I wanted to know who was winning the election.....

.... so I asked Yahoo.

(click here for the BBC results map)

If i ruled the world......

Ever wondered how the whole world would vote if they were picking the head American honcho?

Click here to vote and see the results.

:)

Currently listening to:
Song:Mr President
Artist: Randy Newman
Album: Good Old Boys

I believe i can fly......

.... cuse the instructor said so!



I had a lovely morning. We had to cut it short because of bad weather, but i get to have another flight because of that :)

Loverly.

Currently listening to
Given to fly
Pearl Jam
Yeild

Autumn time is coming and so....

.... its time for me to start feeling sleepy all the time and overdose on downbeat Iron and Wine songs :)

I love the feeling of winter on the horizon, when it hits this time of year i get an unexplained magical feeling in the pit of my stomach with early nights and autumn skies.

Halloween sparklers, My birthday, Christmas, the potential for snow. These things are the fuel for my Autumn / Winter glee.

Maybe I should hibernate now.....

Dell Support Stairway (to heaven)

I was reporting a Dell server fault earlier this morning. I was both amused and horrified that the hold music was a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to heaven'.

I love that song, though the hold music was a 1980's rendering with no guitars, rather keyboard effects. It sounded much like it had been covered by Harold Faltermeyer that guy who did the theme to Beverly Hills Cop. Travesty.

Speaking of travesties, below for your listening and or viewing pleasure is another version of Stairway. Its by an Australian rebel youngster and his obviously satanic wobble board.

Goodnight LeRoi Moore

Picture credit : DMB.com

'Dave Matthews Band' saxophonist died today after complications in surgery, following a car crash.

Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. (have some sense, its probably mostly sewage)

This was a lot of water.

Yesterday was the Mad Hatters Giants Supporters Club treasure hunt and BBQ. Actually it wasn't. We had to call the whole thing off due to not being insane enough to BBQ in storm conditions. Some people eh?

Jo, Sarah, Noel and I decided to lift our spirits by having a nice lunch, then a drive to find big puddles to splash in. I love big puddles, I see my car as a big pair of welly boots!

Most of the Shore Road in Newtownabbey was flooded, but we ploughed through before the police finally closed it. We drove up towards the coast at Glenarm, then back to Bangor to drop off Noel, then to Dunmurray, to Sarah's house. Most of the streets leading off the Lisburn Road were flooded and the fire services were out pumping away the offending water.

I'm looking forward to work on monday. The last time we had any kind of heavy rainfall the builing beside my office flooded and needed to be stripped out and redecorated. Do you know what sewage smells like? I do! (uugh)

Currently listening to:
Track:Why does it always rain on me?
Artist: Travis
Album: The Man Who

Hararya Noah Harry Thompson?

The Thompsons have had a special delivery.

Welcome Noah!

So, what is it then?

Sculptures are appearing all over whiteabbey roundabouts.

But what are they?

I'm still not sure, even after the explanation.

New GTV

We (nearly) saw Catherine Edwards

We went to Auntie Annie's to see reasonably miserable songstress Kathleen Edwards on Thursday night, but sadly she was unable to perform for "medical reasons". It might have been 'cuse she was too sad.

Ok, she isn't that bad, but my favorite song of her's is called hockey skates: "I am so sick of consequence and the look on your face / I am tired of paying defense and I don't even have hockey skates." Everybody sigh now.

We decided to not be down about this, and instead go to the movies where we saw the latest Narnia flick Prince Caspian. I love these movies. When I was a kid my granddad read me 'The Magician's Nephew' and it did a lot to spark up my frequently overactive imagination. There will be no doubt some discussion if the films are true to the books, but I don't really mind. I didn't go in as a critic, I just wanted a few childhood memories stirred. Job done.

I love the parralells of Aslan representing the character of God, how in the first film he defeated evil by sacrificing himself for the 'sons of adam'. There are other life lessons in here based on faith and doing what is right despite what your friends think of you. Couldn't be more wholesome if it was wheaten bread. A good time was had by all.

On a final note I was watching the BBC iPlayer coverage of 'The Ting Tings' at Glastonbury, and as I was adjusting the volume level, i realised it went up to 11! Good work BBC.

