Music For Fire and Snow!

My son is studying Romeo and Juliet in English right now, but with the need for teachers to make things cool, they've actually been watching the Baz Luhrmann film version rather than reading the actual Shakespeare play. To be honest with you, I didn't like the film, despite Radiohead's "Talk Show Host" and "Exit Music (For A Film)" being included. At best, I would be willing to sit through the closing credits and listen to Exit Music (For A Film) playing, an absolutely fantastic song which sums up more about Romeo and Juliet for me, than the film ever could.

Vanilla Sky, now there's a decent film with Radiohead music in it, and Sigur Ros too, superbly selected music for a soundtrack. I like this film, even though many peple think it's strange and I guess Tom Cruise had become a deridable figure having lost much off this popularity since then, But, Vanilla Sky is one of these films which force you to stop and think, and I just love that in a film. For some people it's action, romance or gore, whatever... for me, it's bizarre philosophical Sci-fi type shennanigans. And, with some decent music too, an unstoppable combination.

Dammit, I've just realised that I've mentioned Radiohead and Sigur Ros, two posts in a row. At this rate, the cat will be out of the bag and it will be clear as day to all insundry, exactly where my musical devotions lie. Someplace between this sceptred isle and the land of fire and snow. That would be either Shetland or the Faroe Isles by my insane reckoning. If you think this is mad, don't expect things to become clearer anytime soon.

A Force Of Nature!

Apparently, record numbers will be leaving the UK this Winter break, seeking sunshine in distant locales. They say this every year, as though it has come as some surprise that people might prefer 2 weeks of sunshine, to darkness, rain, sleat, wind, family get-togethers and sherry. It's a no-brainer in my opinion. If you have the cash, do it! Personally I hate the long hours of darkness, I think I suffer from SAD (Sunshine... something or other disorder). It's very common in the North of Scotland. That's why people in Orkney and Shetland kill themselves more per head than anywhere else, during these long dark months.

It's not even as though we get snow anymore either. At least that cheered people up a little bit, and since it reflected back the light, it was reversing some of the effects of SAD. But we don't really get snow anymore, the weather patterns have long lost that predictability which they once had. I've heard the eldsters talking about 6 feet of snow, and I can't recall more than a few inches at best.

Perhaps you're reading this and as a resident of someplace either very hot or very cold, you might think it unacceptable for me to complain about weather which is nether here nor there, but believe me when I say that extremes are the way to go. We don't want overcast, windy and mild everyday. We want heatwaves and blizzards. That's what makes it bearable, natures fury unleashed. Well, a little bit of it anyhow, not the full whack. Couldn't have that!