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Two thousand and five was the year my blog went up a gear. Moving from paid hosting with a highly unreliable company, in August to 123-Reg. As, a now established member of the blogging community, my focus changed to promoting my blog and also learning about other blogs on similar subjects. Hence my blog roll grew, with a little help from Technorati.
Friday 30th December 2005
I have a confession to make. I have in recent months (perhaps over the past
year) become quite obsessive with this blog. To the
point which, this cartoon
actually applies perfectly. So I must apologise for
trying to inflate my ego in this way. My biggest mistake
is to say, "yeah, it's all recorded on the blog...".
Although I don't really do new year resolutions perhaps
I should make a decision to stop mention blogs and
blogging.
Speaking to Chris on Christmas Day we arranged to
meet up in Marlow on Thursday evening. Then, during
the course of the week on MSN, we arranged to meet
up for a kick about in the early afternoon. At first,
knowing what the weather had been like, I was not
very keen, but my colleague persuaded me otherwise.
I knew that some exercise (no matter how little) would
do me some good. Particularly as over the past few
days I had became a lazy vegetable, getting up late
and having rather big meals during the day. I made
it into Henley, just after 1pm and was surprised that
it was not as cold as I had originally expected. We
headed over to the football pitches, owned by my old
college. In my two years studying A-Levels, I never
came down for a game on the grass. My friends preferred
the banks by the river Thames. I could go into detail
about we did but it is not very exciting to be frank.
Chris had the first stint in goal and I just took
shots, free kicks and penalties. Then we swapped over,
but as you can imagine I was far from effective between
the sticks. After ninety minutes, I officially caught
the football buzz and was happy to stay out for a
little longer. The weather was no longer an issue,
if it was cold, I was not feeling anything. However,
my friend was hungry, tired and wanted to head back
home. For once, it was me trying to guilt trip him
into staying out longer, but it was no use. We returned
to his house for a while before I headed back to Wycombe.
Two games of SWOS
and I was emphatically beaten. Although in the second
match, I scored the goal of the afternoon, dribbling
past not two but three defenders and lobbing the keeper.
What a beauty - back of the net! Doing some quick
research on the net, I discover that the greatest
football game of all time, is making a comeback
in the first quarter of next year. The screen shots
look impressive and hopefully the gameplay is still
there.
It is that time of year, when you review the past 12 months. Interesting 100 things over on the BBC. There is also the review of the television adverts over the past year. I have been trying to reflect back on my year in words. It has generally been very good. At the turn of the year, I was in finding my feet in a new job and after a shaky start it is going well, surprisingly well. The rest of the time has flown by with perhaps only a handful of noteworthy events. My visit to Cardiff for the Community Shield, three visits to Highbury including Members Day in August. I have made a host of new friends along the way, many of them online. This year will also go down as featuring my first ever concert, at the tender age of 24! If I can think of anything else interesting to put here, expect me to update this entry over the coming few days.
Little left to say about from wishing all visitors to my blog, both old and new all the best for 2006.
Monday 26th December 2005
So this is Christmas, just where to begin. Everything
does link together in some strange way so I will see
how I get on. With all the hype and commercial
pressure, I think many of us forget the religious
significance of the day. It is not about the presents,
the tree, or the food. It is about the feeling you
have inside and goodwill to your fellow man (or woman).
A friend often comments to me that it is about expectations
and how we fail to manage them. I tend to agree, but
for me, it is more than just one day, it is about
the time of year, the smiles among other people and
the sparkle in the eyes of children (both young and
old).
My sister asked Santa for some perfume and received True Star, the perfume by Miss Knowles. When I smelt the aroma, it made me think. It smells just as you would expect Beyoncé to smell like. I know this sounds completely stupid and I will never (ever) be able to verify this statement, but someone, somewhere must understand what I mean. She is not the first and will not be the last to carry out one of these celebrity endorsements. Most people believe that no star would wear the product they are so closely associated with. In the case of the former Destiny's Child singer, I will, in my own mind make an exception.
This links us well to my next topic. Movie trailers.
On Christmas Eve, with an hour or so to spare, my
Dad and I decided to check out the latest movie trailers
on my X-Box. There were several that caught my attention,
but one features B. While I am not a fan of remakes,
The
Pink Panther, with Steve Martin in the lead role
looks good. Sure, no one can replace Peter Sellers
or Burt
Kwok as Cato. They have made it a prequel to the
original 1963 movie to keep the distance from the
original masterpieces and included an all-star cast
and glittery location. From the trailer, the humour
is there, but will the plot and storyline match? Time
will tell. Book the date in your diary, February 10th.
The other trailers that we saw, which are worth noting
are Mission Impossible III, which looks a blast. Tom
is back and this time, it looks like the love interest
is there to do more than just look pretty. The third
film in the X-Men series looks darker, with various
twists and turns. Then the final trailer, which perhaps
showed the least amount of the movie was Superman
Returns. They call them teaser trailers and you will
be begging
for more.
Superman, perhaps is my favourite superhero and his
return to the silver screen is much anticipated. While
the cape will be a difficult fit, particular Reeve,
who played the part so well, the story will also need
to be believable (if you can ever say that with comic
book movie adaptations). In any case, the director,
Singer has gone back to the original for both the
score (Williams must be the best theme tune producer
ever!) and the narrative. Marlon Brando returns from
the grave to utter the immortal line, which send a
chill down your spine as Superman flies off into the
distance. 'They only lack the light to show the way,
for this reason above all, their capacity for good.
I have sent them you, my only son'. What more can
I add after the words of the great Jor-El. 2006 is
going to be a great year for movies.
The usual question at this time of year, is what
did you get? Or did Santa bring you anything good
/ nice? I will quote my friend, Pav
who said on Christmas Day on MSN, 'the usual bits
and bobs'. The usual DVD's, CDs and clothes. However,
I was most jealous of my first cousin, Ramzi. Who
got from my sisters, this fantastic spaceship. To
Infinity & Beyond.
The intro sequence to Toy Story 2 (which was shown
on BBC1 on Christmas Day) has to be my favourite of
all time (including normal motion picture movies).
I recorded the segment onto my PC as an mpg file.
I'll save the snapshots for another time. You never
know when you'll need to call upon a space ranger.

Toy Story 2, cleverly links us to the next topic of discussion. The Greatest
Family Films of all time. The festive period would
not be complete without some countdown shows and Channel
4 are not one to disappoint. Back To The Future
came seventh,
which is fantastic, considering the movie is now well
over twenty years old. Plus ET is a deserving winner, it has everything you expect from a family movie. The talk of the sci-fi trilogy,
got me heading over to the non-official home, over
at BTTF
dot com. On the news page, I discovered there
was a rumour that Michael J. Fox was keen on returning
for a fourth movie. However, a quick visit to the
DeLorean
Owners Club UK provided the truth behind the headlines.
There was no discussion of a fourth film and as usual
Fox's comments had been misconstrued. In any case,
this news came to remind me that I am (in name only)
a member of the DOC UK. (Yes, I know I don't own a
DeLorean but it is a club for non-owners as well!)
and that I need to pay my annual subscription by the
end of the year. On the site there was news of upcoming
events in 2006. A weekend over in East Anglia at the
home of Lotus caught my eye straight away and I e-mailed
the club secretary straight away for further details.
Still awaiting his reply but a trip down to the spiritual
father of the DeLorean, will make for a fantastic
weekend in June.
Wow, this is turning out to be one of my epic entries.
So how best to end such an entry? A quote from my
favourite soap. Sorry, make that my beloved soap,
Eastenders. We are in the A & E department and
father turns to his sun to say... "How many times
have I told you Thomas, your not a Dalek!"
Boy, aged around 7 with saucepan on his head!. Moments
later a drunk guy goes into the Christmas tree, which
was standing in the corner. The tree then collapses
on top of him! Classic.
Friday 23rd December 2005
Been far too busy this week to give my blog the time it deserves until now. The night before Christmas Eve and the excitement of the big day just so close, you can almost touch it. I feel good, no actually I feel great. Christmas always brings out the best of me as a person and I am glad that I am one of those people that always gets into the Christmas spirit.
It was almost pointless coming into work, other than to bid my colleagues a Merry Christmas with chocolates and samosas. We had zero phone calls, which is an improvement on last year, when an update was issued and a few reps called in during the morning. My colleague Chris got me a Champions League football for Christmas but not gone to the length of wrapping the gift. I can't really blame him, it would have been difficult to disguise. Then he asked if I was up for a quick kick about in the car park before I left. Of course I was. This was the first football that I owned in over twelve years. It has been so long since I saw a football in real life, and not on the television that it made a refreshing change. However, the signs were still there, I was still highly unfit and got no technical ability on the ball whatsoever. Yet, that didn't matter. The car park slowly deserted before we were the only ones left, passing the ball and Chris showing off his keepy uppies. Is this a good time to mention I have signed up for my work football team?
Saw the video for X-Factor winner, Shayne Ward today. I must say he was a deserving winner, although it did get me thinking of other black winners of reality television shows. Of course, there is only Tim Campbell who won the UK version of The Apprentice. Personally I think there is no racism in these shows, it is purely based on talent. The better singer won on the night. There have now been a series of winners, specifically solo artists, with only the original, Will Young still having some impact in the charts. Michelle McManus was, as expected only a minor success after her show. Now we have Shayne, who apparently has more mass international appeal, due to his boyish good looks. Time will tell. What I can say is that his first single is very good. For some reason the people behind these shows, know how to write the perfect ballad to reflect the feeling of achievement. Will Young had, "Evergreen", Michelle had "This Time" but "That's My Goal" just hits the right notes in my opinion. If I am honest with you, I did prefer Andy's performance of the song on the night but perhaps because he sang it first. Mr. Ward potentially has a bright future ahead of him. Let us just hope he does not end his career before it has started like David and Steve.
There is nothing more left to say apart from wish
everyone a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2006.
I may not get around to sending you an e-card tomorrow,
so just for the record, I leave my seasons greetings
to you all here, on my web site, like I do every year.
Sunday 18th December 2005
Looking back, this is a weekend, which I hope had
never happened. The omens were not good from the start.
My amp installation, scheduled for Saturday morning,
was moved back to Saturday afternoon. Pav
had gone over to Kent with his new 'shoes' for his
M3 ride, to get them refurbished. He got back at 12.34
exactly (according to his portable satellite navigation
system, which is accurate to within minutes, apparently!)
In any case, I rushed over there, looking forward
to installing the amp and for a change getting my
hands dirty. Things did not look good from the outset,
taking out my head unit, we realised I needed a pre
amp cable adapter to connect the head unit to the
amp. Calling a few local car audio specialists, we
had little joy. Even a trip down into Caversham, to
Mar Parts proved unfruitful. It was a Blaunkpunt specialist
part and would only be available to order from authorised
blue spot dealers. However, not to give up so soon,
there were two more ICE resellers in the Berkshire
town to try. Pav firstly rang 118118, but they proved
next to useless. The woman on the phone could hardly
speak English and my college friend had to spell out
the name of the county! We then tried 118500 and instantly
got the text message with the number we were looking
for. This was to be the first bombshell of the weekend,
no joy. I would have to order the cable online and
then come back to carry out the installation another
time. Even though at first, I was hoping to wire up
the amp in situation and just plug in the cable at
the back of the head unit when the lead arrived. Seeking
professional advice from a man that carries out in
car entertainment installations everyday of his working
life, we decided upon the following course of action.
When the lead arrives, I take it over to a leading
high street store and get the job done professionally.
So, was it a wasted journey? Surely not, as Pav borrowed
my Mini DV camcorder to record some family video onto
this laptop. The audio can wait, your first Christmas
with your nephew is priceless.
We all deal with defeat in different ways. I tend
to (as much as possible) switch off. This tends to
become very difficult when you spend such a vast number
of hours online and connected, but I tend to get grumpy.
I will spend no time on reflecting on the poor performance,
there are other blogs out there much more capable.
Instead let me describe my day and the build up, the
anti-climax and the fear of going into work tomorrow.
If Sky had their way, every live game screened would be the next big title decider. While, I will give them credit for the lack of hype surrounding this fixture as in the past. I woke up around 9am, and tried to occupy myself to take my mind of things. First thing was to head off into the cold winter morning and check my car over and then give it a wash down the local jet wash. As expected the jet wash was frozen and out of order. I headed over to the car wash at a nearby Total petrol station (which coincidentally had no fuel!) to have a car wash. Thankfully a VW Passat was ahead of me in the queue. The driver was having a horrible time, firstly trying to get into the carwash (ice outside) and then actually get the device to work. As I paid for my car wash ticket, he came in and asked the assistance for help. Sure enough, the car wash was iced up and while trying to operate was not pushing out any water. The attendant attempt to reset the device a few times, but just left this middle aged man sitting in his car driving back and forth (a few yards) in hope it would start up. By this time I had had enough, particularly when a member of the public came up and asked me if I worked here. Please. I drove home for some breakfast. Thankfully my ticket is valid for seven days, so I can come back when the weather is slightly warmer.
Going out in the 307, I happened to have an hour spare so headed over to South
Harrow to a dedicated wash centre. Basically a converted
Total petrol station, which now has two jet wash stations
and vacuums in place of petrol pumps. The car was
in a state, but what do you expect with my mother
driving. Going into to pay for my two tickets, I was
shocked to discover the attendant lying back on his
chair, fast asleep. Didn't really want to disturb
his beauty sleep. I gave the car, a quick clean but
not to my satisfactory high standard and then checked
the tyre pressures and to my surprises they were all
dead on the right pressure. Then I joined the queue
for the jet wash, at around 2.30pm, an hour before
the Super Sunday programme started on Sky Sports One.
There was three cars ahead of me, but thankfully two
wash bays. An Asian man, with flowing long hair, was
doing a dedicated job on his 53 plate Honda Accord.
He had a chamois leather drooping out of his back
pocket. He spent at least fifteen minutes cleaning
the car and then a further twenty drying (thankfully
away from the wash bay). I did not have the luxury
of all this time on my hands. I was keen to get in,
washed and out as soon as possible. I wanted to be
heading back to Wycombe as soon as possible. Unlike
the event earlier this morning, there was little chance
of me trekking back down the A40 to South Harrow.
By 3pm, my turn finally arrived and I must say I am
impressed with this new, service code driven system.
Basically you enter the code you have purchased and
the time begins counting down. You can then select
a variety of options for as long as your time will
allow. For those of you unfamiliar with the use of
a standard jet wash. You usually buy credit in the
form of time. However, the programme will run through
a standard cycle and you would always be rushing to
brush the entire vehicle before the bell would sound
and you have to apply the wax. In any case, the job was done, the car was much cleaner than when I arrived and I rushed back to collect my Mum and sister from Hillington and head home.
When the final whistle went I wondered how I could
occupy my time for the rest of the evening. I rang,
Chris, just to pre-empt his rude text message (which
for the record never arrived!). In the end, I opted
to load up my RnB play list in Win Amp, put the volume
up and head for a long shower to forget about things.
Just as I came out of the shower, I looked at my mobile.
Sure enough there was a text message and I knew who
it was from. Instead of his usual, 'That's why we're
Champions!', I was greeted with a comment I had already
had in person in the office. 'I've got my binoculars
out and still can't see you!'. Already, I have the
picture of their smug face, with Chelsea mug in hand
for Monday morning. Perhaps the first time that I
do not want to go into work. Particularly those non-football
fans in the office, that just laugh to make you feel
worse! For a change I'll be keeping the conversation
on helpdesk queries rather than work. Thank God that
we don't have any big boss that supports Man Utd in
the office. Just a couple of Liverpool fans that will
be just as bitter at our defeat. My plan for the rest
of the evening? Watch a movie
about erasing the memory. Such a shame we are a good
few years of bringing that to reality. I would ask
for 17th and 18th December 2005 to be erased from
mine!
Thursday 15th December 2005
My weekend, overall went as planned. Apart from a
minor football result, but we will pick ourselves
up, dust ourselves off for Sunday. For a change there
has been little build up to this game. Unlike last
year, when it was hyped as Judgment Day. In my heart
I know we have the ability on the pitch to win. My
head tells me we are in for the toughest test of the
season and could be on the verge of humiliation. Still
a few days left to wait. For now, let me just give
a quick update on last weekend and look forward to
this coming weekend, and of course the big day the
following weekend.
Rarely do I have the time to plan my time at the
weekend. Usually something comes up, or I have various
errands to run. My Sunday was as perfect as can be.
Probably. Over the course of the week, I had seen
the spots on Channel 4 (before, midway and after Hollyoaks)
for a film I had wanted to see four years ago, during
it's theatrical release. Starring, perhaps one of
the greatest actors of his generation, Fifteen
Minutes is an interesting journey into the mind
of a killer and his accomplice, looking for fortune
and fame. At times, De Niro reminded me of an alternative
Columbo (no disrespect to Peter Falk of course) whenever
he lit up one of his cigars. Without wishing to reveal
too much, the finale is more revenge than justice
and you feel somewhat shortchanged. Particularly with
such a high profile array of stars. Having said that,
a great watchable television movie. Just a shame a
great opening half hour is not given the time to develop
into a great story.
When I was at school, although perhaps not the most popular person in the world,
I received my fair share of Christmas cards. Perhaps
never matching the numbers of my younger siblings.
This year, for some strange reason, has been appalling,
with my total count standing at three at this moment
in time. While both my youngest sister and Mum are
already in double figures each. My Dad even wanted
me to count the Carling promotional card I received
yesterday morning. No, I'm not that sad. However,
I am shocked and perhaps even dismayed at this culture
of not sending cards in our office. I can understand
a few people not signing up to the idea (even on the
feeble environmental stance!) but never have I felt
the atmosphere of bar humbug in the air. Making a
donation to charity, is an honourable gesture, but
you can do that all year around. If it ever comes
to the point, when I turn into Ebeneezer,
feel free to come over and shot me! What would Mr.
C. Dickens think?
Thankfully there are people on this planet, who have
never lost (and never hope to) lose the true Christmas
spirit, in every sense of the word.
Which, brings us on perfectly to my journey home
this evening. By mistake I put on Radio One. I had
been aiming to change from the CD changer to the CD
disc (in the head unit) but pressed the wrong button.
Yet, this must have been some strange act of God.
For the song they were playing was from a well known
mobile
advert. Of course, due to the unique
way the BBC is funded, Scott Mills was unable to give
away the actually name of the organisation. The strange
thing is, I never noticed the song before, even though
it is quite prominent in the television commercial.
The first time I saw it, a few weeks ago, I was too
busy trying to decipher what the service or product
they were selling. Quite easy in the end, when they
start waving their mobile phone directly in front
of the camera and superstars, Schumacher and Van Nistelrooy
appear in computerised format to stand next to Big
Phil from down the road. Every year, I suppose there
is a Christmas song, novelty song if you will, that
captures the mood of the nation. This song is it.
Some years it can be completely unrelated to the season
of good will, or perhaps just slightly reflect the
pressures of modern living.
What makes this song, entitled, "Under The Tree" so
special? Well firstly it is so simple and catchy,
with a great straightforward chorus. (Do not worry
the full song, is much more substancial than the short segment in
the snow on television. There is the romantic harmony
of the lyrics too, which have the same sentiments
as The bells in the background make it magical and
I can proudly say their inclusion has put me right
into the mood for Christmas. I'm like a giddy little
schoolboy, excited and longing for the big day to
come. Damn, I'm so pathetic!
Saturday 10th December 2005
When things are bad they are awful. When times are
good, everything just falls into place. Take this
morning, as an example. I had so much planned for
the day. Priority, to get my haircut first thing in
the morning and then head into town to pick up a few
things. Parking, I gave myself two hours to complete
the job and get back to the car and head home. As
I got to the car, I put my key in the ignition to check the
time, it was 10:57, the time on my ticket read, yes,
10:57. I drove out the car park with a grin on my
face. Mission accomplished, on time but perhaps way
over budget. Whose counting? Tis the season of goodwill
to all men (and women?).
What has now become an annual tradition, I picked
up my Christmas cards from Clintons this morning.
Sorry that gives the impression that I had preordered
my cards. What I mean to say is I chose my cards this
morning. Looking back at my archives, I always buy
my cards between 10th and 15th of the month. Although,
I do get some funny looks in the queue, as I purchase
individual cards for all of my family to give to them
on Christmas Day. It is the thought that counts at
this time of year above anything else. Although last
year I said I was moving away from using Excel to
record my list and recalling names at the drop of
a hat from memory. I have to go back to using a spreadsheet,
particular as I now have 35 people at work to write
cards for. To my humiliation my sister and even my
Mother have received more Christmas cards than me
so far. To date I have received none. So to change
this sorry sorry state of affairs, I better get writing
and posting.
As I was drove my Mum's car into town, I was listening
to KISS 100, no CDs I'm afraid. On the return journey,
the disc jockey was counting down some download chart,
sponsored by a third generation mobile network. While
the artist was unfamiliar, the song became an instant
hit to my hears. It must be the classic 1980s introduction
or the cool, smooth, chilled RnB melody. In any case,
I parked up and waited for the song to finish, yes
it is that good! Been listening to it almost non-stop
on my PC and is growing on me. If this boy band (can
I call them that?) continue this trend, I will be
sure to listen out for the next single. Oh, you want
to name of the artist? They are called, Pretty
Ricky.
While most people would consider me the least competitive
of people, I still have an deep inner hatred of losing.
Though, in my personal accomplishments, or lack there
of, I have little to shout home about. It is only
human nature, to associate ourselves with great success
in response to some our own failures or weaknesses.
Some of you would say I'm looking to deep into this,
but I beg to differ. It's only a game.
The reality, even if seasons come and go is that fans
never let you forget those defeats and are quick to
move on from the glowing successes. I suppose this
is the time to be counted as a fan and show my true
colours. Afterall, you may be singing when winning
but when the chips are down, you just have to back
the team, manager and backroom staff. Next stop Highbury.
Chelsea. Too early for defeatist talk, Daniel? Or maybe we should be posing some difficult questions to the Board!
Friday 9th December 2005
The World Cup draw has just been made and the football Gods are shining down on England. (Or are these omens just too good?) Group B is with no disrespect to our competitors, a walk over. Winning the group now becomes paramount, to avoid the hosts Germany from Group A. Was it I, whom mentioned the Soca Warriors on 18th November and how great it would be to be drawn against them, after all they will be providing the soundtrack for the summer tournament, no doubt. Put it in your diary now (yes, Outlook does count!) Thursday 15th June 2006)
Friday, but not the end of just another week for
me. A difficult week, without my car. Strange and
awkward. At times uncomfortable. Thankfully I finished
work at 4pm, to drive over to Aylesbury to collect
my car. It was dark, cold with a dense fog covering
the car park as I drove out into the distance. I was
hoping my manager's insistence to leave thirty minutes
earlier than usual would make sure I missed all the
afternoon traffic. I made great time until I came
up to the roundabout by my house, with traffic at
a standstill. It was time for some drastic changes
to my journey. Thankfully I know some back grounds
to get me onto the road beyond where the hold up was.
Surely if I had got stuck there, I would have missed
getting to the body shop by 5.30pm, their closing
time. The traffic through the town centre was busy
and as I watched the minutes tick by in the Colt,
I came under the realisation that I may not make it
in time. Then as I pulled up onto the forecourt, my
headlights lit up car, clean, repaired, almost beaming
back a smile. It was great to see my car again. There
is something to the scientific research that men love
their cars, some even go to the length of giving
their proud and joy a name.
It was a great relief to see my car again, for I had
missed the comforts of a powerful diesel engine. This
Japanese vehicle was no match. My weekend, could not
finally begin, as I headed out of Aylesbury and back to Wycombe.
Tuesday 6th December 2005
Arrived home this afternoon, to find two packages
marked with my name. One, which I expected. The latest
album from a-ha. The second was a surprise. It was
a DVD from the guy who had been sitting next to me
at the concert on Saturday. I rushed to switch on
my computer and put on the DVD to find out what it
was. This should not come as a shock. As soon as I
get home every evening, I switch on my PC. It is the
pure geek within. Back in March 2001, a-ha made their
international comeback, with a concert in their hometown
of Oslo, Norway. It was released
on DVD, but I never got around to buying it. There
is no greater feeling than, after a hard day at the
office, trying to get over a cold, to hear Take On
Me, blaring on the PC, as you change out of your work
suit. In fact, this live rendition of their breakthrough
single, is the same live version I was playing on
my way up to Birmingham on Saturday afternoon. I think
I will set Sunday afternoon aside to sit down and
listen to analogue, while I clean up my room, the
perfect way to end a quiet lazy weekend, don't you
think?
Hollyoaks have had a late edition shown at 11pm each
weeknight this week. This is the third after hours
series of episode and perhaps the most compelling
storyline with the Chester date rape coming to a head.
Will the man behind all these sexual offences finally
be caught? Talking into account how bad the police
were with the serial murderer, don't expect any quick
results. As the undisputed number one fan of the Channel
4 teen soap, I have been watching each episode religious
at 11pm. Although it does slightly affect my viewing
diet, as I have already watch the following nights
episode on E4 earlier in the evening. People constantly
ask me why I watch this soap. While they can understand
my undivided love for Eastenders, they raise their
eyebrows, when I ask, "Do you watch Hollyoaks?". It
is at times pure comic book and outside of reality
that it makes me fall to the floor in laughter. For
example, hiring a bar maid, not on her talents at
pulling pints but her dreamy good looks. Only in a
soap could you get away with tests such as 'pick up
my keys love' and which chat-up line provides the
first slap as a reaction.
I did not really mention it at the time, but I had
a slight knock in my car early last month. Just a
slight scratch, nothing series and no injuries. The
car is currently being repaired, so I have a courtesy
car. While I am big fan of Japanese cars, I would
like to point out I prefer big Japanese cars. The
Mitsubishi Colt, just does not fit me. It is not me
at all. Then again, what to you expect from a company,
that makes pens, video recorders as well as cars.
There has to be a lose link in the change somewhere?
Oh, I forgot to mention my number plate. The last
three letters are, wait for it. KFC.
My work Christmas do is next week, Tuesday in fact.
One of my colleague has been calling it the 70s show,
as it has a 1970s theme. While I was frankly disappointed
with this 'bright' idea and the appalling venue (which
should be a hanging offence for the organiser(s)).
However, rather than be bitter (and some would say
twisted!) I have opted to be a sport and go. Some
would consider me to be last minute merchant, which
I confess is true. Only organised my costume with
the help of eBay this Monday morning. While I had
originally thought of hiring a more outrageous costume,
it did not feel right. I wanted to look cool and sophisticated
and not a complete pratt, filling the part of the
company clown. I can leave that to someone else!
Sunday 4th December 2005
What a night! But the day begins in the mid afternoon.
I was hoping to leave at 3pm, but left exactly thirty
minutes later. I had only refuelled on Friday, so
my trip mileage counter was reset and showing only
2.5, as I pulled out of my drive. As I had given myself
so much time to make to our second city, I was not
in a hurry. I was going to cruise at 70, and listen
to my favourite a-ha songs and enjoy the drive. The
sun was slowly setting in the distance, as I got onto
the M40, which although not busy was quite steady.
I put my foot down to beat the first few weekend drivers
and lorries. I had my live version of Take On Me playing
and then Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears
for Fears. After a while I wondered how Arsenal were
doing against Bolton, so switched over to FiveLive.
To my horror, we were two nil down and had put on
a poor show. Although on any other Saturday evening,
that would have dapended my spirits, instead I looked
forward to the concert. Switching back to the CD changer
as the NEC drew ever closer. It was 16:45 exactly
as I pulled up into the parking space on a cold, damp
winter night. It has been raining earlier throughout
the day, so the ground was a slush of wet leaves and
grass. My mileage counter read 88.2 miles as I stepped
out of the car, I took a deep breath. My Saturday
night adventure was just about to begin.
As my sister was coming from Nottingham, after finding
the venue, I headed down the road to Birmingham New
Street. I arrived just after 5.30pm, but would be
waiting just under an hour before my young sister
would arrive. Then we literally had three minutes
to grab some food before jumping on the Virgin Train
to London Euston, which would stop at Birmingham International.
The journey took eleven minutes and gave us time to
quickly catch up and grab some food. Then, it was
rushing off the train to join the rest of the crowds
heading towards the Arena. We picked up a programme,
which while rather light, gave details of this UK
tour, which goes hand in hand with their latest studio
album (eight, that is correct!) I have only heard
the first single from the new album, but went over
to Amazon this morning to order my copy. I think it
will be a case of taking some time to listen to the
material, to see whether or not it grows on me. This
was my first concert, so I was apprehensive of many
things. Would we have good seats? What there be a
good mixed crowd? Would they play my favourite songs? Would it be mad rush on the roads going home?

As we made our way into the arena, avoiding the temptation to buy any merchandise, I was impressed with the seating area. Then absolutely chuffed to be quite near the front, with a great view of the stage. Booking early, (15th April to be exact!) does have benefits. (Having just gone back and read that entry, I feel a sense of great relief of going for it!) However, when we found our seats, someone was sitting (quite innocently in my sister's seat!) and as usual, I got talking. More on that later.
The supporting act was a fellow Norwegian folk singer, Ana Brun. I can only describe her as a poor man's KT Tunstall. While I quite enjoy folk music, there is a time and a place, and the audience did eventually have enough and were glad when she exited the stage for the main act. There is only so much slow emotional music you can listen to on a Saturday night. The lights dimmed and the audience rose to their feet as a-ha appeared on stage. Then the lights eluminated the arena.

As expected, they opend with Celine, the first single
from the new album and overall it is an enjoyable,
uplifting radio friendly pop song. I have to be careful
with my use of the world pop. A-ha have grown up and
their sound has matured from the electronic synth
of the 1980s into a more guitar based light rock.
I will publish a full set list later, but one of my
favourite a-ha songs was played a few songs in. It
is called Weight Of The Wind, from their second album,
Scoundrel Days.

Of course, when they played their signature tunes, 'Take On Me', 'Hunting High & Low' and 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' they got the whole crowd going. However, some of the other tracks, including heavier rock version of The Living Daylights and Stay On These Roads impressed the hardcore fan base. Overall, a great evening and a great way to spend my first Saturday night in December. I will try and post some more photos later in the week and include more feedback, particularly when I receive the new album. For the time being, I will leave you with some strange and wonderful trivia, which I am sure you will not know. Which artist has played to the highest number of paying people? Who holds the unofficial record for holding the longest note in a song? Answers on a postcard.
Friday 2nd December 2005
December is here, which can only mean one thing. However, I will try to keep some ounce of control, as there is plenty of time to get mad towards the late part of the month. Particularly with work to keep me occupied. While to my shock some individuals have already completed all their Christmas shopping, I tend to leave it as late as practically possible. Usually the last weekend prior to the big day, but due to the way Christmas falls on a Sunday, I have arranged to go shopping with my friend on Friday 23rd December, in the afternoon, straight after work. (I finish at 12pm) Therefore will need to get my shopping done by around 6pm. That sounds like a challenge to me?
Today, I should have opened the second window on
my advent calendar. Too busy at the moment, may get
around to eating the backlog of chocolates over the
course of the weekend. Do you have an advent calendar?
For as long as I can remember, I have had one. Last
year was Spiderman, a previous year was Toy Story
2, this year it is The Simpson's. But no Chief Wiggum.


I have started using my PDA to make blog notes, this is a vast improvement
on my old scraps of paper. It is perfect as I have
my PDA on me throughout the day at work and when I
am at home. In fact this entry was the first to be
initially recorded on the X30. With only two subjects
remaining. When do you know it is Christmas? For me
it when I see the classic Coca Cola television commercial.
It is the truck
that brings that Christmas cheer! I saw it on Thursday
evening, before I was going out and it was a great
moment. What else do you cherish
on the run up to the big day?
Generally speaking I do not remember my dreams. However this week, two dreams
are vivid. Firstly on Wednesday night I had the images
of an old college friend. Strange, I had not seen
or spoken to them in at least five years. In my second
dream, last night, I was back in the classroom and
distracted by someone sitting in the row ahead of
me. In fact it was Britney Spears. I know this is
strange, I'm 24 and have these strange adolescent
dreams. I didn't speak to her, but it was not a re-creation
of the Baby One More Time video, although she did
look more wholesome, circa 1999, rather than her modern
rock chick persona. Weird. What added to this strange
dream, was the change to an open field, with several
American girls in football gear. Then, George Bush,
(yes, that dude
across the water!) came across and hit a soccer ball
in my direction and I ran across in the same direction
of all these young girls and started to play a game
of football. Then, from what I can recall, I woke
up.
Wednesday 30th November 2005
The reason I watch Eastenders
is for episodes like the past week. Sure, the griping,
gritty storylines keep me on the edge of the sofa,
but it is the comedy value of the soap opera that
actually keeps me hooked. Last Tuesday's episode is
a case in point. The introduction of Honey, the so
called, Honey Trap, who mistakes Billy for Patrick
Trueman. This theme continued when Billy (now managing
Honey) hires a Welsh photographer to take some photographs
for a new portfolio. Only for the man with the lens
to decide upon a location shoot. I never thought I
would hear the name of Nick Kamen mentioned before
Pauline Fowler, but you soon learn that nothing can
surprise you in Albert Square.
Am I a geek? Apparently based on the test over at Inner
Geek. This link came around via e-mail from one
of my colleagues in the office, giving their own personal
score. Not having the time on Monday afternoon to
answer the hundred odd questions with the time and
patience they required. My initial attempt scored
me a low 7.5% but afterwards, another college told
me there were at least another ten questions that
applied to me in their totality. So I had to come
home and concentrate. I am 21.49901% geek. If you
are wondering what a geek is, over at Wikipedia
they get it just right, with the perfect image occupying
the definition.
Watching my beloved Arsenal is an honour these days, particularly as it is the last season at fortress Highbury. Of course I wish I could have been to the big grudge matches, the title deciders or big knock out rounds of the FA Cup, but instead I had the joy of watching the youngsters in the League Cup. My journey began, where most begin, with me hard at work in the office. Originally I had aimed to leave the office at 4pm to make good time for the train to North London. On the advice of my manager, I was given leave of the office at 3pm. Fantastic. Although, in reality, I knew I would be pushing it to escape the clutches of the helpdesk at this time in the afternoon. As expected just after 2pm, I got involved (heavily) in a call, which would last for over an hour. Thankfully, thinking on my feet I was able to resolve the issue (more on this subject over on my other blog) In any case, I left the office for the first time since mid September with light outside. Heading home, I looked at my watch and knew within a couple of hours I would be at the home of my club, cheering on the players to another victory. The delay of having to stay an extra twenty minutes slowly disappeared away behind me as I sped up the by pass for home.
My Arsenal top is only worn when the team are playing
on TV (yes, it's a mild obsession!) so this there
was a special feeling inside, as I put on the redcurrant
and gold for a trip, sorry pilgrimage to a spiritual
home. I called up Pete and he was on his way down
to pick me up. Due to circumstance beyond our control,
we headed for Beaconsfield Station, rather than Wycombe.
Not only had it caught fire
on Sunday evening, earlier in the month, it had been
labeled a crime
spot. No smoke without fire (literally, in this
case!) By now trains were calling at my hometown station,
but I did not want to take any risks so headed down
the M40 making excellent time, just prior to the Tuesday
evening rush hour. Ten to five, we were both on the
quiet but warm Chiltern Railways service to Marylebone.
As the seasoned traveler, I led the way once we made
our way from over ground to Underground. There was
perhaps another route, but I choice to go on the Bakeloo
Line from Marylebone
to Piccadilly
Circus to change for the Piccadilly
Line all the way to not Arsenal
(as would have normally been the case) but one stop
along, Finsbury
Park. We were not alone, a hoard of other (mainly
home) fans. A businessman in a well kept suit and
strong Eastern Europe accent, as Pete who Arsenal
were playing. Proudly he stated Reading in the Carling
Cup. Calling his Reading mates on the phone, we discovered
they were in a pub right near the ground and were
quite some distance off. So we headed into the Twelve
Pins as it was the closest drinking establishment
and we were thirsty. Thankfully, there were your fair
share of Reading supporters mingling on quite friendly
terms with the Highbury faithful. Then it was time
to walk down to the ground, grab some food before
taking our seats in the West stand. Rather than give
a review of the game, I'll leave it down to the professionals.
Even, Pete, the Reading season ticket holder thought
this was a great balanced match report.
A great atmosphere in Highbury and a different, perhaps
more rounded view of the game from the West stand.
This could be the last time I see my team live, while
I try not to think too much about that, it is always
at the back of my mind. Let us instead take the positives
from the performance. Reyes back to scoring ways,
as he promised in the match programme the last time
I was here, on October 2nd, "the goals will come...".
Van Persie continued his great form, and Lupoli, who
has been knocking on the door for the past few months
and scoring goals for fun in the reserves, came on,
to calmly put one around the keeper after a minute
on the pitch. Fantastic. There is something about
the ecstasy of a football match, which is difficult
to describe. For 90 minutes you are only concerned
about twelve players on the field. Strange really
how much emotion can be created by a simple ball hitting
the back of a net. Of course, the purists among you
would say that there is a lot more to it than that.

Saturday 26th November 2005
The weekend started to me singing along to the rock pop anthem, "Semi Charmed
Life", by Third
Eye Blind (recently re-branded as 3eb) which I
had downloaded this week and had placed on to the
XBox. The track may be from 1997 but is has not aged
in any respect (even the video) and this was the perfect
opener to my first weekend at the age of 24.
Ironically this would be the first weekend of the
new licensing laws
which actually came into affect on my birthday, so
this year (24) will not be forgotten in a hurry. I
remember speaking to a colleague a few years ago,
while I worked at Jacksons
who was from Sydney. He explained that in his local
neighbourhood, there was a bar that opened 24 hours
and only closed for an hour at the weekend to be cleaned.
Even then, at the discretion of the landlord, you
could remain at the bar during this time. Strange
how it has taken us English so long to become accustomed
to this continental style of social drinking. Well
the jury is still out, whether this binge
drinking phenomenon can be calmed.
Last year, my sister Natalie, got me a framed Arsenal
photograph, celebrating the teams record breaking
unbeaten league campaign, 2003-4. Actually it was
three photographs, Arsené and Henry lifting the Cup
and the team celebrating their amazing feat! It has
been sitting at the top of my desk cupboard for over
a year. Until last weekend. The glass had cracked
soon after receiving it, and I promised I would get
around to changing it. Finally I got around to having
a new, classy and appropriate frame fitted. Thanks to Sippy for editing this image for me.


Talking of football, I must mention the passing of
a great, gifted man. Having only discovered Sky jumping
on the blogging bandwagon, I thought it best they
provide the facts while I can fill in my opinion.
Although I agree with Arsenal,
wtf? with his/her sentiments that a man should
be measured by his best days, rather than his worst.
I have two points to add that may have been missed
already. Georgie Best appealed to everyone, and not
just football fans. I can confirm this when my own
father mentioned that Manchester United was the team
he supported a young boy and his favourite player
was the legendary number 7. My Dad is not a football
fan, far from it, but the fact that the only player
he could name instantly was Best, speaks volumes for
how much one player became so popular outside of the
game.
Parkinson perhaps sums up the Irish international
best.
I remember watching him being interviewed on Parky's
show quite recently. Elton John was the other guest,
who gave the following glowing tribute to George.
'I have seen some of the world's greatest players
play, but none of them were as good as George Best!'.
The audience gave a loud applause. Perhaps it is only
the man himself who will know how great he could have
been and how, perhaps he could have done more with
his god given talent. We all have flaws, we are all
human, but then there are flawed
geniuses, who unlike the rest of us, can give pleasure
to thousands of people, with the drop of the shoulder
and a quick turn on a sixpence. I only have the videos
to relive some of those magic moments. For those that
were there, to see him in flesh have seen something
special. To compare players from different eras is
unfair. The game has moved along leaps and bounds
in the subsequent decades. (Some would say in favour
of the attacking side). When I eventually get around
to picking my all time XI. The third name on the team
sheet, after Pele and Maradona, will be Best.
Thursday 24th November 2005
If you knew how I spent my 23rd birthday, I am sure
you will be glad to hear that this year began much
better. I woke up in the morning and had a job. Great
start to the day! I was a man on a mission and knew
that today I would be taking myself well off the beaten
track to become the hero of the office. My journey
started just outside Marlow, as I dropped off my sister
at school. Instead of heading back toward Maidenhead,
I headed in the direction on home. As luck would have
it I found myself behind a Carousel bus, in the thick
fog, struggling up the hill. I was behind a black
Civic Type-R, which looked out of place, crawling
at less than thirteen miles an hour. Then he did it. I knew
he would, but it happened rather quickly so I did
not have the time to appreciate the smooth maneuvering
(even if it was rather suicidal). Yet, our brave (or
foolish) driver, was able to live to tell the tale
and die another day. To truly understand what was
happened, this hot hatch over took a Renault Clio
and the bus heading up hill, on a blind corner in
thick fog during the rush hour. As fate would have
it, by the time we reached Handy Cross (slowly turning
into a major demolition site) the bus was ahead of
the Honda at the lights. The driver did not look very
pleased.
While Slough may have a bad reputation among most of the UK population (and
beyond) it is not as bad as they would want you to
think. With the BBC starting a programme to make the
town happy, I began to wonder the about the Science
of Happiness and what truly makes us happy. Then
again, after a few seconds I had the answer. They
are round in shape, with a whole in the middle.
Those regular readers of my blog will know that I
purchased some Krispy Kremes from Canada Square back
on Friday 24th August last
year. This time around, my order was 72 doughnuts
to feed the appetites of my work colleagues. The store
in Slough has only been open a few months, it is based
underneath the new Tesco Extra complex. Fantastic.
As you can imagine, when I arrived at the office,
much later than my usual early 8.45am, I was the most
popular person ever. Including one colleague who would
note down my birthday for future years in her Outlook
calender.

In the evening, I headed over to Eton to Golden Curry with my family. It was
a quiet setting, with a beautiful modern restaurant
interior. However, there was something amiss. Instead
of the standard Hindi instrumental music, they were
playing the greatest hits of Wham! To top things off,
at the end of the album is the festive classic, 'Last
Christmas'. One of the waiting staff forgot (or did
not know) how to change the CD, as it played the song
about five times back to back before the disc was
changed. Then the de facto standard Bollywood music
filled the room. But the damage was done, perhaps
just a day or two prematurely. After my birthday,
there is only Christmas to look forward to! :) The
music in the restaurant was just a cold, cold reminder
of this commercial reality.
Tuesday 22nd November 2005
Some blogs get blog rolled instantly, no need for
lousy introductions, particularly if the author is
a World Record Holder. GeoffTech
is such a golden example. More to come on this later.
Mighty Mouse mentioned
a new bookmark sharing service under the amusing name
of del.icio.us (Can you see what it is yet?).
I have created my account and will spend some time
this weekend, building up my collection of links and
creating some useful tags.
Blog do have great value to the world, running along side mainstream media and at times having the ability to reveal more than their well established counterparts. But do they have a true monetary value? Well I have taken the plunge and discovered that my value to the world is a mere Ł1,966.51. Perhaps just about enough if you want to put down a deposit on a new car. Personally I feel rather short changed, while this site may not have broken down any boundaries or been the voice of world peace, it has been around for over three years and kept by a dedicated writer.

Saturday 19th November 2005
Got up early this morning (well I have been slipping
into a lazy state over the past few weekends) and
headed into town. With all the redevelopment taking
place (for the uniquely named 'Eden' Project) this
is not as simple as it once would have been. My usual
car park has now become a major work site and it was
only today that it became seriously apparent to me.
I parked my car to the east of the town centre and
walked in. This journey should have taken me five
minutes, but with all the work going on, it took over
fifteen, having to walk around, as to avoid all the
roads that have been closed off areas. Funnily enough
I thought to myself that in less than three years,
I will be staring at a well known department store. By 2008, I will have hoped that my life itself, like my hometown, has changed beyond recognition.
By the time I got back from town, the rest of the
family were awake, so I retired to my room, to watch
some Saturday morning television before going back
to the living room to watch the match. Captain Scarlet
was on, but to be honest, I have never really got
into the new CGI animated series, although the use
of hand to hand combat (at times quite graphic!) has
been refreshing. I switched over to BBC1 to find TOTP
Reloaded (weren't you called TOTP Saturday in
a previous life?) but for a change, the majority are
positive
about the re-branding. I have only seen the show briefly
over the past few years. So bear with me here. One
of the final segments on the show is a quick fire
questioning of one of the guests. This week it was
Rhianna.
During which, Sam (failed Pop Idol come presenter)
sang the chorus to the song by a long forgotten boy
band. It struck an instant chord with me and I had
to get hold of it. To be honest, I do not remember
the short lived band that well. Then again, many bands
came and went (much like companies during the dot
com boom and bust) in 2000. Some hunting around the
internet, has providing only one useful posting, linking
images of the band members and what some are up to
now.
While I would never condone the use of the artist
name in the title of a track,
'Love On The Northern Line' may be very cheesy, it
is somewhat catchy and fun. I am sure the stats over
on Last
FM tell a similar story. The chances of finding
your own true love from Morden to Edgware (or High
Barnet) are extremely low, even if no scientific studies
have been carried out.
Continuing with the theme of music, I wanted to elaborate
on a topic that may have been uncovered in the debate
so far. For as long as I can remember, I have rarely
liked debut singles by bands. Of course there are
exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far
between. Today, I can bring you two fine examples.
We've mentioned the young starlet from Barbados already.
Rihanna's first single was the catchy 'Pon De Replay'
but it did little for me. It didn't have the melody
and lyrical substance. Then I hear her second single,
a smooth groove number, called, "If It's Loving That
You Want" with a catchy chorus. Her performance on
TOTP this morning was very good, although perhaps
does not give the same flavours as the video. Another
example is the recent number one by the Pussycat Dolls,
which I actually quite quickly grew to hate. Even
now, I do not understand the concept of the band,
if they are fronted by one person, what is the purpose
of the mediocre backing singers? Leaving that to once
side, their second single, 'Stick With You', a soft
gentle ballad to be released on the same day as the
Rhianna single (28th November). I have to admit I'm
fall for these romantic numbers quite easily but there
is a time and place for this genre of music, particularly
in my life. Others may feel
this is just a big marketing experiment, cooked up
by a big label executive. Image is nothing. Music
is everything. The songs stay forever, it is the artist
and moment that are gone for good.
Friday 18th November 2005
Let me take you back to June, 27th June to be exact.
In that posting I mentioned Merdach Taylor. I would
like to apologise for making a somewhat understandable
mistake. The name of the soca artist, is actually
Mesdach. Until last night I only had a sixty second
preview clip of the song. Thankfully, a fruit juice
in turbo charged pro edition was able to find the
full song I was looking for. The format itself is
something worthy of talking about, but let me first
concentrate on the music. With Trinidad & Taboga through
to the World Cup in Germany, Five Live (on their 606
programme on Wednesday evening) were quick to discover
their nickname (and follow in the footsteps of the
Reggae Boys from France 1998). Well, Soca
Warriors have finally made it and the party begins
in June. So, to get myself in the mood, a small preview
of the soundtrack, that will undeniable be next summer.
Oh yeah, the song title is 'Shut Up'.
Talking of football, let me explain the events of Friday
afternoon. When yet another bombshell was dropped
in the world of soccer. My colleague in the IT department,
proclaimed to the office that Keane had just walked
out of United. He had the news brought straight to
his desktop, thanks to Sky
Sports. I went over to BBC
News my standard homepage in Firefox. Indeed it
was true. Within a few seconds, Daniel all the way
from the Far East flashed up. He was in a state of
shock at the news, unable to comprehend that another
midfield heavy weight had left the most famous club
in the world. My words to him were simple. Blog. A
few minutes passed and he explained he had updated
his weblog with the latest. Sure enough, (when I got
home to check) he had.
To be honest, I can't say that I am that surprised.
It has been on the cards for several months and Man
Utd major drop in form was perhaps the final straw.
In any case, I'm looking forward to the weekend. There
is the lunchtime game between Arsenal and the Wigan
(refered to by Daniel, as the big pretenders!).
Friday 11th November 2005
Been over a week since I last added an entry. To
be honest, there has been little going on to warrant
a posting. Although, Friday has always been my day
to look back and reflect on the past week. DG
over on his blog has been doing some heavy analysis
on every aspect of his online journal. This got me
thinking. Do I really still need a blog? Although
my popularity has been growing steadily over the past
year, my personal enthusiasm has been at times waning.
My one and only Carling Cup match (Worthington Cup, as it was known then!) was in September 1998 at Adams Park. Wycombe entertained visitors from the North East. The Middlesborough side including Paul Gascoigne, the main draw for the crowd full of families. Towards the end of this month, I will be going to my second League Cup match, Arsenal v Reading. Thankfully tickets went on sale to Red members this morning at 9.30am and I was lucky enough to secure my seat. I am looking forward to seeing some of the younger players on the fringes, knocking on the door for first team action.
Another weekend, with very little planned. There
are of course, various international friendlies taking
place and no top flight domestic football until next
weekend. Upgrading the Media
Centre software on my XBox, although, as Sippy
has already told me, there is little difference with
the release from early October. The most annoying
aspect of the handful of recent releases has been
that I have not been able to access the Internet via
the black box. Those of you not familiar with the
technology will be intrigued to know that Microsoft
have finally placed a computer at the heart of the
home entertainment system. You can view the latest
movie trailers direct from Apple, read movie synopsis
on IMBD and check out the forecast for the next four
days via the Weather
Channel. Hopefully, tomorrow I can fix this problem
and get my connection online!
Last night, for the first time in ages, I turned
my back on the computer and went to read a book. I
have neglected reading, ever since I left college
and while at University, just read the compulsory
set texts. When I was growing up, particularly in
my pre-teen years I was constantly reading. Perhaps
not the quality literature that my English teacher
would have liked, but nevertheless engaging my mind.
Since I left college, I have become rather lazy and
the only reading I do is e-mails at work and websites.
How pathetic is that! I did try to start reading again, in
June last year, but
soon gave up. Preferring to sleep on the train into
London, rather than concentrate on reading at such
an unholy hour.
Friday 4th November 2005
Winter nights, for as long as I can remember have
meant European football on the TV and eating ice cream.
Rather a strange combination, I admit but it has become
part of the football fortnight in my household. Champions
League is the elite club competition in the world,
with some of the greatest players in the world, taking
part in the most exciting knock out competition ever
seen. Both Tuesday and Wednesday night saw mixed fortunes
for English clubs in the competition. I, of course
was only interested in the mighty Arsenal, hoping
to keep alive their 100% record in the competition
and book our place into the last 16. From the kick
off, you knew the night belonged to the Gooners. Even
if at times, there were some nervous moments. Particularly
in the second half. Yet, Henry and Van Persie (what
else does this youngster need to do to get a start?)
got the goals in a professional workman like performance.
Reyes
looked lively out on the left and was back to his
best. Hopefully he will be able gain in confident,
with a decent run out in his favoured position. Hopefully
the next few EPL games (I've been speaking to Daniel
too often to start using his English Premier League
abbreviation) will see an improved run of our form (particularly
on the road) as we begin to make up some ground on
Chelsea.
Yesterday was a good day for me. Thursdays tend to go either way. Sometimes they are dull, boring, hectic and uncomfortable and you long for the moment to get into the car and drive home. Yesterday was different, I took the day by the scruff of the neck and get things done. There is always something satisfying to achieve your goals, no matter how little. In my dreams I live the life of someone else. The sun always shines and the sky is bright blue. Then, when I wake up I find myself sitting in my car, in traffic, heading for another day in the office. The only reminder of my daydream, is the pure pop playing on the stereo. What I must learn to do is not tempt fate. Even during my good moods (which are few and far between) I must keep focus on the things that really matter.
It takes a blog (of all things) to capture the mood
of the nation. The return
of the Mitchell Brothers was minor news in my household,
as we are hardcore Eastenders fans. Yet, sometimes
you wonder how reality mimics art, away from the spotlight
of Albert
Square. Is this purely extra publicity for the
show, or are the successful women behind hard men,
coming back to do some harm? People constantly wonder
why I am glued to this soap and why I have been this
way for several years. Sure, I would agree that some
of the storylines have not been gripping over the
past few years, but that is not the reason I watch.
There are actually two reasons I watch (both kindly
interconnected). Firstly the whole soap puts my own
life into relief. Things are never as bad for me as
they are over in Walford. Secondly, I enjoy watching
losers (or as Stacey Slater put it this week, 'waster')
such as Gary Hobbs and Ian Beale. They are highly
entertaining and such a joke. Then you realise that
they do truly exist and at
times, may feature in your own life.
Monday 31st October 2005
Boy, was it dark tonight. Walking to my car, I noticed,
an eerie cold silence in the air. After all it was
Halloween, but the reality of winter finally hit me,
as I drove home. The time change to GMT usually takes a while to adjust to. However, this year I find myself automatically climatised to the new schedule. Even if others are against. Can you believe that it is nearly November already? For those of you reading this, it must be November already. Really not all the doom and gloom that my favourite Newsblog makes out.
Quick recap of my weekend. On Saturday night I watched
the Sky Premiere, The
Day After Tomorrow, with my cousin. He had already
seen it but proclaimed a 'must see'. Although perhaps
based on some scientific body of evidence, is a far
fetched story on the possibility of climate change
and how it will affect the world. I have tended to
watch these disaster movies on the small screen, rather
than at my local multiplex. While they are entertaining,
they are rather far fetched in places although the
solid human element made it worth watching. Quaid
will never been one for action but he does pull off
the courageous Dad role, perfectly. The ending however
is rather rushed, as you watch the build up to a climatic
moment, which when it comes, is not as much unbelievable
as wholly unpredictable. The use of CGI is impressive
and the Vice President has an uncanny resemblance
to real life Vice President, Dick
Cheney . There is also the great blend of British
actors, including Ian
Holm, whom I would meet again, another day. Overall,
great TV movie, nothing more, nothing less.
Ever since I saw the trailers, I wanted to go and
watch Nicholas Cage in Lord
of War.
On Sunday evening, I went over to the Odeon in Uxbridge,
to watch the movie with my cousin. I was left shocked
and horrified by what I saw. I had expected an action
comedy (or so I was led to believe by the trailer).
Instead, I was served the grim reality of war and
the constant question of morality (which goes unanswered
by the movie itself). A great cast, with Cage in an
inspiring and unique role, supporting by some great
actors, including Leto and Holm. The subject is well
addressed and perhaps never really studied to this
depth by the mainstream movie going audience. Towards
the middle, it becomes somewhat darker and almost
satanic than I could have hoped for, but if this is
an idea, to get me thinking, I respect the agenda
of the director. Perhaps the best quote appears at
the end of the movie, when after everything, you discover
that nothing is ever what it seems. The UK movie poster
was nothing in comparison to the US version, look
closely.
Saturday 29th October 2005
Site went down during the early hours of Monday morning, but I did not discover the fact that my site was down until late on Monday evening. Exceeded my monthly bandwidth allowance (again) after only the other week, giving myself a top up of 200mb for the cost of Ł7. This time around, I decided against shelving out further money on top-ups. The site bandwidth would be reset on 00:00 on Tuesday 1st November and I can wait until then. Suppose, these gives me an opportunity to clean up the pages behind the scenes.
The first movie I saw from the collection was Team America: World Police. Funny enough, this was a film my Dad had wanted to go to see at the cinema with me last summer. Thankfully I turned him down. As you might expect, Trey Parker (the creator of South Park) is vulgar, tasteless, controversial and politically incorrect. However, the movie is entertaining (even if somewhat predictable) with an all star cast, some great songs and hilarious spoof movie send ups. It everything that you would never expect to see in a Gerry Anderson production.
After two days training, it was back to work with a bang. Although I was glad for the return to normality. Routine is a key component of my life and I hate being off the beaten track. My two adventure, has been documented, to some extent, over on the other boring work blog. We are busy, but at times I find myself staring at the screening, pondering which big task to undertake. Depending on which way you look at it, this is perhaps the most fortunate or unfortunate part of my position. When we are busy, there are plenty of things to be getting on with and you very much have to keep your wits about you. When we are quiet, you have to consider careful, which task you want to get yourself bogged down into.
Last weekend I saw the latest Citroen television
commercial for the C3. This must be the third, if
not forth television spot for multi-purpose super
mini. This time around, the marketing people have
put a spin
on the classic sitcom, 'Happy Days'. When I was younger,
I would watch the repeats on early Sunday mornings
on Channel 4. Don't ask me why, but I had to download
the theme tune and listen it full stereo glory. The
most comprehensive site, detailing the birth, growth
and final death of the show is over at SitComs
Online. My favourite character? There is no need
to ask, it could only be the Fonz.
(Talk of the devil, it is his birthday tomorrow!)
Anybody else have some great memories from this television
show, which become an American institution. I think
Paramount Comedy 2 still show some later episodes.
Although I knew little about the show prior to last weekend, I had heard many great things about the Seth MacFarlane animated series, The Family Guy. The series began to broadcast on BBC2 on Saturday nights, followed by the American Dad. The star of the former is Stewie, the little one year old baby with a strong equitinesiential British accent. By checking some of the fan sites, I have been able to discover that the screenings have started from series three, rather than series one. The first episode screened on the BBC was The Thin White Line. Originally screened on the other side of the water over four years ago. I might have to put the DVD for the earlier episodes onto my list for Santa. For the time being, apart from the show, I have the official blog to keep me company.
If I have started to mention the big red man already,
it must mean we are drawing close. Over at Diamond
Geezer, he is not letting the side down, as expected.
Less than two months to go. For those of you, whom
want a more precise countdown. Will I prepare myself slightly
earlier this year? You can bet your bottom dollar,
I will not.
Saturday 22nd October 2005
My Mum came into my room and told me I had a package, I got up
and rushed to see what it was. I was not expecting
anything. I had not purchased anything. I could not
identify the handwriting, the post mark was RG2. Reading.
While I pondered who had sent it, I ripped open the
case to discover an old VHS tape. In 1999, I had lent
my Moonwalker video to Pav.
That was back when I was in college, and little did
I know that I would not see the video again for six
years. A house move meant that many things were transferred
into the garage for temporary storage. However an
old college friend had informed me that many of his
belongings, lent to Pav had also disappeared into
the black hole of his garage. Back in 2003, when I
re-discovered Human Nature, I had a longing to watch
the small segment on Moonwalker, but was resigned
to the fact that I would never see the video again
and would have to purchase the DVD.

