currently listening to: "Immortality" - Pearl Jam (Vitology)
Yup aparently its national chip week.
I went to the chippie after the gym tonight to undo all the work good i'd done, you know how i'm getting to love that belly of mine.
Once more the gym music was ridiculous, and i drowned it out with Pearl Jam's "Vitology" album.
Every track, apart from the last one "STUPID MOP" or "Hey foxysexymophandlemomma, that's me" (depending on when you bought the album) is a winner. I haven't listened to that track in years, it freaks me out a little, and so as far as I'm concerned the album ends with the somber but perfectly crafted "immortality" which is said to be about Kurt Cobain, but hey, i've got no proof.
Every time I rediscover Vitology its like meeting an old friend and going over old times. I have such vivid memories of the time I first heard it, I was 15, and therefore in school. I dismissed it at first as being not what i'd come to appreciate as a Pearl Jam standard sound, with tracks like "Spin the black circle" verging on punk and "Betterman" then "Nothingman" being the absolute opposite. After a couple of plays trough the album it grew on me and i've come to know all of it word for word.
I found as I changed and started to grow up through my later teens that the sound that Pearl jam were producing was growing up too, from the angry raw sound of "Ten" and "Verses" to something new and more textured through "Vitology" to my favorite "No Code".
I've enjoyed everything they have produced since, with varying enthusiasm. "Yeild" sneaked up on me and I only started to enjoy it in its entirety recently, "Binural" is the one i've listened to least, and i figured they were winding up to finish. "Riot act" became the soundtrack to my early 20's, through job changes, moving out into Belfast.
I could talk these guys all day but, well, i should be asleep. I only came on to talk about national chip week. The long and the short of it is, if you like early Pearl Jam, but never gave the later albums a listen hoak them out, they are well worth it.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Post 101 of hararya
(i did the geek test, i got a score of about 12%, which means i'm reasonably normal)
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Happy HARARYA birthday to me!
That's right, this site is a year old today.
I started this as a diary, a way to keep crap that i wanted to show people online and a tool for keeping in touch with those i see less of these days.
Its not been a bad year. I've now been in a PROPER computer related job for over a year (many thanks Steria for hiring me, Meelan for reccomending me, Ken Morrow for encouraging me and of course Robert Donnelly for getting the job that we both interviewed for first!). I'm starting to pay off my debts (slowly) and i'm starting to forget what it was like to be working in the Spar, wondering what the hell was happening to my life. That was a pretty dark time.
But listen, listen, never mind me what about you?
Much of the ol' manly love,
Matt
I started this as a diary, a way to keep crap that i wanted to show people online and a tool for keeping in touch with those i see less of these days.
Its not been a bad year. I've now been in a PROPER computer related job for over a year (many thanks Steria for hiring me, Meelan for reccomending me, Ken Morrow for encouraging me and of course Robert Donnelly for getting the job that we both interviewed for first!). I'm starting to pay off my debts (slowly) and i'm starting to forget what it was like to be working in the Spar, wondering what the hell was happening to my life. That was a pretty dark time.
But listen, listen, never mind me what about you?
Much of the ol' manly love,
Matt
Friday, January 27, 2006
Update on gym crappy remix music...
Dave Allen said...
I have an Idea, lets all try and think of the worst possible (or most ridiculous) song they could do this to.
Im thinking "What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong.
What do you think??
11:14 PM
Jo said...
are you kidding? they've done that one already! =/
====
Just to update, tonight they had the following songs:
Every breath you take - Sting
(which is interesting from the whole people stalking people in the gym)
Maria (you gotta see her) - Blonde
Right here waiting for you - Richard marx
====
I think the most ridiculous song that could be used would probably be "Dance of the sugarplum fairy" (from the Nutcracker) - Thaikovsky
What do y'all think?
I have an Idea, lets all try and think of the worst possible (or most ridiculous) song they could do this to.
Im thinking "What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong.
What do you think??
11:14 PM
Jo said...
are you kidding? they've done that one already! =/
====
Just to update, tonight they had the following songs:
Every breath you take - Sting
(which is interesting from the whole people stalking people in the gym)
Maria (you gotta see her) - Blonde
Right here waiting for you - Richard marx
====
I think the most ridiculous song that could be used would probably be "Dance of the sugarplum fairy" (from the Nutcracker) - Thaikovsky
What do y'all think?
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
...and now a random fact about Jack Bauer:
Every time the cops get an APB to arrest Jack Bauer, half the department mysteriously calls out sick. The fire department too, just in case.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
What kind of villan am I?
