The secret “A dead balloon is a dead balloon” story

“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon”~ (Photo credit: turtlemom4bacon)

The secret post by the secret judge has finally popped up onto my eclectic world of words, also known as Clairepeek’s Creative Writing (this link is not the balloon post yet). I had told Clark that, just for the fun of it, I would write a little something and because I could simply not ignore such a title.

Some months ago, I wrote a piece called the Rope which is not available on line at the moment – for book publishing reasons (another story). I can give you a couple of excerpts though.

It starts like this:

Let go… fly away and let the world be as tiny as it wants. When I look down, my shadow has almost disappeared but for the rope’s around my neck. It hurts, yet soon will only be a dull memory as we’ll have vanished into thin air…

It goes on like…

My breath is getting shorter by the minute despite the air in my lungs… twisted around my neck, the rope is killing me. I never imagined that I would go that way…

… and almost finishes like…

The end of the rope won’t be my demise after all… but a hole in my body. Life is leaving me; could I have prevented it? I think not… but THEY could have saved me for sure, if only they had held on tighter. The small fingers around my neck could have killed me and thus saved me… if only they had not let go hours ago…

From that concept, I wrote a short piece that made me happy to scribble and which I will certainly publish within the book that is about to contain the flash fiction called The Rope.

What’s that? Oh… yeah, I see…

Click the link to read “A dead Balloon is a Dead Balloon“.

~*~

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Potentially disastrous…

French Press (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I went to bed yesterday, after I wrote my very partial review of Europe’s new album Bag of Bones, I already wondered what I’d be writing about today. This is tricky business because I deliberately cut myself off from most of the world’s news – although they reach me whenever they like – so my pool of subjects is sometimes a bit short on supplies. Evidently, I had not counted with the worst thing that can happen on a Thursday morning… not because it is Thursday, but rather because it is morning.

Most of you will already have guessed but I need to make a break for it anyway, if you don’t mind.

My husband looked fast asleep after his night shift and I was heading out of the bedroom, straight to the kitchen to make coffee. As usual, I poured the water (6 cups), the brown powder in the recycled paper filter (7 spoons) and pressed the start button. I moved from there and got myself busy for a few minutes… simple routine really. Ten minutes later, the coffee being ready, I grabbed the empty pot… WHAT! I cried (in my head)… this is not happening! I unplugged the coffee brewer, tried and checked if there was not a faulty contact within the cord, pressed the button again: nothing.

That is hell of a day start, believe you me… in my bad luck, I found solace in a French press (we actually have two of those, a small and a big). I transferred the dosage in the big one, boiled the water and  pressed my coffee. I am not very fond of this kind of coffee, but at least I had the good fortune of having my morning dose of caffeine. The luck of it all was that I am home, resting yet another cold (or maybe it is the same that mutated since a few weeks ago… who knows)… the point is that I had time to go through the worst nightmare of a morning coffee addict… the breakdown of the brewer.

Europe: Bag of Bones – magic for the senses

Like an arrow… straight through the heart.

I was ecstatic when I heard Europe was back in studio last year to record their new album. The first time I heard the title “Bag of Bones“, I thought to myself – did I not see the adaptation of that Stephen King’s book on TV? – It became very clear that I was hooked from the start… although, not done listening to the previous unbelievable great album “Last Look at Eden”. Anyway, months have passed, teased by the band’s video blog and later on by the promo single “Not supposed to sing the blues“, my anticipation was built up by a very talented marketing team… I am telling you!

Listen to samples from Europe’s website

A few weeks before the official release of “Bag of Bones” I therefore pre-ordered a signed copy and got in on Christmas Day, in April. I have listened to it close to  six times – yes, no big deal… I know, but I came home in the middle of the day, after my school exams. I’ll play the honesty card, my anticipation went flop at first when I heard “Riches to Rags” (only at first though… it just needed to grow on me a little and “I never felt so alive“). My attention got caught again by Ian Haugland who set the beat on “Firebox” telling me: listen up, this is new! Gotta listen to the nice drummer… This song is everything I like: melodic yet fast and heavy (at times)… it speaks also to my oriental roots – from my father’s side – therefore to my heart and soul. I cannot really relate and yet, I do a great deal.

