This has to be great

Yes, I am a Johnny Depp-fan. So of course am I looking forward to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

That being said, I'm not looking forward to this movie because of Johnny Depp alone. The director Terry Gilliam makes some exciting choices in his films, and his reputation pretty much speaks for itself.

In addition to this, we naturally have Heath Ledger. It's his last film, and he was definitely a great actor. I loved him in everything from The Dark Knight to Brokeback Mountain to A Knight's Tale. Therefore, I have high hopes when it comes to this one. And of course there are several other great actors involved.

Unfortunately we have to wait awhile before the film is to be found in any Norwegian cinema, but if it even comes close to living up to my expectations, it will be worth it. In the meantime, enjoy this little bit.

Boybands

I have previously mentioned that boybands are a shameful memory that belongs to the past. I really don't get the thing with boybands. I'm sorry.

Now, I also said that the music that surrounds us this decade isn't exactly great. That doesn't mean that it gets any better by adding some boybands to it. I honestly thought that when we left the 90s, we also left the boybands. I am very sorry to admit I was wrong.

For some reason, far beyond my comprehension, boybands seem to reappear. They are getting popular again! It almost makes me feel like an idiot, 'cause no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to understand why.

Backstreet Boys are ready to go on tour, and they're visiting Norway on december 5. How can that be? Amongst the people I know, nobody wants to admit that they ever listened, and definitely not liked, Backstreet Boys. Yes, you can find a catchy riff in a song or two. I still don't like them.

If you happen to be a fan of the band, or boybands in general, please try to explain to me what it's all about...

Pia Haraldsen + Romeo og Julie = ?

Every artist is proud of his or her work. Many people takes pride in their work. That's the way it should be. If an artist isn't proud of what he is doing, then there's something wrong.

Therefore I totally understand why so many actors, and others working with theatre, aren't too happy about this news. To give Pia Haraldsen a role like this, is bold to say the least. How Birgit Amalie Nilssen got that idea, I'm very curious. From what Pia has done previously, I doubt her ability to play this role. And that is putting it nicely.

Pia Haraldsen are mostly famous for being famous. Not a very good starting point. And her attempts of making some sense of it all, haven't exactly been successful.

I feel sorry for every actor out there who has to witness this, and at the same time it fills me with curiosity as to what Nilssen has been thinking. I would like to read an interview with her. That's for sure.

Mona Lisa

You hear about the weirdest diseases and syndromes. I'm sure it's no fun for the unlucky bastard who has to live with it, but sometimes I just have to laugh.

I hope this woman wasn't aware of it herself, 'cause if she was, I have no idea what she was doing in a museum.

What is Raja thinking?

In Norway we soon have our election for parliament, and as always the politicians are very active around this time.However, it's very easy to get confused when everyone is screaming from the top of their lungs and blaming each other. There are very few politicians who simply stand up and speak their mind.

In this jungle I have found one that does just that. Martin Henriksen, the leader of AUF, is one of the coolest politicians out there. He would get my vote any day. What makes him so cool, is that, not only do I agree with him on a lot of the political stuff, but he is not afraid to speak his mind. Whether it concerns another political party or even his own mother party.

Today he is to be found in the newspapers because of the debate concerning Abid Q. Raja and his behavior on Twitter after a debate that Raja was leading. I have to say that it surprises me the way Raja has handled this. I even find the starting point of the debate as totally unnecessary. When Arbeiderpartiet chooses to send Hadia Tajik, I don't see why that should be a problem. After all, she is of present interest.

I don't know what Raja's intentions are with all of this, but to me it seems like he is working against himself. If nothing else, he should be capable of some decent behavior. Everybody should. Thankfully, there are those who agree with me...

The need to socialise

Why is it that we have this need to socialise? Every human being needs to have contact with others. Even those of us that are more than capable of enjoying a moment or two all alone.

If we don't see other people for awhile, we become restless and cranky. We have to have someone to talk to, to see, to communicate with. Phone calls and internet may help for some time, but after awhile we have to physically meet someone.

At times we may even find ourselves to be somewhat picky. It's not enough with a person, it has to be a friend, or at least someone we can communicate with at that exact level. Funny, ain't it?

