Monday, November 29, 2021

“There is no ideal world for you to wait around for. The world is always just what it is now, and it's up to you how you respond to it.”

How is today another Monday? Are we still doing Mondays? I mean is that still a thing? And also why? What a dumb idea tbh. Had a nice chat today with the mail man, he (again) complimented my makeup that I pretty much only put on for him these days. Have I seriously came to a point where getting mail is an ''event''? Looks like it. I feel like a zoo animal when the mail comes, like the zoo keeper just put a new toy in my enclosure. Fun times. I need to start putting high heels on when I pick up mail too, because you know, they make everything an event. Maybe a feathery boa. Or that perfect little black dress. Hm. Last week I shocked the poor delivery guy with a silky black see through robe with furry sleeve ends and collar. There he is bringing some Harley parts trying not to stare at my tits while I lean on the door, cat in one hand, a glass of red wine in the other. I think shocking the mailman might be my favourite (and only) fun pass time activity these days. What is that new song Robbie Williams sings?

''Oh these are strange days, in many strange ways, science fiction I believe, has become reality.''

Yeah something like that Robbie. Something like that. 

In other news, have you guys seen the new photoshoot Keanu Reeves did for Esquire magazine? Oh my god you guys, I'm not okay. That man is like a fine whiskey, the older the better. I died a little bit not going to lie. Holy hell. There's a pretty good long article that goes with the photos too (like he wanna join the MCU? Are you serious?! Do you really want me to die?). Not that I read the entire thing yet. The pictures are far too distracting. He's the only one I'd marry in a heartbeat no questions asked all he'd have to do is say the words. Ke if you're reading, I'm still waiting ;) 

Now before this spins out of control again, my insane ramblings…I'm here for the book review I promised and I'm so excited because this book is what one of my favourite movies is based upon and while I saw the movie at least 30 times by now I never read the book before. Gasp. I know, I know don't say it. But really, I didn't read it beacuse getting stuff in this country is impossible. I wonder everyday how is it possible that we have color tv. But since by some miracle I finally got my hands on my very own copy I jumped at it and finished it in a day. Obviously. 

( Warm Bodies / Isaac Marion / Zombie Romance / Supernatural themes / slight violence)

Okay y'all know  that the Italian in me is strong. The love for everything Italian and Italy itself is undying and I'm clearly a hopless romantic though it does not look like it in my ''tough'' outer appearance. Trust me though, I absolutely melt at cheesy, stupidly romantic things, except V-day, that one I still despise. So obviously I prefer romantic books, but like with a twist, either supernatural romance or impossible romance with a happy end. The usual wnb erotica and simmilar crap that women seem to fawn over (cough 50 shades cough) makes me physically ill. Not because of sex, everyone loves a good NSFW part of a book but the writing is just so bad it makes me want to roll my eyes all the way into my skull and not in a good way *wink wink*. Pick up a damn Hemingway novel like Farewell to arms and learn what a true love story really is. Spoiler alert 50 shades is not love but rather 50 shades of abuse. 

Back to Warm bodies. I fucking adore this story. Not because it's got everything I love, supernatural elements and romance but because it depicts such a great picture of humanity. Not the ugly side that we all see now in a wnb apocalipse where people fight in stores over toilet paper. Sigh. Speaking of, anyone got an idea yet about why the fuck people hoard toilet paper? If you do, please leave me a comment below, I'm dying to know. But no, the picture of humanity this story shows is that humans are in fact born out of love and can also be reborn out of it too. Kindness, courage, empathy and love are the only way to heal a sick society because it's the only thing that makes us human, the only thing that separates us from beasts. 

Straight from the start this book is not at all what I expected. It's nothing like the movie at all. In most cases books and movies are nothing alike sure, but these two are really different.  Things that happen in the book don't happen in the movie at all and vice versa. What matters though is that they both have a happy ending, if the book per say would be different and tragic, I'd set this whole world on fire. No joke. 

I love Isaacs (I keep want to write Oscar, shows you just where my mind is, with a sexy latino) smooth writing. From the point of view of ''R'' the zombie he starts the book with '' I am dead , but it's not so bad. I've learned to live with it''.  Just a short straight to the point couple of lines that explain what it's like to be a zombie. To live in an eternal state of apathy, not really alive but not dead either, just existing. This also shows you why I keep saying we are currently in a zombie apocalypse. We're not really alive, we're just breathing, waiting, passive. Not really alive. 

R doesn't remember his name no more, rarely someone does, but he talks about his life in a cronological order, articulate and thoughtful. I mean I haven't met a zombie yet but this level of selfawareness would surprise me. So it's not really shocking that we learn along the way that R is different and that little bright light of hope. Hope for humanity. But that little light still needs a spark to shine bright. And of course since this is essentially a love story, where oh where can we find that spark? In a girl. Julie. Think of her as the first splash of color in a permanently gray world. I love how their names are R and Julie. You know Romeo and Juliet. Cue in Dire Straits playing in my head. I love that song. Also R's friend ''M''? A homage to Mercutio perhaps? There's a cheesy balcony scene as well to make things even more perfect. 

What I love so much is the progress of the story, each page you turn, the more human R becomes. He grows and glows with Julie's presence. Literally he grows with love and isn't that what's it supposed to be like? Love making us the best version of ourselves? Making us grow? The romantic in me wants to believe that's what it should be like. I still want to believe in love and magic despite the fact that the world keeps proving me I'm delusional. It's not a typical love story mind you, emotions are not as strong on every page as you'd imagine in a regular love story but it's more than obvious that love is the driving force and love is what makes it all worth while in the end. 

In theory this book is the most unique work of fiction I've read in a while. The whole post apocalypse survival isn't that odd of course but the first person narrative being a zombie is a first for me. Never mind a philosopher zombie, questioning all those why are we here, and life purpose kinda questions. And though he has all these questions, and though he can't use enough words to actually voice his thoughts, there is nobody around that would actually care. I felt that. More often than not I feel the same way, like people just don't care about what I have to say, or what I'm thinking, or what I'm feeling. Another thing I can relate to is the fact that R hoards little artifacts he picks up on his trips to the city. Mostly vinyl though. Now tell me that aint me lol. What I think though that while I hoard little things, things that remind me of good memories, some bad too (aren't I sadistic) I think R does it to keep him close to whatever little piece of humanity is left in him. 