(Picture curtosy of, (but lets face it, without any permission from) the BBC)

Currently listening to:
Artist: The Ting Tings
Song: Great DJ
Album: We Started Nothing

We saw Karine Polwart.....

....at the spring and airbrake.

There were lots of free tickets floating around for this gig as it was a Monday night, the least rock and roll of all week nights. We picked up some freebies and headed in. At the bar I got talking to someone a fella who was 'the only person who seemed to have paid in!' he was in a bit of a strop as a result.

The warm-up act, some chancer called Andy who was from Southern Ireland, would have had me wondering why I'd paid in, if I had done. Andy played 3 or 4 variations of the same song over and over again. He babbled incomprehensively. I made out the occasional word relating to death or loss or unrequited love, and then, just as we were all wondering if the drinks we had bought would be strong enough to get us through his set, on came Karine and band. The mood was immediately different.

By the end of their first song we were all grinning at the scottish lilt and lovely 3 part harmonies.

There was a wide and varied use of instruments. The songs were a mix of uplifting ballads and dark tales. My favorite of the darker tunes was "The Sun's Comin' Over The Hill" a story about love and loss and life afterward.

There’s some say you get what you deserve but they’re wrong
Sometimes you get what you’re given and then it’s all gone
And you are lucky if you are sufficiently strong
To daily decide not to die

Oh the nights are long
But life is longer still
Oh the nights are long
But the sun’s coming over the hill

Since we blagged free tickets, I thought it was only fair we bought a CD or two.

Probably my favorite song of the lot is shown below: "Follow the heron home"

We had a chat with Karine afterwards and told her we really enjoyed the show. She seemed genuinely humble and lovely even though we asked her to sign the albums we bought, a practice that usually makes me feel like a crazy person!

Back me up baby.....

Today I decided enough was enough......



I bought a 1TB backup drive to plug in to our home network.

I've been watching the price for a year now while simultaneously panicking that I'll lose all my stuff.

I've done it, I've taken the plunge........ I now fully expect to see the asking price for one of these babies to go into freefall as of tomorrow!

:)

Currently listening to:
"Sound Opinions" (podcast) - (the only rock and roll talk show in America)
Chicago Public Radio and American Public Media
(Free at the itunes store)

Bank Holiday Bizarro World

I was accidentally listening to Radio 1 today as it was on in our office.

They played:

Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Jimmi Eat World, Limp Bizkit and Queen all one after another.

How'd all that rock slip through, did someone hit their head?

Eeeeeeexcellent!

:)

Of the many things i'd love to eradicate from this world.....

...the main one would probably be Anastacia.

I hate the way she makes that terrible nasal-wailing-excuse-for-singing. She makes the kind of noise you expect to hear if a cat was being tortured.

I don't mean her any harm of course, i'd just like to have her removed from history so that local radio like cool FM would stop playing the same flipping song of hers (left outside alone) every lunch time. Cuttin' edge there kids.

I'd go about this task like red dwarf's "The Inquisitor" who has a special laser thing that deletes all record of you form ever existing.

And relax.

M

Currently listening to:
anything but anastacia.

All you snivelling little indy kids.... HOLD STEADY

On Wednesday night Raj and I went to see the Hold Steady at the Spring and Airbreak, Belfast.

A fine show from a group of international rock stars who seemed genuinely delighted at the reaction they were getting from the small, but tightly packed Belfast audience. All playing staff had grins from ear to ear. The room was bouncing.



Above is an example of their work. Enjoy.

M

Nice is Nice! (again)

If i haven't bothered you with this directly, then please check out the video below of Jo and I in the apartment in Nice.



Currently listening to:
'Brushfire fairytales'
Jack Johnson
Brushfire Fairytales

Nice is Nice!

Me and Jo are chillin out maxin, relaxin all cool in the south of france.



Were staying at a friend's apartment on Avenue Baquis, not far from the seafront.

We are taking a little video and will post later.

Au revoir

M

On the heap

This week I said goodbye to my old car.



My brother sold me this lovely Peugeot 306 when he was moving to Singapore many, many years ago. I put over 125,000 miles on the thing before it took early retirement in my folks' driveway.



About 2 years ago a guy turned up at my front door offering to buy the car. I was unsure as I wanted to do repairs and get it roadworthy just in case I lost my job, or, maybe I could have passed it on to someone. I ignored the fact that the car was damp, damaged and never to move again.



