GTV Happy New Year!

Fer flip sake, happy new year!

Har are you?

You are in a hurry....

...waiting in line at a filling station when the person in front of you ACTUALLY DOES want to take the assistant up on her offer of a 'nectar' card.

Have you EVER seen that happen? I was shocked, the assistant was shocked, maybe even the customer himself just involotarily agreed to the question asked a thousand times a day: "Would you like a wee nectar card?".

There was no going back now, not only does this guy accept the nectar (reward point scheme thing, for those of you who may not live in the UK) card, but then asks EXACTLY how it works and could the shop assistant show him what he needs to fill in on the application form?

I have never seen customer service devotion like this girl, who took her customer through ALL of the fine points of what the scheme entailed and how the points are accumulated and where he should AFFIX THE BLOODY POSTAGE STAMP!

Meanwhile, the other tills are closed, there is no other queue, just me, so the other shop assistant did not see the need to open her till and serve me during this 5 minute epic, 'War and Peace' like display of product knowledge. Maybe the second assistant was just standing back and admiring this act of company pride from a distance.

BAH HUMBUG

currently listening to:
"Audiolab", from NY public radio
(avilable on itunes store for free)

Better than Starbucks....

Today's secret Steria Santa, bestowed upon me a 'Grow your own' coffee kit!

When the apocalypse is finally upon us and people are clambering for supplies and food, I'll be one step ahead of the game, as i'll be doing all of that but wired on homemade coffee!

Thank you secret Santa.

Ps, the apocalypse better not happen for 3 years, as this is how long it'll take to get beans!

GTV edinburgh

This is a taste of what a Giants away trip looks like. Hot off the video press, enjoy:

Belfast Applestore?

Apple to arrive in Belfast

(scroll about half way down the article)

Firewalkin'... the story.

Kind thanks to Nigel C for taking pictures. Video to follow. (click to enlarge) That's me top left, my friend Raj top right, and me again below, but with 3 feet!

Back a few months ago the Belfast Giants official supporters club announced that for children in need this year there would be a "firewalk". Jo wanted to take photos of this wonderous event, so we made a deal that she'd take photos if i did the firewalk. I didn't really think much more about it till yesterday morning.

There was a 45 minute briefing beforehand so that the guy could explain:
• The coals are hot
• I would get black feet
• You might get a blister
• Basics of reflexology
• Beliefs of some firewalkers
• He was the world record holding firewalker (mentioned at least 17 times)

Some of the stuff he talked about was fairly interesting. For instance, in some parts of the world firewalking was a test of honour. Girls are forced to firewalk and if they don't get blisters then they are virgins. If they then get blisters they are dishonoured. (It is intersting to point out that most people looked worried at this point.)

The guy also mentioned he was the world record holding firewalker.

Some cultures use firewalking as an indication of health. If you get a blister in a certain area of your foot, consult reflexology charts, figure out which part of your body is effected, (indicated obviously by the presence of a blister), and have the doctor sort you out.

The guy also mentioned he was the world record holding firewalker.

Despite all this, the walk itself was a fairly painless exercise, apparently due to my ora, poor heat conduction, static electricity, the belief that I could do it and not be harmed...... etc.

I walked over the coals 3 times in total, cuse i was excited.
I did not have a life changing experience.
I didn't 'find myself', cuse i was here all along.

It felt like walking on gravel, it was not sore, but later on in the evening i developed a burning sensation on my right foot.

A small blister appeared on my right foot, but just in case you are curious, my chastity is however intact.

Firewalkin'

This evening I'm being "hauled across the coals" for charity.
I'm "hot footing" it down to the Odyssey.
All for the kids.

Nice knowing you all,
(thanks to Elia for the puns)

M

Martyn Joseph

The other night i went to the Real Music Club at the Errigle Bar, Belfast. Martyn Joseph was playing the only Irish gig of this tour.

I started to get into things about 3/4 of the way through his set. It is always difficult with material that you are unfamiliar with, but it just took a little while for him to catch my interest.

I started to pay closer attention when he played "Cardiff Bay" a song that regularly plucks at the heartstrings of the most hardened 'tuff guy', due to its father and son relationship content.

One surprise was that he is responsible for mid 90's, "most ripped off in Christian outreach meetings", anthem: "What if God was one of us?". This performance of the song was a very different version than Joan Osborne's recording. The tone of the lines "Yeah, yeah, God is great/Yeah yeah, God is good" was sung with such sarcasm and bitterness. I'd mistaken this in the popular version as being an acknowledgment of God, rather than a statement of disgust. I was left in no doubt of his opinion.

