So, here I am. In Canada. Today I went skating in Nathan Philips square, yesterday I went skating in Nathan Philips Square and at the Harborfront (which was amazing). Tomorrow I get to play hockey. Sweet. There are many reasons that I want to move to Canada, but one of the most superficial is that I have the chance to skate outside, for free, on a decent sized rink, everyday if I want to. I know that I wouldn't skate so much if I lived here, but even so, I'd take good advantage of it. Trust me, I don't miss a thing about the English winter...
I got here to discover that the banks don't open till tomorrow, and I need to change currency, because all I have is English money. The problem is that the currency exchange places rip you off big time - they were offering me 1.02 dollars for my pound. The usual is 2.24 dollars for the pound. Sucks, eh? So the banks don't rip you off like that, but they're closed. Good job that I have a loving girlfriend to help out...
In other news, on my first morning here, I got woken up by a phone call from a friend that I went to university with, telling me that another friend of ours that had been on our course, died of lukaemia last tuesday. I think I'm still in a bit of shock about it, because I prayed for her last time she had it, and it went into remission, then it came back. I meant to call a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot, and then I found out that she had died. It's hard to make sense of things like this, but it certainly puts my illness into perspective...
I don't intend to leave things on such a depressing note, so I will just tell you that I am drinking more root beer than is good for any one person to drink, and this evening Bethany and myself intend to eat our own bodyweight in krispy kreme donuts. More body fat will keep out the cold...
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Friday, December 17, 2004
Not again...
Well people, once again, it has taken me an inordinately long period of time to blog. At least I have some sort of excuse this time. I've been back at work, and I've been doing all sorts of other things too:
During the time since my last blog, I have formed the LJSC - the Leeds Jedi Supporters' Club. Leeds Jedi are an ultimate frisbee team, and I am now the president of their supporters' club. This means that I have spent quite a good portion of my time setting up a website for them - check it out here. I've also been compiling the first issue of a monthly newsletter, and getting a bunch of people to go to one of their tournaments.
The Salvator Darlings played a couple of gigs too - both of which went reasonably well. However, for various reasons, we are taking a break for a while, during which we intend to write some new material, and record some stuff. We'll hopefully be playing live again around March.
Finally, it's been really good to get back to work. Thanks to everyone that's been praying for me. I've been devastatingly bored some of my time off, and things looked a little hairy for Christmas with finances, but the Provider came through for me... there's plenty harder times to come, with another good chunk of time off for my next operation in the new year, but I'm trusting God to help out again. I finished work today for the Christmas holidays - it feels wierd because I've only been back two weeks, but this time it's much more fun being off. I have a work party tonight, the deputy head has left after 25 years, and it's Christmas, so we're having a do in Headingly. Then there's a week of parties before it's off to Canada.. I can't wait. I can't tell you how much I miss Bethany. And everyone else too. Canada's felt like my home for some time now. When I arrive there I settle straight in, but when I get back here it usually takes me a couple of weeks before I feel comfortable again. It's going to be fantastic to bring in the new year with all my friends over there, and while I'm worshipping on the decks...
During the time since my last blog, I have formed the LJSC - the Leeds Jedi Supporters' Club. Leeds Jedi are an ultimate frisbee team, and I am now the president of their supporters' club. This means that I have spent quite a good portion of my time setting up a website for them - check it out here. I've also been compiling the first issue of a monthly newsletter, and getting a bunch of people to go to one of their tournaments.
The Salvator Darlings played a couple of gigs too - both of which went reasonably well. However, for various reasons, we are taking a break for a while, during which we intend to write some new material, and record some stuff. We'll hopefully be playing live again around March.
Finally, it's been really good to get back to work. Thanks to everyone that's been praying for me. I've been devastatingly bored some of my time off, and things looked a little hairy for Christmas with finances, but the Provider came through for me... there's plenty harder times to come, with another good chunk of time off for my next operation in the new year, but I'm trusting God to help out again. I finished work today for the Christmas holidays - it feels wierd because I've only been back two weeks, but this time it's much more fun being off. I have a work party tonight, the deputy head has left after 25 years, and it's Christmas, so we're having a do in Headingly. Then there's a week of parties before it's off to Canada.. I can't wait. I can't tell you how much I miss Bethany. And everyone else too. Canada's felt like my home for some time now. When I arrive there I settle straight in, but when I get back here it usually takes me a couple of weeks before I feel comfortable again. It's going to be fantastic to bring in the new year with all my friends over there, and while I'm worshipping on the decks...