So why this need to be around others? And why, at the same time, this need to be alone? We need to be in balance. Somewhere in between these two. It's not that easy. Especially during the summer holiday. Either you are traveling, or your friends are, and people come and go, and it doesn't necessarily add up.

I've had my time alone, and now I'm more than ready to see some friendly faces. That's the one thing I like about the end of summer, and the beginning of school...

Does the avatar look like me?

I was tired and bored and tumbled around the internet looking for some interesting reading, when I stumbled upon this article. If nothing else, it put a smile upon my somewhat grumpy face this morning.

It points out a fact, that might be fun or depressing, depending on how you look at it. The avatars in games are pretty "normal". There's really not much difference between them when it comes to certain areas of their creation. As this article points out, they are all slim. You can't find a fat avatar. I myself would also like the ability to choose some crazy hairdos and outfits. What happened to the weird stereotypes?

Besides, I love the way the journalist, Martin Bergesen, has written the article as well. With a lot of humor an self irony he certainly makes it worth reading. I think every journalist should use a bit more of that.

Have sex

Elderly people and sex are something we rarely talk about. It's simply not a subject. This strikes me as kind of weird, 'cause after all sex is a subject that is often, and heavily, debated. You can find sex everywhere. In the music you listen to, the movies you watch, on the cover of the newspaper and on the advertises on the subway. But always young sex.

The german director Andreas Dresen has made a movie about elderly people and sex. These days "Cloud 9" is released in cinemas all over the world. And this has started a whole new debate. Is it okay to show people in their sixties and seventies have sex? What are our reactions and thoughts about it? And why do we react the way we do?

It is pretty common to think that your parents don't have sex. Or at least keep as far away from that thought as possible. I guess I'm kind of weird, but to me it has never been a problem. It's not like I walk around thinking about my parents between the sheets, but whenever the subject has come up, I have always thought "I hope they do. I hope they have a lot of sex."

Now, there are two reasons for this. First of all I want my parents to be happy and have a healthy relationship, and secondly I really hope that I will have a lot of sex when I'm their age, and if they don't, why should there be any hope for me?

An old body is not deemned perfect. There are hardly a person out there, in their twenties, who have a "perfect" body. But if you are not supposed to have sex unless you got a smoking body, then there are very few lucky birds out there.

I hope everybody has sex. Lot's of it. Whether you are young or old, thin or thick, gay or straight. Sex is healthy, for both body and mind. Don't let stupid things like this effect you.

Me and MySpace

I am one of those who have a profile on MySpace. Many does. It is in fact one of the most popular sites on the internet. There are many different communities on the internet and this is one of them.

So why do I have a profile on MySpace? I don't use it to communicate with friends or anything like that. For that purpose I have a profile on Facebook. For me, MySpace is all about the music. It is the perfect tool for me when it comes to keeping myself up to date on the bands I love. They post everything from news about what's happening with the band to pictures and music. It is also a great place to check out new bands. Maybe bands that my bands are fans of. That is always a good start. And if I've seen a great concert with a band, this is a nice place to give them some feedback.

Now, the key to all of this, is that the bands must have a profile. If they don't, I can't be "friends" with them, and they won't turn up on my updates. So if there's going to be any point in using MySpace on my behalf, it needs to contain as many profiles as possible.

As so many other sites on the internet, the rumour now says that you will have to pay in order to use MySpace. In this case, there might actually be some truth to it. However, I believe that charging people to use MySpace will ruin one of the site's biggest strengths. I have already explained what that is, and I honestly don't believe that musicians, broke as fuck, in small bands, are willing to pay to have a profile. They'd rather use one of the other internet communities designed to promote bands, free of charge.

So as to the question of whether or not I would pay to have my profile on MySpace, I think the answer is yes. If things would continue to be the same. However, since I don't think they would, and a lot of bands would disappear from the site, I won't. Would you?

The changing of bandmembers

Every once in awhile a band changes it's lineup. The reason for this might vary a lot, but some repeats itself more than others.

