Time is running out...

IT'S NEARLY 2011! 

So what've you been up to in 2010? There's half an hour to the new year, and 2010 has flown by in a Airbus A380. If the world really does end in 2012 as the film predicted, we should make the most of this year. Be adventurous, live life dangerously! Eat those poisoned berries, jump in front of that 20 tonne truck hurtling towards you at 120MPH, do whatever you like in 2011. It's the only year where the date can be 11/11/11 ALL OVER THE WORLD! & read the same backwards as forwards. 

20mins to go....

Q: What will you do in 2011?

A:?????

Fill in your own answer to this question - it can be whatever you like! The crazier the better. The most inventive might win something....*

*DISCLAIMER= You won't actually win a prize, but I'll follow your Twitter/Blog/YouTube/etc. Pretty good eh?

Toast - A short review

What can I say about Toast. Not a lot. No, I'm not talking about the food here, but the televised version of Nigel Slater's Book "Toast" - shown today on BBC1 at 9:00PM. It was an incredibly sad program, but on the bright side - there were some brilliant jumpers! The beginning was sad, especially when his mother died, and the end was rather good. It even had a cameo from the real Nigel, as the head chef of the Savoy in London, who was eating a piece of toast. There were some magnificent pies, which did make me rather hungry - something I like in a TV show, and outstanding performances from Freddie Highmore and Helena Bonham Carter (as 15yr old Nigel & Mrs Potter (who is employed as a cleaner after his mothers death and ends up marrying his father)). The soundtrack was OK...it had Dusty Springfield. Not good. But the food did look amazing! After watching it, apart from feeling ravenous, I did feel quite sorry for him - but in a way, sort of glad that his father had died (I'm really nice, aren't I) so he could escape from his stepmother. All in all, it was a good program and is available on BBC iPlayer now.

New gadget-y thing!!

You may've noticed the giant iPod Touch in the corner. No, you're not hallucinating, it's this new thing I've discovered. There's this website called MixPod, and you can create playlists and put them on MySpace, Facebook, Tumblr, Bebo, even your iPhone! You simply register, create your playlist by searching through the thousands of songs courtesy of our dear friends - YouTube, pick your "skin" (they have ones in the shape of iPods, everything!) and colours, hit SAVE, click "share your playlist", select preferred website, and Hey Presto! A giant iPod appears on your screen.  I hope you like my playlist, I'm going to make one every month, and the one I've just put up is the one for January, since it (and 2011) are almost upon us.

If you have a MixPod account, and would like to check out mine here's the address:
www.mixpod.com/sophieganesh

Monday + Music = #musicmonday

This week, our songs are two by The Broken Beats. They're from Denmark (as always!) and their songs are the catchy-ist I've heard in a very long time.

The Broken Beats - Copy. 

The Broken Beats - The Rules

 

Don't forget to use the Twitter hashtags #musicmonday and #musicmondayBFB and tweet me any music/post suggestions @LondonNewyork13 

Say cheese...

Cameras, we all love them. Lots of us use them on a daily bases. I own a Nikon F-601 (analog) and a Panasonic Lumix ZX1 (digital). The good thing about having two cameras is the different types of pictures you can take. I usually take my digital out and about with me to take pictures as and when, and the SLR is for being more artistic. I like them both equally, and although it is easier to just plug in and go, there is something very satisfying about having a photography you can hold, and the anticipation of getting them back from the shop. Or, if you develop them yourself, having that real "hands-on" thing. Another camera that I'd like to own is the Lomography DianaF+. Yes it's made of plastic and leaks, but that's the beauty of the photographs. I'm going to buy the Diana+ Nikon lens adapter and get some Diana lenses (Fisheye!) hopefully, instead of buying another camera. (Even though a Fisheye lens and adapter comes to £45, and a Diana+ (without flash) is £35. With flash is £70) A good thing about using a digital camera is knowing what your photo will look like, and the ability to delete/crop/recolour etc. according to what you're trying to get across in your picture. But I'll always be a sucker for analog.

