Thirtysomething

As of yesterday I can consider myself a thirtysomething.

Not sure what the difference between a twentysomething and a thirtysomething is though. Not sure what is expected from me now that I'm a thirtysomething. Not sure what I expect from myself as a thirtysomething. Actually, not sure what the meaning of thirtysomething is.

All I know is that I'm a year older on paper. Yay!

Which popstar do you want to be?

I was reading a magazine the other day and it had a question for some people to answer.

The question was, which popstar do you want to be in 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006?

My answers are
1976: John Paul Jones, to see what is was like being the bass player in Led Zeppelin, one of the biggest rock bands at the time.
1986: John Taylor, to be part of Duran Duran in the mid 80s should be any boys dream.
1996: Adam Clayton. U2 were huge at that time and only Adam took advantage of this.
2006: Guy Berryman. He's the bass player of the biggest band in the world and he can still walk unnoticed to a supermarket.

Paleo 2006, Day 6

Last day of my 6-day pass.

I did not go.

Paleo 2006, Day 5

Saturday.

Music: Feeder - when they played old stuff it was very loud and noisy, when they played new stuff it was very emotional and heavy. Must be tough for Grant Nicholas to sing about his mate's death in front of a festival crowd. Placebo - played them almost too perfect, I was expecting more vibes, more energy from Brian Molko but it just wasn't there.

Transport: took the scooter from Prangins.

Food: Ate at Paprika, some magret canard curry. Very very tasty.

Drinks: A bit of white wine and a beer.

Place: Rugby bar mostly.

Time: From 21.30 until 01.30

Paleo 2006, Day 4

Day 4, Friday.

Music: A bit of Tracy Chapman, singing songs in her usual style. She sang Fast Car and that Boyzone song as well. The Editors - lots of energy, the vocalist sings and acts just like Michael Stipe. In fact this band sounds just like as if Michael Stipe joined forces with Television in the late 70s, early 80s.

Transport: Took train from home and then bus back to Prangins.

Food: Nasi goreng (only because the queue at Paprika was very long), a Rat Stick, and a Sandwich "Pere Igor" (magret canard and foie gras, nyam nyam), Malakoff.

Drinks: lots and lots of rose. A bit too much perhaps.

Place: Rugby bar, Chapiteau, sat in front of the main stage, then at the Swiss village.

Time: Got there at 20.00, lost track of time after that.

Paleo 2006, Day 3

Thursday.

Music: The Kooks - very energetic, full of kids slamming around. I wouldn't mind smacking one of those kids. The Who - they said that they want to die before they get old, well they are certainly aged but not "old". (I'll try to make a rant about The Who later).

Transport: Took my car, home - festival - home via backroads.

Food: Spring roll, a "Magret" sandwich (some kind of duck if I'm not mistaken), a beef skewer (churascao or something like that) and another spring roll.

Drinks: a tiny bit of rose, beer, more beer, water, cappucino.

Place: Rugby bar a bit then sat down by the hill chillin out.

Time: 20.00 - 01.45

Paleo 2006, Day 2

Music: Goldfrapp - weird and wonderful but not weird and wonderful enough. Alison Goldfrapp does seem to be a bit of a primadonna. Depeche Mode - listened to it from afar but they rock.

Transport: Car to Prangins, scooter from there and back.

Food: Malakoff, Hot Fondue (hot dog but with fondue in it) and another Malakoff.

Drinks: Beer, a glass of rose, a bottle of wine and a cappucino.

Place: Walked around but hung out at the Rugby Bar for a bit as well.

Time: Got there at 20.45, left at 00.30.

Paleo 2006, Day 1

It's time for Paleo again! And this year I have a 6-day pass, so I'm gonna do a quick recap of each day at Paleo.

Music: Pixies - a fat Frank Black and a giggly Kim Deal way past their years, but still playing good rock that inspired Kurt Cobain. Ben Harper - has made Paleo his home and he was enjoying himself.

Transport: Drove the scooter to Prangins (it took me 40 minutes because that thing cannot go faster than 60 kph), then the free bus to the festival. Got a ride back home.

Food: Japanese pizza (an omelet more or less), a rat skewer (or meat lolly) and a summer roll.

Drinks: Only beer. Had a couple of them.

Place: Mostly Rugby Bar as usual.

Time: Got there around 20.00, left around 02.00.

The Strokes @ Montreux 2006

Last Friday, when all Frenchmen were celebrating their revolution or whatnot, I went to see The Strokes at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

They were the shit back in 2000 when they came out with This Is It. A fresh New York sound, filled with punk and jangling guitars and good fashion as well. Six years later and The Strokes still can't shake off their first album success and it shows in their show.

For Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr, Switzerland is not a strange land. It was in Switzerland, in one of those expensive boarding school up in the mountains, where they met for the first time. The cool guy befriending the geek. They joined forces when they came back to NY and made The Strokes. Drugs, Drew Barrymore, booze, rehab, First Impressions of Earth and now back in Switzerland.

For the concert: they rock!!! Well, Fab Moretti and Albert Hammond Jr rock. Nick Valensi as well. Julian fits a shoegazing band more but does well once in a while.

I forgot how danceable their early songs were. Someday and Last Night are killers, I will definitely use them in my next DJing gig.

In the corner two guys were dressed up a-la Strokes. Tight black jeans, used t-shirt, jacket, and a mop of hair around the eyes. Not sure if they were part of the band or just faithful fans but they were rocking to the music. Which we all should.

Superman Returns

Most of us, growing up with comic books and television and pop culture around us, know who and what Superman is. He's the man of steel, who came from planet Krypton, raised in a farm by the family Kent, is the normal Clark Kent, journalist for the Daily Planet, has the hots for Lois Lane, and is allergic to Kryptonite.

Hollywood followed Batman Begins with Superman Returns. Here Superman comes back after a five year hiatus to look for his planet Krypton, only to find that Lois Lane has a kid and is engaged to Richard White and to find that Lex Luthor is out of jail and has a wacky plan to rule the world. Of course Superman comes to save the day (oh, wait, that's Mighty Mouse).

Anyway, I still wonder, how the hell can people not know that Clark Kent is Superman. Take Clark's glasses off and he looks uncannily like Superman. On top of that, at least somebody must notice that whenever Superman is around, Clark isn't. Or are they that stupid down there in Metropolis?

And we all see Superman flying around etc because of his 'alien' powers. Well if all the people on Krypton have these powers, then why could they not save their planet? One Superman can save the earth, but the whole population of Krypton which are all supposed to be supermen can't save their planet.

How the hell did Lex Luthor find Superman's cave while no other person on the earth has found it before? Did he use Google Earth or something? And using a summer yacht as well to go to the coldest seas in the world.

Bryan Singer did make a nice watchable movie though. I'm particularly impressed by the mixture of modern day technology with 50s fashion. And how he made Superman have emotions. At points he didn't look like a man of steel at all. As for Lois Lane's fiancee, I'm sorry mate, you have no chance against Superman. There is a reason he has a big "S" on his chest.

Bye Bye Zinedine Zidane

So Italy have fun the 2006 World Cup, after an entertaining final against the French.

On the 7th minute Malouda raced into the Italian penalty box, Materazzi closed in and touched Malouda's right leg, which then tangled up with his left leg and he fell down. Zinedine Zidane stepped up and shot a great panenka against Gigi Buffon. Then in the 23rd minute Marco Materazzi jumped over Patrick Vieira to head in a corner from Andrea Pirlo. The 1-1 score line stayed until the end of extra time so it went to penalties. All converted their penalties except for David Trezeguet. According to the French commentators on the telly, Trezeguet didn't miss the penalty, it was denied by the cross bar. Whatever. The Italians have won it.

This World Cup is supposed to be Zidane's last tournament, last bunch of games before he retires as professional footballer. He has given the world a lot and he is by far the best footballer in this generation. I had the opportunity to see him live in front of my eyes once, in Nyon when Real Madrid was playing a pre-season friendly, and he was amazing what he can do - and how he does it - with the ball.

The final of the World Cup is a fitting finale for a player so great. He scored a penalty but in extra time he lost his cool and reacted to a provocation from Materazzi. He turned around and headbutted Materazzi straight in the chest. Unbelievable! After such an illustrious career, this is what he does to say farewell to the world of football.

