And all of a sudden, it's 2011 and after a brief hiatus I'm back. Just saying hi, it's 77 to go till Glastonbury, I went last year, am going again and am quite looking forward to it.

Went and saw Seasick Steve in Southampton on Friday night, and was treated to an evening of brilliance. All I can say is, if you ever get the chance to see him in concert, live; then do it. You will not be disappointed.

He played THIS and others too.

Delta blues at it's finest.

Says it all really.

Kaiser Chiefs.

unnaturally Natural?

Is this really natural? Since when did fields get round? Points to the first person who can either a) tell me why it's like this, or b) tell me a good joke.

Thanks

untitled

So just when you think that you've got someone pretty well sorted in your mind, "Bam!" they give it a blast with the old shock weasel and knock it up another notch.
Thanks. You know who you are.
Everyone else, just talk quietly amongst yourselves.
I said QUIETLY....

The relationship between knowledge and Danger.

A graph I made when thinking about thr corelation of things. Eggs/Bacon, Sun/moon, cats/dogs. You get the idea.

In response to Fern's George & Ukelele track, I offer this. Another George and another Ukelele track.

Slightly risque but as entertaining.

George and Ukelele.

me

Thought I'd better put me here so you can see me

Get these people help please

I love America, and generally, I love Americans too.
So when I hear them complaining that the rest of the world thinks they're dumb, stoopid or that they're just plain old misunderstood, perhaps someone would just show this to them and pass on the address of the woman in this video.
Thank you.

Conspiracy woman

The Job

The Job. It's been a whole week now.
I'm a whippin' boy and it's a job I've accepted with alacrity and a certain sense of resignation. I mean, it pays the bills and all; but what's needed is some courage. The courage to fail.
All we do is think we're trying, and yet we're not. We are setting ourselves up for failure with every step. We need to plan and act, but most of all we need to be brave enough to risk failure.
Just a point of view, and not an ethos. At least not yet anyway.

Upturn? Possibly

I did it. I finally got a job after an extended 7 week holiday spent, in the main, Loafing.
Now, don't misunderstand me, loafing in itself, is an artform and one in which I excell. But even 7 weeks can be a bit too much, especially in one stretch.

Anyway, I'm working, earning and a faceless part of a huge corporate multinational again. Woot!

And while I'm loafing, (and being paid for it, remember), I'll be mooching here too.
You can if you like, as well.

LOLCATS

just for the sound of it

Buffoon
Hoop
Smirk
Ungent
Lascivous

All great words

Yours are.........?

Rum, Sodomy and the Lash anyone?

One of the bands that opened my eyes to different music was the Pogues.
Being as I was in the Royal Navy, listening to music by a band who's lead singer was an avowed supporter of the IRA was to say the least, a little daring. Nevertheless, here is a seminal Pogues song.
Sally Macleannane
It has energy, vibrancy and is just a good tune.

I saw this and liked it

I bought a cheap paperback of poetry today, and wanted to share this by Carl Sandburg

Fog

The fog comes
on little cat feet

It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and moves on


I just love the idea of fog being prtrayed as a cat, aproaching silently, staying around for a while, then moving on, having revealed nothing of it's purpose.

So, abeit later than planned I have stories for your perusal.

I just wonder if the subject of the first would be happy with the usage his inventions took in the second.

story number 1

story number 2

If the subject of story number 1 interests you, then perhaps this will too..
Colossus, the world's first programmable computer
and Bletchley Park, the home of Wartime Code Breaking in the UK

tideline seaweed
greenbrown
damp
smell of evening
late night dog walking
and the tide comes in again and it
goes

Say a few words? Oh, ok then

Coming as I do from Liverpool, and living in Cheshire until I was 18, we tended as a family to holiday in North Wales. I go to this site every day, to chaeck out Snowdon, enjoy the view and see just what the weather's doing. And the old saying is true, "If you can't see Snowdon, it's raining,and if you can see Snowdon, then it's about to rain."
BBC North West Wales - Webcams

Went out and enjoyed the sun today.
This is in Portsmouth across the harbour. I still haven't been to the top, but must soon.

In the doghouse?

I guess if I had to go in the doghouse, I could do a lot worse than share it with this guy.

Seasick Steve - Doghouse

Only seen him twice here in the UK, but what a performance!

just plain done in

Vicious row. Feel low. stupid. fed up. depressed.

James Sit down

join me if you wish, there's always another space on the right

Sadly lamented loss from the UK music scene for a while, this is another one of those songs that like you, I heard when I was younger, and hated. Then after a chance hearing on a radio show I reappraised it, declared myself a fool for missing this first time around and now would like to share.

