Not physical me, only this me here. I'm moving to a new blog server. I'm hoping to be able to shift all of these blogs over with me like so many boxes in a transit van.
The new blog will look a lot prettier and have a lot more 'tools' to play with in the spirit of 2.0
Friday, 30 November 2007
Monday, 26 November 2007
I've...
Decided - not to trim my beard back anymore until next year. Lets see how big I can stand to let it get.
Lost - my My Morning Jacket tee shirt. This is bad news, it means a lot to me and is my favourite item of clothing
Lost - my My Morning Jacket tee shirt. This is bad news, it means a lot to me and is my favourite item of clothing
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Sunday... again
Ugh.. it's impossible to enjoy an empty sunday when you're tired and the shadow of working tomorrow swings over your day like a dark cloud.
Am I the only one who see's those Motorway matrix signs that announce the distance and expected time to a junction as a challenge? I see the sign reading "To J9 Ashford 20 minutes" and it's a dark and clear motorway I can't seem to stop my right foot dropping down heavier on the gas pedal in an attempt to do it in 15.
I'm also curious why I can't help but picture John Travolta getting shot when Pop Tarts are mentioned.
In one of those rediscovering an old album moments I listend to R.E.M's New Adventures In Hi-Fi today. One of the songs had popped up on one of those old tape compilations I dug up a while ago. I hadn't listened to R.E.M in ages.. nothing that really appealed anymore. That being said New Adventures has always been my favourite thing they did and it gets a lot of respect from me. Here was a band still coming down from Automatic For The People who changed their sound for Monster and saw diminshed sales and rather than just go back and write another Automtic they made their bravest album to date sonically having just been given a huge pay day from Warner Bros for signing. There must've been a huge amount of pressure to produce another Losing My Religion but they stuck to their guns. Got to respect that even if you don't like the band.
While hunting for videos of songs from New Adventures I found this instead... good ol' Mr Vedder
Am I the only one who see's those Motorway matrix signs that announce the distance and expected time to a junction as a challenge? I see the sign reading "To J9 Ashford 20 minutes" and it's a dark and clear motorway I can't seem to stop my right foot dropping down heavier on the gas pedal in an attempt to do it in 15.
I'm also curious why I can't help but picture John Travolta getting shot when Pop Tarts are mentioned.
In one of those rediscovering an old album moments I listend to R.E.M's New Adventures In Hi-Fi today. One of the songs had popped up on one of those old tape compilations I dug up a while ago. I hadn't listened to R.E.M in ages.. nothing that really appealed anymore. That being said New Adventures has always been my favourite thing they did and it gets a lot of respect from me. Here was a band still coming down from Automatic For The People who changed their sound for Monster and saw diminshed sales and rather than just go back and write another Automtic they made their bravest album to date sonically having just been given a huge pay day from Warner Bros for signing. There must've been a huge amount of pressure to produce another Losing My Religion but they stuck to their guns. Got to respect that even if you don't like the band.
While hunting for videos of songs from New Adventures I found this instead... good ol' Mr Vedder
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Covers Up and Wrap Up
Wrap Up: it's cold - I have a cold.
Amusingly timed adverts: Two excruciatingly painful ads for the Beckham fragrances (ugh don't even get me started) followed by a black screen and the words "The dangers of acid erosion." A ha ha ha
Covers Up: Ok, there's a blog I read religiously and have raved about its genius before. The Berkeley Place blog is great for an all consuming music adorer like myself. Or like myself wants to be. Anyway a recent post on said blog sent out the requests for opinions on the Best Covers of the Century... so far. Great covers made after Jan 1st 2000. Of course, being the music lover I want to be and the madman of lists I spent little time finalising mine having already aquired a "Great Covers" section in my mental jukebox.
Whilst I seem to be having trouble submitting my list as a comment on the Berkeley blog I'm gonna put it here. Feel free to criticise, praise or add. Please. I'm desperate and ill, amuse me!!
