New for Spring – the
“ I don’t know what I want to wear today – professional, summer picnic, beach, or cowboy – Aww – what the hell, I’ll wear all 4 at once!” — Look.
As seen on a popular website homepage.
** special thanks to J.L. for the fabulous title.
While I was in Ireland, I got the opportunity to go out and experience a bit of the local nightlife for A’s birthday. It was myself, A, A’s boyfriend, and several of A’s friends and roommate. It was her birthday, and she was very excited to go out to the Alchemy club in Dublin – and kept saying it was the hottest trend in night spots. I was rather excited – we’d spent the afternoon shopping and got a cute outfit. To say the least, we were quite cute and dolled up.
Anyhow, out we went to Alchemy. Overall the club was pretty fabulous. White diner style booths with blue and red Leds around the base, lots of shiny mirrors and reflective surfaces – and a great big dance floor with stage at the front. Despite the fact that the guys plopped the group next to a big brass pole (with a lampshade style top) which we teased them about incessantly, I thought this place has possibilities. Then, I looked at the drink prices and went well, they’re a bit steep – I guess I’ll only be having one or two, if that.
By 11:30pm, the place was just not happening. In the background was a female singer (belting out the latest and greatest of everyone form Pink, Lady Gaga, and Byonce) who was pitchy, and had the philosophy of “sing louder, it makes me sound better” who just made me cringe (ok honestly, I was wishing to go to karaoke just to have something that I know I should be laughing at!). Then, there were thye maybe 15 people in there, and the annoying fact that staff were busily “cleaning” so they weren’t standing about – mopping floors, washing mirrors/glass doors, and yes, even the columns. I was like uh… okay…
About Midnight, there was an influx of people – literally it was like the doors flew open and people surged in. Lots of single women, lots of poser metro-sexual style guys in their 20s who were sniffing about like dogs needing a place to piss. An announcer came on demanding over and over in between songs (the Banshee singer was still yelling) that we had to get our headsets now…
We were given neon green wrist bands (and of which people put in various places under their clothing to highlight naughty bits…) , and white 80’s style shades to wear. Amusing, but – the banshee in the background was still singing. A double Encore even – after promising to stop singing!! I wanted to leave, and was about to – until someone mentioned that tonight was “Silent Disco” night, promoted by Smirnoff – and we had to stay because it was the reason A had insisted we come to the club.
Intrigued, I asked for more information. Basically, on top of the 7 Euro cover charge, you paid 10 Euros to rent a headset (which was fully refundable). At 1am, the music in the club would be turned off completely (Thank GOD – I did have my MP3 player to enjoy once that happened!) and everyone with headsets would begin hearing music (I had brought my own – by chance!!) Those without the club provided headsets (and who didn’t bring their MP3 player) wouldn’t hear music.
Cool – I thought – it’s a great idea to stay within the “noise ordinance limitations” of the city. Plus, if you had the laser lights going and people dancing on the floor, it could be a bit trippy and a bit fun if I decided I wanted to have my own “mp3 player out — who needed to pay 10 euro if I had my mp3 right?!?”.
Anyhow, By 1:20 AM, the novelty had worn off (even without me pulling out my MP3 player), and I left.
Let me explain why this was a failure.
People got their headsets. There were 2 channels – A and B. A contaned disco music (think YMCA, KC and the Sunshine Band, etc). B contained “grunge rock” (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, etc). Everyone was switching between them and kind of happy. Red lights followed one music set, blue lights followed another at, of course, two different speeds. Girls were dancing to the Disco, Blokes to the Rock.
Inevitably, people wanted to chat. Only they had on headsets. So, what should have been a “silent disco” turned into people who were too lazy to take off their headsets YELLING LOUDLY to be heard over the other person’s headset music. Multiplied by everyone in the club… with the lights buzzing and whipping about, the 2 different types of dancing… it was funny.. UNTIL….
The male drunks started singing. Off Key… Slurring … “WONDERWALL” in the corner.
And the girls started Singing /Dancing to “Saturday Night” in the opposite corner.
And then everyone started YELLING LOUDER to be heard over the singers… and well…. at some point, I decided….
Some ideas may be great when you’re stoned….
They really should stay there…. because Silent Disco – Not so silent at all.
The longer that I’m stranded in Ireland due to the Volcano, the more cynical and funny/sad the news seems to get. I’ve now seen more talking heads interviewing volcanologists (Live Long and Prosper) than I can speak of. And yet, somehow, it’s fascinating – because it’s so overplayed (we’re talking pick your favorite B movie end of the world scenario – Volcano? Apocolapyse? Day after Tomorrow?) and perhaps over dramaticized (weepy bride misses wedding, angry parents with tired whiny children, empty airports with slow strolling reporter and panning camera) to keep the fickle public interest. It’s a formula that works, and I know it, see it, and recognize it – but nonetheless find myself fascinated – because I just want to know if my flight will go on Wednesday (doubt it – I should just unpack into the hotel drawers and plan on staying a while) like the rest of the several hundred thousand stranded by the ash around the globe.
As far as the Volcanologists (Live Long and Prosper) go, they all pretty much (for 4 days straight) say “big mountain go boom”, and “Ash is Bad!” and “It’ll stop when it stops.” To that end, I realize three things. a) I could have figured that out myself from the pictures after you told me that the first time b) Yes, ASH is bad, but it’s also good – because it makes the soil around the volcanoes some of the worlds most fertile – lots of nutrients. Think of it as mother nature manure. Better than cow manure – and Everyone who is a farmer wants to raise crops in it…. that’s why there are huge civilizations around volcanoes… c) No matter how advanced our technology is, Right Now, Mother Nature still has one up on us and has won this round of “stump the scientist”. Kudos to Earth on that one.
Oh – because I saw a great article filled with beautiful pictures (yah I know – but it is beautiful in a “hell on earth-really glad i’m not there but wish i was with my camera – just to say I was and have the photo to prove it – way) from Iceland’s local English paper. (You can see it for yourself here.) I must note that Icelanders are learning to hate Fox “news” almost as much as the rest of the world, and are quite vocal in their annoyance. Fair Play to Iceland for actually recognizing the humor and over-doing of everything that Fox says – even this.
Oh – and Congrats to Fox – for annoying people the world over. Again. Keep up the Scare-mongering. You might get a real apocolapyse out of it. No really. Predict it enough, and eventually you might be right.
On another front, I saw an article on MSNBC today, where Leonard Nimoy says that Barack Obama is a Star Trek Fan (With those ears? you sure he’s not half Ferengi?). Not only was the timing excellent, the article is complete with the Mr. Spok pose Nemoy is most famous for… the Hand with fingers V’ed in the middle and the thumb sticking out; aka – to us Trekkies – the Vulcan (live long and prosper) hand greeting. While the article is great, on initial opening of the page, I thought….
Oh Dear! Mr. Nemoy, You’ve been watching too much News Coverage of Volcano-ologists – just like me… (see last post where I explain that with each Volcano-ologist interview I’m holding up the hand greeting)
Ok that’s enough for today –
Live Long and Prosper.