tomorrow my Spanish teacher is off on a course, last week I had NO French lessons due to the staff being away at various places. On Friday, my English teacher was absent for the third time in two weeks. How can they criticise our attendance and then not bother to turn up themselves? I understand they do have some important courses and stuff, but surely their priorities lie with the actual teaching. That's why they're called teachers, rather than "course-devotees". In the lower school it wasn't as noticable because they got supplies in, but in 6th form they just abandon you and expect you to get on with writing an essay or somesuch without any human guidance, and it's visibly discouraging many of my colleagues from pursuing their chosen subjects. If any teachers read this (not likely), sort it out, please.
Right, that's one out the way. the serious one. Now for something a bit further from home. I was watching Casino Royale again the other day, and an old thought returned to bug me: In the scene with the petrol truck, how does it not explode?? It must drive through half a dozen 'obstacles' of various types, HIGHLY DANGEROUS objects, may I add, without so much as a scratch. It even drives clean through an exploding bus without detonating itself, all the while streams of oil gushing from its side. I mean, come on. Even if the tanker didn't explode instantaneously, the oil would surely have caught alight from the debris left in Bond's wake. And chemistry aside, rule No 1 of film drama says that, if you have any kind of oil container, it HAS to explode. OK, so maybe they were trying to be different, but it doesn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome scene, one of the films best in my opinion, but it would have been all the better if the petrol actually set alight. Sorry to break it to you, Mr Bond: You can jump from cranes, but you can't defy the laws of physics.
Anyway, glad that's out of my system at last. Not quite sure what else to talk about here, so I'll wrap up for this evening. See you all, same place, same time, tomorrow...

Jack

It's Coming...

Hello faithful companions!
Today, among other things, I finally caught up with Heroes. And it was well worth it! For those who haven't seen "It's Coming" yet, don't read on, because it will ruin the exciting plot developments that lie in store... Anyway, first things first. Just WHAT IS the eclipse???? It's been bugging me from the start. They have all this hype in the adverts and the logos 'n' stuff, and then it's been overlooked for a whole 2 series. Maybe now my curiosity will finally be laid to rest, on this subject, at least.
Second. You've gotta love the drama between Sylar and Elle. That was possibly the most dramatic TV I've seen since Doctor Who left our screens. And in a great setting as well, the dark and moody Pinehearst cell. Both actors have just earned themselves a load more points on my personal acting scoreboard. Even Kristen Bell, who I originally took to be just a pretty face, has shown just why she's such a successful actor. And Zach Quinto...Can that man get any better at his job? Bodes well for Star Trek, fans...So does this mean Sylar's more in tune with his good side now and will become a Hero, or has he retraced his steps on the path to Hero-dom by siding with Mr Petrelli, in this case the greater of two evils? They're obviously setting him up to be the pivotal character again, but which side will he take?
Third. Hiro - with the mind of a ten-year-old. To be honest, I haven't noticed much of a change from the Hiro at the start of Series 1. And let's be honest, it didn't take him that long to re-master his powers. But what this'll mean for his and Ando's friendship remains to be seen. Worthy of note is the fact that the new Hiro seems more inclined to use his power for personal gain............Hmm...maybe it is not Ando but Hiro who turns 'evil'. Note that I had to put that into inverted commas, because at this stage in the series it's hard to tell who's side is the good side and whose is the bad.
Fourth. In a similar vein...9th Wonders is back! Just one problem though - Isaac Mendez is dead. Surely Isaac couldn't have predicted all the way up to this stage when he was so preoccupied by the New York explosion. And besides, Isaac would have been dead before this issue was released...right? The only reasonable explanations I can think of are: Isaac was brought back by the Company using Claire's blood, Isaac was brought back by either of the companies using someone with a power like Linderman's, the Time-Space Continuum has been seriously messed up as a result of someone's actions, or another precog has taken over Isaac's job.
Fifth. Where did Mr Bennett get to while all this was going on? I think we've established that he's still a Company man, he wouldn't have suddenly relocated to Pinehearst. Man, having a break to go back into the past sure does confuse those with bad memories. Wasn't he in Mohinder's flat? or maybe something else happened later on...I'll wikipedia it later. One way or another, I'm sure he'll come running when he finds out Angela's awake again.
Sixth. The big'un. Claire is "the catalyst". What, the catalyst for everything?? As in, without her NO-ONE would have a power? No, surely not, because people had powers before that. What if, every time there's an eclipse, the "catalyst" gets passed on from one person to another, which is how people throughout the generations have been able to have powers. That would........Make sense! Aha! That might explain how Adam didn't know he had a power until after the eclipse in Tokyo - because he was part of the 'next wave' chosen by that eclipse! But then, most of the Series 1 characters discovered their powers just before the eclipse, so maybe I'm following the wrong track. There's still got to be a connection between the 'catalyst' and the eclipse, though. They wouldn't have introduced both ideas in the same episode if they didn't relate to each other...
So there you go. My speculating done for the day. Thursday can't come soon enough. Until then, I'll content myself with whatching old episodes, musing over these theories, and stroking my rapidly-growinng beard. In fact I'd better go and shave it off now. Later, all...

