Looks as though Prince Harry is going to see the Spice Girls concert in S Africa, something more like Diana would have done. Spice Girls dolls are shoving Barbie off the shelves. A huge doll for every Spice Girl.

Can you say flavor of the month? Please, find someone with some talent. Where would they be without there breasts? NOWHERE!!!!!!

THANK YOU MICHAEL!! At least someone here has some sense ! Who would have thought that the Bananarama meets En Vogue girls would be this popular. I guess they fill some kind of void.

Are they competing with Michael Jackson for the void?

Actually, I really like their pig tails and bounciness. Better than Michael Jackson. They've got some catchy songs, even if they're not the Beatles or Rolling Stones.

new rolling stone features a most flattering s. girls picture... caption reads, "The spice girls, in Turkey: from left, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Dopey, and Sleepy. There in no Doc."

The more I hear about the Spice Girls, the more I appreciate Santana & Bob Marley!

yeah, the spice girls are enough to make one appreciate neil diamond... (JUST KIDDING, sam)

Hey, I'm a sweet caroline fan too! And have no frigging clue what the s. girls sing.

They sing s..., of course!

Oh. I thought that was Loverboy.

Never heard of him.

you're not missing anything... the kind of stuff your sisters would've listened to (mine does... i love her, but will not drive with her, without firm CD authority)...

I don't mind my sisters'taste in music, I share some of it! (one of them positively gnashes he teeth whenever I play my Dylan album, though...)

Sam, LOVERBOY is a truly heinous 80s band. CLose to the epitome of bad music for me. There has been worse discovered in a few demo albums Brandon owns from his days of spinning for the college radio.

Did they do a song called "Heaven In Your Eyes?" I think it was on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for "Top Gun" A load of crap, actually, not nearly up to scratch with "Danger Zone", "Playing With The Boys", "Take My Breath Away", or "Top Gun Anthem", and only marginally better than "Mighty Wings".

Oh man, you just opened up a whole can o nasty cheese!

the movie, the music, or both?

Man, I do that every time I take off my shoes!

*chuckle*

P-P-V on Saturday, 9 p.m., $19.95 -- a bargain.

I think the Spice Girls are annoying, they dress funky and they think they can sing. Their music is overplayed, I think they are very popular with teenagers, kind of like New Kids on the Block were when I was in middle school. I think we won't hear from the for awhile and then we will know they did not last. I mean come on they made a movie about themselves.....

I don't really have an opinion on the Spice Girls. Never seen them (saw their lookalike dolls in the Toys 'R Us insert but I'm not familiar with their music. And sometimes, it's not how long you last, it's how much money you make while you're at it. I haven't seen you around the spring before Emily... welcome!

ditto... Welcome, Emily!

They're all interesting looking, I think that's they're appeal, outside of one or two songs.

Thanks everyone for the welcome, I made an introduction just today. I am enjoying this very much, everyone is so friendly! I had to comment on the Spice Girls as soon as I saw their names, they just annoy me. But everyone has their own opinion.

you're welcome!

eye candy

*** Doubts over Spice Girls surviving without Ginger Telephone counselors on the Samaritan suicide helpline are bracing for a flood of calls from pre-pubescent fans now that Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell has quit the Spice Girls. But pop pundits were gloomy about the chances of survival for the the "Girl Power" group, which became a $500 million merchandising and marketing industry. The remaining Spice Girls could also face legal action by promoters of the 40-date tour of the United States which starts - without self-proclaimed band leader Halliwell - next week. See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554424580-57a

i can sing i like to sing with my back turned to the audience they are the people out there, right? my voice sounds like Miles Davis' trumpet without the spit valve what i do need is a spit valve

do they do free form singing... if I could get them to record me in the shower... or in the car with the windows rolled down (and a big semi whooshing by...)

Don't mean to flatter myself, but my speaking voice sounds better than their singing, so I can't quite understand what the fuss is all about. They are a totally amusing and infantile band though, and for that I love them.

i have not heard a somg from them.

NO?!?! Their second CD is quite nice, I think. It's just fun to listen to, and some of their lyrics are a scream! REALLY intellectual, you know. Here's my favourite extract: treat me right, all night, makes me feel good, like you should last time lover,do you think I'm really cool and sexy, and I know you want to get with me, last time lover do you want to be my last time baby, could it be your first time maybe Then there's a bit that ends with: 'Cause I'm choosy not a floozy, I get my hit and then I run with it. And goes on: we got up and down to it, like the dirty bass in the music, I got my major chords strumming, took some time and then we're really buzzing Frist bite wet my appetite, second helping's always better, started getting burning hot, I found my pride not easy, slowed it down I said stop

My sister and I still play our sick game of translating the lyrics of pop songs into Afrikaans, and this particular song had me making lemonade in my pants on the phone, on my living room floor with it's brand new carpet one Sunday afternoon.