A reasonable enough gig, but it will probably be the only time i'll go to see this guy live. Didn't really leave me wanting more.

7 days of rest....

....started yesterday.

Work is a little hectic and depressing at the moment. I have lots of leave to take, so i seized upon the opportunity to take a week to relax, catch up on things i need to do like finally cutting those toenails and trimming hair that is growing in places i didn't think it should till you are 70.

Monday has been a good start, I got up at 10, had lunch with Paul Fellowes, played credit controller for a difficult account for Jo, called the Giants to discuss videos and updated my blog. Its only 3pm! Now i'm pff to play 'The Warriors', a game Jo got me ages ago for the playstation 2. I was playing another game at the time and forgot all about it!

I've also consumed my body weight in good coffee.

Come on 'rest of the week'. I'm ready for you!

Currently listening to:
Song: A song for Brenda
Artist: Cool John Ferguson
Album: Artists in Resonance

Did I just die?

Check this web comic out.

Currently listening to:
Song: Father and Daughter
Artist: Paul Simon
Album: Surprise

GTV # 3

Here is the latest:



Currently Listening to:
Track: Keep the car running
Artist: The Arcade Fire
Album: Neon Bible

Fundalk Giants Part Deux.....

To quote Dr. Peter Venkman in the 1984 blockbuster Ghostbusters:
"We came we saw we kicked its ass.."

The Giants won 5-1 against the Manchester Phoenix at the Dundalk Ice Dome.

I think the main reason was that I was playing music at the event. A hasty arrangement between the rink manager and I who apologised for not calling me back and said: 'so, are ya doin the music for us then?' fantastic.

I did really enjoy the evening with Arn by my side announcing. We had a lot of fun. I was dared to play Sean Beren's cheese grater "back in Belfast" and so i did. I got a laugh from a few of the hockey faithful. Let me explain:

Sean Berens is a guy I used to play guitar with, an ex-giant. I engineered a single for him called 'Back in Belfast' which was pretty awful, but I did play all of the tracks bass, rythm, and lead guitar also singing harmony. We debuted this single around the radio stations in Belfast, playing live on the air. 'Back in Belfast' was a declaration of love for the town and his general excitement at being back here after a season elsewhere. Shortly after we played it live everywhere, Sean left us to play ice hockey for a Sweedish team. It was a great opportunity for him, but left me without a musical partner and pretty much ended eny chance i had at a musical career. The song is now regarded to be a joke given his flaky disregard for his new found home once offered a better deal. (wow that was a load off my chest).

Neverthelesss, the Giants triumphed and are now officially on a winning streak after 3 whole games won in a row. Get in!

Currently listening to: Song: Everybody wants a little something Good Artist: Duke Special Album: Songs from the Deep Forest

Fundalk Giants

Today Jo and I are joining lots of Belfast Giants fans in Dundalk while the team play a home away game. Confused? Well, the Giants are playing in Dundalk Ice Dome because the Odyssey is unavailable. There is a horse show or westlife or something.

The bottom line is that the Odyssey arena make much more money from every other event than ice hockey. More punters attend, more drink bought... you get the idea.

So, i'm having the rare occasion to WATCH the giants, at a home game (away) and not be doing anything. This was not for want of trying to do things. I've been trying to get in contact with the Dundalk management all week to try and have them hire my musical services. The closest I got was yesterday when I finally got through to one of the managers on his mobile and he made and excuse to hang up. Very professional.

Anyhoo, on a brighter note, Jo is working on a new Giants vid, which should be ready in a few days. I thought i'd include a screenshot to show how flattering images taken out of context can be. Sorry Debs!

Currently listening to:
Monty Got A Raw Deal
REM
Automatic For The People

Ah Crap....

I found out this morning that I'm not going to be working for Steria for a whole lot longer.

Let me explain. We have a contract to work for a government client. That client was reviewing our contract and put it out to tender.

We made the final 3 list of contractors, but not the final 2. Being forward thinking, our management decided to talk to the finalists. We have special knowledge of the setup here and are pretty indispensable.

We only got an offer from one of the finalists, who agreed to hire us in the event of them winning the contract. The other finalist told us to get lost.

The finalist who told us to get lost won the contract.

This is not as bad as it first seems. I am a little gutted, because i like working for Steria, but this is where TUPE comes in. TUPE, pronunced "tue-pay" stands for 'Tranfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)'.