Jack

A Most Interesting Week...

I have returned!
The behemoth that was A Midsummer Night's Dream has finally decided to spit me out so I can tell you all about it! Having said that, I might not even try to, because words really can't do it justice. That glorious feeling of going out on stage on the last night and giving it my all was well worth the months of effort. And by the time it had got to the dance...well, don't tell anyone, but I might have even had a tear in my eye...might. And the cast...Puck was awesome, Theseus was brilliant, Hermia was brilliant, Bottom was brilliant, they were all exceptional. Great people to work with, and I hope they all come back for the next one. But if I say any more, I'll risk making out it was less than it really was, so I'll move on...
Christmas shopping has commenced! So far I've got stuff for Gran, Grandma, Dad and the gang at school, as well as some fun cards to go with them. I won't say what I've bought because this might leak onto sites that my family visit and then I'd be stuffed. A bit like all those people who leaked MOD info. They must feel really gutted now. After today's escapade, I'm a bit low on cash, so hopefully I'll find something jobby to sink my teeth into soon. The people-watching wasn't all that great today, probably because I didn't get round to dropping by Starbuck's, but for some reason all the cash machine queues were HUMUNGOUS today. They're not usually tailing out into the middle of the street, are they? Maybe it's the Credit Crunch. Maybe it's time for 'Cashpoint Man' to save the day: "The fastest cashpoint I ever used was in...". If only I could find out the end of that sentence.
Oh, I'm so behind on telly at the moment. I've still got the latest Clone Wars AND Heroes from Wednesday left - Annoyingly, Mum and Dad's friends who are round for the evening have already seen the latter, and I get the feeling spoilers will come out sooner or later...And Clone Wars - Don't write it off as kids' TV. It's just as action-packed and with just as good plots as the live-action Star Wars movies, but in a different style. Like, in the last one, there was this mega huge starship, and Grievous and Obi-Wan were duelling on a monorail, and then the ship hyperspaced into a moon, and it was very cool. And I'm even starting to like the voices as well...a bit. It's impossible to beat Ewan McGregor, though.
Music now, and I've been listening to a lot of Muse recently, in partcular a song called Exo-Politics. It's very much in the vein of "Bond Theme that wasn't", so much so, in fact, that I'm inclined to make my own title sequence based around it! Hopefully I can get my mitts on some of their other stuff soon, which'll be cool.
Well, I'm not quite sure what more to say here, other than vote on the poll, and I'll keep you updated! May the Force be with you...

Jack

Beard-a-beard-a-beard, Bard bard.

Hello folks,
No, that's not me having a nervous breakdown, it's the sound of the Shakespeare Alert! A while ago, whilst watching the Shakespeare Code (Doctor Who), my brother came out with this random string of words, and since then it has become a warning for every time our favourite troubadour of the facial hair makes an appearance. And this time, he's cooler than ever...
Well, perhaps not cooler than ever, but he's pretty cool. Because for three nights only, you can witness A Midsummer Night's Dream with an 80s twist! Funky, huh? Not only that, but you can also see ME with a creepy moustache and glasses as part of it! Yeah, the nerves have well and truly kicked in now; we did the dress rehearsal today, which seemed to go fairly smoothly, and tomorrow is the opening night. How can I just walk in to school tomorrow like it's a normal day? I'm so tense!!
I know! I'll unwind by talking about some other cool stuff that's going on at the moment...The Doctor Who Soundtrack for Series 4 is out!!! OK, that was yesterday, but I didn't have time. I'm still not sure about it yet, I'll need to buy it and have a good old listen, but I can definitely recommend the Voyage of the Damned material, which goes from the epic to the action-packed to the soppy to the triumphant, all in just ten and a half minutes. So who knows what that'll pan out like. But let me hurry you on to...
...The new Star Trek trailer!!! I know, what a nerd. But in all honesty it does look like a good movie. The graphics look better than ever, and after the slightly down-played Nemesis, the new one (still untitled) seems to take things to epic proportions. Which is always a good thing. Check out Simon Pegg as Scottie and Zach Quinto as Spock - They are going to rule! Still have some reservations about Kirk himself, but I'm sure time will tell. And of course, it would appear the Romulans are up to no good again...from the future?? Is this Doctor Who suddenly? Or even...dare I say it...Yivvits and Mr Bubble????
Speaking of which, I'm still holding out for episode 101. I know 100 was a special one, but will we have to wait a month and a half for EVERY episode now? Surely even editing Yivvits' targeting rants doesn't take that long? Ah well, before I submerge completely into geekdom, as this post seems to do, I bid you all goodnight. See you at the show!

Jack

Allons-y!

Hi everyone!
I should really have talked about this yesterday, but I was too busy waxing lyrical about that brilliant gig on Friday. Anyway, as I'm sure half the world must know by now, the first two minutes of The Next Doctor were previewed on Children in Need on Friday. And there are two main questions:
Uno. What is the bizarre Cyberman-ape mutant thing which comes out of the sewers? It strikes me as being some kind of Frankenstein-esque experiment gone wrong (Sound familiar? Evolution Of The Daleks, anyone?), an attempt by monkeys and/or yetis to take over the world, or Cybermen modelling the new winter range from Matalan (a.k.a a lot of dark fur and not much else). Or, if my lucky guess is right, it could JUST be the umbrella lady collaborating with Cybermen released from the Void due to the breakdown in dimensional barriers at the end of the last series to rebuild their army using schematics salvaged from...somewhere...Yeah, haven't really thought that far ahead. But who knows, it might be.
Dos. Just WHO IS "The Doctor"? Is he the Doctor, from the future, coming back to meet his past self which he's forgotten? Is he a fourth, slightly different Doctor created from the meta-thingy and spat randomly out in time and space? Or, impossible though it may seem, is he just the Doctor's biggest fan? I mean, wherever the Doctor goes, he's bound to get noticed, just look at Torchwood, for instance. Maybe the pseudo-Doctor is someone who met real-Doctor when he was little, and grew up to be like him. Notice we never properly see the "Sonic Screwdriver", so it might just be a fake prop. One way or another, he can't be a real Time Lord or he'd have recognised the real-Doctor when they met. Hmm...answers can't come soon enough...
Tres. I know I said there were two questions, I've just thought of a third and can't be bothered to go back and correct what I wrote before. Anyway, considering he's just witnessed genocide, almost had his TARDIS destroyed, come face-to-face with Davros, said goodbye to Rose again, and had to memory-wipe his best friend, not to mention unleash a Graske upon the Proms, the Doctor seems incredibly happy, doesn't he? Does this mean some time has passed since Journey's End, or maybe the Doctor just doesn't care about what happened before. That, or it's an alternate reality where none of that happened...STOP! Too complicated. maybe the writers were just being lazy. Besides, the sight of a Christmas like that would be enough to bring a smile to anyone's face.
I'm not sure yet whether this will push the boundaries laid by Voyage Of The Damned or stay within a similar box to The Unquiet Dead, but one thing is for sure, Christmas is definitely coming!

Jack

The Greatest Show on Earth...Or in Cardiff, at least.

Hey everybody!!