*cackle* *grin* thanks for sharing!

yeah, can you do it visually?

make lemonade?!?!? outta the pants?!?!?!

Well, imagine a leg. Now imagine a wam trickle. Imagine not being able to change pants that instant. That's what it's like.

I have one pair of pants that I wash in lemonade. Those are my lemonade pants. They cling real tight and all the girls at the playground like how they look and taste. It caught on. Their teachers are wearing lemonade pants more than not. Even the school groundskeepers.... they've got the sprinkler system shooting out lemonade. The grass is growin' like hotcakes. Mayor has taken notice. So have all the local asylum residents.

You're pissed, aren't you?

as in drunk or as in mad as heck?

I'm not at all sure - I can never tell. Little of both perhaps?

I wasn't pissed at all. It was pure whimsy. I was having fun. Granted, I could've been having fun being pissed at you, taking satisfaction in taking a cheap shot at you, except for one thing: that's not what was going on. And that's not something I ever want to have going on with you. On the other hand, regardless of a statement I make like the last one, I am certainly dysfunctional enough to take cheap shots when I think I'm not.....or hoping I'm not when I'm also figuring yeah maybe I am or yeah I probably am or yeah I am but I want to anyway. Your feedback can help me there. Feedback that is specific can help me there. Feedback that refers to the actual thing I said. Rather than feedback that is a generalization of stuff that it seems I do in general. I'm also, as you can see, trying to do this kind of learning on my own, with or without feedback----by just giving myself auto-feedback. Does this all sound like sulking? I wish you would ask me if I'm sulking, each time that you bring it up instead of telling me that that's what I'm doing. Otherwise it feels like you're trying to get at me, negatively. And that hurts. What do you mean by sulking? Be specific, what did I say that led you to believe I was sulking? How am I to know? If it's a problem for you, it's good for us to go into it, right? Does this sound like the cold wordy manner I can take on in times like these (when I'm explaining my behavior or asking for clarification)? I mean, I know why people prefer to not go into things like this: if it gets too serious, has too many offended feelings, gets too cold, drawn out, under furrowed brow, etc., it can be good for people to NOT go into it, right? Cuz we could just make it worse. Or if we don't go into it, it could get worse. We could watch out for indirect potshots we might take at each other while we're going into this sticky dilemma, we could watch out for passive aggression and tacky innuendo. We could trust the other person's ability to not get upset at what we say to them when we're going into the problem, and we could trust that instead of getting upset, that we will respond effectively and even resolve it. Responding effectively includes being sensitive to being controlling or demanding or speaking our assumptions as if they were truth for both of us. I don't say my behavior is explainable or good, just because I try to explain it. Because I can explain it, and you can call me on it by saying, "Liar." You're often quite right. You were the last time (about my cat post/response). But saying 'liar' sounds to me like it's a Punch and Judy brand of humor (or something, maybe not humor) that you're using where you clobber me with an aggressive label, and then expect me to get it: that it was just your playful way of letting me know that I didn't get one by you and that I'm not foolin' anyone but myself. The truth is you're right. I'm not questioning the truth and substance of what you're saying. All I'm doing is checking with you on whether I got it right about how some of your humor or playfulness or responses work. Or am I way off? For some strange reason I didn't remember till just now that you have said about yourself, more than once, that you are impulsive and that it gets you into trouble. Does "impulsive" mean there's a reactionary mean streak in you that really isn't a mean streak at all, it's not mean at all, it's not even angry? And that's the nature of your playfulness or socializing ways? My wanting to know all this stuff about you is warmth (unless I'm wrong about how it's warmth, which is very likely, because I often miss stuff about me that others don't miss). Maybe I'm just being controlling. Does it feel like that? I want to know you better, so I don't get hurt or scared. And so I don't cause misunderstandings. And so we can relate better. How do you feel about it? One thing I was wondering about was when you said, "I'm not at all sure - I can never tell. Little of both perhaps?"---in your last post. Why can you never tell? What am I doing? What was it in what I actually said that made you say that? Would it be best for me to add a little *smile* each time? Should I say "this was pure whimsy"? Would you like me to add some other disclaimer or do something else? Warmth is wanting to help. I do want to. I'm a challenge, I'm not the easiest person to deal with, I can be pretty weird sometimes, eh? Here's something going on in my imagination right now: if you were to say to me: "Well that's it, Jim, couldn't you just stop being so weird, because it's too hard to tell how to take your responses!" That would be helpful, it creates a sense of direction. But here's my worry with something like that: I don't want to give up my weirdness, because I like it. I like it alot. Perhaps it would help alot if I would change something around it that I just can't myself think of what it might be..... Any ideas? Perhaps it would help alot if I change how I set it up, and how I could also consider just not using it every time, or at least less often. Or maybe when I do a dose of weirdness, that I don't do just that: that I also add a dose of non-weirdness to kinda balance it out? But I do want to start right now to really cut down on how I cause frustration in you, since for one thing, your frustration causes frustration in me. It's highly interactive. Perhaps that's what you're picking up on with the "sulking": maybe it's really just my frustration reacting to yours in the highly interactive way that commonly happens. I want to do my part to make things better. Whaddaya say?

Jim, first of all: when I asked whether you were pissed, I was just having fun. Just that. I was not getting at you, I was not making a generelization about your words, but about the fun. Why do you think I'm getting at you all the time? I'm not. Because I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. I am sorry if I was being too sarcastic and I am sorry if it looked mean, and that's what I hate about having to talk to you (all) via computer. One only sees the words. You cannot see the person's face, and hear their voice, and therefore things can easily get distorted and confused. I know my words are sharp and sarcastic alot of the time - but if you could see me, you would know how deeply I care. But it is hard for me to say things like that just like that - I am always afraid the other person will feel uncomfortable. So I say, 'You know, I really hate you Jim.' or if I love a response (and adored that one you wrote yesterday in poem form) I say: 'You are pissed, aren't you?' Otherwise I would end up saying things like: 'You lift me to higher grounds.' or 'I feel strangely akin to you at times.' And you would think I'm some mad infantile person on the other side of the ocean, desperate for a f--ck, and develop an even greater dislike that you have already through my sarcasm. I don't take the things you say as cheap shots either - I misunderstood you once; don't you think I have apologized for that enough now. I said I am sorry many times, but this is the last. I am sorry - take it or leave it. I love you, but I will not lick your backside. Is that clear and specific enough for you? I read your responses very carefully, I laugh at them, they cheer me; if I fail to express this it is for lack of writer's talent, not appreciation. And I am sorry if my words do not satisfy you - I just don't have the vocabulary; I am still learning the language. As far as dysfunctional is concerned - YOU made that accusation, not me. You call yourself dysfunctional, and I don't like it if you keep throwing the word at me like you accuse me of something. Because I don't like the way you call yourself dysfunctional. It is unfair and a lie - yes, Jim a lie. Because one does not have to be married or involved with someone to be 'functional'. Alot of married people lead a ten times more dysfunctional love and relationship life than you do. Your problem is that y u're an emotional softie, and that's not my fault. I swear if you were mine, I'd drill that out of you first thing. But you are my friend; I have no claim or right to drill it out of you, but I will tell you, because you asked me to. You must stop being so terrified of having your heart broken; it does one GOOD every once in a while, and it won't kill you either. So get off your pedestal and join me here in loser's land - you might just find a little happiness as well. Because pain and pleasure nev r let go of each other. You think I am wrong when I say that, but I am not. Unlike you I chase my feelings as hard as I can, I want to experience ALL of it, because only that way can I face my fears and not let them control me. If they bash me over the head every now and again, I can get over them. But if you are going to run away from them for the rest of your life, you will be dissapointed in the end, and unfulfilled, and disillusioned. There is nothing heroic about it, because it doesn't take alot of bravery to keep other people out of your heart's domain. I mean none of this AGAINST you, please. You asked me how I feel and to be more specific, so here it is. How can you think I meant it when I said 'liar'? What the hell kind of a bitch do you think I am? Once again, I said it with a smile. If you want I can type in SMILE instead of full-stop marks when I make a response, so you can know better. We are obviously hopeless at interpreting each other's words, but if that's the way it is, then we must solve it. Because I value your friendship, and I don't want a damned computer standing between us, and how we see each other. It would be an unfortunate waste. For me anyway. Yes, I am impulsive. That does not mean I say things I don't mean all the time, but I express myself as the thoughts enter my head. No, I'm not a sif either. But it means that I am not the most graceful woman ever to have walked the earth. I can understand how some people can think I am mean, even brutal (as you once put it) - but I am not. Again, if you could see me, you would know that I just play around alot. I do it because I am happy and happy to be here, and I only do it with people I like alot. If I didn't like you, I would not play with you, believe me. I would be so polite, you'd cringe. (As you can see, I am just writing according to your response, so forgive me if it doesn't all make sense - I am being impulsive again.) I know you are a warm person, Jim, and I hope you know that of me too. Perhaps you are a little more passionate than you may think, perhaps that is why there is so much friction between us. But friction isn't bad - it just creates more warmth, and for that I will not apologize. Because I want to be warm with you; friendship is warm, my feelings towards you are warm. No, I don't EVER want you to give up your weirdness - or anything else. I accept and appreciate all of it. I love you because you are weird - normal people are so boring. I also accept and appreciate your fears, the ones I talk of rather 'warmly' earlier in my response. I accept them, but I don't want you to turn them into accusations against me. I want you to know that I don't sit here waiting for the opportunity to hurt or belittle you; but I will not pamper you verbally either, so forget it. You express your friendship through weirdness and flattery - I express mine with lack of both graces; please try and accept me too. I don't just say mean things to you though, do I, Jim? I distincly remember calling you sweet just a day or so ago. You want more. Alright, I love you because you are sweet, weird, intelligent, wordy, sulky, unpredictable, imperfect, sincere, sexy, sulky (in that wordy manner), quick, warm, funny, gorgeous and intriguing. Those were the first words that popped up, so they will convey my feelings about you best. No, I did not mean them as a joke. Don't change your responses - I am not so egotistical as to expect people to change in order to accommodate my preferances. I am not angry, so stop tormenting yourself. I am licking, not biting or swallowing, so don't be hurt by it. And I only lick what I like. With all my love.

Look, Jim, we're causing some more mind strikes here! Or perhaps Stacey and Terry were practising for their Spice Girl try-outs?

like love letters that were nevah sent like 2 hitchhikers strummin they guitarboxes while they wait alongsides the road but we in a car goin da othah way and we cain't hear 'em no-how anyhoo look how bright them big spaces is, maybe they was in the midst of swappin raw sunshine for the glare of the stage lights maybe they turn they heads to watch the fist fights goin' on behind them (some fights is mo' intelesting 'n othahs) maybe they both come down the stairs into the deep stream of dance and maybe they was talkin to us in movements we will only know through romance maybe they was screamin with a blood-curdlin' chill maybe they was touchin in on us as time stood still maybe try as hard as we will with all our verbal visual skill we'll never know them the same as we know our Herman Melville

Ooh, that's deep, Texas Jim. Does that mean you're going to join me for the try-outs? With your intriguing lyrics and my voice - I mean, we might just become the newest boy group. Or should we make that a girl group? Hmm . . . wonder which'll be easier.

Swiss Riette, yer lyrics me thinks is mo' intriguing than mine. Yer not from Switzerland & I not from Texas. We're both from Namibia. Actually i is from Pennsylvania. I could be yer attendant. As you prepare for your try-outs, especially on the day of, I can keep the fondue pots goin' strong, and you can gargle yer voice into fine fettle.

You're from Pennsylvania? I always thought that Pennsylvania WAS in Texas. And that's fun and funny, because you thought Namibia was in Texas too, remember? So there's no real need for confusion, is there. Because it's all settled. We're both from Texas. Does that mean I'm a cowgirl now? You going to be my attendant? Yeah, and what are you going to attend to? You going to make my bed as well? And we'll have to drink lots of kirsch with that fondue, because it's the only thing that clears up the voice; a bottle or so ought to do the trick if it's going to have to stay clear through a whole song. But I promise I won't inflict any singing on you - I sound like the phlegm creature himself. Ha-Ha! Perhaps you should do the singing, and I'll be the token love-interest. That way I'll have an excuse to see what you look like under the cardigan. How does that sound?

we can both get under that cardigan the singing sounds like it feels, in there after a couple Rolling Rocks it feels even better'n it'll ever sound Pennsylvania gets ticklish with its beer we could probably get it to chuckle up another six-pack uv Rolling Rock and we'll be roooolllin' our rocks off and i will protect you from my voice by simply doin' the listenin' to & encouragin' of yours spice grrrls probably gonna be doin' the same

And blushing their little faces to bits. But I don't want to get under that cardigan unless you let me go on top. That's how I like it. Oh, but I forgot - we're both control freaks. Could be a tricky situation, but your Rolling Rocks might just rock both our rollin' a bit. That way we can take turns to be on top under the cardigan . . . Yeah, down under, under down, up top, top it up. I'll even sing for you where no-one else can hear me, but only if you promise not to listen to the croaky bits. They might even think we're dancing, but we'll know what's really going on under that cardigan . . . all that moaning and sighing and panting as we knit a scarf to go with it . . . .

Did you say you're a professional voice artist? If'n that's true, ever do any animation work? If'n that's true, was it any fun? or all work? tough work?

Hmm, will I get my little pink Trivial Pursuit cheese for answering? Here goes (and why do you want to know anyway?) Yes, it's how I earned my living before coming to Switzerland. But I do occasional things here - hard to find stuff in English though. (My German accent is not good enough, and I hate the language - it's so harsh.) My last job was a performance of Facade (fantastic poetry - bit like yours, no SERIOUSLY - by Edith Sitwell for voice and music - composed by William Walton of course), my all time favourite piece of work. Have you ever read it? You MUST - you'll adore it, I promise. Animation work in Namibia? Please, Jim! But I would love to do something like that . . . perhaps in Australia the opportunity will pop up - who knows. Started studying drama at a local drama school when I was fourteen. After a year or so my voice suddenly changed quite dramatically, and matured almost overnight, so I soon started specializing in voice jobs That's how I got involved. My first real job was when I was sixteen, a radio drama/thriller/love story thing. Had to audition with people twice my age, but since the voice by then kind of resembled that of these big bull frogs, I got the part. From then I did mostly that kind of thing, and feelin all smitten with myself for getting to play the heroine all the time. Ha-ha, if only the listeners knew!! CRRRIIINNGGEEE. And some literary readings. No work, all play!! I adored it - much more so than art. One can do so much with one's voice (will show you sometime). Singing is not part of the talent though. The notes come out fine as such, it's just that it's such a damned blurr! Like listening to Japanese radio from Namibia. When talking I can control the hoarseness well now, but $hit, SINGING! Total disaster. So you see, you'll HAVE to take care of that part. I'll cough every now and again for that sensual touch . . .

quite a lot you've tried in 24 years, Riette! lemme know when the Texas/Swiss cheesy cardigan band is coming to town!

Doing WHAT?! Selling cheese and champaigne truffles, I suppose . . . Didn't study though - parents wanted me to study law or nothing. So I chose nothing, but if we do end up going to Australia I intend to remedy that. Just hope my brain isn't too rusty by then, and the other students will probably laugh at this old woman sitting in the front row with two kids drawing blue snails on her feet . . . ha-ha! Oh, and I want to live on an acreage outside the city where I can plant apple and cherry trees. What you dreaming of?

dreaming of contentedness... of trading the feelings of anxiety and nervous blackness in for excitement and peace and drive in a particular direction

You sound depressed. What's wrong?

new house...having to let her kids go for the summer... competitiveness in Ultimate...misses the high tech work life even though teaching is so fulfilling...residuals from the break-in... stuff like that would be my guess, anyway... anything we can do, teach? Maybe take you to a nice Spice Girls concert?

$hit, no! I mean, much as I like them, those girls are butt ugly! They can't sing, they can't dance, they're fat and they're millionairesses. That sure as hell won't cheer Stacey. Stacey, are you over that break-in thing yet?

They're playing with Pavaratti I hear. At some benefit. What a match.

Good Lord, you serious?!?!? I don't like Pavarotti - but perhaps he could teach them a few moves. And they can teach him to sing with his voice instead of his tum.

pretty good psycho-analyzing WER... or perhaps I'm just quintessentially predictable! Yes, I do miss my kids... I worry about their summers spent in the environment that first qualified them for my class. I wonder if they'll remember all we discussed surrounding self-respect and responsibility for their own actions... the house is a big one. Not sure I can explain why... (WER, you probably could!) And thank you, for the concert invite but I'm gonna take my competitive little butt to the Lilith Fair instead of the Spice Girl concert (?). At the moment listening to Little Sister (now known as Sister 7), fabulous Austin funk, rock, punk band who got their start at the Black Cat just as I moved to Austin!

Free Love and Nickel Beer is the name of the CD. Recorded live at Club DADA in Dallas about five years ago! A must listen!

It's just been released that following Ginger's departure, Louise Woodward accepted the open slot in the Spice Girls. Louise's first official act was reportedly to drop Baby Spice.

ha-ha!!!!! That's a great one!! Going to phone Mr. C. quickly to tell him - he'll laugh himself to bits!