Little did I know that this weekend would turn into
apologises for delays and the return (and delivery)
of goods long promised. Pav including with the tape,
eleven movies on DVD. Some in DivX others, I assume
in VCD quality. Most of the movies I have already
seen over the course of the summer, but it great to
be able fill in the time on a Sunday afternoon by
putting on a movie. Talking of movies, we are currently
in the middle of the Indiana
Jones Trilogy, being shown on Sky
Movies. While I have the DVD box set, I would
still enjoy to watch the movie when screened by the
satellite broadcaster. Thankfully, Saturday 5th November
is deemed, Indiana Jones Day and all three movies
will be screened back to back on Sky Movies 9 from
1pm. Great way to spend six hours. Plus that John
Williams theme tune. Classic. My favourite is the final installment, for Marcus Brody steals the show!
While keeping a third eye on links to this site, I have noted an man from Delhi describing me as a Gooner on his imaginatively entitled blog, Musings of a meandering mind. Not sure if he deserves a link back yet, but I will keep an eye on his postings, which seem to be quite regularly. Slowly but surely I am building my exposure in the blogsophere.
Friday 21st October 2005
It felt like any other Friday, in any other week
from the past ten months or so. Yet, there was a strange
feeling hanging in the air. It started around 11.30am,
inadvertent I had left my mobile on. Something I religiously
avoid, but it was ringing and I did not want to answer,
particularly as I was not expecting the call. As it
happened, a Scottish man, from a garage in Aberdeen
had left me a message about my car, currently in for
repair. How wrong did he get the number he was trying
to dial. My colleagues laughed, when I explained what
had happened and they thought I should call back and
authorise all work to be carried out, no expense spared,
but my conscience and strong English accent told me
this was not going to happen. Not sure how anyone
could get my mobile number confused with another,
it is far too easy to remember.
To begin with, I did not know what all the fuss was
about and thought Chelski had just spent more stupid
money on a player that would be spending most of the
season on the bench. How wrong could I be? Essien
has done everything (apart from score) and even though
in my opinion does not justify his big transfer fee,
has that special sparkle that makes him and Chelsea
entertaining to watch. As a football fan it is great
to see a young player bubbling with so much energy.
The Guardian put it ever so well, the midfield maestro,
pulling the strings and turning defence into attack.
I look forward to his performance against Everton.
I just hope the blue half of Mersey side can do better
than the Liverpool collapse.
My Mum is not a football fan. I think she actually
personally holds a deep hatred for the sport. Whenever
midweek games are on, I have to pry the Sky remote
from her, to be able to watch the Champions League.
My Mum, of course would rather be watching the engaging
and supposedly over melodramatic soap operas on Star
Plus. Yet, to her credit she is able to sit through
a full ninety minutes and ask intriguing questions
about the game (i.e. which country are Arsenal playing
today!?) As TH14 become a record breaker writing his
name into the history books, my Mum's face was a picture
as I tried to explain that he had just scored 186
goals for the Gooners. While there are those that
will say we are a one man team, the fear of losing
our main striker is unthinkable but not unimaginable.
I remember when Petit and Overmars left for Barcelona
and how I felt Arsene had made a mistake, yet in time
he has proved that those were shrewd business moves.
The statistics
will tell a different story from the ball on a pitch
on a Saturday afternoon. The moment this Frenchman
picks up the ball, there is suddenly an air of expectation
that the impossible is possible and you can feel (briefly)
that sigh from the Highbury faithful.
A few years ago, I mentioned the DMU commercial spot,
shown on ITV with the tag line, "Get DM Used to It".
The marketing people have now released a completely
puzzling commercial, featuring lego men (and women).
I saw it last night during the ad break for Hollyoaks
first look on E4. Someone should really sack the marketing
man.
Several months ago, I requested an XBox game from my friend, Sippy. Tonight, I finally received it in the post. Why it had taken so long only Mr. B can explain. Firstly there was the lack of media. Then, house sitting and other activities meant he was unable to go down to the post office. Suppose I better do the decent thing and play the game. Just a shame, that a family friend told me it was rubbish last month and would take a few days to complete. Then again, we are talking about Teg here. I doubt it will ever see the inside of my XBox. If it does, it might a short lived experience, I will get bored after a few minutes.

Sunday 16th October 2005
We all hate losing. I have said that on numerous
occasions (particularly last season). With Chelsea
seemingly running away with the title, it makes for
a very depressing weekend. Having been to see Arsenal
play only a few weeks ago, I know that they have not
been playing up to their high standards. Injuries
aside, we expect much better from our team. We dominated
possession against West Brom, but came up against
a keep in great form and a team on the way back up.
Arseblogger perhaps sums
up the feeling from the terraces best. Thankfully,
the next game is not to far away and gives the team
an opportunity to prove themselves. Champions League
Tuesday. We need to start scoring some goals and members
of the squad need to start making a real name for
themselves. Thankfully, you are only as good as your last 90 minutes, but the next 90 come around again, quite quickly.
Went to see the first feature length adventure of Wallace and Gromit
at the Odeon in Uxbridge, last night. Great quality
family fun. Always been a fan of the crackpot inventor
and his k9 sidekick. I really enjoyed Chicken Run,
which was again very unique. This story is perhaps
there most daring to date and the new characters add
to the suspense of the tale. Particularly, PC Mackintosh
voiced by a well known comedian from Bolton. Well
worth going to see, particularly if you have young
siblings.

Have you seen the latest advert from HP
for their standalone photo printer? It was shown at
the cinema last night so I thought I would mention
it here. You can't have missed it, as it has been
played on television quite regularly. As I don't watch
that much commercial driven television, I have seen
it, so am quite confident that you have seen it too.
For a gentle reminder, it can been seen over at Visit4Info.
The music for the advert is 'Out Of The Picture' by
The Robins, which I was finally able to obtain last
night. The commercial, is very clever. Just a shame,
that How Do They Do That? is no longer on the BBC
to reveal how it is all done.
Friday 14th October 2005
Those outside the blogging community may find the
idea of keeping an online journal, for the whole world
to see, rather bizarre. It takes me time to put myself
back into that mind set. Sometimes, I feel it is completely
pointless. Yet, it takes only a quick browse of the
archives and particularly my work log, when I discover
that I have put to paper (or is that html) some of
my most important experiences. Yet, it is not just
the fact that these memories are on the page for one
and all to read, but it is the way in which I have
written the entries that is so amazing. At times,
I take a step back in wonder at the quality of the
writing. Did I really write that? This blog continues
to grow in popularity and I am developing a modest
level of link backs from other blogs, which I can
now keep track of, thanks to Technorati.
If I had titles for my entries, this one would be called, 'Own Goal'.
While I am sure, Daniel
would be grateful for their introduction, I find titles
too difficult and a barrier to letting my blog flow.
Yesterday evening, I headed over to Maidenhead to
meet up with some work colleagues. Well I say some,
they are actually my colleagues on the helpdesk. Chris
and Peter. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately)
my blog does not extend back to my college (or early
University) years. Actually I should go back far as
school, year 10 (1996-7) I would help run the Youth
Centre with a friend every lunchtime. We would play
pool and I was depressingly bad. At college, three
years later I was worse. I can quite easily confirm
that my last attempt of a pool games was late September
2000. Then one Saturday night I found myself in O'Reilly's
with two of my new found University friends. Needless
to say, I was pathetic. Fast forward five years, to
last night. Personally I would have preferred to meet
for a drink and then head over to the cinema. But
Peter, had to twist my arm (along with Chris) to come
to Racks and have a game (or two). For a while I thought
I had put them off, but in the end, I gave in to the
pressure and played a game. Absence from the game,
had not made me any better. Actually it had most likely
made me worse. Yet, as always, some beginners luck
would work it's magic (in a strange way) and I would
win the game. Space here for some corny line about
how 'real' men make their own luck.
Always pre-book your tickets for the cinema. If that
is the only message you take away from this web site.
For as long as I can remember, I have always pre-booked
my tickets for the cinema. Rarely do I bother to type
up and pay on the door. Then again, the distances
I travel to go to the cinema make it necessary. A
walk down to the local Film Works will never do. So
you can imagine our surprise as we entered screen
2, expected it to be quiet busy, but to find it completely
empty. I had been to the cinema when it was relative
quiet. An afternoon showing of the final Lord Of The
Rings movie, back in late January 2004. This was the
first time I would be at the cinema for a screening
with a completely empty auditorium. However, three
other guys turned up and took their own seats shortly
after that thought went through my mind. Now the movie.
I had high expectations. Perhaps too high.
There are so few football movies, that this had to
break the mould and do something different. It does
for the first forty minutes or so. But everything
feels rather "orchestrated" in the favour of our star
player, Munez. Will he truly achieve his dream and
become a professional football player? There are several
obstacles in the way, but surely the 'salsa' boy from
LA (not Mexico) will have all his dreams come true!
As a football fan, I suppose the movie tries to capture
the magic moment of the game, an inspiration to so
many people in the country (that it is close to a
religion for some) Yet I think it tries too hard to
capture that spilt second moment, which makes villains
and heroes on the football pitch. This is something
that can never been captured on film, because football
is bigger than real life. The manager was an attempt
to create a blend between Arsene Wenger, with a small
mix of Sir Bobby Robson. A great tactician, but never
the less willing to spend the time to nurture his
younger players (and those older heads that have lost
the way). It all works together briefly, and all the
seeds are sown for the next two films. In conclusion,
this could have been a great film, but I think the
need to tell the stories off the field, got in the
way of trying to get across the passion for the sport.
There are plenty of plot holes and continuity errors
(just read the message board over on IMBD.
Putting these to one side, it is still entertaining
and worth watching. Although, better on DVD in your
own home, rather than an empty cinema in Berkshire
on a Thursday night. Expect two further reviews for
the second and third films, to be released over the
next two years.
Sunday 9th October 2005
While perhaps my music tastes may not be to everyone's
liking, I do have a great passion for cover singles.
My views are quite clear cut. If you really must you
need to follow some simple rules. Under no circumstances,
simply 're-produce' the song. Revisit the song (as
a friend recently put it to me) and put your own signature,
style onto the track, in affect make it your own.
In my humble opinion certain songs are far too sacred
to be covered. Material by Michael Jackson, The Beatles
and Elvis. To my disappointment yesterday morning,
I watched wannabe rock band, Freefaller, and their
disastrous attempt at Basket Case by Green Day. Now,
this is a modern day classic, yet this mediocre boy
band have completely wrecked the song, by literally
shouting all over it. How can you tell a band are
in trouble, when they have their name on a banner, on stage
throughout the video. True artists, will let the music
sell itself.
England qualified for the World Cup last night. Though
their performance against Austria left much to be
desired. Switching back to 4-4-2, the Three Lions
looked like the away team for big patches of the game,
particularly the second half. Yet, were able to hand
on to the slender, one nil lead and go into the Poland
game on Wednesday, with hope of a win to top the group.
From the other qualifiers, Ghana and Ivory Coast have
qualified and I look forward to seeing these teams
in Germany next year. Although something tells me
that Essien will perhaps be a (if not the only) star
player in an very average Ghanaian team, compared
with his world class team mates at Stamford Bridge.
If we get a good draw in the group stage, I'm sure
we can progress beyond the quarter final stage. England
must make the semi-finals, considering the talent
in the squad and the promise of 2006. The World Cup
reminds me that this blog took the first few steps
in June 2002, when I briefly mentioned some of the
events taking place in Korea and Japan. This time
around, expect more personal analysis, more photos,
and links to other blogs, sharing in the World Cup
dream.
Talking of football, finally got around to uploading my photographs from the Community Shield from August. They can be found on the photos page. Give me a few weeks and I will update and upgrade my entire photo gallery.
Wednesday 5th October 2005
Sunday came around quicker than I imagined, yet I
still seemed to be working to a Sunday clock. I got
up just before 9am, thinking I would have plenty of
time to make it to the ground, meet up with Terry
with time to spare before kick off. Well things got
to a bad start, when I did not get Terry's mobile
number. Never mind, hopefully he had noted mine and
would be in touch. After spending some time watching
music videos on Sky, I decided to get a move on. My
first decision was to check the oil, water and tyres
pressures on my car, assuming that I may have to go
on a longer journey than planned. By the time I got
ready and headed out of the door, it was nearly 11.30am
and my train from Wycombe station was at 11:53am,
would I make it in time? What most people forget is
I'm a seasoned veteran when it comes to traveling by
train and tube (something that will come up again).
I had originally decided to travel from Chalfont &
Latimer, but knew that with proposed engineering works,
three major tube lines would be affected and it was
safer bet to be closer to home, rather than the other
side of the county. Boarding the train, I took my
seat and looked up to see a bunch of Birmingham fans
sitting opposite me, one of them shout, "Gooners".
I looked backed and smiled. The usual questions about
if I was going to the game and if we would make it
on time on this train. I looked at my watch and explained
we would have plenty of time. I then went on to explain
the best route by tube. They decided to follow me,
but I knew they would have to be quick to keep up.
I was surprised they did not offer me a can of Carling
as a token of thanks, but then later in the journey
I discovered all the cans were empty, as the tower
they were making, crashed onto the table. The journey
was long, and another group of lads started to play
music from a underpowered mp3 player and it showed.
The train was packed for a Sunday lunchtime and the
fact we arrived in Paddington instead of the customary
Marylebone, meant I had to adjust my journey (only
by two stops) to compensate. By the time I hit the
Underground, the Arsenal fans started appearing. I
wanted to make conversation, but everyone seem stuck
in their own world. Perhaps, the fact our season has
not been going quite to plan, has meant that there
is little to cheer about. Liverpool doing us a favour
in the final match of the weekend, would be a great
benefit. The exit at Arsenal station, was busy as
expected, but the walk upstairs, was quicker than
I had expected. I was greeted by a strong police presence,
before I was swallowed in a sea of red(currant). I
was here. Finally after six years of waiting. My first
Arsenal game, when I didn't have to beg, steal, borrow,
or guilt trip someone into taking me or letting their
tickets go. I had little time to take in the great
North London atmosphere. Kick off was fast approaching
and I had to quickly grab a programme from one of
the sellers outside on Gillespie Road and head into
the North Stand entrance. Through the turnstiles,
I tried to savour each minor moment. My seat was towards
the left of the upper tier on the North Bank. In line
(just) with the outer pitch, so had a great view of
the game. I was hoping, that all of Arsenal's goals
would come in the second half, give me something to
cheer about. My seat was 54 and owned (perhaps) by
a Alan Read. To my left, a middle aged man, perhaps
out to a football match with his thirty something
daughter. To my right, there was a young girl around
14, with her father, enjoying a Premiership match
for the first time. Yet across the North Bank (where
I have always sat for my previous two Arsenal games)
there is camaraderie between those friends, who come
to every home game. How I wish I could say, "See you
in a couple of weeks, Tom!". :( No time to think of
the future, there was a match to watch, as the teams
came out.
We play poorly, by our high standards. Our passing
game, was great, but when it came to the final third,
there was no body there to finish the job, take a
shot. Cunningham was set off, early on and I thought
that would drive us forward, but instead we just sat
back and probed forward when we liked. When we were
awarded a penalty (speculative, even in my biased
opinion) I thought this was when the flood gates would
truly open. Pires stepped up. I was confident after
his last pen against the Ajax. He didn't look confident
and Maik Taylor made yet another great save. A guy
behind me, made the comment, that we are not going
to score with a team full of midfielders and I agreed
with him. At times frustrating to watch, I had to
be patient, but we all expected more from our team,
if we were serious about plugging the game between
us and those Chelski Blues. Everyone was looking to
make the final pass and not actually take it. Arsene
knows. He made the changes, that would bring this
game to life. Bergkamp came on, along with his fellow
countryman, Van Persie. These were the changes that
finally gave us the cutting edge. Further probing
and, then a shot far out by Robin, gave us the lucky
goal, we perhaps didn't deserve on the day for the
football game. We needed to win, if only for the confidence
of our team and our fans. I enjoyed the match, even
if the performance
wasn't vintage Arsenal. The best moment? Singing along
to... "One Nil to the Arsenal..." while the clock
had a few minutes to tick away.
It is important to think of of those less fortunate
than ourselves. Even if they come from the richest,
most powerful country in the world. The most striking
statistic, for me is the fact that our country, the
United Kingdom is used to describe the level of devastation
caused by the Katrina hurricane. While perhaps, some
may consider it too little too late, I feel that in
these circumstances, every little helps. James' performance
of Human Nature, as seen the Dangerous Tour in 1992
was amazing. The perfect song, to end the perfect
weekend. It has gone full circle. But is this chapter
on my life truly closed? I think, it is only just
beginning.


I Get A High Whenever
You're Around
Sweeping From
My Head To My Toes
I, I Gotta Get My Feet Back
On The Ground
'Cause You Make Me Go
Out Of My Way
Crossing The Line
Making Me Say
What I Have In Mind
Sunday 2nd October 2005
What are your ingredients for the perfect weekend? I suppose, it really boils down to the type of person you are. A lazy weekend with nothing on the agenda, may be the best way to spent your time after a busy week in the City. Some may prefer the weekend away? Others may prefer something out of the ordinary, spa break or time in the gym. Whatever you do, I am sure you try to the make the most of your time. I had already built this weekend up, in my previous posting and although it may not have done all the things I wanted to do, it turned out much better than expected.
Friday, the starting point of every weekend. While
I had proposed to go and watch the first in the football
trilogy with my work colleague Chris, by Thursday
I knew that I would not be going to the cinema, if
out at all. I had been asked to collect my cousin
from Hayes, which meant the 10.30pm viewing, which
of course was far to late, if you include the journey
time from Reading. Then, on Friday afternoon, as my
previous entry details, I was dragged into go out.
At the time I did not realise, but it meant that my
entire weekend would be spent out of the house. I
literally would come home to sleep and then get up
and go out again. Believe me when I say this, been
several years since I ever did anything as rock 'n'
roll. Looking back now, I need to share with you a
split second moment, of my drive to Henley. While
I do not doubt my car has had some electrical problems
in the past and more recently, a strange moment as
I pulled away on the second segment of the A404. Those
familiar with this road, will know this particular
stretch is unlit, so you are literally driving in
the dark. I was overtaking some smaller vehicles,
knowing well that my exit slip road was not too far
in the distance. My eyes fixed firmly on the road
(and car) ahead, in the blink of an eye, my lights
went out and came back on. My eyes switched to my
speedo, which had been accelerating past 60, but was
'reset' and climbing again from 20mph. Had I just
been hit by some strange electrical storm? Or had
Dr. Emmett Brown, been working on my car, while it
was parked at work? It didn't make sense, I was no
where near 88 mph. (My RoadPilot, confirmed that...)
I have had power outages before, but the whole cars
grinds to a halt, but somehow on this night, the Gods
were looking down at me with comforting eyes. I do
not want to imagine, what could have happened, if
my car had stalled and I had lost complete control.
Saturday, I woke up slightly later than usual, around 9am,
and got ready. I knew I had a few errands to complete
before heading towards Harrow. As the redevelopment
plans for my hometown, Wycombe
are now in full swing (although, only some of the
actually work is visible) my weekend car park has
closed. The remaining options are limited and expensive.
I parked over in the Sainsbury's Car Park, and got
a fantastic space, less than 10 car spaces in. (Great
luck considering it is a four floor multistory) My
weekend was continuing on the same note it had started
on. Time and luck were for a chance on my side. As
usual (and as a bloke) I had already predetermined
what I was looking for. Even my trip around the town
centre had been walked through in my mind earlier
that morning. Within thirty minutes or so I had completed
my purchases and was on my way home.
By the time I hit the M40, I was running over thirty
minutes late, but then I had always been one to arrive
fashionably late. While the day had been sunny, the
moment I had driven out of my housing estate, the
heavens opened and the heavy rain poured down. The
party started at 1.30pm, so arriving later would not
be a big problem. Yet I had a few issues. I had to
find the place, plus what if I arrived unfashionably
late, to find all the other guests there already?
This was the dilemma I faced while I cranked up the
stereo and put my foot down on the short motorway
journey, my big A-Z of London, on the passenger seat.
The song I had been listening to was a cover of Nick
Kamen's 1990 minor hit (remixed last year) "I Promised
Myself" foolishly thinking it would be the theme for
the weekend, but in fact I could not be further from
the pulse. By the time I pulled off the A40, I was
stuck in heavy traffic on the Target Roundabout, but
it did not bother me. It gave me a chance to double
check my route and confirm (in my head at least) that
I knew where I was going. I was stuck in traffic for
over twenty minutes and watched the minutes click
away on my dash, humming along to the music. My nerves
suddenly came alive as I pulled onto the roundabout
and off at the first exit. Further delays as two lanes
of traffic, slowly converges into one. Then, as the
road ahead cleared, I was able to pick up some speed.
Then, as I drove past the road, I realised that I
had been here before, while trying to locate, the
secret base of my superhero friend, Mighty
Mouse. Pulling down the street, I crawled, trying
to read the numbers on the front of the houses, while
also trying to observe the highway code and watch
out for cars ahead and behind me. When I realised
the road beared to the left and I had to go right,
I pulled off, what has now become a customary, Michael
Knight, "KITT" move and swung my Punto (no Trans AM,
I'm afraid) around to get to the right side of the
road. Finally, I found the house and turned my car
around in a side street. Parking up, I took a long
deep breath, he goes nothing.
For a quiet, rather reserved and shy person, I have done quiet well on the friends front. (Or so I tell myself, if you base this on my MSN contact list!) I suppose, I just enjoy meeting new, exciting people from all walks of life. This just proves that if you are yourself, you can go from being on the outside, looking in to being part of something special. Back in early January, I could only have dreamt of such a moment. Those with a big heart will always hold you close, just a case of proving your friendship and repaying that faith. Sure at the beginning of this journey, I wanted something very different, but knowing what I know now. Knowing the politics and the history, I know that would never have been possible. Settling for just friendship is perhaps an understatement. For I know deep in my heart, it means more than anything else that could have, never will have been.
Meeting other MJ fans will always been an education. Even in my DeLorean club, there are some strange people (one whom dresses up as Marty at all the conventions, but I will save that for another blog entry). Those that had made the journey to Santa Maria to make their voices heard, loud and clear, deserve respect, if not more credit. Saturday night, gave me an opportunity for me to meet two of these lucky (or very sad, depending on your point of view) individuals. Sharing photos and the crazy stories from the trial, I was inspired, by the collective spirit of unity of these people from different spots across the globe, brought together by the trial of one man, one entertainter. People often say that it is the characters in our lifes that make it so interesting and add that sparkle to the day. At work, I have one such person, in the finance department, but here, once again I discovered the strange pairing of this double act, from Manchester and Glasgow respectively. I recall reading an article several years ago, stating that there were some facts set in stone. Whereever you go in the world, you will find, McDonalds, Starbucks and MJ fans. Perhaps, that sums up the situation. The brand itself maybe flagging, but the brand loyalty, continues to grow.
Friday 30th September 2005
I got in just after 1am, so technically this entry
should be filed under Saturday 1st October, but it
is this is the perfect way to end the month of September.
Why am I on the computer so late? As mentioned earlier,
I was hoping to go to see the movie Goal! with my
colleague Chris, but other family plans (on my side)
got in the way and I had to reschedule. Having been
sent down the long and winding road of at least two
major guilt trips, I succumbed to the nagging and
agreed to go out for a few hours. My ideal venue would
have been Reading, but as Chris lives in my old college
town, Henley, I decided it was time to lay a few ghosts
to rest. The last time I had been out in Henley, I
was a rather stupid 6th Former, with the world at
his feet, and the real world a minor prospect, far
far away in the distance. How times have changed.
Coming back, was strange. Of all my time in Henley,
I feel I did little to enjoy the nightlife there,
and was lured by my friends to the bright lights of
Reading.
Henley has changed beyond recognition, but it has been over five years. Yes, even I was shocked to discover it had been that long. The town has less of the quiet, tranquil Oxfordshire overtones. I am glad I came out to chat to my work colleague outside of work. It is only outside of the office environment, the suit, the tie, the constant phone calls you realise that deep down, we are actually just good friends. There is more common ground, than just the interest in football, SWOS and Championship Manager.
Sometimes, people say I'm too shy, too reserved and too cautious
of what other people might thing and how they might
respond. Sure this is true, for I have learnt harsh
lessons, that sometimes the best option is to say
nothing. Rather than fill the gaps with nonsense,
or tall tales of conquests (which no one can confirm
or deny, but generally put down to twisting of the
truth). Thankfully, I have been perhaps more honest
these past few hours, that in the previous nine. That
is no exaggeration. Sometimes, it is better to do
what you need to do at the time. Rather than carry
out the constant analysis of your actions to wait
until the deed is done. At the end of the road, you
will know that you can put this down to experience.
The whole process becomes much easier, if the person
you are talking to has encountered a very similar
experience and made both the wrong and right decisions.
The Green Day rock ballad (if there is such a genre category) requests to the listener, Wake Me Up When September Ends. It has and as I awake from my dream, I discover that tomorrow, after nearly 10 months of waiting, hoping, praying, my own dream will become true. Perhaps this ending was not what, truly my heart longed for, but it is a step in the right direction. A realisation, that if I cannot have exactly what I want, I can still have something, which is better than nothing. I should look back at the amount of progress I have made in a relatively little amount of time and how I have gone from a nobody to a somebody, in the eyes of a complete stranger.
Wednesday 28th September 2005
You know me, by now. I liked to keep everything standard.
My MSN screen name, like much of my life is kept simple
and straightforward. When at home, I am 'Teg'. During
office hours, while I am at work, my screen name is
'Andrew'. This may seen bland and boring, as now you
can change more than just your screen name. You can
add a 500 character (with the right software patch)
personal message. Most people make use of this personalised
facility (unlike me) and I tend to only see the personal
messages, thanks to MSN Plus! which allows me to rename
my entire contact list, thanks to Custom Names. (You
can read more
over on my work blog.) However, the fact I use the
function does not mean the whole purpose of individual
names is lost on me. They have, this week at least
become an inspiration. During the course of my work
day yesterday, I note contacts coming online. Then,
at times, I want to do a quick check up on who is
online and see if there is anyone I can sneak a quick
chat with. Terry,
was online, as he is most afternoons, but his status
was set to busy, so I decided it best not to disturb
him and ask about the Champions League, that night.
I will assume, with a well educated guess that you
do not know Terry, so let me give a quick background.
People tend to do two things with their MSN screen
name. Use it as an outlet for the latest news with
them (or their chosen subject, hobby or sport) as
well as display lyrics to reflect the way they are
feeling at that given moment of time. Even my colleague, Chris is at it. Counting down to the kick off to next years World Cup. (Only 250 odd days to go!) Yesterday afternoon,
I read the lyrics and it took me some time to actually
register the name of the song. Then, when the song
finally sank into my head, I couldn't get the soft
sweet vocal out of my system. I had to listen to the
song. While over half the way home, I gave in and
switched my CD to the MP3 CD which I had listened
to on Friday evening (see below). As I expected, the
song was not on this album, so I had to do without
and settle for something else. (Actually, to settle my paranoia, I looked into the content of the Greatest CD and discovered the following, the big 3-0.

Getting home, I busied myself with the important
tasks at hand, dinner, getting a comfortable seat
on the sofa and checking my e-mail. (Yes, in that
order to!) Sacrificing Eastenders for some quality
European football. Around 11pm, feeling sleepy, I
retired to my bed, listening to Radio Five, but still
knowing deep down inside there was a restless young
man inside. I put up with it for a while, trying to
drift off, while Anita and guests discussed the Conservative
leadership race, while at the Labour Party Conference
in Brighton. Yet, I was playing little attention to
any of that. Then it suddenly hit me again, the song
was back in my head. I had to listen to it, I had
to feed this hunger. Thinking about it for several
minutes, I finally summoned up the energy to get out
of my warm bed and hunt around my room to make this
magical moment, happen. Getting the disc two from
the album, was easy, while I tried to recall the last
time I had listen to the songs. Must be over two years,
if not more. Little time to ponder on that, I scrambled
under the desk to plug in my cordless headphones.
I wanted to listen to the song quite loud, and the
headphones would help produce a much better atmosphere.
With everything plugged in, I was literally wired
for sound. So I rushed back into bed, and warmed myself
up again. The moment I had waited all day for had
finally come. Using the remote, I switched to track
9, it had gone past 12am, the singer was right after
a short ten second music intro, "Another day had gone
...I'm still all alone..."
After listening to You Are Not Alone, by Michael
Jackson from disc two from the 1995 HIStory album,
I switched to Mini
Disc. This was my copy of the Invincible CD and
I went straight to Speechless, which is track eight.
It was an ideal way to continue the soft quiet moment,
in the still of the night. For a while I drifted with
the lyrics of the songs and the soft soothing vocals.
Very difficult to describe how I felt, perhaps not
myself. Perhaps for a few minutes, someone else, outside
of my own body and mind. Then, as the music fades
and Michael speaks the closing lines, I lie in bed,
starring at the dark ceiling above me. I was back
in reality, back home. How I longed to be somewhere
else. Finally I had listened to the song that had
been brought back to my attention by my new friend
on MSN. The moral of the story is simple, never underestimate
the power of MSN Messenger.
The song has given me a chance to look back at myself
and the journey of the past nine months. Where have
I been and where am I going? The honest truth is I
do not know. The most difficult feeling to bear is
the feeling of, at times being the only one in the
world, with no one else out there to understand.
With such a public presence online, anyone can find
me online if they want to. The dark side of this argument
is that people whom you thought you had left behind
many many years ago, can suddenly reappear at the
drop of a hat. This is not ideal, particularly if
you have friends and family you no longer associate
with and have no plans to reconcile those broken relationships.
While I tend to take the stance that the door is always
open, it can quite easily be slammed shut, whenever
I see fit. Perhaps people need to realise that this
blog is for me in the first instance (yes, I am selfish
and damn proud of it!) and not an invitation for them
to think I want them to get in touch. Then again, some other people tend to just have that attractive personality which brings such visitors to their site.
Sunday 25th September 2005
Generally speaking, my weekends
are below average and tedious. Yet, every once in
a while, I have a big weekend (usually around once
a month) when several events fall on to the same weekend
schedule. Next weekend is a case in point. Originally,
it was just another dull weekend, until Terry (of Gooner's World fame!) messaged
me on MSN to let me know there were tickets for Arsenal
versus Birmingham in October. I thought about it for
a few seconds, but went ahead with the purchase (even
if the North Bank ticket was perhaps slightly overpriced!).
A voice in my head told me that this might be the
only opportunity I have to visit Highbury before it
is redeveloped expensive
flats. My tickets arrived on Thursday (see below, click on them to be taken to my FlickR page) and this
is my first Arsenal Premiership tie since Derby in
1997. Yes, it truly has been that long. The last time
I was at Highbury was for the FA Cup tie against Blackpool
in December 1999. I am looking forward to the match,
mainly to see my favourite player, Dennis for perhaps
the last time in the Arsenal red (currant) shirt. I
was considering taking my digital camera, but have
decided against it. I want to enjoy the day as a football
fan, rather than a noisy tourist. The camera will
stay at home. All the memory making can wait for the
final game at Highbury against Wigan.

Of course, the weekend officially begins on Friday
at 6pm sharp, as I make my way to the car, on goes
the stereo and I play a pre-arranged Friday night
song, to kick of two days of freedom from work. Yet,
this feeling is usually just an artificial high, for
I rarely go out on a Friday or actually do anything
more interesting than record the week that was, on
my blog. This Friday will be different. Not been to
the cinema for a while, so going to see Goal!
on Friday with my football mad colleague, Chris. Try
to avoid the marketing machine on this occasion and
watch the film after being in the dark. I am looking
forward to it, perhaps because it will show us all,
to believe in the power of dreams.
While cleaning the car, yesterday afternoon, I had
KISS blasting from the stereo. During a commercial
break, the voice of Honda, proclaimed how our dreams
are meaningless unless we act on them. I thought about
it for a few passing moments, then came to the conclusion,
such idle thoughts would have to wait for my next
life.
With Autumn, well upon us, even if September has
tended to be sunny with a cool chill in the air, what
I have got to look forward to the next few months,
before the turn of the year. Champions League football,
watching my poor performance in the work Fantasy Football
Super League continue and hoping, praying for Chelski
to be battered in the Premiership. Their time will
come. José will be left lost for words and hopefully
this will be the slow spiral downwards in fortune.
What a strange state of affairs? Instead of egging
on my team to victory, I have resorted to wishing
defeat on our greatest rival. Not very sportsman like?
There is nothing new on television that I really
care to watch. I stick to my standard diet of Eastenders,
live football and slice of current affairs. The charts
too, have little to offer and inspire. Yet, I have still found the time to update my Audio page with the latest count of my world famous MP3 collection. Although I will be in discussion with my legal team, whether it is wise to publish such an article, with the knives already drawn. Life continues,
as it always will. Nothing new to report, I'm afraid.
I wish there was, I wish my life was much more exciting
than this blog makes out, but the truth is, there
is little to read between the lines. But the last
two updates are dedicated to Sippy, someone who realises the important things in life away from the computer. Just a shame I don't see life in the same light. Does fatherhood really do that to you?
Friday 23rd September 2005
A year ago, I was working in London. While this should
be common knowledge, it may be a pleasant surprise to those of you
coming to my blog after searching for mp3s on Google.
Last weekend, I was in the capital to help a friend
rebuild their laptop. En route, I stopped off at my
old stomping ground and past the offices that I had
called, 'work' for five months in 2004. Lunchtimes
would be spent within the confines of St. Paul's Cathedral
(when it was open) perhaps one of London's greatest
landmarks, if only for the city skyline.

At the time I did not have the time to capture the
moment, but on a beautiful mid September afternoon,
I was able to finally store the image. Picture the
scene if you will. Your first summer in the real world,
drawing past, as you sit and take in the people around
you. A blatant mixture of tourists and busybody management
times. One group in a slightly bigger hurry than the
other. In the middle of this, I find myself a bench
and eat a quick sandwich and drink. A short rest bite
before I go back to get on with my job. Things had,
if I recall, taken a turn for the worse and I was
under pressure to get as many computers rollout as
possible. Time was not on my side and more a foe,
then friend. Looking back I wish I had made more of
time in the city, our capital. Who knows, maybe my
time will come around again, and I will get one more
chance.

Do you remember, Wagon Wheels? Depending on your
age and location in the world, this should instantly
bring back lunchtimes at school, munching on this
marsh mellow centred jewels, which were actually,
biscuits.

On Tuesday (13th) last week, my colleague through
one at me, which (as you would expect) acrobatically
caught! I snapped a quick picture with my 6230 camera
phone, before I took that trip down memory lane at lunchtime. The packaging may have changed, just slightly but the product under the wrapper, is thankfully still the same. Meanwhile share your memories of this classic playground chocolate snack, by leaving a comment!
Usually I am clued up with the dates, but unfortunately
I cannot remember, so may have to come back to you
with an exact date (after crawling the archives).
It has been several months, if not years since I had
my last MJ moment. To the uneducated, my MJ moments
are as follows. My mood will swing in a direction,
when the music of only one man, can save me. When
I got my MP3 CD car stereo, in December 2002, one
of the first MP3 CDs I burnt was a compilation of
Michael Jackson songs, along with a small directory
devoted to the number ones of the Beatles. The last
time I remember listening to this CD, I was stuck
in heavy track on the M25 (just before junction 20).
Some kids were in a people carrier ahead and laughing
at me bobbing along to Beat It and other classics.
Yet, I had no care in the world. (Yes, this is a different
Teg to the one you might in the street). Fast forward
to early evening, this Friday. I was screaming on
the by-pass hitting 85, trying to catch up with a
turquoise green Polo (just a 1.4 mind!) We hit heavy
traffic and I knew it was time to change the record,
literally. It was time for Michael. I changed discs,
while changing gear and keeping four eyes on the road.
Negotiating this rather minor obstacle, I sat back
to listen to wall to wall MJ classics. First came
Beat It, then Billie Jean. I longed for Unbreakable,
but for a change, my telepathic stereo was not in
tune with my tired mind. In the end I had to settle
for (if you can ever use such a phrase when it comes
to the King Of Pop) The Way You Make Me Feel. Blasting
at high volume as I pulled onto the drive, I realised
it was Friday and the weekend was mine to make or
break.
While listening to Jackson in the car, I came to
the sudden realisation that this man, this human being
is a genius. The songs are over twenty years old and
yet they sound so fresh and modern, it is unreal.
Most artists in their nature, have a flaw. You have
to be in a certain type of mood to listen to them.
Hence, perhaps there is a time and place for Coldplay,
James Blunt and their derivatives. Yet, somehow it
does not matter your mood, frame of mind, time of
day, weather, season, home or away, Michael has the
magic to make the moment special. Unfortunately I
did not get a chance to give the collection the time
it deserves. While I do recall, Sunday afternoons
spent just driving my local town, listen to greatest
entertainer of all time. One thing I know is true,
he will be back to retake his crown. It does not take
a rocket scientist, to come to the conclusion that
this artist is...

Friday 16th September 2005
What a week? For all the fuel crisis (what crisis?)
comment, and the dilemma's of running of diesel and
trying to get to work, step over there
but please come back. I will make sure there is something
interesting here for you to read.
I wish I had kept a blog or at least a written diary
during the fuel crisis of 2000. Only my college friends
from the time knew what I went through that week.
Thinking of it that way, means that I'm excluding
all my new found friends from University and beyond.
Strange how we develop relationships constantly through
out our lives and that very few friends from our early
days last out to the end. I enjoy meeting new and
exciting people and hope this habit never stops. Five
years on, I was no longer an 18 year old trying to
keep calm on the forecourts, instead a full fledged
adult, working (there are those that feel I do no
real work!) trying to put off the inevitability of
having to stop for diesel. How the tables have turned.
Talking of tables turning, I have find myself in the amazing position, which eleven months ago, I could not have dreamt up. while I cannot go into the full details, let me for the time being leave you with the following. You know you are good, when people work hard to convince you to come back.
Have you been watching Eastenders? While the adventures
on Albert Square ended quite dramatically on Friday
evening (well done Tony, great job on the scripting!)
I would like to take you back to Tuesday. The date
of my last post. People often ask me why I am such
a religious watching of the BBC soap. Sure, the main
melodramatic story lines (which the press gang all
write about) are my biggest reason for catching each
episode. Ye it is also the minor characters, sub-plots
and comic entertainment. For example, we have seen
the recent introduction of José
and his Salsa class, attended by the old guard (Mo,
Pat, Pauline and Yolande). I fall to the floor in
laughter at sight of Essex lad (from Dagenham, apparently)
putting on a strong fake Spanish / Latino accent,
to impress the pupils of his class. (Is this a slight
dig at JM over of Stamford Bridge?) Unfortunately,
I have a feeling that this is the last we will see
of dear José. The script writers tend to focus on
the storylines that pull in the mass punters and not
just the entertaining, comical moments, which make
you laugh out loud with the rest of your family. As promised, I grabbed a screenshot from the ombnibus, screened this Sunday afternoon on BBC1.

As you know, I am (was) a big fan of Britney Spears.
(Based purely on her music talents, of course!) While
I have not enjoyed watching her fall from grace, pop
princess to rock chick, I still enjoy her music from
the middle part of the last decade. Most people know,
that my favourite song is "Born To Make You Happy".
Not just for the song, but the fact that when that
was in the charts (a number one), I was experiencing
the best time of my life. On Wednesday morning, stuck
in traffic on the by-pass and hoping that my car would
make it the office, I switched to the CD changer and
on came the song. The perfect way to cheer me up and
get me humming along to the deep meaningful, moving
lyrics. I knew the birth of her first child was imminent,
but as it transpired, you
are the only one within my heart. What next for
Spears? Something tells me there is no way that motherhood
will make her take a step out of the limelight. Let
us just hope it gives the inspiration to go back to
best, writing radio friendly pop songs that will be
come the soundtrack to my late twenties, just as they
have been to my late teenage years.
Tuesday 13th September 2005
Where were you at 18:56 this evening? Perhaps doing
something useful, like driving around your local town
looking for a petrol station with juice. Well, while
I do not doubt your intentions, you missed a defining
moment. Finally, after only following the brief period,
I have been crowned, somewhat dubiously (I agree)
as the biggest fan of Hollyoaks? (It must be the fact
that I watch each episode, twice, but am I excluded
for not going for the trice, Sunday omnibus. Has Teg
gone mad? No, I have not, I have proof. Maybe, just
maybe this is the moment I have been waiting for.
The moment my blog takes that giant leap from obscurity
to major national exposure.

Look, I will make it easier for you, how about this
doctored, Adobe Photoshop approach. That is Jake Dean
(or a rather sleepy Kevin
Sacre) awaking from a slumber, while on the far
right, just in clear shot is a box, labeled, "TEG".
Before I get too narrative, Jake was moving his things
in to the flat rented by his wife, Becca. I actually
spotted this on E4, on Monday night, while the rest
of country was drunk on the euphoria of the Ashes
victory against Australia. Listening to Anita Anand
on Five Live last night, one listener suggested, The
Empire Strikes Back as the title for the DVD compilation
for the test match series. Genius!

Right, back to Hollyoaks, which will be mentioned
for the last time (this month at least) on my blog.
I think they should start another channel, Classic
E4 if you will. Here they can show, Hollyoaks from
the beginning, classic Brookside, vintage Countdown.
It would be a great success and if scheduled well,
could prove t be a major hit with the public (particularly
my age group!) So come on Channel 4, give us what
we've been waiting for. Just a downright shame, that
this brief moment of fame, will have been missed by
everyone. Shame.
Sunday 11th September 2005
This date was just a meaningless day of Fall, five
years ago. Little did we know how often the phrase,
"nine eleven" would now be used consistently in conjunction
with the war on terror. As it is a quiet Sunday evening,
do not worry, I will not be going all political on
you, so please stick with me. I have, tended to both
avoid the subject of the terror attacks on the Twin
Towers and to blog on this fateful date. Yet,
this afternoon, I was watching the anniversary coverage
on both Sky News and BBC News 24, and thought it my
duty to pay my respects and reflect. Thankfully, I
have never had to face a human tragedy of this scale
and have nothing but the deepest heartfelt sympathies
for all those who lost their lives and gave their
lives helping to save those trapped. I believe the
images from that day will live on in our minds forever,
watching live news coverage as the two towers came
down in a few seconds. Crazy. That is the only way
I can describe as we watched a pivotal moment in history
unfold before our very eyes. While little has come
to affect me directly, my thoughts switched to my
cousin, a cabbie in the city. But knowing he was always
working the nightshift, it was some consolation, when
we did hear from him.
Was that really four years ago? It does not feel
as long ago as that. So much has happened in those
short few years. Most of which has been documented
in this blog. Then again, that is only my self-centred
universe, rarely taking in the true reality of the
rat race in the rear world. They were reading out
the names of all the victims this afternoon, at ground
zero. 2,479. Insignificant when placed on the page,
because the victims are more than numbers, they are
more than just a name on a list. They were human beings,
with friends, family, lives of their own. Taken away,
for reasons above and beyond them. We should all remember
the victims of the terror
attacks and pray that such events never unfold before
our eyes, ever again.
Thanks to Nazma over at Something in Between has passed on a Music Baton to me, so here goes. I will be as honest as possible.
Total Volume of music files on computer:
My world famous mp3 collection contains, 13 GB of
singles and just over 200 albums. (you can find out
more over on the audio page.
Last CD I bought: Divine Inspiration - The Way, January 2003, charted at Number 5.
Song playing right now: Bow Wow ft. Ciara - Like You
Five tracks I listen to regularly:
(most of this information and much more is available over at on my Last
FM profile) Michael Jackson - Human Nature
Sugarcult - Bouncing Off The Walls Again
Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
Clay Aiken - The Way
Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
That is me done and it is my duty to pass this baton (torch) on to three people: Sippy, Terry and Hussein.

Talking of music, I finally received the iPod Mini
last week. I bought the pink 4 gigabyte edition for
my sisters, thanks to a tantalizing, not be missed
offer. Bought to me by the guru, Hussein. He also
recommended the iPod socks ahead of any cases. That
was a sound recommendation, Personally, you will know
that I avoid these popular consumer fads, and believe
the iRiver
is better product. Just a shame, the everyone else
enjoys jumping on the Apple bandwagon. They have been
going about having some portable music device, so
they finally have it (if they learn to look after
it, that is!) I also have no need for an iPod. I do
not do any travel or sports which could make use of
music on the go. I am quite happy with my ten disc
CD changer and MP3 CD head unit in the car. In total,
I can only listen to around four songs (or one song
four times!) on the way to and from work, so I have
been very picky on my selections. Think it was time
I burnt myself a well earned CD after a busy weekend
of driving. Should be able to fit a quick SWOS game
too! ;)
Friday 9th September 2005
Is it Friday already? The week has flown by and I have been rather busy. This blog has become neglected (as my dearest friend, Sippy has noticed). Therefore, I am hoping that this weekend, I can spent some time to put that right. I have to admit that over the past few days I have not had the inspiration to blog, there is nothing worth writing about. The overall week has been depressing, with poor football results and calls for dismissals or resignations. Sometimes, you need some time to let your life unravel before you can get to grips with it and actually put things together.
Talking a passing interest in the minor teen soap,
when it started ten years, yes, ten years ago, I have
suddenly become a hardcore viewer. Hollyoaks, perhaps
has lost some of the magic, of the original, but then
things do tend to age (for better or worse). To be
honest, I do not know where this addiction has come
from. Even during my final year at University, I started
slipping into the soap, to fill in some time, during
the early evening lull from the computer. Over the
past few months, I have been doing the ridiculous.
Watching the standard airing on Channel 4, each weekday
evening at 6.30pm, minutes before I get home from
work. Then, over on E4, I have the opportunity take
the First Look at the following days episode. While
this alone would be sufficient, I take it to the next
level by watching the same episode again on the terrestrial
channel. This week, to celebrate the tenth anniversary
of the show, there were four late night episodes this
week. Theses allowed the producers and script writers
loose on more risque material, more suited to the
time of day. However, they were cleverly spliced,
to slot in perfectly with the standard show screened
earlier that evening. Although there are various topics
(some illegal and some inappropriate) I want to focus
on the character that stole the show. Ben Davies.
Even saying his name, I hear myself, using the voice
of Marcus Patrick in my head. Playing every bit the
part of the paranoid boyfriend. He has been hysterical
and has had me in stitches. I suppose us blokes are
like that, once we get an idea in our head, no serious
reasoning will let us see sense.

His on screen partner and him have been doing such
a grand job (the most popular characters?) that they
have their own spin off show, Let
Loose that started on Monday. However, due to
my commitments to my computer and lack of digital
satellite reception in my room, I will not be able
to catch this show. Would this be the ideal time to
get a freeview set top box?
A quick question for you? What is the greatest football
game of all time?
I think there would be a clear line drawn between
the FIFA fans and Pro Evo worshippers. I have played
both (briefly) and have no doubt that the later beats
the former, hands down. Yet, I still would say that
both are not the greatest football game of all time.
Long before second generation of consoles, there was
Sensible
World of Soccer. I was discussing this with a work
colleague recently and began to reminisce about the
days, when only one thing mattered. Game play was
king. Fancy graphics, celebrity commentary did not
matter. The aim of the day, was to get your team playing
simple one touch football and scoring outrageous goals
that defied the laws of physics. But then again, the
graphics are as simple, as the era (less than ten
years ago mind!) I downloaded a DOS version but as
expected it did not work under Windows XP. (Even using
a fix to emulate a 16-bit DOS sound card, those were
the days!) Thankfully, I discovered the fan site,
Sensible
Soccer which included a Sega Mega Drive emulator
and a copy of Sensible Soccer - International Edition.
One word. Great. Warning, do not download this game,
if you consider your time on the PC a privilege and
not a right. I am off for another game! :)
Monday 5th September 2005
Monday already? The working week comes around far too quickly for my liking. What a weekend! A typical bloke's weekend, with football, cars, gadgets and computers. Where to start? Let us give a quick whirlwind review of the weekend. Thank you for bearing with me.
Saturday began with my trip to Heathrow to collect
my Mum and sister. Not sure about you, but trips to
the airport have always excited me. Several years
ago, we had an almost annual customary trip to Heathrow.
It would incidentally coincide with the release of
the new number plate (1st August, back then, boys
and girls) my sisters and I would spent the course
of the journey looking out for the new letter, on
shiny new cars, trucks, lorries and vans. Regardless
of whom we are dropping off or collecting, there is
a buzz about being in a cosmopolitan lounge, as people
make their way off around the world. People is not
the right word to use. Families, friends, loved ones.
All heading away, and saying goodbye. I drove the
car, having just woke my Dad up a few minutes earlier.
We headed out around 6.40pm, knowing from the night
before the plane would have landed by the time we
got onto the M25. We parked, eventually finding a
space on the second level. Heading into the arrivals
area, it was surprisingly busy for early Saturday
afternoon. As expected the flight had landed a few
minutes earlier. It was was some time past 7am, my
Dad handing me some cash to go get him a coffee and
myself some tea. There were (as always) no options
apart from Starbucks.
I queued but, it was busy and there were four, maybe
five people serving. Ordering a cappuccino and a tea,
there was a twenty minute wait, before receiving my
order. My drink slowly woke me up, while my Dad casually
sipped his coffee. Sitting down, waiting for my family
to arrive, I started to just observe the crowd. Some
holding up signs, one by the Pharmaceutical giant,
Merck. Families coming together, those hugs and smiles
after weeks or months apart. am not a big commentary
on social interaction, but it is interesting to see
the expressions of joy, relief and heartfelt warmth,
as people spot their friend or relative in the crowd.
The baggage was in the hall, by now and I was sure
my sister and my mother would be coming out of those
magical tours very soon. The sudden influx of Indians
or rather people that appeared to be from the sub-continent,
heightened my expectations. There was still a good
fifteen to twenty minute wait before they did finally
materialize, although, it perhaps just felt longer.
As I expected, my Mum, driving the trolley heading
left towards the exit, while we had been waiting all
this time to her right. Slipping under the barrier
I headed to to grab her attention. There was no point
shouting, Mum, a I did not know how many people (young
and old) would turn their heads in my direction. (Just
as someone had shouted Andrew, a few minutes earlier).
Skipping in between other arrivals and their massive
hoards of luggage. Tapping my Mum on the shoulder,
I got her attention and as she turned around I saw
the familiar smile I had not seen for over six weeks.
How I had missed it so.
My sister was home from Nottingham for the weekend
and I thought it great if we caught up a movie together.
As chance would have it, she had not seen the sequel
to the 2002 smash, Spiderman. By a strange act of
fate, Sky Movies were premiering the film, as part
of their Super heroes Weekend. This was an ideal time
for me to relive the adventure, having seen the movie
in down the local multiplex in July
2004. What can I say? It has everything, action,
a love story, a mediocre villain, and the reaction
of major characters when the man behind the mask is
revealed. My favourite character? There can be only
one! The editor of course, perhaps just piping the
editor from the Bollywood movie, Mr.
India
to the post! Perhaps the greatest comic book movie
adaptation of all time (after Superman II, of course).
Of course there are holes in this picture, to make
it bridge the game before the big (final?) part of
the trilogy. Scheduled for release in 2007, I expect
the final web, to be the biggest.
Early start on Sunday, but that is to be expected.
We are after all, talking about Mighty Mouse, who
is know to get up at 5am on a Sunday, just to tweak
some Perl scripts. I woke up a bit later than I wanted
to, but thought I had plenty of time. Around 8.15am,
I got a phone call. No, he can't be here already.
I bet he is waiting outside, I thought, rushing to
put on my clothes. To my surprise, he had overslept
and was just about to head out of the door. Surprised,
but not at all angry or upset, I just told Hussein
to let me know when he was near by so I could direct
him to my house. In fact these turn in events, turned
out to be a blessing in disguise. When he finally
arrived to pick me up, just before 9am, we headed
off onto the M40. Pleasantly shocked by the quality
of the ride in the Skoda Fabia. You can put your foot
down and the engine does raw to life. CDs? Where were
were going, there was no need for CDs. Empeg all the
way. Passing me the remote, I was given the authority
to select the play list for our journey down. What
an honour? But I was slightly lost with the controls,
so we agreed to play, the assorted singles collection.
Which, in fact proved to be a wise decision. The weather
was good, if somewhat foggy, but that was more to
the time of day. The cruise on the M40, was uneventful.
With the driver pushing the car to the limit, if only
to show off. There were not the awful sight of Nova,
bombing down at 50mph, in a bright lime green, overloaded
with passengers and struggle to pick up any acceleration.
Perhaps it was too early for the Vauxhall crowd. The
traffic was light on the A43, so we made good time,
until we got off for the Silverstone junction. This
is where we stopped. This was where I finally spotted
a mark two Astra, pimped to the max. I was warned
to expect more of the same.
We entered the race course at exactly 10am, and began to plan our
day. My only scheduled stop, was to see Pav's M3 on
the e36coupe dot com stand. The rest of was in the
hand's of my fellow car enthusiast. After all, he
had been here before and knew what to expect, catch
and miss. Thankfully, as soon as we entered the car
group enclosure, Breezy's car was standing out ahead
of me, unmissable. I snapped some photos, but he was
nowhere to be found, a call to his mobile, but it
was switched off. My mission was complete, and so
soon. With a sign of relief, I followed the lead of
Hussein and planned to work our way around the car
stands. However, we quickly headed for the 0-60 sprint
track, when Hussein spotted a dark green Y-reg Fabia,
headlights taped up, queuing for the track. We headed
to the track and watched some heavy muscle cars, take
their place. The masterpiece which was a Evo, clocking
up an incredible 2.99 seconds. WOW! Our lady friend
in the Fabia did not fair well at all. Not only did
she have the jeers of the crowd, sneering at the thought
of her pushing a 1.9 turbo diesel on the track. She
had a poor pull off and ended up not registering a
time, the clocked timed out at 17 seconds. Hardly
a respectable time. Hang your head in shame. Under
nine seconds last year? Your having a laugh!
I will upload my pictures later in the week, but for the time being there are a few galleries you can view. Namely, Mighty Mouse and Breezy.
Wednesday 31st August 2005
The last day of August, the last day of summer. Life
holds steady. Sure, the summer could have been bigger,
brighter, more fun. Yet, what I have achieved? Very
little, but I think I have to focus on the future
and what is to come. I'm looking forward to the weekend,
my Mother and youngest sister return from India. God
knows those forty-six days have flown by fast. Life
will return to some sort of normality and I can just
get on. Catching up with those, I have lost contact
with during the holidays will be an important milestone.
Giving me the chance to reflect, on what my sister,
Samantha, describes as the rest of my life, the 9-5
rat race. Whenever I she speaks those words, I
hear the opening lines of Everybody Wants To The Rule
The World by Tears for Fears. "Welcome to your life.
There's no turning back. Even while we sleep. We will
find you". Perhaps the best way to describe my weekday
existence, if perhaps not as dark and gloomy. Sure,
work consumes me, but it does not overwhelm (I try
my best to keep my distance). Although, I tend not to look at the whole picture and just focus on today and tomorrow, there is no need to look further.
Sometimes, I feel this blog lacks any purpose. My
life is not exactly very interesting, I do not have
a grand unusual hobby, or anything compelling to
say, in commentary on the world around us. If anything,
this blog is just a record of my life, movies I've
watched, music I'm listening to and occasionally,
those big events in my life. Other blogs offer to much more, not just news but great adventure from all around the world.
Talking of which, on
Sunday, I'm heading off to Trax
at Sliverstone
with my super
hero
friends. The perfect opportunity to reorganize my
photo gallery. The latest version of the software I use, is not only more pleasing to the eye, there are more features and options, so I should be able to put together a nice gallery, with a few albums. I will keep my FlickR account, but use it more for the odd, candid shot.
Technorati has already become a useful tool. I have
saved a few watch lists, and one would of course be
focused on my favourite football club. On Sunday evening,
I came across a new blog, Gooner's
World. So what makes this blog different from
the others that I read? Well initially the subject
of Arsenal was the hook, but after reading a few entries,
I discovered the author as a mad MJ fan. Result. To
date, I have not found someone to have such a passion
for the Gooner's, the King of Pop and to top it of,
is able to put these two very different worlds together
on a blog. Give, Terry, credit where it is due. He
has only been keeping a blog for a few months and
in these relatively early days, I am impressed with
not just the quality of the writing, but the content.
Happily drifting from Arsenal's latest signing, to
fresh images of Michael, looking healthier since the
trial verdict. I'm going to be keeping an eye on this
one, and maybe, just maybe I will blog roll it!
My favourite month of the year brings the heavy steam
train to Christmas and 2006. Sure, there are minor
stops on the way, but generally, life is going to
be non-stop. The time will fly by, but every step,
gear change and mirror signal manoeuver will be captured
here, on my blog. All aboard.
Friday 26th August 2005
The last Friday in August, already? Where has the
month gone? This must be the fastest four weeks, to
pass before my eyes, ever. I suppose having so much
to do, meant there was little time to sit back and
watch from the sidelines. It has been a dramatic time
for this site, also and finally, after six years,
I have a permanent home, with no annoying pop-ups
and advertising banners. Suppose, what you'll be looking
for next is a complete overhaul and redesign from
scratch. This design, is just a few months short of
reaching the landmark of two years in service. I am
proud, that it has served me so well. The actually
site celebrated it's fifth birthday on the first day
of this month. The whole celebrations were unmarked,
because it completely slipped my mind. The site has
grown over those short few years. It was in November
2003, the my visions for this blog finally became
true. Detailed entries, with analysis, thought and
feeling, featuring all the pictures I had caught on
my camera. In May last year, I added the commenting
system, which has helped me interact with all my readers.
Who knows what the next two years will bring? Will
there come a time when Teg's blog ceases to exist?
I very much doubt it.
Hate to go political on you, particularly in the
period referred to in the British (if not global)
press as 'silly
season'. Our friend George, is at it again
on the propaganda trail, stateside. Difficult to explain
my fiery hatred for this political figure. It is the
pompous, 'I'm right and your not' attitude. No one
deserves to be attacked by a mob
but then again, you try not to be a false prophet
and dispel your critics. Nav has tried hard to get
to the root of my ill feeling to this politician,
but it not an easy task. I believe the fact that you
can't reason with him, is perhaps the most fitting
and perhaps only reason I can give for my views. Unfortunately,
he appears to have struck a cord with a certain group
of individuals in the UK, who have now become his
supporters. Proclaiming that he says it as it is,
is a true, genuine politician and fighting the cause
of the man on the street. There are famous celebrities,
also called, George, with short entries on Wikipedia
than our representative of Bethnal Green and Bow.
End of the rant and onward to the other George. Formby
(yes, there is a m there, not an n!). Unless you've
been on another planet this week, you will not have
missed the headline news story of TB
and his ukulele.
While it was comical to think of our Prime Minister,
strumming along on the beach, it got me thinking.
The most famous British ukulele player, has to be
George
Formby. While the actual instrument is always
associated with Pacific singers, there may be more
truth in European roots.
On BBC Radio Five Live, last night they had a ukulele
player and Formby impersonator, and he played the
classic, "When I'm Cleaning Windows". Why am I mentioning
all this? I think it is important to gain an appreciation
for music, movies and general goings on, that were
before our era. It is quite easy to close yourself
off and only concentrate on the things that you can
relate to. Yet, there is so much to learn and enjoy
some golden oldies.
Over on her blog, Nazma
has set some aims for the autumn. While her blog continues
to be an inspiration to me, considering my own personal
aims for the coming months, at her own suggestion.
Do I really need to list some objectives? My problem
with this is, is that I leave myself open to some
sort of rejection or feeling of failure, if they are
not met. This blog in it's very nature, tends to be
more reflective on past events, rather than looking
forward to the future. Sure, there have been times
when I look ahead to big events coming up, but they
are few and far between. The purpose of this blog
is record events, more than preach about how my future
should pan out. Therefore I have decided to just go
with the flow and set no great expectations for the
future. Perhaps because Nazma is more comfortable
letting her feelings spill out onto the page, she
finds this process so much easier than me. I suppose
what I'm trying to so hard to say, is that I believe
that it will always Turn(ed)
Out Nice Again.
Sunday 21st August 2005
The mother of all reality television shows return
to our television screen last night.
While purists would always go for Big Brother, my
personal opinion on the whole RT situation is as follows.
If you have talent, you will be discovered and have
your fifteen minutes (perhaps more). However, we must
stop now, the mindset of many young people growing
up thinking they are the next big thing. Arrogance
is one thing, but a belief that you have a god given
talent and should be booking your place in the final
is appalling. What makes it worse, is bringing your
entire family along to witness this character assassination.
Then having the cheek to beg the judges to overturn
an unanimous decision. True talent will shine through,
regardless of the circumstances. You know if you are
good and others will be aware of and acknowledge your
talent. HRH The Prince
of Wales recently highlighted this in a leaked
memo.
I agree with him. People should not rise above their
station, unless their achievement is through sheer
determination, hard work and resilience. Some people
associate fame, with money. They fail to realise that
before any of the recognition or plaudits comes the
hard work. The long nights practicing and defining
your art. We all need to change and forget the dream
that everything will be served up on a plate for us.
It will not. While I confess, I am part of the MTV
generation, that perhaps can be blamed as the root
course for this social change in our youth. There
is more to the picture than meets the eye. What people
need to understand there are other things to channel
their efforts into. Many are called, few are chosen.
(I should be one
to know.)
So the big match, is just a few hours away. I can't
wait. We have a fantastic league record against the
Blues and look forward to bringing them down a beg
or two. While I respect the Champions, their manager
is someone whom at times, beggars belief.
Most comment on the departure of our captain for Italy,
yet forget those that remain. I am strong believer
that no one, is bigger than the club, regardless their
talent and contribution as a player or manager. Therefore,
a club is better off without those onboard, who are
not fully committed to the cause. With Patrick gone
we can focus on what really matters. Not just winning
every game, but in the style that has made us the
most exciting team to watch by a country mile. On
my hunt around the web to find other Arsenal related
web sites, I discovered the following, blog,
the Arsenal View. Regularly updated and intelligently
written, I think I may well add this to blog roll
in the coming few weeks. Come on you Gooners!
A big fan of the children's cartoon, which was screened
on BBC1 in the mid 1990s, I have not seen the 1956
original,
starting David Niven. The cartoon,
was actually produced in the late 1980s, but had several
re-runs on the Beeb. I was hoping to see the remake
starting Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan, last summer.
I can recall, double decker buses driving past St.
Paul's Cathedral, last summer, as I ate my lunch,
with the movie poster on side. As it happened, I did
not get around to watching the film on the big screen.
While not a major disappointment, I looked forward
to the premiere on Sky Movies, which thankfully was
last night. I did not realise it was a Walt Disney
production until I checked on the web, but as far
as an entertaining movie
goes, it hit the spot. While not the whirlwind adventure
I had hoped for, there was enough going on to keep
me occupied. Jim Broadbent and Ewen
Bremner steal the show together, with some classic
one liners. If you wanted something historically accurate
and well polished, you've come to the wrong place.
Jackie Chan binds the movie together and provides
a great companion for Steve Coogan, on this journey
to secure his wager. Overall the movie, while distracting
from the original movie does have feature a host of
cameos, which keep you glued to the screen. The fight
scenes are unique and inventive, even if the whole
guise of the Black Scorpion sub-plot was vintage,
Chan, wanting to put his own stamp on his characters
motivation. Personally, I think Chan should these
stories of protecting family honour or saving the
village from doom. They do not work well in Hollywood.
Other than that, it was an entertaining, Saturday
night family movie. Just a shame I watched it on my
own.
Friday 19th August 2005
So I reach the end of my first week of hosting with
123-Reg. What can I say? It is great to not have to
give out a separate link for the banner free hosting.
The orange UK2 banner has now a place in the back
of my memory and no longer a blunt appearance at the
top of my web page. Overall, I have created new e-mail
address and started a major marketing campaign. Now
my blog has a settled home, I feel I need to go out
and get as many readers as possible. This market blitz
begins with Technorati,
with whom I have registered. Plenty of work to be
done, however. So, if you find a blog that is worth
reading, please drop me a line. Anyone who links to
me, will get a link back, again just get in touch.
While I tend to discover most new music on my own,
there is a time when others push me in the direction
of new material. This blog is littered with examples
of this. Last week, one of my new friends on MSN,
recommended Bow Wow ft. Ciara - 'Like You'. On this
recommendation, I obtained the track but did not have
a feeling I would like it. I listened, out of good
faith to my friend. Sure, on the first listen, it
was a song that I liked but did not feel a big buzz
for. Well not instantly. On my trials around the web,
I discovered the video being played on various profiles
on a site, made up of mainly American users. It was
now, I realised how much I thought the song was great.
So much so, that I included it on the CD I burnt last
Sunday. It is difficult to describe the sound, perhaps
smooth RnB. Bow Wow's voice blends well with the soft
sugary vocals of Ciara. Yet again, an artist that
takes not two but three attempts to win me over. I
had not liked her edgy hip hop flavour singles, but
here, on a slower, more heartfelt track, she feels
right at home (to my ears at least). From the album,
Wanted,
Little Bow wants to tell the world he has grown up!
I have to dedicate part of this entry to Sippy.
Forever my dedicated friend, he came to my aid when
I needed it most. Without his help and at times persistence,
I would not be here now. I would still be stuck in
the void between no domain and no host. While I thank
him for hosting my blog temporarily for a few weeks,
I would also like to thank him for his constant advice
during this time. I was lost and glad to have the
experience and expertise of a web programmer, working
in the commercial field for some 18 months. Someone,
with that knowledge and understanding. What I kept
asking about was the time delay, thankfully my friend
knew exactly the time it would take for everything
to fall into place. It has and I can now look forward
to many happy years here. (Until perhaps the day comes
when I am no longer part of the blogosphere).
There are several topics regarded as no go areas
for general public discussion. Politics, music, football
and religion. Perhaps, as these bring out the greatest
passion in human nature. You will argue all night
long about something you believe deeply about. I am
by no means the most religious person in the world,
but I have strong beliefs. Today was rakhi.
A minor but notheless important religious festival
in the Hindi calender. Happy Rakhi to all my fellow Hindu cousins out there!