The lack of motivation is a very common one. One of the members are either getting bored or preoccupied with other things. A fall out with the other members are not unusual either. Another reason, who are less common, is the realisation that the member just doesn't fit musically.

Sometimes the break can be smooth, and the members still remains friends. This of course are the best ways to end it. Unfortunately, it often ends on bitter terms. That can be very ugly.
Now, whether you like it or not, a change in the lineup changes the bands sound. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worst. This of course also depends on who it is that steps in as a replacement.

After a band has had its break-through, the original lineup is defined. No matter what happens, the fans will look at this as "the real deal". That being said, there are many bands who have changed there lineup after becoming famous, without much problem. The argument about which lineup is the best, will forever continue.

What you can't escape from is however that sound will change. Whether you like it or not. So no matter if it turns out to be for better or worse, or maybe neither, it still will be different. If this is one of your favorite bands, of course it's sad. The band you knew has died, and been replaced by something else. It's time for that band to try to win you over again.

Some band of course manages to stay somewhat close to their original sound. This depends both on who the replacement is, and what instrument we are talking. The change of frontman and lead singer, is always drastic. I'll give you one example:

Mötley Crüe has one two occasions had a change in their lineup. If we are talking "permanent" changes, that you can find on a record. The first one happened in 1994 with the album "Mötley Crüe". This was when Vince Neil had quit and was replaced by John Corabi. Now, it's a good album, but it's not Mötley Crüe. Corabi has got a totally different voice than Neil, and of course this affects the way the sound pretty heavily.

The second time they made a change was in 2000 on the album "New Tattoo". This time Neil was back, leading the ship, but the engine of the band, Tommy Lee, was replaced by Randy Castillo. This change didn't effect the band in the same way. This album is actually one of Mötley Crüe's best albums, and if you are not a complete Mötley-geak, I'm not sure if you will be able to tell that it's not Tommy back there.

Regardless of the reason, and the effect, changing members does mark and end, as well as a new beginning. And when a band you love makes this kind of change, it is sad. No matter what the outcome might be.

Leaving the ship

It's not that long ago since The Pirate Bay-suit was to be found on the cover of basically every newspaper. Not strange at all, considering the importance of the matter. This was a matter that people got engaged in. One way or the other, the outcome of this lawsuit would effect you.

As we all know, it's pretty common amongst young people to download stuff free of the internet, such as music and movies. Now, I think we can all agree that this ain't right. The artist or actor or whoever is behind it, deserves to get paid. No one likes working for free. The reason people still download, without a guilty conscience, got to do with the industry. We don't mind paying the artist, but we do mind paying the industry.

Now, the record industry is panicing. I think we all can understand why. They're making less money by the minute. But think about it. It's called a RECORD industry, ain't it? The problem is that people doesn't want to by records anymore. They want music, and they want their music in different formats.

A fact that we can't seem to get past is the fact that the industry is somewhat late. There are a bunch of ways to download music and such for free, that are far better than what the industry has got to offer. Personally, I don't mind paying. Not at all. It's just so much easier to use the channels that are free, simply because they are easier to use, more effective and have got a bigger collection of what I want.

That being said, I am also one of those who appreciate holding a CD or an LP between my hands. There's something special about hearing a record from beginning to end, just as the artist intended, while you are reading the booklet and studying the cover.

It is also a fact that those who download the most, in general are the same ones that buy the most. It's basically those who are most interested in music and/or movies. That does give you something to think about, doesn't it?

I have to say that it's quite awhile since the last time I downloaded anything. Lately I have bought or borrowed the music and movies that I would like to see or listen to. As I said, I like the feeling of actually holding the thing. To be able to find it on the shelf and putting it on. But I don't like wasting my money on things that turns out to be garbage and a waste of space. Therefore, unless I already know that it's good, I like to test it before I buy it. If I download a movie and thinks that it's good, then I will buy it. Is that so wrong?

Now, what made me write all of this, was an article in Dagbladet about the fact that Peter Sunde has decided to quit as a spokesperson for The Pirate Bay. The reason for this is very simple. It takes to much time. Some people are of course claiming that he is jumping ship, but the way I see it, this ship has reached an harbour and is now getting a new captain.

There's not really a point for Sunde to keep spending so much time and energy on this, when it soon will be out of his hands anyway. Of course there will be more time spent in the courtroom, but they are done running the place and are wisely moving on to other projects. The public battle is over, for this time, and even though we can make a discussion as to who won, I think they deserve a break from the spotlight for now. I'm pretty sure that the eye of the public will follow them anyway.

It's all about sexy...

Why do girls spend so much time on skin care and the neverending project; removing of hair? First of all it takes a lot of time. Second of all it costs a fortune. There are of course many different products when it comes to hair removal. The most common ones are the razor, cream and wax. And talking about wax, it also hurts.

Now, how much time do we spend on this really? And where do we remove hair from? Let me take you through a ritual that I think many girls will recognise. Armpits are taken care of every day, or maybe every other day. The legs have to go through it maybe two or three times a week. This of course also depends on what time of year it is, and what you use to remove the hair. Then we have the more intimate area. This is a natural part of "the big saturday shower". Of course this shower may take place on a friday, or any other day if something special is up, but it's a very typical saturday thing. And the shower in itself takes at least an hour. In addition to showering and getting clean, you shave pretty much your entire body. And then maybe you treat it nice by giving it a body scrub or something.

Afterwards you put on some lotion and get in front of the mirror to remove any facial hair that you don't want there. You give your hands and feet a little treat, and maybe some nailpolish. You style your hair and put on your make-up. And then you get dressed. No wonder it takes forever.

It's all about blood, sweat and tears. Or more correctly; time, money and pain. So why do we do it?

Guys, don't flatter yourself. It's not all for you. Yeah, sure, if you are lucky enough to accompany me home on a late saturday night, it's for you. At least partially. But a huge part of this is actually for ourselves. When we walk out of that shower after giving ourselves a real treatment, we just feel so fresh. Why do you think girls consider a day at a spa a wet dream? After something like that, it's not only you who would like to fuck us. We would very well like to fuck ourselves.

Now, looking sexy isn't about hair, make-up and clothes. Yes, of course, it plays a huge part, but in the end, it's all about the attitude. When a girl has taken care of her body, she naturally feels good about herself. And if she feels comfortable in her own skin, I promise you, she can be sexy in a pair of sweatpants. High heels and short skirts don't do anything, if the stuff underneath ain't right.

That being said. When a girl go through all that, put on some sexy lingerie an a smoking outfit, it's all for you guys. That's when it's time to enjoy...

Public Enemies

One of the movies I have been looking forward to this year is "Public Enemies". I've been waiting for that movie for about two years now. I'm a huge Johnny Depp-fan, so that in itself made sure I had high expectations. In addition to this, I love this kind of movies, and with Michael Mann as director, I expected a masterpiece.

I saw the movie shortly after the premiere, and ended up pretty confused. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. The movie is good, and you should definitly see it if you haven't already, but I do understand why so many critics gave it a four on the dice.

I honestly don't know what it is, but something was missing. I just can't seem to put my finger on it. The break-outs went a little to smooth in a way, and the humorous points didn't make me laugh as much as I wanted to. Johnny Depp played well, but not great. And you were kind of left with the feeling that you hadn't gotten to know the characters as well as you wanted to. I guess there were simply too little of their human side.

All in all it is a good movie, and I will probably see it again some day. But when you want a masterpiece, and you know that the people involved are very well capable of making one, then you're just not satisfied with a good movie. We want more.

Great bands vs. the music industry

The music industry is somewhat fucked up. That's nothing new. It all comes down to the contradiction between music and industry. Those two have never gone quite well together. Still they need each other. It's one of those love/hate relationships.

The general opinion about the 80s, is that it was pretty terrible. Everything from fashion to music is today seen as somewhat tragic. I myself usually say that the 80s were the best and the worst. A little bit of both. So who knows, maybe there are some great aspects to the other decades that I just haven't seen.

The 90s was the boyband-decade, and the reason why most girls my age never speak of the first bands we listened to. I do however realise that there were a branch of great rock through the 90s, but they didn't exactly dominate, now did they?