The ''love'' story actually starts off pretty grusome, with R eating Perry's brains, Perry who just so happens to be Julie's boyfriend. I don't know if this is a general zombie thing but they say in this book that zombies eat brains because they see human memories, they're the only thing making them feel alive. It makes sense don't you think? Though I also honestly thing that with half of this worlds population zombies would starve but let's leave that aside for now. Imagine that learning about a girl from eating her boyfriends brain. I mean I heard of some pretty unusual dating techniques but this one might take the spot for the strangest lol. So from seeing Julie and from learning about her this way R decides she's not food but to be protected ''keep you safe''. Cute. 

While R feels guilty about killing Perry we learn from the book that everything is not what it looks like when it comes to Perry, who keeps on living through R and his memories. So from here on Julie and R walk on this path together, trying to discover what Julie stirred in R, why is he changing, and if these changes in him could be transferred to other zombies as well. I keep telling you guys, only love will heal the world. Nothing else. Love is the cure. But of course when were things ever as easy? Never. Of course the odds are stacked against them and of course everything that could go wrong essentially will also go wrong. Including with the meddling of Julie's crazy father. There's always gotta be a crazy someone ruining a love story huh? Humans really do destroy everything beautiful. 

I'm not going to go into the details of the entire ''crazy'' that happens to R and Julie along the way because then I might as well write down the entire book. But what I will tell you is things I learned from R. 

- Humans are absolutely scarier than zombies. Worst kind of animals that will destroy everything good left in the world. 

- It's most definately not our words but our actions that speak about who we are. Words are just words. Mostly overrated anyways.

- A name is just a bunch of letters, put together they form a word, pulled apart they're nothing. A name is a name, it's meaningless in the bigger picture because people usually don't remember you by your name but by what makes you you. Your actions, your beliefs, your identity. 

- Sometimes life goes up, sometimes life goes down, like an elevator. And sometimes the power goes out and you're stuck. 

- Sometimes having a brain makes a huge difference. Unless of course you ate your last piece then you're fucked. 

- Humans absolutely need that connection. Love is what jump starts R's heart and starts the healing process. We all need that someone that understands us and loves us like we deserve to be loved.

- Never underestimate the power of the perfect song that can say so much more than words ever could.

- And most important, never judge a book by it's cover. Sure, R is a zombie but that doesn't mean he'll rip your head off at the first chance he gets. People are rarely what you imagine and expect, why should zombies be any different? 

Maybe this book hits different in current times. Maybe we're all living in a zombie apocalypse only our zombies are alive, the dead part is only the humane part in us. Maybe we let it get this far by letting ourselves be controled and governed by things that never should play a part in our lives in the first place. Maybe that's why we're no longer human, just chasing things we'll never get, things that essentially don't even exist. 

Actually I picked up this book (well movie first but you get the point) looking for a little break of the typical vampire – human romance but what I found was a different kind of love. Love for a story that seems superficial but it's really deep with it's offering of a view on life. How if could be. How it is. And things that matter most, all those beautiful fragile things that we should fight to the death to preserve. All those little things that make us human, things that essentially make life worth living. They seem far and few but honestly, they keep us going. 

I'd absolutely recommend this book to everyone who's into a little romance and a little gore. And those who aren't, well get on with the program. Lol. 

P.S. Here's a little bonus, the tiny doodle from the picture above, it's actually my favourite scene from the movie, it happens a little bit differently in the book but still. And while we're on the topic of the movie, just how dare you…how dare you make the zombie that attractive? Wtf. 


Friday, November 26, 2021

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong in the broken places.

''Ma che diavolo stai facendo?'' That's pretty much what I ask myself every morning when I put salt into my coffee or try to unlock my car with my iPod instead of car keys. I have no idea what's been going on lately, I'm way pass that come si dice? Confuso. Or well confusa if you prefer since I am in fact a girl (You'd not believe how many ''wait you're a girl?'' messages I get on Instagram…uh? Odd.). I think I've done all but sleep walked lately. But that just might be due to the fact that I don't sleep much. People tell me things like three times before I understand them, simple tasks, like ''put sugar in the red cup''…I really should pay attention, salty hot chocolate? Good. Salty coffee? Not so much. Maybe my brain is permanently asleep from the world around me, or the fact that it lacks challenge, or the fact that my regular depression is mating with seasonal depression which is mating with the gloomy gray constant rainy weather. Probably I'm transforming into a lizard, under my solar light basically 24/7. Ugh. Someone call Kafka.

Add some ridiculously sad music because all I listen to lately is my ''crying playlist'' on my iPod. No, you really don't want to know. And then I wonder if this darkness will ever lift. Well it doesn't fucking look like it and I'm adding to it myself. Sigh. 

I actually had a record review planned for today (or a book review, finally got into Warm Bodies) which felt ridiculous because I honestly haven't listened to a vinyl since…cazzo…I think it's been a full year by now. I know the music on the record I was supposed to review of course, but it still felt stupid. I really need some peace and quiet and alone time to enjoy my music again. And maybe some perspective in life to actually care about music again. And possibly no family at the doors of my room when Annihilator is playing asking me ''oh my god, does he sing ''like a penis rising''? '' um no. He's singing ''Like a phoenix rising'' get your damn mind out of the gutter. Speaking of Annihilator, I used to have their ''Set the world on fire'' album, figured I'd get a new copy because I always loved that one, and oh my god have you seen the prices? No matter how much I enjoy ''Phoenix rising'' or how much it reminds me of the smell of pumpkin spice latte and crispy mornings, with a certain blondie singing that song to himself while making that latte…sigh...some things are too expensive and some things, the best things, the best memories now, can't be bought with money. 

So random but, I caught a part of a conversation the other day on the street, between two women mind you. I'm not going to go into that whole ''brain dead bimbo'' rant because it's pointless…they talked about the ''worst things that could happen to them'' and I fell into a fit of giggles. Ladies if you're reading I owe you beer, coffee, coke, whatever is your poison because you made me laugh for the first time in over a month no joke. So what's the worst thing that could happen to these two? Breaking a heel on her brand new LV shoes, I mean I get it they're pretty shoes, but is that the worst thing? Having to do dishes right after her nails ''set''. What does that even mean? I'm such a poor excuse for a girl I know but what is ''set nails''? Dry nail polish or what? Or god forbid, her husband buying her a new car for her birthday and that car isn't red but black. Lol, must be a tough life, getting a car for your birthday that isn't the right color. But that's besides the point, for the rest of my walk I thought about the worst things I could think of happening to me, the ironic part is I have little left because all of them already did. Call it destino or whatever the fuck you want to but mostly…I have nothing left to lose, nothing left to fear. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. A friend told me once, that us damaged people, people that fear nothing are the most dangerous because we have nothing left to lose. I guess he had a good point.

Then I realised there is one thing, one thing that qualifies under the ''worst thing in the world'', one that feels like the sun will never rise again, and you know what that is? ''Being away from the person you wanted to spend your entire life with''. Yeah. That fits the bill. When you know that someone is just right for you and you for them, and everything is perfect and yet there's always something, the wrong time, the wrong place, the wrong…everything. That is hell. That kills you bit by fucking bit daily. 

What can you possibly say or do when you're not enough to make someone stay? What can you do when you meet the love of your life and realise it's all about that perfect timing? The perfect timing that never happens mind you. How can you process and accept that no matter how perfect you are for each other, circumstances get in the way? Tell me, how do you fight this kind of destino?

One of my best friends (you have no idea how much I fucking miss you every single fucking day) was a big fan of ''Kintsugi''. You know what that is? Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by gluing the broken pieces together with powdered gold or simply painting the cracks golden. The point of it is to embrace the flaws and imperfections, to understand that broken things can be fixed, can be beautiful and can be even stronger. ''Scars'' are just part of life after all. He encouraged me to try it, because practicing fixing broken things may help fix what's broken inside of me. Great relaxation technique and a rescue to my favourite Halloween lantern that a cat knocked over and I couldn't say goodbye to, but nothing lasts forever and even slowly putting myself back together backfired. Said friend left and ever since nothing is okay no more, nothing inside me can be fixed no more and you know why? Because he took several pieces with him. Here's my advice to you guys though, we all go through rough times, some of us manage to put ourselves together faster and better, some never at all but while the critical world does nothing but judges your ''scars'' and cracks and imperfections, it misses out on the beauty how you managed to make yourselves whole again. Screw the world, don't let it piss on your progress and healing.

Another random wisdom of said friend, ''you know us broken people will always be able to love harder than the rest, we've seen the dark, we spent too much time in the dark, we learned how to appreciate everything that shines''. He didn't see though that he was one of those bright shiny things and the world, at least mine, is much much much darker since he's been gone. 

I know this post is a mess, a mess of confused ramblings, or just a mirror image of what's been going on in my head. A mess. Maybe this is why I should stick to music and books, at least there it's some form, pattern, some sense, meaning whatever you want to call it and not a mess of everything and nothing. I'll shut up and go back to two! drawings of blond boys that I'm working on. I know I know shut up don't say it. Look, I'm a simple woman I see blond hair, blue eyes and a pretty smile and I get a little stupid. Shit happens. One of said boys is Dan Stevens (wtf another Britt I'm fawning over? What's happening?) as Alexander Lemtov in the movie ''Eurovision song contest: The story of Fire saga'', you guys seen it right? I mean it's stupidly perfect and funny and I live for Alexander no joke, drawing him was a ''crazy sexy time''. The other drawing…well keep it undisclosed for now.

Before I actually quit the rambling, how bout a song recommendation? ''Lion of love'' by Alexander Lemtov? Hah, joke, though it does lift my spirits each time I hear it…no but seriously, I've been listening to a Croatian band called Vatra which means fire. They have a brand new single out ''Nova godina nije se dogodila'' which means ''new year didn't happen''. Great song. Really speaks to my feelings atm. As well as the new Simple plan song which I'm trying so hard to hate but I can't. Sigh.

''Zar je moguče, bas sad kad krenula je proslava, na ulicama tisuče ljudi, jesmo li samo mi ludi? Dok svi odbrojavaju mi se udaljavamo. Bez tebe, nova godina nije se dogodila, cimet, niti marcipan nemaju okus koji znam. Bez tebe, nova godina nije se dogodila, bez tebe šuti vatromet, puca mi led pod nogama a hladni sjeverni vjetar gradom zavija sretan. I tužno pada snijeg kao da zna, može i drugačije.''

Cheers babes, enjoy the weekend and see you sometime next week, with that Warm Bodies review, spoiler alert? I fucking loved it! 

Friday, November 19, 2021

“Anger is what we feel when we're helpless.”

On November 19th 2015, I posted the lyrics of a Sixx: A.M. song…speaking of anyone knows what the band is up to these days? Do they still exist now that Nikki is playing Mountain man up in Wyoming? Which btw is about the smartest thing he did in his entire life. I'd do the same if I could. Now point, I posted the lyrics on the private blog, of a song that really spoke to me at the time;

''Paint yourself a picture of what you wish you looked like, maybe then they just might feel an ounce of your pain. Come into focus, step out of the shadows, it's a losing battle, there's no need to be ashamed. 'Cause they don't even know you all they see is scars, they don't see the angel, livin' in your heart. Let them find the real you buried deep within, let them know with all you've got that you are not your skin.''

I guess in 2015 I had a little hope. Hope for…I don't even really know. I don't know what I want. The ridiculous miss America ''what's the one thing you'd wish for?'' ''world peace''. Yes of course I want world peace but I was thinking about starting a bit closer to home. It's not trivial things I want, I honestly I only wish for happiness. And you know what's the dumbest thing? I don't really know what would make me happy because I don't really know what it feels like. Hm. Maybe it's not happiness I want maybe it's liberta. You know…freedom. And not the way David Hasselhoff is looking for it in his 89' hit single which as corny and cheesy as it is I actually love. No actual freedom, to live, create, feel, explore, just to be. You know what I mean? I guess if not before in the last months we all learned the meaning of it. 

You know I've been to several Holocaust memorials and museums. Museums that document and explain the genocide, the imprisonment, the loss of freedom, the murders…there's a museum in Berlin with a huge tree where you get to hang your wishes, hopes, opinions of the museum on the huge branches. I wrote two one of them being that I wish, hope, dream, pray that nothing even remotely as horrible ever happens again. I don't know what to think lately with governments  blatantly walking all over human rights, squashing freedom and ruining lives. It can't compare to the horrors of genocide obviously but it's a new and different type of horror which in itself is just as bad. 

I was in Auschwitz in 2009. I never posted these, nor did I take many…feels I don't know, feels wrong taking pictures of a place where so many people died. 


I always wanted to go, though it seems ridiculous wanting to see just what monstrosity human kind is capable of. My aunt didn't spend that much time there, nor did her sister, their mother on the other hand was there for three years and eventually died a little bit before the war ended. I didn't get much info from her, part of me understands because you live through such a thing you sure as hell won't be talking about it. And part of me is kinda angry, stories are dying with the survivers and I feel like each story deserves to be heard. Every victim deserves a voice. In those bits and pieces she told me about arriving in Auschwitz on the train, the screaming Nazi's the dogs barking, getting the tattooed number…she mentioned that the tattooist was kind. After reading the book ''The tattooist of Auschwitz'' I can understand why. She also told me about senior Nazi's she met, all those people from history, the monsters…we see them as…I don't know as what. But she saw them as real people. She told me that the ''Angel of death'' Dr. Mengele was in fact whistling and had children running around him all the time. A thought that makes your blood freeze over. 