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Blog standings...
My housemate noted this morning that it's been eleven days since I last blogged. He has a point. When I started this blog, I fully intended to blog most days, and now that I'm off work, I should really be blogging everyday, since I don't have much else to do. Of course, the lack of things to do means that I have nothing to blog about. Man, this is some sort of vicious circle. Right, so the way I see it, I'm a bit crap about blogging at the moment. Certainly compared to some people I know... Check out my good friend Jeremy Wright. He blogged FOUR TIMES yesterday. Pudd blogs most days, sometimes more than once. A fairly regular blogger, Linda the Cho last posted on Wednesday, but she often posts daily, sometimes leaving up to two weeks between blogs. Beth and Maija don't count, cause there's two of them. Normally, I'd make some comment about how only Maija ever blogs, but Bethany got the last two posts, and since the last one was entirely for my benefit, I can't really argue that right now. Nobody that I know is a lazier blogger than one Mr. Ben Poulsen. He hasn't updated his fantastic blog since September 27!
I guess my point is this: I am mediocre. Thank you for listening.
I guess my point is this: I am mediocre. Thank you for listening.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Nevertheless...
Well, my birthday came a week early. I got my new cartridges for my turntables yesterday - Numark CS1s. Thanks to Pudd for the reccomendation on these babies, they're amazing! Good old Carl Cox, eh? Not only that, but today, as I was testing them out for the first time, I got a phone call from the greatest guitar shop in the world, Rockshack, telling me that they had fitted the Artec pickup to my acoustic, and it was ready to, erm, pick up. Both of these things are presents from my wonderful parents, and I am extremely fortunate to have such lovely gifts, especially a week before I should have them! If you're in Leeds, or in reach of it, and you want to hear the pickup in action (and trust me, you'll want to...), then head over to the Salvator Darlings' gig at the Packhorse on Woodhouse Lane on Monday night. Doors open at seven thirty, and entry is free!
Tonight I went to see NeverTheLess in Harrogate. This was their last ever gig, as drummer, David Dickinson, is off to London to drum school. Not that he needs to go, he's already amazing, as anyone who's heard him will testify, but he's off anyway. So they played a stonking set. Every time that I've heard them before, they've been very much about the music, but this gig was a bit different. I think probably because the seriousness has gone out of it, because of the split, there was an air of the silly about tonight. Whereas before the band played, and occasionally introduced a particular song, tonight it was like a Salvator Darlings gig, but with the music being played well... Matt took photographs of the crowd 'for himself', they covered MC Hammer, and Postman Pat... Lots of fun.
The highlight for me, though, was the encore. Having played an incredible set of AC/DC influenced rock, with Danny freestyling his way through both old and new songs (my favourite line: 'Freestylin' for the Daddy'), they left the stage, and were hollered at until they returned, despite the fact that they were already about 15 minutes over their alloted time slot. They came back and played 'Today', which is a real worship song. The atmosphere was electric, and Matt ended with an altar call and a prayer, in which he basically just gave praise to the Almighty God. It was so intense, and so right - in the past, they've not shyed away from the Christian message, but they've certainly never done that before. The Holy Spirit was so thick in that room, and the band rocked, and to be honest, it wouldn't have mattered if they'd have sucked, because people were touched tonight. I love The Jesus, and I love the NeverTheLess because they love him too...
Tonight I went to see NeverTheLess in Harrogate. This was their last ever gig, as drummer, David Dickinson, is off to London to drum school. Not that he needs to go, he's already amazing, as anyone who's heard him will testify, but he's off anyway. So they played a stonking set. Every time that I've heard them before, they've been very much about the music, but this gig was a bit different. I think probably because the seriousness has gone out of it, because of the split, there was an air of the silly about tonight. Whereas before the band played, and occasionally introduced a particular song, tonight it was like a Salvator Darlings gig, but with the music being played well... Matt took photographs of the crowd 'for himself', they covered MC Hammer, and Postman Pat... Lots of fun.
The highlight for me, though, was the encore. Having played an incredible set of AC/DC influenced rock, with Danny freestyling his way through both old and new songs (my favourite line: 'Freestylin' for the Daddy'), they left the stage, and were hollered at until they returned, despite the fact that they were already about 15 minutes over their alloted time slot. They came back and played 'Today', which is a real worship song. The atmosphere was electric, and Matt ended with an altar call and a prayer, in which he basically just gave praise to the Almighty God. It was so intense, and so right - in the past, they've not shyed away from the Christian message, but they've certainly never done that before. The Holy Spirit was so thick in that room, and the band rocked, and to be honest, it wouldn't have mattered if they'd have sucked, because people were touched tonight. I love The Jesus, and I love the NeverTheLess because they love him too...
