Hmmm

When being totally honest, everyone has something about themselves they'd like to change. Bad hair, foot odor, crap sense of humor, flatulence, et al...

Me? One would think I'd like to have a concave stomach or an actual arse (rather than have total flatness from the waist down), but you'd be wrong there.

I want to be a pretty crier. Someone who evokes sympathy, empathy, rather than "Dear GOD, how has her face swollen to that level? She's all blotchy and sneezy! And how can she keep her eyes open when they're so puffy?"

Seriously, I turn into Orry in 'North and South' when I cry.

I can't handle this

Today, I said goodbye to my dog, Daisy.

Dais AKA The Poodle is 13+ years old, and she's been sliding rapidly downhill for the past few months. She's so thin and ill, it breaks my heart to see her. We would have taken her to the vet today, to put her out of her misery, but it's rained a whole bunch this week, and we couldn't bury her. We've her casket ready. My cousin made it on Monday.

I just sat with her in the garage, weeping over her shivering body, placing an old flannel shirt beneath her head to comfort her. I told her that Duke, our late, lamented marmie, was waiting for her at the Rainbow Bridge, and that we'd be along many years from now when they were both rested and strong. That we'd be looking for them.

I told her I wanted her to go to sleep, and not wake up. That I loved her. That I wanted her to be healthy again. To be whole again. To be able to run and play and swim and shake her wet self onto a human again.

I think she understood me, because she breathed deeply and fell asleep, not aware that her transition into another world was eased from the tears of a human that loved her. That loves her enough to tell her to let go.

You are a Good Dog, Daisy.

Seriously,

Tina Fey is so awesome, it defies description. And now she's writing a book. Which benefits school libraries.

Be still my heart.

But last month, everything changed. Tina Fey's newfound mega-celebrity may be the only good thing to have come out of Sarah Palin's V.P. nomination. When Fey returned to her old stomping grounds, "Saturday Night Live," to skewer Palin, the show's ratings shot up by 49 percent. And on Sept. 21, when she won no fewer than three Emmys, Fey gave the most inspiring acceptance speech I've ever heard.

You'd think, with so much going on, Fey would be tempted to rest on her laurels, at least for a month or two. Not so. This week comes word that she's writing her first book, which the New York Post reports will be a Nora Ephron-style essay collection.

Sweet Jesus,

I adore Shawn Johnson. The wee hippie wore her peace sign earrings to meet the chimp.

I'm guessing that

on the morning of the Q awards, Cerys Matthews woke up on the crazy side of the bed.

Too cool

On Saturday, Bruce Springsteen kicked off three days of Vote For Change concerts on behalf of Barack Obama with a powerful acoustic set that drew estimated 50,000 to the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Cutting a distinctly Woody Guthriesque profile in rolled up flannel, denim and tousled hair, Springsteen stood atop a 30 foot high stage emblazoned with the word “CHANGE” and belted out a seven-song, 45 minute acoustic set as a gift for Obama volunteers and a catalyst for the disengaged to register to vote. Plenty of people heard the call — according to the Obama campaign, some 21,000 new voters were registered as a result of the event.

Bouquet from this weekend

Gorg

'8 Dead Boys'- Babyshambles

Don't get me wrong, I love me some Grandad, but God, Paddy's a brilliant guitar player.

My work over the weekend

Fleurs for my girl's wedding in sweet home Chicago.

Very cool

Now this, THIS, is interesting...

Just imagine: the year is 1983, Blue Monday is storming the charts, and the band that recorded it are called ... the Radical Jesuits?

A forthcoming book of previously unpublished notes by the late Rob Gretton, former manager of Joy Division and New Order, reveals that New Order almost didn't become New Order. After the suicide of Ian Curtis, Joy Division compiled a list of potential new names. Alongside New Order, Gretton and the band considered monikers including Arab Legion, Voices Crying, Dharma Bums, the Radical Jesuits and Man Ray. They liked Man Ray so much they even highlighted it on the list.

The list of What Might Have Been appears as part of 1 Top Class Manager, to be released on October 7. The full-colour, 220-page paperback compiles diary entries, letters, to-do lists, posters and excerpts from 20 notebooks kept by Rob Gretton between 1978 and 1980.

Gretton died of a heart attack in 1999, but the collection was compiled by his widow Lesley Gilbert.