Basically, I can't be made redundant from a job that will still exist under a new company. I have the legal right to be employed by the new contractor, at the same money and with the same conditions i enjoy with Steria.

A change is as good as a rest eh? I'm a little anxious, but I do believe in God having a plan for my life. I don't think i'm going hungry anytime soon. I will have a job with the new guys and i'm sure most of my workmates have little choice but to do the same.

Prayer please. Updates to follow.

I took a ride

After not properly riding a bike for any distance for more that 10 years (maybe 12), I decided enough was enough.

Phil and Christine, my lovely potential parents-in-law, bought me a bike 2 Christmases ago. I was delighted at this wonderful gesture and so resolved to ride the bike come the good weather in the new year (2005). Here we are in 2007 and I've finally ridden it home, without stopping i might add. A distance of 2.8 miles. (wow).

This is the start of a wonderful riding career, i can just feel it!


Currently listening to:
Track: Brakerfall
Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Binural

That tears it!

I've sent back my troublesome Nokia n93 for the second time and for the same problem in under a year. The phone is randomly turning itself off, forgetting its date and time and hanging on the camera application.

Apparently, according to the kindly technician at Dunmorris in Lisburn, "the whole N series are like this". Helpful.

I'm not good when phones malfunction.

I can expect to get the phone back in about 6 months I expect.

Joy.

Still with the old videos.....

Whilst rummaging in a cupboard i came across the following old video that Dave Allen and I made for Baptist Youth.

I was skinny.

Currnetly listening to:
Song: "The Swish"
Artist: The Hold Steady
Album: Almost Killed Me

The Shepherds Dog

Ever since I heard the lo-fi goodness of a song called "Such Great Heights" I've been a fan of Iron and Wine. Sam Beam's breathy vocal arrangements coupled with the multi-layered, bedroom-ambience guitar tracks of his early demos struck a chord with me right away.

I downloaded a load of demo tracks and found a well honed style of accoustic guitar based love songs and fables that reminded me of Simon and Garfunkle, only mixed with messy slide guitar.

To best describe the bulk of the work, if a movie was made of my life, Iron and Wine would be the lovely drifting off to sleep moments and dream sequences. It is a difficult thing to describe, but listening to Iron and Wine makes me feel like that moment you wake up too early and realise you are going to have a lie in. And relax.

As well as having many fine happy numbers there are darker songs, which have the effect of making me visualise autumn evenings, just like the the time of year we are enjoying at the moment. These songs make me want to crawl back into bed and get snuggled up under the covers and hibernate.

The Shepard's Dog has just such numbers back to back. My favorites on the album in fact, tracks 3-5 which run into each other a range of emotions and mental imagery. "Lovesong of the Buzzard" kicks of this trio with an upbeat and seemingly joyful collection of thoughts with his trademark slide guitar, some organ, accordian and plenty of percussion. The magic for me is when the song ends and merges into "Carousel".

There is a constant major chord and hawian sounding, far away, dreamy slide guitar. This sets the scene in my head of a lovely summers evening. Added are some sharp accordian stings sounding very jolly, like a circus performer. This is where something starts to change, something is wrong. Tones being played backwards as if everything was slowing down creep in, then the major chord turns minor, changing everything to that winter, uncertain sound. Gentle feedback swells, then clean electric guitar with piano, the chords are still minor and uncertain, but at the end of the progression reassuring and safe sounding, then back again.

The sound simplifies down to guitar and piano most of the way through, as Beam's vocal warbles over the top, with some xylophone and organ, which sounds reminiscent of "Riders on the Storm" by the Doors.

As "Carousel" ends, we hear the same tones being played backwards as at the start, as if they signified the end of a flashback or revelation. "House by the Sea" begins with vibraphone, percussion and harmonica. Out of nowhere comes acoustic guitar and electric guitar which sounds edgy with slight distortion and crybaby. These instruments drive the track, giving an intense energy.

Beam always sounds like he is smiling as he sings. Maybe the guy just loves his job, he certainly makes great music, I guess I'd be smiling if i were him.

The entrie album "The Shepards Dog" is a mix of moods and styles, some of which are new ground for him. One review I read said that Sam Beam's music was as impressive as his beard. I've enclosed a picture below, so you can at least see how impressive his beard is. Now you must get the album to see if the second half of that statement is true.

Currently Listening to:
Song: Carousel
Artist: Iron and Wine
Album: The Shepard's Dog

Downgrade anyone?

This was very funny.

Viva XP!

M

Currently listening to:
The new Foo Fighters Album
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace