It's Audience Participation Time

OK folks, I want you to do something for me. I want you to check out a couple of things that have given me some pleasure on the inter-web this week. The first is this one. It won't take long and you must follow the links to the streamed sound files. Go on. It's great, and another blow to those who decry the wisdom of children.

Those of you who I know read this will also have a copy of my Christmas CD and be well aware of my love of Sufjan Stevens. Well here's a set he played at KEXP last year (you'll need either Microslop's Media Player or Real Player). The version of Chicago, which was on the CD is sublime. Play it, play the rest of the set. It'll make you feel good.


Tunes: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Behind The Music

A Man Should Tread Carefully That Hopes For Pussy

Wise Deadwood words. One might hope that John Prescott had heeded them, if nothing else than to spare us the site of his ugly bloated face plastered all over the papers once again. A great bunch of days for English politics: John Reid's disappearing millions, Charles Clarke's disappearing rapists and Prescott's disappearing morality. Not that infidelity is much news these days but those who pretend to be the paragons of virtue and defenders of the free world might think a little about that whole words and actions thing. It's good to see the Blair Regime accepting responsibility for itself once again.

We are truly going to hell in a handbag.

Still, at least I have my secret double life. Where I can retire to a leather sofa on the end of the pontoon overlooking the river, having a chat and a quiet smoke with Mo whilst the sweet sounds of Mike's band rehearsing in the boat next door provide a gentle ambient backdrop to magic hour.

I'm going to try to get some more pictures up here. The land is being covered in a soft green shroud and it's really quite beautiful.



Tunes: Sleeper: The It Girl

If I Am Alive This Time Next Year

The reason ducks are not ruling this planet could be found in their abilty to lay and leave eggs in the middle of a car park on a Saturday afternoon...

Pants, Socks, DVDs... What More Could A Boy Want

Some days I get home to find a cabbage on my doorstep.


Tunes: Jellyfish: Belly Button

Cocksuckers

A report yesterday indicated that despite massive shortages in troops and supplies and with increasingly over-stretched forces on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan the MOD are unable to account for about 400 million pounds of spending; presumably lost in a mire of bureaucratic bullshit, kickbacks, greed, selfishness and incompetance.

On the same day Oxfam launched an appeal for a mere $20 million to assist with the humanitarian crisis facing East Africa.

So let's recap. 400 fucking million pounds of our hard earned pay has vanished into thin fucking air, and it's unlikely anyone's going to get the spanking they deserve as a result. Meanwhile a mere 5% of that figure is needed to keep 11 million people from dying of starvation, and that's going to have to be fought for every step of the way.

The defence secretary, John Reid, is quoted as saying the report: "rightly points to the pressures on our people", but insisted the MoD had delivered against "almost all" of its targets. Pressures??? This man needs to be put in a public place and flogged until the skin drips from his body.

Cocksucker.

If that doesn't make you really fucking angry then it's time to remove yourself from the gene pool.


Tunes: Neil Young: Unplugged

I Have Complete Control Over Sandwich Monkey

How many times do we wish we could get a second chance at something; to do it over again? Well, I've just been given one of those second chances.

Last week I had a call from my old boss at BMC to tell me that the girl who replaced me had had to leave suddenly (we're all thinking disciplinary) and was I available to come in for four days a week (on pretty much the same rates as I was before...)

I did of course, say yes. Since I was.

I'd had a voicemail from Tom previous to that call and had wondered whether something along these lines was going to be the case. So plenty of time to consider whether or not this was going to be some kind of suicidal mission, being that one of the reasons I left was that I hadn't been too happy with things first time around.

But attitudes can change in the face of abject poverty, as do priorities. I'm not looking to be out drinking and gigging five nights a week. Or even one or two. A couple of hits a month will do me just fine for now. I need enough money to pay the bills, live frugally, pay off some debts and work on the boat. Anything else will be a pleasant surprise on top. In other words right now I need a job, not a career.

