Still Working Hang in there everyone ... still busy working on future content ... I actually went out a few times this week which translates to 'not much time to work on the blog'. But I am still here and I love that thirty or so people are paying a visit daily. In the mean time, why not amuse yourselves by using the comment tag to email some music ideas of what I should be listening to. I'm open to anything. I've got Britney over with so the only way is up surely?
Travels with my Matsui I was actually nervous. My hand wasn't shaking, but I wasn't sweating a little bit. What was I afraid of? I wasn't trying some drug or other. This was only music. But over and over in my head I kept thinking -- 'What led me to this?' But as I placed the silver disc in my portable Matsui CD player, waited for the little LCD display to register, and pressed play I knew this was something I had to do...
...I've known for some time that the moments my ears spent between home and work and back again are wasted. So although my eye glances across things called pages, the oral input is zero. So I've decided to start educating myself with different types of music, each day or for a few days, listening to a CD which I wouldn't otherwise have looked at or paid any mind to, looking for something new to move me.
There won't be a direct route through this -- I won't be starting at the dawn of music and working onwards, and I won't be concentrating on a type of music. It'll perfectly random, on a whim, influenced perhaps by the musings of 'Rolling Stone' magazine and regular readers of my weblog. I'll report back to the weblog with what I find....let's begin...
Britney Spears '...baby one more time'
First Impressions: The title track is madeningly catchy. '...Baby One More Time' is actually atypical of the rest of the album -- it's roots are more rock in origin, although hearing the original having spent a lot of time playing the Travis cover version is quite a shock.
Moved? I had to start somewhere and why not with the antithesis of everything I probably stand for musically? But this journey is to find how much a phrase like that actually means so why not answer a question which has been driving my up the wall for years. What does a Britney Spears album actually sound like? Patchy, with glimpses. This is the musical equivalent of a teen film, although more 'She's All That' than 'Ten Things I Hate About You' It isn't difficult to see why Spears is idolised as this may be the zenith of the genre, certainly better than J-Lo's initial offering and technically better than The Hit Factory's output. Much of the time I find myself reflecting backwards on my youth listening to Debbie Gibson, whose influence hangs over the disc like a mother hen. The highlights are the singles, of course. It's just a pity that some kind of cohesion couldn't have been stretched over the whole fifty minutes. 'Soda Pop' and 'I Will Be There' are pure cornball. Much of the time I switch off, this being noise in the background. I wasn't all that involved in the music. Nothing to strike me, or shock me.
Lasting impressions? The only glimpse of what might have been is the final track 'The Beat Goes On', a rhythmic dance piece, maddenly catchy. If anything I felt nostalgia. I know that if I was a teenager now I'd probably be a bit of a fan and getting the new album for Christmas. Despite outward appearance this is a piece about innocence and naivity -- of simpler teenage emotions. I do miss those.
Keep, sell or dump? Oh dump, except 'The Beat Goes On' -- but that wouldn't work would it?
...I've known for some time that the moments my ears spent between home and work and back again are wasted. So although my eye glances across things called pages, the oral input is zero. So I've decided to start educating myself with different types of music, each day or for a few days, listening to a CD which I wouldn't otherwise have looked at or paid any mind to, looking for something new to move me.
There won't be a direct route through this -- I won't be starting at the dawn of music and working onwards, and I won't be concentrating on a type of music. It'll perfectly random, on a whim, influenced perhaps by the musings of 'Rolling Stone' magazine and regular readers of my weblog. I'll report back to the weblog with what I find....let's begin...
Britney Spears '...baby one more time'
First Impressions: The title track is madeningly catchy. '...Baby One More Time' is actually atypical of the rest of the album -- it's roots are more rock in origin, although hearing the original having spent a lot of time playing the Travis cover version is quite a shock.