An un-Christmassy Christmas Film

This is my newest film.

It's a WATERMELON!

Is this the best album cover in the world? It's for Treefight For Sunlight's "A Collection of Vibrations For Your Skull", which in itself is a pretty awesome name, and I have high expectations for the album. I cannot wait for it to be released in the UK!!

It's Monday!

Ergh. Monday. The day we all dread. That's why I'm gonna start "Music Monday", only on Beetroot For Breakfast. I think it originated on Twitter, and so you can use the hash tag #musicmonday on there, or, use one exclusive to this blog: #musicmondayBFB. I'll be posting 2 songs to liven up your day, and although they may not be to your taste, I hope you enjoy them!


Treefight For Sunlight - Facing The Sun


Thulebasen - Raga Gemini

"Raga Gemini" has just been released today (20th Dec '10) and I've listened to it 10000+ times already!

This town, is 'coming like a ghost town

Strange things have been happening recently, so I've made a list of them for you all to discuss:
1)Things appearing out of nowhere
2)I've gotten really good at Tetris
3)My iPod always dies when I'm listening to R.E.M
4)All of my cardigans are getting holes in them
5)I keep on finding random pasta shapes in the cupboard
6) My cat got really spooked when she went under the sofa - probably a GHOST under there.
7)The downstairs phone won't ring
8) YouTube won't let me log in on my iPod
9) I've listened to Kate Bush - AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE KATE BUSH!
10) There's been 20cm of snow where I live.

Freaky, eh?
And whilst you read the list, you can listen to The Specials with "Ghost Town":

Thirty Day Challenge: Day #5

Tell us your three favourite colours
Another toughie! I can't decide my three favourite colours, I love them all! I do quite like Orange, Purple, and Blue though. I like all shades of those colours, from pale to almost black. I'm doing a lot of things with brown at the moment and also grey. I tend to wear colours for the season, so in summer I wear paler shades and brighter colours than in the autumn, but many people do that. I LOVE patterns! That way I get loads of colour in one thing. Colours are good. But so are stripes, spots, florals, and argyle etc.  

Ha Pea Days!

I found this postcard lying around in my house. I'd forgotten that I'd bought it, so I decided to scan it and put it on here so you can all bask in its glory!

Ha Pea Days postcard, £0.60p from Paperchase

Title Picture

A few people have been asking about the title picture. I found it on an image search (probably plagiarism or something like that) and LOVED it so I decided to use it. It reminds me of A) The cover of The Coral's album "Butterfly House", released earlier this year and B) The version one of the video for Oh No Ono's "Helplessly Young", an AMAZINGLY BRILLIANT FABULOUS song, which you can listen to 10000+ times and never tire of. (On the song front, listen to "1000 Years" from The Coral album I mentioned.)

Butterfly House, The Coral, 2010


Helplessly Young, Oh No Ono, 2010 (Video version 1)



Thirty Day Challenge: Day #3

Your favourite television program.
Ooh, a toughie! I have many favourite television programs, I can't choose! So, I'll just talk about my favourite at the moment, which is Wallander. (The Swedish one, not the English one.) I can't really describe it, it's basically a crime-drama-mystery series, in Swedish with English subtitles, being shown on BBC4 in the UK. I think one of the main reasons I like it (apart from the Scandinavian-ness!) is that you never really know who the killer is, and it keeps you in suspense; much like the books by Henning Mankell, who is a fabulous (and Swedish!) author. I'm eagerly awaiting the second series, and after the shocking and heart-wrenching last episode of the first, I'm interested to see what happens. Wallander isn't one of those programs you can explain to someone off the top of your head, there's too many twists and turns and questions for that, you just have to watch it yourself. I recommend this to anyone who is a lover of crime, Sweden, Prinsesstårta, IKEA, or just wants to watch an AMAZING show on TV on a Saturday night 9:00PM. Enjoy...