Saturday, November 13, 2004
I love work...
It's true. I hate being at home, I miss the kids and the staff at work. I miss doing stuff. I just end up sitting around the house doing nothing of use at all, and it's boring. As such, I don't have an awful lot to blog about, because not much happens when all you do is sit around the house all day.
Yeah, and I miss my wonderful girlfriend a lot. She keeps calling me, and that's fantastic, but I wish she was here. I guess I want her here more than ever because I'm stuck doing nothing at home, and I know she'd keep me company.
Enough moaning about how bored I am, there are some good things about being at home. Yesterday we made up for the fact that I was in hospital for bonfire night, and my amazing housemate sorted out a bonfire party for us. We built a bonfire all of our own on the local park, and we spent a load of cash on really good fireworks. I spent the day making traditional bonfire night treats - bonfire toffee and toffee apples, which we all munched on while we watched the fire and the fireworks. It was great, and it really made my week. Thanks Rob...
Yeah, and I miss my wonderful girlfriend a lot. She keeps calling me, and that's fantastic, but I wish she was here. I guess I want her here more than ever because I'm stuck doing nothing at home, and I know she'd keep me company.
Enough moaning about how bored I am, there are some good things about being at home. Yesterday we made up for the fact that I was in hospital for bonfire night, and my amazing housemate sorted out a bonfire party for us. We built a bonfire all of our own on the local park, and we spent a load of cash on really good fireworks. I spent the day making traditional bonfire night treats - bonfire toffee and toffee apples, which we all munched on while we watched the fire and the fireworks. It was great, and it really made my week. Thanks Rob...
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Four. Stinking. Years.
Right. Let me start by pointing out how much I love November 5th. Now, I know that a lot of you won't understand the significance of this date, but here's a quick history lesson to help you out:
In November 1605, because of the persicution of Catholics by the Protestant king of England, James I, A number of plotters attempted to blow up the houses of Parliament at the official opening. Every year, at the opening of parliament in England, the monarch attends. The intention of the plotters was to blow up the houses of Parliament, taking the king that was persicuting them with it. From there, they intended to stage a revolution, and have a Catholic monarch take over the throne. However, just hours before the plan was fully put into action, a man named Guido Fawkes, one of the plotters, was discovered under the houses of parliament, with all the gunpowder. He was arrested, tortured, and eventually executed along with his fellow plotters. Ever since, every november 5th in England, all over the country, Bonfires are lit and fireworks set off to remind people of what happened. We even still burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes on the bonfire, although the whole thing has become simply tradition as opposed to an event of political significance. The whole affair can be summed up with the following rhyme:
Remember, Remember,
The fifth of November -
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
I see no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
All this is by the by. What is important is that, for me, Novemeber the fifth is the first night of the year that I wear gloves, scarf and hat. You have to wrap up. There is bonfire toffee, toffee apples, baked potatoes and many other tasty treats. It reminds me of being a kid. It also reminds me that my birthday is coming up.
I have lived in Leeds for four years now. The first year, I intended to go to the local big bonfire with some of my new friends from university. I went back to my parents' house, and had my dad bring me back in time for the big display. However, he set off really late, and by the time that I got back to leeds, the fireworks had finished! Not to worry, I thought, there's always next year...
The next year, I organised for my cell group to go to the even bigger display at Roundhay park. About 100,000 people turn up to this one, and it's supposed to be spectacular. But someone forgot their car, so I sat around waiting with two others while we waited for our ride, and we arrived in time to see the last firework explode in the air about half a mile away.
Last year, I had to work.
This year, I was determined to make it. We started planning the event about three weeks ago. It went like this: Everyone in my house, and in the two houses next to me, was going to walk down to Hyde Park, enjoy the bonfire, then return to have baked potatoes with chilli and cheese and watch the simpsons. It was so well planned, just like the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but unfortunately, just like the Gunpowder plot, it was foiled at the last minute. I'm going to hospital for surgery today, and I won't be out until (at the earliest) Sometime on Friday. And if I come out then, I won't be well enough to go to the fireworks. Rubbish.