What Type of Villain are You?
mutedfaith.com.
(incidently, if you are reading this, dave ashe, that's probably you too!)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
So I've been in a gym for a while now...
...and the problems with going are as follows:
1. I'm a pretty skinny ginger 11 stone weakling with terrible dress sense.
2. They play industrial dance / euphoria nonsense music way too loud.
I am hoping to overcome the first problem, but it will take time, maybe years.
The second problem is a little more tricky, but thanks to my trusty Ipod, (being turned up to 11), I can blast rock and or good pop into my ears at a frightening volume canceling out the effect of the mind numbing dispicableness.
The tunes they are playing are largely badly adapted 80's or 90's songs. The standard formula is to slow/speed the melody down to about half of the speed and play a euphoric 'twice the speed a drummer could ever manage' beat over the top. ALL of the songs are the same. The same beat, the same formula.
Starts off with the slowed/sped up sample by itself and slowly the beat raises in volume until it is overpowering. Then, and here is the clever bit, everything stops. The beat then resumes without the sample. The sample joins in after 20 - 30 seconds and gaines in volume. Eventually it all stops again. The song then starts over again with the sample by itself, then the beat builds up to a euphoric ending.
Sometimes at the end of the song they slow the sample down (but don't lower the pitch) so slow that it sounds all distorted and scary. Then maybe stop one more time and bring the beat in again.
I've heard all sorts of abominations, but there are some that border on comedy. Among the most ridiculous are remixes of:
*Sitting on the dock of the bay
*When a man loves a woman
*My heart will go on
*Friends in low places
All of the above have caused me to burst out loud laughing and completely ruin my concentration.
I've resolved the situation by blasting my Ipod really really loud and drowning them out.
I find Metallica works best.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: "Through the never" - Metallica
1. I'm a pretty skinny ginger 11 stone weakling with terrible dress sense.
2. They play industrial dance / euphoria nonsense music way too loud.
I am hoping to overcome the first problem, but it will take time, maybe years.
The second problem is a little more tricky, but thanks to my trusty Ipod, (being turned up to 11), I can blast rock and or good pop into my ears at a frightening volume canceling out the effect of the mind numbing dispicableness.
The tunes they are playing are largely badly adapted 80's or 90's songs. The standard formula is to slow/speed the melody down to about half of the speed and play a euphoric 'twice the speed a drummer could ever manage' beat over the top. ALL of the songs are the same. The same beat, the same formula.
Starts off with the slowed/sped up sample by itself and slowly the beat raises in volume until it is overpowering. Then, and here is the clever bit, everything stops. The beat then resumes without the sample. The sample joins in after 20 - 30 seconds and gaines in volume. Eventually it all stops again. The song then starts over again with the sample by itself, then the beat builds up to a euphoric ending.
Sometimes at the end of the song they slow the sample down (but don't lower the pitch) so slow that it sounds all distorted and scary. Then maybe stop one more time and bring the beat in again.
I've heard all sorts of abominations, but there are some that border on comedy. Among the most ridiculous are remixes of:
*Sitting on the dock of the bay
*When a man loves a woman
*My heart will go on
*Friends in low places
All of the above have caused me to burst out loud laughing and completely ruin my concentration.
I've resolved the situation by blasting my Ipod really really loud and drowning them out.
I find Metallica works best.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: "Through the never" - Metallica
10 randomly made up, but humourous things...
Ten Top Trivia Tips about Matt mcivor!
- If you blow out all the candles on matt mcivor with one breath, your wish will come true.
- Birds do not sleep in matt mcivor, though they may rest in him from time to time.
- In the 1600s, tobacco was frequently prescribed to treat headaches, bad breath and matt mcivor.
- The International Space Station weighs about 500 tons and is the same size as matt mcivor.
- The eye of an ostrich is bigger than matt mcivor!
- If a snake is born with two heads, the heads will fight over who gets matt mcivor.
- A matt mcivorometer is used to measure matt mcivor.
- More than one million stray dogs and half a million stray cats live in matt mcivor.
- It's bad luck for a flag to touch matt mcivor.
- The opposite sides of matt mcivor always add up to seven.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
This post is dermo's fault, i copied the idea from his blog...
Currently listening to: "Late for the sky" - Jackson Browne
Some things you didn't know / kinda knew, explained a little....
i largely dont eat vegtables. I will eat: potatoes in any form, and tomatoes in the form of a paste or heinz tomato soup. But that is pretty much it.