England gave a pathetic performance against Denmark
on Wednesday night. This is the first time I have
seen England hit the self destruct button in five
years. The last occasion being our exit from Euro
2000. For the first time under Sven, we have serious
questions being asked about his man management and
motivation skills. Sure, it was a friendly, but it
does take away that fact that you are representing
your county. Pride of place, as a moment of honour,
to wear the three lions shirt. While the excuse that
it is too early in the season for such games, international
football is different from club football and you need
to show desire and commitment, regardless of the time
in the season. Thankfully, I see this being the wake
up call, the FA needed. Time to make some changes,
across the park and put together a team that looks
both deadly in attack and solid at the back. Surely,
if England are to go to Germany as favourites, they
need to prove their star billing into a creditable
squad selection. Over the many years I have been following
England, this team although perhaps the most entertaining
going forward, has major question marks at the back.
Rio and Sol are perhaps the only ideal pairing, organised
and strong. While Glenn Hoddle had his critics, I
feel he was the most shrewd in his tactics and squad
selection. Heading into the World Cup in France, he
left out Owen and Beckham, with journalists heavily
on his back about this failure to play the star players
from the start. Yet, now with hindsight you can see
his thinking, of saving them for the bigger stage.
I don't see Sven using this sort of tactic. His system
is solid at the back, hit them on the counter, score
a goal, protect the lead, go for another goal and
then hang out for the win. While this might work in
club football, it is not really realistic at international
level. It does not compensate for a weak start, falling
a goal behind. England need to show confidence from
the off and be able to control the game. Against the
Danes we were played out of the game, particularly
in midfield as they pushed forward to break down our
defence. We lacked the holding midfielder, screening
the defence, with Beckham cutting inside to try and
cover. Overall, we looked like a displaced force,
lacking any ideas, and lucky to get a goal back through
Wayne Rooney, down more to lack of concentration by
the hosts. Hopefully against the Welsh, we will be
more alert and realise our World Cup place is in doubt
and less of a certainty.
Monday 15th August 2005
Monday morning again. Thankfully this morning, I
had Simon Webbe with his debut single on CD, to help
make the day a much easier pill to swallow. I drove
to work with a spring in my step and fresh wind blowing
through my mind. Ready to take on the world and win!
On this CD, I had another classic song. Yet, before
I can give you the artist and title I need to give
the background. Of course, the reality is that my
dearest friend Nav should be providing this rushed
look back at his college years, but it falls upon
to pick up the baton. At college, in his 6th form
college room, there was only one band, Nav used to
listen to. Going through the trendy indie phase, there
was only one song that can remind him of this happy
and someone carefree time. I wish I could sum up the
super powers to take him back and away from his current
predicament. While I cannot do this, I can do the
second (or rather twenty-third best thing). Dedicate
this blog entry to him. Perhaps someone he feels he
is from another planet, I find his company on MSN
a constant joy and pillar of knowledge. Perhaps the
great book is true.
If this is case, then perhaps the one could be, Girl
From Mars!
123-Reg,
the new hosts of my web site got their act together
this morning. I still had not been contacted as the
administrative contact for my domain. So, I faxed
them, a cover sheet. Funnily enough, the address for
them, over in Nottingham is Portland Street. A nod,
or rather insult to the names of my previous hosts.
The man upstairs truly doeswork in mysterious ways.
It was confirmed as a successful transmission at 10.24am,
in fourteen minutes, I had the confirmation sent to
my Yahoo! account. Amazing. This was the sort of quality
service I was used to. I logged in and ported in my
domain into the 123-Reg control panel, purchased my
hosting and sat back to relax. After thirteen days
waiting around, I was hoping the hard work was done.
I changed the DNS servers, which updated instantly
but I had to wait until around 8pm tonight for the
change to propagate around cyberspace, far and wide.
Over in Brumland, the change was not as quick. While
I could see the factory fit holding page, Sippy could
see nothing. They just must be extra slow in the Midlands.
I could not wait for them, so had to get my friend
Nav on the case to check the site. Indeed, over in
Lincolnshire, he could see my personal holding page
(just my logo), while home in High Wycombe I could
only view the 123-Reg holding page. :( Please only
link to this site via the official link - t-e-g dot
co dot uk.
So here we are, hosting done and dusted. No banners, no UK2Net, no chance of a DoS attack bringing down my servers or that of my host. The future is bright. The future is red. Why red? Why, the red planet of course. On my drive home, I put the volume up as I headed out of the car park, it was time for some serious rock.
Do you remember the time I knew a Girl From Mars?
I don't know if you knew that.
Oh we'd stay up late playing cards,
Henri Winterman Cigars.
Though she never told me her name,
I still love you, Girl From Mars.
Sunday 14th August 2005
Perhaps some ten years ago, I was a big fan of Stars
In Their Eyes. Matthew Kelly presented the show, with
the warmth and charisma, that he could be your very
own uncle. Then, I looked forward to everyday people,
from various walks of life, becoming a star, their
idol for the day. About five years ago, a gentle appeared
to single 'Take On Me' and while he was good, there
were better performers on the night. He went through
to the grand final, but did not claim the biggest
prize. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the
last final with Kelly at the helm. Two weekends ago,
I watched Lee Otway (Bombhead
from Hollyoaks, win with his rendition of Waiting
Here For You, by the smooth lounge singer, Richard
Marx. While is performance was a great surprise, for
such a reserved and gentile character on screen. So,
last night I had the show on, in the background of
my computer, while I concentrated on something else.
I did not see, the introduction to the act, but just
the celebrity, go through the special doors to then
reappear. On their emergence, from the cloudy mist,
I instantly recognised who they were and hit record
on my TV tuner software. This was a moment not to
be missed.



While I stopped watching the Bill
several years ago. The moment they killed off Sergeant
Cryer in 2001. A hanging offence in my book. Since
then, with the time changes, theme changes and changing
sponsors, I gave up on the show and no longer watch.
However, that does not mean I did not recognise, Neil
Pearson played by Andrew Lancel. The question
on my mind was, which a-ha song to before? Of course,
they chose, their biggest UK hit (a number one in
December 1985). The Sun Always Shines On TV is a great
song, on so many levels. It is moving, reflective,
uplifting, emotional and even hopeful. Lancel's performance
was admirable, and he was a deserving winner for the
show.
While discussing this with Nav, I tried to explain
the video trilogy that went hand in hand with a-ha's
first three singles. He quickly dropped over to the
MTV web site to watch the videos for himself. While
perhaps, Take On Me should have been released as the
final single of the three (it would have worked backwards,
just think about it!) it does get more recognition
that it truly needs. Perhaps this is the man upstairs
clever way of reminding me, what I can look forward
to in just under four months time. Perhaps some you
out there, will realise how special twenty years ago,
really was. Not just the music, the fashion, the technology.
I am talking about something much much more important
than that. The moment.
Friday 12th August 2005
My next dilemma is quite straight forward. Just whom
to take on me?

Wednesday 10th August 2005
I woke up this morning, and slowly came to the realisation
that I was stuck in the middle of the week. Longing
for the football season to start. The working week
was busy, and the worse was yet to come. Yet I knew
with a smile, I could see myself through. Getting
into the car this morning, with yet another busy day
in the office, just seven miles down the road in prospect.
Completely by accident, I switched on the radio. You
will know that in recent months, I have completely
stopped listening to the radio in the car. These days,
I tend to listen to some KISS at the weekends, but
even then it is only for a fleeting moment, before
I pop on a CD. The radio had been on Star 106 on Sunday
evening and as I had listened to CDs since then, the
radio had not been changed. The final verse of 'Take
On Me' was playing. The song made me think of the
concert in December and I wondered when I would be
receiving my tickets. Getting into work, I have a
routine (as I do with everything). Coming around to
checking my Yahoo! e-mail account, I received e-mail
confirmation that my tickets would be dispatched this
week. Should receive them by Friday.
As if that was not enough good news, my friend from University, Paul came online.
He was fishing for compliments. It was his birthday,
so I did the decent thing and wished him many happy
returns. Then, he hit me with it. He had finally returned
to his blog, after almost exactly a two year break.
Regular readers of my blog, will be well aware of
two things. Firstly that even though Paul has been
absent from the blogsophere for such a significant
amount of time, I have on the odd occasion linked
to his blog, hosted over at Blogger. Secondly, I have
a strong anti-amateur blog policy, during office hours.
The only blogs I visit at work are the various blogs
by the Guardian (namely, News,
Online
and Observer).
Therefore I had to ask my friend Nav, to check that
an update had actually been made and the quality of
the entry. For a full read, I would have to wait until
I returned home at 6.30pm this evening. Nav promised
me that I would not be disappointed, and as to not
spoil the surprise, revealed very little, apart from
the fact that not only all the issues raised were
close to my heart but they also had been missed from
the debate so far. Indeed, when I came through the
door, this evening, I smiled knowingly that I would
be checking Paul's blog, but for a change, it would
have been updated. Enough from me, go judge for yourself
and await his next entry. Mark my words, this could
well be the greatest come back of all time. (Well
at least until Michael comes back for his Invincible
tour and new material.)
Firstly a quote from my dearest friend and current
expert Sippy: "I didn't know UK2Net were a bunch of
incompetent fools!" If that is the headline, this
is the story. You will know that I am currently in
the process of transferring my domain from UK2 Net
to 123-REG. This has been played with constant problems,
considering I placed this request on Wednesday 3rd
August, it still has not been completed. (Yes, www.t-e-g.co.uk
is still down). If only someone had told me before,
that there are several reasons why
not to use this shoddy excuse for a domain host.
If you read that article you under the shady operations
of the man at the top (who has registered his company
three times under three separate names). Hopefully
the lawyers and police are not too far behind him!
Not sure how long it will take for my site to come
back, so please bear with me while the technical and
rather tedious administrative are completed.
Sunday 7th August 2005
Today was the day. I suppose I had waited for this day all my life. Sure I've attended other football matches, a European Championship Group match and an international friendly, featuring the mighty Brazil. Yet, this topped them all. Why? Perhaps because I was forfilling a life long childhood dream. Going to a final (of questionable sorts) with my Dad. My Dad is not the biggest football fan, but he does try and for this he deserves great credit. When I got offered these tickets, there was little doubt in my mind, on who I would be taking along. Going somewhere new and explored also added a sense of intrigued to this adventure.
I crawled out of bed just after 6am, on a Sunday
morning, this was early. Suddenly it dawn on me the
full prospect of the day, yet I had little time to
reflect on this moment. I had things to do. Rushing
upstairs, I went to wake up my Dad. Then, I quickly
had some cereal, constantly watching the clock, to
make sure we left the house as early as humanly possible.
After a quick shower, I was surprised by the lack
of noise and movement from my Dad's room, so went
to his room, to wake him up again. Talk about role
reversal, it should be the parent dragging the child
out of bed! Thankfully we left the house at 7.20am
and were on the M4 by 7.30am. Already the signs were
there of a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly,
across a clear bright blue sky. Magical. An Escort
drove past, with Arsenal flags waving in the air,
from both rear windows. I tried my best to catch up
and just flash my headlights at them, but they were
in a hurry and I did not have the patience for the
chase. Driving at a steady, 70 miles an hour, I was
listening to Spoony on BBC Radio One. My Dad had drifted
off to sleep, leaving me to concentrate on the road
and take in the picturesque views of this green and
pleasant land. Being a town boy, I think I have come
to lack an appreciation for the countryside. It is
only when you are out on the road that you truly understand
that this country is rural.
This has to be one of best drives, ever. The traffic
was light, the views were breathtaking and at the
end of the road, was a dream. Watching my team play
football for the first time in six years. There was
the waving and thumbs up, given to other Arsenal fans.
There was the sneering glances exchanged with Chelsea
fans, most of whom appeared to be driving nearly new
BMW. Perhaps the big man, is spreading some of his
wealth far and wide in the football club. This was
to be my first time in Cardiff, although not my first
time across the border to Wales. While I am sure many
people have their views on this country, I think it
is beautiful.
As we approached the border, we took the Severn Bridge, which has a toll charge
of Ł4.80 for cars. Thankfully I had some cash on me
(rare for me, as I'm predominately a card person these
days!) I was hoping my Dad would have taken some photos,
but he was sound asleep and while I would have managed
a quick snap with my phone camera, it would have done
little justice to the view. After the bridge, we were
in Welsh country. Noticeable by the dual language
signage. We were making excellent time and I was glad
that we had, correction, I had taken the decision
to leave at such an ungodly hour. We pulled into the
Arsenal Park & Ride car park, just before 9.30am,
and had a prime spot. All this for Ł5, not bad! As
we got out of the car, my body came to the sudden
shock that it had driven around 140 miles, none stop.
Looking at the clock on my mobile (I had left my watch
back home for obvious reasons) I commented to my Dad
how we had made perfect time. Getting onto the bus,
we were shocked at how close the city centre was,
from the school we had just parked at. In the distance,
I could see the towering arches of the stadium. We
had arrived.

A handful of other fans had followed our lead, to
get here early. As we walked down the main shopping
street. Merchandise sellers were selecting prime slots
for their stalls. The shops were closed and most would
not open until 11am. We needed a quick light breakfast.
While I was looking for a local café, nothing suitable
was available or open. So, there was no option, we
walked back to the bigger Star Bucks. While I could
go into detail about chasing the corporate, or should
that be corporate pound, I will refrain. This sort
of discussion is more suited to the politically motivated
blogs, such as Xercs.
Unlike my Dad, a coffee drinker, I just had a medium
cup of Earl Grey Tea. While my Dad opted for a jazzy
named, wake me up potion, under the banner of some
wild bean cappuccino. I was not really that hungry,
but opted for an Apple & Cinnamon muffin, while
my Dad had some carrot cake. Sitting outside, we planned
what we were to do with our day. Taking charge, I
proposed the following. A walk across to the stadium,
to find our Gate. Then, a quick ride on the sightseeing
tour bus, then lunch, then a few drinks in the pub
before the big kick off.
We had seen the sight seeing open tour bus, parked
up next to the castle, but thought nothing of it at
the time. We were too busy trying to track down the
stadium entrance. It was later in the morning, when
we realised that we had so much time to ourselves
that my Dad insisted we pop on the bus for a ride.
There was no other way were going to see the sights
of this great city. On foot our options were limited,
and the heavy police presence meant we were under
constant close scrutiny and for good reason. We headed
onto the top deck of the bus and like a school kid,
my Dad headed right to the back. We sat on the right
hand side, as a Arsenal fan ahead of us commented
that Chelsea fans were sitting on the other side,
to the left!
You all know how I loved the return of Dr. Who to
our television screens this spring.(Oh how I miss
the Time Lord on Saturday evenings!) So my trip to
Cardiff was also a minor pilgrimage. The episode Boom
Town was filmed entirely on location in Cardiff.
With the TARDIS arriving, outside the majestic Millennium
Centre. This is sight that can only be given true
justice by being seen in real life. My photographs
do little to capture the power of the building and
the beautiful inscription, in both English and Welsh.

Cardiff is beautiful, and it is amazing to learn
that the bay has been completely redeveloped from
derelict marsh land, to a buzzing residential, business
and entertainment centre, in recent years. So much
so, that one acre of land sold for Ł2 million recently,
in a plan to build luxury flats. As we drove across
this part of time, we came up to one of two five star
hotels in the city. Chelsea were using this as their
base for the afternoon game. In the car park, there
was a shiny silver Mercedes, with the number plate
2 ROW. No idea to whom it may belong, if you have
any ideas, please let me know.
It is only in the past eight months that I have been
exposed to such a cocktail of people. The nature of
the job means, on a daily basis I speak to representatives
from Ireland, Scotland, all across England and last
but not least Wales. There are a few clients whom
I have got to know well, and you pick up their "talking"
style. For the Welsh, it is the customary, 'is it',
which they seem to add to the end of every sentence,
that deserves a question. Funnily enough, after our
sightseeing tour of the city, my Dad and I had earned
quite an appetite. We hunted around for a nice eating
establishment to have a drink, and quick bite to eat.
In the end, we strolled into a quite bar towards the
back of the main street of bars and pubs. It was quite,
with only a handful of fans in. As I walked in, I
was stopped in my tracks by the doorman. My camera
case had come to his attention and he asked to take
a look inside. I had no problem with this, but he
took the time to look me in the eye and explain, that
in the current climate it was a necessary precaution.
I understood, and opened my bag, to reveal my digital
camera. We went upstairs and found a seat and ordered
our food.
After lunch, we headed for the bar that my colleague
at work had recommended. The Albert had now become
the Yard. I called him and explained where we were.
In the end, we gave up waiting, got a drink, while
we soaked up the beautiful summer shine in the courtyard
at the back of the bar. A large contingent of Chelsea
fans had gathered. They must have been drinking for
some time, for they had become quite animated, yet
the atmosphere was quite friendly. A handful of diehard
fans, started chanting various songs, to get themselves
and the rest of us into the mood. It was approaching
3pm fast and we had to get a move on now.
The moment we had been waiting for, as we came across
to Gate 7, I quickly purchased a programme and then
followed my Dad to the stalls. My bag was searched
again, but that was to be excepted. There were quite
a few fans still making their way to their seats,
but I presumed that most of the Chelsea contingent,
had already taken their seats. As we stepped out into
the stadium, I was amazed by the view and the atmosphere.
Words can never truly describe what my eyes could
see, and what my ears could hear. Taking our seats,
just in time to watch the teams to come out. When
we stood up to sing our national anthem, I felt a
great sense of pride, if what somewhat misplaced.
Here were are, the English singing our song, in the
backyard of our Welsh cousins. As my players, took
the FIFA handshake of friendship, my Dad offered his
to shake my hand, in the deepest grated, for asking
him along to share in this day. He was proud of me
and for a split second, among those 58 thousand people,
I felt like I should give my Dad a hug. Instead, there
was no time for such father son bonding. The kick
off was seconds away and the moment, the spilt second
we had waited for, the referee blew his whistle and
the football, all 90 minutes was slowly ticking away.


Prior to the match, I was confident of an Arsenal
victory. Perhaps even by the margin of two goals.
From what I had seen of the team in pre-season, they
looked like they were slowly getting their game together.
Looking like a team difficult to beat, and deadly
on the counter attack. Chelsea fans now seem to have
an arrogance, which leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
The chants, which over the course of the match, became
accustom to included, "Your Not Champions Any More!!"
For them, it was going to script. Drogba scored within
8 minutes, which caught us on the back foot. Our end
erupted the moment, took the ball, controlled the
ball and smashed the ball passed Lenhamm. They deserved
the lead, but I knew Arsenal had the character to
return. Following the goal, Arsenal finally woke up,
that while this game did not matter, pride was at
stake. An early defeat to Chelsea would put us on
the back foot for the visit to Stamford Bridge, in
two weeks time. We pressured, but Chelsea were alert
to all our attacking ideas. If I am honest, we did
not having anything new to offer. It was at half time,
with three substitutions that the Arsenal of old came
back onto the field. Gilberto, providing the solid
rock ahead our defence, and Hleb, on for his home
debut (well as close as we can get) who was now able
to pull the strings in midfield and pass the ball
over to Reyes over on the weeks. We looked like a
more exciting attacking force, with much more potential
up front. Yet, our eagerness to push forward left
us exposed at the back. Watching Didier score his
second, was amazing. He looked like he had completely
hashed it, as we pushed back in numbers to defend
the goal mouth. Yet, he was still able to control
the ball and place it into the net. Sometimes, you
have to whole up your hands to talent. That was a
quality goal, taken with skill and ability. As the
saying goes, a great striker always keeps his composure
in front of goal. Perhaps this is the second chance,
he was hoping for. Let us hope that this is not the
sign of things to come.

Then, after a spell of heavy pressure, Arsenal put together some moves that
are so easy on the eye and we found the back of the
net. A rather scrappy goal, but they all count. Our
end of the ground fell silent and my Dad and I just
looked at each other with a knowing smile. Looking
across the pitch, we saw the thousands of Arsenal
fans in red, yellow, blue and white cheering! It was
a great sight, even if I wish I could have been over
on that side of the stadium. We were back in the game,
but did we have enough to push for an equaliser. There
were doubts in my mind. We did not appear like the
well old machine, whereas Chelsea seemed gelled, even
with some many new players on display. The Blues seem
ready for the season ahead, whereas we looked still
tired, trying to get our games together. Never mind,
this is just an over glorified pre-season friendly.
The real football starts next weekend.
After the game, there was the next hurdle. The journey
home. We got out as quickly as possible, opting not
to wait for the shield presentation. We caught the
second bus back to the car park and got into our cat
at 5.30pm, pulling out of the school, I estimated
with my Dad that we would be back in Wycombe by 8.30pm.
Three hours, was an over estimate. The traffic heading
back was heavy. Stop start. Yet, I had BBC Radio One
to keep me company all the way home. My Dad drifted
off to sleep again. I couldn't blame him, it had been
a long tiring day. We scrolled off the M4 at 9pm and
did not get home until 10pm. My Dad insisting we stop
for a takeaway, to take home. Overall, the perfect
weekend. Sure, the score was not what I had wanted,
but everything else fell perfectly into place. The
weather was great, a warm hot summer's day, a friendly
atmosphere, with both rival fans on quite jovial terms,
knowing this was more an exhibition match than anything
else. My memory from the day, will be driving on the
M4, past a car of Arsenal fans, and young guy around
16 in the back of the car, shaking his Arsenal scarf
at me and giving a fist up for our team. I returned
a knowing nod. We were down but not out! Let me end
with my own twist on the phrase, enscribed on the
Millennium Centre. In These Bones, Horizons Win.
Saturday 6th August 2005
Unfortunately I am having major problems transfer my domain from UK2 to 123-Reg. I am not sure what exactly is causing the delay, but for the time being, please bear with me. You may notice that the main link to this site (t-e-g dot co dot uk) does not work. Please use http://teg.sibtain.co.uk for the time being.
Unfortunately, I will have to postpone my blog entry until later in the week. There are only a few minor stories to fill you in on. The Arsenal Members Day, which I attended at Highbury on Thursday. Plus the highlight of my weekend (if not the entire football season) The FA Community Shield, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales. I will be there tomorrow. Expect a full report later in the week.
Monday 1st August 2005
Those of you who attempted to visit my web site over
the weekend, will have notice it was down. Appears
that my prestigious host, Portland have either gone
on holiday or gone bust! Even their site is down and
no one is responding to e-mails. Therefore, this evening,
my dearest friend Sippy
came to the rescue. He is temporarily hosting a cut
down version of my web site, while I search to hunt
down a permanent home. To keep the site of this site,
as small as possible, I have removed the photograph
galleries. I will try to keep you posted with a detailed
newscast on what is exactly happening, but for the
time being please be patient and bear with me. Please
only link to the site using www.t-e-g.co.uk and update
your bookmarks.
Sunday 31st July 2005
Late last night I arranged to come over to see my
local superhero. I had to hand over my Antec PSU,
so thought I would make use of the time by also requesting
The Simpson's, direct onto one of my hard drives.
When I discovered that this was over 29gb in size
for all fifteen seasons, I realised my old 14gb hard
drive was nothing more than a brick of metal platters,
chips and plastic. The other option, was to bring
my XBox. It was almost exactly a year to the day,
that Hussein
had modded my XBox for me. I left Wycombe early on
Sunday morning, with hardly any traffic on the M40.
I had fallen asleep just after 2am, but got up before
7am and felt quite awake. My first job was to upgrade
the software on the console, with the latest release.
Then, I quickly burnt a CD of songs from last week's
movie (in about 1 minute) and headed out the door.
I arrived in Harrow just before 9am and waited for
Hussein to open the door. I really need to find a
portable storage solution, I can't take my black console
box everywhere I go. We set the machine up and started
transferring the cartoon show. After a nice cup of
tea, came the highlight of my day. For as long as
I have known him, he has talked about Empeg.
To the uninitiated (I include myself among you, the
Empeg is an in dash MP3 player. Well to be honest,
that is a lie. It is so much more.
Then some.
Whenever we have discussed an in car, hard disc based
mp3 solution, the only response I have received from
my learned friend is this. It sounded great in theory,
but I had my doubts of what it would be like in practice.
In a car, you need to have instant access to your
music. You do not have the patience (well I certainly
do not) to be mucking around with menus, sub menus
and other interfaces. You want to be able to listen
to your music in drive. Yet, the Empeg (here a Mark
Two model) resolves this major functionality issue
and so much more. Let us start at 10am, this morning.
Hussein opens the door to his Skoda Fabia and asks
me to sit down in the passenger seat. Switching on
the power to the ignition, his Empeg came alive and
were listening to Billie Jean. I was shocked at the
quality of the sound and the clarity of the bass.
Yet, there were still factory fit speakers. The sound
stage is enhanced by the use of 4 tweeters, rather
than the average two you get in the front with the
component set. This adds to the vocal range, just
behind your head, if you are seated up front. I have
heard this song a thousand (if not more) times and
know it very well. Yet, in the car, it sounded clear,
almost perfect. I was asked to be pick an artist and
choice Ash, hoping that would bring up a huge selection
of singles. Instead it bought up only Girl From Mars,
which is still an outstanding track. It took a few
seconds to bring up the artist and play the song.
(The fact it was the only song for the group, did
help a little). One of the greatest functions is the
fact that that everything you listen to is logged.
So you can recall how many times a song is played.
It also has exciting unique features, such as playing
'pure' random, whereby no song will be played twice
until you reach the end of the collection. No repeats,
guaranteed. Something that never happens with the
radio. You can search by date, album, artist, the
possibilities are endless. You can randomly play songs
by one artist, but over all their albums, so you switch
between their early and more recent work. Each track
is tagged with a special four digit code, which can
be used to pre select tracks, so you don't need to
search by artist or album.

It is no secret, Human
Nature is one of my favourite songs of all time,
even if based purely on my Audio Scrobbler listening
figures. While Hussein was randomly selecting tracks,
on came this number and he put up the volume. Having
listened to this track in my own car, it was only
now I realised the true downfalls of my audio system.
Even from CD, the track cannot be matched when played
in the Fabia. Amazing. This was the dream. Having
my entire MP3 collection, at my fingertips. Yet as
the player is open source and runs on Linux, it is
constantly being upgraded. There are updates for everything
imaginable and much much more. There is also a remote
control to select most of the functions on the device.
Yet the remote is nothing fancy. The great feature
if from another device a PDA or in Hussein's case,
his trusty Treo. The Smart phone has some software
installed which allows you to queue up music and then
transmit via infrared to the head unit and it begins
playing these songs straight away. Just how in genius
is that? Any device capable for sending infra-red
signal can do this. Let us move onto to something
more simple. Visualisations are not new and have been
on modern stereos for quite sometimes. While they
may not be as detailed as their equivalent on Windows
Media Player or Win Amp, they do work. The Empeg device
has a collection build in, but one just blew me away.
Called, 'flancedoor',
it is a stickman dancing along to the music. Yet it
all depends on how 'busy' the song is and this is
represented on how busy the dance floor will be. To
test this out, I asked to Hussein to play Billie Jean
again. Yes, it happened, the stickman moon walked.
You have not lived until you have seen this event
on a small dot matrix display. The only similarity
I can find, is the Virgin Megastores advert, as screened
at many cinemas.
This photograph does not do the show justice! Those
head spins are da bomb!

Saturday 30th July 2005
I woke up, coming to my senses, realising that it was Friday. My favourite
day of the week. Yet, this morning instead of jumping
out of bed with a spring in my step, I crawled to
the edge, and squinted to make out the time on my
stereo. then it finally it me, I had a painful headache,
to the right and rear of my head. The pain was acute
and I needed to take something for it. I got up and
got some breakfast. My Dad and sister, observed I
was in a either in a more thoughtful mood, or more
likely grumpy than usual. I rushed my cereal and then
started to get ready and took my first tablet as soon
as I got out of the shower. Then I took a second after
I was ready, dressed and heading for the car. I did
not feel any better. As I drove into the office, I
put my foot down on the bypass (when there was really
no need, the traffic was light, as it is every Friday)
and I blasted the CD playing on the stereo (which
did not help my light head, whatsoever). As I walked
into the office, I felt slightly better, but little
did I know of the day that lay ahead.
Before I go, I need to dispel any myths that I am
a lucky person. Far from it. Sometimes I am the very
unlucky. I would even go to the extent of saying that
when advertisers say that this will work in 99% of
case, I am usually that 1% who has issues. So you
can imagine my surprise and delight when I am lucky
enough to win competitions and come out in front.
This is perhaps the second time I have won something
significant in my life. The last time around also
being football related. Then, it was tickets for what
would be my first match, The Netherlands against Switzerland
in Euro 96. On Thursday I came home to see the usual
envelopes left on my desk. Either bank statements
or credit card bills, I rarely get anything else.
I opened up a letter stamped from Newcastle. Opening
it revealed a glossy envelope in the shape of an Arsenal
shirt, in the new, one season farewell to Highbury
colours. Looking at the bottom, I read, "O2 Members
Day - 4th August 2005" on the reverse, in the place
where you would have the players surname was VIP -
05/06 season (as the shirt number). I had won the
competition I had entered a on Thursday 16th June.
Randomly selected by a computer, I will be one of
8,000 lucky members of the Arsenal to watch the first
team put through their paces in the final training
session before the Community Shield.
That cleverly links us to my next subject. While
at work, on an idle Thursday afternoon, one of the
directors came up to the helpdesk to see me and report
that Patrick had signed for Juventus (I was on the
phone, so the Chelsea fan wrote me a note, while beaming
with a smile!) Once I was off the phone with a customer,
the conversation turned to the Community Shield, the
annual curtain raiser to a new football campaign.
To my surprise, I was suddenly offered tickets for
the game! (How could I say no?) Within a few seconds,
I was watching the purchase of two tickets for 7th
August and was in a state of shock. Even now, it still
has not realy sunk in. My tickets arrived the following
Tuesday and I presented them to my Dad has part of
his birthday present on 21st. My Dad, while not a
big football fan, has longed to come to a football
match with me and I'm trying to make up for lost time.
Sure it would be good to go with a friend, but on
this occasion, I think it is best that family come
first. The Arsenal discussion could continue, as they
take part in their final preseason machines in the
Ajax Tournament. Yet, I do not want to bore you further.
The match, shown live on Sky Sports on Friday, had
slipped by mind, until I was channel surfing on Friday
evening and noticed, "Live Football" appear on the
screen when I flipped over to Sky Sports One. I sat
down and watched most of the game, but it was not
very entertaining, and usual, the goal was scored,
while I flipped over to watch BBC News at 10pm. With
hindsight, there was no point in missing Eastenders.
Will catch the omnibus, later on this afternoon, I'm
sure.
There have been many Beach Boys references in the
past few weeks, which I thought I should mention.
While surfing the movie channels the other night,
I came across Charlie's
Angels 2: Full Throttle, which I know has many
critics. Yet, I have enjoyed both movies, the sequel
slightly more than the first. It does not try to be
too serious and the action scenes are quite imaginative
and fresh. Plus, who can complain about starring at
the three leading players? In a scene, which relates
to my last comment, the Angels are on stakeout and
the song that plays in the background, reflects what
Cameron is doing. She is a Surfer Girl and the classic
Beach Boys melody plays. Sometimes I do not truly
appreciate the body of work this group have established.
To remind myself, I listened to the Very Best album
and all the tracks are there. I don't think I have
mentioned this before, but one day in August, I am
going to listen to back to back Beach Boys on a hot
sunny day to work. Let us hope that August has a least
some hot weather to give us before summer is out.
In the afternoon, KnightRider was being shown on Bravo
and I had one eye and ear on it, while I worked on
the family computer. I was in the process of using
the redundant parts of my old Mesh PC into the family
computer, to upgrade the CD burner and USB 2.0 card.
After the fantastic opening credits, KITT is playing
a song, which Michael has to guess. He doesn't get
it right (not sure why?) but it is California Girls
and KITT complains that all his crime fighting partner
listens to his music about surfing, the beach and
bikinis. Maybe that car had a personality transplant
in betweenshows.
So what appeals to me about the Beach Boys and their
sound? I suppose, they represent an image (if rather
dated, now) of the American Dream. Clean cut college
boys, singing great harmonies together about surfing,
girls and the summer. Their sound and style is so
unique and has been unmatched. Often imitated, no
one can come close to recreating the feel good music
they recorded at the peak of their powers. Even watching
the great Brian Wilson at the Live8 concerts a month
ago, you can see the same reaction to the music. It
makes you want to move!
Now I am literally alive and kicking on my new PC,
I can record live television, even pause and pick
up from where I left off (but unlike Sky+, it can
be paused indefinitely (the limit being only the space
on my hard drive). On Wednesday evening, I attempted
my first taping (I really should not used such an
old fashioned adjective). The main reason for recording
the show, was to have a record of a Gavin Esler happy
ending, as refereed to by my friend Nav. Yet, the
content of the show opened me up a new music artist
from the Far East. A special report covered the growing
'pop' culture in Korea. Being exported to China, Japan
and neighboring countries. The segment played a music
video by a Korean pop artist, with the chorus line,
"Your Still My Number One!". I had to find out the
name of the artist and listen to the song in full.
I e-mailed Newsnight on Thursday morning from work
and got an instant reply. The producer in Korea had
yet to report back to headquarters, but as soon as
they had the information they would contact me. Tonight
at 10.30pm, I received an e-mail from Pat Smylie,
Production Assistant giving me all the details I needed.
The artist was BoA
and this was one of her first big hits in her native
Korea, "Number 1". Apparently she is very big in Japan
and the single was released in September 2002. You
can guess what I did next, but I won't go into details.
I will reply to Pat's e-mail with the gratitude it
deserves.
Tuesday 26th July 2005
With Monday out the way, we get down to the bread
and butter of the week. Two of my best online friends
are actually friends in real life I met at University.
So, in no particular order, let us take Nav. Naveen,
is a would be blogger, but I hope his efforts in the
future do him better justice. He came online this
evening to inform me how is interview went in Peterborough
yesterday and Newcastle today. Explaining that he
was put through his paces, I was more interested in
how he got to his destination. He had driven to Grantham
and then taken the train and an extortionate return
ticket. His next words hit me like a ton of bricks.
Describing the weather, he recited the opening verse
of Man
In The Mirror by. I don't need to say who it is
by, you should know. If you don't, you need your head
examining. In an instant, I played the MP3 on my PC
(the studio version, at the request of Nav!) An amazing
song, which always reminds me of the opening to Moonwalker.
In my head, I had an image of my friend, in his thin,
black summer jacket, doing up the collar, as he has
done on numerous occasions at Uni and a cold wind,
blowing past him. Much like in the video, 'Stranger
In Moscow'. He went on to say that it a line he remembers
ever since since his childhood. Only my dear friend,
could warm my heart with such images. I know things
have not been easy over the past few months on the
job trail, and I have done little to help, but I just
wanted to let you know that all the hard work and
traveling (particularly this week) is worth it and
I wanted to let you know, I'm always here. (Online
on MSN nearly twelve hours of the day.)
Sippy came online, at a similar time to Nav with
the words, 'just read ur blog, wow, fantastic entry'.
What else can I say? How do I respond to a compliment
like that? I had even inspired Sippy
to blog, after a few weeks absence. My friendship
with Sippy goes back nearly five years now. We met
at halls in the first year at University and have
known each other since. While I was on placement and
began this blog, he had started a similar blog, on
his university site. As normal, my feeble attempt
was surpassed by the creative ability of my friend.
His Photoshop skills are second to none. Yet, in 2003,
he gave up on blogging for nearly two years and only
returned in March this year (after I threaten to kill
him!). He had to send me some files, which he renamed,
as only he can to a dot sip extension. Now Sippy,
which program do I need to download to open this file?
Nav, comes up with the most suitable response, "did
he tell you use Sippy Explorer 6.0". :)
Monday 25th July 2005
I left work slightly later than normal, but remembered,
I needed to hunt around for a song on CD. I knew for
sure that it was one of the discs in my Case Logic
case. Having spent last weekend labeling all my unlabelled
discs, it was slightly (just) easier to track the
song down. I got into the car and noted the time on
my dashboard as I left the office, it was 18.11. As
I pulled onto the main road, I had found the song
I had been looking for, it was Hello by Sugarbomb,
as noted in my previous entry. The energy of the song
affected my driving and I put my foot down. The country
roads were relatively clear, but this was little indication
if the drive home on the dual carriageway would be
as smooth. Sure by the time I got down the hill, to
the main roundabout, there was a small build up of
traffic but nothing out of the ordinary. As I pulled
onto the by pass, I slipped the car into a lower gear,
to push more power from the lousy 1.4 engine and accelerate
up to a reasonable speed. Then, just kept on going,
hitting not excessive but fast speeds. With Hello
now on it's third (or was that fourth) run on the
stereo, there was no stopping me. I was rushing to
get home and rushed past cars that appeared to be
standing still. As I went past the slip road, my last
escape route was gone. Now I would have to grin and
bear it if there was a build up of traffic ahead.
To my delight, there was none, so I just get my foot
pressed to the floor and sped up the hill. As I reached
the roundabout, there was little traffic and I was
ever so lucky with the lights (which aided my time
considerably) and I rushed down the A4010 to my house,
with a complete disregard for the 40 mile an hour
speed limit (it used to be national, up to a few years
ago, honest officer!), pulling onto my drive, I looked
once again at the clock on my dash. It was 18.21,
I had officially set a new world record. Leaving my
car, I was presented with flowers, champagne and a
certificate. Could it be done faster? Perhaps the
German driver from Nuremberg ring could hit a faster
'lap' time, in a more powerful vehicle. Hold on, then
again, she looks very familiar to the finance women
from Saturday. Forget it!
I have been listening to We Belong Together constantly in the car now for several
weeks. With most songs, I can clearly say how I feel
about them, but also how I feel when I am listening
to them. With Mariah, on this number I am completely
lost. The soulful lyrics bring back memories from
the past, but they seem so distant, so far away, that
I do not know how I feel about those times, those
people. The person there, has changed so much. Or
perhaps, I have just gone full circle, going out and
back into myself?
It is only now that I realize why Wrigley's
have began sponsoring Hollyoaks on Channel4. Surely
there must be other ways to make chewing gum sexy,
rather than with strange thirty second spots at the
beginning and end of the soap watched by over three
million young adults in the UK. Oh, please bring back
the days, of Free - All Right Now, with the original
1992 advert
(you will need to scroll down for some screen shots!)
That advert featured an MCI Westerner
cross country bus!
Saturday 23rd July 2005
All of a sudden, I had weekend worth looking forward to on my hands. Yet, there
was not the time to anticipate, before I knew it,
I was on this roller coaster, heading to the peak
of the big one. What would it be like on the other
side, on the way down? I was about to find out.
I woke up early, to an eerie silence around the house, everyone else was a sleep. With my Mum and youngest sister over in India, there was the added feeling of awkwardness. My weekend morning ritual, should be well known to you by now. Instead of eating my cereal in silence, there is the added comfort of the soundtrack from the music television. As I have said before, I must be a really annoying person to live with. Perhaps going someway to explain, while I only do this in the morning. I surf the channels, 440 all the way to 473 and only stopping for a few minutes on songs I like. The clock was ticking and it was soon 8.30am, I had to get a move on. As usual, a 'I love this song' moment stopped me in my tracks, but eventually I dragged myself away from the television and headed to get ready. As I headed for the car, my Dad stopped me (for the second time) and said, "Thank you for the DVDs..." I smiled, as I headed out into the dull day. Today was going to be a make or break day for me. Little do I know it now, little will I know about it for years to come. I cruised to Slough, with my head in the clouds. It would only be a matter of time before something, someone would burst my bubble. For the moment, I was going to enjoy, living part of the dream.
Handed the keys, I saw down comfortably in the leather
seats and turned the key, to hear the engine roar
to life. The sound so unique, so special, so soothing.
I pulled away and wondered what to do with the next
four hours. Revving the engine at the red lights,
I switch over to KISS 100. As I drove past Trade Sales
complex, an smartly dress employee was crossing the
road. His jaw dropped as he saw me drive past, stopping
in the middle of the road to awe at the sports car.
His face was a picture. Shape I could not capture
the moment. I watch in amazement as I put my foot
down to watch his reaction in my rear view mirror.
The stereo CD player had what I original thought,
Songs
About Jane as Maroon5 - 'She Will Be Loved' was
playing the moment I had switched on the electrics.
Yet it was actually, Now
That's What I Call Music Volume 59, so I skipped
across some of the tracks and then found a song. Perhaps
not the most ideal, but something I thought was appropriate
for the lift off. Busted - 'Thunderbirds A re Go'.
Those of you not from the south of England (or the
United Kingdom for that matter) will be unfamiliar
with a famous stretch of road. Perhaps the most famous
stretch of tarmac in the whole of Slough.
The Bath Road, or A4 runs across the town, linking
it with Maidenhead and the M4. Most of the biggest
companies in the world, have their UK if not European
headquarters on this road. By it's very nature the
road is extremely busy, with retail parks and big
business centres throughout, which are broken up by
an American highway style traffic light system. The
speed limit is 40, but all the camera (three in total)
are clearly visible. So, at the lights, you can show
your street credentials, lightly touching up the gas
pedal, as you look across to your driver across in
the other lane. I looked in my rear view mirror and
a young black women, was half asleep behind the wheel
of her silver Nissan Micra. Just at that moment, my
hears tuned into the song on the radio, Naughty Girl
by Beyoncé Knowles. Need I say anymore? The car was
quick, but in bright red, I must have looked like
a bit of a joy rider, and I felt a presence of several
cautious eyes. The 18" OZ alloys, looked the part,
just a shame there is the name of perhaps the most
famous true German, (after David Hassleholf, of course)
planted all over the car.



I came home and did very little, but to attract the weary eyes of my neighbours
who were clearly just stirring from their Saturday
morning lie ins. There was no one to go and see, no
one to come and enjoy this special moment with me.
It is shame really, I have often said that without
the people around you to share in your aspirations,
the aspirations tend to lose their value. Heading
back to Slough, I knew I was about to sign up to something
that was perhaps, just a few racks above my station.
Was I really ready to make this sort of financial
commitment, so early in my life? While the finances
have never been in question, this added strain would
perhaps cost more to me than British Pounds Sterling.
Salesmen are a funny bunch, yet when it comes to the
crunch, they move aside and let someone else come
out with the calculator and do the real work. The
gloss is gone, the voice is stern, the language is
forceful and at times demeaning. I hate finance people,
particular the brand the come in the opposite gender.
Sure, I should not judge, after all she was just doing
her job. Yet, looking beyond her Gucci glasses, came
their air of a women, with more at stake than the
sale of a single automobile. I was so disappointed
that, when she pulled out her hand to wish me goodbye,
for a spilt second, I stared it and did not want to
return the gesture with a handshake. I did, nevertheless.
For, life is about rising up these people, regardless
of the situation. Having written to the Managing Director,
turned out to be a waste of time. What does it take
these days, to go from a meaningless number in a queue
of faceless nobodies? When I find out the answer,
I will be sure to share the secret with you all. For
the time being the dream fades away, to the other
side of the world.
Driving home, with an unpleasant taste in my mouth,
the reality slowly started to kick. Perhaps today,
I made a decision, that I will go on to be grateful
for the rest of my life. The process I was going through,
I will describe, as stepping back into myself. When
I got home, there was good news. My replacement motherboard
had arrived. As excited I was by this news, it did
not hold the same level of ecstasy as it would have
done, over a month ago. Yet, I put this down to a
mixture of experience and bad luck on my part. (Or
is that the same one thing?) After a quick lunch,
my sister departed to go shopping, as most girls do
on a Saturday afternoon. The destination was Reading,
so they would be gone some time. Composing myself,
after my lunch, I motivated myself with the small
incentive, that when I was finished my PC would no
longer randomly shut down or reboot. That was enough
to get me off the sofa and start rearranging the living
room into computer building workstation. I took my
XBox off the network and grabbed my toolbox. I meant
business and there was no chance that this motherboard
was going to let me down. Funny, how with the added
knowledge, I had gained from over a month ago, I was
working, almost blindfolded to get everything in place
and together in time. There was only one response
to seeing my monitor light up with the ASUS boot screen,
I punched the air and let out an all mighty scream.
(Just a bit of frustration coming out there!) Windows
XP SP2 was loaded without a single hitch, this was
too good to be true. I am Andrew Tegala, something
must go wrong. Quickly I installed my wireless internet
link and while here, upgraded the firmware on my Netgear
router. Then, came the task of transferring across
all my personal 'stuff' from the old Mesh computer.
It took nearly half an hour to transfer the e-mails,
documents, and web sites (including my beloved blog)
but it was well worth the wait. I was making excellent
time and then began the task of transferring my world
famous audio collection onto it's new home.
While all this had been going on, I had been playing
music television to keep me focused and provide some
light background music. There was also the rare occurrence
of ITV screening two Bond films over four hours on
a Saturday afternoon and not a Bank holiday in sight
(not for several weeks at least!). I needed a quick
lift me up. It came in the form of a song. Blue have
always been a favourite boy band for me. Perhaps giving
me some street cred with the ladies. (Who knows?)
While I feel the first member to make a break for
the debut single, looks lost without his band mates,
Webb, Simon, is a different prospect. He knows the
industry, having formed and then seen the break up
of his own group, VS. So, perhaps his debut single,
'Lay Your Hands' is perfectly pitched, with all this
in mind. I was down, with a strong empty feeling inside.
Not only had I let myself down, I had let other down,
pursuing an achievable dream, too heavy hearted, too
soon. Almost in an instant, I was comforted by the
soulful lyrics of Lay Your Hands. You can listen to
a snipped on the official site, which counts down
to the single release.
I saw the tv spot for it last weekend. I don't want
to call them commercials, when really they are just
advertisements, or rather trails for an up coming
movie. This was one of those movies that I never got
around to seeing. I even missed the opportunity to
watch it on DVD. Although, perhaps towards the end
of my second year at University, an x-rated disc was
kicking around. This was the jewel in the crown of
my weekend, sitting down on Saturday night to watch
a stupid, pointless teen flick, purely to laugh and
be entertained by outrageous American comedy. As my
Saturday afternoon panned out setting my computer,
I was able to get my TV tuner working, so had the
option to watch it in the comfort of my own room,
rather than having to watch it over in the living
room. Surround sound was hardly going to make a major
difference, now was it? In fact, I started watching
the movie in the living room, but my Dad wanted to
watch something else, (TCM
anyone?) So after quickly eating some delicious chocolate
ice cream, I headed back to my room, to enjoy the
movie in the privacy of my own room (please don't
take that the wrong way!). I regret now that I had
not seen this movie with my Uni friends, as it would
have the been perfect way to end the second year.
Channel 4, usually save their network premieres for
a Sunday night 10pm screening, so this was a rare
event in itself.
The most outstanding thing about this movie is... well actually there are two
things. The amazing, soft rock soundtrack, which I
will around to later. The other is the Indian character.
Played handsomely to a 't' by Kal
Penn who on the back of this movie, went to co-star
in a movie for himself. I think you have to agree
that he steals the show. Those whom know me well,
know how much I hate Indian people speaking English,
(particular Bollywood actors). You get the impress
they are trying too hard? Anyway, Penn is able to
reach the happy medium between fresh off the boat
and Westernized coconut. You can slowly watch his
progress, under the wing of Van Wilder, during the
course of the film. He reviews more about his up and
coming plans in a candid interview from April
this year. To summarise, there are plenty of Penn
movies to keep me busy over the next few years. Sure,
some may be in poor taste, but I am not one to judge.
(I always wanted to know what FOB meant to Americans?)
Let me quickly take you back to a blog entry from
the archives, Friday 13th August to be exact (no,
I did not plan it like this!) I discuss a movie I
had watched the previous Sunday, 8th August, last
year. The film was OC (not related to the television
series at all (which, as you well know, I have not
seen and aim to catch in weekly installments once
I get around to getting the DVD box set). I am sidetracking,
let me return to base. The OC, started Tom Hanks's
son and was in the same mixed up genre as this number,
or rather the tentative steps to college rather than
those seven wasted years spent there! The most intriguing
aspect of both these movies, was the use of the same
song to end the movie (well the visual elements anyway!).
Hello by Sugarbomb, is one of those driving songs,
that not only lifts you, it has the energy to take
you to another place. The use of this track alone
would have been significant and more than a coincidence,
but there are so many other tracks on the album (most
of the better ones are missing) which go hand in hand
with the notion of the story. College kids, having
fun! Sometimes, I think you Americans do not know
how lucky you really are. Perhaps they are too blind
to see that they live not only the land of the free
and brave, but the land of opportunity. Not only is
college a period of coming of age, the American system
is far more 'brotherly' (or sisterly) because you
can join one of many fraternities. Back to the music,
before I lose my thread. There are numerous songs,
some which I had heard before such as A Fool For You,
by American HiFi, but numerous others that I had never
heard before. Sugarcult boast three outstanding tracks
for the movie, with my favourite Bouncing Off The
Walls (Again) with sexy Tara Reid featuring in the
video. There is the catchy, almost country sounding,
Girl On The Roof by David Mead, which is a classic.
(Within in minutes you too will be humming long to
the chorus hook!). A great song, to describe the leading
roles, who are forever searching after each other,
is Okay by Swirl 360. What more can I say? Perhaps
a little more when I have obtained the remaining few
tracks. I will perhaps come back to some of these
songs and many more, when I get around to burning
them on CD and listening on the car, on a pleasant
British summer evening, as I drive home from work
on a Friday.
Tomorrow, Sunday I will be back, back to my normal life, the dream is over. I have a feeling it will rain and be a miserable day. The weather often reflects exactly how I feel. Trying to be positive and look at the plus points to my u-turn decision. You never know, perhaps in years to come I will come back to this blog entry and say that in the end I made the right decision for me and my future. Who knows?
Friday 22nd July 2005
The way the week panned out meant that Friday was
going to busy, I knew by Wednesday that I would be
under pressure to get laptops and PDAs out of the
door by Friday, 3.30pm. The morning, therefore was
busy, trying to meet this deadline, but this led to
an afternoon lull, with a handful of calls coming
to the helpdesk. As we headed for the busiest period
of the working week, I expected to be overwhelmed
but instead took two calls in the space of a few hours,
when I would usually be taking up to six even eight
calls. The day was dragging and I started to look
forward to my weekend. The office gathers an eerie
quiet around 5.20pm, when most of the staff have left,
on time (sometimes early) for the weekend. There are
is just me answering the phone to potential 900 reps,
give or take a handful on holiday.
I left the office at 6pm sharp, aiming to be home before 6.30pm. The by pass
was congested yet again and I had to take the scenic
cross country route. Coming into my room, I rushed
to get changed, switching on my television to Channel
4. Just in time, Hollyoaks was just about to start.
Yet, I could not sit down and relax, I had to get
ready and be out of the door within the hour. I grabbed
some food, before heading off into the car and over
to Reading. Under normal circumstances, I should have
taken the motorway route, M4, A329(M)
but opted for the A4 cross country route, via the
picturesque village of Sonning. Arrived at Pav's house
at 7.35pm and unlike a few weeks ago, when we went
to watch Batman Begins, we were in the Rover 216i
and heading for the Oracle in no time. I had not paid
much attention at the time, but the movie was to be
shown on screen 4. Someone at the cinema must have
a sense of humour. But actually. this screen is the
biggest and with the best digital surround sound and
seating. It was the first time since Toy Story 2,
that I had been in this particular screen. Taken six
years for me to watch a movie in here again.
As I mentioned on Thursday, the Fantastic Four are
great band B super heroes, much like The Phantom
or The Shadow.
That is not to say the are not great crime fighters
in their own right, with special superpowers to match
the likes of Superman, Spiderman and Batman. I just
feel they do not have the same mass appeal, as the
gang of three, whom have a much popular following.
Nevertheless, I came to the cinema to be entertained
and it was what I got in abundance, along with some
fantastic comic screen moments. What makes the movie
work is the fact that you have four very different
people coming together for one purpose. In reality,
we all know that the Thing and Human Torch would never
get along, and the writers have exploited this somewhat.
The star of the show in my eyes, is Jessica
Alba. While her performance in Sin City, was great,
it was more of a bit part come eye candy role, which
is shame, as she has so much more to offer. Here,
placed centre stage, you get an idea of how well she
is developing as an actress. The fact she is easy
on the eye also helps. She is one of those people
(few exist, believe me) that could wear anything and
I mean absolutely anything and would make it look
good. Even in this movie you see her, in mean superhero
mode, in spandex, but also looking every bit the intelligent
scientist, in a white coat and glasses. I still cannot
believe that just over ten years ago, I was watching
this young starlet on one of my favourite children
television shows.
When I saw the trailer for this movie, I expected
more action, which was one of the main reasons I came
to see it on the big screen rather than wait for the
DVD. Overall there is something for everyone here
and a great way to waste away a few hours. It may
not have the impact of other superhero movies, particularly
in comparison to reason attempts, but it makes up
with the lack of twists and turns, with a solid plot,
trying to explain the emotional responses to the gifts
given to the main characters. (Johnny, perhaps gives
the modern celebrity generation reaction to a new
found talent!) Stan Lee as expected makes a fleeting
cameo appearance, but I wish they had used him more.
His character is more than a stand in part, as he
has made in the Spiderman movies. The film leads up
to a major battle between the Four and Dr. Doom, but
I think this was played down for one reason and one
reason alone, leaving the door firmly open for the
Fantastic Four Return. Until then, once you too have
seen the movie, only one place
will be able to cater for your longing for more FF
material.
Wednesday 20th July 2005
Middle of the week, and the penultimate week of July.
Summer is whizzing by fast, yet I see myself being
stuck in the autumn, perhaps a-ha were right to sing
the lyrics to (Seemingly) Nonstop July. Not sure how
to explain how I feel, work is constant, but nothing
exciting to report. Outside of work, life is just
as dull, if not worse. Nothing new to report I am
afraid, life ponders onward, this blog being the only
place I can truly try to reflect. While most people
decide that December, a month in the summer, or perhaps
the month of their birthday is their favourite, my
choice is slightly different. The latest (and perhaps
final) single from Green Day's album American Idiot
is entitled, "Wake Me Up When September Ends". I feel
the complete opposite to this song title. September
will always be my favourite month, with the children
back at school, the summer, slowly drawing in. I suppose
the fact that it means a clean slate and a fresh start,
it has found a special place in my heart. Suppose,
I was different, I enjoyed the idea of going back
to school. Unlike everyone else around me.
This blog tries to steer clear of any political discussion,
it has a place on other blogs
for the more intellectual minds of our time. Yet,
there are times, that politicians from any walk of
life, persuasion and background say things that put
you into a state of disbelief. While I could dedicate
this page (and many more) to George, I feel it is
his Defence Secretary, who is the true, jewel in the
crown. The Poetry
of DH Rumsfield reads like a talented artist, trapped
inside the body of man, wishing he was doing something
else. (Perhaps changing the world with his words,
rather than his countries actions?) Who knows, I thought
I would just share it with you. The Unknown poem,
while at first reading appears to be a muddle, makes
perfect sense, if you remember to pause at the right
moments. Perhaps because it is so blinding obvious,
it staggers belief that someone would go to the length
to actual make it one of their trademark sound bites!
Thanks to Sibtain,
who has carefully edited my Guestbook page, you are
no longer able to leave entries. The main reason for
this is the level of spam I had been receiving on
a weekly basis had reached an alarming level. I could
not spare the energy to go in and remove these entries
manually almost every other day. Gratefully there
is no more spam. While we are on the subject, I was
trying to think of suitable punishments for spammers.
Torture with Cliff Richard records, played back to
back? Any useful suggestions are always welcome and
will be passed on to the relevant authorities.
Going to catch yet another installment of superhero action on Friday night,
with my friend Pav, at the Vue
in Reading. Although for a change my expectations
are considerably lower, as I am not a major fan of
the franchise, even if the the cartoon
in the mid 1990s was something I would never miss!
Perhaps because even though X-Men was the better action
adventure animated series, the closely knit team of
the FF, was more enjoyable to watch.
Sunday 17th July 2005
Nothing major planned this weekend, apart from a small gathering for my first cousin's first birthday. Nothing major, but a special moment for a new family. So that was Saturday, but in the evening I decided to sit down and watch a movie on Sky. This was the first time in months that I had been able to enjoy a Saturday night premiere in the comfortable of my living room. Thanks to Sky's MultiStart, I was able to select my start time. Originally I was going to watch the scheduled screening at 9pm, but by the time I got myself off the computer it was very late, so I went interactive and tuned into the 9.45pm screening, which was due to start in seven minutes. To create the perfect atmosphere, I switched off the main lounge light and switched on the table lamp on the side. Perfect. Volume on surround sound, up! I had been invited to watch this movie on the big screen, last May by some Uni friends. I remember it was a Wednesday, because they were using the Orange Wednesday two for one tickets. Possible the last Wednesday in May, a few days before I left Leicester to return home to Wycombe for good. To cut a long story short, I declined the invitation, as I had other more pressing things to do, like begin packing. So finally I had a chance to watch the film, knowing already that I should not expect too much. I would describe Van Helsing as fantasy adventure, it could have been darker, but the director, producer opted for a more light hearted approach. As entertainment goes, it was well worth watching and some of the special effects were amazing. If you liked The Mummy or The Mummy Returns, you will like this (and not just because they are from the same director). Sure the plot is a bit more far fetched, but Kate Beckinsale does help easy the pain, being quiet easy on the eye. The ending was a bit mushy, but understandably so. I have a feeling we won't be seeing a sequel (or prequel for that matter). Sometimes, I think we forget that films are there to entertain us and not just fill in a few spare hours when we have nothing better to do. Sure, I could take some time finding further wholes in this movie but there is no need. You know what to expect from the opening scene, and it does well to meet and sometimes surpass your expectations. I am not a big fan of Hugh Jackman, but he is a good action hero, but not quite the accomplished actor, let's say like Tom Cruise. The subject matter intrigues me, so a quick hunt around the web, brought up this ready made mix. If only more people would create pages like those, it would make blogging a much easier process. I would mention a topic and then just create a quick hyperlink. Oh well, hunting around Google is not too bad!
Today I was hoping to go and meet up with a friend, whom I had not seen for
ages. Unfortunately, he was not feeling well, so we
decided against it. So, with a free afternoon ahead
of me, I decided what to do. Cleaning the car, was
high on the list of priorities, but I also needed
to sort out some of my paper work and do some shredding.
At lunchtime, I grabbed some food and my sister scrolled
down the Sky Movie channels. One of Murdoch's controllers
was in the mood to take us back to the 1980s. One
of my favourite movies, from my favourite year of
all time was on Sky Movies 2, while on the next channel,
they had my favourite superhero film (possibly of
all time), Superman II.