The story I wish most for, to hear it in it's entirety was how were my aunt and her sister released. The command came on paper from Hitlers office, may or may not be signed by him and arranged by her cousin that was a mistress of a senior Nazi officer. That's the one story I wish I heard but never really got the chance, my aunt was too reluctant to tell me anything but that he was an important figure in the Nazi machinery and the typical aryan man that fits the ideology, blond and blue eyed. Couple of pieces fell into place when I recently discovered some mangled letters with some ''Reichmark'' coins, she wrote to her mother in Auschwitz, she talks about forced labor in them, somewhere in Germany, near Munich I think, she mentions how loud the bombing of Munich was heard where they were. 

It's really sobering how little things like an orange meant the world to them at the time. And it's sickening to think how human greed works these days. It's never enough. Anything and everything they have. It's never enough. 

Why am I rambling? In the stack of my ''to be read'' books I had Heather Morris' ''Cilka's Journey''. It's been there since my birthday last year since it was a gift and I thought it's about time I read it. Because you know nothing like regular depression, mixing with seasonal depression and add a dark book to that as well. Don't get me wrong the book is great, just maybe the timing to read it is off.

I loved Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lale Sokolov was an amazing man and reading his story felt like a privilege. This book however once again received a ton of negative critique. Saying it's innacurate that things happening to Cilka are lies. Apparently Cilkas stepson himself filed a lawsuit against Heather Morris. Sigh. I didn't see it this way. Though Cilka Klein is obviously a real person, and she was both in Auschwitz and in Russia imprisoned this is by no means a biography, it clearly says on the cover ''based on a heartbreaking true story''. Of course all the facts can not be correct since Cilka was no longer alive to confirm or deny them. But ask yourselves how many Cilka's are there? I didn't see this story as Cilka's biography, I saw this story as a description of horrifying events happening to women during the war. 

*spoilers ahead*

Cilka is first introduced in the Tattoist of Auschwitz, Lale called her the bravest person he knows. I think it was the curiosity of the readers that got Heather to write the story, we all wanted to know what happened to Cilka after the war and let me tell you something a Russian prison was not what I expected. 

Cilka was brought to Auschwitz when she was only 16, she talks about the long train journey there, or if you prefer it's written how the train ride there would look like since this book is a mix of historic facts and fiction. We have a museum downtown that has a converted train cart inside, all walls of the cart are covered in pictures, posters of what Nazi propaganda looked like, one has a prison uniform behind plexi glass. Best part though is that there's a huge red button on one of the walls, if you hit that button, lights go off and the floors start shaking as if you're really on a train. You hear German screaming, dogs barking, the light is flashing like it would through wooden planks of the cart. It gives you an idea how it felt like for the prisoners arriving in these essentially cargo trains. Nevermind the lack of food, water, sanitation…

In the book we learn that Cilka was selected in a line up by an SS officer. The SS officer apparently made her an ''funktionshaftling'' (them crazy Germans with their complicated words) or simply put a ''Kapo''. Kapo's were prisoner functionaries assigned by the SS guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks. In return their lives in the camp were a little easier if one can call it that, they got certain privileges as civilian clothes and private rooms  as well as they were spared physical abuse and hard labor as long as they preformed their duties to the satisfaction of the SS. After the war though the term ''Kapo'' was used as an insult, Jewish chronicle said that it was the worst insult a Jew can give to another Jew. If I was deluded before thinking they were all just prisoners and didn't really understand the full extend of a Kapo this book cleared that mess up for me. 

Cilka talks about doing what she had to do to survive. None of us really know what we would do in her situation so judging her or any other woman in her shoes is completely ridiculous. And she at least felt guilt and disgust and conflicted about what she was doing. Lets be honest people today do worse and not in fear of their life and get away with it just fine, probably sleep better at night than I do. What Cilka really did was act tough and cruel in order to spare the inmates from more cruelty that the SS would administer. I think the biggest issue with calling this book fiction was the fact that Cilka was Jewish and therefore no way a Nazi official would be with her. Uhm…how about Hitlers wife Eva Braun? It's kind of far fetched saying Cilka's story is untrue because a Nazi official wouldn't rape a Jewish woman. 

Now imagine that after all she went trough in her time in Auschwitz when she's finally free. Free in a way I know they didn't think they'll ever be, she is accused of collaborating with Nazi's and is sent to a Russian prison ''Gulag'' for fifteen years I think. She finds herself amongst political prisoners and other women imprisoned for ridiculous crimes you'd not think are even crimes.  The story follows what women had to deal with on a daily basis, hard labor in a coal mine, rape and beatings. A ''prize'' for induring war crimes, a ''prize'' for doing what you can to survive. I can't even imagine what that must be like. It's unbelievable how despite the cruel conditions, the inhumane treatment, prisoners showed kindness to each other. They helped each other. All I'm seeing today is humans but no humanity. If you lie injured in the streets, people will literally step over you. It's horrible. There's no kindness. There's no compassion. There's no love left. 

In the Russian prison Cilka befriends a doctor who employes her to help her, first with administrative work, then when she realises she's gifted and a fast learner, she's trained to be a nurse. It's as a nurse where she meets a fellow inmate that she's seen around camp, Alexandr (which is a character based on her husband) who she marries later after being released from prison. But of course Cilka being Cilka can't keep silent about certain things because she swore to herself she'll never be silent again which brings her all kinds of trouble. What exactly…well you'll have to read the book. I'm not spilling everything here. 

I think for me the most important thing about this book is to understand that Cilka was a real person, if that was the actual Cilka Klein or someone else is pretty much irrelevant. There were female prisoners that endured exactly what's written in the book, maybe my own family, that's a question that I'll probably never have answered.  So however you take this story you need to understand that the main elements are true, the horrors happening were true and more important than that it's not all a horror show, despite it all there were positives, courage, compassion and most importantly love. Something I'm missing in our far less cruel world. Cilka was released few years earlier when Khrushchev came to power. The story may end with Cilka and her husband going on to live a long life together back in Czech Republic – Kosice to be exact. But really the story is not of the camp or prison as such, the story is of survival, how she (or anyone like her) managed to survive thirteen years of hell.