We will probably never know what provoked his action but it is such a shame that he ended his career like that.

What the hell were you thinking Zizou?

The FIFA 2006 World Cup so far, pt 2

Ok, more ramblings from me about the World Cup even though I said it's over for me. It is over for me, as I don't really care who wins it anymore (as long as it's not the French).

Here's what I think all 32 teams:

Angola: Didn't see enough of them.

Argentina: They were tournaments favourites and, according to the Guardian, had 5 mini-Maradonas (in Saviola, Messi, Tevez, Rodriguez and Riquelme). Then they had to play Germany where Pekerman then took a leaf out of Sven's coaching book and played it safe. Well, 5 mini-Maradonas won't help you beat Germany on penalties playing in Germany.

Australia: That's how you're supposed to play football. With passion and with Guus Hiddink. Very unfortunate penalty against Italy.

Brasil: They thought they have won the World Cup before the tournament started. We thought they have won the World Cup before the tournament started. Ronaldo just thought about eating. Nike need to change their Joga Bonito adverts now. Especially the one about Ronaldo.

Costa Rica: Scored twice against Germany and then went home.

Ivory Coast: Could have done better but in a pool with Holland and Argentina it's just very very hard and unfortunate.

Croatia: They will always be remembered as the team who had Josep Simunic given 3 yellow cards by Graham Poll in the 2006 World Cup.

Czech Republic: Looked like doing the business but then failed to qualify from the second Group of Death (the first one being Group C obviously).

Ecuador: Did well by qualifying and gave a lot of Scotsmen hope but then played absolutely rubbish against England. Unlucky they lost.

England: Bye bye Sven. He has taught the world how to play absolutely rubbish football using the best players available. Lots of us can't do that even if we try (and being paid 5m GBP per year). He will surely be missed.

France: Will Zizou's last game be a winning one? Or will Barthez fuck it up for his mate?

Germany: For the first time they played unlike Germany and Klinsmann is also very unGerman. They lost it the German way though against the Italians. Time to sing "Schande Deutschland, alles ist vorbei".

Ghana: The most successful African team in this World Cup. Not sure what the success was though.

Iran: Were they there?

Italy: 1970, they were in the final and lost. 1982, they were in the final and won. 1994, they were in the final and lost. 2006, they are in the final...

Japan: Had their 15-minutes of fame when they scored the first goal against Brazil. Until Brazil pounced them back to earth so hard that Hidetoshi Nakata decided to stop playing football for good.

South Korea: They had to keep up with Dick Advocaat. I pity them.

Saudi Arabia: Not sure what they were doing in Germany.

Mexico: Almost beat Argentina. Almost. Well, you don't win the World Cup with almost...

Netherlands: They should have won it. The best team by far. Robin van Persie was amazing. Boulahrouz shows the world how to make sure Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't dive anymore. Marco van Basten just oozes coolness. Damn you Valentin Ivanov!!!

Paraguay: A bit rubbish really.

Poland: See Paraguay.

Portugal: Bunch of diving cheats. Lucky they're out, I can sleep at night now without all that car-honking. And Cristiano Ronaldo needs to be kicked by Boulahrouz again. And again. And again.

Serbia & Montenegro: We will remember them as the team who Argentina scored that wonderful 24-passes goal against.

Spain: Magnificent in the pool games and then as usual bottles it in the knock-out stages. Why did Raul play is still beyond me.

Sweden: Beenhakker said it best, Lagerback does not have an imagination.

Switzerland: During their last game I only heard one noise, when Zuberbuhler saved Shevchenko's penalty. After that utter silence.

Togo: They've been bickering about the win bonus but they could have saved a lot of time and hassle because they didn't win anything.

Trinidad & Tobago: For 85 minutes most of the world were wanting them to win it against the English. Unfortunately God had other ideas than to entertain the thought of the majority of the world.

Tunisia: They need to learn that football lasts 90 minutes and not less.

Ukraine: In 1986 Maradona won the World Cup almost single-handedly with Argentina. Shevchenko though of doing the same but he isn't Maradona.

USA: U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A! What? Are they out? When?