“Wow!” was my first reaction to almost every songs… I hear you, I have to elaborate. I am not going to give you a guided tour of all the songs for I am sure you are very capable of doing so yourselves; although I have to admit that the title song “Bag of Bones” has blown my mind quite a lot, which pushed me to put it on repeat for a while. When did Joey Tempest begin sing that way with such a soulful and bluesy voice? Since when the band has ever felt like such a harmonious unit. Don’t get me wrong, they did feel like that before too… but here, they did something more that spoke directly to my goosebumps.

Listen to samples from Europe’s website

This album is a neat classic rock creation and its influences are undeniable – I hear a bit of my old favourites Zeppelin, Deep Purple to name only two. “Drink and a smile” is a nice little surprise… short too – that’d count as a downside, by the way, because the music stops too early for my taste – there’s still the repeat button I can press. The band seems to like short on this album, for the very good instrumental piece “Requiem” made me react like: “what that’s all? where’s the rest? – more please!” (or something like that). However, it works wonders as some kind of prelude to “My woman my friend“.

Musicianship speaking… I cannot say much, others already did that better than I ever could. All I need to know is how happy the music makes me when they play it: do I need to smile bigger than I already am for you to see?

This is great rock music and just like the previous albums, I will not ever grow tired of it. Bag of Bones has most definitely found its place home into my heart as “Bring it all home” wraps it softly up.

I warmly (and enthusiastically) recommend Bag of Bones, Europe’s 9th album released April, 24th 2012.

Listen to samples from Europe’s website

♣♣♣

Tracklist: 01. Riches to Rags (J. Tempest/ J. Leven) – 02. Not supposed to sing the blues (J. Tempest) – 03. Firebox (J. Tempest / M. Michaeli) – 04. Bag of Bones (J. Tempest) – 05. Requiem (M. Michaeli) – 06. My woman my friend (J. Tempest / J. Leven) – 07. Demon Head (J. Tempest / J. Leven / J. Norum) – 08. Drink and a smile (J. Tempest / M. Michaeli) – 09. Doghouse (J. Tempest) – 10. Mercy you mercy me (J. Tempest / J. Norum) – 11. Bring it all home (J. Tempest / M. Michaeli)

Europe’s line up for the “ignorant”:

Joey Tempest: Vocals
John Norum: Guitars
John Leven: Bass
Mic Michaeli: Keyboards
Ian Haugland: Drums

Anticipation…

Europe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is no news to anybody who knows me, my favourite band is Swedish rockers Europe, and this since – “woof” – 25 years… I am feeling a bit old suddenly… gotta need a cane soon. Well, anyway, my “fan-status” has evolved over this time thankfully but something remained a constant, how happy the music makes me. It can be “invisible” happy or “jump-like” happy or just peaceful happy. In other words, it is a very primal and internal feeling that I absolutely recommend…

Unfortunately, with the Internet and the possibilities of ordering stuff on line, I – like many others – became lazy. Consequently, I miss something primordial to discovering new music: the anticipation… even so when it comes to Europe. I remember going to music shops and going through all the trays, thus making sure I had not missed something new – or even old and rare for that matter. The anticipation that runs through the body while searching, the thought that I was going to discover something that would stun me… I miss that.

I don’t miss the nineties though, not even when it comes to Europe’s music. I cannot miss it because they make new music again since 2004… One year before, I had started my new life which is a nice and feel-good analogy (for me at least). No nostalgia here… just fond memories.

Back to the point… the anticipation for that particular album, I have felt it (for music, I mean) maybe once or twice before – since I buy music on line. It is very special to wait… for, waiting is the major part of the anticipating process. I am at one of the last stages, where I can imagine when I’ll see the package in my mail box… holding it up in front of my husband with a big smile saying “It has arrived”, then rushing to the kitchen and opening the package. I’d fight with the childproof plastic wrapping around the CD-jacket, finally hurrying back to the living-room and changing the CD in the player… sitting beside my husband, the anticipation would go crescendo as I discover one track after the other, not wanting the music to stop.

