I've been wanting to see Rachael Sage for a couple of years now, but every time so far something has gone wrong. First couple of times I was ill, them earlier this year she cancelled because of pneumonia. I think we'll forgive her that one.

So I took the chance to see her at the 12 Bar on this mini tour.

Intimate doesn't begin to cover it. The 12 Bar is a tiny place on Denmark Street, but even that was seriously underwhelmed by the number of people there. 14 people were in the audience, including the sound guy, the driver and some family members. 14 people.... criminal for someone that good. I did kind of like it tho. It was almost as if she were performing in my front room :)
And she was good. Oh yes, she was very very good. Just her on piano and a very pleasant chap called Jacob on violin. I can't remember his last name, but we had a good natter after the gig. Turns out he's from Wisconsin, but not from Madison. I like Madison, at least what I've seen of it :D Must go back at some point.

And of course, there's the gig picspam.

I've moved. I'm not happy about it at all, and I tried to avoid it, but I've moved.
It was sprung on me a couple of months ago that the Salisbury office was closing, and my job was moving to Didcot. I could either take redundancy or move.
Well, the redundancy package was not that attractive, and unemployment even less so. And in their unending generosity, I had less than a week to make the decision of whether to move or not. And then I got 6 weeks to move in, so not enough time to find a job in Salisbury.

People have to move on all the time. I've moved away from Salisbury a few times, only to be drawn back there. It's my spiritual home.

And this is the the really gut wrenching part. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to live in 2 places. One is the Woodford Valley, just north of Salisbury. An absolutely beautiful river valley. Sting lives there, but even that doesn't spoil it. The other is in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral, my favourite building in the world. For the past year and a bit, I've had the privilege of living precisely there. And loved it immensly. Heartachingly pretty, full of character and beautiful buildings and history. In my favourite town. Now I'm living in a small box on a featureless estate in a characterless town.
In Salisbury the skyline is dominated by the cathedral. In Didcot, by the power station. I swear I'm in Springfield. In Salisbury I have friends and family. In Didcot I have no-one. And I'm stuck here for at least 6 months. So if anyone wants a visitor, let me know because it'll get me out of this s**t hole for a few hours.

And I also have no internet access at home, and am unlikely to get it anytime soon. I'll be updating very very occassionally from work as and when I can.

As I probably won't have net access for the next week or so, some more picspam to keep you company.







Is it just me, or does that last guy playing the double bass look like Dr Greg House? :)

Because picspam is all I seem to do these days

Stolen from noodleslutbunny
Had to repost as these are sooooooooooooo funny :)

Simons Cat

jussycornflake

Have a great day, and don't spoil the kitten :)

I had an American ask me yesterday if we celebrated independance day here in the UK

ooooooooooooooooooooooooookay
That is all

Hmmmmmm, well... I didn't expect that to happen
We should give the BBC custody of all the governments confidential information. They can keep secrets better than the MOD can :)
Soooooo, having watched the episode, and seen Confidential, I have some theories

( Take a wander through my thought processes. Possible spoilers within.. Enter at your own risk )

As you may, or may not know, I'm a fan of eMusic. I love their selection of music, and I love the fact it's legal and the money doesn't go to the Russian mafis :).
I am now at an impasse tho. I've downloaded most of the stuff that I'm interested in from there, so now looking to see what you lot recommend. You might have a idea of what my taste in music is from my gig photos and lyrics quizzes :)

Here's the possibilities so far

Sergio Mendes - Timeless
Hawkwind - Space Ritual vol 2.
Rasputina - Oh perilous World
Gun Club - Las Vegas Story
Funkadelic - Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On
Love & Rockets - Earth Sun Moon
Christian Death - Prophecies
Gil Scott Heron - Messages
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Jean Michel Jarre - Revolutions
Yossour N'Dour - Immigres

So... Over to you :)

And I'm wishing I was still in Wales.
It's strange how I can go to bed at 11 and be asleep by 11:15 on holiday, but when I'm in my flat I can't sleep until 3-4 am no matter what time I go to bed.
People think I'm lazy because I sleep until mid-day on weekends.... I'm not. I just keep different hours than most people. Maybe I *AM* a vampire.... who wants their neck bitten? :D

Back at work, and dealing with all the stuff that happens when you're away from the office for a few days, so will update later.

But here, for your viewing pleasure, some sights of Wales
Enjoy

Sunset over Cemaes harbour


( More Welsh wonders under da cut thing )

I'm just in Wales
Which is near enough, but never mind

Just wanted to poke my head above the parapet and say hello, and an honest to goodness update will be forthcoming when I'm back home.

Does anyone know the Oxford / Didcot / Abingdon area well?
I may have to move soon, and need to know what areas are good, and what to avoid.
Bear in mind I like quiet with easy access to public transport

Thanks :)

Watching the Radio One Big Weekend, and Madonna is on.
And I'm starting to wonder.
It's easy to admire Madge.
She's made some damn fine music, she's re-invented herself only slightly fewer times than David Bowie. She's a very strong woman who's made the most of her (and lets be honest here) limited talent
It's easy to admire her
But it's so bloody hard to like her

Then my thoughts went to Kylie (via Alison Goldfrapp.... don't ask)
It's easy to admire Kylie
She's made some erm..... well, a couple of good tunes, she's re-invented herself only slightly fewer times than Madonna. She's a strong woman who's made the most of her (and lets be honest here) very limited talent.
It's easy to admire her
It's also very easy to like her

EVERYONE likes Kylie
Why?

