Farewell 2011

Hey Zigglets!

I'll be honest, I'm not going to miss anything about 2011. I don't think there's anything I can highlight as being exceptional and life changing. However, I'm pretty thankful for the blessings that came with 2011. I'm thankful for my family, my friends, my sanity and my blog. I'm really excited about the next year as I have so many hopes and wishes for it.

Thank you for following me and my randomness in the year 2011. I really appreciate the visits and the comments and hopefully next year will bring with it more posts from yours truly! :)

Until next time...bye 2011 *waves*

Um, Where's the Guitar Solo?

The question has been gnawing at the back of my mind for quite some time. Is rock evolution causing the dissolution of the quintessential improv technique in a rock song? Are we losing the guitar solo?

Growing up in rock music, I’ve always known a rock song to have a guitar solo. I even coined it the ‘heart’ of a rock song. Some were wild and untamed (cue in the ‘80s hair metal era), some were just genius (Paige, Hendrix, Iommi, anyone?), and some were just so unique (Yep, Brian May). You know these are just examples of fantastic guitar players who understood what ‘being in your element’ really meant; taking the extra mile, taking a chance, showing off! Anyone remember Slash from Guns and Roses? Maybe you’ll also remember their song Sweet child o’ mine...from the guitar riff at the beginning to the that smashing guitar solo, I don’t think I need to further elaborate on that.

Whoooeee, let’s talk about the riff! Maan, oh maan! Certain songs pop into my mind: Cream- Sunshine of your love; Led Zeppelin- Whole lotta love OR Kashmir; Black Sabbath- Iron man OR Paranoid, just to name few of those that pop in my head first chance.

Fast forward to modern day ‘rock music’. Yes, it’s been spilt into several new entities. Now we have indie and emo and pop rock and goth and Pete’s pyjamas knows what else! Now, tell me, is it the same? I mean some songs will have a guitar solo lasting like two seconds and some, just progressions that are meant to be a solo. What’s happening to the rock solo? I’m just going to come out and say that these days, the musicians are not as hardcore as back in the day. Some element of passion and writing songs that really mean something, writing songs that you can feel becoming apart of you when they play, songs that give you goosebumps or make you smile just for no reason- is missing. Songs that make a difference. I’d say, today rock songs are just written to sell records and the adventure has just disappeared. Call me ignorant.

Tell me this, what will happen to our beloved “Air guitar” if we lose the rock solo? This is our culture!

Now I’m all for evolution and moving on with the times, but please rock solo, come back- improv, come back! I have a theory also gnawing at the back of my head. The future generations who really understand, are going to go back and start listening to the classics. I’m talking about ’60s, ’70s, ‘80s and ‘90s rock. You know why? They’ll be in search of that element again- the definition of rock music- the guitar solos and eloquence in music lyrics, the culture.

Alas, not all hope is lost...they call it Jack White! The man is a genius and a half and if you listen to the White Stripes or the Raconteurs or any of his music- hey, Jack White has got it going on. His guitar solos are just complex and brilliant- tell me I’m wrong! I'm not sure of any others.

Feel free to comment on this one though, where is the guitar solo disappearing to?  

A Very Christmas-y month!

A Very Christmasy hat!

Hello, far and wide- deep and shallow!

Hope I'm not too late, but my list is here and I'm ready to rock!...and do stuff. Okay introductions for this post are pretty simple and straight forward. If you're the ultimate Zigglet, you'd know that I like coming up with lists to get the month going and to repopulate my uneventful life with things to do. Because it's A very Christmasy month, we're going to have a list every week...I hope. So here's A very Christmasy list: take

1. Go out and get a job this week; preferably today...even if it's for free. Sitting at home waiting for school to resume and watching the telly all day has become old.

2. Draft a couple more introductions to my new novel

3. Watch Drunken Master again...(I'm still trying to figure out why people think it's the best kunfu movie ever made)

4. Start reading Daina Wynne Jones's "Year of the Griffin". It's going to be on the "Book Review" segment next week.

5. Bake, bake, bake! ...hmm, I see a carrot cake in that vision.

6. Active Sunday is back...we'll call it "Active Everyday". Yoga, aerobics, skipping rope 7 days a week. Which will bring me to a notion I want to prove. How effective is skipping rope on toning legs...well, I've got 3 weeks to prove it. I am the lab rat of course. Skipping for 15mins a day until Christmas. We gotta keep fit for that special day on the 25th (I want to eat with a clear conscience, feeling lighter- light as a feather).

There you have it. Well it's a little boring, I know...but quite eventful, you must admit. Well, I've got to go look for a job now :)See you tomorrow.

Ziggie ~~~

Book Review: Withering Tights

Withering Tights: The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.
Author: Louise Rennison
Rating: 3/5


Withering Tights is a bubbly story that follows fourteen year old Tallulah Casey who is obsessed with her long legs and 'knobbly' knees, as she puts it. She embarks on an at adventure at a summer acting college, Dother Hall for a course. There she's hosted by a more than eccentric family, the Dobbins, and she gets much of a culture shock living in the Yorkshire country side. There she meets other crazy-bonkers teammates at Dother Hall and let the fun begin!

• Boys- check!
• Dazzling humor- check! 
• Fabulosity- check!
• Rolling on the floor laughing- check, check and check!

Many questions arise when reading this book, will Tallulah adapt to this land filled with sheep and energetic citizens? Will she find love? Will she make the best of her experience at her summer school? Will she forget about her knobbly knees?

I must admit, when I bought this book I was really skeptical about the turn out. For those who have been following the Georgia Nicholson series by this author and loved it, you'd know it to be funny, juicy and more than accommodating when it comes to addressing teenage boy crazy issues. This story is more of a spin off from Georgia as Tallulah and Georgia are cousins, and it doesn't disappoint in the funny department-at all!
However, I was a little disappointed with the story- a bit. I mean, since this is a spin-off, I kept comparing it to Georgia and to me it just didn't get to that level. Maybe it's because this is aimed at a younger audience, maybe not. Again- sometimes I couldn't help but feel like this was not so different from Georgia, Tallulah's character more especially.

I'm not suggesting that this is not good enough, it's a good read and a must have if you are a die hard fan Louise Rennison books.

-Haven't read it yet? Go out and get it. :)