Watching the climax of the movie, bought back so many memories. Thankfully,
there was another screening at 6pm, this evening,
so I added to the Personal Planner. Everyone knows
I love the 1980s, but I remember watching this movie
recently on a Sunday evening on five
but perhaps blogging about it slipped my mind. Never
mind, I can make up for that miss opportunity now.
The best place to start is IMBD
hub and move on from there. The movie works for one
reason alone, because Michael J. Fox adds something
unique, some average boy next door humour to this
tale of a hero having to wear a mask. I will also
admit that when I first saw this movie, I had a major
crush on Boof, played by Susan
Ursitti. (What can I say, I had a thing for the
wholesome sweet girl look) The most memorable part
of the movie is the 'van surfing' which introduced
me to the sounds of the Beach Boys for the very first
time. It was such an outrageous concept and looked
so cool! I think I have said enough, time for some
images. Note to self, I should really get some screen
capture software and stop taking photos with my digital
camera.



More than half way through the summer and I appeared to have achieved nothing. Nothing seems to be happening, nothing new to report. Same old, same old, as the saying goes. Empty. That is how I feel, like I am running on empty. Hopefully, just around the corner will be the spark to get me going and the luck to see me through. God knows I've been in for a bit of a rough ride recently. Something, even I do not deserve.
The amount of spam I have been having on my guestbook
has become intolerable and I will be looking to remove
it from this site very soon. The worst entries are
those people thanking me for a 'great site' then advertising
their major wake up juice or property development
in Kazakhstan.
Tuesday 12th July 2005
I got home late this evening, late by my standards,
as I only live seven miles away from the office. The
journey home should take me around twenty minutes.
Although yesterday I got close to beating my own record
of fifteen minutes. My foot was on the accelerator
all the way until I reached the Handy Cross roundabout.
The roads were clear and the traffic was light, it
must be coming up the school holidays. Today was a
complete contrast and there was more to come. I left
the office at 6.05, noting the time on the dash, as
I drove out of the car park because I was a few seconds
behind my manager. As I got onto the by pass I noted
a heavy build up of traffic but nothing more than
usual. As I came up to some heavy standing traffic,
I thought nothing of it. Otherwise I would have taken
the earlier exit. I assumed that the main roundabout
at junction 4 of the M40 was busier than normal and
I expected to be home by 7pm, 7.30pm at the latest.
As the evening drew on and I spent ten, then twenty
minutes without moving a single yard, I came until
the impression that I was going to be here for a long
time. My CD collection kept me sane for a few hours
(while other commuters in their cars, would have considered
me insane). I do not listen to the radio and keep
the traffic announcements off. Sure, perhaps I should
switch them on, but most of the time they are irrelevant.
I also hate my music being interrupted, particularly
when I am singing along! By the time the clock struck
8pm, I was seriously considering abandoning my car,
but then decided against it. Only to see a handful
of people, park their cards to the side of the dual
carriageway and make their way on foot. There are
two matrix signs over this major A road, yet they
remained bear. A week ago, their were informing drivers
of the road closures to the A43 due to the weekend
GB GP. At 8.40pm, my patience had been tested to the
limit. I was hungry and my body needed fuel. At the
first possible opportunity I parked up, behind a P&O
lorry, incidentally. Taking out my bag and putting
on my jacket, I must have been quite a sight on the
road. On this hot summer day, casually walking down
the side of the road. As my luck would have it, the
local police had been able to get the traffic moving,
so I would have been advised to remain in the car
and make the final part of my journey home. In my
stubborn ways, I had opted to walk and headed home.
The most puzzling part of all this for me was why
nearly three hours of delay? There was nothing noteworthy
when I came onto the roundabout and carefully maneuvered
myself around the traffic lights, and cars. The police
were actually finishing off their operation and a
policeman sped past me on foot to jump in his patrol
car. As I got in and took off my jacket, I looked
at the clock on my stereo. It was 9.02pm. I left the
office over three hours ago and my evening to date
had been spent in the car, running out of music to
listen to. I was glad to be back, but there was a
few things to clear up before I could call it a night.
I was more than slightly peeved to have missed the
7.30pm edition of Eastenders and opted to watch the
late night repeat on BBC Three. I still needed to
collect my car, but my sister had promised to do that
on here way back from Slough later this evening. In
the end, she could not, or rather would not, so I
had to catch a lift from her to go collect it at 10pm.
It was now that I saw the wreckage of a dark coloured
Ford Fiesta, being picked up by a recovery truck.
All this delay for a minor accident? Where is this
country heading? With car finally on the driveway,
the adventures of the day were finally over. Lesson
learnt? Found a permanent alternative way to and from
work. Perhaps this is the wrong time to grown a conscience
for mother nature and consider the environmentally
friendly option of cycling. My response to that is
dream on!
I need to mention one of my dearest friends and some
time blogger,
Nav. (Using the adjective some is pushing it to the limit, trust me!) We have had discussions, sometimes heated about
Newsnight and our favourite presenters. While I prefer
the stern final words of Jeremy, my ex house mate
prefers Gavin Esler for his, 'happy endings'. I know
what he is trying to say, but I always go for real
and raw. You need to be reminded that even with all
this grand plans going on all over the world, you
have work tomorrow, so get yourself to sleep. Naveen,
however must prefer the gentle, softly spoken words,
wishing you goodnight, almost in a whisper.
Monday 11th July 2005
Felt like I had gone back 20 years when I stepped
into the car this morning, to drive to work. While
it was tempting to just put on a CD and reverse out
of the drive, I opted to listen to the radio. I was
greeted by a familiar rock n roll soundtrack and put
the volume up... I mean up. An instant beam of a smile
lit up my face, to reflect the bright blue skies way
above. Everything is alright, I hear a voice whisper
in my ear. Perhaps because when I am driving, I am
concentrating on something else and the worries of
life disappear, at least until I reach my destination.
For a split second I felt like Michael J. Fox, though
I was not in a black 1985 Toyota Pickup, but a silver
Peugeot 307. But with Huey Lewis & The News were trying
to explain to me that it takes more than a credit
card to take the strain, I was beginning to realise
the true, 'Power of Love'.
Last night, I decided to sit down and watch a movie for a change. Sunday nights are a mixed bag for me usually, rarely given the chance to sit down and relax. The day had been spent polishing the interior of the car and giving it a thorough clean inside. My next job was mow the lawn, in careful preparation for next week. The gardens (front and rear) looked untidy, if nothing else. A further few weeks of neglect and a jungle would appear, meaning a struggle for our twenty year old Flymo. Making the right decision, I quickly cut the grass this afternoon, taking a little over an out to do both gardens, which relatively speaking are quite small. There is nothing better than the smell of freshly cut grass on a summer afternoon, as you drink ice cold Coke, carefully surveying your work. Proud, of my small weekend task I headed into the house, and spent the rest of the afternoon online.
Whenever I am online, I open up the Radio Times TV schedule
to find out what is on now and very soon. On Sunday,
I noted that the film, Blast from the Past
was on Channel 4 at 10pm. Instantly, I remember the
DVD cover with the two leading names in a warm embrace.
Yet, to date, I had not seen the movie. In the lounge,
I was channel surfing (yes I must be very annoying
to live with) and noted there was nothing really on
television. Channel 4 was over running with their
coverage of some reality show, you may have heard
of it.
On Sky Movies 8, there was yet another teen movie
that I had not seen, staring one my favourite musical
artists. Murdoch, by tradition is prompt, so the movie
started at 10pm sharp, while Channel 4 was still airing
commercials. I watched the opening, with the geeky
outsider, making a fool of himself, while having delusions
of grandeur. Now I had a very difficult decision to
make, do I stay in the living room and watch Cannon
with Milian. Or do I retire to my room to watch Fraser
and Silverstone? With their arrival my family made
the decision for me, and I headed for my room, crashing
out on the bed and watching the rest of the movie.
It was nothing more or less than I expected, a simple,
if somewhat outrageous. Having read all the reviews
and comments on IMDB
I had pretty up made up my mind that this film was
watchable on pure entertainment value alone, I did
not have high hopes for anything beyond that. The
perfect way to end, a relaxing weekend. Even if the
news was not quite what I was looking for.
Saturday 9th July 2005
The weekend comes around again, but I'm taking the time to relax and have a
break. Last weekend was hectic, even by my low social
standards, so need to recuperate. My weekend beings
the moment I walk through the door on Friday evening,
around 6.30pm. I know I have tried recently to describe
the feeling inside, but it difficult to put into words.
A wait is lifted off your shoulders knowing the next
two days are your own. I hate to admit this, but I
have started to add Hollyoaks to my soap watching
'must see' list. I even have to tune into watch the
following days episode on E4 at 7pm (I seriously think
I have a problem). At 7.30pm, it was time for some
music, so the surround sound volume goes up and we
flip around from MTV all the way to Flaunt. I asked
my sister for a pen and scribbled down some tracks
on the back of an envelope. I was tuned into The Box
(449) watching the latest
music videos on First Play Friday. The highlight of
the music week, this is the only place to see the
new videos from the greatest artists and debut tracks.
Those of you old enough to remember the 1997 one hit
wonder by whitetown
called Your Women, featuring a 1920 silent movie video,
will perhaps be shocked to discover that it has already
been covered. (There should be a ten year curfew on
these things in my humble opinion) The man to attempt
to rework this classic, is Tyler James. Rework is
used as loosely as possible. All he seems to have
done is increased the tempo of the backing track and
jazzed it up a little. Never mind. I quickly switched
over to TOTP
to catch the second return of Craig David. The song
was vintage CD, but I just feel his style is losing
popularity, particularly with girls. Back to Sky,
I continued music channel surfing, hoping to catch
some more material that I would need to download later.
I could the end of a song on Flaunt. The music sound
familiar, for I remember hearing in the car last weekend,
when tuned into Kiss 100. At the time, I had not been
able to catch the name of the track or the artist.
This time around I made no mistakes. Para Beats featuring
Carmen Reece. Now, if you are going to be pop star,
you need an exotic name like that. She
could well be a movie star. ;) What can I say about
the song? It is something that you would listen to
while driving in your car, on a bright sunny, summer
day. The bass line and the vocal come together very
well and I look forward to hearing more from this
up and coming artist, hoping she does not disappear
into the bargin single bin, like so many before her.
The single was released in April, so I am surprised
that it has taken me so long to discover the track.
There was little media exposure, so perhaps the record
label have tried to built up interest via this remix
on the radio networks.
I have spent most of the afternoon and early evening downloading the best live performances from the Live8 concerts from around the world. A very nice man, from Canada has uploaded 90% of the songs from all shows to this following link. Surprising most of the videos downloading within a few minutes, I expected his server to have fallen over a few times by now. All the videos will be transfered for viewing in full surround sound glory on the XBox later this weekend. Enjoy!
Sunday 3rd July 2005
My Saturday dived, I was hoping for more from my Sunday and yet another visit into Central London. This time the transportation of choice was four wheels. Originally the plan was to drive with my parents direct to the hotel in Canary Wharf. This changed at the last minute, with me driving around the city, waiting to meet up with my Mum and Dad. London has so many radio stations, but I also discovered a strange, 'Economy Mode' on the 307. If the engine is off for exactly 30 minutes, the rest of the electric components are switched off completely. You can count on the French to come up with these pointless life saving technologies. My Dad took over the driving, as we headed to the Britannia Hotel in my favourite part of the City. You could see the HSBC tower in the background, as we drove onto the Isle of Dogs. Those regular readers will know about my visits over to this part of the world, last year, before I started my late shift at work. I never knew before why I loved the area so much. Originally, I stated on this blog that it was because I felt I was stepping into America, with all those skyscrapers around me. Yet, after doing some reason into the area I have discovered my true love for the area lies in my favourite decade, the 1980s. When the Docklands was being developed, the company commissioned with the construction, ran into financially difficulty and actually went bust in the stock market crash of 1987. Olympia & York, a company that perhaps represents my way of doing business. Have the most ambitious plans, that everyone knocks, complete your project, but in the process become liquidated.
I digress, the wedding was beautiful, as all Indian weddings I have attended
have been. Getting the chance to catch with friends
and family whom I have not seen for many years. I
wish I could have stayed for longer, but the fact
that we had driven in, meant we were on the road just
after 5pm. Is your wedding day, the only day when
you are completely in control for 24 hours? I am not
too sure, but having been invited to so many, you
notice the personalities of both families coming through
in the presentation and execution The traditional
western tradition of having speeches was well done
and well appreciated by all those in the banqueting
suite. While sometimes I wish things were different,
I realise that there is nothing I can do to undo the
misgivings of the past. People just have to learn
to forgive and forget. Awkward silences, doing the
best to avoid glances, is a waste of time in my humble
opinion. When my time comes, people will stop, listen
and reflect. I will make it so.
Saturday 2nd July 2005
Today, was the day. Things should have been different, I should have been there.
I know in an alternate reality, I would have been
there, perhaps with those who I no longer see or speak
to. Today was not a day for such misplaced regrets
and looking to the past with a sense of loss. It was
about making a change and doing the decent thing,
helping your fellow man. Perhaps for the first time
in my life, I felt selfless and wanted to do something
to help others, more than any point previously in
my life. The cynics will say, that a punch of concerts
around the world will do little to change the life
of a continent. I beg to differ, I think raising awareness,
opening our eyes to the plight of these people, gives
us a opportunity to want to help others like never
before. Yet, I think it goes beyond the political
will of eight men. The problem is far greater, the
problems deeper rooted and it will take thousands
if not millions to bring a prosperous future to the
one place on this planet that has lost wealth, while
the rest of the world continues to enjoy it. Much
more than a story state of affairs. While I was watching
the television coverage, late on Saturday evening
into the early hours, I tried to picture the number
of children that had died, in pointless circumstances
due to poverty. When you consider that the suffering
is preventable, you too want to make a difference.
While I had every opportunity to sign the petition online, but I wanted to make my position clear in public. I had already seen the Live8 petition stand when I had arrived. So, straight after the movie, I headed across to add my signature. The process was rather amateur, a young blonde girl was using a notepad with 3G card to add the stack load of signatures to the site. Having signed, I felt I had gone some way to making a difference. The reality was I was gutted for not being given the chance to be there, but I felt helpless having to watch the live footage on television.

If you did not know, you will know now, that my life
is never simple. A weekend can be turned on it's head
by one minor alteration. So, you would think an afternoon
and evening in Central London would be simple. Not
in the crazy world of Andrew Tegala. On Thursday evening,
a news flash on BBC London News headlines (after the
main headlines from Huw) showed the worse site for
a rail commuter from this side of the world. The collapse
of a tunnel at Gerrards Cross meant days, if not weeks
of delays for rail users from the Midlands into Central
London. As it happened, this too was the journey I
was to take on Saturday. Therefore, I grabbed my PDA
and tried to find out further information, even attempting
to browse, the Chiltern Railways web site. The line
would be closed for at least two days and a replacement
bus service would be put in place. This was the last
thing I needed, so I considered my option. I could
drive to Uxbridge and park in Sainsburys. Or, perhaps
slightly closer, go over to Chalfont and catch the
tube from there. On Saturday morning, I pondered between
the two stations, with Uxbridge way in the lead, based
on familiarity stakes, but in the end I opted for
secure all day parking, which is never guaranteed
in a supermarket.
I was out of bed by 8.30am, but wish I had got up
slightly earlier. By 9am, I was out of the house and
drove to the other side of town to wash the car and
carry out the usual weekly maintenance checks. Coming
home, just as the rest of the household were getting
up, I decided how to fill my next few hours, before
I headed off. The car needed a quick hoover, so I
rushed out and gave it a very swift clean, just to
make it look a little better inside. Then it was a
quick shower, before heading into town to do some
quick errands before I drove up the A404, towards
Amersham. I parked in a almost deserted car park and
headed into the station, it was coming up to 1pm and
the station was dead. Sure we were on the outskirts
of Buckinghamshire, but I expected more of a crowd,
not sure why. I paid for my travel card and was informed
by the friendly ticket attendant that the next train
was at 10 minutes past the hour, fantastic, just a
few minutes wait. The Metropolitan Line takes me directly
to Baker Street, one change and I'm a stone's through
away from Leicester Square. I got off at Piccadilly
Circus and walked the few minutes across to the famous
square. Busy, as I expected, there were several trailers
parked up and looking into the garden centre, I could
see a stage being setup. Something was happening,
or about to happen. I walked passed a Police trailer
giving the public safety awareness information and
spotted a familiar face in the crown ahead, as he
turned back around. It was Ian from the famous house
pound, Four
Poofs & A Piano Then it clicked, it was Gay Pride
Day in town. This would explain the various colour
outfits worn by men, dressed up in drag. There was
a great atmosphere around, with everyone having fun,
even with such a strong yet passive police presence.
I headed across to the cinema to collect my tickets
and spent a few seconds starting at the big movie
poster above my head. I was really looking forward
to this movie.
Meeting up with my friend, we headed over to Haagan
Das, for some ice cream and tea. My food consumption
up to this point in the day was just some soggy corn
flakes and I was very hungry. Yet, I needed to save
room for some popcorn. The doors to the theatre had
opened by now, so we rushed across to get to the cinema,
which was already quite busy. Taking our seats, I
felt I had made the wrong decision. Perhaps a seat
on the upper tier would have been a better experience.
Too late now, the cinema was quickly filling as the
advertisements played. Pearl & Dean? I'm afraid not,
just Carlton Screen Advertising and not a patch on
the masters, but never mind. We are here for the movie,
not for the commercials. By the time the movie came
on, I was really excited. Would it live up to the
hype? I suppose, this is summer blockbuster for me
(even taking into account what I am about to write).
Last year, it was the Spiderman sequel, which I really
enjoyed. I love Tom Cruise. I suppose, apart from
the understandable height issues, he is the one man
on this planet I would like to be. It is difficult
to describe, but with that toothy grin and charismatic
charm, he is a rare beast. A smooth white man. (Does
that makes sense? Is it politicially correct?) Do
I care? No. What I am trying to say is that he gives
off the sort of a persona of a man that always makes
an impact. He walks into a room and people stop and
stare. He is a highly accomplished actor, even if
I have not seen his most complete work, Born On The
4th July (sorry Paul, I will get around to it sometime!)
Steven, without a shadow of a doubt is my favourite
filmmaker, even surpassing the great Alfred Hitchcock.
So, with those names behind this picture, surely it
cannot fail. Well, unfortunately it does and that
it because of the ending. I will not go into the details,
I have no need to spoil the experience for you all.
The first hour is amazing, breathtaking and highly
compelling to watch. There are some interesting twists
and turns as you begin to realise how bad humanity
reactions to being threatened by an unknown force.
Yet the constant question you keep asking yourself
is where is this all going? Unfortunately, Steve does
a bad job of handling the plot, so the pace drops
towards the end and it never really survives. Our
hero does a fine job, but I would have liked his character
developed further and the relationship with his children
placed under greater scrutiny. There are always more
questions posed than answered with this movie, which
is a shame because the original master piece by HG
Wells was special. When a movie lacks purpose, it
loses momentum. I expected much better from this A
star team. Leaving the cinema, I felt deeply disappointed.
There is almost a schoolboy, year 9 English class,
ending, which no teacher would have ever accepted.
I would go as far to say I would not even rent the
DVD, I would wait for the movie to be screened on
Sky Movies to watch it. Quality, stay in Saturday
night movie. A shame, because Cruise, as one of my
all time idols, deserves so much better.
Tuesday 28th June 2005
Watching Eastenders, as I do every weeknight apart
from Wednesday, I noticed the sky grow grey and the
spitting droplets of rain form on the window. Nothing
new about rain in England, sure. Then, I paused to
stare outside, the lightning flash lit up my street
for a fraction of a second. Then the eerie silence
before the thunder clap miles away, coming around
the house like a natural surround sound from up above.
Minutes away from the cliffhanger ending to my beloved
soap, the satellite signal dropped, I felt like I
was drifting back to 1999 having to revert to terrestrial
coverage. The rain was heavy now, the heaviest I had
heard it in many years, but if it was only going to
affect the television signal, I had no major issues,
for I would be watching very little for the rest of
the evening. Coming into my room, I heard the rain
pouring down up above my head and became aware that
my internet connection was down. After several attempts
to reconnect, I gave up and switched off all non essential
electronic appliances and switched to good old fashioned
pen & paper.
If someone with the medical or perhaps psychology
background was asked to analyze my dreams, I wonder
what they would find. I rarely remember then, yet
some stick in my mind, if only for fleeting memorable
moments. So take great pride to be welcomed into the
nocturnal world of Teg's recent dreams. On Sunday
night, I finally drifted to asleep around 2am, perhaps
later. The only moment of any major significance is
a meeting. Out with my work colleagues, I am tapped
on the shoulder by one of the manager's and introduced
to a Doctor. While I perhaps would have preferred
it to be one of the fictional doctors from television
or film. It was Dr.
Rice. Yes, Condoleezza, or as she is commonly
refereed to by George, as Condie. The appearance,
was bizarre to say the least, but my reaction was
strange. I was in awe of meeting a statesman (okay,
women). I was speechless, from what I can remember
and words failed me. She said something on the lines
that it was a pleasure to meet me and I was doing
a fantastic job! Not sure how much of a difference
I truly make, but she obviously thought so. With the
whisk of some CIA operatives, she was escorted out
of the building and onward with her tour (of England?)
Are my dreams trying to send me messages? Perhaps
it is a campaign by the Bush administration to plant
the seeds for the next race for the White
House? Who knows? Even the latest search on Google
News
does not give any clues!
With the thought of seeing War of the Worlds, this
coming weekend, at the back of my mind, my dreams
on Monday night were more on the side of surreal.
While the chances of me meeting Rice are very slim,
they are not completely out of the question. From
what I can remember, I am on board a ship, with some
other nasty characters, but trying to escape. I did
eventually escape, but heading into the jungle, I
discover that I have weighed myself down with of all
things, CDs. Then I realise that I am carrying the
last archived version of my MP3 collection and therefore
guarding it with my life. Rather pathetic, that this
would be my chose as the final worldly possession
I tend to keep. I did a poor job of protecting the
discs, remembering the final image before my memory
goes blank, is the shiny circles reflecting the sunlight,
stretched across the green green grass. What does
it mean? I know nothing. Thankfully, it has not been
since my time at Sheffield Street, winter time, two
years ago, when my house mate Nav would inadvertently
push up the heating, to uncomfortable levels, that
my dreams would fall into the outrageously freaky
box. Perhaps I should try harder to remember my dreams?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I will try
anything, once!
Monday 27th June 2005
The last Monday of June already? Can you believe it? Can you believe that a year ago, I was starting my second week at one of the biggest law firms in the world? There was several times last year, when I made that trek to the capital, when I thought to myself, where would I be a year from now. Now that I am at much better place, I appear forever ungrateful and tend not to look back at where I was once. While I miss the sights and sounds of London, there is much that of the rat race, I detest.
Stateside, a major victory for the corporations against the peer2peer software developers, puts the whole notion of file sharing on hold. Not sure what you opinion would be on this, but I have now grown up being able to 'obtain' almost any song almost instantly and have it playing in my car the following working day. While certain individuals may feel this is not how consumers should be experiencing music, they have been slow to embrace the new medium. I still not understand how they can compete with free. We shall see what happens? For the moment, I am safe, or so I believe.
I listened to my portable DAB radio for the first
time in several months last night. I could not sleep
and wanted to listen to some music, rather than the
nightly Five Live. I surfed around, on the electronic
dial and listened into 1Extra. They were playing some
soca music, which I actually quite enjoy and the song
that was playing took me by surprise. A feel good,
summer anthem that you could enjoy in the car. Thankfully,
with digital you get much more than simple stereo
audio. On the screen, appeared those magnificent words,
"Now Playing" and I was able to take a mental note
of the song title and artist. Yet, by the time I got
to work I had completely forgotten and had to consult
the BBC web site. To my surprise, tonight I discover
that this song could be, by Hollywood.
Indeed the camp star of Mannequin (one of my Dad's
all time favourite movies) actually has quite a good
voice too. I am still hunting for the track, having
only been able to listen to thirty second snippets
on various US based web sites. If you anyone has D
Soca Zone 5th Spin, released last year, I would be
utmost grateful, if you got in touch. Oh yeah, almost
forgot, the name of the song is, "Shut Up". Need I
say anymore?
Two weeks have passed since that day and I feel only now the burden of that day falling from my shoulders. Nearly a month you were out of contact. Too long for some. I watched the news reports, I gazed in the distance, the news footage outside the court house, holding my torch for you. Yet, on your return you are catching up, which by all means is understandable. Looking back, the verdict had more about proving a man innocent, than proving my feelings true. Seeing it now, I feel such a fool. Hanging on your every word, be it by SMS, MSN or on the phone. I do not doubt that your heart is true. For my own intentions were never far from your own. I deserve more in return for my efforts. Yet then again, I was always trying to live in the shadows. Trying to try Living with Michael Jackson. There was never any competition, I was doomed from the start. Perhaps the unexpected comeback will bring it not, these romantic news bites, but new ground breaking, record breaking material, to show the world, including those doubters, you are made of sterner stuff. Just a shame I suppose, that your love was never able dry my tears.
Sunday 26th June 2005
Watched the video for the last Destiny's Child single
on CDUK, yesterday morning. While the content of the
video did not surprise, it was the lyrics that shocked.
The clock has gone full circle. Let me explain. It
was in the autumn of 2000, that the RnB group, arrived
on the world stage, with their soundtrack to the Charlie's
Angels movie. I think this was the moment, which saw
them break down the barriers and appeal to a whole
new audience, young and old. The song was special
because it stood alone, without reference to the movie
in it's own right. The mantra then was of independent
women, able to stand on their own two feet, which
I fully understand. Now, as the girls depart on their
separate ways, less than five years later, the tune
has changed. While I do not mind a bit of cheese,
this final song, 'Cater 4 U', has a chorus that makes
you sick.
This is not what a girl group stood for and I am sure
the Spice Girls, Bananarama and even Maggie Thatcher
would be giving more than a frown.
Summer is here, yet I still feel my summer is yet to arrive. The lack of updates, with any depth perhaps say more than anything I could ever express in words. Most of the events going on in the outside world are alien to me. Tennis, while a great sport, is just too unbearable to watch. Particularly as everything is on such a knife edge. Matches can drag out for several hours and an early lead can be wiped out with fatigue late in the day. Give me football any day. Simple scoring system and none of these tie breaks (which I still do not understand). If I am frank and honest, I feel even now, tennis is still a middle class sport. Yet, it will forever have fond memories for me, coming home from college, walking through the living room, to see both of my sisters glued to a Tim Henman semi final. Then there is the annual British music festival, which usually focuses on Glastonbury. Never been a fan, I have to admit and not really been in the crowd that did that sort of thing. Although a colleague has gone down for the mud bath, this weekend. While a small selection of the musical talent may be to my tastes, I have no real desire to get back to the basics of nature. Each to their own, as the saying goes.
On this quiet lazy summer Sunday, I was decided upon what makes the perfect
chill out tune. Home by Michael Bublë came on and
I sank back into my comfortable leather chair. Work,
which in years gone by would have been a monstrous
prospect, flittered in the back of mind, but with
a mild gentle warm push, rather than a major crash
of realisation. If only I could stay in the void that
is Sunday evening forever.
Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I'm lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I've got to go home
Wednesday 22nd June 2005
Never been a big fan, particularly in recent years. While I do not doubt, she
is stunning and still holds that magic, her focus
dropped from the music onto the peripheral elements
of show business. Yet, it is only now, I feel she
has returned. It was the early 1990s, when her soulful,
innocent voice, wholesome naturally beautiful features,
gave the package of angel, untouched by man. Sweet
Fantasy leaves less to the imagination now, than it
ever did then. While I may not have been taking as
much notice of her celebrity status, I have been waiting
for a hit single, in the same vain as her original
material. It has taken nearly a decade, but it has
been worth the wait. 'We Belong Together', has everything
a soft ballad needs, but the soulful vocal touch,
which only a unique women could add, makes it sound
so much sweeter. Perhaps I should go the full distance
and buy Mimi.
Watch this space, or rather this page.
The weekend was the story of three Doctors, which
I forgot to mention. The series finale of Doctor Who,
with a swift and rather unimpressive regeneration.
The saving grace, was the fact that we long to see
how well David can match up with Chris. If it was
based purely on the sound of the name, I know who
my money would be on. I think, I am not alone in thanking
Eccleston on a job well done, bringing back not just
a character from the dead, but giving him life, credibility
and some of the staying power, we expect from all
our super heroes. Yet, Dr. Who is not like any other
comic book hero. The sense of mystery that surrounds
him, his over blown arrogance, his willingness to
sacrifice everything for the human race, that wide
eyed smile and those big hears. I hope Dave, does
his own thing and doesn't try to be a CE copycat.
How long is the wait until the Christmas
Invasion?.
Oh yes, I did say three Doctors. The other doctor
makes a fleeting appearance on Saturday morning show,
Ministry of Mayhem.
Played by funnyman Peter (his surname does not work
for my family orientated web site) a bungling European
scientist (a mixture of German and Scandinavian tongue)
he carries out mad experiments each week. They don't
make Saturday Kids television, like they used to!
A close, dear friend was to departs off MSN last night. He had decided to uninstall
as it had become such a distraction and annoyance
in his life. Thankfully, tonight I find he has decided
against it, so I am glad to be speaking to him while
I write this entry. I could not live without MSN.
It is the crown jewels of my net experience. The funny
thing is, I was a very late adopter of the software
and have only started using it regularly in the last
six years or so. Hardly anyone at college used it,
so there was no need to come online. The most important
feature was being given instant notification if you
had a mail message. Yet now, it is the first thing
I use at home and in the office. Read this article
to find out why! Finally making some progress of getting my faulty
motherboard replaced. I have to go back to the retailer
and it should be organised tomorrow. Then I can get
my PC built by this weekend. I will be grateful to
once again have a stable system that does not reboot
itself every few hours and constantly come up with
a blue screen of death. While, I am told all it needs
is a format and reinstall, something tells me that
there is something more seriously wrong. Thankfully
I have copied most of my crucial personal data onto
CD or portable media. Just a case of building the
new PC and copy over the MP3s. Then I am happy, but
will my PC last that long? It is not just on it's
last legs it is on it's last microchips. Talking of which?
Saturday 18th June 2005
Friday at work is always a breeze. Don't ask me why, but the thought of the weekend perhaps, keeps the level of calls at bay. The hot weather did not help my concentration levels, it felt as humid as it was last night in Reading. My MSN contact list did stand the test of getting me through the day. I was chatting to Pav, but true MSN is blocked at his workplace, he has to revert to the Java based, E-Messenger. The only problem with this is that sometimes, we do not get the full conversation, so over the cause of the day, a simple conversation is broken up. He gave me a link and I had to go and have a quick read. Then I had to take it one step further and post my fifty pence. Should I go into Maidenhead tonight? I thought about the offer for the rest of the afternoon, considering it in detail. There was a reason to stay at home, a big reason. Yet, I decided to venture out for a quick drink. Not sure really why but there was something about meeting up with my friend again. Leaving at 9pm, I went out and was shocked by what I saw. So many young people out drinking, some looked as young as 15. I felt odd and out of place. The music did not help. Does he play any proper music, I asked Pav, whose friend Paul was the DJ. No, just funky house most of the night. I know as much about dance music as I know about the Commonwealth of Independent States. In short nothing and I could not distinguish one genre of dance music from another, it just noise to me. (That does make me sound old fashioned!) I discovered that perhaps there is no need to join the hoards of people out on a Friday and Saturday night. I would much rather be on the computer, as sad as it does sound.
For six years I had waited and planned this moment. Yet, even for me, the seasoned
control freak, you can never take into account something
failing. I ordered my PC via Overclockers
UK on late Wednesday night. The plan was to have
all the components delivered by Friday for a weekend
build. The plan, came together and everything worked
out, thanks to some neighbours holding onto my goods
for a few hours. Nothing was touched until Saturday
morning, that was the price I paid to go out and meet
my friends. Looking back with hindsight, I made the
right decision. I woke up at 6.30am, sharp and then
set about my task. I unpacked all the boxes and then
made sure everything was present and correct. Then
a quick breakfast, followed by a shower and then the
major task began. It was 8am, the sun was shining,
but the cool morning breeze filled my room, as I opened
the window.
Overcome with confidence, not just in my ability,
but in how quickly I was getting the job done, by
10am, I was about to begin testing. Everything had
been followed by the book and I had done my best to
follow all the instructions by the book. Then, after
discussing with Pav, I felt originally that it was
a display adapter problem, so headed out into the
afternoon heat to find a PCI graphics card. In the
end, I was hit by daylight robbery by a corner shop
PC building centre. You know, the small independent
retailer that sales everything on a minimum 60 percent
markup. I had no choice, I had to pay. It was the
only way I was going to get my PC working. Or so I
thought. It did not work and after several hours messing
around, just before 5pm I gave up. It was a faulty
motherboard but I needed to prove it. I had been running
on the buzz of the new PC since the early hours of
the morning and had not eaten until now, early evening.
It was not until I sat down on the sofa, that I realised
how hungry I was. The day had passed me by, because
I was focused on my goal. (Yes, I am a workaholic,
but you knew that already!) A few more phone calls
and late into the night, it was 11.30pm, when I finally
decided to call it a day. It also meant eating some
humble pie and going back to my Mesh.
While beating myself up about it most of the day, it is only now I realise there is no need to get so worked up about it. It is just a pile of plastic, transistors and silicon and I am better than this. I hope when I get my replacement board, I will have a better cycle of luck.
Friday 17th June 2005
Never before in the history of this web site, have I had such a backlog of
entries to post, searching to find the most important
events that need to be mentioned. Where to begin?
What exactly to say? Take a deep breath with me, as
I take you from the dark alleys of Gotham City, back
to the residential streets of Carlisle Road, Slough.
So, flash back to yesterday.
Regular readers of this blog will know my love affair
with most super heroes. I suppose, deep down it is
this longing to be able to jump out of my mundane
9-5 existence and do something amazing, fantastic
and life changing. Some would consider this just because
I have a 'thing' for dressing up in costumes. (That
is just a down right ugly rumour, washing around the
dark corners of the net.) I am the first to admit
that my life is quite empty and at times I lack purpose.
I am a drifter, which is not necessary a bad thing,
but it is the complete opposite to a superhero. It
is this aspiration to have a goal, a justice to defend,
that makes me watch in wonder at the man (or women)
on screen in awe. I suppose, as long as there is evil
and wrongs taking place in our reality, there will
always be a place for super heroes in our fantasies.
This was the biggest anticipated film for me, this
year. I saw the first film trailer, on my XBox several
months ago, and my father and I were amazed at how
sinister, edgy and true to the comic book the prequel
looked on the screen. This was of course based on
a few minutes of a trailer, but it was the atmosphere
created that gave everything away. As noted previously,
Pav had blown me out when it came to Sin City, so
we promised to meet up and watch The Dark Knight.
As usual, his busy weekend schedule (and in hindsight,
my own) meant that we had to go Thursday night. I
did not mind, but straight after work, I came home
for a pit stop, change and headed back out down the
bypass. Even though I had requested for my sister
to take my car, she let me down (as would be a reoccurring
event). It was a humid night, as I drove over to Caversham,
knowing not exactly where Pav's new house was. Sure
I had seen the photos, but it was twilight by the
time I got there and the maps I had printed from Multi
Map I had accidentally left on my desk at home.
I called and spoke to his sister Div, who competently
guided me to the house. This was the first time I'd
linked up with my college friend at his house since
2000. More on that story, later.
I would highly recommend you go back and watch this
movie. It is perfect introduction for the creation
of a legend, with the only flaw of perhaps a good
story, that is poorly linked together. Personally
I would have wanted more time for our hero to be created,
to fall and then be built up again, fall again and
then dust himself off for the final battle. Instead
you watch a great young man flounder into the life
of petty crime, only to be saved by extremists, he
does not agree with. Christian Bale is inspired as
Bruce Wayne and has the stronger screen presence than
the previous two incarnations, but needs time to match
the quality of Keaton. Keaton was special because
he was a relative unknown coming into play a character
that was bigger than him and able to give him life.
The movie works well, even if some of the most important
aspects of the plot are given in flash back. Katie
Holmes is perfectly cast as the brave DA, although
perhaps the villains lack the same star billing status.
Michael Caine does well as Alfred, but I preferred
the original, there was a sense of quintessential
Englishman about him, that a legend like Caine could
never possess. It will be a box office smash, the
merchandising will pick up again and five
will start screening the original 1960 series.
(Didn't Channel 4 do that in the early 1990s?) Let's
just hope Warner Brothers don't lose the plot
again! I am sure a loyal band of followers, will let
them know, in the strongest possible terms if they
ever do.

My friendship with Pav actually goes back to 1998, when we both started Henley College. We happened to be in the same A Level Business Studies class and it was from here our friendship began. It was one of those moments, when we just clicked. I can't really describe what happened. We just share a great appreciate for the same things. We had the same mobile phone, same bank and always got the same things. To this day, we have the same phone (Nokia 6230). This was turning out to be a trip down memory lane. Leaving his room, I noticed a number plate above the door and took a photograph.

This was from the now departed to live graciously
in car heaven, Proton. The runaround Pav had when
he passed his driving test in July 1999. Perhaps I
should say the details of the whole story for another
day, but it was the car that took us to see The Phantom
Menace. For now, I leave you with the grainy image
of all the remains of the car. God Bless it. The nostalgia
continued, when I stepped into his family 316 Compact.
This was his 'ride' at college and I can recall some
of the major cruising we used to do. I suppose, what
I am trying to say is that I have a deep felt appreciation
for my friend, perhaps I want to be him.
Monday 13th June 2005
I had been scanning the BBC News web site regularly
throughout the working day. In fact, it was borderline
obsessive. There was no real news, so I carried on
with my working day. Midway through the afternoon,
I contemplated in my thoughts, how much this was just
an average Monday. The phones were not busy, but the
list of jobs I had to complete were growing at an
alarming rate. Yet, somehow I persevered and got through.
6pm sharp I was out of the door, in the car and heading
home. When I got home, the signs continued that it
was the beginning to another tedious week, my Vodafone
mobile bill was lying on my bed, having been left
by my Mum.
My evenings after Eastenders are spent on the computer, usually chatting online, reading blogs or posting on forums. Way after 9pm, there was a different feeling in the air, I just sensed it. Talking to my friends, a few joked that the verdict would be announced as soon as today, rather than tomorrow or later in the week. I was surprised by this and rushed across to FireFox and hit the home icon. Up came the screen I had been secretly anticipating all day at work. 'Verdict in Jackson trial expected'. I took a step back on my chair and switched on my stereo, permanently tuned into Five Live and there was nothing. How did I feel at this exact moment? A strange aora came over me, as I became to realise, something was about to happen. For once again, the moment was going to be bigger than me and live on in history. I rushed off my computer, abandoning my online friends and headed for the living room. For the first time in ages, I confiscated the Sky remote from my Mum and switched over to BBC News 24. I was just in time, the final jigsaw on the media entitled, 'trial of the century' was about to be put in place.
I caught the action (sorry, this sounds like a review
for a film, rather than a defendant arrival for the
verdict) just as the SUV's left Neverland and a helicopter
tracked their every move on the grainy California
highways and byways. The motorcade was driving in
perfect precision, with the exact same distance between
the four vehicles. (You may not have noticed, if you
were listing to the rather negative and bland BBC
commentary.) The fallen idol returns to hear his fate,
it was gripping stuff and I was on the edge of my
seat, not knowing exactly what the final outcome would
be.
Glued to the TV, just like on September 11th 2001, this time the feelings ran
deep. This time it was personal, because they were
trying to bring down my hero. The man whose music
I had grown up with, dance to, cried to and even partied
to. His future, the future of his children, his family
all hang in the balance. Some thousand dedicated fans
had made the journey across to Santa Barbara and were
waiting for this day for the past few weeks. I knew
two of them there, perhaps more from the forums I
frequent. The motor cade pulled into the court house
car park. This was business. Even my Mum was glued
to the television now.
While the other family members came out, I looked out for when and how Michael
would be making his final court appearance. As he
came out of the car, you saw Tom rushed up and chase
hands with all the family members. Then, with umbrella
open, they made their short walk into the court. The
soft tab on his back from his lawyer, gave me some
reassurance. It was a brief rest bite, as my heart
started pounding at excessive speeds. Enough of the
circus, down to business, the voices of the fans were
drowned out as the BBC footage switched to see Michael
make his final pass through security. It was nearly
10pm, so I gave the main television back in the hands
of my grateful Mother and headed back to my room.
It was here, that I picked up several conversations
that I had just dropped some thirty minutes before.
Switching on my television, I noted Huw, giving some
background to fill in the time before the clerk would
read out the verdict. Talking to my friend Nav, I
found him have a sudden change of heart. He was with
me, he wanted Jackson found innocent. Something I
had believed all along, but it was at this witching
hour, that my friend had suddenly changed his mind.
For once last time, I opened up Win Amp and played
Human Nature, drowning out Huw and the scenes from
Santa Barbara. I lost myself for several minutes in
the song, ignoring my friend, who had thousands of
things on his mind. Meanwhile, I was also opening
up Windows Notepad and making some brief notes for
this blog entry. There was so much emotion, so much
energy going through me, I had to record the vital
pieces of information. The images changed on my television
and I hit the mute button. The verdict was about to
be announced. I held my breath.
My hand fell to my chest as I tried to measure just how quickly my heart was
racing. What did destiny, or fate have in store? The
images will stay with me forever, of the fans lined
up, like rioters behind a barricade, with posters,
hats, and silver gloves. The image of the lady, letting
doves out into the blue sky, will remind me of the
day. The day in history. As each count was read out,
you heard the cheer of the fans, 'Not Guilty'. Another
dove was let free. With every passing moment, my heart
sank down in relief. Justice had prevailed.
Today was the most important part, not what happens tomorrow, next year or
in the next five. Sure, I long for the return of my
idol to the top of the charts, to the level of popularity
that everyone loves Michael. While some say, he will
never relive the glory days, I feel there is potential
for this one man (yes, he is just a man) make one
of the biggest comebacks in entertainment history.
If surrounded by the right people, they could put
together an beautiful package which sees new material,
a new tour, combined with some special collaborations.
Anything is possible.
Wrong for me to take the limelight out of the significance
of this evening. This is the turning point and we
will never forget this day. It will be something that
your grandchildren will ask you about, when only the
legacy remains of the man, they once called the King
of Pop. I was on drugs, I was full of energy and really
wanted to write this entry, then and there. Yet, it
would not have made sense and would have given little
insight to the roller coaster ride of a fan. The television
went off and the focus returned to the most important
aspect of Michael, the music. Anne, a major MJ fan,
recommended Unbreakable, which I duly played at high
volume. Then I needed to be taken back. I needed to
be taken back to October 2003, when I heard the latest
song for the first time. It was special then, but
oh so sweet, pure, even innocent now. One More Chance.
I remember my house mate Paul playing it none stop
for over a week, I remember, my other house mate Nav
listening to constantly on his laptop. Special times.
Magic memories forever in my mind. I melted away,
realising that this one person had given me so much.
You cannot over state, that this one person was the
soundtrack of our lives, as we grew up, took those
first steps and learned to dance, like a Smooth Criminal.
Perhaps something more appropriate to listen to would
be, "Man In A Mirror", but for me, there is only song
that brings together the artist in a few minutes.
The chorus, of question, with the only one answer,
Human Nature.
22:18, I received a text message from a friend. The news flash was unnecessary,
for I knew the content myself. It was the thought.
Thanks Anita. I just wish it had be coming from another.
Sunday 12th June 2005
Audio update, for the first time in six months. Rather depressing reading,
unfortunately. Single collection has only grown by
100 songs over the past 6 months, equaling downloading
one song every other day. My collection of albums
has not really grown for over a year. I blame this
purely on the closure of various BitTorrent sites
which I use to use extensively. My collection overall
is in quite bad shape and I need to undertake an extensive
pruning when transferring over to the new PC next
weekend.
People often tell me that I spend far too much on recordable media. At the
time I bought my TDK Cyclone drive, in July 2002,
I made a promise to only purchase and burn onto TDK
discs. Certain sites over media as cheap as 20p, I
have always paid around 50p for my discs. It is worth
paying the extra for the quality and piece of mind,
knowing that the disc will play in every player and
last for years. I kept this promise over the past
three years, ordering around 50 discs in bulk. I still
have 20 CD-Rw discs lying on my desk but wanted to
keep them for their sole purpose, which is to archive
my MP3 album collection. So this afternoon, I rushed
down to Staples
to pick up an emergency supply of discs. Looking at
the shelves I noticed to my surprise the number of
DVD related media in relation to CD. The format has
really picked up the pace in terms of consumer everyday
use. CD based material was quickly going to be replaced
by DVD as the preferred format of exchanging data.
The reason I rushed out and made this purchase was
to sort out my audio collection in the car. I had
been creating discs at the drop of hat, without paying
attention to quality and therefore always searching
for something to listen to in the car. There are only
a handful of new tracks that I listen to and the rest
are a mixture of newly discovered songs from the 80s
and 90s.
Friday 10th June 2005
Friday again, with us more than half way through the year. Time seems to be passing by and work consumes me more than anything else. Sometimes I feel I don't really have much of a life outside of the office. The fact that I have been working solid since 16th December, with not a single day off, might have something to do with it. My Manager made the comment, in jest, that he still hasn't seen a holiday request form in my name. If I am truly honest with myself, going on holiday is not the major hurdle. Not having the friends to go on holiday with, is. While I agree their thoughts of a holiday would be very different from that of my own, I miss them and wish there was a way back. Yet as you drift apart and the years past you realise that it is harder to reunite. I should not let this bother me as deeply as it does. I should move on, instead of holding on to ghosts of the past. To cover this empty feeling, I fool myself into thinking that I do not deserve a holiday. No, I am right, I do not deserve a holiday right now. Afterall, there are other things we are setting our sights on.
Are you a Kipper? Unfortunately, I joined this budding brigrade of misfits a year ago. Rolling into the mid twenties and still enjoying the creature comforts of home. Who do I blame? Well there are some opinated readers of BBC News. While sure, affordable housing is a major factor, the British relunctance to rent is closely second. Stuck in what can only be described as a wonderful void. A mixture of the real world on the outside, but inside is a strange dream world. Not knowing when you will land, with a bump onto hard ground and hard times. While I may not be planning my escape yet, I hold onto dreams of disappearing to the land of golden opportunity. You never know, worst things have happened.
Finally, after years of talking about it, I have placed myself on the Season Ticket Waiting list for Arsenal. Along with my membership introduction pack, which arrived this week, I also received my certificate. This confirms that I am in the long queue waiting to purchase a season ticket. My number? Wait for it, 33,001. If Arsenal dot com is to believed, then only an extra 13,000 tickets have been made available for the first season in our new home, over at Ashburton Grove. Therefore, I will be waiting for several years and be luck to be in my mid thirties before I can make the most crucial, life changing purchase of my life. Reliant upon the number of people that do not renew their seasons tickets each season, which must be just a handful. Looks like I will be paying for my Prem Plus season ticket, for several years to come. Of course there are benefits of being an arm chair supporter, but I long to sing along from the North Bank and cheer my team onto victory. There is of course the final game at Highbury to look forward to. The struggle for that one ticket, will be well documented, right here.
Tuesday 7th June 2005
Have you ever been part of something big? Something so big, that it is bigger
than you and the few thousand people around you? I
never have and regret it. The long road to redemption,
began on Monday morning at 8am. For the first time
in over 18 months (perhaps longer) I switched on my
radio to tune into the Chris Moyles
Breakfast Show on BBC Radio One. The only reason I
made this change was to hear the question for the
Live
8 competition. I entered once in the morning and
again, when I returned home in the evening. I may
enter a few more times later this week, but feel uncomfortable
doing so. If lady luck is to be shining down on me,
I do not need to push my chances too far. If the computer
is to select me, it will select me. So, the long wait
until Sunday when those 70 odd thousand pairs of tickets
are chosen.
My first computer arrived on Saturday 6th June 1992,
yes almost thirteen years ago. So, now on my fourth
computer, it is time to build again and after several
months of talk, I am about to finally do some walking.
The specification has been detailed and the order
will be placed late next week. My demands have changed,
I am not a gamer. (Never really was a gamer, I have
never won a game without cheating!) My XBox sits lonely
in the living room, with some twenty games, that I
have never played. The PC to be born in a fortnight,
will be quite basic. The main breakthrough, is having
a TV tuner card installed, so I can rid of my TV /
Video combi and gain back some much needed desk space.
Otherwise, the only major change is much more storage,
memory and a DVD burner. Light accessories, such as
a new web cam and wireless headset (for Skype) will
be added later, once the damage to my wallet has subsided.
However, I must say that my Mesh PC has done me proud
service over the past six years, taking some considerable
mileage in that time. Looking back there is not many
changes I made. Upgraded the CD burner, replaced the
DVD drive, with an additional hard drive, to hold
all my Mp3s. Upgraded the memory and added a USB 2.0
card. Apart from those few changes, the backbone of
the system remains the same. To be honest, I am surprised
it has lasted this long, with several journeys up
and down to Leicester. The operating system has been
Windows 98 from factory. In October 2000, on a late
Sunday evening, I decided to load on Windows ME, which
lasted a few weeks before I reverted back to Windows
98. In June, Friday 19th June 2003 to be exact, I
took the major step of installing Windows XP. (Further
details in the archives.)
Until now, it has been very stable and never caused
me any problems. In the past few months, it has been
constantly rebooting. While I fixed this, instead
of rebooting, the dreaded blue screen of death appears,
which means that you have to reboot anyway. I know
exactly what the problem is, one of my memory chips
is faulty (most likely the original stick of 128mb)
but I cannot be asked to fix it. Instead, I let this
stupid cycle continue. The PC therefore crashes every
evening at least four times, sometimes even shutting
down makes it crash! I am desperately running out
of space on my dedicated audio drive, which is 14GB
in size, with a wafer 378mb free. Hopefully, within
a week I will have a shiny new computer, which runs
at super fast speeds. May help several things, but
won't make blogging any easier.
One man forever in our thoughts this week, more so than the past few months. Justice shall prevail but I know little about the court case taking place thousands of miles away. Therefore, I shall look to the future. I was never lucky enough to see Michael perform live, even though he has toured this country extensively, particularly in the early 90s. Yesterday evening, before my beloved Eastenders, Real Story investigated the pop star's next move. What I found most interesting about this documentary, was how our fallen idol, will make his return. This will be the greatest comeback of all time. An album, a world tour, a worldwide hit song, that takes Michael straight back up to the top of the charts, where he rightly belongs. A final farewell to a career that has spend three decades and bought us some unforgettable magic moments. Sure, I hear what you are saying? Has Teg officially lost the plot? The man's future still hangs in the balance with eight men and four women holding his fate in the hands. Sure, I do not deny the fact that there are more pressing issues to be dealt with and face. What is wrong to look to the future, to the world away from wall to wall coverage by Court TV. For do we not gain strength from knowing what we were, more than what we have become. If Peter Pan never grew up, then his magic, his dreams, never die.
Sunday 5th June 2005
In prospect, another boring Saturday. Determined
to make things different, I text my friend Pav
and asked if he wanted to go see Sin
City. He replied instantly, as he always has done
and it bought back memories our texts during college.
He was in Southampton and had already seen the movie
on Friday night. We agreed to meet up soon and perhaps
catch Batman Begins on Friday night. Saturday morning
was disappearing and having already been into town
to carry out some jobs, I took a comfortable seat
on the sofa to see what was on television. It was
around 1pm and there were some big World Cup qualifiers
taking place across three continents but I was not
really interested. The showing on Sky Movies was appalling
and after lunch, I fell asleep. Waking up at around
4pm, I dragged myself onto the computer. Perhaps there
was one person who would want to go and watch this
comic book action movie with me? I had mentioned it
to Hussein
briefly on Friday evening, so I grabbed my mobile
and text him. Yet again, a swift reply with a positive
response. He was happy to meet up an go watch the
movie at the Vue cinema in Harrow. While I waited
for his arrival on MSN, I quickly rushed over to the
Vue web site to check the times, it was coming up
to 5pm and I would be cutting it very fine, if I wanted
to catch the 6pm viewing, so I recommended the 9.10pm
screening. All confirmed, I booked the tickets and then
tried to familiarize myself with where my friend lived
again. (Give me a break, it was around 9 months since
I had last been to his house).
The schedule from now on in was very tight. I had to keep my appointment with the Doctor
and then rush out promptly at 7.45pm to get to Harrow
in time for the movie. I quickly had some food, got
changed and watched the final part of this weeks episode
in my room, then headed out. The M40 and A40, were relatively
quiet so that part of my journey only took fifteen minutes.
It was here on in, that I made some stupid mistakes,
which is unlike me. The directions I had recorded from
Multi
Map were relatively useless. Yet, there was something
else special about the journey last night. I drove through
Rayners Lane and just as I passed their road, I switched
the radio over to Heart
and the heavy bass of an introduction filled the car.
I could do nothing to stop myself tapping away at the
steering singing along and thinking of you. Thousands
of miles away, on the other side of the world. The answer
to the question from me, is a definitive yes. So, if
only you could find it in your heart to tell me, "Can
You Feel It?".
I drove on and after taking a slight detour north towards Pinner, I tracked down the right street. Parking the car, I called to let Mighty Mouse know that I had finally arrived, and we headed to off to St. George's Shopping Centre.
I knew little about this movie, apart from the fact that it started British
actor, Clive Owen. I had seen a poster, while waiting
in queue to watch Star Wars a few weeks ago, and many
people had approached the poster and turned to their
friend, partner, girlfriend or wife and said this
ia great movie, we have to go and watch. Let me just
clarify my cinema going activities. Generally I only
go to watch the big blockbusters at the cinema, but
then again, in 2003, I went to the cinema only 3 times,
so my choice of movie can be quite selective. I was
looking forward to watching this comic book adaptation
because it was so different. Yet, would I be impressed
with the graphic violence and mindless acts of crime?
When a comic book comes to the silver screen, the
director and writer face a great dilemma. What do
they do? Stay true to the comic and risk alienating
the wider movie going audience? Or cause controversy
by altering the story for a more film friendly finish?
This is a difficult balancing act. Some studios only
think about bums on seats and therefore revenue generated
from a picture and nothing else. This is a narrow
minded approached. A movie such as this can appeal
to a cross section of people. For example there will
be those people that have read and loved the comics
in the 1980s and waited a lifetime for this transition.
There will be those comic book action hero fans, such
as myself, who do not necessary read the comics but
love the adventures of the superheros. Then there
will be those going to watch the movie based entirely
on the actors taking the real life persona of an still
drawn image. As you can see, appealing to these groups
(there are others but not as significant) can be struggle.
The comic book fans, will come and see the movie regardless,
no poor review on Rotten
Tomatoes will put them off. Having now seen the
movie, I can say that this is the closest thing you
will ever see to a comic book coming to life on the
screen. The action, story telling and pace all closely
relate to how a comic book is written. I especially
liked the use of colour, with the movie shot in black
and white with the odd touch of bright colours (red,
yellow, blue) to highlight blood, eyes and lipstick.
Perfect. The casting was inspired and I feel Bruce
Wills and Michael Rourke performed well in their stories,
even if perhaps there was not the time available for
character development. The surprise for me was, Jessica
Alba. The spoilt brat from The
Secret World of Alex Mack (which I confess, I
did watch!) has all grown up! ;). There are three
stories to tell and rather than go about intertwine
them, the approach is to tell the stories seperately, but link in several of the characters that feature. This subtle hint, reminds you that you are watching one film, rather than three seperate movies. The beginning and ending are perfect at the overall finish article is a mirrored piece in terms of content. What also makes this movie different from others in the same genre, is that the villians are as human as the heroes (or anti-heroes if you prefer) and there are no special suits, jackets or weaponery. Everything is quite down to earth in this regard. Therefore, that is why the location, the setting is so important. It is only here, that mindless acts of violence are tollerated, because the police can be bought and corruption is rife. Perhaps Millier was just looking ahead to the future and trying to put together a comic book that reflected the road that society was heading down. Who knows?
My sister went to see the movie in a late afternoon screening in Reading and did not like it. She was evening going to warn me to not go and watch it. I think she felt it was more of a 'bloke' movie than anything else. Sure the violence, is graphic and at times insane. But with the source material, you have a licence, to let revenge take any form you wish and if that means cutting down the police force with an axe, then so be it. There are also some extremely comic moments, particularly in the Marv storyline, which remind you that this is not a true reflection on real life. There are already two sequels planned over the next few years, which sounds great. I just hope they have further intriguing stories to tell. Went I got home at 1am, I rushed onto the computer and read all the trivia associated with the movie, having avoided the page earlier in the day. You can see clearly what a difference it makes to have a fan of the comics directing the movie.
Thursday 2nd June 2005
While like everyone I have good days and bad days,
I feel I tend to not bask in the sunshine of those
days when life treats me well. I tend to remember
and hold closer those dark grey days, when the sun
never appears from behind those rain clouds. For once
and a break from regularly programming, I am going
to tell the world how great life is and how wonderful
this week is going. Perhaps my expectations were just
too low and the thought of being all alone sent me
into a fright. While I can have sympathy for taking
this stance, based purely on my past experience. However,
things have changed. That was my second full week
in the job, this time around I had nearly six months
experience and dare I say, expertise under my belt.
This gives you the ability to deal with 47 ongoing
things while simultaneously answering phones non stop
in the afternoon. Let me stop there. This entry will
not be consumed by the unpleasantness of work. Instead
let me focus my attention on something completely
different. Taking a step back from the one topic that
has been on my mind the most, in recent months, I
slowly come to realise that, regardless of what happens,
the future is unwritten and I have no idea of what
tomorrow may bring. As long as I face the challenges
that are thrown at me with righteous ambitious dedication,
with my heart full of hope, there is nothing, nothing
that can stand in the way of what I want.
While most of the time I am trying desperately to
find wholes in my life, to see where I feel completely
unfulfilled. Sure, my life can be on first glance
quite empty. Bland is the word I would use with a
major lack of life experience, few aspirations. I
would agree and perhaps I have no idea of where I
want life to take me. That does not mean I am a fussy
person unable to make decisive decisions. Perhaps
I am scared of making long lasting choices that will
change my life forever. Some people would call it
putting things off, or running away. A colleague,
only last week, left his job to travel around the
world. While I am keen to travel and see the rest
of this planet, I do not I could take that approach.
Work for months, save all your money, to then leave
and travel around the world for anything between 9
and 12 months, only to return home eventually and
have to start work again. Sure, that is not to say
things will always work out that way, who knows whom
you may meet on that long and windy road. This is
perhaps something I would talk about for years and
then never get around to doing. How can some people
hide from real life? More money than sense? Or they
have a dream and they pursue it? I have no answers
for this, but can only wish these people good luck
on their voyage of discovery. For me, there is no
such voyage of discovery, just a journey of and not
to success.
Days are going past and I feel the moment I get home
I am in some strange dream. I have started watching
Hollyoaks, twice daily instead of just the once. The
following nights episode is screened at 7pm on E4.
Therefore, when you watch the same episode again,
with the rest of the non satellite, cable or Free
View(ing) public, you get a strange strong dosage
of de ja vu. While my main reason or should that be
excuse for part taking in this over indulgence of
the Channel 4 soap, is to cover my what if scenario
2271 class B. If I am stuck in traffic and miss the
episode on Channel 4 at 6pm. Sure, I know what you
are saying, there is always the Sunday morning omnibus
part of T4. Firstly that is far to much walk to wall
television for any true physically fit and able human
being to consume. I personally have better things
to do on a Sunday morning, such a sleep or watch wall
to wall music videos (you know the drill boys and
girls, 440, 441...)
Am I happy? Yes, for the first time in several months
I feel not the burden of some major doubt or worry.
The promise that the next few months hold, brings
together a number of acquisitions I have waited years
to achieve. Sure, I may not exactly be living the
bachelor playboy lifestyle that many FHM readers dream
about, but it is a step in the right direction. For
all those times I have doubted myself, those countless
times I have had to vent my anger or despair on these
pages, I wanted to change the tone. Change the strategy.
Things are far from amazing and perfect, but they
are far, far from bleak.
In a brief discussion with my friend, Sippy via MSN Messenger yesterday, the subject of human emotions, ever changing came in as topic. In the week, that is to change the life of my University, ex course and ex housemate, I can only thank myself that I am not in for such a rollercoaster ride. I think I could handle some ups and downs over a weekend, but not for endless nights. I then mentioned how I felt. Sure feelings change, as they always will over time. Perhaps I am beginning to learn that whether she might or might not, it is more a question of just getting on with my life.
Monday 30th May 2005
Eleven am is late in my book. Waking up anytime after
10am is considered lazy. My excuse? If I have to confess,
it is the fact there was little on my agenda. I would
have wasted away those hours watching music television
and idle chat online. So to safe myself from this,
I spent those extra few hours in bed. So inspired,
I racked my brain to find something to do. My breakfast
consist of a cup of tea and two chocolate cookies.
Then I headed off to clean the car. It was badly over
due. When I got home, it was nearly 2pm and I was
still looking for something to do. Noting that Superman
III was to be screened on BBC
One, I wondered if I had would have the time to
relive one of the more comical comic book movie adoptions
from my childhood. My mind filled with all those classic
scenes. With few people online, my family out for
the afternoon, I decided to get comfortable in my
new leather chair and watch the movie in full. My
PC was on for a while, during the opening credits,
while I read up all the trivia on IMDB.
That is one site, you could spend a lifetime browsing
and still not get enough. Reeve was about to return
for his third and penultimate crusade in the cape
and I had to watch, so the PC went off. Which is your favourite Superman movie? The purists
among you will select II,
just as Star Wars fans will always select Empire
Strikes Back. While I tend to agree (on both accounts)
there is something that has to be said for this third
installment. Sure, they did go for a comic feel but
there are darker components than both the first movies
combined. (After all it was going to be called Superman
versus Superman.) But there are lighter touches, as
when Clark attempts to get his groove on at the high
school reunion. Richard Pryor
steals the show, playing the computer genius but always
coming across as the comic hero, with his excellent
one liners and facial expressions. The script was
so well written, that as Gus he was able to transform
into a general and and traveling water salesman.
Ironically Superman II was on Sky Movies 1 starting
midway through this screening. For Christmas I bought
the double disc set for myself. I know it is sad,
but I used the vouchers I received for leaving my
first post uni job. One day, when I had nothing to
do but wait for 2005 to come around, I popped the
DVD into the player and watched the movie. Unfortunately,
something stopped me watching it in, full so I watched
the remainder a few days later. My favourite part
is at the end when Clark Kent returns to revenge Rocky.
(Would a superhero, really take revenge?) My favourite
moment, is after smashing the wannabe tough guy into
the pin ball machine, he turns over to the cafe owner
and says, "I've been working out!". Magic. It is those
moments that make movie going such a great experience.
(Plus Kent trying to get his groove on at his reunion
ball!) I could watch that moment again and again.
Incidentally I did, on Sky Movies, while I was busy
polishing my shoes.
The long weekend was drawing to a close. I did something I had not done for several months. It is used so little that I have come to forget that we have a family computer. Some housekeeping was well over due, e-mails to download and the updating of AVG. With a few hours to waste away before my favourite soap came on, I decided to watch the premiere of Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed , on Sky Movies 2. Some good clean fun to fill in a void. What was wrong in that? No one could complain with that. I had not seen the original but I would rather not go down that road. There are several dozen movies I should have seen that I have not seen. I will get around to it, some time.
As I got into the movie, I noticed the first song, which played briefly when Seth Green's character laid his eyes on Velma, played elegantly by Linda Cardellini. It sounded beautiful but I did not get the chance to note the name or any of the lyrics. I made it my mission to hunt down this track and listen to it in full. Thinking it was going to be an easy task of looking down the track listing of the official soundtrack over at Amazon. Unfortunately it was not to be, so it meant returning back to the Internet Movie Database and scrolling through several pages of the message boards. Finally, four pages into my search, I found exactly what I was looking for. Although screening each post for the word 'song' proved a difficult task. Eventually, the title, 'The Way' by Clay Aiken. What a beautiful moving song. I was speaking to Pooja on Skype and sent her the song to listen to. She agreed with me. Just when I was lacking the energy, the drive to move ahead, I longed inspiration, I've found the song.
There's something bout how you stay on my mind,
There's something bout the way that I whisper your
name when I'm asleep
Oh girl no. Maybe its the look you get in your eyes.
Oh baby its the way that makes me feel to see you smile.
And the reasons they may change but what i'm feeling stays the same.
Saturday 28th May 2005
Sure, I admit it. I can be downright annoying if
I want to. I would personally call it being, persistent.
Those under this pressure from me would disagree.
Yet, there is always a good reason that I am going
to such lengths because I truly care. A case in point,
is my dear friend Nav, whom I talk to online on an
almost daily basis. He has a blog, but in recent months
it has been somewhat neglected. I have been at him,
constantly to get back on that horse and get back
to writing his online journal. All these requests
have fallen on deaf ears, but understandably so. My
friend has much more higher priorities than sharing
with the world what is on his mind and going on in
his life. The unlikely motion to get him back where
he belongs, in the blogsosphere, was not even another
human being. It was that stupid, annoying
frog.
Don't believe me? Just read here,
and then read again to confirm it for sure. Great
to see you back Nav. Hope this short hiatus has done
you the world of good and you will be back, bigger
better and stronger to continue to dispel us with
your words and stories of wisdom.
Finally, on Thursday my new executive leather chair arrived. It was well worth
the wait, even the three hour traffic jam. Much more
comfortable, to support my back on those long nights
spent on the computer. The fact I can do silly childish
things like spin around my room, make it the perfect
piece of furniture to compliment my room. Sure, it
deserves to be shown to you all, but I thought long
and hard on how to capture this moment in pixels.
A photograph of me, sitting on the chair, working
on the computer would have done little for the imagination.
So instead, I took the hidden acting talents of my
ten month old cousin (or is that first cousin) Ramzi,
to literally stand in (or is that sit in?) for me.
I think you will agree that he does pull off the job
remarkably well. Just got to wait for him to start
talking and then we can discuss the finer points of
peer to peer software downloads.

International friendlies, most people I know do not see the point in them. Nothing is at stake. I disagree, the friendly gives the manager a chase to try something new, knowing that if it does not work, it does not matter. Long enjoyed international friendlies, particularly against non-European sides that we do not play on a regular basis. This evening was a case in point, with the first match of the tour of America. I have a great deal of respect for the US soccer team. Particularly after they were not even mentioned by the BBC before they smashed Portugal 3-2 in the World Cup, three years ago. They have been improving ever since, it is just shame the country has a whole still does not give the sport the much needed attention it deserves. Perhaps the arrival of the England team would begin to change the tide in that thinking. Even though it was a understrength side being selected, I looked forward to some entertaining football. Overall it was from a neutral perspective but at times England did not show the quality of a time pushing to win the biggest cup of all, next summer. Thankfully, the Americans still lack that cutting edge in finishing, which will come with experience. Otherwise, it could have been yet another one of those, shock defeats.
Away from the football, there is something I strongly admire or am even envious about when it comes to the Americans. Their national anthem. While it is perhaps the greatest and most recognised national anthem in the world, it is the sense of patriotic pride it distills in all those that are lucky enough to represent their country, that is most striking. When God Save The Queen, was played in the Soldier Field stadium, none of the England players, that I noted, even attempted to mine the national anthem. Then we had the home team, and it was a complete contrast. Each member of the team, the full eleven on the field and subsitutes, turned to face their left and look up, proudly at the flag, holding their right hand against their lapel and singing with firm voice, the 'Star Spangled Banner'.
This was a thought that had got me scrabbling for the anthem online. I already have the Whitney Houston version of the song, which is perhaps some of the better quality versions. A quick search on Google bought me to the most famous instrumental version by the rock legend, Jimi Hendrix. Yet, the one which I find is the best, in my humble opinion is not from the distant past of 1969. Instead it is by the 2002 American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. What set this apart from the other version was the fact it was pure vocal, no instruments, no big band, no big chorus. Just Kelly singing the song with the great passion she has for music. Amazing.
Under normal circumstances, what is said online is private. On this occassion, I am willing to sacrifice the privacy for the solemn words of my friend, Nav. Yes, please do not judge him purely his blog. "So our national anthem, God Save The Queen focusses on a time when they would feel special by having a great leader like the Queen to lead them so pray god to keep her safe and lead them into
glory". Great sentiment, shame it does not make a great song.
Thursday 26th May 2005
Sorry, but another adventure in that day of the week, we would all rather forget. My colleague had asked me to swap shifts and come in early this morning. I duly agreed, taking into account it was his girlfriend's birthday, so it would have been rude not to come to his aid. This was the first early shift I would have carried out since sometime in early March. I had to adjust to getting up early, particularly after a night like that. It had to be done and I knew the comfort zone of an early return from the office was an uneasy illusion. Little did I know what lay ahead.
By the time I got up and was getting ready, there
was an unwary silence around the house. Not since
my time commuting into the City had it been so quiet.
Nobody to greet you in the morning was strange, but
I had little time to contemplate this lonely feeling
at 6.30am, I had to head to work. The roads were busier
than I expected, but leaving early I had a buffer
zone, incase the unthinkable did happen down the bypass.
Pulling into the office car park, I had for the first
time, a full quota of choice of where to park my car.
The other offices were dead and it was the first time
I had been in the office with so little people around,
so little 'business' taking place. Thankfully, the
work day was quite calm and steady. No major disasters
or headaches to deal with, which should have been
a sign.
I do not know about yourself, but I only fill up my car with petrol (or gasoline)
when the warning light comes on. I am not the person
to put in odds and ends of Ł5 or Ł10 and never have
been. The tank is filled to the brim with around Ł40
worth of unleaded and that not filled again for usually
two weeks as my journey to work is so short. The reason
for me telling you this is because my petrol gauge
was in the red zone and the that orange led was to
come on any time soon. I had half expected for it
to be come on, on my journey into work but it did
not. On the way home, I would need to stop at the
local BP petrol station and refuel. No problem, I
finished at 4.30pm and could easily get some fuel
before 6pm, even if there was a little rush hour traffic,
which I expected. As the afternoon passed by my thoughts
turned to Friday and the upcoming Bank Holiday Weekend.
This short lapse in concentration was to prove very
costly.
Should have come off at the first available exit and not driven further up into the heavy traffic. The signs were there, but I was so reassured by the fact that this was just down to the time of day, rather than any spectacular.

When after ten minutes I had made no progress, the
penny finally dropped something serious had happened
at Handy Cross to cause this build up of traffic.
I text my work colleague to let him know that this
was a no go area and to take an alternative route,
then a few minutes later I did the same for my sister,
although and alternative route was not readily available.
This was going to be long haul, but my reversal to
switch on the radio for further information, shows
my usual stubbornness to such events. The traffic
announcements would do little to help me now. I got
out my CD case and try to find audio to occupy me
for however long it was going to take me to get home.
The only worry I had was running of fuel. The mileage
left to my house was three miles, yes a measly three
miles. Thoughts crossed my mind of abandoning the
vehicle, if I did run out of fuel and walking home.
An hour into my journey home, which usually takes
no more than twenty minutes, I had progressed a single
mile, with fuel running dangerously low. My lane,
the outside lane had been making less progress than
the other on the dual carriageway, due to an drop
out clause. Some drivers were braving the small gap
in between the crash barrier, with half a dozen cars,
squeezing in between and taking their live in their
hands to turn around and head in the opposite direction,
trying best to avoid the high speed, oncoming traffic.
A businessman had left his brand new blue Audi A4
and walked across to survey the game, giving a knowing
look to the driver of the Ford Maverick up ahead,
who had stopped to let him take this, leap of faith.
He considered the option, but declined and I agreed
with him.

What was this really going to achieve? If this accident was has severe as it appeared then all local roads would be busy. The ambulance and police motorcycle that had steered through past us. After the disaster last week, (see blog posting from Friday 20th May) I kept my faith in staying inline and riding this out. Hoping I would be home shortly, now that the emergency services were on the scene. How wrong was I to be. By the time it clocked over to 6.30pm, I realised that it would have been better for me to take up my Manager's offer and work until 6pm as I usually do. Crazy. Only in England can you leave work earlier than normal only to get home later than you would if you had been working the late shift. Pulling up to the Handy Cross roundabout, I noticed the heavy police presence, controlling the flow of traffic and just keeping everything moving. As I drove across the M40 that the true scale of the problem came to light. The traffic was at a complete standstill with many drivers leaving their cars to find out what the delay was about. Weary of all the traffic police around, I sneaked a quick final image with my camera phone.

Pulling up onto my drive, the warning light came on. It was 6.51pm, I left
work two hours and twenty odd minutes ago and was
traveled in total seven miles. There was no way I
was going to go out and top up the tank tonight, with
local roads still busy. Note to self, think carefully
before offering to do another early shift. Secondary
note to self, come up with a practical route home
that avoids the by-pass. Looks like I am not the only
one considering some major overhaul of the whole junction.
Not a minute to soon, just hope they get it right
this time around. Will keep you posted on any news
on this proposal. Roll on Spring 2006! ;)
Monday 23rd May 2005
The morning after the night before, is the standard phrase, but it actually refers more to the day than the night. I awoke, hoping everything had been a silly dream and that things were actually different. Almost instantly I came to the realisation that it was Monday morning, the real world was waiting for me and I had to get out of my stupid daze. Deep inside I felt empty, hoping the weather would cheer me up. I pulled open my blind, to be presented with this beautiful, tranquil scene.

Bright blue acres of sky, with not a sign of cloud or dark dull shadow. The song I wanted to hear at this moment, was Brand New Day by Sting. For a change, the weather did not reflect my mood, and was almost the complete opposite. I got out of bed and got ready for work, trying my best to concentrate on the busy day and week the lay ahead. My journey to work is short, uneventful and at times tedious. This morning it gave me the opportunity to clear my head. I also listen to local radio station before switching to my own, home brew of CDs. Mix 107 are same as any of the other run of the mill radio station. Local meaningless prizes in competitions, banter which always swings close to the taste boundary and constant discussion about what the presenters did last night. However, on one part, the most crucial part they are always focused. The music. Almost as if, they know exactly how I feel and the songs that would best suit my current situation. This morning was once again, a case in point. Wet Wet Wet with Goodnight Girl, closely followed by the contemporary, Maroon 5 and She Will Be Loved. I felt touched by the choice of songs, so unique, so perfect. In a moment of spontaneity, I placed a random unmarked CD into the CD player. A few songs cheered me up and I felt myself coming back to normal (if there could ever be such a thing. I came into work refreshed, but feel down into reality with a bump.
Work was strangely busy, but it did little to occupy my mind. I tried my best to concentrate and perform to the best of my abilities but I feel that I was not up to my usual high standard. With other things occupying my mind, I felt a cold coming on. The last thing I needed, after several months, if not a whole year of sound good health. Things were looking bleak to say the least.
Making it to the end of the day, I got into the car and could not leave quick enough through the gates. That CD was still in the player, as I scanned the tracks and let it click onto Holiday by Madonna. How fitting, as the bubble gum pop vocals started the rain drizzled down, on the dull grey day coming to a close. Complete contrast to this morning. The upbeat music kept me going as I came up to the main junction roundabout, the final bottleneck before I get home. Looking due south west, over the M40, I saw a rainbow, as the rain finally began to clear. Was it a sign? Who knows? All I knew was I did not want a weekend like this for a long long time. How do I feel right now? Hope, there is always hope.
Sunday 22nd May 2005
So the day came, and thankfully I had many other things to occupy my mind before
the afternoon. The morning was rushed, While I was
busy cleaning my car, concentrating on the things
I thought are important to make an impression. I received
a text, the time had changed to 6pm, but the venue
remained the same. I should not have really had had
an issue with this, because logistically speaking
it was a goldmine. I think the idea just did not work
for me. It was in hindsight, an act of God. Giving
me extra time to prepare and work on the crucial aspect
of what I would truly be judged, not the image, but
the substance.
Leaving just after 5pm, I wanted time to pass, so
that my departure time was not too soon, showing
my keenness for the task ahead, but instead well timed
to arrived just before the others (as so often has
been the case). The motorway journey was relatively
clear and I made good progress. My choice of music
was predictable, by thinking about it now, Leave A
Light On by Berlinda Carlisle would have been much
more appropriate. That is another story, let me return
to the A40, on this Sunday evening. As I pulled off
the A-road, the traffic had increased, with a few
drivers, venturing out for the first time in the week,
and driving at the over caution 50 miles an hour.
Coming up the slip road, I noted a group of girls
in a Renault Clio behind me. They were around late
teens, singing along to the songs on the radio. I
looked back and caught the eye of the driver, in my
rear view mirror and just smiled. That helped, someone
to easy my nerves. I kept an eye on them, purely to
try to discover what they were singing along to. It
was too late, the lights turned green and I drove
up across onto the roundabout. I was at my destination.
Yesterday, I had even considered taking the major
detour of going across the roundabout and coming back
up the other slip road to avoid all the congestion
which always seems to over come this spot. Never mind,
it was not as if I had far to travel. Taking a u turn
across the roundabout and heading back north onto
the slip road back to the A40. Turning off just before
the Total petrol station, I drove across and parked
up. Switching off the engine, then the stereo, I took
a deep breath. This was it.
Getting back into my car, I felt strange. Feelings that I have not felt for
a long time, if ever before for that matter. How can
I summarise this into words for this blog? Misguided
and empty. Your mind saying one thing, being the voice
of reason as it always should be and your heart saying
something completely different, even though you know
what you long for is far far out of reach. My concentration
faded and I just wanted to go and sleep. Have you
ever had a moment, a moment that you had waited for
but came about unexpectedly and you didn't know how
to deal with it? You said what you did because you
felt it had to be said. Not because you felt there
was a need to cover old ground but purely to underline,
re-iterate your rock solid position. From my experience,
there are those people who've already made up their
minds, the remainder

Pulling into Wycombe, after filling my car with diesel, I really wondered what my next steps would be. Looking at the night sky dimming, I felt as lonely as the moon in the purple sky. Slowly it came to surface that I had a job to do. Something to occupy my time, that would take attention away from the topic at hand and instead focus all my efforts on the project in hand. Did I need any greater motivation?
As I came home there were the signs of Sunday evening,
all around. My Dad asleep on the sofa, my Mum busy
cleaning in the kitchen and getting clothes ready
for the working week. My sisters were upstairs, one
in her room, the other in the bathroom. I came into
my room and sank onto my bed. Looking around, I grabbed
my mobile. Nav had replied to my text, he was online,
waiting to speak to me. I felt a warmth surround me
and switched on my PC. Rarely would I be on so late
on a Sunday evening, but there were other more pressing
tasks to undertake than sleep. Particularly when the
future of one man, still to this day hangs in the
balance. A time for deeds, not words.
You only truly appreciate your friends when you are
on the ropes. Severely battered and bruise, but never
out for the count, it is your friends, your true friends
that come to your aid, to heal these wounds. So this
blog entry is dedicated firstly to all my friends
that were online tonight, Nav, Sippy and Emma. Sure,
the topic of conversation must be getting quite strained
recently and I would not be surprised if I was blocked
by many people for that reason alone. Yet, when I
needed them most they were there and listened to what
I had to say, did not pass judgment and just left
those small ounces of advice that you need to see
you through and never close the door at that point.
They stay to let you realise the deeper side to friendship,
beyond trust, mutual respect and companionship. Knowing
when to comment and when to stay silent.
The perfect moment to introduce a new but nevertheless supportive friend, Pooja.
You may have noticed her leaving comments on my blog
recently. She is a high school student from across
the water, and we got in touch, when I stumbled upon
her blog. While it may lack quantity, it makes up
in detail. I think I can truly say that I have found
a dedicated, the most dedicated fan of my blog. To
the extent, where she obtains the songs I have been
mentioning and enjoys them for herself and her own
personal moment. Don't believe me? There is some truth,
somewhere.
She describes it as an area to vent out her frustration
and steam about her world. I tend to agree with her,
that music is the one thing that can get you through.
Walking away. Never knew my blog affecting someone
read my blog in that way. Just proves that writing
this online journal sometimes, just sometimes bears
some meaning to the life of another person, thousands
of miles away, leading a completely different life.
Something tells me they will have to be releasing
songs at a desperate rate, to catch up with the roller
coaster emotional ride I have had this weekend. If
you include the final Star Wars movie, I've experienced
every human emotion known to man. What do I need?
I need a long Bank Holiday weekend to recover from
all this. Shame there is little time, I have plenty
work to be getting on with. Oh, the strains of modern
life.
Saturday 21st May 2005
The day of the cup final is always special, even if today felt different. I got up slightly later than normal and had some toast and tea for breakfast. Cruising the music television channels, I find myself tuning into VH1. They were doing a run down of the 500 Greatest British Songs this weekend. The opening to the song at 315, means everything to me. It perhaps was not as fitting how as it was nearly five years ago but the meaning was all the same. What sort of person are you? Do you walk away from your problems, avoiding them for as long as possible or do you take them, head on? Well, just like Craig David, there are times when I feel like just 'Walking Away'. Perhaps not today but there are times when I have taken some courage that I am not the only one. Ironically, 315 was the number of the night bus I used to catch from Wycombe town centre to Cressex every weekday. Thankfully, that part of my life is over, forever.
Back to the most important aspect of the day, the
big match. It had been built up for weeks and now
that it was finally here, I felt somewhat disappointed.
Sure, avoiding the newspapers and keeping what I read
on the web to a bear minimum. Nevertheless, there
was a feeling of unfinished business, as I sat down
at 1pm to watch the show, live on BBC1. I had seen
Arsenal crumble to Manchester United, twice already
this season in the league, and even in the worthless
cup, but the fact we played a C side that does not
count. Revenge is such a strong word. Taking what
was rightfully ours, is how I would prefer to label
the tact. We have a long traditional in this cup competition
and I felt, even without Henry, we had what it would
take to win this game, perhaps only with a single
goal, an act of genius. As it transpired, our most
crucial player was our goalkeeper, able to settle
some ghosts. My personal analysis? We did not perform
in the first half and looked like a team, willing
only to attack on the counter. We were much too patient,
waiting for things to happen. Man U, were able to
capitalize on this by piling on the pressure, consistently
but never able to create a real opening. Not sure
what was said at half time, but it woke us from our
slumber and we started putting passes together and
show some attacking might. This was in between dogmatic
pressure, which thanks to our keeper, we were able
to hold on for extra time. Overall, the better team,
deserved to win in open play, but just were not clinical
in their finishing. We were lucky. The limit of this
was when dear Freddie cleared a goal bound shot by
Ruud on the line. That was the closest clear cut chance
and you could see, over time that today would not
be for Alex. With the prospect of penalties I had
a sinking feeling. Reyes had been sent off and some
of our more experienced attackers had been substituted.
I took some comfort from our performance against Sheffield
United, which also went to spot kicks but a result
in our favour. Throughout the past week at work, I
was confident that Arsenal would come up with the
goods and the match had seen Lenhman hit another level.
Could he pull it off? As it transpired, he could but
I was on the edge of my seat all the way through.
Sometimes, the good guys win, no matter what obstacle
the bad guys put in the way. Expect a full review
from a drunkard Spanish resident,
tomorrow morning. Thankfully, we have one more season
to watch the Dutch
Master grace our screens.
If the weather tells a story of the day, then it
is so. The day began with slight drizzles and then
by midday it was raining heavily, with major downpour
around 1pm. This affected the broadcast of digital
satellite, which was annoying to say the least. Then,
during the match, the weather cleared somewhat. With
extra time looming the sun finally shown over in Cardiff,
while here in Wycombe it was still quite overcast.
Then, within moments of Arsenal clinching that final
penalty and the trophy, the sun came out to shine
brightly for me and not just on TV, I came into my
room to pick up my mobile, I had a text message and
my weekend was about to be turned upside down, but
for a change, for the better. So just like the weather,
my emotion has quickly shifted, like a roller coaster
from despondent emptiness, to meaningful delight.
Have faith in the promise of what tomorrow may bring.
Friday 20th May 2005
Thursdays, what is your view on them? Can you have a view on the day of the week? Perhaps not, because one Thursday, will never be like another. They stick in my mind for being crucial linkage between the middle and end of the week. The strongest example of this, is from my placement. I always remember driving home on a Thursday evening, it was late, cold October. Chris Moyles was blaring out, as he often did in the period in my life, on Radio One. While stuck in traffic for my sixty mile drive home I would think, thoughfully ponder, that the week was almost out. What had I achieved? Nothing. I was just looking forward to the moment, when this period of my life would be over.
This brings us right back, to yesterday. A staff meeting organised at short notice, but with a great buzz of excitement, particularly from the finance department. Yet, I knew there was little there for me. My attendence, perhaps not complusory, but I thought it best to go along and find out the official news surrounding this open secret. I came to fully appreciate what I discovered. The other side of the business, which puts so much into perspective, the pieces of the jigsaw falling into place. Everyday I get dragged into the negative, the limitations of the product, or even the service. Yet there are a whole group of people travelling the world (literally) to sell this product and others (still in development) based on the industry perception that we are market leaders for a this solution. While there is no doubt that new clients will drive this company and make them grow, there was a steady glare of anticipation, as the MD, cleary demonstrated on the white board, an example breakdown of revenue generation between two of products. There is some truth to say, that there is more to a sale than the initial revenue it creates. So, why, have I come to share, this sensitive information with you? Well, in bigger corporations, you get lost in your day to day task. Rarely having the opportunity to see the wider, bigger picture. I have finally found myself somewhere else. Here, I won't get lost as a number in the system. You can wager, that I will do my utmost to ensure, that never happens.
While most people would have enjoyed an hour away from the help desk on a Thursday afternoon, I was conscious of the fact that there would numerous voicemails, when I got back to my desk. To my surprise, there were none, and it was 6pm. Home time. I headed off home in my car, expecting to be home by 6.20pm, as normal. Little did I know the journey that lay before me. Sure, this is nothing compared to mission impossible in January 2003. Exactly, how long could a seven mile journey really take? The answer to that, you will find, shortly. The by pass was busy, with traffic built up almost to the roundabout I join it at. This was the first time I had seen vehicles backed up so far down the dual carriage way. It was decision time. The stubborn resolute part of me wanted to fight this one out. How bad could the traffic really be? The fact it was not moving, should have really been a clear indication that I would be sitting here for some time. So I made the move, only to regret it later. I came off the A road. I rarely take photos with my trusty, Nokia 6230 prefering to use a dedicated device. However, when I am out and about it is useful to capture the moment. So here we are the first image recorded from my camera phone, uploaded to my blog.

So, as you can clearly see I took the first available slip road. Most of the vehicles were heading west, but I was going to go east and use of familiar short cuts. This was to be in time my downfall. As I headed towards Bourne End, in detail I mapped the journey ahead. It was not going to be pretty, particularly for the car, but it was going to get me home as quickly as possible. Taking the country road into Flackwell Heath, I became aggrogrant with my good fortune and took one last fatal throw of the dice. I decided to take the single track country lane, which cuts underneath the by-pass and come back to the main motorway junction from Marlow. Nobody else would dare to follow my example to take this route, off the beaten track? I was wrong, not only were their cars ahead of me, there were cars following me, so the journey plan was destoryed. A driver of a Ford Galaxy, perhaps for the first time venturing into the green and pleasant land of the country, was completely unable to cope with the demands of driving in the country. To begin with, I felt we were making great progress, but as I headed around the corner, I saw in the distant this dark blue people carrier stop and engage the reverse gear and back we came. Then, vehicle and after vehicle past and I felt somewhat dismayed that I would not be getting home any time soon. Stop start, reverse. This was the tale of what was to be the final leg of my journey. I was wrong, for more obsticles lay in my path. This so called, 'shortcut' should have shaved around 20 minutes off my journey, but instead added some thirty minutes. No matter, as I zoomed under the bypass, I came up to the main road. A right turn and I was home free. No, I looked ahead and saw a line of traffic, almost a mile long. This called for furhter evasive moves, so I turned left heading back into Marlow (the whole earlier part of this journey wasted) not knowing if there were further delays ahead. I had to take that chance, while in my head mapping the next rearranged route. This was going to get me home, but it was the most inconceivable way of doing so. Eventually I got home, at 7pm, an hour after I had left the office, which is 7 miles away and clocked up around 20 miles in doing so and burnt more fuel than I would like to imagine. The morale of the story is, always have a plan B.
Today there was finally some light for a week when I have been in the dark. After several weeks of radio silence, I finally got in touch with the one, yesterday afternoon. While this was surprising, as I had expected at least another week before they would get in touch. Though I should not be so ungrateful and be thankfully that they were able to appear on MSN. The fact I was at work, did not get in the way of brief conversation. Finally, was this the moment I had been waiting for? To be honest, I do not know, but if I am still in the dark, how do you think the other party is at this moment in time. As the saying goes, the night is young and there is plenty of petrol left in the tank yet.
It has just clicked over to 1.15am, as I write this.
I left the cinema only twenty minutes ago, so this
review is ice cold fresh. A word of caution, due to
the late hour, I may not be quite on the same form,
as would normally be expected. Let me start, as all
stories should at the beginning. I left home at 9.45pm,
to give myself plenty of time before I got to the
cinema and the screening, I knew potentially this
screening would be busy, with people in Wycombe having
little else to do on a Friday right. (I was proved
right, as I will comment later). I wanted some time
to think, some time to prepare, so I walked slowly,
with no urgency in my stride. A journey that usually
takes five minutes by foot, took fifteen, as I noted
as I walked into the cinema. It was just before 10pm.
Quiet, dangerously quiet, with just a handful of people
queuing for tickets, all screens with tickets available.
I queued for some refreshments, even though, in reality
I did not want any. I was served by an skinny Eastern
European, whose grasp of English was limited to say
the least. I ordered as little as possible, but he
suddenly wanted to super size me and apparently save
me money? I was just no in the mood to be rattled
and argued, no, this is what I want, please give it
to me! He muttered to himself, that all he was trying
to do was save me money? I couldn't quite understand
that having more popcorn and beverage that I was able
to consume and therefore waste was actually saving
me money? A bitter feeling overcame me as I paid,
hoping that this was the low light of the evening
that things would only get better. I walked across
to screen 2, to the left of the complex and was told
that I would have to wait at least ten minutes while
the screen was cleaned. While I had no issue with
this, I became self conscious standing in queue, on
my own. While most parties were either couples or
groups of friends and family. I thought back to the
fact that I had been here before, able to record in vivid detail our last nine months
as students. While by the end of November, I had achieved
and excelled at this process, adding photographs and
capturing special moments in my gallery, my friend
did not have any web presence to speak off. A holding
page had gone and even the Uni server hosted site
had been removed. Would we ever see him back blogging?
In the meanwhile, the blogging community had grown,
to the point that last year, blog
became the word of the year. The statistics are mind
boggling, with a new weblog created every six six
seconds. While the rest of the world, and even Microsoft
caught the blogging bug, Sibtain was still no where
to be found. As our time at University came to an
end, I had new optimism that he would finally get
around to working on the site, that had be overdue
since October 2003, it was June 2004, and yet another
long hot summer lay ahead of us. Would he finally
make the breakthrough? He didn't and I don't think
I helped things? I would text him at the unearthly
hour of 5am, before I headed to work, with the single
word, "BLOG" and constantly pester him, whenever he
dared to show his face online via MSN.
Then, just before Christmas, I got in touch with Sippy
and he was working like a dog on the site, day and
night. I did not believe it to begin with, and thought
that nothing would be dusted until the moment I saw
the site online. This evening, just before 8pm, finally,
after a wait of two years version three was with us,
and the rest of cyberspace. Now, when you going to
add that next blog entry Sippy?
The weekend comes around and you want to make the
most of your spare time. I know I do, particularly
as my work life balance has now tipped slightly in
favour of life, rather than work. This weekend started
like any other, I had a predefined list of objectives
(including getting my haircut) and was able to get
all this done with no real problems. As I drove into
my home town, I looked up to the sky, which was clear
blue. Beautiful, I should have been listening to U2,
Beautiful
Day instead of some manufactured pop band.
I better get back to my movie review, even though it would do little justice to what is an extremely entertaining film. Instead I would like to quickly go over some of the major elements of this film that make it so special and in summary gather together my thoughts on the first three, final three and complete story in totality.
While this movie is highly entertaining, engaging and moving at times, it does
well to serve the purpose. To create the bridge to
the New Hope. I suppose, after two movies, the third
can always feel a let down. Perhaps knowing there
are not to be any further adventures leaves a questionable
empty feeling in your heart. As you watch the film,
it because less a question of why, but more of how.
Dedicate fans from around the world have been discussing
this motion picture for years, perhaps even decades.
There was even talk of episodes, VII, VIII, IX but
that was quickly ruled out by LucasFilm themselves.
When Phantom Menace came out, I felt a great overwhelming
sense of anticipation, fueled by all the marketing
spots, games, television and product placement through
the summer of 1999. Yet, perhaps then, it was less
shameless and tacky, as it as become now. The more
cynical among you will declare that this was never
the case, and the merchandising was only carried out
with some sense of dignity in the mid to late 1970s.
I would not know any different. The circumstances
then, were so different from today. I went to the
cinema with a group of friends in Reading, all of
whom were major Star Wars fans. I must admit, bigger
fans than myself. (I could never spend hours on multi-player
Jedi Knights, particularly on a flaky 33.6kbps modem.)
This evening, I went on my own and had nothing my
own thoughts for company. Shame, that in six years
I've gone from that, to this.
How do you make a movie, when all your loyal band
of followers already know what is going to happen?
This question got me thinking, during the course of
the movie on the vision. George had vision. To create
six films, but to in essence, break them into smaller
digestible components. How this series ever got made,
is a testimony to one man and one man alone. Can you
imagine, sitting there at the pitch? "Hi dudes, I'd
like to make picture (which I want full merchandising
control over, but we can get to that minor issue later)
actually make that six pictures. Yet, here is the
rub, start in the middle with the fourth story and
then perhaps in the future, go back and make the first
three movies!". He must have been laughed out of,
talked out of, or perhaps worse, of each boardroom
he went to. (Perhaps even the more recent Orange Wednesday
board too!). I do not know enough about the original
trilogy and how it came about to really give you much
insight into that world, behind the camera. Those
films were for my Dad's generation, which is what
they wanted and much more than they expected. Today,
the bar is much higher, and we as audiences are much
more sophisticated (and less shallow?). While, I feel
the original movies will never be surpassed in their
unique status within the realm of cinema, they have
tended to age less graciously with the introduction
of the final trilogy, which is for my generation.
The MTV watching, iPod wearing, Google surfing and
blog writing young band of new fans. Comparison is
so difficult to do, because there is more to this
than an age gap of some twenty years. While I envy
those people who were able to experience the force,
first hand and for the first time on the silver screen,
I do not wish to trade my position. I have been lucky
enough to grow up at a time, when Star Wars the phenomenon
had perhaps faded, but the introduction of new technology,
such as the home computer, saw the saga go from the
passive cinema to the engaging video
game.
While the critics will always find wholes, particularly in the dialogue and
acting, I can only summarise by saying the following.
Of all his qualities as a movie make, George Lucas
is this, a story teller. The most important aspect
of this entire six installment extravagant is the
tale of a fallen hero redeeming himself. Are we not
always seeing the path to the dark side, but redeeming
ourselves in the face of internal conflict? Always
choosing to take the righteous path, the path to the
Force? While people will always go into the deeper
and inner meanings of this tale, I have come to the
conclusion that it is this. A story, in the most purest
form. Of Good conquering evil, even when perhaps humanity
(or would that be the whole galaxy?) have lost hope.
The acting, dialogue and set pieces are all secondary
to this primary goal. If you judge this great man,
on this one criteria alone, you will see that he comes
out as one of the greatest story tellers of all time.
How to judge his success? When you go to the local
cinema, you will see the number of empty seats in
the cinema. For me, it was seat 14, next to me. Perhaps
I should have invited someone after all?
As I left the cinema, into the cool spring night, I looked up at the cloudy
night sky. A bright full moon, lit up the road as
I headed home. Then, it hit me. That is what it is
all about. In this movie, we feel we are always searching
for some great power, some Force that is beyond comprehension
for mice and men, mere mortals. Yet, as I looked back
to the road ahead, I realised this Force, is within
all of us. The ability to give love and to receive
love and ultimately to make one another happy. There
is no major intergalactic battle taking place out
there in the depths of space. The minor everyday issues
we have are with ourselves. When we doubt ourselves,
we make ourselves weaker. This fuels the fire of the
many whom would like to see us fall. Instead, we should
take note from this story, that whichever path we
decide to take, only true affection can determine
our destiny.
[2.17am - wow, that took some time to write. I have so much more to add, but I am going to get some rest now. Expect me to update this entry sometime tomorrow, with reference to Thursday and the chosen one.]
Wednesday 18th May 2005
After several years of thinking about it, talking
about it and evening dreaming about it, I did it.
I summed up the courage to head over to Arsenal.com
and join the club. The main prize of course is a season
ticket to the new Emirates stadium, but the journey
to that Mecca is long and not without struggle. This
is all part of the corporate plans of a PLC, to stop
too many people coming to watch a football club. So,
each stage of the process involves more money being
chastised out of your wallet. While football has gone
from a working class game into the multi billion dollar
business, with a handful of millionaires at the top,
I have no grudge to pay for entertainment. I hope
and pray that somehow I can get my hands on a season
ticket, sooner rather than later.
Regular readers of this blog, will know my detest for Monday morning. Though, there are certain special moments that get me through. This week, it was a little help from my friends, via e-mail, and even MSN Messenger. Simple, how just some words from a friend can change your day. I do not want to give the impression that I spend all day idle gossip, on the IM service. It helps to ease the burden of a busy day on the helpdesk. Particularly when in recent times the daily tussle has become such a standard strain.
Bought some hangers, on eBay on Monday. No, this
is not due to my workplace boredom. I felt this was
the ideal time to replace all my wire hangers with
fresh brand new sturdy wooden hangers for the whole
household. I think, eighty should do it. Consequently,
last week was my first year anniversary of opening
my account. In that time I have done far more purchasing
than selling, gaining six feedback stars. Therefore
to increase my use of the world famous brand, I have
decided upon a new challenge. I will not make any
purchases, until I have the clear funds in my PayPal
account. Therefore I need to do some major selling
before getting around to buying some items that are
on my wish list. So, some DVDs and VHS will be heading
out of the door. Been looking around but there is
little else of value that I could legally sell. If
you have any ideas, please get in touch. I would gladly
appreciate your suggestions.
After weeks of persuasion from Nav, I finally step over the ledge and downloaded MSN 7. However, I am strictly getting a feel for the software on my work PC before taking the final step of installing on my home PC. I never beta software, particularly for Microsoft, of all software houses. Most of my techie friends have been using it for months, but I never went beyond 6.2. There was little need, because I make great use of MSN Plus! which does everything I need. I had downloaded the executable at work, last week and it had been lying in my Downloads folder for days, until today, when I took that major step. Sure, some of the little touches are cute, but I doubt they will have ever lasting appeal. My full review will come in due course.
Months before this blog started, I went to see Attack
Of The Clones, at the then, Warner Village cinema
in Leicester. It was my second year at University
and I was disappointed with the overall response from
my friends to go and see the sci-fi classic. So, one
afternoon, I think it was 16th May, I went across
to watch the movie on my own. I know this sounds pathetic,
but I was not willing to wait around. I had an entire
row to myself and although disappointed in my lack
of company, I had Yoda and the other Jedi Knights.
Just before the main battle scene at the end, I had
a thought, which I wish I could have transmitted to
my friend, Pav
at that very instant. I was thinking to myself, we
have never seen the Master in a light sabre battle.
Within a second, George answered my call. Amazing.
Once again, on Friday night at 10.15pm, I will be
heading to the cinema, on my own. On this occasion
it will be the local FlimWorks, which although out
of favour, is local, expensive but nevertheless, a
five minute hassle free walk away. Prepare yourself
for the final installment, my final review on the
saga, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday 14th May 2005
Are you superstitious? I was more inclined to believe in such things when I was younger. These days however, I tend to be of the mind, that there are those of us who create our own luck. Friday 13th, has never turned out to be a day of misfortune, so I approach it very much as any other. No one will know how to pronounce it, but there is actually a word to describe the fear of Friday 13th. God help those people suffering from that condition.
Always on the look out for new blogs to read, but
perhaps I should pay more attention to the blogs I
currently list as favourites. If I am honest, I have
not found many blogs that I have read and instantly
wanted to bookmark. Some, you read and enjoy a few
recent entries, but there is not that magic that compels
you to come back for more. Nazma's blog
is refreshing to read and sometimes I am guilty of
not spending enough time reading past entries. Her
writing style is intelligent, entertaining and always
dramatic. So much goes on in her life, it difficult
to keep up with events. At times it develops into
sheer poetry and raises a smile. Well done on the
end of your exams. Just the long holiday that lies
ahead of you now.p
With the final match day of the Premiership tomorrow, I thought I would look
back to August. Seems like years ago, back then my
life was so different. Work overshadowed everything,
so the weekends became a major solace for me. An escape
from reality. I remember sitting down and watching
Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, for the first game
of the season. Arsenal played Everton on the following
day, which I remember just as if it was last weekend.
We had a record to protect and extend and I was glad
when we made the perfect start. Thankfully, August
is not too far away. In between we have the big speculations,
comings and goings plus the major turmoil over at
Old Trafford. Should make for an interesting pre-season.
Dr. Who tonight was fantastic. Mainly because they
traveled back to the 1980s. Something I have longed
to do for several years. Sure, it is a hopeless, meaningless
dream. Rose finally began to understand the implications
of changing her past, only to make things worse, rather
than better. My desire to back to the decade of my
birth, is not to save a life or even make any changes.
I plan to just live a selfish dream. Relive the artificial
highs and take in the sounds and visions first hand,
rather than through nostalgic eyes, as I have to at
the moment. Back to reality, I have been very impressed
with the return of the sci-fi screens to the BBC.
They should be congratulated on pulling this out of
the bag, particularly as every episode has improved
over the weeks. Next week, a return to war town London,
looks magnificent. Never before have I seen a television
series which have improved in quality, with every
passing episode. Bring on next Saturday 7pm.
Thursday 12th May 2005
This may be hard to believe, but sometimes I have
no motivation to blog. I surf the web and look out
for the latest happenings in the blogosphere. I find
personal web sites and blogs, online journals and
am struck by how interesting and unique, the author
leads. Then, I look back at myself and consider my
blog as a whole. Overall, it is not generally that
exciting and I am nothing but a monotonous exciting,
with very few talking points. Though, unlike some,
I vow never to leave the blogging world. The ability
to record, document my life is crucial, even if somewhat
egotistical. It gives me the power to be able to look
back at January 2005, in a way I would not be able
to do before. I can recall, my movements, the music
I was listening to and more importantly the people
I was thinking of (and of course, still am!). I needed
inspiration. It came in the form of 90 minutes of
mind blowing football. I was taken back, to 6th March
2004. Arsenal were playing Portsmouth in the FA Cup,
screened live on BBC1. One of the few football matches
I was able to watch, in my final year at University.
Ironically, it was also the date of my sister Natalie's
birthday, but I had more important things to consider,
as I came to sit down on the sofa that evening. I
was joined by Paul, not sure where my other house
mate Nav was (possibly back home for the weekend).
Paul is a casual football fan, but even he was impressed
by the free flowing, slick passing of the Gunners
and took time away from commercial coding projects
to enjoy the game. As an Arsenal fan, it was a performance,
that makes you smile with glee. Poetry in motion,
as we sealed our place in the semi-finals. The BBC
in a master stroke of pure genius decided to play
a French song over the credits. The song was by the
Beautiful South - Les Yeux Ouverts. Translated means,
Open Eyes and the melody is exactly the same as Dream
A Little Dream Of Me, as sung by Mama Cass. This was
the perfect choice, as you watched some our stars
players stroking the ball around the park, toying
with the Portsmouth defence. Overall, it was the best
performance from Arsenal I had ever seen. Until last
night. I had high expectations for the game against
Everton, even though there was little riding on it
whatsoever. The last Prem Plus pay per view match
to be screened this season, and the final pound to
be cashed from my Prem Plus season ticket of Ł50.
I still think I only watched a handful of games, mainly
those featuring Arsenal. Never mind, this is not a
moment for Murdoch bashing. As the teams came out
onto the Highbury pitch for the last time in their
famous red and white, I had a feeling. A feeling that
this was going to be a great game. Everton started
off well, but suddenly Arsenal came to live, stringing
passes together and Dennis Bergkamp, the Dutch Master
was at the centre of everything. We were back to our
best, and even surpassing our performance from thirteen
months ago. Magical to watch, breathtaking passes,
one touch football, patient play. My Mum who has little
understanding of football, was well impressed. For
a change, I think she was happy to for go her three
hours of back to back Indian soap operas. At first
half, with a controlling lead, I considered what could
happen. Usually we go to sleep, and let the opposition
play in the second half, which lets them grow in confidence
and as in past games this season we surrender a comfortable
lead. Fear, is something all footballers, on the pitch
have to contend with. Yet, with a few changes and
the captain armband switching to DB10, there was also
the introduction of Henry. Never had my mouth watered
at the prospect of Arsenal, really turning on the
style. The anticipation was just too much and I did
not want the game to end, was this well oiled machine
getting into the high gears. Read the view from Spain,
Arse
Blog but also the latest from all the news services
on NewsNow.
I text a work colleague, at the final whistle, "Anyone
remember, boring boring Arsenal?" His reply was to
just rub my nose in it, "CHAMPIONS!". Yes, a Chelsea
fan. No matter what anyone says, August is not too
far away. That is when dreams will crumble.
Watching Arsenal in this record breaking performance, made me consider the fact that I should be there, watching the game from the North Bank and not from the comfort of my sofa. I need to get myself moving to be in line for a season ticket for the new stadium. First stop however, is the final game at Highbury. Plus, I may not exactly agree with the colour, but going to have to order me one of these.
It is usually at this time we all begin making plans for the summer. So what
have you got planned? Every year, I build this period
up, as something unforgettable is just around the
corner. In the end, nothing major happens and life
as always just passes me by. While everyone else goes
out and enjoys themselves. Today is going to be different.
Today there will not be the sweeping statements that
this summer brings with the possibility of sheer joy,
happiness and warmth. The realist will tell you that
expecting the unexpected is a much better way to live
your life. Instead there are no big plans, no surprises,
I am just going to continue on this journey and see
where it takes me. The door is always open, for anyone.
So should they decide to come back into my life, I
will always let them in. If I am honest, September
has always been the best month of the year for me.
Why? Just consult the archives.
So we come to the underlying situation that continues.
Progress is slow, almost nonexistent if I am honest
with myself. At times I wonder why I have worked myself
up into this situation. There are times when they
are constantly in my thoughts, in all my conversations,
even my dreams. Then days go by, when I am focused
on more important aspects of my life. Sure, I wish
there was something I could do. Something I could
say. A killer line, like the hook in a romantic song
that would make life much more easier for me. Yet
the truth, if it would be told is. That I am as much
in the dark, as the readers of this blog. In recent
days I have come to conclusion that I must consider
the future. A future which may not include them. A
future, when I walk off into the sunset alone. While
this is very hard, when anything significant is yet
to happen, I realise that deep in my heart it is the
only thing that will let me switch off and move on.
As difficult as it will be. I must look to the months
ahead and while there is just one date in the diary
so far, I hope I can be bold enough to make it many
more.
Sunday 8th May 2005
As another weekend draws to a close, I use this time
on a Sunday evening to reflect. This day of the week
has changed, so much for me over the years. At University,
particularly in my first year, it was a time to rest,
get shopping done, perhaps go down to the local Odeon
cinema with my friends from halls. In the second year,
moving into a house, things changed. Located further
off campus, it meant I had become displaced from many
of my friends from the first year. The day was spent
working, until 2pm. Returning to the house to have
some lunch, get some work done and prepare for another
week of lectures, trials and tribulations. My third
year was spent on placement, weekends are blurred
in between my 600 mile a week trek to Bedford. I am
confident, that I spent Sundays recuperating. Then,
the final year, once again in a student house, Sundays
were strange. Sure, I had bucket loads of work to
be getting on with, but I tended to take my time and
get things completed as I saw fit. My housemates,
both on a Masters course, tended to go to church around
7pm, so I was on my own for a few hours. While I did
not mind this at all, I had plenty to occupy myself
with, it is just strange, now looking back at those
times. At times life was empty and I could not see
the finish line, but now is not the time to mention
such things. Anything of note has been recorded, and
there is nothing that can be gained by going back
with post mortems and what if scenarios. We are altogether
a better person and heading, for once in my life,
the right direction. Onwards and upwards.
Getting up early, on Saturday, I got ready and headed
off to Slough. I did not mention it at the time, but
I had my first test drive in the Fiat
Stilo
Abarth in October (the exact date loses me now).
Then, I had a quick drive which meant I drove home
and then back to the dealership on the Bath Road.
This time around, I wanted to make sure I got a better
feel for the vehicle. This time around, I was given
a black, 03 plate, hatchback, which had been on display
on the forecourt. Due to this, I had to have those
unlicensed plates on the front and back. Then, it
was not until after I had driven off, and was way
into my journey on the M4, that I realised that the
salesman had not given me the Sat Nav CD, so no talked
navigation, I had to settle for the radio. Eventually,
I got it tuned into KISS
100. What can I say? The car feels so much like
me? you put your foot down and the big engine roars
to life! Yet, this car has a special feature, which
I want to keep under wraps for now. It relates to
a tale from my college days, and you will have to
wait for a few months for that particular entry. Does that make sense? To read the full details of
my obsession with this automobile, which started in
April 2003, yes, I know two years ago.
When I returned the car, just a few minutes after
midday, I took my time, admiring the cars on show
in the showroom. Fiat had just that day, launched
the limited edition, Fiat Stilo Schumacher.
Not only does the GP Champion give his name to this
hot hatch, the whole package has been improved with
thanks to Pro Drive. However, the specification in
the UK still does not pull a single punch against
that available on the continent. Therefore, I'll be
sticking to the Abarth, thanks very much. Oh, but
I will be having the addition of the GP kit. Those
18" alloys, just look too tasty. Planned to be dropping
on my driveway towards the end of June. So, stay tuned.
Arsenal beat Liverpool to secure themselves 2nd place, with automatic qualification
into next season's Champions League. Fantastic game
to watch, with Arsenal at their entertaining best
in the first half, only to take the foot off the gas
pedal in the second half to soak up pressure from
the Mersey side European Cup Finalists. Thankfully,
our little Spaniard, smashed home the third goal to
take the tie beyond Liverpool. Joy in the blue half
of the city. Did you see the intelligent, well waited
pass by Bergkamp? For once, I disagree with Arse Blog,
and he deserves one final season at Highbury. Now,
what do I have to do, to get onto the waiting list
for a season ticket?
Friday 6th May 2005
With Friday comes my weekly blog entry. Sometimes, I consider that I should keep my blogging to this one day a week and include a detailed roundup of all the events in my week. While this was not be difficult to achieve, I feel the ability to record any moment in my life, which I deem appropriate or rather news worthy, gives for a much more entertaining blog. Friday is my favourite day of the week and in the evening I have the first opportunity to take stock of the working week, look forward to the weekend and make plans for the coming few weeks.
My mobile is never on during the course of my working
day. Working on a help desk, answering calls to a
0800 number means I have little time to take my own
personal calls. I may switch it on during the lunch
hour to check if have messages, but generally I switch
it on at 6pm, as I leave the office and get into my
car. Most of the tine, there are no texts coming through
and no voicemails waiting. Yesterday, Thursday evening
was different. As I got to the exit and main road,
my phone, now in my top right breast pocket, vibrated.
First it was a voicemail, so I stopped the car, listened
to the first few minutes of the message and killed
the call. Then, back to the driving, heading home.
My phone vibrated again, this time it was a text message.
Completed unexpected, it was from the one person who
has been on my mind more than anyone else. Yet another
appearance on Murdoch's flagship News channel was
scheduled for this evening at 7pm. No problem, I would
be easily able to cast my vote
and be back in time to catch the latest from Santa
Barbara. Seconds later, I got another text message,
sent earlier that afternoon. The appearance had been
moved to 6.45pm. This was going to be tight. I put
my foot down, thinking of the most suitable reply
to the original message, as I sped across from the
lavish Berkshire countryside into the deep Chiltern
hills. The clock was ticking. I needed to get home,
collect my vote notices and then walk over to the
polling station for my ward. Then rush back in time
to catch Sky News. As I left the house and walked
up the road, I checked my watch, it was coming up
to 6.30pm and I would have to rush to get back in
time. Some among you may have opted to go and carry
out your democratic right, your civic duty later in
the evening. This evening had been planned for months
in advanced. I was not going to let myself or my dear
Grandfather down. So, walked at a brisk pace to the
polling station which is only 5 minutes away. Not
sure why some people would decide to drive there,
there is no parking and major roadworks on the main
road. For my first true taste of democracy this was
not the most memorable. At the entrance, an lady in
the autumn of her hears, checked and recorded my number
on the electoral roll. Then, I entered this local
Community Centre. The queue was surprising long, with
around half a dozen people ahead of me, and only three
voting booths erected in the middle of the main stage.
This is it, I thought to myself, as I watched the
machinery of the people power hard at work ahead of
me. A system was clearly in place and executed with
precision. The first lady, took your voting cards,
noted your number and issued the parliamentary voting
paper, passing this along to the next lady. She then
noted down the my electoral number on what like a
raffle ticket booklet. My local council ballot paper
was then issued and both papers passed onto to a middle
aged man, who had the fantastic job of operating a
stapler. Then, the papers were passed onto me, with
my polling cards tossed onto a back table, which had
by this time, a mountain of other cards. These were
the most important documents that I had in my hand,
as I headed towards the only voting booth that was
free. In the middle, a small blunt pencil had been
placed and I quickly marked a large cross on both
papers, folded them and placed them into the ballot
box. This final act, was perhaps the most satisfying
of all. Putting to rest, four weeks of strained campaigning,
which had seen the news services converted into this
industrial strength election organ grinders. Enough,
I had other things on my mind, as I left the building,
rushing back towards home. As I approached my housing
estate (that does not sound right, perhaps my residential
neighborhood) my mind came to the realisation that
perhaps I had missed this appearance and not to fret,
for there would be plenty more before the case was
laid to rest. The sun was shining brightly for the
final burst of sunshine for the day, as I headed back.
I got in, switching on the television, checking the
time it was 6.46pm, I had made it just in time. Watching
my television light up with your face, in mid flow
responding to some tough questions from the news presenter.
Comfortable under pressure, the professional performance
always comes through with something positive to give
back. Then before I had time to sit down, they news
agenda changed to another story, sports, if my memory
serves me correctly. The moment was gone. I had to
get in touch, let them know they had done a good job,
but also confirm that I had been able to catch the
last glimpsing moments of them on satellite. Wish
there was more I could do, than be a mere spectator
watching from a far!
I know there is a long tradition to always rebel against the town of your birth.
Not in the sense you hold a great grudge against the
place, but just the fact that it is boring, there
is nothing to do. Whenever you do go out, it is the
same places and the same old faces. As my blog entry
from Easter 2003, April
20th to be exact, clearly demonstrates. Thankfully,
that will all soon come to an end. When I read through
our local free paper, The Star, I was intrigued to
discover a one page article about the redevelopment
of the town centre. This programme has only just entered
the first phase, but the plans are breathtaking. If
all dreams become a reality and the artist impressions
and computer generated images come close to match
the bricks and mortar that is laid, Wycombe, my Wycombe
will be the place to go and be seen. Watch this space,
this is not going to be an overnight miracle, but
I look forward to the day, when I say I am from High
Wycombe, people sit up, take notice and actually want
to visit the place. Oh, by the way, for pure reference
purposes, here is the Google
Map of my home town.
Wednesday 4th May 2005
The big day is tomorrow, and finally after what seems
like a lifetime, but was only four weeks of campaigning,
or rather electioneering.
The only breakthrough in this election has been the
blog going from the past time of geek's and social
outcasts to the forefront of the news providing, even
news making process. The BBC got in there with their
Election Weblog.
The dish served here was more entertainment in the
form of the odd slice of apple pie, occasional with
some double cream. While the old hands put their hands
to a much more deserving cause, the Guardian Election
Blog
using FlickR and
the Folksonomic
Zeitgeist. I am looking forward to casting my
vote. This is the first election, when I will be able
to practice true democracy. In 2001, I place a postal
vote as I was studying at University. I also happened
to be more interested and less confused as the residents
of the Newsnight Student
House. Do people not know that people died
for this right? It should been seen as a privilege
and not wasted. For once in your life, taking part
actually counts! My polling cards are on my desk,
waiting for tomorrow and I intend to take the stroll
down to the Community Centre as soon as I get home
tomorrow evening around 6.20pm. I just hope Friday
morning is as a new dawn, as it is a new day.
As you would expect, the Singing In The Rain Remix, as featured on the VW Golf
GTI, The Original, Updated television commercial,
will be released next month. The song is by Mint Royale
and is actually worth listening to. Just a shame that
the television spot ruins it for your imagination.
Just read my thoughts on this betrayal by the German
car manufacturer from February.
Still waiting for some of the anthems, that will define
this year and more importantly, the summer. If you
hear anything that deserves a listen, please get in
touch.
I really need to get myself out of this strange mood,
I found myself in. The time away from work, away from
the professional environment, I fall into oppressed
mood of chasing a dream, an infatuation. While, in
the past such feelings would not have been as difficult
to bear, this is different. The lack of immediacy,
makes knowing where I stand, knowing if my feelings
are reciprocated, is an uphill struggle. Yet, I continue,
to go against my better judgment and pursue my dream.
While, at this stage, I can learn to live with being
patient, in time, perhaps this will be the one thing
that consumes me and destroys me? Who knows what the
future holds? I just wish, there was a way to read
someone's mind?
Talking of which. Hold on, let me start from the
beginning. My friends may have unrestricted internet
access at work, I tend to force control upon myself.
There is only one professional blog I visit while
in the office. Sure, it would be tempting to visit
my daily blogs (as listed on my blog roll) but I prefer
to save that reading for the moment my PC at home
boots up. Plus, many of the blogs I read, would not
be suitable to read in the work place. News
Blog from those fantastic people at the Guardian
is a fantastic resource. Not just the headline news
of the day, but quirky stories from around the world,
and a daily photograph from the days news. Yesterday,
this gem was listed but has of today been pulled by
eBay. So therefore you will have to believe me and
settle for this link
pick. I know you won't believe me, but a man was
selling a mind reading machine, similar to that worn
by Doctor Brown.
Better go watch the final episode of the Apprentice. Just so I can have a conversation with Sippy tomorrow. Otherwise he will just ignore me. Expect his response on his blog, sometime later this week, but I think it will finish with a bang!
Monday 2nd May 2005
May already? Where is this year going to? Time is
free flowing and at times, as one day passing into
a next, I seem to forget that it is 2005 and I turn,
24 this year. The summer is soon to be upon us and
with that comes those special moments that only the
hot weather can bring.
Funnily enough, as fate would have it, almost exactly
a year ago, I was discussing
a film. Well, not the film specifically but one of
the famous songs from the musical. The film is shown
annually on terrestrial television, during the festive
period. Last year, I had noted down, in the Radio
Times when it would be on Channel 4, but never
found the time to sit down and watch the spectacular
showcase. Never mind, there would be plenty of opportunity
to catch it again sometime soon. That opportunity
would not surface again, until last night. While grabbing
some food, I sat down to surf around the channels
to find something worth watching. When my Dad is at
home, he always switches the television over to TCM.
I am not of the vintage to enjoy watching the classics
of his era, just yet. However, last night, I did take
the step, as there was very little else being shown
on the other Sky Movie channels. To my delight, I
was able to catch the opening credits to West
Side Story. Finally, I came to realise why this
had been such a successful movie and why everyone
of a certain age has always recommend it to me. I
wish I had the time to watch the film in full, but
had to rename content with just watching my favourite
number. Just think, if the BBC had not decided to
use this as the title music to their World Cup coverage
in 1994, I may never have heard the song, consequently
the brilliance that is Romeo & Juliet, circa 1950.
Nothing else to report I'm afraid. Looking forward
to the West Brom play Arsenal in the Premiership as
we fight for 2nd place. As much as I hate Chelsea,
I suppose they deserved to win the title. Not sure
if it is refreshing to see another team, apart from
Manchester United gain the championship. Just wondering
how long I can avoid Chelsea fans at work. Bad enough
them winning the league, they still have a hand on
the Champions League. Although, they are foolish,
very foolish to think they will dominant the league
for the next ten years. Dream on. There is more to
success than the odd rouble.
Saturday 30th April 2005
It has been so long since I went to the cinema, that
I cannot even remember what I last saw on the big
screen. This was an important event. This was the
first movie of the period commonly referred to as
the Summer Blockbuster. The big hitters coming along
with major movies of the year, to entice the paying
public to part with their cash and take their children
along (to those suitable offerings). Read more about
this and other rumours from the Hollywood, home of
the beautiful people at Tagliners.
So, I headed into Reading on Friday night, my old
stomping ground. Many a night spent out on the tiles
here, particularly during my college days. Busy, as
expected there was enough time for me to catch up
with my friend, in a bar, just next door to the cinema,
before we headed in to see the main feature. We had
to queue, but there were only a handful of people
ahead of us. We had taken the wise decision (this
time) to get to the correct screen in plenty of time
and actually have some choice of seating for a change.
While unreserved seating does have it's limitations,
there is something that can be said about allocation
as given by my local multiplex.
Then again, that is the one only redeeming feature.
Enough of this idle narrative, let us move onto the
main event. I think it is foolish to consider this
a sci-fi movie and therefore exclude yourself from
watching (I am of course referring to the large female
contingent, that read this blog). Sure, there are
science fiction references, littered all across the
screen, from the title to the actual great question.
Though I wish to stress that the film overall is a
highly entertaining adventure. The casting was inspired,
with unknowns taking the place of actual characters,
with the more well known celebrities voicing the machinery.
I have not read the book, so apart from the basic
concept of the story, which I already knew, I am in
no position to comment whether this was a worthy adaptation
from the book. For a film, dedicated to the memory
of the late Doughlas
Adams my friend, who had read the text, smiled
with glee, telling me that it was a great interpretation
of the story. This is a film that perhaps in the past
I would not have seen, tending to watch such films
on television or perhaps DVD. While I am sure I will
see more amazing films to watch over the coming months,
I doubt many will be as entertaining to watch or as
original in concept, and so quintessentially British.
If you find yourself bored over the cause of the next
few days, I highly recommend you go down to your local
multiplex and watch this film. It will by no means,
blow you away but it will entertain you and you will
leave the cinema with a big grin on your face!
so, what did you plan to do over the Bank Holiday
Weekend? Myself, well nothing really. Just an opportunity
to rest and sort myself out. Saturday morning, was
a quick trip into the town centre, to arrange a few
things. Nothing major but something that needed to
be done and that I had been putting off since the
turn of the year. Then I came home and after lunch
decided what to do with my day. There was something
that I had been wanting for my room, since October
but never got around to buying. January had come and
gone, missing the sales hadn't been the main barrier,
just my lazy self. So I put it to myself that I was
going to go and hunt down what I had been looking
for. The product in question? An executive leather
chair, which would not been missing from the office
of any major managing director (or would that be boardroom,
yeah, Sippy?) My destination? Slough, and the famous
Bath Road. I had an ulterior motive for going to Slough,
but that is not important. Little did I know that
this was about to turn out to be a wasted afternoon,
but I was confident of making something out of the
day. To achieve something, even if a minor accomplishment.
So, there was, a sunny Saturday afternoon, going in
and out of every furniture store and retail outlet,
with little success. My final stop was to Office World,
which although open, had half the store closed for
renovation. At last, I found some chairs, but the
quality to cost factor was questionable. Plus, not
only was the design of putting and out of character
for my room, they were not that comfortable to sit
upon, which meant, long nights in front of my machine
would have got unbearable. I headed out back to my
car, disappointed, perhaps the net was the only place
to seriously look? After all, I know exactly what
I am looking for and am sure there is a store dedicated
to my type of product. We shall see. It was 3pm and
I wanted to make my way back. Having promised my Mum
to pick up a two big bags of compost from a local
garden centre, I decided upon my course of action,
the moment I got home. You may have heard 1980s pop
starlet, Kim
Wilde advertising for a well known nationwide
chain
of garden centres. This runs along side her other
commercial engagement, with a high street supplier
of food supplements.
Sorry, I digress, back to Saturday afternoon. Our
local branch is on the A40, between Beaconsfield Old
Town and Loudwater. On my there, I got a text message
and scrambled around my pockets to get to my phone
and read the message. While it had the sentiments
were what I had expected, they arrived later than
I had anticipated. No matter, it was the second part
of the SMS which briefly warmed my heart. It was 3.30pm
and I had two hours until scheduled appearance. Not
wanting to waste anytime, I loaded up two compost
bags onto my wheel barrow come trolley, rushed to
the till and headed home. Wycombe was busy, and I
did not get home until just before 4pm. A man on a
mission, I changed into some rough clothes and began
to mow the lawn, front and rear. It had been 35 days
since I had last cut the grass, and it was in a sorry
state. All to aware I was until a critical time constraint,
I tried to complete the job as quickly as possible.
The front garden (if you can actually refer to it
as that) was a simple task and no more than a twenty
minute job. I quickly cleared up and then headed back
outside to the rear garden. This is where the real
job lay. Under normal circumstances I would stop,
clean the Flymo
at least once in between completing the garden. Today,
there would be no such pit stop, I just raced up and
down the lawn in record time. I rushed into the house
to catch the time, it was a quarter past five. Carrying
out some cleaning, I packed away the kit, into the
shed. The final job was to take the compost bags out
of my boot and place them in the garden, ready for
the arrival of my Mum from shopping, so she could
do some gardening later this evening. By the time
I had cleaned myself up, grabbed a drink, I sat down
and tuned over to 501 on the Sky
Digital set top box. The on screen clock, ticked over
to 5.30pm. Perfect. I sat down and waited. Apart from
the main event, this was an opportunity for me to
catch up on the news. I had listen to various CDs
in the car and not put on the radio, so was quite
oblivious to world events and terror attacks in Africa.
While I was glad to get a job, well done in time to
watch Sky
News I was concerned that I may not be able to
see the person, I was hoping to see. The clock ticked
and the rolling news, rolled on. (Sorry, I agree that
this posting is not up to my usual high standard,
I hope I am forgiven.) Then, with minutes remaining
until 6pm, the topic changed to the trial.
There they were, as large as life, as beautiful as
the sunshine that was filling my living room. While
their onscreen time was crucially cut short, they
nevertheless delivered a credible and positive defence
for what has been a difficult week for the pop star.
Then, in an instant, they were gone and the news presenter
moved onto the next story, the next headline and the
next analyst. This is the era will live in, of 24
hour news and online news feeds (even blogs, if you
will). In this celebrity obsessed world, you are only
as good as your last headline. Just a shame, that
this particular person is not making headlines, just
a part of them. Perhaps, I just wish they were a part
of mine. One step at a time, one step at a time.
Thursday 28th April 2005
So we come to the end of yet another working week,
but on this occasion we have the comforting thought
of a Bank Holiday Weekend. Though I do not have anything
major planned, I thought I would post a quick entry,
to ease us into the three day break. Work has been
steady and far more bearable with much less stress.
Though I must confess, at times I wish there were
more challenges to undertake, but must not grumble.
A summer of blockbusters on the silver screen begin,
tomorrow night when I go to see, Hitchhiker's
Guide To The Galaxy. This would not be something
I would normally go to see, particularly at the cinema,
but I am curious. This curiosity stems from over eleven
years ago, during my first RE lesson at my secondary
school. The teacher had decided to bring up the question
of faith and asked that momentous of questions about
Life, the Universe and Everything.
To this day, I do not know why she decided to bring
up the book by Doughlas Adams and never decided to
read the book, listen to the radio shows or watch
the 1981 television series. It may have been an attempt by the teacher to break the ice and be humourous. Perhaps this is the best
way to kick off my summer. An entertaining movie,
from which I expect little and therefore can look
forward to the subsequent films that I will be watching
over the coming few months. Unfortunately I do not
have the creative ability to do a preview, like a
certain Mr. Bandali
knocked together two years ago on his weblog. Starting
a petition or just pestering him may force his hand
once again! Over the weekend, I will let you know
what I thought of the movie, but from what I have
seen in the television trailer, it does look fantastic.
What else? Very little I am afraid, even though I
wish I was making more progress on other shores than
I am. Letting things lie and just getting on with
it may seem like a great option at the time but what
other door is open to me? Sure it is hard but the
more I evaluate my current circumstances, I feel less
a burden upon my shoulders. When someone is busy,
when someone has their own agenda that they are surrounding
themselves in, there is little room for movement.
By following your heart, you always leave the opportunity
for it to be broken, but it is far better to have
done the things that you thought were right. So, perhaps
tomorrow when I get some response, some feedback and
a warm glow touches my heart, I will feel glad for
taking such steps. Time will tell, but you will read
it here first, no matter how ambiguous the recital
of events are to write up.
Have a great weekend, whatever you get up to!
Saturday 23rd April 2005
Following a difficult few weeks in the office, work has found some stability.
I am busy, but there is not the major urgency to respond
to disasters as has been the case over a fortnight
ago. So, how do I feel? I feel better every passing
day and knowing that things are happening for me,
even if progress does appear to be somewhat slow.
Perhaps slow is not the ideal world, the results of
my work are going to take some time to bear fruit.
As I have said on several occasions, I am here for
the long haul.
Thursday was a difficult day, and while I masked
this in my entry a few days ago, perhaps I should
let you know how I felt, leaving the office. Before
I do that, let me first explain myself. As I pull
into the car park, I automatically, lower the volume
to the CD I am listening to a soft whisper on the
stereo. Then, finding a space, or alternatively blocking
in about four vehicles, I stop and switch of the engine.
For a few minutes, I ponder my mood. Trying to predict
how I will feel as I enter my car, at the end of the
working day. In doing so, I select the most appropriate
track to compliment my mood, for a few minutes after
6pm. Sure, sometimes I get it wrong and my judgment
comes into question. Thursday morning, was a case
in point. I had been listening to my Drive Time album
and was actually tracking back from the end of the
album. In a rush, to just select something, I choose
a song, which I knew was highly inappropriate, but
left it selected and headed in, to get on with my
day. You have to realise, that I do not recall the
song I have pre-selected until the moment I switch
on my stereo, so it was a bit of a shock to discover
myself listening to a song, I had not heard for some
time. Even with a recent appearance on The
Games (which my friend Nav, was hooked on!) and
up coming appearance on Hit
Me Baby One More Time on the other side.
Yes, I freely admit, I was listening to The One &
Only by Chesney
Hawkes. In an attempt to recreate the opening
titles, from Doctor
Hollywood, I opened both the front windows, to
let the air rush in, as I put my foot down on the
gas pedal, and pushed the follow up on the CD player.
For a split second, I drifted far away and was for
the next few minutes at least, somewhere else, if
in my mind only. Nothing like a song to lift you up.
Nothing like a moment deemed by others (perhaps someone
who may have seen this act) as out of character. On
Friday morning, I had selected Republic - "Ready To
Go" as my Friday night tune, to head off into the
weekend. This was closely followed by Unbreakable
by Michael Jackson. My reaction when any upbeat number
by the King of Pop is to begin clicking my fingers,
tap my feet and even attempt to sing along (very badly).
My emotions are stirred in a way that cannot be achieved
by any other artist. For a few minutes at least, you
feel invincible. Why oh why, was the album not marketed
as it should have been in 2001? This could have had
an amazing video and been a major chart hit across
the world. :( It is nothing for me to moan to the
suits at Sony
all I can do is sit back and enjoy the music. Hoping
that one day, my idol will return.