Discovering something new in general is an amazing feeling… in our western societies, we do not wait any more… everything has to go so fast. Things need to happen at once and we want to have everything at the tip of a mouse click. The anticipation therefore fades away… soon, for many, it will be an endangered feeling…

This video ” Not supposed to sing the blues” kept my patience in check… and built up my anticipation for Europe’s 9th (4th since the band reformed) album “Bag of Bones” ^_^

OFFICIAL EUROPE CHANNEL (Europethebandtv)

Official Europe Facebook

europetheband.com

Official Europe Twitter Page

French elections, first tour: a rancid after-taste

English: French poet Victor Hugo, Photogravure (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a political piece… so be warned, I am bitterly biting… or at least chewing…

It is the morning after the first tour of the French presidential elections 2012 and I feel a rancid after-taste in my mouth coming directly from my heart… like it had been stomped on during the night. Under this Monday’s grey light, I am almost scolding myself for having dared hoping that the people of the French democracy would finally step up and be heard… I heard them loud and clear alright: I heard a confused people, yet again… if the people cannot agree, it has to be confused about something – right? – or scared? – I dare not continue, I might offend someone… wait! why not do just that? nobody cares that the offence was done to me first, but most importantly to all the people who really need a change in France… so let’s continue shall we… has the French people grown stupid and utterly thoughtless?

Attacks on those who voted for Franςois Hollande (socialist – 17 years since France had a president from that party – reminded me CNN)… people who voted socialist cannot let go of the past. They are clinging on ideas that are obsolete… that is a very mature thing to say and came from – of course – the opposition: a representative of Nicolas Sarkozy. No… I am not going to go on and talk about the programs of each candidate, because it will be repeating what the campaigns and supporters have already said (you can go yourselves and read what these were on their respective sites/blogs). I understand why Marine LePen got 17,9% of the votes – I don’t condone it, but I unfortunately get it.This is why it hurts so much… and pisses me off even more.

Jean-Luc Mélanchon (11,1%) should have gotten more votes, if you ask me. I mean, he could have made a real difference on the human level which is the ONLY level that should matter. I believe that Mélanchon’s program scared people because he proposed real, yet drastic, solutions. Was he misunderstood? Was he too enthusiastic? Was he too communist?

Human condition being what it is, prejudices are probably very much in our genes now… like a genetic mutation… the political gene. No, I know, it is not funny… someone justly said: “don’t they realised that they are shooting their own foot?“- I guess not.

Politics being what it is – that is to the say, the art of tearing your opponent down instead of conveying a real message…then keeping the power to make as much money as possible (for the privileged only)…

Indeed, I repeat myself and wonder if it was such wise to dare hoping that my compatriots would see reason and finally put a stop to the agony of our country. A little more than 40% of them genuinely did… with their vote they said it was high time to care for the people before financial speculations. Is it so “out there” to think that if you create jobs and pay people decently for their work, the economy will start again? It is after all a basic and fundamental idea. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to make it happen… oh wait… of course, it costs money to create jobs… duh!… the richest might get poorer… I can even hear arguments such as: your idea is over simplistic, it does not work like that… hmm! The thing is that it really does not need to be more complicated than that.

Give people a chance… more teachers, more schools… less crime in the end. This is not a new idea, Victor Hugo said something like: “Open one school, close one prison.” Teach the youngsters to think for themselves… help them grow up and become the best they can be.

Give people a chance… raising the taxes is a solution, but it will not be one if those paying them are the ones who have already very little to live on. Why can’t taxes hit the ones who have bank accounts in Switzerland? Because the people – and that is a majority – who do not have that kind of accounts are paying proportionally more than those who are “hiding” their capital… probably not exactly like that, but you get the meaning of what I say…

Give THE PEOPLE a chance…

90% of the people in the world have 10 % of the riches of the world… 10 % of the people in the world have 90% of the riches of the world. Over-simplistic? Yes… but it is also true – give or take a few percentiles.

Is France going to become the next Greece, Spain or Portugal?

I love my home country, I really do and especially its culture, its regions and its folklore. I would love it even more if people were once and for all the REAL PRIORITY. In five years – and beyond, I have not seen much of a true democracy in my beloved France… I would love to get it back.

On May 6th: VOTE FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE!

Democracy only wears off when not in use! - drawing by Phil Umbdenstock

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