Moved? I had to start somewhere and why not with the antithesis of everything I probably stand for musically? But this journey is to find how much a phrase like that actually means so why not answer a question which has been driving my up the wall for years. What does a Britney Spears album actually sound like? Patchy, with glimpses. This is the musical equivalent of a teen film, although more 'She's All That' than 'Ten Things I Hate About You' It isn't difficult to see why Spears is idolised as this may be the zenith of the genre, certainly better than J-Lo's initial offering and technically better than The Hit Factory's output. Much of the time I find myself reflecting backwards on my youth listening to Debbie Gibson, whose influence hangs over the disc like a mother hen. The highlights are the singles, of course. It's just a pity that some kind of cohesion couldn't have been stretched over the whole fifty minutes. 'Soda Pop' and 'I Will Be There' are pure cornball. Much of the time I switch off, this being noise in the background. I wasn't all that involved in the music. Nothing to strike me, or shock me.
Lasting impressions? The only glimpse of what might have been is the final track 'The Beat Goes On', a rhythmic dance piece, maddenly catchy. If anything I felt nostalgia. I know that if I was a teenager now I'd probably be a bit of a fan and getting the new album for Christmas. Despite outward appearance this is a piece about innocence and naivity -- of simpler teenage emotions. I do miss those.
Keep, sell or dump? Oh dump, except 'The Beat Goes On' -- but that wouldn't work would it?
Archaeology The above was inspired, or course, by Google's Usenet archive, a history of the world and the Internet. I'm reminded somewhat of the shot at the beginning of the film 'Contact' in which the camera pulls backwards from the Earth to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, the sounds of history shimmering backwards in the process.
Christmas Well got the dekkies from the loft, hung my preent box up. Posted my calender. I decorated it with a bit of glitter, football trophy and some cuddly toys. Started to practice my Christmas Spectacular. I tell jokes, puppeteer the nativity, sing carols, have a quiz and have competitions. Bye my first present the calender. I got a walking stick with a minuture of rum it for my Dad from Germany. Mum's made the cake. Alcoholic! It's got Rum, wine and wiskey in. I want:- One Transformer, Two Computer games, Three Puzzle Books, Four Annuals, Rupert, Secret Wars, Transformers, Spiderman, Five Light up Govs, Six motor cars, Seven Joysticks. Eight Star Wars figures, Nine hairy face masks, 10 Action men, Eleven felt tip pens, 12 fruit jellys.
[Or that's what I wanted when I was eleven. Interesting to notice my tastes haven't changed too much -- not sure what a Gov is but they must have been quite good because I wanted five of them. As for the Christmas Spectacular -- drawing a blank. I wasn't that much of an entertainer when I was that age. And considering this was a journal I wrote in junior school, what my teacher must have thought of all the drink references I'm not sure. I'll keep you posted in the coming weeks on how the mid-Eighties version of me is coping with life. But as a future entry is titled 'Nothing Happens', don't get too excited.]
[Or that's what I wanted when I was eleven. Interesting to notice my tastes haven't changed too much -- not sure what a Gov is but they must have been quite good because I wanted five of them. As for the Christmas Spectacular -- drawing a blank. I wasn't that much of an entertainer when I was that age. And considering this was a journal I wrote in junior school, what my teacher must have thought of all the drink references I'm not sure. I'll keep you posted in the coming weeks on how the mid-Eighties version of me is coping with life. But as a future entry is titled 'Nothing Happens', don't get too excited.]
Rings The first reviews are in and the general opinion at Fleet Street is extremely positive, expecially with the kids: "The Lord of the Rings was awesome, four times better than Harry Potter. Now the Rings is my top film ever. The special effects were incredible and the sound effects really scary. My favourite character was Legolas, the elf soldier who helps to protect the film's hero. The other thing I liked was the hobbits' feet because they were long and hairy - just like my dad's."
Rant I have a familiar rant, which I bore more people with than I should. It occured to me again tonight during a shopping trip to Costco, the big 'we sell everything' store just outside town. A man was talking to his son on his mobile phone. He was looking through the DVD collection and had in his hand The Godfather Trilogy box-set. There were many pauses. Then I heard it. The key phrase which makes the hair on back stand on end (I'm a bit like the painter in The Fast Show "Black! Black!"). He puts the boxset down and says: "They've only got it in widescreen".