 <- This has to be my favourite episode. "Luftslottet" is called "The Castle Ruins" in English. Watch this if you get the chance, it's fantastic!

Thirty Day Challenge: Day #2

2. Talk about any piercings or tattoos, if you have any.
I don't have any! I'm a blank canvas. I occasionally draw on myself if I get bored, and I've been known to paint my arms in tattoo-designs...
I don't like the idea of a) having needles jabbed into my skin and b) having something you can't get rid of on your skin. (You don't know how many wrinkly 96 year old hells angels I've seen with so many tattoos they look like a tattoo-artists portfolio!) As for piercings, the same applies. I don't have any! I tend to jazz up my outfits with scarves, badges and hats, instead of earrings. I don't like needles. (I passed out when I had a blood test done.) People have given me earrings in the past, but I tend to just donate them to Oxfam.
So, that's about it for today's question. But don't fret, tomorrows will come soon enough!

Thirty Day Challenge: Day #1

1. Your middle name, and how you feel about it.

My middle name is Rebecca. Pretty ordinary, I know 1000+ people with that name. I would've preferred something a bit more original and unique, a bit like me! But all in all it's quite a good name. Does what it says on the tin, and all that jazz. It fills an empty space in my passport!

Thirty Day Challenge!

I'm gonna give this "thirty day challenge" a go, for a laugh. So for, uh, thirty days! I'll be doing posts on the questions which are:

It sounds like it should be quite fun, so starting tonight, I'll be a part of the challenge!



A poem

I saw this poem in a book entitled  "Poetry of the Thirties" and just had to put it on here! It's by John Betjeman and was written in 1937 (well, that's what the copyright says!)

Slough

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough

It isn't fit for humans now,

There isn't grass to graze a cow

                           Swarm over, Death!

Come, bombs, and blow to smithereens

Those air-conditioned, bright canteens,

Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans

                              Tinned minds, tinned breath.

Mess up the mess they call a town -

A house for ninety-seven down

And once a week a half a crown

                            For twenty years,

And get that man with double chin

Who'll always cheat and always win,

Who washes his repulsive skin

                              In women's tears.

And smash his desk of polished oak

And smash his hands so used to stroke

And stop his boring dirty joke

                               And make him yell.

But spare the bald young clerks who add

The profits of the stinking cad;

It's not their fault that they are mad,

                                They've tasted Hell.

It's not their fault they do not know

The birdsong from the radio,

It's not their fault they often go

                              To Maidenhead.

And talk of sports and makes of cars

In various bogus Tudor bars

And daren't look up to see the stars

                               But belch instead.

In labour-saving homes, with care

Their wives frizz out peroxide hair

And dry it in synthetic air

                             And paint their nails.

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough

To get it ready for the plough.

The cabbages are coming now:

                           The earth exhales.

                                 

Jeg Elsker Danmark!

(If you don't speak Danish, the title means "I love Denmark")

Recently, I have become obsessed with Scandinavia - but one country in particular. Denmark. Don't ask me why, because I really have no idea. I've always liked Denmark, but things started to get serious when I was fortunate enough to watch the music video for "Swim" by Oh No Ono - an amazing Danish band. I listened to the song for days on end, and then became interested in all things Danish. The architecture, the food, the music, the design, all of it. So, I began learning the language. (I can already speak 4 languages, one more can't hurt, can it?) And let me tell you, it ain't the easiest to learn! (I've been using speakdanish.dk , which is a really good website to use if you want to learn the language) But one thing that truly amazes me is the music. Denmark has some really brilliant bands:

Here are some bands I love, with some of my favourite songs...,
OH NO ONO -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh8IBCKyG6Y (Swim)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2nn_tM4kD8 (The Shock of The Real)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww-EH1pvEQA (Miss Miss Moss)
(Or just listen to the "Eggs" Album, because I love all of their songs)

TREEFIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EebZGTMKA (Facing The Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_RHtzq-5dY (What Became of You and I?)