I need something that will last me from the moment I walk into the office to the moment I leave and not distract me any further. In return they get all of me for those hours I'm being paid for, no more. No less. I'm expecting nothing more than to do what I do, and to do it to the best of my abilities. Plus no one else is going to pay me quite as well for a four day week.

So I'm off line for those hours, I'm not randomly browsing web sites or thinking of better places to be. I'm just concentrating on doing what they pay to me do, and doing it well. This time around there's going to be some more considered organisation and as many arguments as there need to be to get this fucking project off the ground and running. Only then do I think I'll be ready to leave it behind. Although they've done spectacularly well without me. It's like reincarnation. I made mistakes in how I approached things last time and now I can correct them. Or else I'm not moving on to the next step.

It's a bit scary when you look at it like that.

It's been good to see the guys again, there's a great atmosphere in the team right now and I'm off to Norway for 24 hours on Tuesday! No one felt like giving me a few days to settle in. Which may have been the point of them asking to begin with.

Ah well, 8 days to wait before my first pay cheque rolls in. I'm about as close to financially flat lining as I've ever been and yet somehow I've just managed to keep my head above water at every step of the way.

I'm still glad I left. If I hadn't I don't think I would have started running or started working on Chuffy. Or a ton of other things, not all of which might have been considered a useful use of the time I've had. All fun though.

I now have a week's worth of emails to catch up on. Funny how that first week back just knocks the crap out of you.


Tunes: Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Year Of The Horse

Ptoeey...

Tis the time of year when that annoying little flying speck of irritation, the midge, starts swarming around the water and its surrounding areas.

Tomorrow I will run with my mouth shut.


Tunes: I found a stream for the new Venom album but it was average black metal blurge so I turned it off.

Turn Yourself Around Into The Sun

I think Annie might forgive me for putting this picture of her up since you can't see her face. And it's a nice shot of Zach, not even a month upon this earth. He's a strong little kid, a real kicker which might mean his Dad's going to get his chance to indulge all his football fantasies a little later in life. Either that or Ant's going to have some seriously bruised shins for a while.

I wasn't too impressed with my still being a little blokish when it comes to holding babies, although I'm getting better. I'm one of those guys who suffers from Ming vase syndrome. The ladies on the other hand are amazing. I've seen ducks have more problems with water.

It was good to get down Texas way for the weekend; especially since my navigation skills only brought about raised voices the one time. There's something about crossing water that gives the trip that extra boost. Watching Ant and I try to blow up a ton of ballons whilst completely out of it was a sight to behold. It was one of those evenings that was full of friends and laughter.

If you've ever watched CBBC's Boo for hours straight then you'll know the meaning of the phrase: Get it out of my head... Izzy on the other hand took her second birthday in her stride, chattering away happily leaving the adults struggling to keep up. She knows exactly what she's talking about and it must be intensely frustrating to have the big folks unable to understand. I think we start off sorted and become more stupid as we get along. How else do you explain grown ups?

She's what you get when you bring a child up without all the shit and the fear and the crap.

I wish it was raining tonight. The sound of the rain beating up above my head would be a perfect way to end to a perfect weekend.


Tunes: Gorillaz: Demon Days (the track. about 84 times...)

Gentle Impulsion

My Mum took me to see the Ballet Trocadero De Monte Carlo last night, a group of professional male ballet dancers performing playfully humorous versions of classical ballet pieces. Swan Lake in drag if you like. It was very funny, ireverantly unireverent, knowingly clever and performed with a great deal of love and talent; and despite fighting off a late bout of sleepiness it a most enjoyable evening. Think of it as The Reduced Shakespeare Company for pointy toe people.

I made it home with zero fuss and sat up, getting a little baked, listening to the rain and thinking happy thoughts.

Off to the Isle Of White this afternoon for my Goddaughter Izzy's second birthday. It's going to be good to get out of town for a couple of days. Unfortunately I think this is one of those weekends when the Gods of travel try to throw as much disruption at me as possible. Obviously no one ever goes south on the first weekend of April


Tunes: Jose Gonzalez: Teardrop