The book ends with a quote by Morris that says ''Stories like Cilka's deserve to be told, she was just a girl, who became a woman, who was the bravest person Lale Sokolov ever met.''. All in all, I loved the book, the heartbreaking story of hope and survival, it puts things into perspective for you. It shows you how your daily struggles are really not that bad. It shows you that though it seems like it's the end of the world you really shouldn't whine and complain. It shows you what true strength really is. I can't imagine what the women in my own family had to endure and honestly I'm really proud that I  come from a line of such strong women. Women that survived and fought and never actually bowed down for nobody. And so I can't either. No matter how hard it gets, I need to be just as strong and carry on. Maybe alone. Maybe with people that think alike, but whichever way it goes I can't back down because I'd be a disappointment to them and that's far worse to me than anything else could be. 

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Is it all just wasted time?

I was looking for a specific post on Instagram just now, it's a very old picture, which meant scrolling all the way down, possibly to the end of the gallery. Not sure, never made it there. It felt like…browsing through crumbled cities when a civilisation had fallen. I know I'm being dramatic but really…All the life. All the good times. All the things I (we) used to have and take for granted. The little things that seemed so unimportant at times, the big things we loved and cherished. I just don't understand how we could let this collective insanity take it all away. Strip us down to just…''existing''. No longer living just wasting time, wasting space, waiting. I for sure can't even remember what feeling alive really feels like. I'm breathing so I must be right? But this constant feeling of numbness of anxiety of feeling unsettled…I don't know. Emotions too hard to place I suppose.

Do you guys know that line in that song by the Bad Wolves '''Cause baby we don't work no more, and I don't wanna hurt no more''? I love that song. Painfully beautiful and I know it's supposed to be romantic. Or dead romance kinda song. Broken hearted and all that. Trust me, I know, I've been there once too many times but lately I feel like it can be applied to life in general. I really feel like this isn't working anymore and I don't want to hurt no more.  How do you go on from this point, how do you ''exhume'' the world? I'm out of ideas. And out of courage. And desire. And will. And emotions. I am just…

Sigh. How about a few words on one of my favourite bands (Skid Row – super underrated band) instead? I did a review of the album in the past, short and not nearly as thought through as the reviews are these days but feel free to look it up if you want. So no album review but a few words on my favourite song on this record. It's not the album titled song, nor ''Monkey business''. I actually love ''Psycho love'' and ''In a darkened room'' but my absolute favourite hands down is ''Wasted time''. It's been overplayed and raping my neighbors ears (sorry, not sorry guys), but not on vinyl tho, my copy is an unplayed, still factory sealed (well kinda, it's cut on the side) and I can't bring myself into playing it, though I know it must sound amazing. I literally, no joke, saw one for sale the other day for 1000 euros. Holy Cannoli that's a nice chunk of money. 

Anyways, I'll go as far as saying that Wasted time is Skid Row's best song. Literally. It is essentially  a power ballad sure but it is completely different as say ''I remember you'', it's much darker which makes sense since it talks about the stuggles and damages of addiction. Did you know though that Sebastian wrote this song for / about Steven Adler? Steve had a really bad heroin addiction that affected his preformance which essentially got him fired from Guns N' Roses and he actually struggled with it for most of his life. He's doing great now though, clean and sober and if I had like 50 cents for every time I bitch and complain how he HAS to come back to GN'R, I'd have enough money to pay for a private GN'R gig. Just saying. 

Y'all seen the music video right? It's obvious from there that it's about drugs, but video aside, if you listen to the lyrics; ''you said you'd never let me down, but the horse stampedes and rages'', horse is a popular name for heroin. As well as white nurse, black eagle, brown sugar…I don't love the thematics don't get me wrong, it literally physically hurts me thinking of everything Adler went through but I love how the song is created, music absolutelly brilliant and the lyrics that start with something lighter like cannabis and then moves slowly onto harder drugs like extasy and cocaine and then it ends with heroin. Just like an addict would. Starts with something innocent till things start never being enough and it gets out of control. The song ends with this gently sung line ''I thought you'd never let it get this far''. Brilliant. I mean I read Sebastian's book…I am honestly amazed how some of these boys are still alive and immensely grateful that they are. 

The preformance alone is one of Sebastians best preformances ever. He is an incredible vocalist and here his entire range and talent shines through. And kicking him out of the band was the dumbest thing the band did. Speaking of dumb….Dave Sabo…sigh. He literally co wrote Wasted time and hated it! Wtf? He called the song ''the biggest piece of shit we ever recorded''. And I still for the life of me don't get it. Was he high, drunk or stupid or all of the above? Is it a musicians disease to hate the better songs and like the dumb ones? Just wondering because he's not the first one *cough Richie Sambora – Living on a prayer cough* and surely not the last. 

Another quick cute story then I'll stop rambling and decide which book review you're getting on Friday. I've actually been getting through my huge ''to be read'' stacks and read a couple books.

So Wasted time was released also on a 7' and 12' single, side B containing ''Get the fuck out'' which was recorded live at Wembley. Can we pause here for a moment? While I salivate over shows I never saw because I wasn't even alive then, Queen at Wembley, GN'R Use your illusion tour…I honestly wish to see a show at Wembley once. Preferably The Stones.  Now this song on the single version contains a long freaking speach by Sebastian that is far more interesting than the song. Apparently the band was handed a letter that specifically forbade them to play ''Get the fuck out''. Lol at the genius writing that letter. What did you think it will happen? Like for real? Did you expect the band to roll over and obey? Come on.

Now I'll write down the speech because I just find it freaking hysterical but of course reading it and listening to it is not the same so go check it out (https://youtu.be/eTtQQs_VRcs).

''Well listen man, I'm gonna do somethin' right now. There's a, a little thing that I feel like it's my duty to tell you this shit here London ok. You know there's a counsel here in your town who tries to tell rock bands what they can and cannot do on stage, did you know that? Now we received a letter here, I thought we were in fuckin' Russia or somethin' man. I'm gonna read this to ya, do you wanna hear it? It says right here, ''You'll be aware that there is a great concern being shown by the counsel that there may be abusive language used during the Skid Row show at Wembley'' it goes on to say here ''we have great concern regarding the preformance of Guns N' Roses and Skid Row and the press reporting of shows in America'' alright. And it says here…wait a minute who the fuck is this counsel anyways, do you people know? This is the best part right here, I really love this part, it says ''the song Get the fuck out cannot be included in the set unless the words are ALTERED, motherfucker'' now, and it says here, hang on, it says here that they're gonna stop the show because they don't like the word ''FUCK'' and you're not allowed to hear it! Now the way I see it, the way I fuckin' see it, is that each one of you people paid a bunch of fuckin' money to see a rock n' roll show is that right?! So we wouldn't want to offend anybody but I just think that it's time to say to these people, Get the fuck out man. What do you wanna say?''

