12:09 AM - LADIES: For the love of god!
Current mood: aggravated

...or whatever other belief you happen to hold dear: If you are a bathroom squatter, pick the goddamn toilet seat up before you go, for fuck's sake! You're not sitting on it anyway. Why do I even have to say this???? Any of you squatters would kick any dude to the curb in a heartbeat that made that kind mess in your bathroom, but somehow you're okay with doing much worse to other women in public??

SHAME ON YOU!!!

If anything, you'd think women would treat each other with MORE respect, not less.

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4:57 AM - In case you hadn’t heard...
Current mood: electric
Category: Music

The new Nine Inch Nails album is available on the NIN site as a free download. And it's fucking brilliant. Go here to get yours.

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8:16 AM - If you love Led Zeppelin...
Current mood: youthful and reminiscent
Category: youthful and reminiscent Music

You must go to iTunes and buy the remastered catalogue, posthaste!  I've had it pre-ordered since November.  I can't believe I waited so long to download it.  The last few months have just been crazy hectic for me and I just kept blowing it off.  I'm glad I did however, because I just killed another laptop and I would have been pissed if that went with it.  Now I have a 500GB external drive I travel with that backs up all my files nightly.  So in light of that, and a few stationary days at my disposal, I set about downloading the 165 track catalogue.  A lot of stuff really didn't need any fixing, but there are a few tracks that really stand out.  Feels like hearing them for the first time. 

Led Zeppelin was a large part of the soundtrack of my adolescence.  I got that sort of exctited listening to this new collection where you feel like you have a buzz when you don't.  Like when you were in junior high or high school and you'd swoon next to your stereo speakers over your favorite band's new record.
And it's really funny, there's stuff I remember not having the patience for at all when I was a kid, like pretty much all of Coda, and now I'm like 'what the hell was I thinking, this rules!'  I guess as a child I lacked the sophistication to appreciate it.

At 100 bucks it's an investment, and make sure you back it up as soon as you download it, because iTunes is totally unforgiving about lost purchases (I'm still having it out with them over a few tracks I'm missing...).  It's worth every cent.

Currently listening : Houses Of The Holy By Led Zeppelin Release date: 19 July, 1994

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12:05 PM - Dear Victoria’s Secret,
Current mood: somewhere between amused and annoyed
Category: somewhere between amused and annoyed Fashion, Style, Shopping

I'm all for the fight against breast cancer--fully on board--but do you think you could maybe take the fight out of my ass?  You can put pink ribbons anywhere else on my underpants and thongs that you like: on the front, on the side, somewhere in between... as you can see, the possibilities are endless.  But right in the middle of the back on the inside just means they are constantly tickling my butt, and that's just unbelieveably annoying.  So have a heart, huh?  Move 'em somewhere else?

Thanks,
Veronika Catt
loyal consumer

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10:29 PM - Back from vacation

What a great time I had this month in LA!  I flew my friends Amber & Evan out for a week and a half and had a wonderful time showing them around town.  I finally got to hang out with Melanie, who is every bit as adorable in person as I always thought she'd be.  Lots of nights on the Sunset Strip which is always a blast with some old friends and also a few new ones.  Pics from this trip in my photo section, so stop by  and take a look. :)

I was grateful for the much needed break in my busy schedule this year.  A little sad to go, but I suppose it had to end at some point.  SO tired and jet-lagged still, so I'll head off to bed now.

Hope everyone had a lovely summer.

xoxo
-VC

Currently watching : Xanadu Release date: 20 July, 1999

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1:22 PM - I wish this had been a joke
Current mood: unbelievably annoyed

I received this message yesterday:

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Sarah
Date: Jun 13, 2007 9:42 PM

Please take a look at this website and tell me what you think

www.beautyfromashes.org

Thanks
Sarah

***********************************************************

I can't decide which is more offensive to me: 

Currently listening : Best of the Monkees By The Monkees Release date: 29 April, 2003

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2:00 PM - And if you need it say yeah

I decided to run a few neighborhood errands on foot today because it's finally nice out here and it seemed like the thing to do.  So I'm rockin to the song on my mp3 player and didn't notice it shimmying out of my pocket as I walked.  Luckily when it hit the groud it was on a sidewalk and not the street.  Guess I should have picked a pair of pants with deeper pockets!