1. Rocket Man (Elton John) - My Morning Jacket
2. Such Great Heights (Postal Service) - Iron & Wine
3. Against All Odds (Phil Collins) - Postal Service
4. Everyday (Buddy Holly) - Rogue Wave
5. Trouble (Cat Stevens) - Elliott Smith
6. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak) - Giant Drag
7. Devil Town (Daniel Johnston) - Bright Eyes
8. Ocean Breathes Salty (Modest Mouse) - Sun Kil Moon
9. State Trooper (Bruce Springsteen) - Arcade Fire
10. Love Rein O'er Me (The Who) - Pearl Jam
Go ahead and check em out if you don't believe me. If I knew how I'd post MP3s or links to MP3s here. But I don't. Instead have a look at these. The first is a short film thing set to My Morning Jacket's cover of Rocket Man (which also featured in Californication).
Against All Odds, The Postal Service:
Trouble, Elliott Smith. No visual so just listen and miss him.
Amusingly timed adverts: Two excruciatingly painful ads for the Beckham fragrances (ugh don't even get me started) followed by a black screen and the words "The dangers of acid erosion." A ha ha ha
Covers Up: Ok, there's a blog I read religiously and have raved about its genius before. The Berkeley Place blog is great for an all consuming music adorer like myself. Or like myself wants to be. Anyway a recent post on said blog sent out the requests for opinions on the Best Covers of the Century... so far. Great covers made after Jan 1st 2000. Of course, being the music lover I want to be and the madman of lists I spent little time finalising mine having already aquired a "Great Covers" section in my mental jukebox.
Whilst I seem to be having trouble submitting my list as a comment on the Berkeley blog I'm gonna put it here. Feel free to criticise, praise or add. Please. I'm desperate and ill, amuse me!!
1. Rocket Man (Elton John) - My Morning Jacket
2. Such Great Heights (Postal Service) - Iron & Wine
3. Against All Odds (Phil Collins) - Postal Service
4. Everyday (Buddy Holly) - Rogue Wave
5. Trouble (Cat Stevens) - Elliott Smith
6. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak) - Giant Drag
7. Devil Town (Daniel Johnston) - Bright Eyes
8. Ocean Breathes Salty (Modest Mouse) - Sun Kil Moon
9. State Trooper (Bruce Springsteen) - Arcade Fire
10. Love Rein O'er Me (The Who) - Pearl Jam
Go ahead and check em out if you don't believe me. If I knew how I'd post MP3s or links to MP3s here. But I don't. Instead have a look at these. The first is a short film thing set to My Morning Jacket's cover of Rocket Man (which also featured in Californication).
Against All Odds, The Postal Service:
Trouble, Elliott Smith. No visual so just listen and miss him.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Why do they make Cliff Richard calendars? Surely all his fans are either too out of it to know what day it is, let alone month or year or living in the past? Come to think of it, why is there such an array of calenders? Why look at the same picture every day for a whole month, surely there's no way you can love something so much. Like Porsches? Want to look at the same picture of one for 31 days then, next month look at another for 30? It's not like you don't know what's coming either as everyone flips through the entire wealth of 12 pictures when they first get it. In fact, they look at the pictures on the back before they buy it or even open the shrink wrap. I've lost count of the number of calendars I've looked at out of idle boredom this year alone and not one of them contained an image so beguiling or stunning that I'd need a whole month to take it in or appreciate it.
That being said, I haven't seen any Penelope Cruz calenders yet... Quite a rant, nonetheless. My cynical and bitter mood may just be down to lack of sleep and yummy cake. I did have an active thursday evening and friday day.. A perfect day followed by two hours in traffic on the m25. Arghh poxy Dartford crossings. Either that or it could just be down to the stupid excess of marketing - everything has a calender.
A great weekend for BrokenOrchestra with a new song recorded and mixed after I spent the week entirely unhappy with my guitar part when we laid it down last week. Plus we managed a little festive ditty today that sounds like a dirty jam with Jingle Bells being violated by a fuzzy guitar. C'est Rock n Roll!
