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November 2012

S Club Reunite – Missing Members, Out Of Tune and Older

By Music & RadioNo Comments

After Take That reformed, it was only a matter of time before other 90’s pop bands reformed. Last Spring I went watching Steps after they reformed (see Re-Living My Youth: Steps Live). So when I heard a rumor that S Club were reforming I did a YouTube search and found this video:

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It’s from an Australian TV programme called The Morning Show. The first thing I noticed was that there are several missing members. Where’s Hannah, Rachael & Jon? S Club’s reformed with only Jo, Bradley and Paul.

Next I noticed that they were out of tune; now don’t get me wrong I can’t sing but their performance reminded me of a really bad XFactor audition. Finally I noticed they are older, which is to be expected but I didn’t expect them to look that old. Their performance in the video (above) is really disappointing, especially when compared with this video of how they used to be:

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I wont be re-living my youth by going to watch S Club on their “international tour.” If you are going reform, at least do it whole (have all the band members back) and do it well (be able to sing) otherwise it wont give the audience a sense of nostalgia but disappoint them and taint their memories of you.

It’s interesting that since this appearance I haven’t heard anymore about S Club reforming or their “international tour.”

Blog soon,

Antony

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Saturday 10 November 2012

Book Review: Sometime Yesterday by Yvonne Heidt

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsOne Comment
Publishers Group UK sent me a copy of Sometime Yesterday the first novel from Yvonne Heidt. Sometime Yesterday is a paranormal fiction story; it’s the first book in this genre I’ve read and I throughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that when my unread book pile lessens, I will be seeking out more paranormal fiction books.

In Sometime Yesterday Natalie is starting her life again after recently getting divorced from Jason. Jason had been cheating on her and had left her for Tracy who he’s recently married. Natalie was never truly happy with Jason; she used to dread when he gave her that look, but she was comfortable. It’s all change for Natalie but at least she’s got her work, her painting as an artist which is about the only thing in her life that remains constant.

Natalie moves into a new house she’s bought and worries about being lonely; but she needn’t of worried as she quickly discovers her house in haunted. The ghosts of Sarah & Beth a secret lesbian couple and Richard a sinister dark masculine figure all of whom died over a hundred years ago are for some reason they are still present in the house. Natalie begins to experience strange happenings in the house when she’s awake and even stranger dreams when she’s asleep.

Van (Vanessa) is a lesbian landscaper who hasn’t had a relationship since the death of Cara her longterm girlfriend some time ago. Van has built an emotional wall around herself; but does satisfy the loneliness she feels by taking various women home with her after a few drinks. Van approaches Natalie knowing that her house has been empty for so long that the garden will be badly in need of landscaping.

As soon as Natalie and Van meet they are attracted to one another. Van makes her offer to landscape the garden and Natalie accepts. As Natalie grapples with her attraction to Van and is discovering that she has oppressed her lesbianism up until this point in her life; she has a dream that she is Beth and is having sex with Sarah. I understand why Heidt had this sex scene dream between Natalie and the ghost Sarah, but I don’t think it needed it.

Natalie & Van begin to date spending time together whilst the ghosts up their ante. Natalie doesn’t mind Sarah & Beth but Richard becomes increasingly sinister and violent scaring her. Natalie’s fabulous mother who is a psychic tells Natalie that she must unravel the mystery as to why they haven’t moved on, which she attempts to do. Natalie thinks she’s experiencing the haunted happenings and traumatic dreams because Sarah & Beth were lesbian and she is, but later on in the book she discovers a much deeper connection. Natalie & Van continue to get closer, having more than one intimate sexual scene together and realise that the love one another.

In the final few chapters of Sometime Yesterday, Heidt gives you a sense of real danger as Richard seemingly comes to life; his dark secrets are exposed and he intends to deal with Natalie & Van for what he perceives as another betrayal in his house.

The plot is excellent with good use of description throughout. The story is well paced allowing for peaks of paranormal action, character development and unravelling of the mystery. The mystery encourages the reader to read on; I found myself constantly trying to guess the mystery and what would happen next. I could have easily read this book in one sitting, and probably would have done had I not been so busy recently. It has all the components of a good story: love interest, mystery, fear, action, drama and a happy ending that ties up all the loose ends.