Yes, the title of this blog is a reference to Rock of Ages, which is what I was grooving to when my player took a dive.  I am unapologetically an 80's rocker chick.  There has been music I loved before that and music I've loved since, but that era coincided with the time when I first started seeing the possibilities in life, and that music will always have my heart.

<333

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9:23 PM - Take me with you wherever you go...
Current mood: pleased

Veronika Catt wallpapers are now available for your cell phone.  More will be available shortly and they will be updated monthly.  Click the banner to get some!

Everyone have a lovely day!

xoxo
-VC

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2:18 PM - Oliver Stone pisses me off
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

The other day I bought the 15th anniversary edition of The Doors movie.  I should explain now that I have been a huge Doors fan since the late 80's.  That was a great time to take an interest in the band, because right around that time a lot of people were breaking their silences about the events surrounding the death of Jim Morrison and several new books were published about Jim and the band.  I read most of them and was excited about the release of the Doors movie. 

I was not prepared for the way I would feel when I saw the film, due to the gross inaccuracies in chronology and documented events, and the unbelievable liberties he took with other truths.  I would later learn that Oliver Stone was ciriticized for as much every time he made any other biopic.  I took me years to be able to see the movie again, and when I did I settled on the notion that what when Stone directs a movie based on actual events, it's his vision of what went on, which according to many people who were involved is a radical interpretation of the what actually went down.  And I get that it's a work of fiction and I also understand the need to create composite characters, blah, blah, etc.... but it really pisses me off when they use names of real people to achieve this, because most people watch a film about something that really happened and take it on faith as truth because they know that person existed.  And Oliver Stone does not tell the truth in his movies.

So why did I buy the DVD?  After accepting that this is a work of fiction and not a documentary, I have to admit it's well-made movie.  I've gotten to a point where I shrug off the fact that it's not even chronologically correct (which used to really bug me) and just take it as a portrait of one of the periods in recent American history that has always fascinated me.  Plus the anniversary edition had some actual Doors documentaries on the second disc that I wanted to check out.

I haven't gotten to the second disc yet.  Before getting to the second disc I decided to check out the special features menu on the first one.  There was just one item: "Audio Commentary with director Oliver Stone."  I laughed to myself as I started it up, thinking 'I wonder what he'll say here that'll piss me off.'

Where to start... Okay, here's a good one: I HATE all this 'Pamela was his soulmate' hooey he tries to feed you.  Yeah, okay--when Jim was new to California and exploring personal freedom for the first time in his life, there was something about her that drew him in.  But the honeymoon ended quickly.  She was a useless spoiled brat, and became an albatross around his neck.  He supported her for years (opting to rent motel rooms rather than share living space with her) because he didn't think she was capable of surviving on her own and felt obligated to take care of her.  He went to Paris with her to give her the heave-ho and tell her she had to make her own way in life from then on.  But he didn't get around to it soon enough, and she let him pull a Pulp Fiction with a huge line of heroin he thought was coke, and then let him die alone in a bathtub while she nodded out in bed.  Does that sound like behavior befitting of a soulmate?  Not to me...  So your 'soulmate' tells you they don't like doctors while ODing on heroin?  You call the ambulance anyway and let them be pissed at you later when they're still alive.  You DON'T say 'ok' and go nod off in the other room.  What an asshole...  I won't get into it it here, but it's worth it to do a little research and find out what she did with her life after he died and until she did.  It's an interesting fact.

Then there's the number Stone did on Patricia Kennealy, who is the writer Jim married in a pagan ceremony, who he had planned on moving in with when he returned from Paris.  I can't imagine how she must have felt after seeing that movie.  Apparently the character bearing her name is a composite of many female reporters Jim had contact with, but the liberties he took with events that actually took place between her and Jim are appalling.  He reduces her to some groupie-floosie type which by many accounts is just not the way things were between them.