And the crowd started chanting Get the fuck out and the song was preformed in it's original form. Lol. But seriously does anyone know who the fuck is the counsel? The hell is that about? Bunch of old frustrated fucks by the looks of it…either way, I'll go cuddle my vinyl because things sure AF can't get any worse, cheers guys. 



Monday, November 8, 2021

Know that I loved you. Know that it was not enough.

Can I for a change instead of whining about my pathetic life, share a song recommendation with you? It's not a new song, it came out in 2017 but it's new to me because I haven't heard it yet. It's Marilyn Mansons ''God's gonna cut you down''. First thing don't try with the ''but he's an abuser / rapist'' bullshit thing with me because then I will cut you down. I am sick to death of cancel culture and second thing you may or may not know that this is originally Johnny Cash's song. Omfg I love it okay. It's amazing. The fact that I find Manson attractive and I nearly had an orgasm on the spot with that music video where he's fucking around with Johnny Depp aside this song is amazing, the voice and the creepy vibe is just…shit it's good ok. Go check it out. While we're at it, that music video with Johnny oh.my.god. Like really I'm fine just a little dead. Would literally kill to be in the middle with them, if only just for the music video. Abuse me papi all day long. Sigh. Wishful thinking. And my beliefs aside, everybody is inncent until proven guilty and the world and people and society shouldn't always just believe women, fact is they lie. Look at Amber Herd. Lying snake. But let's not get there right now, it's Monday, that's reason enough to be upset, I don't need more crap to add to my ''wonderful mood''. 

Now since Inktober took too much time I also didn't get to finish the last book in the Shadow and bone triology by Leigh Bardugo but after picking it up again it took me two hours to get through it. Got totally sucked in and couldn't put it down. So I'm writing down a quick review. I know y'all hate whining so something cheerfull or at least closest I can get to it instead. There will be spoilers below the photo so in case you haven't read the book, consider yourself warned and stop here. 




Alright so the back cover says ''the capital has fallen and the Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne''. We all established there's something wrong with me by now right? So obviously this is the best and only start you need to get me to pick up this book. Obviously I was team Darkling from the start, darkness is what pulls me in and it sure as fuck didn't help they casted Ben Barnes as the Darkling. Wtf? Are y'all crazy? How do you expect us not to like them when you make them THAT pretty? Impossible. 

Straight of the bat, people complain (they always do about every book I like) about character development. That it's lame, that Alina turns weak. But for me character development was great and Alina did not turn weak, to me she is strongest she could ever be, why? Because she chose! to sacrifice everything she loved to save people, her country, to get rid of the darkness forever, no matter the sacrifice and no matter the price. That is not weak, that's bloody heroic. 

Ruin and Rising being the third and final book in the Shadow and bone series I think it really goes out with a bang and makes you excited to read the spin off series. Obviously I have all of them already but too little time to read them all. Lol. Particularly excited for King of scars. I love me some pirate prince with a ridiculous charm about him. He reminds me of someone in my life, ridiculously handsome and confident, always knows the right thing to say, always knows how to uplift people's spirits. Always perfect. Hey look at that, I don't only like the Darkling but also this light and bubbly prince. Cute. Tho in Ruin and Rising there's a brief moment when he goes pretty dark…maybe that's what convinced me. Hah. 

Serious more huge spoilers follow that will ruin the book for you, last warning to turn away.

In touch with my dark side I kept hoping there's an ending for Alina and the Darkling. Darklina? Light vs. darkness? I would love to see that story unfold, I would love to see how it wouldn't be the traditional, light has to defeat darkness but light and dark ruling together, balancing each other out. Instead of letting Alina get corrupted she brings out what's the best in the Darkling. That would actually be a great plot twist and also when the tv show comes to it I really don't want to watch Ben Barnes die lol. But instead we go for the cliche option (don't get me wrong it's still great, just predictable) nation waiting for salvation, the sun summoner broken and helpless, looking for a way to defeat the darkness. Defeat it with the third amplifier for her powers. The firebird. Well we all saw how well that turned out. I kept having this huntch when I started reading, the firebird is probably not a bird. It's a woman, it's an illusion, it's an idea. Well I was sorta right but I could never have anticipated that the ''firebird'' will ended up being Mal. Oh my god. That was shocking. Out of all people it had to be Mal. Just how cruel is that? You have to kill the ''creature'' to gain it's power to have the amplifier. Can you imagine Alina having to go into battle against the dark with Mals' bones around her wrist? Unimaginable. Which is where Alina strength shows, the fact that she was able to kill Mal to save her people. That's not weak. That's strong. 

I didn't expect the ''cruel'' joke played on her, I didn't expect Mal dying and her losing all her power. But I have to say the plot twist in which we learn that power amplified by hundreds is not in one person but in several hundred people. That is such a brilliant twist I can only applaud Leigh for it. My heart hurt for the Darkling. The heartbreak he felt when she turned ''common'' where their possible future was stripped away, when he realised he's all alone again. He was just a boy, burdened with too much power, missunderstood, alone. I can relate to too many of his problems and too many parts of him. This book also brought us the resolution of what is his real name!? Finally in another plot twist we learn it's ''Aleksander Morozova'' yes, as in Morozova's madness, Morozova's amplifiers. Thing is I expected him to be the actual Morozova not his grandson but okay. Not too shocking since they're ancient and immortal. 

I love love love this world inspired by Tsardom Russia. It's unique, there's not one fantasy world like it around. You know when picking up fantasy books with fantasy worlds you expect a Tolkien style world, elfs, dwarfs, hobbits or vampires and werewolves but you don't really expect a world inspired by Russia or Russian rulers. The flow of the book, story, story world is just amazing, it feels like it's Russian but it also feels like it's not, like it's new and different. Fantastic writing and imagination by Leigh once again. 

Another thing I love about character development here is that things are not black and white at all, bad guys can do good things and good guys can do bad things. Not everybody is perfect and not everything is always as it seems. Which is why I'm also pissed that Darkling dies. I just wanted to see him reach his full potential. Do good, be good, with Alina by his side. Sigh. But I know better than anyone that you can't force love if it isn't there. You can't force your heart to love someone if it pines and longs for another. Though it was hard staying team Darkling the entire time, some of the moments with Mal all but ripped my heart out…Mal has a way with words and their heartache is relatable;

''I would have been different too, without you. Weaker, reckless, afraid of the dark, but no matter who or what I was, I would have been yours.''