Sorry I haven't updated this for a while: Wednesday and Thursday I didn't really have anything to write about, and Friday...well, I was off witnessing what must surely be the most spectacular musical moment of the year. But enough about my singing in the shower, I'm sure you want to know about the Scouting for Girls gig!

OK, let's start at the beginning. After a short amount of waiting around (the show was much more organised than Avril's, it would seem), the first support act turned up, a certain Sam Beeton. A folky type who plays harmonica and guitar and sings, I don't envy him being the first on. Singing on a stage on your own in front of seven thousand impatient fans takes one heck of a load of courage. Still, he seemed a nice enough guy. I'd reccomend him to anyone who likes Van Morrisson or classic folk like that. He did a set of four or five songs, before a half-hour-ish break.

This was followed up by a previously-mentioned band, the Days! As support acts go, these guys from Devon were pretty amazing. They draw on the same style as Scouting for Girls themselves, but with a hint of Panic at the Disco as well. They did an incredible set, and their first single, No Ties, should be out by Christmas. They are going to be so massive next year!

Anyway, anothe half-hour-ish passed, during which we got hot dogs remarkably cheap, considering drinks cost £2.20 for a bottle. The interlude music controllers made the foolish choice of putting on Oasis' Wonderwall, followed by Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, which everyone sang along to. I got the impression this would detract from the excitement of the main event. Alas, I was wrong!

The curtains dropped away and immediately the iconic James Bond theme tune blared out of speakers all around, and "SFG" appeared on the screens in the style of the 007 logo from the Bond movies. No prizes for guessing what the first song was then. After getting the crowds going, Roy took his seat at the beautiful white piano (the same one as in the music video for James Bond, I believe), and launched into a jawdropping performance of their latest single.An awesome start, but the best was yet to come.

After addressing the crowd, apparently the largest they've had so far (Don't forget they haven't played London yet), they hit with a double whammy of I'm Not Over You and Glastonbury. Both were much better than their recorded counterparts. After a load of other brilliant songs, including a quite understated Elvis Ain't Dead and an incredible crowd-raiser in the form of Mountains Of Navaho ("Where's Roy? Hey, he's behind you! No, he's not really...But he might be..."), the band wrapped up with a jaw-dropping version of Heartbeat.

Or did they....?

Only five minutes later, the band returned! After a bit more spiel, they presented a NEW song, a certain Sing Along With Us, written to all the SFG fans who have helped them succeed. At the risk of sounding a little soppy, I found this song quite moving. With any luck, it'll be on their next album! Anyway, leaving little or no time to breathe, the band went from touching tribute to the all-out fun SFG we know, with the breathtakingly amazing proper climax, She's So Lovely. My hands and throat were both sore from so much clapping and singing, but I didn't mind! I wished it would never end, but too soon, it did.

So there you have it. An evening of laughing and crying, some awesome moments and some quieter moments, but more than anything, a motherload of brilliant music.

Woah-woah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll see you at SFG next year...

Jack

James Elvis Bond ain't so lovely about you. I think.

Hi everyone!
What an un-interesting day I've had today. I kind of got rejected again. I say kind of, I guess it's not technically a proper rejection if you're just friends. But still, if it was me, I'd have given anything to go and see SFG. And I though today was going to be a lucky day - Not only did I see TWO rainbows, a V of geese also flew overhead in the morning. And what do I get? Nothing but bad luck. Ah well, you can't have it you way every day, I guess. I'll find someone else.
I seem to be using that phrase a lot these days. But will I? Will I find someone else? Or will I still be looking in ten years time. Ah well, who knows what's around the corner? And besides, it's the one and only Scouting For Girls, supported by the brilliant Days! Whoever I go with, it's going to be one truly awesome night! The only bad thing is the journey - getting into Cardiff and back can be quite tedious - especially after a long school day.
But enough about me, more about you! It would appear the poll on Quantum of Solace has closed with a grand total of four votes! Ah well, I'm sure we'll gain more followers as the blog gets more well-known. The results were split - two of you thought it was pretty good, but not the best movie ever, and two thought that, well, it wasn't great, but at least it wasn't a complete mess. This pretty much sums up the feedback I've been getting from everyone else. Which is fair enough, it shows that the critics aren't just depressed grumpy people with nothing better to do than moan - they do actually talk some sense.
So keep your eyes peeled for the next one...perhaps something with a Scouting For Girls theme. And don't forget to tell your friends! Speard the word. The link is fairly easy to remember, or you could just copy and paste it: www.diaryofapeople-watcher.blogspot.com. By next week I hope to have A HUNDRED followers. Well...maybe that's a bit hopeful, but a few more would be nice. Anyway, until then,

Jack (fitter in his MySpace picture...maybe.)