VINNIE WHO -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IppBWuUmkU8 (Remedy)

THE WILLIAM BLAKES -
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyvVAON10jk(Secretly)

So that's about it for this Denmark post, I hope you like the music and don't hesitate to comment.

Tak.
                                                

Help!

This is a plea for help: I can't think of a name for this blog! If you think you can come up with a witty name for it please either...

Send me a message on Twitter (@LondonNewyork13)
Or comment on this post.

This is basically a competition, but you won't win anything. Although I might follow your blog if you'd like me to.

Tak.

Ok, I've changed my mind again!

Right, so this blog won't be soley devoted to music-y film stuffs. It's going to be mostly about me (and my life does revolve around music, film and art, so you won't be missing out on that) and other rather random things that I like (or don't), photos I take, places I visit etc. and yeah, I hope to see you all soon!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Looking back through past posts, I've noticed that the blog has become slightly more orientated towards music/film etc. and I think I prefer it that way. So from now on this blog will be solely dedicated to the world of "the arts" or and entertainment blog.
It's going to have a whole new look, new name, new URL, new everything! Hopefully this will get it more views aswell! (Or that could just be wishful thinking)
Bye :) x

(TWITTER: http://twitter.com/LondonNewyork13
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/LondonNewyork1
FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sophieganesh
LAST FM: http://www.last.fm/user/LondonNewyork13 )

Stopmotion!

My Top Films

Just a bit of fun, these are my top ____ films that in my opinion, everyone should've seen at least once before they go through the curtains, shall we say. So, in no particular order, here they are:

1. A Clockwork Orange (1972)
2. Quadrophenia (1979)
3. Withnail and I (1986)
4. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
5. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
6. The Shining (1980)
7. Alfie (1966)
8. Rushmore (1999)
9. Breakfast at Tiffanys (19--)
10. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004)
11. Christiane F. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhorf Zoo (1981)
12. The Hunger (1983)
13. The Actors (2003)
12. The Beach (2000)
14. Lost in Translation (2004)
15. Forrest Gump (1994)
16. Is Anybody There? (2008)
17. The Departed (2006)
18. Soylent Green (1973)
19. This is England (2006)
20. The Truman Show (1998)
21. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
22. Pulp Fiction (1994)

--TBC--

Music - The battle continues..

In my quest to bring good music to the people, I have arrived at a dead end. It seems that people actually quite like their lousy R 'n' B crap, and are not prepared to hear my side of the story. The have asked me what I listen to, so I give a list that sounds as if a "40-ish year old man" should be reciting it, much to their amusement. So I've had the superbly brilliant idea of compiling a list of 17 songs that to me, are the 'creme de la creme' of music. The genre is mostly alternative-rock, and I might create the modern equivalent of a mix-tape to play for them, as part of my "Bring Back Good Music" project, that so far is a messy mind-map scribbled on a napkin. Now this may sound a little pushy, and slightly invading on peoples private lives, but it needs to be done, no longer can we live with this rubbish excuse for music! I'd like it if someone would possibly read this list, and give me a few comments, perhaps help in the campain? - But please, constructive critism!

THE LIST!
1. THE SMITHS - This Charming Man
2. THE SMITHS - This Night Has Opened My Eyes
3. THE SMITHS - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
4. MORRISSEY - November Spawned A Monster
5. MORRISSEY - Tomorrow
6. MORRISSEY - I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
7. THE JAM - The Butterfly Collector
8. THE JAM - That's Entertainment
9. THE JAM - Tales From The Riverbank
10. PATTI SMITH - Land
11. PATTI SMITH - Kimberly
12. T.REX - Monolith
13. T.REX - Cosmic Dancer
14. T.REX - Jeepster
15. THE CLASH - London Calling
16. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - Sunday Morning
17. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - Black Angel's Death Song