My Blog Posts

I bought the latest Saint Etienne album, called Finisterre, at lunch time. The first line of the first track is “Have you ever been to a Harvester before?”. Well it tickled me anyway.

Whilst I am talking about music, the new Beth Orton album Daybreaker is an absolute corker. The first couple of listens are a bit dissapointing, but after a few plays it just clicks, a series of sublime tunes topped off with a lovely voice. Of course, your opinion may vary but this is my vanity web site so I can say what I like. Before this turns into a reviews page I would just like to point out that I am warbling on about music because I now have my MP3 jukebox plugged into my PC at work and am actually getting to listen to all of the CDs I have bought over the last six months. Oh, and before anyone accuses me of musical elitism I would like to point out that I am booked on the Marillion weekend next year. Which almost legitimises Jonny Palmer’s taste in music. Almost, Jon, but not quite.

I recently bought the new Beck album, mainly on the advice of the lovely people from Q. I’m sorry folks, but I just don’t get it. Its dull, insipid and uninspiring. I have tried, believe me I’ve tried, but repeated listenings have done nothing to change my opinion. Its quite surprising because I usually find the reviews in Q intelligent, accurate and to the point, and they absolutely raved about Sea Change. I don’t always agree with them of course, but they are usually spot on with their assessments. I will put this one down to experience and go back to Badly Drawn Boy, whose the Hour of the Bewilderbeast album is everything that Beck isn’t.

I don’t normally do politics here. But I couldn’t resist linking to this post on one of the blogs I keep an eye on. Completely spot on I would say. Here endeth the lesson. Normal service will be resumed shortly with another amusing story of my life and times.

The English, UK spellchecker in Microsoft Word recognises “Kylie” but not “Kylix”. Just thought I would mention that. Today I has mostly been listening to Marillion. By the way, you cannot imagine how hard it was to find a Francis Dunnery lyric to title this post. Time for a new plan methinks.

Good to see that the mighty England Cricket team have started their Ashes tour as they mean to go on. For those who aren’t aware, here is the BBC Sport report on the first match of the tour. Which we lost to what looks like a saturday afternoon side. Only two weeks to the first test match, and already it isn’t looking good.

Another weekend with the delightful Lewis family. Julia was convinced that I would acquire lots of material that I could share via this web page. Well, perhaps, but I think I will wait until the girls are a little older. Its much more embarrassing to be reminded of these kind of shenanigans when you have reached your teens. Or is it just that I am a cruel man? Anyway, I am in trouble with the wife so I had better apply my energies to where they will be of most benefit.

Today, I as been mostly listening to James and Coldplay. They go remarkably well together, like a pair of old slippers. Marvellous. We are off to Poynings for the weekend to play with small children. With a bit of luck we return to sanity on Sunday night. Just join me in a silent prayer that I don’t have to watch any Tweenies videos.

This one is for the seventies throwback. Not that he reads this page of course, but I will show it to him the next time I see him and tie him to a chair long enough to look at “that interweb thingy”. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the garden. Sometimes life is just too sweet. The random playlist function on my MP3 jukebox just came up with the following tracks;

I don’t want to turn this into a weather blog, so this will be the last entry on the subject - for a while at least. But, blimey, the sun is out and I can see blue skies. In London. In October. As Terry Wogan would say, “Stab me vitals” I am going to have to go and lie down now.

Secured today, three tickets for the Fast Show Live at the Brixton Academy on the 28th of November. Suddenly, being in London doesn’t seem such a bad thing. Or, as they say on the television “Suits you sir” Mind you, it is still very cold, and there was a bit of wind last night as well.

This morning, on the Danny Baker show, one of the phone in topics was people who aren’t very adventurous with food. Amy from Catford phoned in and mentioned that her sister was a life long vegetarian who didn’t like vegetables. For the curious apparently she exists on Marmite and pasta, in the same dish. I can’t imagine that eating out with her would be any fun. Oh, and there is absolutely no subtext to this post whatsoever. Honest.

Cold, so cold. I’m off to buy some more jumpers. That is all.

Courtesy of the lovely people at Yahoo! I discover that I share my birthday with such luminaries as; Michelle Trachtenberg, Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer who is 17 today. Jane Krakowski, who played Elaine in the worst TV show in the world was born on exactly the same day as me. Luke Perry, who can’t act his way out of a wet paper bag, is two years older than I am, and looking it I think. I’d make a much better matinee idol. Daryl Hall is 53 today - blimey. On the day I was born Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. So there may be some credence in the assertion that I am a space cadet. Continuing the space theme, in 1984 space shuttle Challenger astronaut Kathy Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. Finally, five years ago: President Clinton blamed pop culture for glamorizing illegal drug use as he heralded a new $195 million anti-drug ad campaign during his weekly radio address. Insert your own inhalation gag here please.

Birthday boy, birthday boy, birthday boy. There, that got it out of my system. Its going to be quite a quiet day, I haven’t got anything planned apart from a little mooching around during the day and then a little light celebrating in the West End this evening. It will be a select group, as I emailed an invite to everyone I know and they are all apparently very busy. Apart from my sister, who is going to a pop quiz. Really.

A couple of counts for you. One sleep until I can invoke “Birthday Boy”* and four sleeps until I return to the world of work. Oh joy. We got an interesting puzzle in the post this morning. It wins the all time award for the best invitation - ever. Essentially Cathy and Chris have sent a fridge magnet poetry invite. There are about forty words (in ones, twos and threes) on fridge magnets and the invitee has to assemble them to make a coherent phrase or sentence. Top idea.

Prefab Sprout. Isn’t it, shouldn’t it.

Just to check if my lovely wife reads this here page I’m going to conduct a little experiment. Dear, if you want to know what to get me for my birthday, you wouldn’t go far wrong with a copy of Big Lad in the Windmill.

I was just sitting here on a quiet Sunday afternoon minding my own business so I thought I would post an update. It beats watching apt-get download 100Mb of packages to update my GNU/Linux box anyway. Well, blimey, a bit of luck seems to have blown our way. Lorna mentioned on Friday night that a friend of a friend of hers has a flat just around the corner that would be coming up for rent in the near future. So we asked her to pass a message on that we would be quite interested in taking a look. Within about an hour and a half Bobo was on the phone to the lady in question and had arranged a viewing for us next weekend. She seems quite keen, understandably as if we take the place it saves her the effort of advertising, interviewing and vetting applicants. We took a wander past and it looks good from the outside. So fingers crossed its as nice on the inside and then we can cease to be homeless wanderers.

I couldn’t think of a suitable Francis Dunnery lyric as a title for this post so I have reverted to tired cliches. Still, that should stop the 70’s throwback from complaining too much. Much has happened in the Todd world this week. I managed to acquire a job the other week, but wasn’t supposed to start until the 14th of October. However, Javelin called me up on Friday and said they had an Oracle problem and would I come in for a couple of days and help them out. Being the obliging fellow that I am I couldn’t refuse and have done that.