Watching the final installment of the Paxman Interviews, I felt rather let
down. His looked like a flawed feeble leader, having
to resort to pieces of paper
for a quote. If the quote was so important, and covering
the core policy of immigration, you feel he would
have the courtesy to memorise it. Jeremy, summarised
the feeling of the nation at the end of the interview
in a quick intersection, "Your going to need a miracle
to win this election." Michael of course, was far
more reassured in his position and that of his party.
He was not going to admit defeat now, on life television,
13 days before an election. Don't worry, only a few
weeks and you can be put out of your misery. Then,
the Tory party can elect a credible leader with the
potential to hold the office of Prime Minister.
Finally, it took five weeks for Tony Christie to appear live on Top Of The Pops and not a moment too soon. Perhaps they would only allow such a performance, once he had broken a string of records and got himself the first number one based on both single sales and legal downloads. I would like to stress the world legal there. Thank you.
Thusday 21st April 2005
Let me share with you a milestone in my life. When
did you catch the current affairs bug? you might be
too young, or find news and politics does not touch
your life. That is your opinion and you are entitled
to it. Let me take you back, 8 years, to a bright
Friday morning, my favourite day of the week, and
a new beginning. Labour had just won a landslide victory
in the General Election, and I was watching Sky
News before school. While munching away on my
Kelloggs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, I was trying my best to come
to grips with the significance of this new dawn. Not
only was I could up in this sense of new optimism.
Little did I know that this was to be a more significant
event in my personal life, than just in a change in
the political and social climate of our country.
Before that day in May, I so no real importance in
the news. My Dad would religiously watch the 6 and
also 9 o' clock news on BBC One. I saw little relevance
to the world outside. How could anything happening
in a land far far away, affect me on this little,
green, pleasant island. Yet, I do not want to give
the impression, I was a complete recluse. I knew the
main figures, our Prime Minister, some of the cabinet
and most other distinguished members of the house.
I just did not seen an importance for what can only
be referred to 'grown up' stuff. That all changed
in 1997, when I started to absorb the facts, the analysis
and all the angles in the lively debate that followed
any argument. Suddenly, I was hooked on BBC News,
Sky News and later Newsnight and Question Time. If
it was topical, I was watching, paying close attention
and forming my own opinions. I had been hit by the
news bug and there was no looking back.
Things became worse, with the advent of a dial-up connection at home, and the purchase of a WAP enabled mobile phone in December 2000. I was hooked on the mobile version of Ananova before Orange came along and bought the news service. Night after night was spending reading and digesting the news over my mobile phone, but the novelty of reading the latest news headlines in the palm of my hand, did eventually wear off. It was not until the advent of my broadband connection at home, that I finally was able to turn my hunger for the latest news into a reality. It was at this time, that blogs were beginning to find a footing on the world wide web, and everything, slowly fell into place.
That brings us swiftly onto my favourite news programmed,
tucked away on BBC
Two at 10.30pm. While, Jeremy
does not present it as much as I would have liked,
he does make the whole programme a joy to watch, regardless
of the subject matter being discussed. Down to just
two or three shows every week, Gavin Esler and Kirsty
Wark are inferior, if only in interview style to Paxo.
I know I have mentioned the show several times but
I don't think I have given the presenter, the showman,
the billing he so rightly deserves. It was this week,
he finally came into this own with the Paxman
Interviews. With the final encounter with Mr. Howard
to be screen tomorrow evening. Is there really a problem
when one man, of a large news corporation team can
on the PM and be left beaten.
As a strong believe in accountability, I feel it is
important for us to have someone out there, willing
to speak the voice of the man on the street. Ask the
questions that we want answered and not be frightened
to push Members of Parliament into a corner, if need
be. This is what makes watching Paxman in motion,
so engaging. Perhaps that is why the BBC keep him
under wraps for only a few nights a week on Newsnight.
The next question is why did they not do use a caricature
(better than these poor excuses
for artwork) of Paxman for the BBC Election trails?
Sunday 17th April 2005
Finally, after just under two weeks wait, the day
had arrived. The day when I would finally get a drive
around in Pav's 1995 M3 and meet some of his friends
from the e36coupe
forum. Perhaps I had hyped up the event too much,
but I was too excited and got up early for a Saturday
morning, at 7.30am. Knowing that Pav was already awake
and about to start cleaning, waxing and polishing
his motor before heading for Wycombe to pick me up.
By time the clock ticked 9am, I was getting bored
of music television. Sure they had played a handful
of music videos which I liked but most of it was annoying
contemporary material, which just does not agree with
me. I begin to text Pav, to get progress on his movements
and a potential ETA. It obviously was taking him longer
to clean his car than he had originally expected,
so I waited patiently, hoping that we would still
make it in time to G-Force. When another hour had
passed, I was beginning to lose some of my ice cool
nerve and text Pav. He was on his way but wanted me
to confirm the address our destination, so unwillingly,
I switched on my PC, went to Multi
Map to get some directions, which I quickly noted
down on a scrap of paper. My parents had gone out
in the other car, so I did not have access to my Road
Atlas. The directions I had noted were patchy, so
I was hoping that when we got into Aylesbury, Pav
would be able to work out the rest of route for himself.
My boredom hit rock bottom, when I decided to give
up on Sky and switch on my XBox and watch my small
collection of music videos. Thankfully, on watching
my second music video, I noticed the purple car pull
onto my driveway, Pav jump out and head towards my
door. I switched off the XBox and television and grabbed
my bag and headed for the door. My adventure was just
about to begin.
Shaking my friend's hand, I came out to admire the
time and effort he had spent cleaning his car. Sure,
it was not a showroom finish, but I had not expected
that. He had only had a few hours this morning to
prepare the car, so clean was a of a high standard,
regardless of the circumstances. It was gleaming,
but perhaps needed just another coat to finish the
job, but it was more than acceptable to be included
in the Total
BMW magazine feature. Getting into the car, I
had to adjust to low ride. I have not sat in that
many sports cars but I am always struck by how low
they are to the ground and how laid back the seating
position is. Adjusting the passenger seat back, I
got comfortable for the short ride across over to
Aylesbury. The traffic had built up by now, so Pav
was not really given the road to show me what the
car was capable of, but it didn't matter. It was a
great moment to catch up with him and things going
on in his life. Although the option to listen to the
stereo was there, after a few minutes, Pav turned
it off. He was not joking when he said it was completely
pants. (On the list of replacements, no doubt!) It
was a great experience to ride in the M3, and hear
that engine just roar at a slight touch of accelerator.
Nothing has been modified on the vehicle, whatsoever,
it is literally factory standard. Ten years and eighty
thousand odd miles on the clock, it lands in the lap
of this Beemer fanatic. As long as I can remember,
Pav has been into his BMW cars. I suppose, unlike
me, he is beginning to not just realise but live his
dream. I could go into the details of the day, of
getting there late, but in time to be featured in
the magazine (which should be published next month)
and some of the characters I met. There is little
time and what can I really say? It was a great day,
but the pictures will always tell a better, more fore
filling story.
I am proud to announce this site will be come the
unofficial blog for the planned modification to Pav's
M3, so I will keep you posted on his progress on his
beast.
Today, I drove to Nottingham with my Mum and sisters
to see my other sister, Natalie. We left around 11.30am,
which was way behind the planned departure time of
10am. Having spent most of Saturday out, I did not
have time to clean the cars, although I had squeezed
in a brisk hoover of the 307 just before Doctor
Who. So, I got up around 8.30am, had a quick breakfast
and headed out to jet wash my car, before we headed
to the Midlands. The drive was steady, with light
traffic on the way up. I opted for the scenic route,
via M40, then at junction 10, cruising down the A43
passed Silverstone and then onto the M1 northbound.
I find this journey, is the least monotonous and provides
a rest bite between the two major motorway segments.
Traffic tends to be dramatically reduced, so you are
less likely to encounter any careless drivers. We
made good time, but I was not in a mad rush, so kept
a steady 80-90 speed on the way up, enjoying the sunshine
and pleasant views of our green land. We got into
Natalie's student house around 1.30pm. The afternoon
was spent, watching the FA Cup Semi-Final and enjoying
some home made food. Shattered from the drive, and
long hard work at week, I drifted to sleep on the
sofa, while my sisters headed to Asda
to get some groceries. Waking up, I noticed the television
was still on quite loud and I had missed another two
goals, including a consolation for the Toon. Looking
at my watch, it was nearly 3.30pm, where had the day
gone? My thoughts turned to the FA Cup Semi-Final
yesterday afternoon and the fact I had not been able
to watch it live. Appears, that I missed nothing more
than a 'cricket' match, were the words of Mark Lawrenson
or Lawro
as he prefers to be called. Reading the full report
from Arse
Blog I tend to agree with his sentiments, even
if we face the old enemy one final time this season,
I feel we are just coming back to our best form, with
our full strength squad can smash this Manchester
United team apart. Particularly if Fergie uses is
the same tactics adopted in recent Premiership games.
Sure, they cannot be written off, just yet but I believe
we need to taste revenge and that will spur us on.
It was time to go, so when my sister's returned from
shopping, we made arrangements to head off. Heading
back onto the motorway, after filling the tank with
diesel, the weather turned and the showers began to
come down. The sky turned from a bright blue, to a
dull grey and I knew the journey home was going to
drag.

Sunday afternoons on the road, are always associated,
in my mind with Radio
One. For as long as I can remember, we would be
driving back home from a relative (either the Midlands
or Hertfordshire) and my Dad would put on the Top
40 chart. Times may have changed but tradition
and customs are more difficult to shift. My sister
Samantha, wanted to listen to CDs but I preferred
to listen to JK and Joel, as I had not done so before.
Sure, the chart show has changed from the hay day
with the legend, Mark Goodyear at the helm, but it
was worth listening this afternoon. Diamond Geezer,
as expected has all the details and his own personal
verdict
as expected. The combination of single retail sales
and downloads, does give the opportunity for the chart
to more closely reflect what people are listening
to and not just what he kids are buying this week.
Listening to the album chart segment, I was glad to
hear the Definitive Singles Collection,
spanning twenty years be featured and the fact they
played, "The Sun Always Shines On TV". A soft rock
pop song that is ideal for the moment, you change
up into fifth, and speed up, down a slip road onto
a motorway, just as the main instrumental introduction
kicks in. Perfect, just perfect.
Friday 15th April 2005
As yet another Friday disappears across the horizon,
maybe just maybe this entry will bring with it something
different. The day went as expected. Work was busy,
at times hectic but overall straightforward. Throughout
this week, I have woken up with acute but not heavy
headaches and this morning was no different. Hoping
a shower would help shake it off and give me some
relief I spent longer in the bathroom than normal.
It did little to help and by the time I got into the
car, the pain was there, throbbing in the background.
Knowing I would find it difficult to concentrate the
moment I walked into the office. Grabbing my bag I,
got out some tablets and decided to take one, holding
another in reserve for later in the morning. One was
enough, giving some relief from the pain and enabling
me to face the devil for the day. Not sure about your
work days, but mine tend to fly past. Mornings can
be slow, up to 11am, but by then something is happening
and various tasks that need to be completed. Then,
by the time lunch time comes around the office is
a buzz with colleagues making haste with bundles of
paperwork. Then, the afternoon long and drawn, stares
at us, as we watch the clocking, wanting the minutes
to pass by just that little bit brisker. The phones
pick up, so you are then constantly busy with various
support calls until the end of the day, but by then
the office has become quite a lonely place and there
are only a handful of colleagues still milling around.
Then, the dash for the car park to see only a handful
of cars remaining, with a few managers working late.
Then heading home, on a short, uneventful journey
to arrive home in time for Hollyoaks.
As I began writing this entry, WinAmp
was playing my Audio collection in the background,
as normal. I just dump a decade into the play list
and let the random shuffle take over. The song flicked
over to Take On Me. But not the original by teen pinups
a-ha
but the Metro Club Extended Mix by A1. Just as if
scripted by some top drawer Hollywood director, my
Dad walked into my room and told me that they were
on a UK tour, later this year and that I should book
tickets immediately, in order not to be disappointed.
My mind stopped and I considered that perhaps this
truly was my last chance. While a-ha are one of my
favourite bands (I have all but one of their albums)
I have yet to see them live. In December 1998, they
reformed for Nobel Peace Prize
ceremony concert and I should have been there. Sure
it was in Norway, but it was at the time my interest
in the band was at it's peak, and I had a large network
of international a-ha fans, whom I had made contact
with over the past few months. While I could be forgiven
to let that opportunity to see a-ha live slip, there
are no excuses for my next mistake. A few years later,
a-ha had produced a new studio album for the first
time in almost ten years and were once again touring.
In October 2002, their tour bought them to England,
namely Wembley Arena. On this occasion I got as far
as going to book a ticket online, but every attempt
I made, I reconsidered and decided to either wait
or perhaps have something more important going on.
As it would transpire, the weekend of the concert,
I would find myself in Wrexham, spending the weekend
renewing my long term friendship with DJ. So yet again,
I found myself with the opportunity to see one of
my favourite bands live in the UK. The choice of venue
was important, I had Wednesday local trip to Wembley
or a Saturday night in the Midlands. I opted for the
earlier weekend date, purely for the ability to make
a weekend out of the concert and spend time shopping
at the BullRing or locality. So the two tickets are
booked. Now, the next big questions, who do I take
with me?
I am constantly surprised and inspired by the regular
response I get for this blog. Comments tend to be
quite thin on the ground generally and most postings
are undeserving of any feedback. Yet a band of loyal
readers feel it important to comment on what I have
said and give their own fifty pence. It is not always
my own selfish ego that makes me come back and write
on this web site. It is more and more about the people
who read and enjoy reading this site that make me
strive to continue.
Thursday 14th April 2005
Three years ago, someone very close to me, was wild
about the debut song by new starlet, Vanessa Carlton.
At the time, I thought of it, nothing more than a
great song, with a great melody and inspiringly fresh
video. Listening to it now, on MTV Hits last night,
I awoke from my sleep and realise how important the
lyrics are to me, in the present, in the here and
now. The brief verse which rings an eternal truth,
"It's always times like these, When I think of you,
And I wonder, If you ever, Think of me". While I try
my best to not fall into such stupid notions of dreamland,
it is difficult. Someone can be in your thoughts constantly,
but you never know for sure, if they ever reciprocate
this affection for you in return. That is not a major
question for me right now. The road is long and I
have the added benefit of time to guide me. What am
I striving for? We all know the answer to this question,
the truth and an end to the lies. When this happens,
the door will become open and my path to the one.
Not much to report I am afraid, work has been hectic
and demanding, but nothing more than is expected.
The middle of April and with the mixed weather, comes
the realisation that I have now been working for four
months into this support role. Time has been flying
and I am learning more and more every day. Sure, I
may wish my job was more exciting and glamorous but
right now, that is not what my heart longs for. Stability,
a foundation from which to gain experience and develop
nurture my skills. Hmmmm, perhaps I better stop myself
before this entry becomes far too work related.
There is very little going on in my life at the moment
and little to look forward. I do not want to give
the impression that I am not happy. This is no the
case, I am very content but putting this down into
words is difficult, particularly those whom do not
know me or make contact with me on a regular basis.
Slowly a routine and standard pattern is merging and
I suppose like any human being I am slightly, apprehensive.
The summer is around the corner and the prospects
limitless. Yet, inside I still feel that there is
something missing from this jigsaw puzzle. It is difficult
to put a finger on this 'something' but I am still
searching and contemplating. When was the last time
you feel like you could touch the moon and every single
one of your worries melted away in that instant? For
me that moment, perhaps have never truly materialised.
There is hope, my time will come.
Sunday 10th April 2005
Never expected the response I received in my comments
following on from the posting on Monday, regarding
events from last Sunday evening. While it is tempting
to stop this facade and reveal all, there would be
little fun to end the mystery so soon. I use the word
mystery loosely. Many of you, who read this blog will
already know who this mystery meeting was with. Those
who are still wondering whom I am talking about, really
need to open your eyes to some simple facts. This
may be too much of a give away, but the person has
only entered my life this calendar year, and is always
associated with a great superstar. That is enough
from me now on this subject, for I feel over the coming
months, there will be little fresh news on the topic.
I will endeavour to bring you any relevant information
but it really depends on how things are progresses
in the court room, as much as anything else.
I know I mentioned my FlickR
account, in the final entry from March.
That was more of just an announcement that I had taken
the bold step to open an account. Last night, I finally
got around to uploading some images. The full linkage
is on the Photos page. While
I am trying my best to take a photograph everyday,
this is of course, not always possible. Instead I
am trying to focus on quality rather than quantity.
My photos are going to be capturing a moment, foremost
then using my own creative ability to frame the moment
as best as I can. If you have a FlickR account yourself,
or recommend one, please drop me a line. I will create
a friends list and publish it online somewhere.
Music, one of my major passions. I have been working tirelessly to improve
my MP3 collection after a few months of neglect, even
if the hard disk capacity is nearly full. I need to
get back into the habit of watching music television
and making a list of mp3 tracks to download. A religious
task, it became part of my weekly Friday evening routine,
while on my placement. I would watch the Box, as they
screened all the fresh hits and then, later that evening
I would download as many of the songs I could, then
blog about them. I miss those days, those nights spent
trying to put together a review of my week. While
that was a difficult time for me, personally and professional
I think overall the experience was valuable on so
many levels. I realised the true meaning of hard work
and knowing that no matter what happens, there is
always hope. My blog was just beginning and I can
never look back with anything but a smile.
There have been a few new tracks that I have downloaded
this week. WarezP2P has been experiencing major problems
over the past few days, so I have diverted to eDonkey2000.
Although the interface takes a little getting used
to, it is by far more reliable than WarezP2P or even
KaZaa Lite. Most of the tracks I have downloaded,
I mentioned in my last few postings. Apart from one.
While I have little time for Jennifer Lopez (or is
that J Lo or perhaps more accurately, Jennifer Anthony)
the celebrity or even movie star, I have plenty of
time for her music. While I was blow away by her entrance
onto the music scene back in 1999, with some radio
friendly Latino flavoured numbers. My personal view
is that she has either found it very difficult to
find a comfortable genre for herself and her music
or has just decided to always go with whatever is
in fashion. (Why does my mind tell me that the later
is more likely the truth) She has had several collaborations
and while I have no care for who is has or has not
married this month, the music does stand out. By music
I am referring to the tracks that are hidden on the
albums and never really gain any commercial notoriety.
For example, The One, as featured on the album, This
Is Me... Then is an amazing song, moving and strong,
with the vocals coming through on a sentimental musical
arrangement. When you hear the lyrics, you see the
quality and talent that this woman possess and a voice
which is almost angelic. Over the course of several
other tracks, she is able to capture the mood of a
song and put this across. "Baby, I Love You" is a
prime example of being able to adapt her vocals to
the needs of the song. On Friday, I saw the ending
of a video featuring Fat Joe, but was unable to note
down the title. I made it my mission last night to
find it and listen to it, in full. To my surprise
I did not find the song featuring Fat Joe, but instead
Don
Omar. Not sure if this a change of direction for
Jennifer but it is indeed a beautiful song and well
sung, as expected. While I also downloaded the other
version, the latino flavoured Omar version is far
superior. Watch the video and read the comments
on a blog dedicated to the actress and Hollywood starlet.
Just what the Doctor ordered, a feel good track to
get me through another tough week at the office. :)
Next weekend, Saturday in fact is all about some pure BMW
M3
Power. My friend Pav is getting his M3 chipped and
I will meeting up with some of his petrol head friends
over at G
Force Motorsport. Should be an exciting day, if
you can recall the experience in the 325 just a few
weeks ago. I will be taking my trusty digital camera
and recording as many highlights of the day as my
compact flash media will allow.
Tuesday 5th April 2005
What are your views on BMW
drivers? I have to be careful with my response, as
my good friend, Pav
is the proud owner of two! Well the Answer comes from
the Bank.
There is a sound reason
why we hate them. I had a run in myself on Monday
morning, down the by-pass, but for once, I had (indirectly)
the last laugh. A black 3 series saloon was pushing
the road to the limit and overtook me at high speed.
I thought it best to make the most of this high speed
driver clearing the road ahead. Keeping my distance,
I accelerated to catch him up (if I can ever realistically
do anything but chase a Beemer!) Then, as the traffic
cleared, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the
most magnificent sight. There are few machines that
can be as beautiful as a woman. Nothing beats the
figure of a fine lady, but there are some exceptions.
Being a gentleman of the road, I pulled to the side
in good time and let the driver of this classic automobile
overtake me. His target was the BMW and I took so
much joy, watching the Beemer driver squirm at the
monstrous presence of a Aston
Martin DB9.
Instantly, he pulled out of the way, to let the super
car pass, knowing all too well that he had just been
given a taste of his own medicine. Revenge is a dish
best served cold. We love it when a hero comes along
and beats the villain in the end! ;)
Came home on Monday evening to watch some much needed
music television. VH1
were having a battle of the decades, the Eighties
versus the Nineties. For me, you would think it would
be an easy call. The time of my birth, but there are
reasons why it was never going to be such a simple
split second decision. A song from 1999 came on, with
a familiar introduction, so I put the volume up and
sat down to watch the video. Nothing spectacular,
but a feel good anthem, with a fun no nonsense video.
Although I did not like them to begin with, in time
I was converted and was even saddened at their departure
from the music scene a few years later. I am talking
about the boy band, 5ive.
The video was Keep On Moving (as featured on 8th videos
on 5ive USA). This event started a chain reaction
with me longing to listen to boy bands on my journey
into work the following morning. Now just where did
I put my Drive Time album?
With the election less than a month away, we are
under the invasion. The blog invasion, with even BBC
News Online getting a piece
of the action. Diamond
Geezer pools everything
together. Though I think I will be switching between
the Beeb and the Guardians very own election
blog. Not sure if all this news and analysis will
be digested by the public (who are at the end of the
day 'boss') I think I'm looking forward to Crick's
Chopper every night on Newsnight.
Which brings me onto the worst words in the political world.
Surely there are more grimmer ways for us to have
some revenge on our elected representatives. Someone
much darker, must keep them awake at night. Perhaps
the greatest enemy to the Corporation is one man and
his blog.
Sunday 3rd April 2005
So I settled down in front of the computer for the
remainder of the afternoon and the rest of the day.
Or so I thought, at the time. Someone came online,
which in weeks gone passed would have sent me into
sheer ecstasy. That was then, this is me now. Instead,
I noted the presence of them online and continue to
do, whatever I was doing. (Obviously it was not that
interesting because I can't remember much about it).
Then, to my shock and surprise an MSN window opened
and they said, "Hi". While this alone was a cause
for a minor celebration, the plot actually begins
to thicken, from here on in. Bear with me. This surprise
conversation was leading to another more substantial
surprise. Mentioning a minor event taking place in
Central London and passing on an open, if not personal
invitation to come along. I pondered, as I often do
and was never that definitive man of action, which
I sometimes play up to. Should I go? It boiled down
to a similar matter of how much I wanted something
and whether such a dilemma can be resolved by following
my heart. What did I have to lose? In prospect was
another boring Sunday evening, doing nothing in particularly
exciting. Yet, still I needed my mind eased by a quick
discussion with some of my closest friends. Friends
that had been there from the beginning.
I called Nav on his mobile, and like a superhero responding
to their call sign he came online, as the phone was
ringing, so I duly hung up, to begin a conversation
online rather than via voice. I did not have time
to explain everything on MSN, so I reverted back to
the phone and called his land line, when I got hold
of him, I explained the situation and what options
were open to me. His final words rang in my ears,
as I decided to go for it.
I got dropped off at High Wycombe station at 17:59,
only to hear my train rattle by as I purchased my
ticket. I should have waited for the next train, which
was just over thirty minutes away but instead I wanted
to get there ahead of time. So I got my sister first
to drop me at Gerrards Cross, which was about twenty
five minutes away, but my train was to reach the platform
in under fifteen. There was a need for speed and the
need for another option. Without wanting to drive
a crazy distance, my sister dropped me off at Uxbridge
underground station. I raced onto the platform, vowing
to take the next available train into the City. This
was my first stumbling point, unknown weekend disruption.
I should have gone onto the Piccadilly train but opted
for a Metropolitan line service because initially
this was the quickest way into Central. How wrong
I was be. The tube took to me Ratners Lane, where
I got off and waited for the next Piccadilly Line
train to keep me around North West London. Having
a few minutes spare, I rushed across to the displayed
tube map and quickly calculated my route, via Ealing
Broadway and the Central Line direct. A few minutes
later, while I had confirmed in my mind the route,
the next train came along the platform and I boarded,
looking and my watch, watching the sun set in the
distance. My mind working overtime to calculate my
estimated time of arrive, 7pm was slowly drifted off
the horizon and I would be lucky to get there for
8pm. Determined to make an appearance of some description,
I send a brief text message, hoping that some news
was better than no news. Not having time to check
for a delivery report I made my way, on the final
leg of my journey. As I came off the tube train at
Ealing Broadway, I ran at speed to the Central platform,
to jump onto the next train heading back into the
city, with just a few minutes to go. The night was
drawing in and we headed Underground, the number of
commuters increased and I smiled at the thought that
I no longer had to bear this time of journey for work
and only for pleasure.
As my tube journey came to an end, I scaled the dizzy heights
of the escalator at great speed and then, after passing
the barrier, heading up to the quiet pavement of Oxford
Street. The roads were fairly busy with several night
buses and taxis driving past. Once I got some bearings
I found the bar and headed in. Nervous, apprehensive
my head was racing. I grabbed a drink, to steady those
nerves. Following on from my journey, I feel I justly
deserved this moment to relax and take a deep breath.
Had this whole episode been a waste of my time and
expense? I was to discover this shortly. Sitting down,
I took a long gulp of my drink. They were going to
be downstairs, I took out my phone and dialed those
digits. My heart began racing again, and the phone
rang. The phone was answered and a friendly warm voice.
I got up from the chair and turn around, heading steadily
for the stairs, making a slow, firm descent into the
function room. So many thoughts rushed through my
mind, but the most important thing was to make eye
contact and smile. This was the moment, I had waited
nearly three months and was not expecting, to happen
for another few months.
Now, back to my notes. Yes, this entry was supposed
me all about music. Music because I had little else
to tell the world. That was what I thought at the
time. I was listening to Coming Around Again by the
fantastic Carly Simon the other day, and as usual,
when it comes to these great well known songs, I wondered
if anyone had been bold enough to attempt a cover.
This meant a trip over the Covers
Project. To my surprise this had been updated
and now featured of all things a blog
plus iTunes
and Amazon
sponsored linkage. This was a major improvement, even
if more ad intensive interface. Carrying out a quick
search, I noted that one of the bands to undertake
a cover were Copeland.
I tried to download the file on my favourite Peer
to Peer program, finding a file but not being able
to download it. It was not until this weekend, several
weeks later that I finally opened my 'Shared' folder
to discover the song laying there. I listened and
was hooked within the opening introduction. I then
searched deeper and discovered that they had actually
recorded a whole album last year full of their favourite
covers, dedicated to their fans. A taster, for them,
while the embarked on recorded their next studio album.
The full story is all there, on their official web
site. An album that was finally released last
month.
The BBC
are well renowned for selecting the perfect music
to sum up the feelings of a nation. They have been
doing it for so many years, they have become perfectionists
at the art. In June 2002, when England were knocked
out of the World Cup, they played Oasis - "Stop Crying
Your Heart Out". After the heroics of the Arsenal
squad in the FA Cup against Sheffield United in the
replay, once again the Beeb
chose the perfect track. Although at the time, it
was only the music and not the credits that came to
me. I e-mailed Match Of The Day to get the details.
Instead of a response to my e-mail, another fellow
was given the golden answer. Feeder - "Feeling A Moment".
Great video to this song too, but for the honest response,
you need to read the exploits of the biggest Feeder
fan,
I know. Maybe next week, my weekend will be slightly
less adventurous and I will be able to go into further
details of my ongoing passions.
Saturday 2nd April 2005
Yet again, I find myself at the beginning of a brand
new, a fresh slate, another month. April brings with
it the sweet taste of summer, just around the corner.
As the evenings become lighter, I leave work just
in time to catch the sunset on yet another day. British
Summer Time has is back with us. (Just look at the
long legal history.)
Or perhaps a quick trip over the fantastic resource
that is Wikipedia
with a brief history and dates for the how long summer
last until 2007.
The new month also takes me off the extended hour
at work, so I once again finish at 6pm, with a fantastic
opportunity to catch up on Hollyoaks.
I must clarify this point, I am not a major fan of
the Channel 4 soap. Missing episodes at length, is
no problem and I can live without it, which is a completely
different story from my obsessive behaviour with Eastenders.
My weekend routine does not allow me to digest the
omnibus, on Sunday mornings, it is just too long and
I hate the idea of sitting down and watching television
for extended periods of time, particularly on the
day of rest when there are much more pressing things
to be doing. Therefore my nature is to dip in and
out of the soap, with no religious conviction to catch
every episode.
The television theme continues with a mixed bag of
good and bad news. The Beeb has already commissioned
series two of our favourite Time Lord. While I was
pleased with this announcement, my personal opinion
is has come far too early. The decision was reported
on Wednesday 30th March, fours days after the first
episode was screened on BBC One.
Then while listening to Five
Live I heard the news that Chris Eccleston had
walked out on the role, fearing of being typecast
for the rest of this career. While at work, I noticed
a colleague had the Sun newspaper with the headline:
"Dr. Who Quits". While I can fully understand do respect
his decision, he should have stayed for a second series.
Being typecast is a fear of many big stars and for
some whom have fallen prey to the curse, there is
little solace.
As fans we now have the dilemma of a new doctor being
chosen who will not be able to incomparable to Chris.
While a new face, will give the second series a new
lease of life, whenever it is screened (later this
year?) I do not think Eccleston will be no match for
whoever comes to attempt to fills his shoes. I will
of course keep watching and keep enjoying the journeys
through time and space. Just a shame really, because
we have been deprived of the man, who in my eyes had
the making of the greatest Doctor ever.
On Thursday evening, I finally took some action,
I had had enough. For months, but increasingly the
past few weeks it had become a nightmare switching
on my PC. The root course of this problem casts the
finger of blame upon myself. In late July 2002, I
made the first major purchase following my first complete
month on my placement. A TDK Cyclone CD writer, was
installed to replaced a dated TEAC writer manufactured
in 1999 with a burn speed of 4. In doing so, I unclipped
the power switch from the front fascia and broke the
enclosure unit. Although initially I though I had
placed my PC into a state disrepair, it was the wrong
conclusion. With delicate precision I was able to
place the switch back into the enclosure mounted behind
the power button. The short term resolution was to
switch on my PC and then always reset it, to initiate
the boot up. This was not a problem until winter last
year. When attempting to switch on my PC, pressing
the power button - nothing would happen. It would
take several attempts before you hear the 'click'
of the power switch behind the fascia and the spinning
of hard disks and fans as the aging beast comes to
life. So on Thursday night my patience finally ran
out and I took some drastic action. For the rest,
you can admire my handy work for yourself. Perhaps
this will keep the machine slightly cooler, but in
case this just pushes forward my PC rebuild project.
A project that constantly keeps being pushing back,
with other more pressing financial commitments always
raring their ugly heads.