James - Sometimes

I feel unable to describe this song and to do so would be to demean it. If you don't get it first time, well neither did I. But you will. As I did. Eventually.

Static or Mobile. Is it all relative to your point of view?

It's Keane. It's called "Everybody Changes" and it's how I feel today

"Everybody Changes, but I just feel the same..."

I feel that everyone has changed around me. Or is it that I have changed and those around me haven't? Is it that I'm not the kid I was 20 years ago and the people who were closest to me have are now the furthest away?
We'll see I guess.I don't know right now. I'm on a journey.

When I was 18, I was given, as a present, a trip on the ferry to Spain. It was a 2 day crossing from Plymouth to Santander, with 4 glorious hours ashore before another 48 hour return journey.
Now obviously, I wouldn't be allowed to make this trip unaccompanied, so I was to be chaperoned my my Grandmother, a redoubtable woman of indestructable stock, high moral values and a god fearing attitude.
I hate remorse. I hate the way it gnaws at you. Constantly eating into your memories, chiding and prodding and poking you with "you ought to have's" and "you shouldn't have's"

So I did drink, against her wishes. I did smoke against her wishes. I did things, against her wishes that, at the time I was fine with;but now, I perhaps think I shouldn't have done.
The crossing was good, Santander a misery hole of rain slicked streets and unwelcoming Spaniards.
On the return trip, I was propositioned by a gay man, which was quite an eye opener for an 18 year old lad from the sticks. I have no remorse regarding telling him "I wasn't batting for the other side, thanks".
As for the odd oval discoloured part of the photo? It was on my Grandmother's bedside table in a frame 'till she died. I guess I wasn't alltogether a bad Grandson, just her only one.
Better than none at all I guess.

Untitled

Continuing the musical theme from yesterday, I remembered this plangent song of loss and separation and felt it fitted my mood rather well for today.

Snow Patrol, Run.


If anybody else can sing an achingly beautiful song of parting, then show them to me.

Would I have been able to summarise in 4' 18" all the pain I feel for you; our loss and our splitting?

helps me through the day

Okay, not possibly to everyone's taste, but the words do it for me.

Hope you like it. oh, and the video summarises all I want and aspire to be.

Stripped. Minimal. Free. Unburdened.

Foo Fighters

"...it's times like these you learn to live again, it's times like these you learn to love again..."

Enjoy.

Why do I love the smell of old books? Garden sheds? Wardrobes? Antique shops?Forgotten rooms? Am I reminiscing over things from times before my youth. Is my life going backwards?

http://sameoldworld.blogspot.com/

I link to this blog purely as an example of what interests me and stimulates me.

I guess I must have been about 8 months in this picure.Compare and Contrast against my "NOW" pic.Little appears to have changed except possibly the hair is shorterand darker.



I

Aged approximately 6 months in the garden of my Grandmother's house.

Turn around and look out

I live in the UK as you may notice from my notes, and have been speaking to a friend in the USA. Her blog is inspiring, intelligent and thought provoking and I have enjoyed reading it and looking at the accompanying photo's. It has been a bit of an inspiration to me in that I didn't (and perhaps still don't) have anything truly worthwhile to say here but I'll say it anyway and see what happens.

We were talking about what we'd liketo do, given a few blank slates, ie budget, time, relationships etc, and it transposedthat she'd never left mainland USA. I'm always surprised that; given the amount of Americans I speak to, how few of them have actually left mainland USA. Given that airtravel is now so cheap, and with the proliferation of budget airlines, why is this so? Why do Americans appear to be so insular and inward looking when there is a world awaiting discovery beyond the sea.

Shortly (Summer 2009) I will be in a position to make travel one of my main occupations. I will be buying a small yacht, and following the appropriate courses, I am starting to dream dreams.
I am germinating formless fancies about crossing the channel, than coasting down the Atlantic coast of France, then it's either the Canal du Midi or onward, around Spain and Porugal and then through the pillars of Hercules and on into the Mare Nostrum. And then I feel I would like to see just how far I can go.It's going to be a personal challenge. A "one of those things I'd do if I had the time,the money and the courage." kind of trip.

Any thoughts on any of the above? let me know. Suggestions for places to visit/avoid? People it would be good to meet/avoid? Again, all gratefully accepted. In advance, thanks.

Laid back to the point of being comatose Burglars Beware

I say burglars beware, if only to warn them of the potential trip hazard the dog may present. I would hate to be sued if he caused someone to fall in the dark.

And another thing: Why does the journey home usually seem to take less time?

Again, all submissions gratefully accepted

Is there a shorter word for abbreviation?

Well, is there?

I guess the purpose of this blog may well be to discover if there is and answer many of life's other burning questions too.

Submissions on the issue greatly accepted