Sin tu luna, sin tu sol, sin tu dulce locura...

¡Hola amigos!

To lift your spirits after yesterday's deep thought, I have decided today to extoll the virtues of a band I have recently discovered through my Spanish course. They are La Oreja de Van Gogh, which literally translates as "Van Gogh's Ear". Random, I know, but no worse than the "Arctic Monkeys" or "Bowling For Soup". The lead singer used to be a pretty awesome woman called Amaia Montero (Think Daphne from Heroes with slightly longer hair and a good singing voice, wearing a skirt), but she recently left to be replaced by Leire Martinez, whose quality has yet to be tested. They released their fifth album in September, and I'm seriously considering downloading it after I'm done writing this.

So enough facts, let's get down to the big question: Will you like them? Well, let me see...If you can imagine a Spanish Abba, and then add a little of Avril Lavigne's second album, a heavy dollop of Hook Me Up, and a pinch of Paramore, you should be pretty close. If I had to pin them into one genre....Rock. But they do branch out into some dance, some ballad and some pop. They have brilliant melodies, and always use the Magic Chord which never fails to send shivers up my spine (It's hard to express the chord in a simple term, but playing an A C# E chord after some other chords usually produces the desired effect), and also some brilliant lyrics when they're translated into English.



I sell a worn-out camera that used to capture the look

that I will record in my life

I sell two expired tickets that were for the second row

that I will tear in my life

I sell two armchairs reserved centuries ago and now my spirit drops

because I sat in my life

I sell even the poster which announces the première

of the moment that I will live in my life



Even if they don't quite make sense, they sound nice. You can find the complete lyrics and translation for that particular song, Dulce Locura, at http://www.ooltra.net/Lyrics.php?a=LaOrejaDeVanGogh&s=DulceLocura. And a lot of their other songs are very similar. If I was going to buy one of their albums, I would get first their Greatest Hits, because pretty much every song is awesome on that disc.

My favourite track, as you might have gathered, is Dulce Locuar, or Sweet Madness, which is slightly more in the realm of Evanescence (if only for the massive dress she wears in the video), but there a load more truly epic songs out there, as well as some happy sunny stuff. To be honest, there's not much left I can say to convince you, so I'll let the music speak for itself.

OK, this is my first time doing this, but with a little luck...

No, it won't work. I was hoping there was a way I could embed the video, but it's the wrong type. In that case, head on over to http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o6MCFcy5HQE To experience the awesomeness that is Dulce Locura. Trust me, you won't regret it...much.
The point I'm trying to make here, as well as trying to sell a brilliant band to you, is to show you that good music does indeed exist outside of Britain and America. Recently a friend introduced me to a band I'd previously only heard mentioned: Sigur Ros, a fantastic band from Iceland. At the same time, the Swedish 'Asteroids Tour of the Galaxy' have blasted into my life with their genius Around the Bend on the new iTouch adverts. The music world doesn't have to stop with Rhianna and Scouting For Girls and Coldplay and Girls Aloud and all the things we feel comfortable with - Why not be adventurous for a change? You might just be surprised!
Hasta luego,
Jack.

We will remember them.

Hi everyone.