On friday night the guy from 2 years ago called back in desperate need of parts. I agreed to let him take it away. Everybody say 'Awwwwwwwwwww'.



I had some excellent memories in my little 306:

It ferried me and friends (at speed) back and forth for about 5 years.
I acquired 6 penalty points in it.
I went to the Giants Causeway for the first time in it.
I went on my first date in it.
I got to know the girl I love during long drives in it.
I drove to gigs in it (mine and others).
I spilled countless cups of coffee in it.
I had everything I owned stolen from it.
I sang in it. (sometimes I cried in it)
I got lost in it.
It was my living room.
It was my office for 3 jobs.
It was my personal space.

I've had several cars before and since, but really this is the car that I did most of my growing up in. The car did 125,000 miles, but It was me that did a lot of mileage.

Farewell old friend.

Playoffs 2008

It all started early on Friday morning. We were up at the International airport before 7am. Bleary eyed, we stumbled through the check in and security checks. Enthusiasm came in the form of coffee from Paul Rankin’s cafe, then a short walk had us on the plane and on our way.

At Nottingham airport we had organised mini buses to whisk us the short distance to Jury’s Hotel. We got checked in, and headed off into town.

Nottingham is the gun, (and arguably at this time of year), the ice hockey capital of the UK. Support from all 8 Elite League teams, numbering 8,000+ people, descend upon the town for the annual playoffs. This is a time of mirth, mischief and forgetting the rivalry you have for the other guys. We all get together and support someone, even if that someone is not your own team.

We are getting really good at supporting the other guys. The Giants did not make the cut this year (again). A narrow defeat in penalties edged us towards an early bath and sent the Newcastle Vipers to the semi-finals.

After a Friday frolicking on Nottingham’s big wheel, fine dining in their restaurants and sampling their cocktails we were relaxed and ready for a grueling Saturday packed with 2 semi finals back to back.

Saturday

We got breakfast in the hotel and headed out to get some supplies before arriving at the arena to watch the Newcastle Vipers play everyone’s favourite arch rivals, the Coventry Blaze.
On this rare occasion we were cheering for the Vipers, the very team who put us out of the tournament. Anything is preferable to cheering for the chavs. (Coventry).

The game started off with a goal from Newcastle Vipers, but the chavs won in the end. The most entertaining part of the show was the Belfast Giant’s mascot ‘Gordie the Gorilla’ strutting his stuff with the dancing girls, beating up the other mascots and being fed bananas by the management.

We rushed off to fill up on caffeine and arrived back at the arena just in time for the second game.

This time the Sheffield Steelers dispensed the Cardiff Devils, sending them through to the final to face Coventry.

Sunday

Sheffield was the team of choice to be cheering for in Sunday’s final. This fact did not go down well with most of the other English / Welsh fans as they have a long and bitter rivalry with the Steelers. We were really cheering for the Steelers’ coach Dave Matsos who is an ex-Giant who suffered a career ending injury a few years ago.

The Steelers owned the game from the start. Coventry rarely got a look in, and didn’t once get a goal in. The final score was Steelers 2 Coventry 0. There was much rejoicing in the Giant’s camp.

We headed to the hotel and freshened up and then back to ‘The Bunkers’ bar, situated just beside the rink. Many funny things went down here, but you know the saying: what happens on the road stays on the road!

The few things I can tell you are:

1. Someone managed to break the toilets in the bar, and so the bar had to be closed for health and safety reasons.

2. A small rebel group of Giants fans broke into the National Ice Centre. There were no arrests, just mischief. (lock your doors Nottingham!)

Nottingham in jokes: viva, au deir, panic at the Bickerstaff, ok now get to your rooms.

We stayed up chatting till about 4am this morning, until the staff of the hotel ‘sent’ us to our rooms. We were chatting in the lobby when 2 surly security guards came over and told us to leave. We decided we were going to finish our conversation, but we were overruled!

Oh well. That’s that for another year. Next year should be filled with chocolatey goodness as we just found out that we will be signing ex-Giant Steve “chocolate heaven since 1911” Thornton as our new coach. He’s one of the best players we’ve had the misfortune to lose.

Next year should be sweet. (groan). I’m off for a sleep.

Curently listening to:
Not in Nottingham
(from Disney's Robin Hood)