I don't largely eat fruit. I will eat pineapple. And i've come round to orange juice and cranberry juice, but i'd freak out to eat an orange or a cranberry. I hate the taste of apple juice. I love apple tart. If i don't look at it i can eat the processed apple, if it is warm and is hidden by, lets say, pastery and some kind of cream.
I'm scared of meat. I can eat chicken sometimes. Maybe beef mince in spagetti or chilli. I'm nearly sick if i accidently eat a piece of fat. (one my friends mums - who was a psychologist - served me up a big peace of fatty pork at their table one sunday when i was a kid - knowing full well of my fears. I tried my best - got a big bit of fat, freaked out and then ran out the back to be sick.)
I don't like fish. but i love the taste of prawn cocktail crisps.
All dairy products are great. I love milk.
I like spicey things and almost every type of sauce. I've discovered indian food which i like pretty well, which is basically nice sauces with chicken, and i can pick out the veg.
Most of the things i have come to like i have sampled on a pizza first.
(its pretty much a fear of un-processed food. Yup. I'm a freak. Many thanks to Elia Montgomery for actually putting it into a phrase for me - the fear part, not the freak, i already knew about that.)
I love coffee in almost all forms. Clements esspresso coffee is the best. I buy it and take it home to make. I make coffee and try to force it on people. (sorry work buddies.)
Some things you didn't know / kinda knew, explained a little....
i largely dont eat vegtables. I will eat: potatoes in any form, and tomatoes in the form of a paste or heinz tomato soup. But that is pretty much it.
I don't largely eat fruit. I will eat pineapple. And i've come round to orange juice and cranberry juice, but i'd freak out to eat an orange or a cranberry. I hate the taste of apple juice. I love apple tart. If i don't look at it i can eat the processed apple, if it is warm and is hidden by, lets say, pastery and some kind of cream.
I'm scared of meat. I can eat chicken sometimes. Maybe beef mince in spagetti or chilli. I'm nearly sick if i accidently eat a piece of fat. (one my friends mums - who was a psychologist - served me up a big peace of fatty pork at their table one sunday when i was a kid - knowing full well of my fears. I tried my best - got a big bit of fat, freaked out and then ran out the back to be sick.)
I don't like fish. but i love the taste of prawn cocktail crisps.
All dairy products are great. I love milk.
I like spicey things and almost every type of sauce. I've discovered indian food which i like pretty well, which is basically nice sauces with chicken, and i can pick out the veg.
Most of the things i have come to like i have sampled on a pizza first.
(its pretty much a fear of un-processed food. Yup. I'm a freak. Many thanks to Elia Montgomery for actually putting it into a phrase for me - the fear part, not the freak, i already knew about that.)
I love coffee in almost all forms. Clements esspresso coffee is the best. I buy it and take it home to make. I make coffee and try to force it on people. (sorry work buddies.)
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Its finally happened....
If I'm walking I can call myself a "Podestrian".
I've joined the revolution.
The revolution will not be televised.
(It might be podcast though)
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas
If i haven't seen you / called you / bought you anything, then let me apologise.
May you all get the things you need today.
Remember folks, Jesus is the reason for the season and so may he bless you, weather you believe in him or not. Hey, he's that kind of deity.
Much manly love,
M
May you all get the things you need today.
Remember folks, Jesus is the reason for the season and so may he bless you, weather you believe in him or not. Hey, he's that kind of deity.
Much manly love,
M
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
That fight in Edinburgh....
Clipshack ROCKS!
Currently listening to: Dire Straits "Telegraph Road" - Alchemy (live)"
Mark Knopfler ROCKS too!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Been a hell of a week or so....
So, there has been a lot happening recently, so much in fact, that I haven't even been able to update my blog.
Lets get the formalities out of the way then:
Farewell to Sam Ham (Joanne's oldest chihuahua)
Sam passed away on Thursday night (8th), and was one of two dogs the Ham's got about 17 years ago. The other one, Floyd, had gone a few years ago. Now only Tyson remains, also a chihuahua, and about a year old.
Farewell to Joe Hill (my aunt Dorothy's oldest cat, and last surviving descendant of my grandad's cat).
Joe passed on Saturday evening and was about 18 years old. Me and my big bro Andy found Joe and his brother Harry under a rhubarb plant in my grandad's back garden just after they had been born.
Its been a bit of a rough week with those two, and still looking for Sylvester, Joannne's cat, who got away from us on Friday night a week or so ago while we were trying to get him to the vet's on the Lisburn Road in Belfast.