Today people around the world observed Remembrance Sunday, and on the eleventh hour a two-minute silence was held as we reflected on all those who died in war. Those who looked forward to returning home at Christmas, only to die anonymously in the mud hundreds of miles from their homes and families. Those whose futures were shot down even as they were shot down in the sky. Those who, even today, are camped out in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war fronts, and might never come back.
Every country has had its share of losses; Every one has had its taste of war. So surely the least we can do for them is preserve the peace they fought so hard to give us. And yet, when it matters the most, we forget those whom we swear each year to remember. The First World War was supposed to be "The war to end all wars". But then, just 21 years later, when Hitler sparked Word War II by invading Poland, did he for a moment think of all the soldiers who might die just because the ideas of one political group were "more important" than the others? Germany must have suffered losses in WW I as well, and I know Hitler might have been a bit messed up, but even he could have spared half a thought for the havoc he would unleash upon the world; a havoc which the world swore never to recreate.
Surely this, more than anything else, is the purpose of History lessons in schools. For all the source analysis, essay writing, fact memorising and textbook copying, do we sometimes miss the big picture? Isn't the only reason we learn about the past to stop it happening again in the future? If the President of America had taken a moment to think about the consequences, for both sides, before he invaded Vietnam during the Cold War, he could have averted many more deaths. Seeing manpower in numbers and lists, do the world's great war leaders ever think about the real people before declaring war? Could terrorists really have still flown into the Twin Towers if they had remembered deaths in the past, whether from world wars, or Gulf wars, or any war?
So I'm sorry this has been a page of deep thought; it won't always be like this. But I'm in a reflective mood today. And when you think about it, there's a valid point. When we say "we will remember them", do we?

Jack

Air Force Grounded. Ground Force Aired.

Hello Wally-Watchers,
Clever title. I'm very proud of that. It took me all of half a minute to put that together. So, today was pretty busy for me. To kick the day off I watched the latest episode of Heroes, in which a lot of stuff happens, which I won't give away for those who watch the 9 o'clock slot and not the 10. But suffice to say, a lot of interesting stuff happens concerning Dad, and Daphne, and Claire, and Elle, and Lyle! Lyle is still my favourite normal person. Hiro doesn't get much of a look in this week, but by the look of the cliffhanger, he might be quite important next Wednesday. Go Hiro! Yatta!!!
Anyway, then I tuned in to the Lord Mayor's Show, which Mum was supposed to be flying past in the mighty VC-10, but due to bad weather that part got scrapped. It was still... interesting to watch though, seeing everyone dressed up in their armour and uniform. After a while, though, it got a little dull, so I hit the gym. At least it wasn't as bad as when all the countries came in on the Olympics.
In the afternoon I engaged in a fun range of gardening-related activities. Sadly the brass band was tied up with the parade, or we'd have had them play the Ground Force theme. So I managed to fill my afternoon with composting apples, raking leaves and high-pressure-hosing mossy paths. That last one was particularly satisfying - Honestly, the state those paths were in, you'd think no-one used them before we arrived! It's weird being in a pre-owned house, considering we were the first people to inhabit our former, 12-year residence.
After half a rest, we were back on the road again! This time it was a quick nip into Sainsbury's. With nothing to buy myself, I had a browse of some of the Christmas stuff in preparation for the Great Present Shop. There's actually some pretty good stuff going round this year, from what I can see. Also, whilst browsing the computer games, I heard the distinctive sound of something expensive shattering, and had to try my hardest not to go and see what had happened! One thing's for sure though, someone probably owes Sainsbury's a lot of money now!!
I also saw advertised the urban legend that some call Knights of the Old Republic Online. I'm in two minds about this game right now. I hear it's more story-driven than Galaxies, which I play at the moment. This isn't necessarily a good thing, as anyone who's experienced the uber-tedious Legacy Quests on Galaxies will tell you; You get the feeling you're being sheperded in a single direction, rather than being allowed to look around, which is my preffered gaming style, especially in a world as awesome as the Star Wars galaxy. But on the other hand, any worthy successor to the previous two KotOR games will have you picking among the remains of Taris, chilling out on the beautiful blue planet of Manaan, whilst trying not to get arrested, customising and modifying your Mandalorian armour, joining Clan Ordo and hopping into one of the truly incredible Basilisk Warships, and battling the likes of way understated baddie Darth Nihilus, or rank upon ranck of cold-hearted Sith warriors. Sounds cool, doesn't it? So where do my allegiances lie? With the classic-era, set to be more classic now that the Jedi class will largely migrate to the new game, X-wing spinning, cantina-swinging, hutt-outwitting, Vader-smashing Galaxies, or the pre-movie, epically-proportioned, Mando-stuffed, plot-convoluting, Sith-slaying KotOR 3? It's still too early to tell.....But one thing's for sure: When I've decided, you'll know about it here!