In November 1605, because of the persicution of Catholics by the Protestant king of England, James I, A number of plotters attempted to blow up the houses of Parliament at the official opening. Every year, at the opening of parliament in England, the monarch attends. The intention of the plotters was to blow up the houses of Parliament, taking the king that was persicuting them with it. From there, they intended to stage a revolution, and have a Catholic monarch take over the throne. However, just hours before the plan was fully put into action, a man named Guido Fawkes, one of the plotters, was discovered under the houses of parliament, with all the gunpowder. He was arrested, tortured, and eventually executed along with his fellow plotters. Ever since, every november 5th in England, all over the country, Bonfires are lit and fireworks set off to remind people of what happened. We even still burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes on the bonfire, although the whole thing has become simply tradition as opposed to an event of political significance. The whole affair can be summed up with the following rhyme:
Remember, Remember,
The fifth of November -
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
I see no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
All this is by the by. What is important is that, for me, Novemeber the fifth is the first night of the year that I wear gloves, scarf and hat. You have to wrap up. There is bonfire toffee, toffee apples, baked potatoes and many other tasty treats. It reminds me of being a kid. It also reminds me that my birthday is coming up.
I have lived in Leeds for four years now. The first year, I intended to go to the local big bonfire with some of my new friends from university. I went back to my parents' house, and had my dad bring me back in time for the big display. However, he set off really late, and by the time that I got back to leeds, the fireworks had finished! Not to worry, I thought, there's always next year...
The next year, I organised for my cell group to go to the even bigger display at Roundhay park. About 100,000 people turn up to this one, and it's supposed to be spectacular. But someone forgot their car, so I sat around waiting with two others while we waited for our ride, and we arrived in time to see the last firework explode in the air about half a mile away.
Last year, I had to work.
This year, I was determined to make it. We started planning the event about three weeks ago. It went like this: Everyone in my house, and in the two houses next to me, was going to walk down to Hyde Park, enjoy the bonfire, then return to have baked potatoes with chilli and cheese and watch the simpsons. It was so well planned, just like the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but unfortunately, just like the Gunpowder plot, it was foiled at the last minute. I'm going to hospital for surgery today, and I won't be out until (at the earliest) Sometime on Friday. And if I come out then, I won't be well enough to go to the fireworks. Rubbish.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
7/8 . 3/8
I have no choice.
I am Yours.
I have
Joy deep inside,
Here I hide -
Under the
Shadow of
Your wing.
I AM.
Doulos
(My name)
All gain -
Slave/servant.
I AM
(Your name)
My gain.
I am
Doulos
(My name)
All gain -
Bondservant.
I AM
(Your name)
My gain -
You are I AM.
I am Yours.
I have
Joy deep inside,
Here I hide -
Under the
Shadow of
Your wing.
I AM.
Doulos
(My name)
All gain -
Slave/servant.
I AM
(Your name)
My gain.
I am
Doulos
(My name)
All gain -
Bondservant.
I AM
(Your name)
My gain -
You are I AM.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Pause it and turn it up...
Evening all.
I went to see a number of bands last night, for my good friend Matt's birthday. The show was kicked off by Claire Buswell and her friends, with Speakeasy (Matt's own band) following, and everything was rounded up by the fantastic Dive Dive. Now, even before I'd heard them, this band had become one of my new favourite groups. That might sound a bit wierd, but let me explain:
You see, Matt had heard this band somewhere else at some point, and had been checking their website for news of gigs etc. He discovered that they were embarking on a low key tour of the country, but that they wouldn't be calling at leeds. This didn't please Matt an awful lot, but then he had an idea. 'What if,' he thought to himself, 'I emailed them, and asked them to come?' So that's what he did. It occurred to him that his birthday fell in the middle of the tour, so he suggested to them that they could come to the Brudenell Social Club, be supported by Speakeasy, and get paid nothing for it. In return, they would have an audience of a large group of Matt's friends, who wouldn't leave, because it's his birthday. They agreed. They drove all the way from London to play a gig in Leeds that they didn't get paid for, just cause some kid emailed them and asked them to play at his party. They're a signed band too...
Incidentally, they turned out to be really good, and you can check out their website here.