Sigh. Do you ever wonder, what you'd be like, without certain people? If things wouldn't happen like they did? If you didn't do the things you did, walk the paths you walked. If you were different. Would you be happier? Isn't this though all we want, a place to call our own and a person to call ours. Might be my hoplessly romantic Italian blood again but words such as ''I'm all yours'' will literally turn me into a puddle. 

I like Alina because it's easier to relate to her. As I said above, she is not perfect. Far from it. She does bad things too. She makes mistakes, which means that though people call her a saint, she's human. We need more of such heroes and heroines because nobody wants perfection, nobody wants picture perfect that can never do wrong. We want something we can relate to. At least I do. It may be fantasy I'm reading but even in that fantasy…people should be people. Inperfect, flawed, human. 

Which goes both ways, darkness is also relatable. It's so hard to hate the Darkling because he is relatable as well. We all love the bad boys don't we? We all love the evil in these characters (it's actually alarming how many of my faves are considered problematic or ''evil'') but I don't think that the Darkling is evil, as said above, he's just…missunderstood, he has good intentions I think. I think he really loved his country, I think he really wanted what's best for it, which is why I'm pissed the character development here ends with his death. I'd just want to see what it could be. Through the series it's a rollercoaster with him, first you're intrigued, then you're fascinated, and you're charmed, and you feel bad for him and you love him and then you hate him and then you're pissed off like I am. Maybe it's just the fact that loving darkness and evil is easier and cooler than being the good guy at all times. Who knows. But what I do know is that ''evil'' is much more complex, it has many more layers, it takes more understanding. You want to know what makes them tick, you want to peal back all their ''evil'' layers and see what made them, them. 

Maybe if Mal stayed dead there could be a ''Darklina'' conclussion but truth to be told if he was dead I'd also be pissed. Ha. I don't know I think I'd need an alternative ending because the ending that we got is perfect and I'd not change a single thing about it. Alternative one should be only for my love of the Darkling (god damn you Ben Barnes and your ridiculously charming face). I read reviews from readers that hated the ending. Hated Mal, hated him for ''only showing interest in Alina when she liked someone else''. Did he really? I didn't see it that way. I think he did always love her just never had the guts to fess up. Come on, lets be honest. How many of us do actually have the balls to tell our best friends we love them? I don't know such a person. Second reason to hate Mal was an overly feministic way of looking at things ''girls you need to give up everything to be with your man''. As in Alina gave her power away and stayed with him. How stupid is that? And what kinda idiot writes that? One that clearly didn't understand the book at all. Alina didn't sacrifice her power for Mal, she literally sacrificed Mal to save her world. How is that giving up anything for love? It's sacrificing love for everything. It's poetic and beautiful really, in a time when men wont even sacrifice the remote for you when there's a sporting event going on. Sigh. Another dumb thing was people saying the book is teaching girls to not be extraordinary, to be ordinary and common because that will bring them a happy ending. That's another dumb comment and I can't relate. I'm more than certain Mal would of loved extraordinary Alina non the less. I think the only real issue here was the fact that Alina's power was tearing them apart, people's expectations of her, and people's placement of him. It wasn't him, it was everyone around them, pulling them apart. 

Don't get me wrong I'm still a complete simp (look at that yo girl learned a new word) for the Darkling but I actually found myself loving the ending. True love wins. Always. Right? The book ends with the line ''they had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things, if love can ever be called that''. Oh be  still my beating heart. Beautiful conclussion to this story, and also bitter sweet. Alina says in the book ''I have loved you all my life Mal, there is no end to our story.'' I wish there'd be no end to the actual story, I'd wish for a few more books, I hope there's at least some ''guest staring'' in the ones I have yet to read. But all good things must end right? Well except Motley Crue. Lol. 

What I also love about this particular edition is that there's bonus material at the end. You have a Darkling prequel story titled ''The Demon in the Wood''. I wasn't particularly impressed with it but you know there's never enough of him (seriously Leigh how about you do a ''Mr. Gray'' and put out a book from his point of view? Omfg I would so love that!). This short story talks about the Darkling being just a lonely boy, before he became the Darkling. I think it's a good point of view for those that are not really team Darkling and for those that wish to understand. To see into him, to see what made him the ruthless and powerful leader that he was. To the rest of us it's just another thing to break our hearts. If you look at him purely as the most poweful Grisha, as a fierce leader, as evil, this will make you feel empathy and hurt, for him. Things really never are black and white. Shut up. I love him so much. It's not his fault after all, because how can you run from what's inside you? You can't. sooner or later you'll end up dead. I am trash for evil and villains and I would sell my soul for a whole book of the Darkling. Seriously. Just make it happen. Please. I beg you. What we learn from this tragic novella is that the Darkling or Eryk as he's called then is hunted like an animal. Hunter by children hungry for power. What it teaches us people's greed and hunger for power. It teaches us it's never enough and people will literally walk over bodies to get what they feel they deserve. Yes, the Darklings evilness definitely is a product of his environment. However cruel he is, he is because of the cruel environment that made him that way.

And you know what's funny? I don't usually read these bonus material things or previews into part two or whatever it is that people shove up at the end of the book but clearly this one peaked my interest right away. Darkling. My baby. Omfg did you know what they shot part of Narnia (which I only watched for Ben Barnes) right here, like few miles away from me? But Ben wasn't here. Sigh. So sad. I could do with some drooling over his perfect face. Lol. Oh fangirling aside, he did a movie ''Dorian Gray'', I take it we all know the story? Well I really liked his take on the story so y'all might wanna check it out. Ohhhh I need a book so bad. Dorian Gray. Just got a new Monte Cristo (so in love with it omfg) and apparently same series has Dorian Gray too. Want! 

I just made this ridiculously long. Excuse my ranting, I have too much time on my hands while trying to remove endless pictures off my phone. God damn lack of space. Do phone creators know that deleting pictures of Henry off my phone is like murdering off my children? Wtf? I need endless space. Think about that. Now before this becomes any longer and unbearable…my fellow Grisha verse fans…who are we thinking as Nikolai Lantsov in the tv series? Overly excited about that. I have like three in mind, one being Armie Hammer the obvious choice for me, the ridiculous charm in that daft Disney movie kills me each time I watch it. Or Dacre Montgomery. He killed the whole sexy long haired thing in Stranger things (Billy better be back in new season! Idk how but I just want him back) or OR Douglas Booth. Can you just imagine that? 

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a ''Ben Barnes reads thirst tweets'' video waiting for my full undivided attention. Just know if he read any of mine…well y'all will probably hear me scream. Cheers, lovelies, have a great week. 

P.S. Never doubt where my loyalties lie…(this is just above my desk).