I'm a little concerned that I seem to have become addicted to playing random strangers at scrabble on facebook. This can't be a good thing. Can it? Still, healthier than crack and cheaper too.
That being said, I haven't seen any Penelope Cruz calenders yet... Quite a rant, nonetheless. My cynical and bitter mood may just be down to lack of sleep and yummy cake. I did have an active thursday evening and friday day.. A perfect day followed by two hours in traffic on the m25. Arghh poxy Dartford crossings. Either that or it could just be down to the stupid excess of marketing - everything has a calender.
A great weekend for BrokenOrchestra with a new song recorded and mixed after I spent the week entirely unhappy with my guitar part when we laid it down last week. Plus we managed a little festive ditty today that sounds like a dirty jam with Jingle Bells being violated by a fuzzy guitar. C'est Rock n Roll!
I'm a little concerned that I seem to have become addicted to playing random strangers at scrabble on facebook. This can't be a good thing. Can it? Still, healthier than crack and cheaper too.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Do You Need Any Help?
Ok, something is bugging me. Surprise surprise, right? It's the over-helpfulness that certain retail outlets push out.
I went into Sainsburys the other evening for a couple of items, literally two things. 2 pints of milk and a loaf of bread so that I could have breakfast and make lunch the next day before work. I get to the till and what does the cashier ask? "Would you like any help with packing?" Now, granted if it's a parent with their kids and a weekly shop I could understand that question but when it's just one bloke and his beard there's really no need for it. And there's no way to answer it without sounding grumpy/ungrateful or sarcastic: "No" or "I'm fine, thanks."
Popped into Halfords (bastards, bastards, bastards) this morning as one of my stoplights is out and I wanted to get the bulb while I remembered. Get to the till and what do they ask? "Would you like that fitted for you?" What??!!! Yeah sure charge me a tenner to fit a £2 bulb. Granted I did look a bit... disoreantated but it was early (half tenish) on a Sunday morning, I was tired, there were a LOT of noisy kids upstairs playing with bikes and the stereo was blasting out r'n'b from the audio department so I wouldn't exactly be looking alert or thrilled if it were any other time of day.
Go to HMV, take a CD to the counter and they ask "is there anything else you wanted?" What??!! Why??!! Do they think that, well, yes I actually wanted another couple of albums but couldn't be bothered with bringing them up here so I'd like you to show your great degree of customer service by going and getting them for me. In fact, while you're asking I'd like Penelope Cruz, a private yact in a tropical ocean and a tub of squirty cream - all one situation mind.
These aren't just isolated instances. My point is that, yes, it is nice that you offer good customer service but when you offer it constantly when it is CLEARLY not needed it becomes redundant and seems 100% insincere and when somebody does need you to go out of the way it no longer seems like you're giving something special in the way of service more over that you're just doing something you didn't expect to be taken up on. Perhaps it's incase each customer is the dreaded Mystery Shopper and you don't wanna be losing points because you couldn't be bothered to smile (though that seems to have gone out of the window and been replaced with a somewhat begrudging "is there anything else we can do for you today?" yeah: fuck off) so they go over the top. Surely, though, the mystery shopper is unlikely to just be buying a pack of socks while texting on his mobile? Use your common sense! Seriously, much more of this forced politeness - which never comes across as genuine - and I may just start going back on my morals and using the automatic tills.
In other news, I regret to announce that I recently destroyed Legs' homes on my wing mirror at the jet wash. After a week of despair and guilt I was thrilled when I headed out to my car yesterday to find that he/she had built a spectacular web in place of the others and is obviously a waterproof arachnid. Long live Legs
I went into Sainsburys the other evening for a couple of items, literally two things. 2 pints of milk and a loaf of bread so that I could have breakfast and make lunch the next day before work. I get to the till and what does the cashier ask? "Would you like any help with packing?" Now, granted if it's a parent with their kids and a weekly shop I could understand that question but when it's just one bloke and his beard there's really no need for it. And there's no way to answer it without sounding grumpy/ungrateful or sarcastic: "No" or "I'm fine, thanks."