I went to see a number of bands last night, for my good friend Matt's birthday. The show was kicked off by Claire Buswell and her friends, with Speakeasy (Matt's own band) following, and everything was rounded up by the fantastic Dive Dive. Now, even before I'd heard them, this band had become one of my new favourite groups. That might sound a bit wierd, but let me explain:
You see, Matt had heard this band somewhere else at some point, and had been checking their website for news of gigs etc. He discovered that they were embarking on a low key tour of the country, but that they wouldn't be calling at leeds. This didn't please Matt an awful lot, but then he had an idea. 'What if,' he thought to himself, 'I emailed them, and asked them to come?' So that's what he did. It occurred to him that his birthday fell in the middle of the tour, so he suggested to them that they could come to the Brudenell Social Club, be supported by Speakeasy, and get paid nothing for it. In return, they would have an audience of a large group of Matt's friends, who wouldn't leave, because it's his birthday. They agreed. They drove all the way from London to play a gig in Leeds that they didn't get paid for, just cause some kid emailed them and asked them to play at his party. They're a signed band too...
Incidentally, they turned out to be really good, and you can check out their website here.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
sucks
This has been an interesting week. I haven't stopped, and that's all been kind of fun, but it ended in a sucky way for two reasons; one of which I will account for here, the other will, I'm afraid, remain a mystery except for those involved...
Last Monday, Bethany and Mel arrived from Canada. This was a great thing to happen, because I love those guys, and I had been looking forward to their visit for a while. That night, we didn't really do much, but the rest of the week was intense:
Tuesday - we went to cell group, which was great but finished late
Wednesday - Mel went to Stevenage to see a friend, so Bethany and I travelled to Worksop to see my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and my dad's best friend. It was a superb evening, and my parents were very pleased to see Bethany again.
Thursday - My band, the Salvator Darlings, headed to Sheffield to play an acoustic set at the Coffee Revolution in the university union. It was deemed a success by all except possibly the guy that organsised it, who seemed to think that we were a little too silly for his altogether serious evening. The night was also made fun by the fact that my car overheated on the way down, and we had to stop by the side of the road twice.. Amongst the 150 or so people in attendance that night, travelling from various places to specifically see The Salvator Darlings were: My sister Laura, her boyfriend Brett, her housemate Lucy, My friends Alice and Max, Biffy Clyro fan Barney, Bethany and Mel, Little Rob's girlfriend Lisa, and my next door neighbours Eleanor and Rhiannon, both wearing Salvator Darlings t-shirts. Photos of the night will soon be visible on the media page of the band's website.
Friday - Sharon arrived from Scotland. Sharon lived in Canada for some time, and has since moved back to her native country. Both myself and the girls were very pleased to see her, so that was sweet. Mel and Sharon went out for the night to the cinema and for a meal to catch up, and left me to take Bethany out on a date! I took her for a meal at a mexican restaurant, to a couple of bars, and then to the late showing at the cinema. It was such a perfect night, and we made the decision to start a relationship. More on that shortly...
Saturday - very busy day. We all headed off to York, where we met up with Kelly (well known groupie and merchandise seller of NeverTheLess), annoyed Elena at work, visited some shops and the minster, walked down the shambles, and went for a stroll on the walls (where Bethany and myself went in one direction, and the girls went the other). We nipped to Asda on the way back to pick up some groceries for sunday, and then went to Sheffield for the ice hockey, which the Steelers won 5-1.
Sunday - Church was superb, and it was all rounded off rather nicely with a Thanksgiving dinner. It was so sweet to have some of my Canadian friends here for thanksgiving, and it was made all the sweeter by the fantastic meal that we cooked for 15 people. Good times. Bethany and myeself ended the evening with a short walk, and I went to bed early because of work the next day.
Last night was really sad. Bethany and Mel left, and I had to take them to the train station. I didn't want to say goodbye, knowing that we won't see each other again until at least New Year, if not Easter. That's really hard, but I know that we really want to make this work. Pray for us guys, cause it's not going to be easy.
Ok, enough talking about stuff that you probably don't want to hear about. Go and do something more useful with your time...
Last Monday, Bethany and Mel arrived from Canada. This was a great thing to happen, because I love those guys, and I had been looking forward to their visit for a while. That night, we didn't really do much, but the rest of the week was intense:
Tuesday - we went to cell group, which was great but finished late
Wednesday - Mel went to Stevenage to see a friend, so Bethany and I travelled to Worksop to see my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and my dad's best friend. It was a superb evening, and my parents were very pleased to see Bethany again.
Thursday - My band, the Salvator Darlings, headed to Sheffield to play an acoustic set at the Coffee Revolution in the university union. It was deemed a success by all except possibly the guy that organsised it, who seemed to think that we were a little too silly for his altogether serious evening. The night was also made fun by the fact that my car overheated on the way down, and we had to stop by the side of the road twice.. Amongst the 150 or so people in attendance that night, travelling from various places to specifically see The Salvator Darlings were: My sister Laura, her boyfriend Brett, her housemate Lucy, My friends Alice and Max, Biffy Clyro fan Barney, Bethany and Mel, Little Rob's girlfriend Lisa, and my next door neighbours Eleanor and Rhiannon, both wearing Salvator Darlings t-shirts. Photos of the night will soon be visible on the media page of the band's website.
