Pick 'n' Mix Part One

OK, I'm going to try something different. We're now up to 400+ posts and the blog seems to be ticking along nicely, but I think it's time to change things up a little. So rather than one long post, today's update will be a collection of bits and pieces. If you like it (or not), don't be shy...

First round's in me

First up is my favourite new bar concept, based on the human digestive system. Based in Vienna's Museum Quarter, the eye-catching drinking hole's key feature is a giant puckered anus. If you've ever wandered into a nightspot and thought "Well, this a shithole" you've obviously never downed a bottle of Schnapps in Austria. It looks perfectly comfortable inside, but I don't imagine the bar snacks are up to much.


History repeating itself, again

Paul Hardcastle, pioneer of electro-funk hip-Hop instrumental music, is hoping to storm the charts again with an updated version of his stuttery classic 19. The original version, which topped the charts for five weeks in 1985, was all about Vietnam and focused on the average age of US soldiers. His new version, 19: Boys To War, has been rewritten to reflect the current military situation in the Middle East.

Hardcastle says "There's a parallel between Vietnam and Afghanistan. I looked around and thought, 'This is basically happening again'. I wish I hadn't had to make this kind of record." Unlike some of the young men and women serving overseas, no-one's holding a gun to Hardcastle's head. He may feel that the Vietnam war is 'repeating itself' but that doesn't mean he has to.



Lindsay's gag reflex

She may have spent the last 12 months dabbling in lesbianism, abusing foot powder and struggling to remain upright, but Lindsay Lohan may finally heading back in front of the movie cameras, instead of the paparazzi. According to reports, she's being lined up to play Linda Lovelace in a new film called Inferno.

Lovelace's notoriety came from her starring role in Deep Throat, where she demonstrated the most flexible epiglottis the world has ever known. It's nice that Lindsay is finally looking for work again (standing behind a mixing desk or appearing at parties isn't exactly gainful employement), it's just a shame that this sounds like some serious miscasting. After all, unless Lovelace's story is drastically rewritten to showcase her skills for sticking things up her nostrils rather than down her neck, this is never going to work.