Jack

Oooooh.....Aaaaah.....

Howdy partners!
...Okay, that was random. Anyway, today, as I said yesterday, was bonfire night for us. And what a show it was. The fireworks were soooooo much better than they were where I used to live. We even got our own little enclosure where only we and the People in Green Jackets were allowed - how cool is that?! We're certainly making the most of our two years here. So that was a fun way to spend an evening.
More rehearsing for Midsummer Night's Dream today; I didn't get to the properly grumpy bit, cos I had to go to the bonfire, but at least I recapped the first scene on some semblance of the real stage. In only two weeks' time it'll all be over! Let's hope it's worth it.........
What else....? Oh yeah, hardly any of my teachers were in today, for various reasons, so I had quite a laid back day, which made a change. I ended up watching a very boring movie about Larkin in English Lit, but hey, it was better than nothing. Head of 6th Form had a go at us for not doing our duties.......which we were doing! Well, there you go. You can't win all the time, I guess.
The exciting thing to look forward to next week is Scouting For Girls!! Yes, I'm going to see them live in Cardiff next Friday, which looks to be a truly awesome experience, not only because I get to see one of my favourite bands ever ever ever, but also because they're being supported by the Days, a similarly awesome band which I discovered last week.
On a slightly more serious note, I'm sure some people out there are finding life hard work at the moment, for whatever reason. Maybe you broke up with someone you loved, or you've had a stressful week at work. But, however hard it may seem, and it is hard - believe me, I've been there more than once - just try not to sit on it. Okay, maybe you got rejected or something, but who knows, tomorrow might give you another chance to put things right. If I was a podcaster or a radio presenter, I would dedicate a song. But as it happens, I can only dedicate the lyrics.

Who knows what could happen?

Do what you do, just keep on laughing.

One thing's true: It's always a brand new day.

So you go and make it happen.

Do your best, just keep on laughing.

I'm telling you: It's always a brand new day.

I'm gonna live today like it's my last day...

Jack

Crisis averted again...

Hi folks.
After my deep and desparing post last night, I decided to go away and think about it. Then I wrote a song, that went something like,

It's the same old story with a different name,

And your friends keep changing but you stay the same.

And I'll keep asking and you'll keep saying no,

But, baby, if you never try...I guess you'll never know.

And there was more, and it was very funky, but I've forgotten half of it now. And I eventually arrived at the conclusion that, I don't really know her that well, and it would never happen, and in two years' time we're going to go our separate ways and that's probably the last I'll ever see of her. And I'll meet someone just like her at Uni, and we'll be friends from the start, and everything'll be fine. So that's the plan. Obviously, if I could rewind time and really mangle up the time-space continuum, I would have gone to her primary school, and made friends there, and come with her to secondary, and everyone would have been happy. But that's never going to happen either. Hey, if you're reading this (and you know who you are!), it's not about you, don't worry. It's not about you, it's me. Me and my incompetence.

Anyway, let's not dwell on that. What else did I get up to today....... Oh yeah. I discovered the tickets for our Christmas Dinner and Dance will cost me....£28. Pretty outrageous, huh? It had better be worth it.....But Mum and Dad say they'll go halves with me, so that's not so bad.

Other than that, a pretty uneventful day has passed me by. Still haven't found a chance to get in some proper people-watching, but where I am now the word "crowd" doesn't really exist; people just tend to shuffle about in groups of twos or threes. Shocking, I know, but sometimes I find myself longing for the hubbub of places like Oxford. But there's a bonfire tomorrow evening, and people at bonfires are usually quite interesting.

I'd better not bore you with what has been a generally boring day. Go and do whatever stuff it is that interesting people get up to in the evenings. Christmas is coming!! These last few weeks of holding on, the days are dull and the nights are long. Guess it's better to say...