Friday, November 5, 2021

Last night I dreamt , that somebody loved me. No hope no harm, just another false alarm.

Hey ya guys. Sorry for being so MIA for so long. What can I say, life's been a struggle. And when it wasn't I was busy with Inktober. Like, really busy. This year I decided to really push myself to make to explore my imagination and capabilty and draw these thingies as good as I can. I'm no Mikelangelo but I've seen a lot of growth in my own work. I managed to draw some of my fave things I probably wouldn't even consider without Inktober and I drew all my fave boys! She said ''fave boys'' about serial killers. I keep telling you my brain is hardwired the wrong way, lol. And when I wasn't busy with Inktober I was busy drinking and sobbing in misery or fucking up my hair. Again. I just can't leave it alone can I?

I think it's Halloween also that made me completely miserable. It's my absolute fave thing in an entire year. I keep saying for me everyday is Halloween though and it really is but on that one day I'm at least allowed to be 100% me, and this year I was alone and depressed and just ugh. I didn't even put any makeup on my face because lets be serious I've been wearing a mask for more than a year, what't the point anymore? Scary movies are no longer scary when you open your eyes and reality is worse than movies. To be honest Freddie or Jason could at this point jump from behind a tree and I'd just be like ''meh'', or thank them for slaughtering me.

I've been glancing through my other blog, private one, the November posts specifically. I don't know why I do that, must be some form of self harm to be honest…I never thought that random pics of a morning coffee with a waiter with a pretty smile will turn into a fever dream. I never imagined that a movie theater will be an illusion and I never ever never dreamed that anything or anyone can make me sit out of concerts for more than a year. What.the.fuck. 

One of my fave November memories is that of 10.11.2015. It was the date of Motley Crue's Italian gig. What was supposed to be the ''last ever'' in Italy because the band is breaking up, final tour and all that…well we know how that ended. Well with how things are looking right now it might very well have been the last gig in Italy. You know people keep telling me that I'm still so young, have all the time in the world to see concerts, they just don't know that musicians I love are not young and they don't have all the time in the world. Can you imagine what more than a year of lost touring means for someone like the Stones? Nevermind the fact that we lost Charlie in between. Sigh. This makes me so depressed. 

Anyways I sat in my fave cafe on the morning of 11.11.2015, the irony is that the cafe also no longer exists, which also makes me feel fucking depressed because it was the best and the happiest place in this god forsaken country and I wrote a quick blog post, all fangirling and screaming and fever dreams. I have a thing about Nikki Sixx ok, leave me. He's Italian, I can't help it ok. Those days my biggest issue really was humidity in the air making my pefectly straightened hair go frizzy. What I'd give to have that back. I wrote about how amazing the concert was and how sad it is at the same time because this is goodbye forever. Well it wasn't and it isn't (I fucking hope so), it makes me laugh though each time I put my fave band shirt on with those huge bold letters saying ''Motley Crue Final tour''. I'm rambling because I just recently as a belated birthday gift got one of Nikki's books that I've wanted for so long. It's the ''This is gonna hurt'' one about photography and life and so on. I haven't read it just yet, only looked at the pictures. Loved them. I always love his work. He and I, we think very much alike. It's reasuring hearing from time to time that it's okay to be different, strange, unusual…it's nice being reminded from time to time about the strength within me that I learned from my bands, some of it from Nikki himself.

Last song on that concert was ''Home sweet home'' obviously. I remember Vince saying how much he'll miss us. I remember him choking and crying. I remember myself in return sobbing into my sleeves lol. Vince could miss the stage and the fans, but jesus he can't miss us even a tiny fraction as much as I miss them. All of them not just the Crue. 

I spent a week or so in Milano Italy then, got drunk on Fireball whiskey and destroyed One direction in a karaoke bar. Or well I hope it was a karaoke bar, to be honest I'm not sure, might of been just a bar and there I was tormenting poor tourists. Lol. 

There's also a long rant on 1.10.2015 from a local concert and the people there. Drunk. Stupid. Annoying. I really hated local shows where people turned up for booze not music. At this point, if I was in some dark, smokey, sweaty uderground club and strangers stepped on me and spill drinks on me I'd thank them and ask them to do it again, no joke. Is concert starved a thing like touch starved? Because I'm both. 

I went a bit further back, 2014, still November, surprised to see how many posts are about hating the human kind, people are a disease and life is horrible. Don't get me wrong, they are and it is but god if I knew then what I know now, about how bad things will become, about how fucking disgusting people will become, I'd shut up and never use a single post to complain, honest to god. 2014 was also the year I saw Linkin park, I promised myself it's not my first and last LP show but well…we see how that turned out. I'm still upset over Chester mind you. I still miss him. I miss them, the music…sigh. You know what's funny though? I wasn't going to go to this specific Linkin Park show, it was on the same date as something else but then they announced that they're taking Of mice and men with them so I literally went for them because I knew I'd never get to see them on a solo gig anyways. I'm grateful today because I'd never see nor Mice nor LP. How things change huh? This was probably one of my most brutal shows, I was covered in bruises lol. And I met some really nice guys from Poland. It was a good day. 

2013 November I saw Avenged Sevenfold. I can't even believe it's been that long. Shit. All three of these concerts were bands that I've been wanting to see for 10 plus years. I can't believe that it's now been almost 10 years since they happened. A7X was one of the best gigs, first time I got to be rewarded for mingling and hanging around the venue early, our tickets got updated to fan pit for free. Crazy! the gig was awesome btw, they toured that year with Avatar and Five finger death punch, both freaking amazing bands. 

There are a hell of a lot Simple plan posts too in November posts. No particular reason for it. I guess I always wrote about them…seems poetic to mention since their brand new song came out today. I hate that I love it and think it's great because they literally ripped out my heart and stomped on it. Yup. Who knew. One of the three bands I was completely obsessed with ever since I was like ten years old and sobbed through every minute of their concert the first time I saw them…now I can't stand them. Amazing how things change aint it. 

November 1st 2012 was the year we lost Mitch Lucker. Shit. It's been so long I can't even believe it. I freakin miss his music and his amazing persona too. All the damn time. Oh. Hah. It's kinda ironic but the wall next to my bedroom door is full of pictures of my fave musicians and 90% of them are dead by now. Life aye. 

I don't know why I rant, to make myself more miserable I suppose. I'll go watch ''What we do in the shadows'' instead, it's freakin hilarious and lifts my spirits each time, and I'll leave some of my fave Inktobers below (including the four fave boys). Cheers guys have a nice weekend. Have some fun for me too, seems like only thing in my future is another lockdown. Sigh. Murder me to end my suffering please.