I'll cover one last point before I stop ranting, which was actually the reason for this post, and the point at which I turned the commentary off:  During the Andy Warhol Factory scene in the movie, Stone makes an off-hand comment about the Nico character when she makes her first appearance.

"This woman is based on one of the Velvet Underground artists called Nico.  She died in the 1980's of a heroin overdose."

Good lord, this man is fucking unreal, that he can say these things in such a casual manner like they're true.  True, Nico was addicted to heroin for a long time, but she was living sober and trying to be healthy at the time of her death.  She was on vacation with her son and had a heart attack while riding a bike and died as the result of a head injury from the fall.  She didn't have medical insurance and couldn't afford to get follow-up care after the accident.  She didn't fucking OD.  There should be a disclaimer proceeding everything Oliver Stone says to the public.  Something to the effect of: "WARNING: This man talks out his ass with no regard for actual persons, living or dead."

Yeah, I think that would be a good thing.

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2:01 PM - Thought for the day
Current mood: annoyed
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

I don't give a flying fuck about Borat.  I never liked 'Da Ali G Show.' The only way I would ever watch Borat is if I was strapped into that Clockwork Orange contraption... and yes--I'd consider it torture.  Give me witty, intelligent humor and I'm happy.  If I want to see an idiot in action I'll just walk the streets of the town where I live.  I'll be goddamned if I'll pay someone else money to have that garbage invade my sanctuary.

Currently listening : Greatest Bits By Richard Jeni Release date: 13 January, 1997

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6:55 AM - Regarding Anna

I'm seeing behavior on this site since yesterday that's making me rather ill. I personally couldn't watch her on TV, because I can't stand seeing someone so clearly unstable being exploited that way. And I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I never had a problem with her either and I was always annoyed at all the flack she always got.

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3:13 AM - Love?
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Romance and Relationships

What is 'being in love'?  I personally think it's a clever way to market co-dependency.  Now before you go thinking I'm bitter or jaded, hear me out.  I'm not either of those things.  But think about what 'being in love' implies.  Not being able to eat, sleep, think about anything but the object of your affection, not being able to stand being apart from that person... None of that is healthy behavior. 

The kind of love that stands the test of time has nothing to do with any of that.  In my opinion, real love is unselfish and tolerant and patient and not blind, but rather seeing everything and accepting it--flaws and all.  And you find that the flaws endear you.  You do things for the other person just because you know it would make them happy, not because you want something back or you're trying to win them over or gain their favor.  And of course you miss them when you are apart, but you can still live your own life and let them live theirs.  You don't get jealous or anxious.  You feel good about the relationship when you think about it, you don't second-guess it.  You feel comfortable, not self-conscious.  And if you don't think of your lover as your friend, isn't there something wrong with that?

What do you guys think?

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10:34 AM - Give a damn, it's not that hard
Current mood: thoughtful

When one of your friends says they have something important to say to you, you owe it to them take notice and give them your attention... if they matter to you.  If they don't, do both of yourselves a favor and stop letting them think they're your friend.   It would be better for everyone, no?

There are a number of reasons this thought came to mind today, the most recent of which being that I had a bone to pick with a friend I hadn't spoken to in a while, and I'm glad that we are the kind of friends that can discuss problems.  It got me thinking that there are so many people who call each other 'friends' that would rather die than bring up something that they have a problem with about the other person.  And then they just end up with all this resentment baggage... That's bullshit.

When you encourage that sort of dynamic you don't have a friendship.  What you have is two people who don't really know or even like each other, with a thin veneer of civility that they can likely barely stand to keep up.  I'd rather know a lot less people than to carry on like that.

So ends my rant.  As always, share your thoughts on the subject if you've stopped to read this.  Hope everyone is having a lovley day.

xoxo
-VC

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