Popped into Halfords (bastards, bastards, bastards) this morning as one of my stoplights is out and I wanted to get the bulb while I remembered. Get to the till and what do they ask? "Would you like that fitted for you?" What??!!! Yeah sure charge me a tenner to fit a £2 bulb. Granted I did look a bit... disoreantated but it was early (half tenish) on a Sunday morning, I was tired, there were a LOT of noisy kids upstairs playing with bikes and the stereo was blasting out r'n'b from the audio department so I wouldn't exactly be looking alert or thrilled if it were any other time of day.
Go to HMV, take a CD to the counter and they ask "is there anything else you wanted?" What??!! Why??!! Do they think that, well, yes I actually wanted another couple of albums but couldn't be bothered with bringing them up here so I'd like you to show your great degree of customer service by going and getting them for me. In fact, while you're asking I'd like Penelope Cruz, a private yact in a tropical ocean and a tub of squirty cream - all one situation mind.
These aren't just isolated instances. My point is that, yes, it is nice that you offer good customer service but when you offer it constantly when it is CLEARLY not needed it becomes redundant and seems 100% insincere and when somebody does need you to go out of the way it no longer seems like you're giving something special in the way of service more over that you're just doing something you didn't expect to be taken up on. Perhaps it's incase each customer is the dreaded Mystery Shopper and you don't wanna be losing points because you couldn't be bothered to smile (though that seems to have gone out of the window and been replaced with a somewhat begrudging "is there anything else we can do for you today?" yeah: fuck off) so they go over the top. Surely, though, the mystery shopper is unlikely to just be buying a pack of socks while texting on his mobile? Use your common sense! Seriously, much more of this forced politeness - which never comes across as genuine - and I may just start going back on my morals and using the automatic tills.
In other news, I regret to announce that I recently destroyed Legs' homes on my wing mirror at the jet wash. After a week of despair and guilt I was thrilled when I headed out to my car yesterday to find that he/she had built a spectacular web in place of the others and is obviously a waterproof arachnid. Long live Legs
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Nero has soft jazz, 'Bucks have Jeff
I was in HMV today - yeah, unusual, I know - and I saw this kid who could only have been 10 at the most, he was about 4 foot nothing with this huge mop of curly blonde hair and he excitedly grabbed a Megadeath boxset from the metal section and proceeded to tell his mum how "Megadeath rule." Surely I can't be the only one who finds it weird for kids so young to be browsing the metal section? I only know two things about said band, one that they were on the Last Action Hero (hugely underrated film) soundtrack and that the singer was in Metallica. Oh, and they really don't rule, sorry kid.
As much as I hate the idea of record stores vanishing I still hunt more online for cd's simply because of the range of choice and lower prices - I still buy CD's not digital, I like to have something tangible. Thanks to another price cut at my usual source I've been able to get hold of Thurston Moore's first solo outing and the Youth's Sonic Nurse (usually £16 even at Play) for a fiver a piece. Bonus.
In an effort to reduce the amount of my life that's still in storage I recently removed a few boxes of stuff from the storage depot and one of the boxes was full of cassettes that I'd made, the good ol' mix tapes. Now, bearing in mind that I've had a CD player in my car for the last 4 years these tapes go back a way. It's strange to listen to them and be surprised as each track arrives and you think "Jesus, what was I thinking putting this on here." The amusement of finding Teenage Kicks following All My Life. I don't think I'd heard a single Sonic Youth song back then.
Now, it may be strange but I find the music in the background important when drinking a coffee. Starbucks in Ashford isn't usually the best place and Nero's tends to be soft jazz, no bad thing. Yet. Starbucks in Lakeside the other day were playing the new Rilo Kiley album and the Canterbury branch on my visit last week were playing Jeff Buckley. Not Grace either, the even less likely Sketches for My Sweetheart The Drunk. Perfect music for sippin the GB latte.
