Politicians are supposed to say stupid things.  It is almost inevitable when you think about it: we all say the odd stupid thing, but we don’t have reporters following us around to record them.  Even so, after nearly a week, I still can’t believe what John McCain said. [Read more →]

Horsham Labour Party’s elite quiz team¹ made it a hat-trick this evening when we won the pub quiz in the village hall for the third time this year.  While the prize money is handy for party funds, I do feel guilty that we keep winning.  I think we should volunteer to set the questions next time and give the others a chance…  Anyway, there was a large round on the recent Olympics, where we reaped the benefit of my sitting through the women’s high jump finals. [Read more →]

1. i.e. whoever happens to turn up [↩]

Scar trying to take up all the chair. Rojo is determined to get comfortable anyway.

I have been expressing my britishness this bank holiday weekend by indulging in some DIY and moaning about the weather.  Just as well I was born here because according to this test I wouldn’t be let in if I wasn’t.

Today was a big day for young Rojo though: we went out and bought him his first collar.  He has been a real nuisance with the front door - trying to get out every chance he has so we thought we would get a collar with our phone number on and unlock the cat flap for him. [Read more →]

I saw something about the Reading and Leeds festivals the other day which listed the line-ups and I saw RAge Against The Machine there.  I didn’t even know they were back together again, but apparently they re-formed last year.  Their first album is still one of my favourites. What an impact that had when it came out: so angry, so loud, and that unforgettable appearance on The Word.  Good to see them back again.

Watching all those old clips of Booker T and the MGs on YouTube gave me an itch to watch the Blues Brothers film to see Cropper and Dunn in action again.  This evening I sort of scratched that itch and watched Blues Brothers 2000 instead. [Read more →]

Here are Booker T and the MGs playing Green Onions, first of all back in 1967 and then again nearly forty years later in 2003 - different drummer but Booker T, Steve cropper and Duck Dunn are still there.  Dunn deserves a medal.  It must take a great deal of patience to play the same simple repetitive bassline through the entire song just the once but to play it over and over and over for forty years…  I wonder just how many times he has played it now?   he wasn’t on the original 1962 recording but he has been playing it live since 1965.  The other striking thing about the later film is just how damn good Booker T is looking at 60!

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I am, perhaps surprisingly, feeling quite positive about the London Olympics.  It is fashionable to don the traditional British cloak of cynicism and assume they will be an unmitigated disaster: the facilities will not be finished in time, and will be crap, there will be organisational chaos, and the opening ceremony will be underwhelming and naff. [Read more →]

I think I was on the receiving end of one of the best put-downs ever this afternoon, when I went into one of our anorak enclaves to chat with the people whose job it is to actually come up with new ideas, the ones at the sharp end of research & development. [Read more →]

Its GCSE results day tomorrow…  I’m kind of glad that I will be at work and safe from the critical mass of nervous energy, anticipation, dread, expectation and teenage angst that will be brewing up in the vicinity of many homes and every secondary school tomorrow. [Read more →]

So. Apparently Torchwood will be back in 2009, but only for a five-episode series.  All the details seem to be about the production and transmission rather than anything like plot or who will be in it.  The unlikely highlights are that it will be on BBC1, and will appear on five consecutive nights.

Just one question though: why had I never heard of Den of Geek before today?  Its been great fun exploring the old articles and lists on there.