Wow, my train of thought in this blog posting is
amazing. Talking of financial commitments moves us
onto the next topic up for discussion. This is a crucial
month for me, as I rehabilitate into society. At the
end of this month, I begin paying back the debt of
my student load to the Student
Loans Company. Repaying my debt to society, with
an initial 9% deducted from my take home pay, which
will be a substantial amount of money, even though
I am on a good way for a Computer Scientist graduate.
You must remember that you are reading the blog of
one the most financially organised people in the world.
Every purchased is checked and double checked, every
credit card paid off in full at the end of the month,
never a penny of interest paid on any purchase ever.
Never taking out a loan or any other interest intensive
money plan. Even though I got a letter this morning
from CitiFinanical offering me a loan from £500
to £10,000. That was immediately destroyed and
placed into the recycle bin. So the thought of a massive
student loan hanging against me, would make me lose
sleep at night, but it has not. Can I tell you why?
Well of course you get regular statements from the
Glasgow office, explaining the situation of my account
and the amount of interest accrued so far. (The interest
is marginal and related to inflation. Therefore I
pay back exactly what I borrowed taking into account
how much the loan would be woth in today's money.)
What are your views on student loans and tuition fees?
Well my response perhaps will surprise you. I totally
agree with the idea of a loan system and repaying
them once you are earning. Although I think the terms
of my repayment deal are not as favourable as those
that will be offered to the class of 2006 onwards.
The days of free education from five to twenty five
are gone. The reality
is that University has to be funded and the student
is one of the pockets to pick, even if that is a mixture
of before, after and during their course. Then again,
University is not for everyone and the target of 50%
of school leavers aiming for Higher Education is unrealistic,
particularly in the current climate of the job market.
Talking to the Management Account about this very
subject at work, this week, he explained that my degree
was a 'waste' and I have a tendency to agree with
him. Little on my course prepared me for the demands
of everyday working environment, although I picked
up most of these skills in my placement year. In honest
reflection the most important skills I learnt were
on my placement and apart from a Networking module,
little that I learnt in the lecture theatre has any
influence on my day to day role on a Support Desk.
That then poses the question, what is a Computer Science
degree worth?
Monday 28th March 2005
So, the Easter weekend is over! Back to work tomorrow, back to reality with a bump! Did you do any of the following? When is the next Bank Holiday?
I had been planning this for several weeks, but finally
on Friday night, got around to creating my own FlickR
account. It was all prompted by an article on BBC
News last week.
I know that photos are an important element of any
blog and I have been falling behind, particularly
in recent months, for quality content in this area.
My gallery, is always coming up to being a year out
of date, so that will need an overhaul at some month
over the summer. My FlickR account is T3G
(Teg was unavailable) but I am yet to upload any images.
As a perfectionist, I want to firstly assure that
only the best photos are uploaded, but accurately
categorized and tagged. Give me some time and I hope
to bring some exciting images from my daily life.
In the meanwhile, if you have a gallery, which you
feel deserved a browse, please get in touch.
To fill in the gap between morning and afternoon,
I was looking for a new blog to inspire and entertain
me. I searched around Google for a while, with little
luck so transferred to Blogger
and used the Nav Bar and kept hitting on Next Blog
button to go onto the next random blog. Although I
found a few interesting blogs, they either appeared
to been abandoned or gone into a strange hiatus. To
my surprise, several blogs appeared which were just
spam, identical postings trying to sell a product
or service. As expected, my blog search proved unsuccessful.
So, once again I turn to you, dedicated reader. I
need to any suggestions for blogs, both personal,
work related or subject specific. Please drop me a
line and let me know. All suggestions will be gratefully
received and considered.
Saturday 26th March 2005
What do you do on your days off? I ask, because I
was having this discussion with a customer on the
phone, who had taken the day off to deal with all
the problems with her computer. In the course of the
conversation, I admitted that my days off are preplanned
with so many things to do. This Saturday was another
case in point. Usually, my weekend is spent resting
and cleaning the car. Having done this already yesterday,
I had other things to do. First was a trip over to
the Peugeot
dealership.
Then, while in the area, I was hoping to head over
to a local Honda
garage
but couldn't remember exactly where it was. The place
I thought it was, had been converted to an Alfa
Romeo sales showroom. Conscience of the time,
but not wanting to head home straight away, I took
a detour around the countryside, taking in some of
the pleasant views of our green land, around Berkshire.
The sun was shining, and for the first time, I put
the air conditioning on in the car, while cruising
around, admiring the view. My daydream could not last
forever, so I headed back into Wycombe town centre,
there were a few jobs to do. Plus, I was working to
a strict deadline, even if my actions and demeanor
did little to reflect this. My shopping trip into
town was not the standard browsing affair. I knew
what I wanted and made the two purchases, in quick
succession. No games, no sales pitch. I knew what
I was looking for, asked the sales assistant and paid
for my goods and left the store. Returning home, I
had a few hours to kill before the action began.
There is something that stirs inside, with the prospect of an England game. Even the meaningless friendly, brings a sense of great pride, deep passion for me. I suppose, this feeling, is built into the anticipation. Hope that over the next ninety minutes, heroes will be cemented and reputations forged forever. I expected a solid performance from England and a demolish of the Irish. The first half proved to be entertaining, with the English frontline, just could not produce the end product. Attack after attack, was either cleared or magnificently saved by Taylor. Goalless at half time, the air of anticipation was heighten, knowing full well that World Cup Qualification was hanging in the balance, particularly with Wales holding Austria to the same half time score up the road in Cardiff. The second half was either going to be more of the same, potentially Northern Ireland holding on and perhaps nicking a goal on a brief counter attack. Instead, to the delight of the sell out crowd at Old Trafford and the rest of the country, the script was different. For a change, Sven's chosen squad delivered the goods and in true style, with a young Joe Cole, particularly turning in a fine commanding performance. My hope is that this result can lead us to bigger and better things, as an air of confidence instills itself in the team and promise of Germany 2006. Wow, this is such a mouthwatering prospect.
Now, to the highlight of my weekend (so far). The
return of the great Doctor.
I've been waiting all my life for this moment in time,
my whole childhood has been standing still waiting
since 1989. Luckily I only watched a handful of episodes
(to my knowledge) in the late Eighties, therefore
did not get pulled in (perhaps that is impossible,
when you are aged seven). So, maybe that statement
is a slight over exaggeration. Nevertheless, I had
been waiting for tonight, 7pm for many years. I want
to be careful of what I say here. I am not some obsessive
fan of the sci-fi series, as some may believe. I watch
the shows, enjoy the movies and read some of the great
fan sites. The whole concept of the show is highly
appealing because of all the possibilities and always
has been. Glad to see it back were it belongs, on
the BBC and on a Saturday night. I did expect to be
disappointed but at 7.45pm, I was instead, looking
forward to the next installment. The most striking
aspect of the show, was the pace. Previous series
had too much time devoted to the Time Lord pondering
what to do next, or conjuring up some plan to defeat
the Darleks. Chris Ecceleston breaks the conventional
mould of the previous doctors but playing the role,
with a quick wit, raw urgency for action and an eye
for danger. I think it is important to put this episode
into context. It is the return of our beloved hero,
so therefore an introduction of what is yet to come.
The BBC would be foolish to play all their trump cards
in their first hand, for our expectations would be
too high for the whole series. Instead, they have
kept it simple, to bring us in and of course the great
band of new fans and hook us in for next Saturday
night. Perhaps the only person to truly give an accurate
verdict, is the last incarnation of the television
Doctor.
Friday 25th March 2005
So, here we are, yet another Easter. With the holiday
break upon us, and four days away from work, instead
of the customary two, I thought it important to consider
how quickly the year is passing already. Christmas,
feels only a few weeks away, but it is in fact exactly
three months ago. Why is the time passing so fast?
I know work is a major element. I am constantly busy,
so the days pass by within the blink of an eye and
the weeks seems to revolve around in an instant with
little rest bite. I get up, go to work, come home,
eat, watch television, go to sleep for the whole sequence
to start again, for the following day. While I confess,
routine is something my heart longs for, there is
something missing from the picture. Perhaps the fact
that days are passing by and my sense of achievement
is not as significant as for other people. No matter,
I plod on and keep on running, winning in some cases.
There are many milestones to come and I know at least
one is just around the corner, painted in a bright
maruno blue!
Today is Good Friday and this weekend, the Christian
festival of Easter. Sorry about stating the obvious,
I know there is little need to do so. Although there
is little need for me to dwell on this subject any
further, for DG
has done an excellent job explaining the rarity of
an early
Easter. Off all the blogs I read on a daily basis,
his has to be the most accurate in terms of content.
Every subject matter is thoroughly researched and
the opinion given with sound reasoning and each link
exclusively illustrating a point mate. At times, I
think I should stop blogging and just place a permanent
link to Diamond Geezer. The greatest thing about his
blog, is his ability to give you such a personal insight
into his life, without ever revealing his true identify.
It is super heroes such as this that the blogging
world salutes.
Of course, I have been patiently anticipating the
return of the great Doctor.
Although once again, there is little need for me to
go on about anything at all. I will be glued to the
television screen at 7pm tomorrow night, having successfully
taken hold of the Sky Remote. DG on this occasion
successfully links all of the previous television
doctors with London.
Strange how one location plays such an intriguing
part in the longest running sci-fi series
on television. I never knew I shared my birthday with
such a greatly loved hero.
This is actually turning out to be a 'lads' weekend.
With the afternoon starting with several World Cup
Qualifiers. I will of course be cheering on England
as they face home international rivals, Northern Ireland
at Old Trafford. The signs are that Sven should name
a positive line up with Joe Cole,
on the left wing. Although I am a great admirer of
the Chelsea man, I feel he still has loads to do,
to bridge the gap to international level. I think
England will secure their position top of the group,
after these next two matches, with the benefit of
home advantage. Then again, I could be eating my words,
Wednesday evening, when Azerbaijan
pull off an upset.
Tuesday 22nd March 2005
Firstly, I would like to apologise for my site being
unavailable for the past twenty hours. This is purely
down to the incompetent idiots, called Portland.
I will come to them, shortly. For now, let me begin
at the beginning. While working late, the office falls
into an eerie silence, with only the noise of my typing,
keeping me company. I watched, with envious eyes,
as my friends group on MSN started to fill, in contrast
to my work group, which was nearly empty. A few of
my friends, returning from work or the daily dosage
of education (be it school, college or university)
started a conversation with me, thinking I was home.
Quickly, trying to explain that I was still at work,
I passed over my personal web address, for them to
read the latest news. I was then informed that my
site was down, so I quickly checked myself and was
gutted to see my site down. This is not the first
time there has been substantial downtime for my site.
Sure, it is a personal site, but that is not the point,
I pay for quality hosting, which I was informed at
the time of purchase had a 99.99% uptime rate. What
makes the situation even worse, is that I was well
aware my hosting was coming up for renewal. So, last
Tuesday (15th March) I e-mailed Portland. (Only one
contact e-mail address - can you believe it?) The
e-mail was sent, I know, it is sitting in my sent
items folder. I was hoping for a reply by now, a week
is more than enough time. Instead, the twats pull
the plug on my site, without even notifying me. Then,
the cushing office hours are 9.30am until 4.30pm,
what sort of adequate coverage is that? I would not
have an issue with this, if their e-mail support lived
up to some sort of expectation. Then, when I got through
and spoke to some lady, she had the cheek to tell
me that the renewal notices had already gone out?
The second I received the e-mail, I paid up, thanks
to my flexible Visa friend and by midday my web site
was back up and running. Thank you finally, Portland.
If only they knew how disabled I feel without my web
site, somewhere all my dedicated fans can read all
about me and find out all that has been happening
in my life. I am going to put Portland on a probation
period, firstly judging them on the response I receive
from my letter of complaint, which should be issued
later this week. Then, if service is not improved,
which is high likely, I will port over to 123
Reg, which happens to host my other site (& blog)
andrewtegala
dot net. Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to
bite the bullet and admit that good service costs
money, and therefore third world quality just will
not do.
How are you? I feel good, even taking into account some of the other underlying issues that I have to deal with. Amazing, that is how I would describe the way in which one conversation on MSN, opened my eyes to the error of my ways. Others had cause to have the same opinion on my ongoing dilemma but I had not seen the writing on the wall, until Sunday night. While, I have to be careful to protect my sources and the identity of my friends, I feel I owe someone a great apology and another person a great big thank you. At last I have seen the error of my ways. I know that my approach was completely flawed, but I know only because you have told me as it really is, rather than the fantasy, which I saw unfolding before my very eyes. Yet, I wonder what now? To follow the course of action you are recommending is not impossible, difficult but by all means workable. I need to find something, rather than someone else to inspire for the time being, to take my mind off things.
The world awoke on Monday to note the passing of
a great man. Although, Mr. DeLorean shared the front
cover of the Guardian
newspaper, with his beloved DeLorean
sports car, I felt a deep sense of loss at his passing.
Never meeting the man, I felt touched by his dream,
his vision, his ability to go against all the odds
and build a car company from nothing. The car has
widespread appeal
and will continue to live on for another thirty years.
Many things have been written and said about John,
even the final sentence to his obituary
points towards some his rather shady dealings, which
bought him down, with his car company. Although, let
me tell you now, there is more to this than meets
the eye. Search around the web, there are many conspiracy
articles to be read, some of which hold water, against
a Conversative government lead by Marggy Thatcher.
Just read an archive article from BBC
News Online, gull wing for the gullible
I don't think! Dream makers are few and far between,
if you consider we are all dreamers. Perhaps for a
more balanced few we need to go back to the source.
The story could have been very different, if the DMC-12
would have been built in Mexico or Puerto Rico.
Sunday 20th March 2005
I began writing this post, mainly to give an update
on last night's posting. Then, my Dad called me to
let me know the news, I was stunned by what I was
told. John Z. DeLorean had passed away, at the age
of 80. Quickly, I went into the living room and channel
hopped across the 24 hour news channels but there
was no breaking news. Who would be interested in the
death of a salesman? To me, John represented something
far more than that. He was a visionary, willing to
not just think out of the box, but following this
with dedicated conviction. The result was a DeLorean
Motor Company and the DMC-12. You may have become
hooked like me in 1985, with the release of Back
To The Future, which bought the concept sports
car, wide fame and fortune. (On a side note, I love
the channel controller for five
they appear to always choose the 1980s classics
from my childhood and screen them in the family early
evening slot, every Sunday.) It has come as a shock
to hear of the passing of DeLorean, so the news has
only just now begun to filter onto the news web sites,
here is a quick roundup.
Expect further opinion from myself, once I have had
some time to digest the news. Will there be a segment
placed on Newsnight
or the trusty Newsblog
tomorrow morning.
What is it about the best laid plans of mice and men? Things never work out as you had hoped. While I am slowly coming to terms with this, I am not to sure how other people deal with continued disappointment. A brief conversation on MSN, brought with it the news that the scheduled appearance on Channel 4 News, had been cancelled. The other party, with whom the heated debate had pulled out, which has understandable consequences. While I was of course, disappointed, I should consider this perhaps a blessing in disguise. I had already had my thirty minute dosage yesterday afternoon and the fact that they would not be appearing on television to a much wider audience, allows my postings to still hold the air of mystery they are supposed to. My secret, if you can call it that, remains in place for the time being.
While I no longer watch television during weekday
mornings, I make up for this during the weekend. I
am usually the first awake in the household, particularly
on a Saturday. I switch on the television and instantly
tune into 440, cycling up to 473, which is the final
music channel. Then I start again from 440 and work
my way around again. Looking out for music videos
that appeal to me and my strange musical tastes. During
this time, which most people would regard as the most
awkward viewing of television, I usually find a few
favourites to enjoy. This afternoon was yet again,
a case in point. I was thinking about my current situation
and how I am waiting, letting things untangle themselves
in good time. Although the lyrics do not translate
exactly to my circumstances, the sentiment is there
for all to see (or is that hear?).
But I'm in so deep. You know I'm such a fool for you.
You got me wrapped around your finger, ah, ha, ha.
Do you have to let it linger? Do you have to, do you have to,
Do you have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you.
I thought nothing could go wrong,
But I was wrong. I was wrong.
If you, if you could get by, trying not to lie,
Things wouldn't be so confused and I wouldn't feel so used,
But you always really knew, I just wanna be with you.
Saturday 19th March 2005
Seven days have passed since my last posting, but
you don't need to have a Mathematics
degree to work that out. To say I have been busy,
would be an under statement. There just has been so
much going on, with the office move and technical
hiccups with gremlins in the phone system. Although
I did find the time to post on my work
blog. Days seem to be passing fast and the amount
of work I get done seems miniscule, almost unrecognizable.
Do not think I have worked for any firm, where the
days pass so quickly. Is that such a bad thing? Not
too sure, but wish I felt more productive than I do,
at the end of a hectic day, manning the phones.
The mission for this week, was to obtain the video
to the Comic Relief single, Tony Christie, featuring
Peter Kay, (Is
This The Way To) Amarillo?. Yes, the purists among
you would have told me to stop being such a tight
case, and go and purchase the single. After all it
is for charity.
But that would be too easy, so instead I decided to
hunt this humorous music video down. Well in fact,
I did none of the searching and left it in the hands
of a trusted friend. Coming back online, after an
absence of eleven days, Nav finally came online, after
replying my GMail
about his recent, AWOL
status. It was great to see him back online and catch
up. Unfortunately, he had not seen any of the seven
hours of nonstop entertainment on Red Nose Day, the
previous Friday, so I did my best to fill him in on
what he had missed. Pointing him firstly in the carefully
guided direction of my previous blog entry. That would
fill in most of the gaps. Sending the mp3 audio file,
across MSN, we both realised how much longer it would
take, compared to our days in the student house, last
year. MSN would detect that we both connected to a
local network and make use of the 100mbps bandwidth.
The file transferred soon enough and Nav too was able
to enjoy the splendor of this 1971 classic. Believe
me, it is catchy and you too soon will be humming
it everywhere you go, driving your work colleagues
and family mad. (I, would never stoop to that level,
keeping my composure, until I get in the car, of course!).
Then I began to explain the video, which my ex-house
mate had so cruelly missed out on seeing. Without
the benefit of Sky
Digital, there was little window of opportunity
for him to see it again, even though MTV
Hits and Smash
Hits have been screening the video regularly.
It was time to hunt this mpeg down (well we would
accept any viewable video format) and Nav soon locked
onto a file, but was hampered by the lack of users
sharing on the Peer to Peer network, KaZaa. (Even
though he was using KaZaa Lite, the clean, ad aware
and spy ware removed version of the software.) The
file was MPEG, around 48 megabytes in size and would
take around third minutes to download. However, as
both his house mates were also making good use of
the broadband connection, so the thirty minute download
was a very optimism estimate. It was getting late
by the time Nav had received the file and enjoyed
the comic moment of Heather McCartney in full Dorothy
dress, Ronnie Corbett falling off the treadmill, and
the return of Geoffrey and Bungle. But where on Earth
were George and Zippy? Maybe this is a question I
should pose to my dear friend, Sippy.
On a side note, a quick note on Rainbow. Check out
an episode
that happened to be broadcast to millions, but would
never see the light of day, on children's television
now. It is quite an innocent script, but just depends
on your frame of mind :) Back to my dilemma of getting
the video to me, Nav was not keen to transfer the
file over to me on MSN, as his upload speeds were
not much better than a conventional dial-up connection.
So, we arranged for him to transfer the file across
MSN the following day, during my lunch hour. Unfortunately,
Nav appeared and disappeared that Wednesday afternoon
and was not online again until Friday. When he reappeared,
I quickly opened a new conversation window with him.
Disappointed in the situation rather than being angry
at my friend, I came over with a rage, shouting at
him to pull the broadband plug on his housemates (in
affect disconnect them from the router) and transfer
the file to me, then reconnect them up. Not wanting
to cause any frustration to his housemates, Nav decided
to just transfer the file across on MSN, to check
the upload rate and then terminate if it was truly
not a viable option. The two attempts were unsuccessfully,
even though on the first dry run, we did get a modest
transfer rate, it was not sustainable. Nav raced to
think of other options. The other idea was to use
FTP but that would me, giving away sensitive account
details, which can only be changed with great difficulty.
The other option, which we had used in the past dropload.
Naveen would upload the file, then an e-mail would
be sent with a URL link, notify me that the upload
was complete and the file was ready to download. This
process proved the most effective and time efficient.
It took less than six minutes for me to download the
file. Transferring the file to my USB key, I was tempted
to watch the video for one reason and one reason alone.
Although there are speakers built into my monitor,
there is no speaker cable connected up the sound card.
In any case, I have my volume muted. I just detest
the constant pinging of MSN! The reason I opened the
file and watched the opening few seconds of the clip
on Windows Media Player, was to gauge the quality
of the MPEG. It was quite good, so my plans for the
evening would not be hampered. When I finished 7pm,
I left the office promptly, even if it was rather
eerie, to find it so empty and dead, on this Friday
evening, boxes to be unpacked over the weekend all
over the place. Returning home, I quickly transferred
the file over to my XBox
and quickly watched the video in all it's glory, with
full surround sound. The mission was a successfully
completed. I sunk back into the sofa and smiled, a
warm smile. At least one thing in my week turn out
the way it should.

Friday brought with it, a sunny afternoon, but being
cooped up in an office meant I had little time to
ponder the beautiful weather. Today, however was yet
another beautiful day. Though I did little make use
of the fine weather, I had other more important things
to concentrate on. After running a few errands and
dropping my Mum and youngest sister into town, I returned
home, in time to watch Blackburn play Arsenal on Sky's
Pay Per View service, PremPlus.
Yet another convincing performance from a depleted
side, with the average age of the outfield players
of 22. That is a year younger than me, so really puts
the lack of experience of the team into full focus.
I am sure there will be full post match analysis on
Arse
Blog. How was the rest of my day? Well uneventful,
if I am honest. I wanted to get some work done, tidy
up, file away some of my paperwork but as usually
only made tentative progress. As usually the weekend
begins with high expectations, but I never get anything
done. Then again, what do I actually do at the weekend?
On Friday, I discovered that once again, an appearance
would be made on a television news network. This time,
however it was not the rolling networks of Murdoch
or ITN. Instead,
on Sunday the appearance would be on the terrestrial
flagship news programme of Channel4.(The
same place where this story began, 75 days previously).
I felt a small warm tingle in my heart, comforted
to know that I would lay eyes on them again, but the
context would be somewhat negative and the circumstances
difficult. I had faith, that my friend (can I call
them my friend?) would be able to once again give
a fantastic account of themselves, the fans they represent
and the positive message they want to push forward
into the debate. I did not think much about the appearance
when I discovered it would be this weekend, I had
other more pressing things to consider. I came on
this afternoon, at the interval between the Arsenal
game, to catch up on my e-mails and read my daily
blogs. To my surprise, they were online, my heart
leapt for joy, but soon came crashing down again,
when it came apparent they had set their status to
Away. Reading the updated screen name, I noted that
they would be making an additional media spot this
evening on Sky
News at 5.30pm. I knew I had to catch this update
on the roundup from the trial. The previous time they
had been on, I had only caught a few minutes of the
exchanges. Being at my cousin's house in Hayes and
about to leave it was impossible to make out all the
discussion, particularly with a young seven month
baby, needing constant attention. My Mum had been
watching her soaps on Star Plus, but I was hoping
that I would be able to pry the Sky Remote from her,
to watch the thirty minute slot. To my delight, there
would be no need to have such a confrontation, my
Mum and my sister, Julie headed out to a friends house,
just before 4.30pm giving me the house to myself,
and of course more important full control on the television.
Tuning in early (as I always do) to hear the news
of the Welsh win in the Six Nations. Never been a
fan of rugby and hated playing in school. Diamond
Geezer has a point
that the sport is more of a spectator sport. Whereas,
most fans of football (isn't that the whole planet)
actually enjoy having a quick game on the grass, jumpers
for goalposts and all. So to be honest, I had no interest
in the result of this match, with the odd shaped ball.
I was only interested in the trial and being able
to see someone again. If you are waiting for me to
give a quick summary of the arguments and what was
said, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place.
There are plenty of other web sites, blogs and forums
where that will be discussed and in detail I am sure.
Here, on my site, there will only be a sincere appreciation
for what one person, one soul is doing to bring about
some positive influence, some rational thinking to
the trial of an everyday human being, that happens
to be greatest living entertainer of all time. I read
once, that Michael does his best to avoid the media,
and blanket out all the negative, derogatorily comments
that are berated at him. If this is the case, he is
going to miss, with the blink of an eye, someone,
doing so much for his cause. The cynical among you
will say that the situation is hopeless, and there
is little that a twenty year old Law student can do
to change the course of justice. True perhaps, but
for someone willing to go to such great length, personal
expense and sacrifice to make a difference, is there
not an ounce of gratitude? Making my response crystal
clear, in a short sharp text message, sent within
minutes of the broadcast ending, I wanted to let them
know I was thinking of them. The smallest of gestures,
but something I wanted to do, to prove that on this
occasion, I had been able to catch the discussion
in full. Even by sending the text message, I felt
empty. I feel, as if I matter less and less with every
proceeding week in the trial, as the days begin to
darken. Sure, I am a nobody, melting into the background,
writing carefully my feelings without giving away
too much information. Yet, with such public and easily
accessible appearances, most of you should have worked
out, to whom these final paragraphs are being dedicated.
They may never read them, could be better that way.
This is turning into a roller coaster ride but I am
not too sure if I am happy with prospect of so many
more lows before reaching the highs and exit platform.
A straight simple answer would be the easy option,
but whenever the conversation goes in that direction,
all I get is an awkward silence, or abrupt change
of topic. This either is the case of an individual
trying their best to hide their own true feelings
or unable to be honest with a friend and let them
down gently. Either option sounds more appealing than
the prospect of further wait. Hold on just a second,
it should just be another 75 days or so. Maybe then,
we'll begin Startin' Something. :)
Saturday 12th March 2005
Those who know me well, and even those who have only
recently got in touch should agree that of all the
words that can be used to describe me, optimistic
is for sure high on the list. Not sure where this
positive attitude came from, because I have in the
same vain, been told that I look too deep into things
and ponder the what if scenario too often. I would
never describe myself as happy
go lucky but I do tend to find solace in the minor
miracles that occur everyday. Observing the bright
blue cloudless sky as I drive to work, is one of those
moments. It was with these sentiments I came home
from a stressful day at work, knowing there was an
opportunity for Arsenal to progress to the quarter-finals
of the premiere European competition.
Having watched the beautiful game at it's most picturesque
the night before. The difference would come apparent
between the blue and red of London, over the course
of the evening.
In the strange world of Arse
Blog, the author had the benefit of a DeLorean
Time Machine, some school bully called Biff and a
Sports Almanac. So we were going to win an convincing
three - nil and batter the Munich defense. I didn't
quite share his great optimism on this occasion but
believed we would get two goals and then go through
on the away
goes rule. The first half was painful to watch,
pinned into our own goal area of most of the time,
defending set piece after set piece. Scrambling the
ball away, holding on frankly for life. The stats
appeared, and showed almost exact equal share of possession
between the German and English side, but it felt more
like 70% to them and the remainder to us. I had expected
more fire, desire, courage, particularly from our
big name star internationals. We came to life, towards
the end of the first half, taking a few shorts on
goal and Henry only being denied by Kahn. If this
tempo was to continue in the second half, I knew we
were in with a chance, just a small chance of going
through. So the second half came along and we played
like we should have played for the first 45. We kept
plugging away, but none of our major players came
up to the plate, until Henry came up with some magic.
I jumped off the sofa and much like the rest of the
Clock End, was overwhelmed by emotion. Could we come
up with another goal in the next thirty minutes? There
is a saying in football, never write off the Germans.
On Wednesday night, it was once again proved true.
But that Italian referee was a joke? How come we got
a policeman
and Chelski got arguable the best referee
in the world?
Did you watch Comic Relief last night? I try my best to watch as much of the live broadcast as possible, even if the clips showing the charity's work in Africa and the UK is sometimes too hard to bear. The story of the young street child, looking for her older sister, did pull on my heart strings. I am happy to admit that I did shed a tear. Some people may say that this is sheer emotional blackmail in order to compel me to donate. I feel it is far from this. In our everyday lives, we get trapped into the meaningless routine that is work. We get up, we go to work, we come home and the cycle starts again. Yet, we seem to take for granted the little essentials, of running water, a warm bed, a roof over our heads and even a hot meal. I came to realise this one morning, when I got up, this week, that I wondered what are we all doing this for? What is the point of being in this rat race. I think for one day, every two years, our eyes are opened to the world outside our window, where life is challenging to the extend of wondering where you will be sleeping tonight and where the next meal will come from? I donate, what I can and yes I feel better for it. Though something deep inside, tells me I should be doing more, being more active and trying to make a difference.
Back to the entertainment, there was several highlights
in the show. The winner of Comic Relief does Fame
Academy was announced. The favourite, Kim from
Eastenders came into the final two with BBC Radio
One presenter Edith Bowman. My money was always
on Kim from the beginning, but the final two performances,
made me believe that the Scottish lass would win.
Over the course of the past few weeks, she had been
the most consistent, improved and sung a variety of
songs, as her confidence grew. Her final number, Champagne
Supernova, by Oasis was given a special big band rendition
with Jools Holland on piano. She was the deserved
winner.
For a change the public, got it right. The other big
highlight was the special Little Little Britain sketches,
featuring Sir Elton John, George Michael and Robbie
Williams. However, the main attraction was something
I had not expected. Peter Kay and a whirlwind of celebrity
appearances as he mimes along to a classic by Tony
Christie. Although I believe Kay is a comic genius,
I have not watched Phoenix
Nights and only briefly watched a few episodes
of Max
& Paddy's Road to Nowhere. It was news to me
that the song featured on Comic Relief that it was
featured on the original series. The clip was hilarious
with Kay running along with a pair of well know television
personalities which changed every few minutes. Just
watch Ronnie
Corbett flow flat on his face off the treadmill.
Now, the most difficult part of my posting, summarizing
how I feel. MSN is a great way of communicating with
people, down the road and across the other side of
the world. Yet, you can never underestimate the power
of a single phone call. Hearing a voice, feeling the
emotion in their responses, means so much. You don't
have to talk for long, and you don't actually have
to talk about something specific, the most important
thing is to know that they are there on the end of
the line and for a few minutes at least you have their
full attention. Nerves did get the better of me, and
there were some awkward silences that I just wanted
to fill. What have I learnt? That this is not a time
to be setting agendas, making plans or expensive bookings.
Instead, my success rests just as much with the outcome
of the trial
dubbed by the media as the celebrity trial of the
century, as it does within my own grasp. If I am to
believe this, then I feel even more powerless, for
there is little I can do to influence events in a
court room, over 5,456 miles away. All I can do is
be patient, wait for justice to prevail, which I truly
believe will happen. With strength and undeniable
dedication, I can try my utmost to be the pillar of
support, whilst still having MJ constantly in my thoughts,
as I am sure there are darker days in court to come.
I know it is stupid to begin reflecting on such things
at this moment, with so much going on, but these events
go back to a single starting point, February
2003. I recall vividly, how unhappy, unsettled
and lonely I felt then. Never thinking that just over
two years later, my idol
would be on trial. With my feelings running a mile,
all for the smile of beautiful stranger. Putting the
time frame into context, makes the final hurdle of
a few months, seems hardly any punishment to bear.
In the meanwhile, I could easily 'adapt' the lyrics
from the most famous song by Christie. Amarillo is
interchangeable with Harrow and Maria can be removed
and replaced by...?
There's a church bell ringing
With a song of joy that its singing
For the sweet Maria
And the guy who's coming to see her
Just beyond the highway
Theres an open plane and it keeps me going
Through the wind and rain
Is this the way to Amarillo?
Every night I've been hugging my pillow
Dreaming dreams of Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Show me the way to Amarillo
I've been weeping like a willow
Crying over Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Tuesday 8th March 2005
How long before the Doctor
returns? If I am honest with you, I was never a big
of the series, but did watch Sylvester
McCoy play the Time Lord. That was my era, the
late 1980s, with myself at the perfect age, just starting
school to find the science fiction series fascinating.
Sure, looking back now, even with rose tinted spectacles,
the show has aged very badly. Particularly when you
hold it up against American shows from the same period.
For my impressible mind, McCoy was intriguing, and
his assistant, Ace, had some great, if cheesy
lines was played by cute Sophie
Aldred :)
In May 1996, I waited patiently, just as I do now for the Doctor's return, but at that time, as great as the story was, it did not re-capture the magic of the original series. Unable to convince their American backers, with poor viewing figures across the pond, compared to the 9 million UK viewers.
Last year, while trying to avoid doing work on my project, I watched the various episodes on BBC Online, in flash with Richard E. Grant at the helm. They were comical but with serious fast moving plots. As I had waited, I was able to watch each episode one after the other. Looking back these were wasted afternoons, at my student student house, passing the time before Hollyoaks. came on at 6.30pm. Then, it was announced that our trepid explorer of time and space would be returning in 2005.
The lessons have been learnt, and here I am again,
nine years later waiting for a new Doctor to take
on the mantle of Time Lord and for new adventures
in the Tardis.
The casting is inspired, particularly once Pop starlet,
Billie Piper as the assistant. Although Rose, does not quite hit the same spot as Ace (on so many levels). Even with my matured age, and more refined tastes. I will ignore the leak, true fans such as myself will wait for a few weeks for the broadcast. Some of us have no need for spoilers or sneak previews, we can wait for the real mccoy. Although, looking back in my humble opinion, Walk of Life is an amazing single and should have done much better than 25, on the UK Top 40 back in December 2000.
Sunday 6th March 2005
It is a proud moment, when any individual decides
to start a blog. Particularly when initially they
were uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their
views, even perhaps life story (or should that be
history) on the web. Even seasoned veterans such as
Sippy had reservations
during his break over the past two years. I only visit
a handful of forums, but one of my regular haunts
is MJNI.com
which is the message board for the fans of the King
of Pop. A thread of the subject of blogging,
caught my attention, and I just had to add my 25 pence
worth. Most people, where using this as an opportunity
to share their blog with the rest of the members,
so I also added my own two URLs. A user, posted the
fact that she did not feel comfortable with an electronic
version and would be sticking to the good old fashioned
pen and paper. Fast forward to this afternoon, when
I am surfing around the forum, I checked a recent
post by Anne on another thread, her signature I remembered
by a new Blogger hosted URL was listed. I quickly
opened the site, in a new tab on FireFox.
Only started a few weeks ago, I was surprised at the
honesty and reality of her writing. I left a quick
comment on the first post, and then decided to make
contact via some Private Messages on the board. Luckily
Musey (her username) was online and responded to my
messages. I explained to Anne, as I will do now, that
to be added to my blog roll is an honour in itself.
Although under usual circumstances, it takes a few
weeks or even a month of steady monitoring before
a blog is included on the list. There are few exceptions.
On this case I am willing to make a special addition,
based on my opinion that All
About Anne will grow and blossom into an interest
blog, worthy of a daily read. The fact that she is
also using this as an avenue to show her support for
Michael at his time of need. Admirable, highly admirable.
The story does not end there, there is another link.
The signature on a thread, for those not in the know,
is the final sign off for all your posts. This can
be an animated gif, or a banner to your web site,
or just a few words. In the case of Anne, she uses
the lyrics from an amazing, moving song. Questioning
her about the song, I discovered she had only heard
it recently on the trail on the Disney
Channel for the premiere for Finding
Nemo. Which I would like to add that I still have
not seen the animated feature, in full yet. The 1980s,
Wings like ballad, was mentioned by myself on Boxing
Day, 2003. At least
one of us, is keeping the Dream alive? I should really
start working harder on that! Although I strongly
believe, I do not need an official response in the
form of a whole post dedicated
to me.
Funny how different you can feel in the morning after, the night before. Particularly, when you discover the power of a single e-mail and a quick conversation on MSN. Hope hasn't quite turned into joy. Rather, stormy waters have been calmed with some soothing words and clearer understanding. Waiting no more, I am getting on with my life. That is not to say that the door has closed on anybody, it never does and never will. Some may judge me on my stance, for my drippy approach to these matters. If following your heart is such a crime, please be my judge, jury and executioner.
Friday 4th March 2005
Friday comes around again, and I feel that special
feeling, driving off into the cold night, leaving
work, the chaos far behind me, until Monday morning
at least. Not sure, where this urge to celebrate the
minor passing of yet another working week. Afterall,
five days in an office, is hardly an achievement,
compared to some of the more challenging occupations,
I could be involved
in. Suffice to say, I am happy that my line of work,
is both rewarding and demanding, in almost equal measure.
The moment, that balance tips in favour of one before
the other, that is the moment, I seriously need to
look for a new job. the big freeze
that has gripped most of the country, came as a surprise,
particularly those of us expecting Spring. On Wednesday,
I drove past two of the most successfully and distinguished
schools in the county,
if not the country.
In your school days, your elders will often remind
you that your school days are the best
days of your life. Just like everything you don't
realise it at the time. Many years later, you recall
how much possibility lay before you at the time and
much you squandered the chances. Time to time, people
ask me, do you ever wish you were back at school?
With a firm response, I explain how happy I am with
my life now, as an adult. Yet, on this morning, for
a second I wanted to step back a few years and join
the kids making their slow journey to the classroom.
Most had built up a large supply of ammo, in the form
a big ball of snow, rushing to find a gullible victim.
As I drove closer to the school, the number of pupils
out, making the most of the snow grew and I saw some
magic moments, as the snow balls went flying across
the cool wintry morning air. Fun. For a split second,
I wish I was out there, covered in icy snow, regardless
of the pain or shame, I would have faced. Coming out
of my day dream, I continued driving, headed off into
the distance. The reality of work had set in.
Time waits for no man, or music pirate. I prefer
to use the term, coinsure of digital music, rather
than a word which has connotations of ships, major
sword battles, and talking parrots. So it appears
that the same sort of litigation which swooped across
the United States as landed on this side of the pond,
but is this the final nail
in the coffin? I think not, providing legal
alternatives for music downloads has helped but how
can they ever continue to compete with free? My personal
opinion is that no matter how much they hammer the
large peer-to-peer share users, a dark era of the
web will exist for anyone, should they dare to get
hold of any track they desire. Copy protected CDs
and even Digital
Rights Management are not fool proof. What big
blue chip companies fail to understand, is that every
system, any system is pregnable.
There is always a back door, and our friends on the
fringes of the internet fraternity, are more than
happy to find the keep and open the door. Thank God
that people like this are out there. My personal view
on this heated topic is that if the artist is good
enough, I will always go and buy their album, DVD,
t-shirt and concert ticket. The digital revolution
has enabled me to listen to a wide range of material,
which in other cases I would never have been exposed
to.
I have always been a patient person, but then somethings are worth waiting for. What makes things extra difficult in the current circumstances, is that I have put it upon myself to wait. Deep down, I know I have made the right decision, but this is difficult when your heart longs for something that is just outside your reach. The pain I feel is difficult to describe, particular when every day the media is almost fueled on the latest revelation, from a land far far away. Not the ideal circumstances to be holding on for, but there is little I can do to change that. Oh, why do I feel so powerless, so invisible right now? What more could I have done? What more can I do? Just as I write this (23:23) MSN Messenger flashes up with an e-mail alert. My heart leaps, and the small traces of a smile appears on my face. Hope. There is always hope.
Monday 28th February 2005
Been rather slow on the blogging front and to be
honest, I have had little to write about, so posting
seems like a pointless activity. When I have nothing
to report, I try to keep in the positive by noting
down some events in the future, that I am looking
forward to. Instead I find myself in a strange limbo
period, with work picking up pace, events in my personal
life are nonexistent. Nothing is happening and there
is little to look forward to beyond Easter and the
sweet prospect of the summer. Yet, I should not be
so pessimistic, life overall is good and I should
enjoy the moment. As February draws to a close, I
find myself already into the third month of 2005,
with my memories of Christmas so clear, 2004 feels
much closer than it really is. Where is the time going?
Does something happen when you enter the dizzy heights
of super car owner? Is your licence, seamlessly upgraded
by the DVLA?
Or overnight, do you go from standard everyday motorist
to wannabe Formula One driver. I have commented already
that I work in an affluent area, perhaps one of the
most wealthy areas of the country. Therefore on my
travels, I notice many expensive, unique motor cars
on the road. Last week, was a case in point, and I
have two stories for your bemused. As the country
lanes converge onto the by-pass, you go from a high
gradient, down hill in almost roller coaster spirals
down to the dual carriageway. While this is a piece
of tarmac, that begs for caution, it is not a point
to become a Sunday
driver. Over the past few months, I have been at the
tail end of this type of driver. They slow down to
a crawl, failing to notice five cars driving quite
closely behind. On this particular Wednesday evening,
I was behind a Porsche, which was in term, tailing
(dangerously close, I might add) a Nissan Micra. I
was unhappy that the Japanese super mini, was driving
so slow, but decided to wait until there was the clearing
(on the roundabout approach) to take take over. The
Porsche had other ideas, and over took the Micra at
high speed, taking the outside lane, however, as I
came around the corner, a few second behind, I watched,
as the driver of the German automobile, calmly, drifted
into my lane ahead of me. I was shocked, to see the
nerve of this driver. Although I was not really concerned
with his driving. If anything I was proud to see the
act of such, smooth driving (if driving can ever be
smooth!?). The other incident was more of a foolish
attempt by an idiotic
4x4 driver to outpace everyone else waiting in heavy
traffic. After cutting me up, with a sharp overtake
maneuver, the driver of a Mercedes
ML headed off the by pass and I thought nothing
of it, continuing on my journey, until I came under
the bridge and the slip road joining the dual carriageway
came into view. No doubt, here was the exact same
off road vehicle, trying to pull off the miracle of
making progress into the traffic, which was marginal.
I wanted in complete disbelief as this driver, instead
of slowing down into the upcoming cars, which were
traveling at a maximum of 12 miles per an hour, actually
accelerate and almost bully himself (or herself) back
onto the A road. I was shocked by this behaviour,
mainly because they had gained so little ground, I
was two cars behind. So what was the point? Power
to the people, I give my backing to the Urban
Alliance against Off Road Vehicles in towns, particularly
the school run. The argument, that you enjoy your
superior position above everyone else on the road
(apart from a lorry or truck) is a complete meaningless
point of view.
After over two years of waiting, nagging and constant
berating here on my blog, my dear friend Sibtain has
finally come to his senses and uploaded his blog,
V3: The Resurrection, picks up where the last site
left, with a new interface based on php and some fantastic
graphics. Once the blog entries, including a hefty
back log find themselves online, this site will become
a worthwhile daily read. So, please stay tuned and
for the time being, check out the gallery. The peak of the shame came in early June 2004, when I posted a Wanted Poster for Sippy on my blog (which was removed within a few weeks) and he decided to ignore me for several weeks in protest of my public acknowledgement of his failure to blog for such a long period of time. Where should I start? I think a great place, would be the beginning.
Both of us began keeping an online journal at around
the same time, but for very different reasons. Without
having the archives to refer to it is difficult to
pin a date on this moment, but around September 2002,
Sibtain began writing a blog, while I had started
just a month before him. His blog, focused on the
second year of his Multimedia Computing course, and
hunt for a placement, while I was a year ahead on
my placement and recording, on a weekly basis my experiences,
feelings and thoughts. This was an ideal way for us
to keep in touch and share what was going on in both
of our lives, with over one hundred miles between
us. While my site never stopped, only having a major
cosmetic makeover in early November 2003, my Uni friend
and ex-house mate site had come to an abrupt end in
June, five months earlier when he had signed off,
a day before he headed off to Kenya and then it was
forgotten. I begged, I pleaded but always held up
hope that Sippy would return to blogging. It never
happened, in the summer of 2003, with so much else
going on, he never got his site together. My next
hope was that he would get something together before
we started our respective final years and would be
thoughts drifted to the FA
Cup ties taking place this weekend, and the lunchtime
kick off that pitched Arsenal against Sheffield United.
My thoughts returned to the road, as I caught the
eye of a number plate heading up the hill. The BMW,
in a light blue colour, had the private plate, CRU151N,
forced me to look forward to the summer. Within a
few months, the sunroof will be open, the pure pop
and 1980s classics will be blasted out of the stereo,
even if I am sitting in my car on the drive.
Now we come to the disappointment of the weekend, the low point of the day of rest. Coming home, in time to sort myself out, put on my Arsenal home shirt and got a comfortable seat on the sofa. My family had all gone out by the first half came to life. Perhaps for the wrong reasons, but with a big Champions League game on the horizon, Arsene was right to rest some key players and put out a B team. Just a shame we ended up with a draw and ten men (which could have been worse) Yet another Arsenal blog, considers the criticisms from the cup tie. The less said about giving your opponents the chance to get back into the game, the better. Thankfully a replay is the only result but a game, in reality, which we could do without playing.
During the course of what became a quite tedious
second half, I received a text message from my long
time college friend, Pav. Also know on the virtual
airwaves as DJ
Breezy. We had started making more regularly contact
via MSN at work, although I tend to the busy of the
two of us! ;) We had agreed that we should meet up
soon. Little did I know that time would be sooner
rather than later. In Windsor at the time, he explained
that on his drive back down to Reading, he would pop
down and see me. Pleasantly surprised, I anticipated
his arrival, to Wycombe. This would be the first time
in almost six years that he would be coming to my
house. Pavneet, as he is called officially, has been
my friend since our time at Henley College, studying
A Level Business Studies in the same class. Over the
course of our friendship, particularly during the
early days, we discovered that we had a sixth sense.
Both banking with the same bank,
shared appreciation for the Star
Wars saga and even love for those cute Nokia
mobiles. Which began when both had the classic 6210.
I would describe Pav, as the ideal friend, in a sense,
one of the "boys". Not only is into most of the technical
things I enjoy, but he has a great passion from cars.
He has come along way, since that day in the hot summer,
with the July son beating down. Pav had just passed
his driving test and we were off to see the advanced
previews on the beginning
of an epic struggle of Good versus Evil. As you will
all be aware, your first car
is rarely the big dream you had hoped it to be. Though,
you let that afterthought slip, on the pure basis
that you are legally behind the wheels of an automobile.
I was in of all possible vehicles, a white, aging
Proton.
How times have changed, that car has gone and my friend's
tastes have changed, just slightly.
Ever since his Dad leased a BMW Compact 3 series,
in the second year of college, Pav has long been associated
with driving the classy cars from the German
manufacturer. I can recall some great stories of driving
around Reading town centre, in his blue, three door,
hot hatch (more of a cruiser really). Some episodes
do come to mind, but I do not want to get him into
any trouble with the long arm of the law. So, I'll
save them for another time. Low and behold, after
owning a quality motor for a few months, Pav is already
eyeing up his next purchase. Meanwhile, current, chipped
and supped up wheels, BMW 325, are available on eBay.
On Saturday, when he arrived, it was getting dark,
so I decided it was best to have a quick drive around
Wycombe, to see how what this baby could do! Getting
to a clear street, Pav put his foot to the floor,
the few pedestrians, suddenly turned their heads in
our direction, curious at the heavy engine noise heading
their direction. Jolted back into my seat, I was shocked
at the power and acceleration of this machine. Pav
is by no means a boy racer, but he does have his own
style and it is always an experience with him behind
the wheel. Then for the shocking news headline, his
next car is going to be an M3.
Just a quick thank you to Sippy
for upgrading my guest book to version two. New features
include timestamp for each posting, and IP logging.
Spammer beware, your game is up. :D Talking of Mr.
Bandali, his website and return to blogging should
be online very soon. Don't believe everything I say,
I've been hyping this guy up for the past two years.
Is this the moment, I will actually be proved wrong?
Went to see Nav over in Eailing on Saturday night.
He had come down from Leicester to see his sister
and I thought it best to go and see him. Not sure
when the next opportunity will come around. We were
hoping to go catch a movie down the local multiplex,
there was nothing worth watching on. The option to
go for a meal came about, but we could not make up
our minds. Pretti was busy, having already made plans
to see her friends. So my ex-house mate just headed
into the town centre (is that would it is really called?)
for a few drinks, nothing major and then headed back
to his sister's flat just on the outskirts of the
A40. A
new addition had been since my last visit back
in October and the owner was giving me a quick demonstration
on the benefits of being able to record movies, fast
forward adverts and even pause live TV. The technology
is moving on leaps and bounds, particularly the ability
to record to programs simultaneously (although you
have to be watching one of them, or in our case, flipping
between). The anthem
for the weekend was based on a quick snippet of a
video I had seen on Q.
Def Leppard, coming into the years after being at
the peak of their powers, but still to have their
biggest and most popular hit. The song was new to
me, but the computer graphics, although make Money
For Nothing by Dire Straits, look quite ancient.
Even if when discovering it was 1992, you wonder why
the video is not better, particular as this was the
year, the machine
returned, with devastating affect. Then, I found the
lyrics and discovered the meaning behind them, the
teenage antics of Bart
Simpson. A great, radio friendly, rock song, just
a shame I was so busy this weekend, I never got the
chance to burn it onto CD. Maybe next weekend, when
I have a chance. How does it compare to the classics?
Well, Photograph and Pour Some Sugar On Me, have the
edge, in terms of style, sound and lyrical composition.
Don't get me wrong, this is vintage Def Leppard, but
it just shame that they have lost that special magic,
that defined them in the 1980s. More coal in the fire
to stoke my argument, the best era for us all, is
long behind us.
Friday 18th February 2005
You should never underestimate the power of local
radio. Before I head into work and am just driving
the local roads close to my home, I always listen
to Mix
107. I had been feeling down the night before,
for various reasons, none which need to see the light
of day, on here. Yet, Thursday morning, bought with
it a sense of reality home to me, in the form of a
song. The presenter, in his cute, calm voice for the
Breakfast Show, announced that music from Phil Collins
would air next, after these messages. I was expected
something completely different, but instead the disc
jockey had selected the cover of the Supreme's classic
from September 1966. Reaching number three in the
UK charts, I am not sure if the Motown trio had been
renamed as Diana Ross & The Supreme's. Collin's
version, was more successful topping the UK charts
in December 1982. Not sure why, because the original
usual does always fare better. Maybe it was the video,
which featured Phil playing the role of all members
of his 'imaginary' band. The song was just what the
doctor ordered. After several shocks, surprises during
the week, I was slowly coming around to the realisation
that life is actually, beyond the surface working
out. While having my breakfast, yesterday morning,
I had been thinking of the ideal song to reflect my
mood and more importantly circumstances. In the end
I opted for Waiting
For Her
by a-ha
from their 1991 album, East
of the Sun, West of the Moon. Fans of Keane,
will like this track, so take a listen and don't be
fooled into judging a song by the introduction.
I have been a fan of Eastenders
for the past few years and have converted my parents
into regular viewers too. (My Mum particularly enjoys
the twists, the turns and strange stance on the real
world). Trying to put together a history of my viewing
of the BBC
soap is difficult. My life affair with soaps did
not really start until quite a late age, around sixteen,
but if I ever missed an episode it was not a major
issue. Tending to dip in and out at my leisure, simply
there were more important things going on in my life.
Towards the middle of college, I caught the bug and
started watching religiously with die hard conviction.
My routine worked around the scheduling so, I rarely
missed an installment and if need be always had the
solace of the Sunday afternoon omnibus. This was the
days before BBC Three.
Then in mid September 2000, I started University and
my lifestyle changed beyond recognition. Having taken
the decision to bring my television with me to halls,
it was something I soon regretted and within a few
weeks, it was taken back home. I neither had the space
for it or the inclination to move around all the furniture
to watch a few hours of tedious television in the
evening, to then find myself boxed into my bed in
the morning. Thankfully, my flat mates both had televisions
so I would catch the odd episode, which over time
become more regular viewing. Then the habit started
again, and the craving stuck. So now, I have become
a regularly watcher of the show. When people ask me
what I watch on television, I surprise many by saying
something as follows: Eastenders religiously, football
and a bit of news come current affairs.
The lengths to which, I will go to watch my beloved
soap opera? During my placement, I was involved in
presenting an evening seminar at a local agriculture
centre and park. The talks went on past 8pm, meaning
I had already missed the first broadcast from Walford.
My colleagues then insisted I remained for food, so
I tried to limit myself to modest portions from the
buffet. Sitting on my own, while I ate, I kept my
distance from the heated discussion taking place at
the other end of the foyer. Then, I was invited across
to the table of one of the lawyers and decided that
after the idle chitchat, to make my exit, it was drawing
close to 9pm. The sun was setting, in the distance
and I knew I needed a miracle to get home for 10pm.
The journey was just over 60 miles and would take
me over an hour, even with the most favourable of
traffic conditions. Taking into account that this
journey takes into the M1, M25 and then M40, all busy
motorways, regardless of the time of day or night.
This was a mission, and would I make the challenge
and meet my strict deadline. I drove like a man obsessed
listening to dance music. (Although I cannot confirm
this, until I retrieve the exact date of the even
t from my placement archive CD) The average speed
must have been 90 mph, dedicated to the fast lane,
all the way to the M25 junction. Here, I just continued
my erratic speed, towards to my home county of Buckinghamshire.
Facing a dilemma, I needed to make a choice, do I
take the exit at Junction 18, taking the A404, through
Amersham and down into High Wycombe, added valuable
time to my journey, but save myself from getting stuck
in a major traffic jam, further down on the M25 or
even M40. Looking at the time, I knew I did not have
the beauty to make that choice, so instead I battled
on with the motorway route. Hoping that once I reached
the homeward bound stretch of my journey, the traffic
would be lighter, and have the comfort of a fourth
lane. To cut this story short, before I lose yet another
reader (just as Eastenders have been losing viewers,
recently.)
I broke numerous traffic violations in order to reach
my destination, in time to catch the first repeat
of Eastenders. Although, if I had been stopped by
a member of the Thames
Valley Police traffic section, my excuse would
not have washed. Look, I was busy on Sunday and would
not be able to catch up on the final chase to catch
the week's action from Albert Square. I hope someone
from the Beeb
reads this and sees the level of devotion to a soap,
which the rest of the country have given up on. Although
I doubt they would condone my breach of speed limits.
This swiftly brings us onto tonight's episode of Eastenders.
It had been built up gradually over the week, with
trails including Zoe Slater, Sam Mitchell and then
Chrissy Watts (shown individually and then "combined").
Looking forward to the event so much, I forgot completely
about it until I got into the car to drive home this
evening. It has been a long week, believe me. High
expectations are difficult to manage, but I avoid
(as I have stayed throughout my blog) any insight
into the future of soaps. I just do not want to know
what happens, tomorrow next week or next Easter. It
was impossible not to know the outcome of tonight's
episode, but the way in which the final blow would
be delivered (and by whom) was more important that
the crime itself. Overall a highly entertaining episode,
worthy of the extra thirty minutes of airtime. The
comic elements bought strange relief to the impending
doom, to one (or is that two) characters? Just check
out Ian Beale racking up some serious air guitar in
the Queen Vic public house. Then there was the drunken,
student antics of Mark Flower, as he bared (almost
all) in front of his shocked mother Pauline. Fantastic.
There was also subtle hints, which only the more in
tune of you would have noted. As Andy Hunter and his
'lerch' Ed headed on the motorway in the Mercedes,
the song playing on the radio was Chris Rea - Road
to Hell. Diamond
Geezer has been running his own personal tribute
as a real Eastender. Someone over at the Guardian, appears to agree with me. :)
Many of the scenes, with the three women scorned,
showed them almost like the three witches from Shakespeare's
Macbeth.
Note the use of the fire, in place of a cauldron.
Friday night episodes have always tended to be light
hearded but the suspence of how Dennis
would be taken out was too much, even for me. To survive
once was an act of God, but no one beats death twice
(or do they?) The idea of a contract killer, coming
along did seem far fetched even for East End London,
yet the mafia inspired showmanship, is still event
to this day. Although, a stroke of genius to take
out another hated villian, in such a geniune way.
Just as Johnny
Allen said, "I must really have a converstation
with that man." Conversation over. Now the cover up
begins.
Tuesday 15th February 2005
My movie watching over the past few months, and retrospectively
the past few years has been limited. Subsequently
I have a stack of DVD's beside the television that
remain untouched, the weekly Saturday night Premiere
on Sky Movies goes unwatched. Even a magical animated
series from my childhood has failed to see the light
of day, even though the discs have been in my prosecution
for over a year. I noted in May
last year that I would try and watch an episode a
week, once I started working. To date, I have never
had the opportunity to sit down and catch any of the
episodes, apart from the first one, which I watched
when I first received the discs in December
2003. Not sure exactly when or how I will be able
to make time for all this entertainment backlog. On
Sunday night, I started as I meant to go on, and caught
on up all those movies I had missed.
Having seen all the trails for the recently released,
Oceans
Twelve I had the ideal opportunity to watch the
first film, on ITV
on Sunday evening. An ideal opportunity to give the
computer a rest for the first time in eight days.
As the movie
started to get going, I realised how much I enjoy
movies with a big plan, and finding out if they can
pull off the job. With the all star cast, various
twists and turns, it makes for a watchable few hours
of television. The big names were on form, although
I admire Don Cheadle acting ability, even I was pushed
to believe him as a cockney Englishman. Clooney and
Bitt suited their roles, and you can understand why
many women melt that the feet of these Hollywood stars.
Good looks aside, they come across with a aura of
class, sophistication all with an air of subtly. Being
smooth is an art, you have to have the confidence
to carry it off, but also the level mind to be able
to admit gracious defeat, with a smile. Sometimes,
I wish I was more like that. Rather not give to much
away but the film is well worth watching if you have
not seen it already. I am planning to go catch the
sequel
at the cinema this weekend, if I get the chance. Some
of my friends have said that I will be disappointed,
I'll wait and see.
One of the reasons I find blogging so appealing is
the ability to record, or rather take snapshots from
any given moment in my life. Here, I give a valid
case in point. My last entry from January, last year
proves to be a very interesting read. Mainly because
I mention one of my favourite films from the 1980s.
Five
in there services as a public broadcaster to all us
children of the Eighties decided to screen once again
the family adventure classic, that is the Goonies.
Last time around, I missed the crucial start of the
movie, when the seeds of adventure are first sown
for our motley crew. So on Sunday evening, I made
a conscious decision to sit down to watch at 6pm.
Some of you may have noted my MSN screen name publicly
proclaim that I was taking a trip down memory lane.
Strange how a film from a certain time in your life
can still hold a sense of innocence, magic and fun.
Maybe because we can relate to the individual characters
so well, even now in our mid twenties. Of course,
Data was my favourite, for his wacky inventions. Just
explain to me how you go from the Goonies, and then
to one of the biggest
epic trilogies of all time? Such a shame Sean has
aged in the way least flattering to the figure.
With the popularity of my site growing steadily on
a monthly basis, I have to be careful of many of the
things I say. That is not to force a censor upon myself.
The lawyers could be reading what I write, so I have
to do my best to distance myself from anything that
could be considered illegal or at a bear minimum a
infringement of the law. It was with great interest
I read the following article to get Napster
for free! After looking at the daily links on the
Guardian Newsblog.
Working in technology means that a certain saying
always rings true, 'where there's a will, there's
always a way'. The pace at which products and services
move on, mean that not only do always have something
fantastic to look forward to, there are a band of
dedicated followers, whom have made it their life
mission to crack, copy, unprotect and rip any system
that stands in their way. The foolish illusion that
the big corporations find themselves in is this. They
believe they can manufacturer a system that is unbreakable.
Just as they can try to protect their profits, there
are another group dedicated if only in the purpose
of research to prove that every structure is pregnable,
we all have an Achilles
Heel.
I know when I plan, rarely do things work out as I
hoped but if the final end result is what I longed
for, does the method really matter? A means to an
ends? Who knows, but I always thought if your heart
is in the right place, 99% of the work has already
been done. the waiting game may be over, but the next
stage is tougher still. Do I have the ambitious dedication
to see this through to the finish line? Time will
tell, but if the truth be known, I am going with instinct
at times running on pure adrenalin. As much as I wish
to recite the lyrics from 'Drowning' by the Backstreet
Boys I will resist, for there is much more going on
here, than meets the eye.
Friday 11th February 2005
As I drove home, I noticed a thick fog had descended
across the whole leafy surrounds of Berkshire. As
I headed onto the by-pass, the truly density of the
fog became apparent as I could only see about 150
yards ahead. The weather conditions resulted in a
greater build up of traffic, so even though I had
left the office promptly at 4.30pm, I did not get
home until just after 5pm. Working the early shift,
although appeals with the benefit of leaving the office
an full hour and a half earlier than normal, even
I appear to lose the benefit of my early start. Think
I will opt for the late shift in future and be more
reluctant to accept a change in working hours. I hate
to give the impression that I work in factory, in
some rota system, but it must sound this way. I do
indeed work in an office, but the support line has
to be covered for those hours. The week came to an
end, just as it at started, if only by a reflection
in the weather. The week was long, busy and at time
hectic, although I must admit I enjoy working somewhere,
where the days flash by so quickly. I know I should
not be thinking about it already but next week is
going to be even more of a struggle.
Can you live without broadband? An article on BBC
News Online tempted me with the concept of bandwidth
guilt. I had my broadband installed in August
2002, detailed briefly on my web site, just as I was
beginning to start what has now become this blog.
After the initial honeymoon period when I went mad,
downloading whatever I could get my hands on, the
most significant benefit has been longer tying up
the phone line. I can remember, back in 1999, coming
back from work on a Saturday afternoon, and by 2.30pm
being dialed up on my 56k modem to download three
mp3s from the then illegal Napster. That was the total
number of tracks I could download in the two hour
session. Freeserve had a timeout period, so you had
to redial to connect up again. At the time, my family
PC was so low spec that I was unable to play mp3 files.
The lack of removable media, meant I had to do the
following. Download the mp3 file, then compress it
to a zip. Then use PKZIP from the command line to
span this across six sometimes eight floppy disks.
These would then be taken upstairs into my room, to
my personal computer (which I am still on at the moment)
to extract and then finally listen to the solemn audio
track. Believe me that was a hell of a struggle, but
a wonderful moment opening up WinAmp
and clicking on play.
The Internet, for me now has become a drug. The fact
that I have broadband, and therefore an 'always on
connection', means I have become dependent (perhaps
too much) on having the world wide web, on my fingertips
any time, day or night. I seriously do get withdrawal
symptoms if I cannot go online everyday. By being
online, I mean using my own personal computer to access
the net, check e-mail and read all those blogs, I
enjoy. Although I have the ability to do this at work,
I am only truly comfortable surfing to my heart's
content at home. Not sure of why, but it must be the
same feel of drinking tea from your own mug, or drifting
off to sleep in your own bed. As I write, I am racking
my brains trying to think of the last time I went
several days without using my computer or the net.
Unfortunately, I cannot think of time, but am aware
that even two days consecutively without being 'plugged
in' means I find myself losing some sense of reality
(even if only the fact I have not checked my e-mail
or logged into MSN Messenger).
The other big news this week was more hype than anything
else. Most of us were aware that it was inevitable,
in time and knowing that it was a situation that needed
to be resolved.
Diamond
Geezer does well to summarize
the reality of what will be just another marriage
between a middle aged couple. As usual the subject
of the Royal Family comes along, do we really need
a monarchy? Some may have a good argument
for a Republic. I am a strong believer that tradition,
ceremony and our past are very important and should
never be just abandoned. What makes Great Britain,
such a unique country, is our culture, ever diverse
and our Royal Family, which are, slowly but surely
moving with the times. Just the thought of having
a elected President as our Head of State makes me
shudder. Leave that sort of position to the Americans
and Europeans. They wallow in that world of self importance,
which we, the British people, are often so cynical
about. The Windsor's are here to stay, for the time
being at least and I have no desire to replace them
in the vain that all "men are created equal". This
is not the case, some people are born lucky, some
people make their own luck, others just make the most
of their lives and get on with it.
Tuesday 8th February 2005
Are you a morning person? To confess, I am not and
never really have been. I did not but my sister watched
the programme last Wednesday on how to Sleep
better. Although I do not have major problems sleeping
now, I used in the past. Yet, the moment I started
working, aged sixteen, the tiredness of the physical
work, meant I would get into bed and be off like a
light. In the past, it would take me up to an hour
before I drifted off. In the morning, it takes me
a while to get up, and I have been known to be a bit
moody, or worse for wear. By the time I've had breakfast
and showered, I do feel better and ready to take on
the day. It may have been just another Monday, but
I was looking forward to the drive to work, even if
only to listen to the album I had created over the
weekend. The song may have been Sunrise, but the weather
outside did little to reflect the light of day. A
think smog had over come the surrounding area, and
the prospect of a busy drive to work, was become clear
in my mind. I headed onto the by-pass, switching on
my stereo from local radio to compact disc and enjoyed
various tracks, during the small build up traffic
at the main roundabout. As I took my exited and headed
into the countryside of Berkshire, I noticed how dense
the fog really had become, even at this quite late
time in the morning. I could see only hundred yards
ahead of me, so was driving with less haste than normal,
knowing I would reach the office in good time. As
I came up to the final road, I looked in my rear view
mirror, to see fog and ahead fog. Then a moment, that
seemed to have been conjured up in the mind of some
highly paid marketing executive. A Porsche
Carrera 996
cruised through the thick mist and dazzled me, with the headlights on full beam. The driver quickly responded by dimming his light, but by the time he had done this, he was so far down the road, he had to put them back on again. As I entered the office, I pondered the appeal of working in such an exclusive and secluded location. A countryside setting brings affluence. They usually drive the cars, we spent most of lives dreaming about.
This brings me swiftly onto the subject of car adverts.
It is broadcast every Christmas, part of annual custom,
like the Queen's Speech. Yet, a German car manufacturer
have decided to do the unthinkable. Maybe not the
greatest musical
of all time, but the most famous scene of all time.
Parodied by the comic genius partnership of Morecombe
& Wise and even the martial arts action star,
in the watchable Shanghai
Knights. All those mimics I can forgive, because
they are special in the sense the context is completely
different. Yet, on Sunday night, I have to watch this
criminal act.
If you have not seen it, you have been saved. How
could the Gene Kelly foundation allow themselves to
sell
out in the name of such stupidity. Will this really
sell more Golf GTI's? It is no secret that my opinion
is that the hot hatch is far too overrated but does
that give them just to resurrect a cinematic icon?
VW are not the first, several years ago Ford
were guilty of bringing back movie legend, Steve
McQueen for the now discontinued, Puma.
Looks like they are putting themselves in the dock
once again for the new Mustang.
Although, I must admit the application of Steve was
much more subtle and suitable, it did not really work.
That can be forgiven. Getting Kelly to break dance
the steps to an all time classic, is just unacceptable.
Some marketing company was paid millions to do this,
most of which most have gone in rights to get Gene's
face computerized onto the dancers. What a waste.
Would have been easier to get me to flog a few of
these beasts from my driveway. That is saying much,
I have so little power of persuasion, I would have
difficult selling ice
to an eskimo. :)
Brit's 25 on Thursday. I always remember them taking
place on a Monday night and then been shown, as live
on the following evening. Should be interesting and
look forward to the live rendition of "I Don't Like
Mondays!".
Sunday 6th February 2005
With the disappointment of Tuesday evening long behind them, Arsenal bounced back in great fashion, with a almost showcase performance against Aston Villa. The first half was great, with flowing one touch football we have become accustomed to see from the Gooners. The one player, back after long injury layoff, showed his desire, with a controlled game. Edu even picked an assistant for the first goal, so although he wants to move to Spain, I have the utmost respect for him staying and fighting for his place in the middle of the park, even if it only for the remainder of the season. The second half, saw the home side wake up and come to life in terms of attacking play, although we were steady at the back, with Lenhmann returning for the first Premiership game since defeat at Anfield. Just hope we can continue this has a team, and watch Manchester and Chelsea stumble in the next few games. Or is that just the most wishful of wishful thinking?
Once in a while, a song comes along that feels as
if it was written for you personally. Do you ever
have this feeling? I expect that as I mention it with
such regularity, it must be common place with the
rest of you out there. The case in point, is the feeling
I mentioned on in my last entry. Losing control and
hoping for the best. Let me start at the beginning.
I am not a clubbing person, but do enjoy listening
to radio friendly dance music (if such a genre does
exist). By radio friendly, I mean something, strong
but not over empowering tempo, direct vocals and original
musical arrangement. Although if it is all artificially
generated. My sister, Samantha tends to have her eye
(or rather ears) more closely trained on the contemporary
music scene. Therefore is constantly feeding me the
latest tune I should be listened to. Most of the time
I ignore this advice, occasionally she does come up
with a chestnut. A case in point is Angel City, featuring
the vocal talent of one Lara McEllen. The group have
had several songs in the charts over the past few
years, including, Touch Me, Love Me Right and more
recently Do You Know? There latest offering is in
my humble opinion their best. All of their material
appears to be about discovering true love for yourself.
Yet, somehow this is the most upbeat, positive and
well balanced of the four singles released. Maybe the title, Sunrise gives it all away? Lara's
voice is distinctive and magically tuned, perfect
for the demands of dance come trance music. The songs
tend to bring out the best in quality of her vocals,
just as the videos make the most of her physical aesthetics
:P. A blog which tends to keep up with the latest
happenings in this particular genre of music is by
Richii.
Based in New York, he has not updated for several
months, strange when the tagline is "Always Fresh,
Always Chewy" but the Music
section is well worth a browse and make sure you watch
a few of those music videos too.
Nav was online yesterday for a while, but problems
with his old school, 56k dial-up connection meant
he could not stay on for long. He told me the track
he had been listening to on his way from Leicester
to his hometown in Lincolnshire, and it brought back
some flooding memories. Huey
Lewis & The News are most famous for their
song from Back
To The Future. I am not doubting that "The Power
Of Love" is not a great rock song, it is fantastic.
What many people forget is that the bad also wrote
a more direct track for the original soundtrack. Called,
"Back In Time", it references Marty and his need to
get back to 1985. The melody is instantly recognisable,as
the theme for the later animated series, screened
in the early 1990s. Plus the ripping guitar solo in
the middle, is fantastic, particular as my when, as
my friend described, you are driving or perhaps speeding
along country roads. (The author of T3G:2 does not
condone any form of irresponsible driving.)
Yesterday, I had also been speaking to my friend,
Hussein
discussing the manly of all topics. Wheels. I had
kept this secret from him for some time and finally
admitted to my membership to the DeLorean
Owners Club. It was at that point, he mentioned
there was one parked down his road. Shocked and bemused,
but not wanting to question his integrity, I believed
him. I only wish he had told me back in August, so
I could have sneaked a quick peek, when I came over
for my XBox modifications. Anyway, to my surprise,
I received the following e-mail from Hussein, this
afternoon with some hard evidence. With a signature,
only the man with everything could ever have, "Hussein-on-the-Treo".
Treo refers to his Smart
Phone, to those of you not in the know.

