Of Borg implants and modern masterpieces

Blog spam!

Yes, another entry this week! Or something. I was almost going to look up when it was to verify my claims, but I won't because goddamn I just can't be bothered and I DO WHAT I WANT.

I actually have some things in particular to scree about today, and I know how you all love the nonsensical ramblings, but don't lose interest yet, 'cause I'm excited so I'm pretty sure you can expect it to be pretty absurd anyhow.

Anyway, first exciting piece of news, my insulin pump, that I mentioned in the last entry! Today when I discussed it with my Diabetes Educator, we decided for once and for all that I will definately be getting one! And what's more, my move isn't delayed at all, which was another worry I had.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! For those that don't know, an insulin pump is a little thing maybe about the size of a mobile phone or a pager, and I keep with me all the time, and is attached to my insides at all time. It's like a permanent needle or something. And it pumps insulin at a regular basal rate, and allows me to give extra insulin when I eat or y'know, drink six litres of coke. Conversely, it also allows extra flexibility if I don't feel like eating if I'm sick or if I do some kind of exercise or something like that, where I would usually have to fiddle around with blood sugars and insulin.

Now, I'm talking as if you all know the basic workings of diabetes. So sorry if I'm not making a lot of sense! What did I say about nonsensicality?

It also gets me out of a horrible vicious cycle that I'm in at the moment that a lot of people won't even realise that I'm having a lot of trouble with day to day, that goes something like this:

Step 1: Have hypo (low blood sugar)
Step 2: Freak out and overcompensate (have too much sugar)
Step 3: Have high blood sugar from overcompensating
Step 4: Freak out and have too much insulin to compensate
Step 5: Have hypo from too much insulin.
Step 6: I think you can see where I'm going with this.

So basically my blood sugars are swinging from high to low a LOT which is really really unhealthy, and what's more adds to the problem, as it apparently causes cravings for sweet things! Anyway, so the pump will help me to not swing so badly, and things.

There are also a lot of other benefits, but that's probably the main one. Really, when it comes down to it, if you compare what I'm doing at the moment, and what I'll be doing with a pump, there is no way in which have 4 injections a day and forgetting to take my blood sugars is superior.

So basically, come February, I'll be vacationing in the lovely Sydney for two weeks, and getting my very first Borg implant. I could get it done in my new home of Perth, but it would mean some kind of delay, and also this particular Diabetes Centre has some practices which are unique in Australia. So it's just a little better. And seeing I was coming back about then for mah Gramma's birthday, it seemed like there was no reason not to come back!

Anyway, so that's pretty exciting, huh! Sorry about the people who were thoroughly bored by that, but it's the closest thing to a cure that I'll be seeing for a long, LONG time, and goddamn it, I'm pretty goddamn excited.

Let's see, what was the other thing.

Ah yes! I recently went out and purchased the brand new Nightwish album! "Dark Passion Play". Their first release since kicking the epic butt of Tarja out of the band and adopting one Anette Olzon as the new lead singer.

Now, there are a lot of people who're all "Oh man Tarja was the shit, Nightwish is nothing without her!" and there are a lot of people who are all "No way man, Tarja sucked, Anette all the way!" and frankly I was always a bit of both. I was a bit of a hater. Tarja was being a giant bitch, but this new woman just doesn't have the epic sound Tarja did and gives the whole band a more 'poppy' feel.

Anyway, so I bought the new album, mostly out of frustration. And then listening briefly to the beginnings of tracks I was forced to accept that I didn't really like what I was hearing. In particular, it seems that Tarja was holding back their particularly creepy side. For example, the first track a 14 minute epic called The Poet and the Pendulum, mostly seems to involve someone, possibly the songwriter, being cut in half by a giant swinging blade. Now, I'm aware this is a fairly superficial understanding, and I'm sure it's a metaphor for a dozen different things. But it still creeps me out to the point that I can't actually listen to it. This feeling is enhanced by the "chopping through flesh" sound effects and the voice of a small boy saying things like "I'm afraid, I'm so afraid/ Being raped again, and again, and again/ I know I will die alone/ But loved."

It just pushes it a little too far. I'm just not one for violence. Real, imagined, visual, described or anything.

But upon further listening, with the shuffle setting on Winamp turned on, it was far more enjoyable. It really was just unfortunate that their most awful of songs was the first on the album and so, formed my first impression.

For the purposes of this review, I had thought to try and pinpoint a track at which the album peaks. But really, there are so many genres explored and mixed that it's hard to name a favourite. There are several distinctly gentle tracks, many outright metal tracks, and some that seem to blur the boundaries. "The Islander" contains a beautiful and haunting melody, enhanced by the soothing harmonies of Anette, while "Master Passion Greed" explores their darker side once more, and is a lot more... metal, even though it throws in some particularly Bond-esque trumpets. "Eva" gently describes the sadness of a small child being mocked while "Whoever Brings the Night" (one of my personal favourites) seems to be about whores, who 'love to suffer' (I'm not sure I understand that song completely, yet).

Between all these contrasts is the instrumental "Last of the Wilds", half celtic fiddle and uilleann pipes, half roaring guitar solos and metallic beat.

So! "Dark Passion Play" is a masterpiece of modern melodic metal. Not that.. I think there was too much archaic melodic metal. It pleases me on every one of my music loving levels. There's even some gospel in there. Seriously, if that's not multigenre, I just don't know what is.