There's something about her that just whispers very softly, but very compellingly, 'Love Me'
And people do
Why is that? Is it her vulnerability? Is it that she's like a little doll?

I believe it's now illegal in 12 countries to dislike Kylie

Why is Madge so hard to like, and Kylie so easy?

And if you think I'm having a go at Kylie, think again. I adore the wee antipodean popstrel. There, I've come out of the closet. I adore Kylie. :)

I think it's that smile, that laugh, that sense of humour

Madonna comes across as someone you'd love to spend 24 hours in bed with and then walk away
Kylie comes across as someone you'd love to have in your life, and you'd be smiling every minute of it.

What do you think?

And after that rather heavy last post, some picspam to lighten the mood.





( More under the cut )

If you have no interest in politics, you're probably best advised to move onto the next post. Similarly if you're a closed minded rabid left winger... move along, there's nothing to see here.
Now if you're open minded of any political orientation, maybe you can help me out here?

This might ramble on a bit :)

A lot of my friends are of the left wing persuasion. Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I make no judgement on race, colour, creed, sexuality or political persuasion.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm getting fed up to the back teeth of being made to feel guilty for being a supporter of the Conservative party.
Case in point is the recent mayoral elections in London. Now I don't live in London, but if I did, I'd have voted for Boris. Why should this open me to ridicule?
I'm slated by otherwise reasonable people for this choice, and all sorts of reasons for why I shouldn't have even contemplated this are trotted out. But if you dare mention the fact that Ken Livingstone is a corrupt, self serving, egomaniacal apologist for terroists everywhere, you're made to feel like you've just stolen a 2 month olds milk bottle.

Going back many years. First week of university. It's freshers week, and I'm off to freshers fair to see what's what. There's a guy at the door handing out copies of socialist worker. I refuse, so the guy gets right in my face and spits out the word 'Tory' as an insult. That was the first, but unfortunately not the last time my political allegience has been used as a derogatory term. Since when did that become acceptable?

And maybe I'm being naive here, or blinkered, but I've never seen a conservative use the term Labourite as an insult. Maybe that's just the people I move with. If Ken livingstone had won the london mayoral elections, I'm pretty sure that his supporters wouldn't have had the grief those who support Boris had.

I'm not talking extremists here. I'm not talking the BNP, or the Communist party. Or any similar paths. I'm talking mainstream politics. I'm not racist, or sexist, or homophobic. I care about others, I treat people as I wish to be treated.

I just happen to be a conservative. It's a reasoned decision I've made, and I'm happy with my choices.
And I stop apologising for it right now.

I've just been to see Iron Man
Don't worry, there's no spoilers within.
I thought it was pretty good. Not brilliant, but on a par with X-Men and Spiderman. So it's a good start to a franchise. If it follows form, Iron Man II should be fantastic :)
Robert Downey Jr makes for a very good Tony Stark, tho whilst I was watching the movie, I couldn't help thinking he's make a better Doctor Strange.
Anyway, if you like superhero movies, it's well worth watching... and stay til the end of the credits as well... top tip there.

Looks like there's a whole load of movies that look like they'll be worth watching.
Indy IV and The Dark Knight are without question the highlights of the summer, but there's some other interesting looking movies.
The next installments of Hellboy and The Mummy are ones I'm looking forward to. Hancock and Wanted look like a lot of fun too. Prince Caspian and The Incredible Hulk .... and The Happening looks as if it's going to be worth a look.
In fact, I think this is the first summer for ages that there's been more than 2 or 3 movies that I've been interested in seeing.

It's going to be a good movie summer I feel :)

I've lived where I am for over a year now.
I fancy myself as more knowledgable than the average bear on the subject of birds of prey.

I only found out today that I'm living not 200 yards from a pair of Peregrine falcons. I've not seen them, nor heard them, but often looked up and thought that would be a magnificent roost for Peregrines to live.

How have I not noticed before?

I was out with the camera today at the Salisbury medieval fayre, using it for the first time in anger for months. And it shows. Most of the photos taken today were awful. Exposure wrong, not focused properly. So frustrating. I MUST keep on top of this.
Anyway, here's the least worst ones.

Under the cut are the answers to last weeks lyric quiz
lebongirl scored the most with 5 points

( answers under the cut )

Or from Salisbury to Salisbury

This is one very lost duck.



It's a wood duck, native to North America. Certainly not native to the UK.
Steve the bird must have been reading the map. He saw the sign for Salisbury, and thought it was Salisbury, North Carolina, not Salisbury, Wiltshire :)

Apparantly Mr Duck here has been a Salisbury resident for a couple of years. I just never saw him before. How bizarre.



And just another of a Swan. So majestic these birds, even if they do make geese look like the most even tempered of avians

Tilly had to be put down today. She hadn't been eating properly and had gotten horribly thin. Today the vet diagnosed kidney failure. She was only 8 and were all very teary :(