This brings us to what I want to talk about. This decade. I've never been a huge fan of popmusic. That being said, I do like some of the popmusic out there, as long as it has some quality to it and is not a part of the massproduced garbage. However, the popular music these days are probably more tragic than any music has ever been. The majority of the music bears the impression of being a remix. Now, everyone knows that a remix can be fun and entertaining, but that's about it. It doesn't take very long before you are sick and tired of it.

I would like to point out that I'm not one of those who hate techno, or argue that it's not really music. I happen to like something in every genre of music, even though I like some better than others. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I listened to techno, but that is besides the point.

Techno is not a very wide spread genre, and the general opinion seems to be that it's not very good. Nevertheless, it seems like pretty much all music that you find on the hitlists and radio these days, have been mixed or influenced by some kind of techno, one way or the other. If it's not, we are over to the other, slightly smaller branch of the decade; singer-songwriter.

Now, the singer-songwriter path, I can follow. There actually happens to be some great music in there. The only problem is that there are also a whole lot of music there that are simply crap. They consist of clichés and their sole purpose in this world seems to be to fill an album and poison the radio. That kind of ruins it for the good ones.

Behind all this, or maybe below as some would say, we have some great music. There are actually some fantastic rock n' roll-bands out there that really should be the ones ruling this decade. I'm not just saying this because I'm a huge rock n' roll-fan. If we remove the subjective views and forget all about taste, these bands still are the ones deserving the throne. If we focus only on the quality of the music, and maybe add a bit of their live performances, these are the bands who deliver. These are the ones you can trust to give you a great concert every single time. The CD you can buy without having to skip 3/4 of the songs.

For some reason, that I can not by the love of God understand, these bands are hardly ever played on the radio. When they play a concert, there is not as much as a little note in the newspapers. They never get a record deal. These are truly the hard workers of the music industry. They do everything themselves. They write the music, play the songs, book the gigs, promotes the band. They arrange photoshoots, make the merchandise and work the internet. And if there should be a music video, I can guarantee you that they have done all the work with that as well. Put all their money into it, and cashed in every favour they might have had.

I know it's hard to make it in the industry. I know that. I've seen that. Most bands don't. Still, I really can not understand why some of these don't. 'Cause if we are talking music alone, these bands are some of the best this country has produced in years. And in addition to this, they deliver great shows, on every concert, and comes with an image so true, that the babe on the radio would pass out just by hearing about it. They have the complete package. And they are willing to do whatever it is, in order to make it. They have been working their asses off for years, and are still willing to do so. They don't expect to make any money, they just want to play music.

Still, they get punched in the face over and over again. Everytime they enter a contest or apply for some kind of grant or support, there are someone else that are there and grab it right in front of their noses. Now, that would have been one thing if the ones who did were actually great, but very often I'm afraid to say that they are just very lucky. 'Cause I know of many occasions where the band that came in second, were far better than the one that came in first.

Now, I bet that some of you out there are thinking that "if the band is so great, then they must have some kind of success". Well, they do have a pretty huge fanbase. Their name are well-known inside the scene. The problem is taking the next step. This is where the luck comes in and fuck it all up. I want great music. Unfortunately I have to stand by and watch great bands being torn to pieces, because some idiot in an office doesn't recognise talent and doesn't know what's good for him.

If you happen to have good taste in music yourself, here's a couple of bands for you to check out:
http://www.myspace.com/hollytunes
http://www.myspace.com/gatecrashersrock

Fucked up creativity

Why is it that creativity can be so difficult? Sometimes you can feel the bubbly feeling fill your body, but then it turns out to be impossible to get it out. To convert it to something concrete.

You try to write a poem. It doesn't work. You try to write a song. It doesn't work. You try to paint. It doesn't work. And on it goes.

It's the most frustrating thing in the entire world. Sometimes you even find the tool to use. You know what shape it's going to be. You know the theme. And still you can't seem to put it together.