Random ten

1. Autumn Song- Manic Street Preachers
2. Distant Dreamer- Duffy
3. L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold
4. Antmusic- Adam & The Ants
5. If I Needed Someone- The Beatles
6. Just a Little Lovin'- Shelby Lynne
7. Come On Come On- Jet
8. Melt My Heart To Stone- Adele
9. Back To Black- Amy Winehouse
10. Fidelity- Regina Spektor

Bonus-
11. From Despair To Where- Manic Street Preachers
12. Respect- Aretha Franklin

Dear God

As I've mentioned, I'm doing the flowers for one of my best friends from college's wedding this weekend.

What I haven't mentioned is that I'm slowly losing my mind. I'm so distracted and stressed out, I've-

1. Set my iPod down somewhere in the house, and don't have a bloody clue where it is

2. Haven't been able to sleep (BOO!) or eat (YAY!) for the past week

3. Keep second (and third and fourth) guessing myself on the amount of fresh and supplies I'm going to need to schlep to Chicago for the blessed event

And today did not help. I-

1. Looked at the tab for the umpteen million mini calla lilies for said blessed event, and nearly died/crapped myself/passed out/combination of these things.

Two bucks more a stem than I quoted initially. Cost of fuel is impacting shipping costs. THANKS, CHIMPY! Lovely war we're having.

2. Upon running the new numbers in my head, I had a panic attack and broke out in hives. Seriously. I'm a nervous wreck on a good day, and this... this was not a good day.

3. Then my jeans fell down. See #2 on the first list. No, not the not-sleeping bit. The other one. Thankfully, I was alone in the shop/had cute knickers on.

The bleeding ulcer I've been working on for years is quickly becoming a reality.

I'm praying to St. Anthony (for the iPod) and St. Preston Bailey (for the flowers). Oh, and Jesus. Because that's how I roll.

I am so sorry for that last bit.

Hmmm

My reaction to the news of Dirty Pretty Things splitting up?

(in case you care)

"Damn it, Carlito just got fine again, and NOW they break up? CRAP!"

'Tis a sad day.

In an exclusive statement to NME.COM the four piece – Carl Barat, Didz Hammond, Gary Powell and Anthony Rossomando – announced the break-up of the band that formed in 2005 following the split of The Libertines.

Frontman Carl Barat explained that the members of the band would be pursuing new musical projects, but that these would not involve The Libertines.

Gah

This weekend, I am providing the wedding flowers for one of my best friends from college. Wen is very attached to Winnie the Pooh. No, I'm not sure why. She just IS, much like I'm very attached to various substance-addled British rock and rollers.

I thought it would be sweet if I found a wee Winnie charm to sew onto the fabric I'm wrapping her bouquet in- just so she could see it. However, my searching of SE Iowa for such a thing did not bear (groan) fruit.

I realized that I should give up when I caught myself muttering, "Jeez, how hard can it be to find something with Winnie the fucking Pooh on it?"

Mmmm....

*does the cha-cha*

Oasis have announced details of a new US tour to support their forthcoming new album, 'Dig Out Your Soul'.

The 11-date tour includes a rescheduled gig at the John LaBatt Centre in London, Ontario.

The gig was originally cancelled after Noel Gallagher suffered rib injuries after being attacked onstage in Canada earlier this month.

The tour will see the band return to New York's Madison Square Garden, a venue they sold out in 2005.

Oasis will play:

Oakland, CA Oracle Arena (December 3)

Los Angeles, CA Staples Center (4)

Las Vegas, NV The Pearl (6)

Denver, CO Broomfield Events Ctr. (8)

Minneapolis, MN Target Center (10)

Chicago, IL Allstate Arena (12)

Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills (13)

London, ON John LaBatt Centre (rescheduled 9/9 date)

New York, NY Madison Sq. Garden (17)

Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Ctr. (19)

Washington, DC GMU Patriot Center(20)

Ryan Adams and his band The Cardinals will support the band on all dates.

The Brothers Gallagher AND Ryan "not Bryan" Adams. Sweet Christ, my fangirl heart is all a-twitter. Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow. OLE!

Girls Aloud- 'The Promise'

Cool vid. Sarah looks fierce, Nicola like a Barbie and Chezza is impossibly pretty. Kimba and Nadine look cute as well.



via

"Bono, the king of Ireland"

I'm not sure which is funnier- Fey's impersonation or Pohler's blinking...