Yvonne Heidt has a very engaging writers voice, as well as being an obviously talented writer. After reading Sometime Yesterday I have become an instant fan of hers which I’ve never said on any review before. I have recently read on her website that she’s got another book coming out in January 2013, which I look forward to reading.

If you’re lesbian or open minded and interested or involved in the paranormal you’ll love Sometime Yesterday. It’s a good read and is available to buy on Amazon.

Write soon,

Antony



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Thursday 8 November 2012

Samhain 2012

By Friends & Family, Happiness & Joy, PaganismNo Comments

This year Samhain was a two day event! It started on Tuesday (30th) night when Sye and I carved pumpkins (for how to carve pumpkins see Making a pumpkin lantern for Samhain). Here’a our finished pumpkins:



Left: Jill – looking shocked (mine),
Right: Jacko Sye’s piece of artwork.
(Click on image for full size.)

Sye & I also used the pumpkin insides to make some Pumpkin Cookies after I found a recipe on the Facebook of Pagan Magic, here’s a photo of the cookies:



They look fantastic and were so delicious.
(Click on image for full size.)

Sye & I had a cookie (or two), a brew (or Milk in Sye’s case) and I wished him happy Samhain as by the time we’d finished it was the early hours of the morning.

In the evening of Samhain (31st) I went round to do ritual with Jayne & Joan. We wrote letters to ancestors which was a brilliant idea of Jayne’s that I have never thought of doing. Then we burned the letters to release the messages into the cosmos in Jayne’s fire pit:



The Fire Pit lit, despite the rain.
We even had some green flames,
I’ve only ever seen them on Samhain.
(Click on image for full size.)



Me tending to the fire in my ritual robe.
(Click on image for full size.)

By the fire we discussed what we were thankful for over the last twelve months; we also burnt slips of paper with things we wanted to banish over the next twelve months. To finish the ritual we went inside, relaxed and asked any spirits that wish to communicate with us to do so. I didn’t get any spirit communication unless you count the cat that uncharacteristically came up to me and started purring.

That’s how I celebrated Samhain.

Write soon,

Antony

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Sunday 4 November 2012

Levitation

By Friends & Family, Happiness & Joy, PaganismNo Comments

On a cold, dark Friday night in October a few weeks ago, Simon and I headed to Chrys’ for a psychic party. From the outside the glow of the house looked warm and inviting, as it always does. Chrys put on a spread and guests were already chatting with one another as we entered, greeted by a massive hug and kiss from the lovely lady herself.

The psychic who was suppose to be giving a few people readings had to cancel last minute due to a family emergency; but with three pagans in the room we did a few activities amongst the socialising, story telling and the general relaxing. Activities included Numerology, Dowsing Rods and Levitation.

I’ve never done Levitation before but we got our victim…ahem…volunteer to sit in an armless chair and began. Four of us took positions two at each side of the volunteer.

We started with each of us joining our own hands together with the two index fingers sticking out and trying to lift the volunteer. The two nearest the back of the chair trying to lift under the armpits and the two nearest the volunteers legs lifting under the bend. Unsurprisingly, even attempting to lift the volunteer with our coordinated efforts was unsuccessful. That was just to prove we couldn’t lift the volunteer.

Then the four of us put our left hand over the volunteers head; hovering the hands slightly so that we weren’t touching the volunteers head or others hands. One each us had put their left hand into position, we did the same with the right. We closed our eyes and visualised what we were about to do and then took a few deep breaths.

We quickly removed our hands in the order we’d put them above the volunteers head and put them (joined together index fingers sticking out) back under the armpits and the bend under the leg; lightly touching the volunteer before she rose up and levitated for a few seconds. Then her body seemed to regain weight and her bum came crashing down on to the chair.

It was an amazing sight to see and I bet we could have levitated the volunteer for much longer if we had wanted too. So that’s how I learned to levitate. Thank you Chrys for the fantastic evening (as always) and for teaching me something new.

Write soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Thursday 1 November 2012
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