The motivation slowly disappears as the crappy results make their entrance. You know, while you're creating, that what you're making is shit. And you know, you can feel it in your gut, that right now you can make something grand. But somehow you can't connect. You try every trick you know of, and even some you've never even heard of, in an attempt to trigger the key and unleash the beautiful beast inside of you. You even leave it all, only to return and realise that nothing has changed. The need to create is growing, and the ability to do so, is slowly decreasing. With this comes anger and frustration, not to forget the restlessness, and in the end you end up with nothing, but exhaustion.

This rollercoaster ride is a mild form of torture, and it's a ride you have to take all on your own. You can invite people to join in, but they can only keep you companied while you ride it. Alone.

There are no choice involved in this. You can not choose not to take the ride. And when you get on, you never know what is going to happen. You might end up with a great work of art or a masterpiece of music. You just never know.

If you got this kind of creativity in you, you now exactly what I am talking about. And you know how strong it is. When it kicks in, it surpasses the need to eat or sleep. It's just like a drug. A strange kind of drug. You never now whether it will bring you up or down. If the trip will be like an orgasm or a nightmare.

People that don't have this, doesn't quite understand why so many artists use drugs and alcohol. If you are one of those who understands what I'm talking about, you understand this as well. That doesn't mean that every creative person out there uses drugs, but he/she probably know why some do. So how 'bout it? Have you ever taken the ride?

One of .....'s girls

I bet everybody know a guy like this. Not necessarily because there are so many of them, but because those who are out there usually is pretty well-known. This guy who are pretty handsome, but not drop dead gorgeous. Charming as few. I actually dare say, scaresly charming. The girls flock around him as flies to shit. And I you just can't help it, they actually reminds me of flies sometimes. To the guys he's a great mate. As a friend in general, he is wonderful. Everybody likes this guy. And he is so kind. There's not a bad bone in his body. However, he's an expert on getting in trouble. Mostly because of these already metioned girls. Oh, the drama.

Anyway. It's actually these girls I would like to talk about. A typical girl like this is usually between 16 and 20. The guy in this example is usually in his late twenties. The girls are pretty good looking, and try their best to live up to his image and what they think he might want. Of course, they fall in love with him. Probably right after the first time he fucked them. And of course they become one of his fuck buddies. Yes, he's got quite a few of them. Imagine the drama. They all become clingy and jealous. They all know he got others, and that to him it's just sex. And maybe a friendship. But they still get their hearts broken. And here comes the best, and most pathetic part: They all come running back to him. All he need to do is give them a hug, or maybe send them an sms. It's so easy. And so cheesy.

Now, these girls don't have a lot of respect around town. They all get a stamp saying: "one of ...'s girls". Insert whatever name you think fits. Now, what makes these girls pathetic is basically the "falling in love"-part, the fact that they always come running, no matter what, and the expectations they for some unbelievable reason possesses.

Another humorous aspect is the respect-part. None of them have any respect around town. Still they, for some reason, get the feeling of being somewhat special, because they get to fuck this guy. After all, he is pretty popular. And to be quite frank, that is very often the reason why they fuck him in the first place. In addition to his looks and charm. And also the reason why they keep fucking him. They might fall in love with him, but few, if any, of them really know him.

If these people walk around in the rock n' roll-scene, it becomes even funnier by the way. Those girls definitely try to dress the part and talk the talk. They wave the banner of "sex, drugs and rock n' roll", but aren't even close to living up to it.

Now, here's a question: How do you avoid becoming one of these girls? Well, the easiest is of course to not fuck him. But let's say that you do. You don't become one of these girls just by fucking him once. That's not the way it works. So go ahead. Try him out.

The difficulty kicks in if you start fucking this guy on a somewhat regular basis. Do you still have to become one of his girls? Not necessarily. Yes, some will always put that stamp on your head. That you will just have to live with. But if you stay away from two of the most important points here, you might be well on your way to avoiding it. Don't fall in love with the guy, and don't go running to him every time he whistles. Say no every now and then, and let him come to you at times. I mean, it should work both ways, shouldn't it? And of course it makes it a lot easier if you are already known to have your own opinion and doing whatever you want. If you have had your share of one night stands in the past, and are seen as someone who stands on her own two feet, it takes a lot more to become one of those girls. And if you do, seriously, tragedy have struck.

Now, go out and have some fun.