RANT MODE ON: What! Do you even like films? You have a DVD player -- all of your films are going to be in widescreen anyway -- or do you only buy film which arn't in widescreen? It's The Godfather. The Godfather for christ's sake -- do you think Gordon Willis composed all those shots in letterbox for his own good you dullard? I suppose you go to the cinema and complain because you can't see all the screen. What do you do when they're showing a film in 16:9 on TV -- switch it off? You're worse than this guy! Get away from me fowl fiend... RANT MODE OFF
For more information...visit our website ...
RANT MODE ON: What! Do you even like films? You have a DVD player -- all of your films are going to be in widescreen anyway -- or do you only buy film which arn't in widescreen? It's The Godfather. The Godfather for christ's sake -- do you think Gordon Willis composed all those shots in letterbox for his own good you dullard? I suppose you go to the cinema and complain because you can't see all the screen. What do you do when they're showing a film in 16:9 on TV -- switch it off? You're worse than this guy! Get away from me fowl fiend... RANT MODE OFF
For more information...visit our website ...
Still constructing Sorry I'm down to one big post per week, but I'm still working on bits and bobs behind the scenes -- and the lovely thing is you won't be able to tell immediately what I'm doing -- for once I'm being a bit subtle about it. I will try and post something now and then ... in the meantime, there are links galore at my other labour of love first name domains, where all human life resides ... and for some reason lots of real estate agents ... just click those letters on the bar at the side ...
Commuter Life Having travelled home by taxi again tonight, I can attest that Seethru are correct about something yet again: "Does the driver have absolutely no idea where he's going even though you're heading for a well-known local street? Do you eventually, in a fit of pique, wrench the A-to-Z from his lap and direct him there yourself?" Liverpool City Centre to home is a belt down one long street -- so why do one if three cabby's think it's a license to take me hither and thither. If I want a Magical Mystery Tour I'll take the bus...
Quiz Contrary to my own belief my glass is half full: "You try to look on the bright side, and optimism is a skill you've cultivated to help you weather life's rough spots." I really should get around to re-naming this website...
Tite bar It's a Sloth of course...
Quiz Contrary to my own belief my glass is half full: "You try to look on the bright side, and optimism is a skill you've cultivated to help you weather life's rough spots." I really should get around to re-naming this website...
Tite bar It's a Sloth of course...
Kids Scriptwriters looking for an ending to the inevitable bio-pic of Kofi Annan (starring Morgan Freeman) will breath a sigh of relief with the news that he's appeared on Sesame Street: "Annan stepped in when puppet character Elmo and his friends argued over who would get to sing the alphabet song. In the end he persuaded them all to join in." Future plans include an intervention in the on-going war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, and the ratification of The Button Moon Treaty.
Opera I never seen Opera live, so I've often wondered how the words are translated. Now I know: "It was the final act of La Bohème at Washington Opera. Mimì, failing rapidly, clutched Rodolfo's arm and pleaded, "You won't leave me?" A laptop pressed into last-minute service to deliver the text translations flashed this unexpected rejoinder: "Your battery is failing and your screen has been dimmed to conserve power." The audience roared, and a poignant moment in opera was upstaged. For better or worse, text translations -- projected above the proscenium or transmitted electronically to display screens on the seatbacks of chairs -- have altered the way we experience opera." [via Arts Journal Daily]
Journalism The Spectator surveys the British print media reaction to George Harrison's death: "Was this coverage excessive? A shade so, I would say. Some readers under 30 — who don’t know when the ‘summer of love’ was and don’t recall the anti-American riots in Grosvenor Square — may have been a bit bewildered. Some of the older ones may have wondered whether George Harrison was such a towering figure. Popular papers naturally devote a great deal of space to popular heroes, and doubtless they know their markets much better than I do, but their coverage did seem rather overdone."
Plog! One of the arts of writing a weblog is choosing an eyecatching title. The story of 'feeling listless' is a long and arduous one. So when I glanced upon 'The Joy of Soup', I assumed it would be another personal journal, perhaps from someone in a very foggy part of the world. Well, no. It actually is a weblog about soup . In each post, the writer offers a recipe, the genius part being that they have tried it out and presents the expert opinions of some their friends. There is also writing connected with the various cookbooks that the soups are sourced from. I'm suddenly feelinghungry...