Also, that big explosion in England was quite close to the UK head office of the company I work for. There seems to be a fair bit of damage there. That is nothing compared to the company friends of mine (wrighty and Stewarty) work for, whose office was pretty much destroyed.
Everyone is tired, and there isn't really that much Christmas cheer to be had. There have been some sightings of the cat and some nasty calls from people winding us up, but the search goes on, we will party when she gets home.
Please pray, if you are that way inclined, for any of the above you feel moved about. All help is much appreciated.
Much manly love,
M
Lets get the formalities out of the way then:
Farewell to Sam Ham (Joanne's oldest chihuahua)
Sam passed away on Thursday night (8th), and was one of two dogs the Ham's got about 17 years ago. The other one, Floyd, had gone a few years ago. Now only Tyson remains, also a chihuahua, and about a year old.
Farewell to Joe Hill (my aunt Dorothy's oldest cat, and last surviving descendant of my grandad's cat).
Joe passed on Saturday evening and was about 18 years old. Me and my big bro Andy found Joe and his brother Harry under a rhubarb plant in my grandad's back garden just after they had been born.
Its been a bit of a rough week with those two, and still looking for Sylvester, Joannne's cat, who got away from us on Friday night a week or so ago while we were trying to get him to the vet's on the Lisburn Road in Belfast.
Also, that big explosion in England was quite close to the UK head office of the company I work for. There seems to be a fair bit of damage there. That is nothing compared to the company friends of mine (wrighty and Stewarty) work for, whose office was pretty much destroyed.
Everyone is tired, and there isn't really that much Christmas cheer to be had. There have been some sightings of the cat and some nasty calls from people winding us up, but the search goes on, we will party when she gets home.
Please pray, if you are that way inclined, for any of the above you feel moved about. All help is much appreciated.
Much manly love,
M
Monday, November 28, 2005
Bouncy ball advert
Currently listening to "Space travel is boring" - Sun Kill Moon
This rocks.
The track used is "Heartbeats" - Jose González, which is pretty damn good.
Thanks to everyone for you Lovely prezzies yesterday.
M
This rocks.
The track used is "Heartbeats" - Jose González, which is pretty damn good.
Thanks to everyone for you Lovely prezzies yesterday.
M
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The wrong side of 25...
Currently listening to: "Heartbeats" - Jose González
Thats right, i'm getting old.
I was getting into bed after a lovely night at shiny sarah's house. I started to contemplate being 26.
26. I remember when i thought that was old.
Nevertheless I was just getting snuggly when I got a call from my big bro Andy. He'd neglected to put diesel in Mee-lan's car and was sitting at a local motorway's central reservation.
I jumped up, got dressed and headed down, but the AA were already on the way so I parked up and let them wait in the heat for the short while till the breakdown truck arrived.
The guy sorted the car with fuel, and it started after a little bit. Hoorah!
Just before i left them I said "anytime you wanna say happy birthday is fine with me." Immediatley i got a nice chorus of "Happy birthday to you", the first of my 26th year, in the freezing cold on the M2!
T'was oddly nice.
Now as I drift off, I spare a thought for Dave Allen in Medicine Hat Canada. He's 25 and gonna be a daddy anytime now. I thought I had trouble!
Much manly love to y'all.
M
Thats right, i'm getting old.
I was getting into bed after a lovely night at shiny sarah's house. I started to contemplate being 26.
26. I remember when i thought that was old.
Nevertheless I was just getting snuggly when I got a call from my big bro Andy. He'd neglected to put diesel in Mee-lan's car and was sitting at a local motorway's central reservation.
I jumped up, got dressed and headed down, but the AA were already on the way so I parked up and let them wait in the heat for the short while till the breakdown truck arrived.
The guy sorted the car with fuel, and it started after a little bit. Hoorah!
Just before i left them I said "anytime you wanna say happy birthday is fine with me." Immediatley i got a nice chorus of "Happy birthday to you", the first of my 26th year, in the freezing cold on the M2!
T'was oddly nice.
Now as I drift off, I spare a thought for Dave Allen in Medicine Hat Canada. He's 25 and gonna be a daddy anytime now. I thought I had trouble!
Much manly love to y'all.
M
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Flip me its foggy.
When i was driving in this morning I found that because the fog was so thick, you could look directly at the sun! (and not get blinded).This is a bad shot i took on the way with my phone camera, if i had been 10 seconds earlier it would have been perfect, but here the sun is starting to break through.
Oh well.
Current music: "Oh well" - Fleetwood Mac
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