There's not a lot going on this week aside from my ever growing loathing of work. Not my job, just working and sacrificing my time to do so. I need to find that magic Get Out Of Jail Free card.
I sat and watched Eddie Murphy's Raw last night and spent a lot of time trying to stop from covering my pants with urine. Always made me laugh but on seeing the sketch below I wondered two things: has Paul McCartney seen this lately and how many divorces and payouts has Eddie had now? How times change, from Raw and 48 Hours to... The Klumps and Daddy Day Care.
Whilst browsing youtube for vids of Jeff Buckley (all embedding disabled but look up Everybody Here Wants You for a great song) and the above EM clip I was surprised to find a fair few Last Days of April videos including the one at the end. One of my favourite bands who I urge people to listen to. In the meantime I'm struggling not to turn this blog into a forum for my own bad observational comedy having recently bought and almost consumed Seasons 1,2 & 3 of Seinfeld. Perfect television show. That reminds me, can't wait for the next Californication.
Bon Soir
As much as I hate the idea of record stores vanishing I still hunt more online for cd's simply because of the range of choice and lower prices - I still buy CD's not digital, I like to have something tangible. Thanks to another price cut at my usual source I've been able to get hold of Thurston Moore's first solo outing and the Youth's Sonic Nurse (usually £16 even at Play) for a fiver a piece. Bonus.
In an effort to reduce the amount of my life that's still in storage I recently removed a few boxes of stuff from the storage depot and one of the boxes was full of cassettes that I'd made, the good ol' mix tapes. Now, bearing in mind that I've had a CD player in my car for the last 4 years these tapes go back a way. It's strange to listen to them and be surprised as each track arrives and you think "Jesus, what was I thinking putting this on here." The amusement of finding Teenage Kicks following All My Life. I don't think I'd heard a single Sonic Youth song back then.
Now, it may be strange but I find the music in the background important when drinking a coffee. Starbucks in Ashford isn't usually the best place and Nero's tends to be soft jazz, no bad thing. Yet. Starbucks in Lakeside the other day were playing the new Rilo Kiley album and the Canterbury branch on my visit last week were playing Jeff Buckley. Not Grace either, the even less likely Sketches for My Sweetheart The Drunk. Perfect music for sippin the GB latte.
There's not a lot going on this week aside from my ever growing loathing of work. Not my job, just working and sacrificing my time to do so. I need to find that magic Get Out Of Jail Free card.
I sat and watched Eddie Murphy's Raw last night and spent a lot of time trying to stop from covering my pants with urine. Always made me laugh but on seeing the sketch below I wondered two things: has Paul McCartney seen this lately and how many divorces and payouts has Eddie had now? How times change, from Raw and 48 Hours to... The Klumps and Daddy Day Care.
Whilst browsing youtube for vids of Jeff Buckley (all embedding disabled but look up Everybody Here Wants You for a great song) and the above EM clip I was surprised to find a fair few Last Days of April videos including the one at the end. One of my favourite bands who I urge people to listen to. In the meantime I'm struggling not to turn this blog into a forum for my own bad observational comedy having recently bought and almost consumed Seasons 1,2 & 3 of Seinfeld. Perfect television show. That reminds me, can't wait for the next Californication.
Bon Soir
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Little Red Courgette
Charity shops: not something I've really ventured into before but have recently become a good source for CD hunting. I obtained Iron and Wine's The Creek Drank the Cradle and Tori Amos' Strange Little Girls for a mere two quid each along with an old RATM single in PDSA of all places. Not that you'd associate Rage with animal cruelty it just seemed like an odd place to find it to me.
Iron and Wine... I've been really getting into them lately. I've had Our Endless Numbered Days for a while now and loved it and got given the new album, The Shepherd's Dog, for my birthday. On my fruitful trip to Canterbury during the week I managed to pick up two more EP's and the charity shop purchase means I have a lot more to listen to. Sam Beam is a musical great.
Briefly on the subject of music: Friday was an amazingly creative day for BrokenOrchestra. I'll leave it at that for today. Stereophonics seem to have become the most boring band in the world.
I've been doing a lot of driving on motorways at night this last week or so. This means I've been privvy to a lot of free firework displays as I skirt around the tarmaced edges of cities and towns in the dark. Especially the big city itself. I like London at night, driving over the Dartford bridge and looking across at all the lights is nice, nicer than during the day when I just think about how much of a shame it is that the river is barely used these days. That the M25 is lit at night makes me think two things; firstly that it must be a large electrical bill and secondly that the road serves as a dayglow belt around an overweight, bloated and gassy fat man heaving it's way to a heart attack. Not that I dislike London, a few areas I really like. A few.
My new(ish) car eats up the motorway miles like they're nothing but there's two signs that I'm almost home that I love to see. The first is Aylesford Newsprint. I've been on the tour there a long time ago and it's an awe inspiring place inside but seeing the outside and condensation steam rising from the towers lets me know that I'm about 15-20 minutes away. The other is a white house. Just as you come round a bend there's a white house that I guess is down Sandyhurst Lane but as it comes into view it's directly opposite the sign for my junction. A welcome sight after a long journey.
I had a Gingerbread Latte yesterday!! As much as I hate the earlier and earlier build up to Christmas - mainly as it intrudes upon my birthday - I do love the Starbucks festive drinks. Just wish they'd bring back that cinamon dolce thing they did. Also wish I could spell that word...
Argh, gotta go back to work tomorrow.. I need to clear that writers block and maybe then I can get around to finishing a book. I used to have so many ideas and now I haven't written a word since it turned out my last one was bearing a bizarre similarity in it's beginnings to Twin Peaks - which I'd never seen before. Or a job where I can work from home occasionally. I like drinking coffee during the day outside of the office.
Iron and Wine... I've been really getting into them lately. I've had Our Endless Numbered Days for a while now and loved it and got given the new album, The Shepherd's Dog, for my birthday. On my fruitful trip to Canterbury during the week I managed to pick up two more EP's and the charity shop purchase means I have a lot more to listen to. Sam Beam is a musical great.
Briefly on the subject of music: Friday was an amazingly creative day for BrokenOrchestra. I'll leave it at that for today. Stereophonics seem to have become the most boring band in the world.
I've been doing a lot of driving on motorways at night this last week or so. This means I've been privvy to a lot of free firework displays as I skirt around the tarmaced edges of cities and towns in the dark. Especially the big city itself. I like London at night, driving over the Dartford bridge and looking across at all the lights is nice, nicer than during the day when I just think about how much of a shame it is that the river is barely used these days. That the M25 is lit at night makes me think two things; firstly that it must be a large electrical bill and secondly that the road serves as a dayglow belt around an overweight, bloated and gassy fat man heaving it's way to a heart attack. Not that I dislike London, a few areas I really like. A few.
My new(ish) car eats up the motorway miles like they're nothing but there's two signs that I'm almost home that I love to see. The first is Aylesford Newsprint. I've been on the tour there a long time ago and it's an awe inspiring place inside but seeing the outside and condensation steam rising from the towers lets me know that I'm about 15-20 minutes away. The other is a white house. Just as you come round a bend there's a white house that I guess is down Sandyhurst Lane but as it comes into view it's directly opposite the sign for my junction. A welcome sight after a long journey.
I had a Gingerbread Latte yesterday!! As much as I hate the earlier and earlier build up to Christmas - mainly as it intrudes upon my birthday - I do love the Starbucks festive drinks. Just wish they'd bring back that cinamon dolce thing they did. Also wish I could spell that word...
Argh, gotta go back to work tomorrow.. I need to clear that writers block and maybe then I can get around to finishing a book. I used to have so many ideas and now I haven't written a word since it turned out my last one was bearing a bizarre similarity in it's beginnings to Twin Peaks - which I'd never seen before. Or a job where I can work from home occasionally. I like drinking coffee during the day outside of the office.
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