The Bleurg Archive - September 2002 |
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Sunday 29th September: Good
to see normal service resumed for yesterday's anti-war march. Police
and organiser estimates of marchee numbers differed by 200,000.
The reason for total numerical agreement on last week's Conservatives
Anonymous march remains a mystery to all but us old cynics.
Status Quo are the most successful British band of all time. 'twas on "Today" this morning and if John Humphrey's says it's true then it must be. I saw Quo once, '78 or '79 probably, as part of a deal with a friend of my old friend Tee. The show started with dry ice and bedenimmed legs astride to the opening bars of "Caroline". The problem is that it didn't really go anywhere from there. It was all a bit one dimensional, and, I believe, still is. Which is fine I suppose, and it might even be the point of it. |
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Elsewhere in the world of music we have the news that the iPod is now available for Windows users too. For a mere £329 I can have 2,000 songs at my fingertips wherever I go, just like all those Mac people (though none that I know own an iPod). Tracks that wouldn't be included include those from the kathryn williams (lower case obviously) sampler cd that came free with today's Grauni. If there was to be a typical 30/40-something Guardian reader muzac soundtrack album then this would be it. Please, I'd even rather have the Quo. |
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Finally, Dee's birday list includes a horse (well she is eleven and despite everything we do remains consumed by such stereotypical yearnings) and a selection of CDs from SClub Juniors (NO) to, at the other end of the spectrum, Bon Jovi. I think the Bon Jovi thing is more to do with the fact that Jon is a hunky, slightly rough-looking rocker, rather than the music, but I could be wrong. This brings to mind the ruminations of Andy McClusky (formerly of OMD) on manufactured pop bands. The synth pioneer behind Atomic Kitten (also on Dee's list incidentally) suggested that his next plastic band will be boys as you don't need to worry about the tunes as much as you do with a girl band.
Thursday 26th September: So,
guess who didn't even get a mention, let alone a prize in the Grauni's
Best British Blog comp?
Tuesday 24th September: "All
my life's a Circle," sang the New Seekers (it was pre-punk and I
was young, OK). Generally all that comes around stuff is not for
me, I'm more a sort of "Tomorrow belongs to me," type person
(though without the Nazi overtones, obviously*). But, today its
the circle thing in a small but perfectly formed type way.. Way,
way back in the early mists of this Blog (July) I covered the
Mike Batt versus John Cage "who wrote the silence" thing.
Well, today's Grauni
informs me that old Mikey has settled with the John Cage Trust, with a
six figure sum being talked of. So, looks like Cage's 1952 piece
4'33" was more than just an inspiration for Batt's simpler one minute
of silence. Still, I like a story with a happy ending (remember, he may have been a womble but he's a Tory too! ).
* On singing the song a bit more, I've decided it's hard to ignore the Nazi overtones, so strike any references of the song to me. OK. Maybe I should stick to the New Seekers after all.
Monday
23rd September: So,
did you feel the earth move last night then? The
Beeb Online meanwhile, unable to find any monkeys, has gone for the
chimney angle. Apparently "Part of a chimney fell
onto a car near Birmingham" and also "Another chimney
smashed in Bloxwich, West Midlands".
Saturday
21st September: "My
God it's full of stars.." Part
2.
Thursday 19th September: In
recognition of the Bradfordonians and their very welcome noo Embassy
en Londres, I hereby reproduce a little map I constructed for my Canadian
cum Otley (its near t' Leeds) friend Em when he first came to work at
t' refinery. You see, the thing is, no matter where you draw the
Norf/Saff divide there'll always be a Brummie or a Mancie or a Geordie
or a Cumberlie, a Scot, a Shetlander, a Viking or an Eskimo who says "You
call that Northern? Pah, I'm from the North, laddie!"
Must go now, Zee's off to watch "Bargain Hunt" followed by "Changing Rooms" and her viewing experience is greatly enhanced by my running commentary. As you can imagine.
Wednesday
18th September: Now,
most seem to have greeted the news
that the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" is to be made into
a film with unbridled glee. The team includes the director of "Austin
Powers" and the writer of "Chicken Run"..... I suppose
it could have been worse. For instance, Memetic
life tells us that a few years ago the story was in the mousey clutches
of Disney! So I hope you understand my fears. ...... and I still have nightmares about the BBC TV version. Somehow the low cost production budgets that seemed OK with Dr.Who and Blake's 7 finally showed their true worth with "Hitchhikers". Always excepting Rod Lord's excellent animation sequences for the Book. These self same animations are available as a Hitchhikers Screensaver and I hope that a dedicated Mac aficionado such as Douglas Adams would have enjoyed the irony that they're only available for the Windows platform.
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Sunday 15th September: |
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This
morning I came downstairs to find Kay watching (for a second before her
ever itchy finger switched channels) an old Doctor Who episode. "Ah, Doctor Who!" I said. "Doctor who?" she replied. Yes but, hilarity aside, she didn't know who Dr. Who was. This is bad enough but what if a Dalek comes to the door? Eh? She wouldn't know whether to let it in (perhaps to sort out the plumbing) or to politely ask it to go away. I am a deeply worried man. |
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Anyway,
Daleks. The internet is,
you'll not be surprised to learn, full of sites about Daleks.
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Friday 13th September: It's
true! But
no. Sadly its a day too late for Dee's science homework...."write down 10 things scientists do". Well, there's number 11. Watch detached spider legs amble across the path.
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Today we must, I'm afraid, return to the long running saga of the faked moon landings (see 12th August). Courtesy of the ole Grauni we learn that, after being asked to swear on the bible that he really had been to the moon, Buzz Aldrin (now 72) allegedly punched young Bart Sibrel. Bart believes no-one has ever walked on the moon. Now, my favourite Sibrel reason as to why the moon landings were fakes, and I paraphrase here, is "Because Nixon was president at the time". This is good, I like his style. Tricky Dicky was a liar and a cheat and therefore everything that went on during his tenure must have been fake. Now, even such an ardent conspiracy theorist such as I, find this one a bit too far fetched. Probably.
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Tuesday 10th September:
Shock,
horror!!! My Venables-loving Canadian mate Em has got it right
at last! So, after he recommended the new Coldplay album you'll understand when I say I had a creepy feeling of deja vu as I handed over £9.99, trudged home then delicately placed the shiny little disc on the kitchen CD player. But its really rather good. Rather good indeed. So expect to see it in the virtual CDs on the kitchen Counter very soon. It gained inclusion so early into this halloed little pile was by way of the fact that it was excellent to cook by. For completists I should add that whilst it played this evening I was preparing smoked salmon with creme fraiche, dill & spiralli (gorgeous if I say so myself), whilst the girls (who don't like smoked salmon-oh dear!) had some not at all bad veggie cumberland sausages. Kay smeared hers with Orange Tomato Ketchup (even worse looking than it sounds, if you haven't yet succumbed).
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Monday 9th September: Anyone
who read my DKNZ
do the Grand Union piece may have obtained the impression that narrow-boating
is a courteous and relaxing (maybe even boring) pastime.
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Saturday 7th September: So today is our 11th wedding anniversary. Everyone
knows that the first anniversary is paper, the 25th silver and the 13th
jam, but less well known is the fact that the 11th is rubber, oh yes. For
the evening celebration we went, with the girls, our to see "Spy
Kids 2". Then, when we got home Zee and I watched "Chocolat".
Not, I hasten to add, on Sky Movies (though it was showing there).
No, we watched it from the video which Zee received as a valentines
day present (though from whom we don't know!). Nevertheless, we
wouldn't have got around to watching it on video had it not been on
Sky, as a reminder to us of its existence. This happens, a lot,
I hasten to add. We buy each other videos then forget about them
until they show up on TV. ERRATUM: Some days ago, I announced that everyone knows that A-levels were hardest in 1982. Zee has just brought it to my attention that this is when she did hers (and not when I did mine). So I've done a little more research and found out that actually degrees were hardest in 1982 but A- levels were hardest in 1979. Sorry for any confusion.
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Friday 6th September: So,
at last, a manic commenter! Or, hopefully it will be once the site spreads a bit further than from Norf East to Saff East London. As an added incentive, I would mention that the Geeezer tells me that as he clicked to enter the site all the fire alarms in the building went off. Whilst I can't yet guarantee such a dramatic effect every time, I am working on the code. *
You've heard the John Wayne "Awe" story haven't you?
John is playing the Centurion in the epic "The Greatest Story Ever
Told".
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Thursday 5th September: That's
more like it! Today I get home and find Dee sitting at the table,
on the phone to one of her friends. Before six o'clock!
Oh, yes. A sort of scientist. I think that probably sums it up. I'm a sort of scientist. Must remember that next time we have to re- write our job descriptions.
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Wednesday 4th September: So, back to school today for the girls (though Dee had a couple of hours yesterday as she's just started secondary school and they let the noo kids in a day early). So what's changed since my day? Well, both were really looking forward to it. As if this heinous crime was not enough, I get home to find Dee and a friend doing homework at the kitchen table (on their own! why aren't they having a party?). Some of it isn't even due in until next week. So why are they doing it now? Kids of today, eh? But
it's not just kids the country over that are returning to educayshun.
Oh ,no. I received this pickerture from a work colleague
who we shall call, Dr See. Long suffering readers from the days
of the p.l.a. and NHM fanzines will, I 'm sure, recognise our old friend,
Geraldo the Dolphin.
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Tuesday 3rd September:
A Tale of two Caulis £1.79
each for these two organic cauliflowers. Yet, as you can see,
once the greenery was removed one was considerably smaller than the
other. Apart from the disparity and near starvation in our household
when I tried to make a meal for five out of these two specimens (luckily
Kay won't eat cauliflower, because although it's not green it looks
a bit like broccoli which IS green, durh), my question is to just who
makes the money?
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Monday 2nd September: Being
cast adrift (see DKNZ
do the Grand Union) obviously left more of a scar than I thought.
About 1:30 of the a.m. and suddenly I'm wide awake.
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Sunday 1st September: So,
today's the day for Zee, Dee and 24,988 other women and girls.
For 't'is the Flora 5K today. The tube station at Knightsbridge
was coping amazingly well with tens of thousands extra passengers and
after saying our goodbyes to Zee & Dee, Kay and I walked along to
the starting line to be confronted by a face I recognized in a golf
cart. None other than Cherie Booth. Oh, yes Booth, not Blair.
For the race was to be started by the honourable QC and women's rights
campaigner (not to be confused with the visually similar 'umble little
wife of Saint Tony). Smiling and waving as ever but with very
little security she tootled up to the start, pressed the button and
then pootled off again. Both
Zee and Dee easily completed the event, finding it much easier than
some of their training runs due to the volume-forced slow pace on some
stretches. Having seen the "goody bags" that all finishers
acquired Kay showed some interest in running next year. These
bags do indeed have an interesting selection of post race treats.
The medal and tee-shirt obviously, with also a bottle of water and various
choc-bars and crisps. Just what you need.
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