Film Weekly, articles appear in newspapers and magazines grumbling that although a great number of films are made in Britain each year, plenty with much to recommend them, the American owned cinema chains have a stranglehold on the marketplace, making the distribution of films an expensive and often loss-making exericise. Lack of visibility, leading little or no word of mouth, onward to no success. In China the opposite is true. Here, the domestic film industry accounts for almost the entire box office, with only ten Hollywood film released each year. The China's entry into the World Trade Organisation means that is set to double, sending shockwaves throughout the industry, especially amongst distributors, presumably eyeing the situation here. The most staggering aspect of this article from The Shanghai Star is the revelation that China does not have a film rating system: "The Crimson River", a French thriller, is showing in Shanghai Film Art Centre at the moment. A mother brought her child to the cinema but had to go out before the film was over. "My child was terrified," she told the staff at the centre. "We had to take care of the child for over half an hour so that the mother could go back to the cinema and finish the film,"
Non-biography Writing this weblog can be exceedingly frustrating at times. I want to tell you about my life. I want to fill you in on all the gossip of all the people I know, what they're doing, the intrigue, the mystery, the pratfalls. The people I don't like. The people I love. I want to describe in detail all of my hopes and fears, the inner dreams, and those things which get under my skin. Sometimes I just want to get on-line and give what-for to the world. But then I think about who might be reading. James Blish once said that the first thing which has to be uppermost in the mind before you write anything is 'Who does it hurt?' and I think when I sit here night after almost night trying to entertain you I need to bare that in mind. One of the tricks in life is to keep those friends who are important close to you and keep your enemies at arms length. So I think, for now, I'll stick to telling you about train journeys and the incidentals, the internal intellectualism not the external emotion.
Blog! Ann Elizabeth made me laugh tonight. A proper laugh. A belly laugh. It seems she's been attracting the wrong sort of attention from pensioners. Actually I'm frequently touched by her work -- she's an absolutely amazing photographer. If I was to make that film, I'd want this to be my opening shot...
Book Currently reading and heartily recommending 'The Victorian Internet' by Tom Standage, which is a history of the telegraph. This isn't as loosely connected as it would first appear. Rather like 'Longitude' this is an important story told with some passion. The first scene of the book is fabulously cinematic -- the moment of the discovery that electricity passes instantaneously from here to there:
"On an April day in 1746 at the grand convent of the Carthusians in Paris, about 200 monks arranged themselves in a long, snaking line. Each monk held one end of a 25-foot iron wire in each hand, connecting him to his neighbour on either side. Together, the monks and their connecting wires formed a line over a mile long.
"Once the line was complete, the Abbe Jean-Antoine Nollet, a noted French scientist, took a primitve electrical battery and, without warning, connected it to the line of monks -- giving all of them a powerful electric shock."
Bastard. The rest of the book is filled with such annecdotes turning what could have been quite a dry subject into something real and gripping. Believe me, there were hackers even in the early nineteenth century....
Rings Tinkagrrl reports that the first review is up -- it's from 'Newsweek', that august film tome. It's a good review which bodes well for the trilogy's wider appeal from fas of Tolkein and the genre -- more punters, more likely the next two won't go straight to DVD. Looking forward now to Kim Newman and the SFX crowd's reviews....
"On an April day in 1746 at the grand convent of the Carthusians in Paris, about 200 monks arranged themselves in a long, snaking line. Each monk held one end of a 25-foot iron wire in each hand, connecting him to his neighbour on either side. Together, the monks and their connecting wires formed a line over a mile long.
"Once the line was complete, the Abbe Jean-Antoine Nollet, a noted French scientist, took a primitve electrical battery and, without warning, connected it to the line of monks -- giving all of them a powerful electric shock."
Bastard. The rest of the book is filled with such annecdotes turning what could have been quite a dry subject into something real and gripping. Believe me, there were hackers even in the early nineteenth century....
Rings Tinkagrrl reports that the first review is up -- it's from 'Newsweek', that august film tome. It's a good review which bodes well for the trilogy's wider appeal from fas of Tolkein and the genre -- more punters, more likely the next two won't go straight to DVD. Looking forward now to Kim Newman and the SFX crowd's reviews....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)