...Goodbye to you! Goodbye to you...

Jack

Every time we meet, I skip a heart......beat.

Hi people!

Today is the first proper blog update. Now that you're up to speed, I can talk about what's happening right here, right now. And tonight, I'm listening to the alternative "demo" version of SFG's Heartbeat. And it's making me think. So here I am plunging you in at the deep end, with something very deep indeed.....

OK, so I used to like this girl at my school, who, for security reasons, I won't name. Well...'like' is a bit of an understatement. To be honest, I was obssessed. I couldn't stop going on about her. But then, after about five rejections, I decided I'd better take the hint and close that particular plotline up.

But, it seems I didn't make a very good job of it. I don't see her as much as I used to; she's gone from being in almost all of my lessons to almost none. But when I do see her, it's a battle just to resist opening up the old can of worms. Honestly, if you knew her, you would know what I mean. Cripes, I even danced with her the other night, and then had to walk away as if I didn't care.

I know nothing'll ever come of it, and I know I hardly know her, and I know I should be happy with who I've got now, but it's hard not to think of her every now and then. Especially when I hear Heartbeat. So if there really is no hope for me and her, I at least need a way of closing it up properly. Short of moving to a far away place, and having the Haitian wipe my memory, I'm not sure what to do, but I need to do something. I mean, who knows, we might hook up yet. If something radically changed and we suddenly gelled, it could happen.

Over to you. Help me, bloggers. You're my only hope.

Jack

I'll Blow Your Mind...I'm A Revolution!

Hey everybody!
This is my first post, so bear with me...I'd better start off with bringing you up to speed on all that's been happening in Jackland recently. So let's see....

• Firstly, I've been to see the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. Some 'cool' people will tell you that "Oh, it's not that good" and "It was rubbish compared to the last one", and that's fair enough. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Personally, I'm still trying to decide whether it's better than Casino Royale or not, but one thing is for sure: I came out of that cinema feeling pretty amazed. I know people haven't seen it yet, so without spoiling anything, there are plenty of explosions. And cars. And travelling. And all cool stuff like that. Go and see it, you won't regret it! Then do the poll. Thank you.
• 'Kay, what next...Oh, I've just discovered this brilliant band called the Days. No doubt everyone else has already heard of them, but they're a cool Scouting for Girls style band who are supporting SFG on their tour. I'm resisting the urge to download all their music, as I need my money to buy Christmas presents! Which brings me on to....
• Christmas Fever has now kicked in! Yes, I know it's only the start of November, but already Santa has my Christmas list, and the nights are getting longer, and everything is getting an 'aura' of Christmassyness. the people-watching's always better at Christmas, 'cause everyone's in all the cafes getting Hot Choc. I've no idea what to get everyone yet, but watch this space...
• I've also found myself roped in to a local production of Aladdin! Auditions have already been and gone, so I'm landed with the small parts, but it was really good fun getting to meet everyone. At the same time I'm preparing for a school performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, during which I have to be grumpy dad Egeus, and I think I've got my lines just about hacked. But enough about Shakespeare...
• It's back to school again. Great catching up with the gang again, but it's straight back into hard work and lots of information trying to go in. So let's not dwell on that....
• Also, probably the most world-shaking news this week has turned up. No, it's nothing to do with the Credit Crunch. Or the US Elections. It is, of course, the departure of David Tennant from Doctor Who! David will now officially leave the show after the 2009 specials, and will be sorely missed. But still, I think 5 years of even some actor as great as Tennant might become quite tedious. So who's it gonna be next? I heard a rumour it would be Harry Lloyd of Robin Hood, but his name hasn't come up in the runnings, so I don't know how realistic my guess is. But whoever it is will have to work hard to live up to David Tennant's masterful work.

Well, I think that's everything you need to know today. Hey, wait, how could I forget???

I just want you to know........ THE CYBERMEN ARE OFFICIALLY BACK!!

Yeah, it's cool. The first proper trailer for the Doctor Who Christmas special came out a few days ago. And the Cybers are definitely at their best, if the clips are anything to go on. Is David Morrissey any good? Hard to see, the future is...

Tune in tomorrow,

Jack