How strange does that look? A automobile, manufactured
over twenty years ago, over in Belfast, finds a home
in suburban West London. Now, if only I could turn
on the flux capacitor and find enough road to get
up to 88!
Talk To Me What Are You Doing, What Are You Thinking Right Now?
Set Me Free, I'm Just A Prisoner To You, Time Goes By, I'm Still Waiting Forever & A Day Now,
I Thought I Saw You Yesterday, I Thought Those Words I Heard You Say,
When I Look Into The Sunrise, Sunlight Melts My Fears Away,
When You Living This Feeling, Don't Ever Let It Go,
When I Look At The Skylight, It Feels Right, I Want It On My Mind, I Set You Free, I Set You Free, I Set You Free.
Friday 4th February 2005
Overcome by strange alien feelings over the past few days. Unable to explain myself. In essence, I have been waiting for the day to come only to watch it disappear away into the night, as I drive home. At work, I have been battling on, learning and proving myself. The honeymoon period may well and truly over but then is this not the time the real work begins?
The perfect soundtrack to resolve my Wednesday morning
blues, should have been Ultra. Who are they, I hear
you cry? Well for a change, I have been the catalyst
for bringing you, past, present and even future from
the only boy band, to hold Masters degrees and play
their own instruments (so they claimed in 1998!).
For the first time in several weeks, I went upstairs
to my sister and she had made little attempt to conceal
her up criminal act of theft. By her television was
the Mini
Disc. Dated technology by many but it does still
sound cool and so fresh! Quickly I took it back and
rushed downstairs to listen to it on my Aiwa
stereo. Cheesy, but nevertheless uplifting music,
to bring a smile to your face, realising that everything
will be just fine. Not sure why my sister had my Ultra
MD,
as she has the album on compact disc, which was a
present from her beloved older brother back in Christmas,
1999.
Have you ever felt you wish you had the power to
do much more. I hate not being in control of a situation,
regardless of the circumstances. Long term readers
will be aware of my tendency to be a control
freak! The words ringing around in my head, tell
me I've done my best, the rest is left in the lap
of the Gods. Just like some are waiting for Michael,
I am waiting for the truth.
Wednesday 2nd February 2005
As I left the house this morning, I was in the need
of some music to cheer me up. Although the desire
to listen to Michael
was still there, I needed something more uplifting
and suited to the morning cruise to the office. Searching
my limited and quite pathetic looking album collection,
there was nothing that came to mind at first glance.
In comparison to my world famous, MP3
collection this was a painful decision. In the
end, I opted for "Life is a Flower" by the Swedish
super group, Ace
of Base. Listening to it once, one line in the
chorus kept me going through a hectic morning and
steady afternoon on the support desk. Thankfully the
person to benefit most from the events
of last night, was not in the office today. Just putting
off the evitable shame that comes hand in hand with
a defeat at home, to your arch title rival. I am beginning
to hate Chelsea
fans with more hatred than those from the white
side of North London.
Having had the time to consider the game, looks like yet again, Arse Blog comes back with the rational view from the fans. Cliche ridden I know, but it was a game of two halves and we just decided not to turn up for the remaining forty-five, thinking the game was already in the bag. So, the thoughts of a fan, published on the site, tell us that the title race is well and truly over. May, in my eyes, is still a long long way away. Who knows what the next day will bring? Who knows if the next kick of the ball, will bring victory or failure?
Life is a flower
So precious in your hand
Carry on smiling
And the world will smile with you
Tuesday 1st February 2005
Defeat. Of all the human emotions we must feel, taste
and wallow in, this has to be worst. Losing face against
your fiercest rival, then having to face not just
defeat on the pitch, but the days, even months of
ridicule in the media. That is why, if such an event
does occur, I avoid all newspaper headlines, talk
radio, news websites and even some television shows.
This is not to shut myself away from the reality,
or the criticism, (be it fair or otherwise unjustified).
I strongly believe there is a time for talk, hype
and discussion, but there should be a limit. The moment
the players cross the white line, it is just eleven
mere mortals against another eleven mere mortals.
Expect, you and me both know it is much more important
that. Heroes are born within a split second, and villains
brought to book. This game had everything, expect
the right final result. Am I a sore loser? When we
lost to Manchester United, in October,
there was little discussion even jeering in my work
place. Sure we had football fans, pure football fans
in fact (season ticket holder at West
Ham) but due to the very nature of my job , it
meant I did not have daily banter that must occur
in every other offices. Something I missed, from my
school days. At college, as everyone grew slightly
more mature, the football talk only ever took place
on the weekend. While I think of it, there was a classic
story, from when my love for football had only just
started. England was enjoying the lovely summer, with
football coming home.
In our final group match, we played Holland, one of
the pre-tournament favourites. Chris Brian, summaries
the feeling in a few lines
of a result that was to send shock waves across the
football world. A shame that England were unable to
deliver the final product. Although I digress, the
victory was so sweet. I remember my class mate, Kevin
arriving into our classroom, HU7 in complete silence.
All eyes turned to him, as we quickly saw both his
hands held out. On his right all four fingers were
up, and on the left, a solitary single finger. Mouthing
the score, with a gleam in his eye, he rushed towards
Richard and shouted out the score. Richard had the
unfortunate luck of Dutch heredity and had been supporting
the Orange country throughout the first few weeks
of the tournament. How he must have regretted this
decision. He was ridiculed, mocked and we all laughed.
At fourteen years old, (or there abouts) this must
have been highly demoralizing. Yet, like a sport he
took defeat on the chin, knowing that this was part
and parcel of the game. Some days you win, some days
you lose, that is the roller coaster ride of football.
So tomorrow morning, like my classmate Richard, nine years ago, I face the prospect of many fellow football enjoying the delight of watching Arsenal lose. How will I take it? Who knows? At these times, when defeat has again appeared as kryptonite to these supermen as human beings, my Dad turns to me. He gives me the stand line, which is little comfort. "It's only a game, son...". True fans, whom have felt the full spectrum of emotion over the past ninety minutes will beg to differ. It is much more important than that.
Friday 28th January 2005
Only given a limited
theatrical release, last summer, Fahrenheit
9/11 was shown on Channel4.
Perhaps as a documentary, it is exempt from the standard
fours year we normally have to wait for a network
television premiere. I knew nothing about the Michael
Moore attack on the Bush administration, until my
friend Nav, mentioned it during my lunch hour, while
chatting on MSN
Messenger. My friend was planning his whole evening
around the event, to be screen at 9pm. Although I
tend to shy away from making any strong political
statements on my blog, my view has been quite clear
since the events of September 11th, 2001. Now more
commonly referred to in the calendar format used across
the pond, 9/11.
My overall response was an extensively researched
documentary, with Moore making several significant
links between the Bush family, oil and the Saudis.
This was the basis for the first part of the footage,
which was used in an unique way. Footage unseen by
the public, as George W. Bush and other big movers
within the US administration, as they are prepared
to go live broadcasts. The Presidents mannerisms are
extremely revealing, taking into consideration the
news he is about to break to the world, the invasion
has begun. To follow this up, Michael Moore commentary
just to guide you through a variety of arguments and
points of coincidence that appear intrigued when put
together with all the other evidence Moore has gathered.
Spliced in between are interviews, live footage from
both the terror attacks, the front line in Baghdad,
and even harrowing hospital footage. Against, this
there was also some lighter material, thrown in for
comic relief, with Bush, Blair, Cheney and other being
the Magnificent Seven. The focus was controlled, with
much of the argument based on Bush's inaction prior
to the events in downtown Manhattan. If this is the
introduction to the temperature rising, the rest of
the film, which is quite long winded takes several
avenues. In the most part, all of these arguments
work, but towards the end it becomes very emotive,
which is fine. The shame is that this argument is
not taken further. We meet Lilly, who has two children
in the US
Army. Then, later in the conflict we meet, her
surrounded by her extended family to explain that
one of her sons has been lost. In a moving piece,
which shows the great pride the mother held for her
son, she reads his final letter. I was very moved
by this piece and near to tears myself. In the next
scene, we see Lilly heading to the White House to
face her demons. She comes up against a local lady,
in her late 30s wearing, dark glasses and red top.
Even though Lilly, is clearly distressed and in tears
at this time, this woman says to her, "Your son wasn't
the only one!". In a fist of rage, Lilly lashes out,
with a fiery, "My son.. died!" and decides to walk
away from the fight. She sums up her feelings by saying,
"This is the type of stupid ignorant people I have
to deal with.." Poignantly, one woman had been able
to place into the words the whole reason for this
documentary. To shed light to the reality of war,
the reality of greater powers having an agenda. How
greed and oil can play an important part in politics.
I was disappointed that the ending was on such an
awkward, almost unclear ground with the emotions running
so high. Opening my eyes to various aspects which
I only had limited knowledge of before. I do agree
with that fact that the lower grades of society are
the first to sacrifice themselves in the name of freedom.
While between only one and three senators actually
have children serving with the armed forces. My views
have not changed, but I am less sympathetic with those
who are less informed about both sides of the argument.
Well worth viewing if you want to find out more about
this war, or should I say, liberation?
There are many critical
of this sensational attempt at trying to change the
outcome of a US election. While Moore is working on
a sequel,
other filmmakers are plotting their own response to
the director, calling him unpatriotic.
Strange how one film can divide
a nation in this way. Particular when there are always going to be doubters and even those willing to delve deep into your past and permanent record.
Looks like the first month of 2005 has slowly disappeared
over the horizon and February will be soon upon us.
Time is flying by and I think the fact I have a busy
job is the main culprit. Everything is going well,
and I'm trying my best to settle into a routine. I
know this will come about in due course, but I really
need to get out of this habit of being a lazy slob.
To date, I have rarely exercised and although am by
no means obese, that is no excuse for not being healthy.
I did join a gym,
three years ago, this month. My plan was to get into
a casual routine during the second semester at University
and then build up to a more regimented schedule. Did
this happen? Unfortunately the reality of my placement,
mean I was driving up to 4 hours a day, totaling some
600 miles a week. There was no time to fit in a gym
programme. Swiftly in September, I cancelled my membership,
with my attendance having swindled down to a solemn
weekly visit to my Uxbridge gym on a Sunday morning.
Now that I am working more closer to home, I think
it is an ideal time to consider getting back onto
the running machine and being more conscience of what
I eat.
Making the statement on my website, makes it that
more important and that more real. I cannot shy away
from the fact that I have a target to achieve. My
housemates, won't worry about me shying away from
my responsibilities. I am sure certain people out there will be quick to pick up when I fail to meet the my aims. This is not a late new year resolution, this is just a casual attempt to clean up my act. (Which observers would say is hardly appalling!)
My website needs some minor updates, need to get
some recent photographs online, update the links page
and also create an index of all the songs which have
been referenced (by lyrics only) at the end of my
blog postings. Plenty to keep me busy plus writing
original material for my work blog. When will I find
the time for my XBox, with all those new titles, and
catch up with the latest from the 4th round of the FA Cup.
Tuesday 25th January 2005
Can you believe that exactly a month ago, it was
Christmas Day? The thought alone makes me shudder,
looking back, it seems much more time as based, than
the thirty one days, my diary clearly shows. Thankfully
it was yesterday, to be precisely calculated as the
worse
day of the year, which is understandable given the
circumstances. Diamond
Geezer sums up the feeling of an entire nation,
with a list of tasks
that seem to take forever. Having said all of that,
yesterday was not too bad and the time flew by quite
quickly, with very just the odd ring of the telephone.
So, how was your day? Hussein
came up with the wisdom of the day, which should keep
us drudging on, if only for a few more weeks. "But
hey, that means every day is going to be statistically
better than this one!" You can rely on our resident
superhero to always look upon the positive. Funny
how that those in the southern hemisphere, report
with joyfulness our plight.
Although I have a strict policy not to view personal
blogs during the work day (even in my lunch break)
I do try to get my daily dosage of online news. Although
no one can doubt the resource might of the Beeb,
I need some more selective reporting on the crucial
news of the day. For this I turn to the Guardian
and their fabulous News
section. Written in the form of a web log, each weekday
they bring a roundup of the articles to be published
online, through the various sections of the paper, at around 11am. This preview is followed by
news bites later in the afternoon, with all the detail
you need to read up on the subject at hand. The pick
of the day is usually well worth a visit and a image,
is also used to summary the main event of the day,
or the week. To my surprise, the link Chin's
Happy Moments was able to take my thoughts away
from the busy office, just for a split second and
I realised, just as I had been trying to pay more
attention to the finer things of life yesterday afternoon.
Happiness is all about the wonderful things, the every
day things, the things that mean so much to you, and
just you.
Great to see Arsenal back on form,
if not quite the finely tuned engine, we have all
come to expect. Hopefully we can be firing on all
cylinders by the time we meet Fergie's men at Highbury
next month. Some great chances did go begging, even
if more to the great performance of Shay
Given. If the feud
has finally come to the end, time to let the football
do the talking.
Read the latest at Arse
Blog , as he was lucky enough to be at the match
with the Toon. Really need to get myself down to North
London for a game, particularly Champions League,
which I am well informed have the best atmosphere.
My long term aim, is to beg steal, even borrow for
the final game on the North
Bank before the big move. Then, it will be how
to swindle my way onto the waiting list for a season
ticket If you have any advice that may aid my
plans to move from a armchair
supporter in the pocket of Rupert
Murdoch to part of the North
Bank faithful.
Sunday 23rd January 2005
Spent yesterday evening filing. Over the past few
months, having gathered a mountain of various paperwork
and mail, it was time for a spring clean. Not sure
about you, but I am notorious for holding on to any
old piece of paper, sometimes purely for nothing more
than sentimental reasons. Does finding it difficult
to throw things away, make me a hoarder?
Although I doubt my conditions seeks professional
medical advice. My personal explanation is that I
fear there will come a day, that I will really need
documentary proof that I attended the Holland versus
Switzerland game during Euro
'96. Tickets to the group match held at Villa
Park, which I won, via a HSBC
competition. For this reason, I hold on to things,
which really I should have thrown away years ago.
Too many times in the past, I have summed up the courage
to throw something out, against my better judgment
only to discover a few months later, the perfect reason
for having said information or apparatus. Sending
me into a mystery universe that I should save everything
because you never know when it might come in useful.
Useful is such a subjective word. Just as the saying
goes, one man's junk is another man's treasure. How
anyone can see gold buried
A tidy up does you good and is in many ways, therapeutic. Looks like I am not
the only one to hold such a view.
Out of all the chaos, you bring some sense of order.
The fact that you have done it yourself, makes it
that much sweeter. Perhaps more regular applicants
of elbow
grease may actually help me become a healthy
person, inside of my current status of lazy
slob.
Can you plan the perfect day? No, it just happens. Events, people and circumstances come together in a moment which sticks in your mind. The soundtrack of course is very important, and that too triggers the mind to remember these special memories, which we hold so dear. Driving to the Midlands yesterday afternoon, I had the time to reflect on the quiet M40, the importance of what appear insignificant events, although on merit are spectacular. When was the last time you actually, stopped and considered the grand star in the sky, as it rises in the morning. Or the bright shining white light, high up in the night sky? Busy life. Stuck in our busy lives, we rarely get the chance to stop, look up in awe and the wonderful beauty of mother nature. My thoughts returned to the road, the traffic was building, the clock was ticking. I clicked over to the next track on the stereo, signaled looking into my rear view mirror, to find the road clear, put my foot on the accelerated into the fast lane. As if by an act of some supreme being, the song I had selected, summed up the moment that had just passed, "then one look at you, and I know it's gonna be..."
Leaving the staff car park on Friday, I felt a sense
of achievement. Meeting the challenge, which on Tuesday
morning had felt like more than mountain to climb.
This was more than my usual Friday feeling. A self
assurance came over me, like no time before. I had
been in my new position for twenty-one days and on
this, the 21st day, the realisation came over me.
The right decision had been made, finally finding
my feet, knowing this job will be here for me tomorrow.
On Saturday afternoon, MTV
Base had an all request show. A romantic soft
ballad was playing with the sweet soulful vocals of
Brandy.
From her earlier recordings in the mid 1990s, when
she was finding success with her own television series,
Moesha. I
had not heard the track, but was instantly drawn to
the deeply powerful lyrics that move your heart. These
are the moments, when you feel the song was written
just for you, and it not just a coincidence that I
happen to stumble upon this track on music television.
Have you ever found the one
You've dreamed of all of your life
You'd do just anything to look into their eyes
Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to
Only to find that one won't give their heart to you
Have you ever closed your eyes and
Dreamed that they were there
And all you can do is wait for the day when they will care
Friday 21st January 2005
Bored of all listening to the same CDs in the car
on my journey to work, it was time for a change. Mainly
because about 4 songs, appeared across 3 of the CDs.
Having only a 5 disc CD changer does limit the choice,
when you have been used the unlimited supply of the
MP3 CD. As I pulled up onto my drive on Wednesday
evening, I took the executive decision. Ejecting all
discs from the in car audio entertainment system,
I quickly placed them in my CD carry case. The plan
was to burn a new album. But did I get around to it?
No, of course not. To be honest, my current collection
is looking quite tired, with none of the fresh material,
I had hoped to acquire. To this day, there are a group
of tracks I listen to on a regular basis. The proof
is always in the data
collection.
Avoiding radio, particularly commercial variety throughout
the week, goes not give me the opportunity to hear
new up and coming artists. Even my viewing of music
television is down. More on that later.
Getting into my car on Thursday morning, I looked
into my Case
Logic 64 CD case to hunt for a music for the short
journey to work. Mix
107 filled a small hole, while my chosen disc
was loaded. I thought it important to catch up with
the latest traffic news in the process. Startled to
discover that my entire stretch to the office was
busy, my mind raced to find an alternative route.
Taking a risk and seeing very few vehicles on the
road, I used my usual standard route, knowing that
the alternative would add minutes onto my arrival
time, which was not acceptable. Had my ears been deceiving
me? The roads were clear and I got to the office in
good time. Proof that local radio can not always be
as accurate as they would make you believe! The disc
I had chosen was labeled, 'American Home' which gave
me rough guess at a creation date of around Spring
2003. I knew two of the songs that would feature,
would be by Madonna
and Bone
Thugs 'n' Harmony. The remaining eight tracks
(yes, I know wasteful use of an eighty minute disc).
Switching over to track four I was greeted with an
moving instrumental intro, the perfect song for the
perfect moment? Maybe. The song kicked in, just I
headed into the picturesque part of my journey, crossing
into the Royal
country just as I cross over the River
Thames. Had I finally made that big leap and could
finally stop wondering why? Another bundle of random
acts, history seems to have a habit of repeating itself.

This is turning out to be a weekend, sponsored by
the Microsoft
console. I will have to be careful of how I phrase
the rest of this paragraph for sure. Mr. Gates' lawyers
are very expensive.
Just look back at this feeble story from exactly a
year ago.
I received an interesting invitation in the post yesterday,
in the now brand trademark green
and black. Wondering what it was all about, I I opened
to discover a final push by the marketing men, well
in the UK at least. The Italian car manufacture has
come on board to create limited edition, XBox
cars. Seems like just another run of the mill gimmick
by the PR men, with little being added in the name
of small production batch, apart from the odd local
plastered onto the dash and rear body panel. Although
both models look impressive at first glance, looking
beyond the image you find very little substance. Come
on Microsoft, is this truly upgraded
spec? Hopefully more will be revealed this weekend
at the official launch. Am I just being cynical, or
is this a way to shift a few more Puntos and Stilos
off the forecourt with the temptation of a free console?
As it would transpire, I am picking up some XBox
titles this Saturday from a friend. This source
will remain anonymous, but a full round of the games,
reviews, screen shots will follow shortly. Plus I
have the added bonus of the full Sony
Surround Sound Home Cinema system, to literally blow
me away! If only I can get my hands on the TV this
weekend. :)
Sunday 16th January 2005
Went to the optician yesterday for my annual eye
test. Although it had actually been 23 months to the
day exactly since my last checkup. I have been seen
by the same optician since the need to wear spectacles
came about, aged 13. My high street optician of choice,
is based more on past family ties than anything else.
That having been said, I have been more than satisfied
with the level of service I have received. Thankfully
my eyesight has not got any worse, and is very much
stable at it's current level. I am short sighted,
so cannot make out text at large distances. Therefore,
wearing my glasses has now become part of the daily
routine. Even if for it was not until I started college
that I actually started wearing them regularly. At
school, I never had the confidence to wear them. Then
in the late 1990s, wearing glasses suddenly became
cool. Particularly with a host of celebrities making glasses hip again, then more recently we see a hero, with four eyes.
Not sure about how important your personal IT skills
are in your household and how well respected you are as an expert. Although
working in the industry, studied the subject at University
and even grown up with these beasts for the past thirteen
years. I really related to this article
on the BBC News Magazine.
If only I was working as a consultant, I could easily
have retired by now. Okay, then again, maybe not.
Finally got around to updating my Audio
page. It has been over five months since I last added
the latest tracks in my collection, which is now nearing
the magic 3000 mark. I still refer to our current
decade as the noughties, although Diamond
Geezer, appears to question
if a final decision has been made on the title for
this musical era, which still has another five years
to run. You would assume that fives years in, some
word would have generally been accepted. Turning to
musical events more closer to home, the 1000th
number one has gone to Elvis.
I am not a big fan of the King of Rock n Roll, as
even the title can be disputed. I like some of his
songs, "Always on my Mind" and "Can't Help Falling
In Love" being two exceptional favourites. In what
can only be described as a shameless marketing ploy
all 18 of his UK number one hits are being released
over the coming 18 weeks, until sometime in April.
I would have preferred to see, previously unreleased
or rare material to be issued. It is my understanding
that Presley recorded over 400 songs in his short
life and has a major back catalogue, but most people
are only aware of the big hits. My sister, Samantha
is a big fan of the King.
Not sure how it came about, but several years ago,
just before Christmas, my sister was engaged watching
an Elvis movie on television. The rest of the family
wanted to watch something else, but she would not
let popular opinion and potential revolt in the living
room to change her mind. Later, we would discover,
Elvis lights (well small bulbs with young images of
Elvis as the lamp shade in her room. Then, the odd
framed photograph and of course the albums, Number
One, released a few years ago. Strange because
my sister tends to have a very contemporary taste
in music, bouncing along to her RnB and Hip Hop. I
was listening to discussion on this topic on Five
Live one evening over the Christmas break. A fan
from across the pond was trying to explain to the
panel of guests that before Elvis, there was nothing
on the radio, and his sound, persona and charismatic
image fueled a fresh interest in popular music. He
may not have invented rock and roll but he did bring
it too the masses,
in a way like no other. Just thinking about one man's
impact in this way is astounding. Listening to Tommy
Boyd on Southern
Counties last night, there are several possible
reasons to question the religious reverence he is
held by the fans. Amazing how such a stance on a world
renowned figure can bring out the worst in human nature.
Fans, after all are willing to fight tooth
and nail in support of their idol.
Saturday 8th January 2005
I remember reading somewhere on the MJ
Fan Club News website that a British documentary
was being produced about Michael Jackson fan's to
be screened in early 2005. So, it came as a little
surprise that early 2005, actually referred to just
four days into the new year. While flipping channels,
as I do constantly, I noted the flash new rolling
titles of Channel
4 which had only just been released. I saw some
unfamiliar faces but heard familiar music being played
for this trail. It was Human Nature. Intrigued I turned
up the music to find out more about this show. I realised
quickly the subject matter of the show and noted the
time and date it would be broadcast. To my disappointment
it was called, "Wacko About Jacko" which is just highly
impertinent to the music star.
It was after my first day at work, as I drove home I realised that I would be watching the show that evening. The time had flown past by the fact that so many incidents and issues at work had overcome me. Consequently I had not spent the working day lamenting on the show. As would be the case of a big football match or even episode of Eastenders. Let me not get this out of context, I was still highly anticipating the show, but the fact that the return to work after the festive period had been so hectic, meant I had little time to do so. Getting into my car, I searched around to see if I had any MJ material available. Unfortunately I did not, so kept to the CD I had been listening to in the morning and also switching over to the radio. Local radio now becomes especially important, as I work only 7 miles away. Heading home I wondered how the show would go about portraying some of the most loyal fans in the world.
By the time came for the show to start, I was knee deep into my blog entry
for my Birmingham adventure, so quickly dropped everything
to switch on the television. Nav had appeared online,
but quickly disappeared the moment I mentioned the
show was on. Rushing downstairs to his living room
to tune in. While shopping in Birmingham I had mentioned
the documentary in passing, he too had seen the trail
and was looking forward to watching.
After watching the hour long show, here is my personal
response. If one word can be used to describe the
show, sensationalised. Although I have no doubt that
all the people featured are true fans, I would question
the combination of fans. From one extreme we had entertainers
or rather impersonators whom make a living playing
the role of Michael Jackson at various events and
gatherings. While on the other side, we have a band
of dedicated followers, willing to spend every last
money of their hard earned cash in pursuit of the
magic. I also do not question the devotion of these
so called, 'super fans', they are quite unique and
special. Though it does start to beg the question.
To what length would you go to to be like your idol?
The hair extension operation being filmed was although
not painful to watch, was dramatic. Why would anyone
go to all this length and expense to look like a pop
star? I think Michael Jackson is one of the greatest
entertainers and can with great justification call
himself, the King
of Pop. I just question the motives of the programme
makers. What was their agenda? If they want to prove
that Michael Jackson fans are as crazy as the pop
star himself, I feel it did not go about it the right
way. Although I disapprove highly of any argument
taking this such a negative and rumour based stance.
The Bashir documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson"
from a few years ago, which did not go down well,
both sides
of the water.
Of the fans featured three were from the UK. Apart
from the entertainer, the other two fans were rather
more down to earth and dare I say, 'normal'. No, that
is an unfair criticism, maybe my argument should be
more justified. The other, is Navi. Apparently the
World's Number One Michael Jackson, impersonator.
(Or so says his website). I disagree with other people
cashing in on the magic of Michael, but there is little
I can do about it. Some entertainers are easily to
mimic, but they are not up to the standard (standard,
that is a word not even in Michael's vocabulary) and
sheer breathtaking genius of the true master. That
brings us on to the 'real fans'. Danny Oliver had
created the now infamous anti-Bashir
jacket. During the show he unveiled a new anti-Sneddon
jacket. Tom Sneddon is the District Attorney who has
brought these charges. If you really want to read
his glowing profile.
You realise the power of one man, on another individual
who has grown up with an entirely fresh and pure outlook
on life based much on the influence of Michael, his
music and his message. Then watching him with his
family, you notice that they have had a major part
in his upbringing, yet the influence of the entertainer
is clearly apparent. Danny came across as a happy
go luck individual with a great respect, almost religious
like adulation for Michael which has to admired. To
those of you are not fans, you will never understand
that unique gift that MJ has. I am not referring to
his talent and genius, which is to this day unparalleled.
The capacity to touch so many different people with
his music. Music that becomes so unique and special
in its own right and yet means so much to us as fans
collectively also. For example, Billie Jean will always
relate to a personal experience in your life, be it
a school disco, or girl you liked at the time. Then,
moving to the more general picture, you have that
amazing video, the dance movies and intrigue of who
was the song really about? No other artist in the
history of recording music has had this affect on
such a cross demographic of people. I doubt anyone
else ever will. Sure, there are songs that you hear
during a particular phase in your life, which you
feel were written personally about you. Then you turn
to your MJ back catalogue and listen and it takes
everything to another level. The vocals move you,
you want to dance to the beat. No matter what mood
you are in, you can throw that CD in and within a
second your mood is changed to reflect the song.
I digress, but talking about Michael Jackson does
that to you. He inspires you, in a way that no other
person can. Back to the documentary. The other fan
featured was Anika. She is a big mover in the UK support
scene, organising demonstrations, shows and other
events for UK fans and has been active in this pursuit
for many years. The programme makers followed her
attempts to organised a celebration show for her idol
in London and also trip over the the west coast of
the States to see Michael appear at the pre-trial
hearing. The whole show was big eye opener for me
as fan. I had known of a big fan following in the
United States, as aware of some UK fans being fanatics
but this was something else. Their devotion to catch
just a second glimpse shows the unnerved determination
of these band of followers. A fine example is in the
show. A few days before they pre-trial hearing, Anika,
Oliver and their friend Nima, driving the rented people
carrier head across from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
This is purely on the whisper than Michael may be
appearing at World
Music Awards. Only to discover from a security
guard that Michael's seat had been given away to another
less well known celebrity earlier that morning. So
a five hour drive across the state border, all for
nothing. Yet, although obviously disappointed, none
of the gang of three seemed to have lost any faith
and headed back LA, undeterred to book into to a motel
to rest for a few hours before the trial. You are
not given the label, 'super fan' unjustly and I have
nothing but respect for sheer devotion in the face
of such negative publicity and criticism from the
mass media. I have never been able to support any
of the artists I listen to, beyond occasionally buying
their albums. Never been to a concert for an individual
band or group. (Capital FM's Party
In The Park does not count!) Yet, here in front
of my very eyes I see average fans, with everyday
jobs saving every last penny in pursuit of a dream.
Yes we all have dreams, but this dream is different.
You are pursuing a piece of the magic. I hear just
an ounce of the magic on the albums, on the music
videos (or should that be short films), on the live
performances at the concerts. Yet but capturing the
magic is a difficult task. These fans have made it
their mission to feel the full glory of this magic
by going to the source. You can never fault anyone
for following their heart and pursuing their dream,
whatever it maybe. Maybe because the rest of the world
no longer sees Michael
Jackson as the great superstar he once was. They
watch with some dismay that other people are still
holding a torch for Michael.
These people quickly forget the many years of wonderful
memories that this one man has given us, and even
in the face of great adversary, he continues to prove
himself unbreakable, no that is not the right adjective.
To prove himself truly resilient. The line that hit
this home for me, was an early statement Michael mate
back in November 2003, when these allegations first
surfaced.
I could go into the giving a poor paraphrased narration
on the dramatic events outside the hearing in Santa
Barbara. Those of you, that caught the show, will
know what I am referring to and I would rather not
waste time retelling a story you already know. Instead
I would like to concentrate on events, the moment
the show finished that evening. Inspired, if somewhat,
in awe of what I had seen on the show I decided to
act. This was rather a spontaneous decision, which
is a major step for someone like me. I tend to plan,
arrange, organise and analyze every action with microscopic
precision. A long shot in any case, I thought I may
be able to get an e-mail address or at least some
contact details for Anika, or the UK based Jackson
fan movement. It is amazing what you can find with
Google
a little thought and bags of patience. So, I had an
e-mail address, and a Hotmail
address for that matter. An e-mail, that was my first
port of call. I was going to introduce myself, in
the most elegant fashion. Considering the lack of
respond that previous e-mails sent in a similar vain
and my frustration of not having anywhere else to
turn in such circumstances, I decided that an e-mail
may not suitable in the current circumstances. Recalling,
that less than a month ago, an e-mail to a fan of
Natasha Thomas had proved meaningless. So summing
up some courage, I added Anika to my MSN contact list,
half expecting her to be offline. To my surprise,
she was online and then I searched for the right words
to say. It was precisely forty-six minutes and ten
seconds since the documentary had finished. Here I
was talking to one of the super fans featured, unable
to find the perfect words to make that introduction
and explain my reason for adding them to MSN
Messenger. Noting the time, I was apprehensive
of the fact that I had to the reality check of work
the following day, away from my dreams of the Moonwalk.
Having made the breakthrough, I was hoping to find
out more about the moment she first was touched by
the allure of MJ. To my astonishment, she first saw
him
in a hotel in 1996. A year later she went to the HIStory
concert, I'm presuming in London. Then, the moment
that made me most envious was the fact she had gone
to Madison Square Garden for the 30th
Anniversary Celebration concert. If that was not
enough she had also chosen the night when Michael
sang with with Britney Spears on "The Way You Make
Me Feel". Footage, most of us here in the UK may not
have seen due to legal implications of the female
artist appearing in concert on HBO.
I cannot really describe how I felt when I was told
this. For a split second I was filled with jealously.
Then, in an instant, I realised why I had taken this
great step of making contact over instant messaging.
For as long as I can remember, the old adage, it's
not what you know but who you know has been ringing
in my ears. When you know someone, who has met someone
famous, you want to get to know them better for several
reasons. Deep down, you hope and pray that some of
the fairytale will rub off on you. Perhaps.
Sharing all my personal MJ moments, with another
fan is interesting, because it gets you thinking to
re-discover exactly when, where and even why you suddenly
become a fan of one of the most famous people on the
planet. I thought about it for sometime, and then
realised that I liked MJ before I actually started
to listen to the music and become mesmerized by his
on stage performances. It was the mid 1980s and we
celebrating my birthday party at our old house in
Lane End. The party was in full swing and the camera
man had come into the kitchen to film all the children
dancing. A classic Bhangra track was playing on our
dated Grundig
stereo. My cousins came into the room, and there was
a bit of fuss, as the music stopped and a new audio
cassette (remember those?) placed in the stereo.
The dancefloor was cleared. Correction the space between
the dinning table and fridge was slightly cleared.
My cousin Steven casually walked on to 'his stage'
and quickly switched into what can only be described
as a dancing machine. Moving to the heavy beat of
the music, he took the song in his stride, with the
rest of my extended family looking on with curious
smiles and bemusement. Intrigued my other cousins,
Ajay and Simon
joined in this break
dance. Passing the 'electricity' between them.
Even my cousin William, who even in his mid-teens
was a reserved chap, joined in, to the shock of onlookers.
The whole segment is just over six minutes, nothing
on a three hour family video but at the time, I was
a toddler, completely oblivious to the power of the
performance by my cousins. I would not discover Michael
for a few years to come, but ironically perhaps even
poignantly, I "Wanna Be Startin' Something".
In my several discussion with Anika so far, she mentioned
a more recent and unknown song (beyond MJ circle of
major fans) from the Invincible
album. As fate would have it, I had only truly discovered
the song, exactly a year ago, when I posted the lyrics
on my blog. If you let that coincidence lie, this
next one is slightly more uncanny. Many of the recent
albums I have burnt, have been rushed and therefore
I have not been able to actually spare the few minutes
to label them. Although this label would be of some
help, it would not allow me to easy identify every
track on the compact
disc. So the case logic CD case I have in my car
is fill off identical unlabelled TDK
media. Picking up a disc completely at random, I listened
through the first few tracks and then switched onto
track four. Shocked, I was listening to the very song
I had been discussing with the super fan the previous
evening. My mind began to wonder, away from the road
as the song came to life and filled my car. Not many
vocals can take you away from the present, to a place
far far away, with the comforting warm thoughts that
make you glow. Few artist can achieve this. My response
to the beautiful events of the past few days can be
summarised in one word. Speechless.
Friday 7th January 2005
So we reach the first Friday of 2005 and not a minute too soon. Even with the comforting though of a four day working week, it has been long haul with many things going on at work. Further observations will shortly be posted on my work blog.
Only seven days into this new year, and I find already
a backlog being created for my blog. Firstly I need
to tie up some loose ends from my previous entry.
Like a newspaper editor rushing to meet the deadline
for the first morning edition, I was keen to get as
much crammed in. However, this has left some gaping
holes that need to be filled. Do not worry, this will
not take too long and then I can bring you up to speed
with more recent events. Having made the primary purchase
in the morning, I felt quite pleased with myself.
Yet there were still secondary and even tertiary targets
to seek out. Over the Christmas period I had been
extremely ruthless with my tie collection. Many had
now begun to show their 2 year age, and usage over
placement and subsequent City job. I needed to buy
a few more ties, having already added three blue ties
from Next in mid December. Most of these ties that
were now cast to the charity shop, had been purchased
on Wednesday 12th June 2002. On that day too, I came
to Birmingham from Leicester. On that occasion, I
went to Tie
Rack and I was keen to give the chain some repeat
business. The signs however did not far them well.
There are three stores (to my recollection) within
the city centre, one in each of the respective shopping
centres (mall is such an American word and unfit for
use as a description. In the World Cup year, I had
used the Palisades branch and on this occasion, I
wanted to make use of the BullRing. I was disappointed
in the range available, in what must be their bigger
branch of the three. The ties were bland, conservative
and unexciting. My ties never make an extra exaggerated
statement, but do reflect my personality as a person
with a high standard dress code. Other stores did
offer ties but again, did not have that special magic
which made me want to pick them up. My brand loyalty
was shining through and I wanted give Tie Rack another
chance. While in the Pavilions Central later in the
afternoon, I just headed in the direction of the store,
not expecting anything, if I am honest with myself.
First impressions proved to be meaningless. The store
had a few customers inside, and I could not see any
of the pure silk ties. Instead just the usual monotonous
selection, until I looked further around. Then a few
Italian Frangi ties were spotted and I just had to
make a decision on colour. Feeling that my tie collection
lack scope for colour, I chose a light blue tie with
what can only be described as yellow oxygen bubbles
pattern and a black tie (which is always useful).
Bringing my grand total of ties to 9, bringing some
relief to the fact that I would no longer be hunting
around one morning for a tie I had not already worn
that week! As I came to the till to pay, I noted a
Chip and Pin terminal on the checkout desk. Would
this be used this time around? To my surprise, I was
asked to enter my pin, although apprehensive found
the whole experience simple. Although the gentleman
who served me still scanned my credit card through
the conventional till after the pin had been verified.
Once I was handed my receipt, I noted that this was
future for all my future high street non-cyber based
purchases. No longer a scribbled copy of my signature.
Time will tell if the pin truly is mightier than the
pen. I am still to be convinced.

Now I take a leap towards the end of the day, sorry
but this final segment of the day is important, on
various levels. So bear with me, on this short but
entertaining ride home. The first day back to work,
was becoming a realistic thought, as the sun set around
me, and I entered a twilight period with all the shops
switching on their lights, the street lights coming
on to compensate for the darkness. Looking at my watch,
the time was ticking away as I headed towards Moor
Street station. Trying to block out the thoughts of
the real world and the fact, some twelve hours later
I would be sitting at my desk and taking phones from
clients. Moor Street is a traditional style railway
station, with two platforms devoted to the old steam
engines of the past. Ended back to the operating platform,
I realised I was on the wrong side. Trains only headed
further north to Snow Hill and beyond. Just as my
mistake became apparent, a south bound Chiltern Clubman
pulled up opposite. It was heading to Banbury, and
if I had run across I could have boarded with plenty
of time to spare, but I decided to wait for the train
I had planned to catch home. The station was surprising
busy for a Bank Holiday, with many people waiting
to catch trains. There was a group of families with
young children, a few students, and a few courting
couples. The answer came to this, with the sound of
an approaching train. The local service, provided
by Centro
on dirty, worn out trains were the chosen mode of
transport for these people to get to their destinations
in and around Birmingham. I can think of traveling
in a slightly more comfortable and reliable way than
this. I did not have to wait long for my train to
arrive. Punctual, as expected, and surprising for
a holiday, at 17.21 precisely. I jumped onboard and
was subsequently questioned by a few passengers about
whether the train stopped at their destination. I
would have preferred to have been more helpful but
I much rather just play ignorant. Even though I had
a timetable in my bag, they would spent some time
trying to decipher. Quickly taking refugee in a seat,
I rushed to get my radio on, listen and switch off
from the passengers around me. The train was quiet
and there were plenty of seats available around. Even
so, many people decided to stand, very strange. I
plugged in my ear phones and switched over to Core
Control and was amazed at what I heard. The bass
line to a popular hip hop track was just kicking in,
I had switched on the radio just in time to catch
the song. Smiling, I drifted into my seat, looking
across at the night skyline of Birmingham fade away
in the distance. Overcome by a warm feeling, I was
heading home, making good time and my Birmingham adventure
had come to a close. Just as the lyrics, "You Can
Do It, Put Your Back Into It..." rung in my ears.
I grew tireless of listening to just the one station
so started exploring the airwaves to see what other
music was available. FiveLive
had football commentary but from the Championship
(often referred to as the Real League). So I focused
on music stations, with a few new local passed stations
appearing on my dial. I switched over to Radio
1 to be shocked at what I heard. It was the theme
tune to one of my favourite TV
show.
What was this? Then I remembered the early chatter
on my journey out of Wycombe. This was the Ten
Hour Takeover which has become a customary fixture
on most Bank Holiday weekends. The version of the
A-Team theme that was played was rare, and included
an extended version not played on the original television
show. Sweet! Intrigued, I listened for the next few
hours just to see what the public would select and
if any of my personal favourites would be played.
It was 6pm by this time, as I had been far too fussy
trying to find something to listen to. Next to be
played was an Elvis classic, but it was the song queued
up afterwards which would be most spectacular I had
been hoping they had not already played it but realising
that the whole days programming had been devoted to
this open door policy, I was less hopeful. The voice
that Wes spoke to answered my prayers. "Take On Me"
by 'A-ha' please said the voice over a crackly mobile
line. Wes responded by offering the option to play
the September 2000 UK number one cover by A1. To my
astonishment, the caller did not have a preference.
The abomination of his lack of true loyalty to the
original baffled me. Just as the song started, we
headed into a tunnel, and my reception was cut to
a whimper. Frantikly I tried to retuned the radio,
looking out of into the dark, looking for the light
literally at the end of the tunnel, it did not come
for a while and I sunk back into my seat, realising
I had missed this moment. Of course, I had heard the
song several times and new the lyrics inside out but
the fact that Wes had not given a clear indication
of which version he was going to play added to my
frustration. We screamed out of the tunnel, and my
radio came back to life, just as the song entered
it's final chorus stage, fading to an repeation of
the song name. Gutted, that is how I felt. I stayed
tuned for the remainder of my journey, hoping that
more classics would be played, a few were, but nothing
of note. Shame my day had to end of such a minor,
insignificant downer. Strange how a song
can have such an imposing effect on your day.
Monday 3rd January 2005
I had planned today for the best part of the past two weeks giving rise to
an excellent opportunity to get out of the house and
make most of my last day of leisure. Returning to
work tomorrow morning, and with that a return to reality,
routine. The chosen destination was the Midlands,
because of the splendor which is the BullRing
shopping complex. First setting foot on the mall on
Saturday 29th May last year, I was amazed at the sheer
size, in comparison to the main shopping centres I
know locally. (Namely Oracle
and Centre
MK. I know towards the end of May I gave assurances
of giving some review of Britain's second city
and Europe's largest shopping development. This was
my opportunity to repay that debt, while generating
some more financial debt
for myself in the process.
Pre booking my tickets on the last day of 2004, meant
I was prepared for the journey. Hoping to make use
of Chiltern
Railways fantastic Just
£15 offer. As usual the restrictions placed
upon the usage, meant it was only valid after 11am
on a this bank holiday the train would be leaving
High Wycombe at quarter past midday. Completely unpractical
for a shopping trip, so I opted for conventional cheap
day return which worked out to be £7.50. This
was not just another day of window shopping, the purpose
of my trip was to get a winter jacket. Not the doorman
security bomber jacket variety, yet something more
elegant and classy affair. Wearable both everyday
over my suit but also when out on a the tiles (even
if this will be quite a rarity).
Apart from buying the ticket, there was little preparation that needed to be
carried out. I planned to leave Wycombe around 8am
and get back by 7.30pm at the latest, in order to
not miss the out my daily fix.
With the timing and day set, it was a case of just
getting my things together the night before. I packed
my DAB Portable Digital Radio to see exactly how practical
it is on the road. There was the small task of locating
all my PINs for my credit cards in order to actually
verify the purchase of goods. Reference to my entry
from Wednesday 15th December
will shed some light on my views on this new anti
fraudscheme.
Yet I feel forced by the banking community to adopt
a procedure for which I have little confidence. Maybe
in practice I will find the system much more robust.
Time will tell.
Waking early, I forced myself out of my bed, with
no signs of light outside. Getting ready quickly,
my sister gave me a lift to the station. Getting there
just before 8am, I had a short wait for my train heading
North. Considering purchasing a newspaper, I decided
against doing so. It would be filled with images and
more reports from the Asia
Pacific. This is not to come across as heartless
for the plight of millions, just not today. Today,
was a day away from the reality of the disaster. Time
for myself. I knew, there would be points throughout
the day when I would be reminded of the fact, I should
be grateful for how lucky I am and my circumstances.
Therefore, I chose to listen to the radio, just for
some music to pass the time before my Clubman arrived
on platform two. Unfortunately, I was not just in
a black spot but in a blackout area. Possibly due
to the same reason that mobile coverage is so bad
in a town forged in between two valleys. So, defeated
I backed away the device and continued to wait for
my train. The town was dead, as was the station with
a few early birds scurry to catch the train to London.
Two other passengers were waiting for my train, and
had come to sit down. Both reading tabloids of some
descriptions, which I tried my best to avoid the headlines
and concentrate on the platform clock, ticking away.
The station announcer, gave the news I had been waiting
for, my train was about to arrive, so with a smile
I looked eagerly down the track, across into the distance.
A journey, I used to make on a daily basis. Upon boarding
the train I was again attempted to listen to the radio,
hoping for a more successful outing that on the station
platform. Disappoint was the only result, no station
was audible. It was not until we were on the outskirts
of the town, that I started getting a distinguishable
signal. My first choice was to find a station playing
back to back pop music, thinking it would not take
long to find. I was wrong, so I decided to listen
to BBC Asian
Network but yet again there was nothing appealing
to be heard. So, against my better judgment, I tuned
into the Breakfast
on Five
Live knowing all to well what the main subject
of discussion. However, the tone was light hearted,
almost jovial reflecting my mood on this last day
of my Christmas break. What was more surprising or
rather refreshing was that they discussed a subject
that I would experience for first hand later in the
day. Apparently, I am not the only doubter of the
effectiveness of the new
system and more importantly there are the concerns
over the transfer of liability.
The show was followed by Richard
Bacon sitting in for Victoria
Derbyshire. This focused directly on the crisis,
but more so on the magnificentresponse
of the British people. With some high profiled guests,
the discussion moved more towards whether there were
more worthy causes
both at home and abroad, which do not receive the
blanket media coverage. Africa was seen as a shining
example of a continent ravaged by war and corruption
that need the aid to stand on its own feet. Although
the talk was rich with stirring arguments, I decided
that I needed to relax more and let other being deal
with the outside world, even if just for one day.
The British countryside was rolling by my window,
green, warm and bright. Today was going to be a good
day. Even though the day had started out quite chilly,
it felt quite mild. The journey was going well, and
my carriage slowly had a few more passengers, as we
cut across Banbury and Warwick. It was at this point,
I decided to listen to music again, and randomly scrolled
down the available stations. Switching over to Core
and hearing a great song. Now rap is not one of my
favourite genres of music but the artist is even less
favoured. Many of peer group would disagree, but I
am deeply offended by his music, image and general
outrageous outlook on life. The only song, I have
in my collection is 'Stan', but that is more to do
with the soothing calm vocals of Dido
thank anything else. On this occasion, I was forced
to listen because of the sampled a rarely heard but
much loved song
from the late 1980s. It came to my attention in early
November on PopJustice
but unfortunately they are still processing their
Archive for September to December 2004. I will link
to the article in due course, but I have to give credit
to changing to context of the song, to such a topical
subject of war (among other others)
Drawing close to Birmingham, I had to make a decision. Either disembark at Moor Street or the next final stop, Snow Hill. As we pulled in towards the city, the train came to a stop for a few minutes, and I could make out the strange silver elephant, sticking out against the backdrop of the city landscape. I decided it was best to take off at the first opportunity and suffer the consequences. I quickly packed away my radio and headed out, with what seemed the majority of the crowd off the train. It was a mild Monday morning, with little traffic outside. Although I did not feel sleep, I was blind to the architecture surrounding me, mainly because I was trying to get some bearings, look at the street signs and follow the other pedestrians. I turned around to be shocked to see the Selfridges building, to my left. Within a ten second walk from the station, I was in the middle of the BullRing complex, I never knew that it would be such a stepping stone away and had envisaged a struggle to get there. The day was panning out to be better than expected. The next stop was to head over to the main city terminal. Apparently the 1854 original was compared to Grand Central station in New York. Personally, I doubt it. I got there just as Nav was coming into the station, so I only had to wait a few minutes before he arrived. Before the rush set in we headed across to the centrepiece of the day, with a newly constructed BullRing link, which connects the station with the shopping centre. Our adventure was just about to begin.
When I had met Nav last Wednesday, he was sporting
a black wool overcoat. This was exactly what I was
looking for, or had been looking for since September.
Just with work and everything, had been unable to
get around to making the purchase. By putting it off,
I waited until the January sales to find the ideal
garment. So, now in Birmingham, I was sure I would
be able to find what I was looking for. Preferably
I wanted a designer name, but that was not essential,
the feel and look was more important. The jacket had
to forefill to important criteria. Be wearable in
everyday work mode, on top of my suit but also be
suitable to wear on a night out on the town. Our first
stop was the flagship store of the BullRing and the
newest of only four department stores in England.
The city centre was still quiet, as we headed to Selfridges.
Looking around at the sale items, I was extremely
disappointed with the quality of the merchandise on
display. I understand that the store want to attract
a certain breed of clientele but is it really to arrange
the shop floor in such a way to provide their 'unrivaled
shopping experience'. To myself personally, there
is clutter and no order to the presentation. Plus,
with many big brand names wanting prime spots across
the floors and play top dollar for the privilege,
you feel bombarded by the name, rather than the product.
No which is truly more important? The one jacket we
did spot, was priced £572 reduced from £1000.
Sorry but that is just slightly out of my price range.
Disappointed and surprised by the lack of jackets
available, we headed out to search around the rest
of the shops.
Our journey how takes the roll call of a standard
High Street in any medium sized British town. Next,
River
Island, GAP,
FCUK
and USC. All not
quite having, what I was looking for. Sure most of
them stocked winter jackets but the style and image
was just not for me. Can you really see me wearing
a hooded jacket? Please. Debenhams
did have a fantastic Thomas
Nash jacket with a minor flaw. It was not long
enough to wear over a suit. However, I kept the jacket
in mind, hoping to return if something more suitable
could not be found. Nav suggested we change tack and
look to support the independent
retailer. So, once again, we tried several shops in
the BullRing with the aim of finding a jacket. The
first store we went into was a small shop selling
suits with a few winter jackets at the front of the
store on sale. Although the jackets seemed ideal,
the one I wanted, in a dark blue was just slightly
too big. Even having my suit on underneath, I could
not justify the purchase. We looked around at the
other jackets, but the sizes just increased to copy
with the larger man on the street. It was at this
point, having spent a good solid two hours searching
that we ventured outside of the shopping complex,
to New Street. We headed into Burton
first but there was nothing there, apart from a small
selection on a rack on the first floor. All highly
unsuitable. Heading back into the street, we headed
back towards the station, noticing the increase volume
of pedestrians. The people of Birmingham were slowly
waking up on this Bank Holiday. It was then I saw
the store, labeled simply 'kf', we headed in to be
greeted by a smartly presented Asian man, about our
age. This at first seemed like a good sign but we
were to be disappointed. Heading towards the back
of the store, I noticed the some jackets hang up.
Standing next to them, was another salesman. Again,
Asian, but how do I put this, less appealing
to the eye. The first jacket, was a deep purple colour
and by Lambretta.
Thankfully it was the right size, but just note the
right cut. Nav pointed out the jacket behind and picked
it up. We were duly informed by the employee that
this was 'by a different company', in his rather light
brummie
accent. These were not at all the appropriate
way of dealing with a customer and he seemed to just
not quite be bothered. I was surprised that the next
words out of his mouth were more constructive, offering
me to try on the jacket in the changing rooms. I declined
and headed over to the mirror and put on the jacket.
It felt comfortable and once glance in the mirror
reassured me that this was the jacket I wanted to
get. When it comes to buying things, I become quite
decisive once I have picked up the perfect item. Unlike
women, who still tend to fuss, or consider the big
dilemma of do I have the right shoes and handbag to
go with this, I just tend to go with instinct. If
it feels right, and more importantly if the price
is right, I will make that purchase. Sure, the jacket
was not some major designer label, but that is not
a big issue for me. I would much rather be wearing
something comfortable and suitable. Nav, in his own
way was advising me against making a rash purchase
there and then, but rather to ask for the jacket to
be kept for an hour or so, while we continued to shop
around. My feeling was we had wasted enough time looking
around and I was conscious of the fact that I had
dragged my friend around all these stores for nothing.
Taking off the jacket, I headed back to the sales
assistant. I thought the fact that I informed him
I was willing to make a purchase. No joy, this did
not change a thing, the poor customer
service continued. Perhaps the research is true
and poor management is to blame. Who knows? But to
be honest, I completely detest the cut of his jib.
On his own personal blog, Nav takes the discussion
one step further by using rather strong language to
describe our experience in this store. So if you are
offended by such words, look away
now. Purchasing the jacket on my credit card, I was
looking forward to entering in my pin instead of having
to sign the conventional authorisation slip. To my
disappointment, although a chip and pin terminal was
available, I was requested to sign to verify the transaction.
Then, to make matters worse, I was given a useless
bag for my purchase. Those stupid plastic carrier
bags, which have the rope attached to close the top.
I am sure I could find a much more suitable use for
this piece of string.
It was lunchtime and I was hungry. However, I was not in the mood for the traditional
fast food. We headed over to Pavilion
Central and their Food Court on the top floor.
Busy, with long queues we walked around and decided
it was best to head further out of town to find somewhere
less rushed to have lunch. Then Nav suggestion Subway
and I agreed. I remember seeing a branch somewhere,
but could not remember exactly, so headed back in
the direction of New Street station. It was just outside,
underneath the may walk way between the street and
train station. This was the first time I had been
to the fresh eating establishment since the summer
and I was looking forward to it, for some strange
reason. One of the few places you can go, not spend
a fortune on food and leave reasonably full.
When I met up again with Nav later that afternoon,
we still had few hours grace before both of our trains
departed back home. While working in Swindon, Nav
had told me of his religious lunchtime routine. He
would head over to the local Greggs.
The dream was taking shape. A extra strong coffee
would be purchased along with a large custard slice.
Then, returning to the office, he would scoff this
down, with the beading eye of his manager just a metre
away. Having created such a delicious picture, I too
wanted to have a piece of this dream. Going back into
the BullRing we searched frantically for the local
in store branch. It was some distance away and once
got our bearings we headed across to the lower floor.
To our disappointment, all the custard slices had
sold out and none of the alternatives seemed at all
appealing. So we had to make another decision. With
less than an hour to go, I suggested we grab a cup
of tea or coffee (I am strict drinking of tea only!)
The first outlet had been Costa,
but we opted to head outside to Borders
bookshop for something less crowded and actually read
some books at the same time. Outside stands the magnificent
Saint
Martins Church
in contrast to the contemporary shopping centre which
almost overshadows it. Opposite was the Spiral
cafe from our Italian coffee loving friends. It was
at this point in the early evening, I was able to
stop and take stock of the day. What I had seen, experienced
and the thought of going back to work tomorrow began
to hit home, as the sun had set across the city skyline.
The conversation took very much a similar route, with
the future, jobs and what our careers hold coming
to the surface. I was glad to have met up with Nav,
particularly as I see so little of him these days,
with his life firmly set in Leicester and Lincolnshire.
Hoping that the time would not pass us by I kept looking
at my watch, almost erratically, not wanting to miss
my train home. This must have distracted my ex-house
mate to death but it had to be done.
Before we left, I wanted to 'record' the moment and as I had not bought along my digital camera, my camera phone was the second best option. Taking photographs of the Christmas Tree and Selfridges building. I will upload them later this week, but be warned the quality will be of substandard. With the customary handshake, I said goodbye to Nav and headed to Moor Street station. My last words to him, was I was looking forward to reading his blog entry on the days events. He promised that something would be put something together by at least Tuesday night. With that I headed for the journey home.
It has taken me several evenings to write this blog entry and I still have not completely finished, so will offer the final part, the train journey home later in the week. When I checked my credit card slips when I got home and looked again at the bag my jacket had been placed in, I was shocked. The store from which I had made this most significant of purchases, was called, Kensington Freak. Is someone, somewhere trying to tell me something?
Saturday 1st January 2005
It appears that I, like many others of you celebrated the arrival of the new
year, a second late.
Thanks once again to Diamond
Geezer for carrying out full in depth research
on the fact that new technology takes longer to process
than the good old fashion antiques from the last century.
Further investigation shows the other holes in the
broadcasting technology.
For many of us, this is a new start, a fresh year
with a clean
slate. Yet, the somber
start to 2005 with our thoughts far from home. With
the death toll
climbing to unprecedented levels. With an opportunity
for us all to make a difference.
Keeping up with the latest on events has meant switching
from the conventional resource
to the more personal power of community.
The web becoming an easily accessible international
rescue. The angel of deliverance brings home to
many families, friends across the globe with detailed
entry on Wikipedia.
This is one of those world events that will live long
in the memory of those that it affected most, but
will become my JFK
moment. Impossible comparison, I agree but the magnitude
of the events is equal, to a certain extend. Just
like the passing of a member of the royal
family or head
of state. A charity record looks to be on the
drawing
board hoping to raise some £2 million.
It is difficult to connect with the suffering of
so many. The death of one man is a tragedy. The death
of millions is a statistic. That saying may well have
rung true many years ago but in the age of blanket
media coverage, we find ourselves, sharing in the
grief, if not agreeing with the portrayal.
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