Friday - Sharon arrived from Scotland. Sharon lived in Canada for some time, and has since moved back to her native country. Both myself and the girls were very pleased to see her, so that was sweet. Mel and Sharon went out for the night to the cinema and for a meal to catch up, and left me to take Bethany out on a date! I took her for a meal at a mexican restaurant, to a couple of bars, and then to the late showing at the cinema. It was such a perfect night, and we made the decision to start a relationship. More on that shortly...
Saturday - very busy day. We all headed off to York, where we met up with Kelly (well known groupie and merchandise seller of NeverTheLess), annoyed Elena at work, visited some shops and the minster, walked down the shambles, and went for a stroll on the walls (where Bethany and myself went in one direction, and the girls went the other). We nipped to Asda on the way back to pick up some groceries for sunday, and then went to Sheffield for the ice hockey, which the Steelers won 5-1.
Sunday - Church was superb, and it was all rounded off rather nicely with a Thanksgiving dinner. It was so sweet to have some of my Canadian friends here for thanksgiving, and it was made all the sweeter by the fantastic meal that we cooked for 15 people. Good times. Bethany and myeself ended the evening with a short walk, and I went to bed early because of work the next day.
Last night was really sad. Bethany and Mel left, and I had to take them to the train station. I didn't want to say goodbye, knowing that we won't see each other again until at least New Year, if not Easter. That's really hard, but I know that we really want to make this work. Pray for us guys, cause it's not going to be easy.
Ok, enough talking about stuff that you probably don't want to hear about. Go and do something more useful with your time...
Monday, October 11, 2004
Or lack, thereof...
Don't you think that it's about time I blogged? I mean, I haven't done it for two weeks now. Surely I have some interesting things to tell you after that long... Well, I do. But I have to go to work now. Speak later...
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Bands, bands, bands, choke, bands, bands
This week, I have seen the following acts:
Some guys in the freshers tent at leeds uni, claiming to be on the 'drink milk' tour, and who recognised me as 'the singer from that funny band'.
Brigade, who were good.
This GIRL who were amazing, and you must check them out now. They're four young lads (18-19 years old) from Rotherham, and if you're in leeds on wednesday night, get yourself down to Joseph's Well to watch them in action and have your mind blown by their awesomeness.
Biffy Clyro, who, as usual, were superb, and rocked my world.
Cirrus Fingers, who turned out to be a couple of guys I know rocking the Packhorse in an unexpected trip hop/drum 'n' bass intense live set. Not the greatest band I've ever heard, but they brought a lot of friends in with them, and it's early days yet. They were pretty original, and I think that they will find a certain target audience. It just might not be a pub full of freshers on a saturday night.
Speakeasy. What can I say? Every time I see them, they get better. They're supporting us at the october first gig, they're supporting Dive Dive on their national tour date at the brudenell social club, and tonight they were headlining at the packhorse. More like the packedroom. It was rammed. They were superb. Highlights included the opening track, 'You and Your' which they are currently recording in the studio, and 'Just a Man' which is an older track. You can download the old version from their website, or you can get along to one of their upcoming gigs to see them perform a much more intense, emo driven version, climaxing with Matt playing his guitar with a violin bow. This band rock.
Also this week, I had the pleasure of practising with my band, The Salvator Darlings. We're about to start our slow-moving 'Third Party, Fire and Theft Tour', so we've been rehearsing with new members, Rosie and Simon. It's coming along beautifully, and I'll keep you up to date with where you can catch up with us. You can also get hold of a tour tshirt by getting in touch with me and asking for one. They have a picture of a scally on the front, and they say 'The Salvator Darlings stole my car'. The back says 'Third Party, Fire and Theft Tour 2004'. They're brilliant...
Some guys in the freshers tent at leeds uni, claiming to be on the 'drink milk' tour, and who recognised me as 'the singer from that funny band'.
Brigade, who were good.
This GIRL who were amazing, and you must check them out now. They're four young lads (18-19 years old) from Rotherham, and if you're in leeds on wednesday night, get yourself down to Joseph's Well to watch them in action and have your mind blown by their awesomeness.
Biffy Clyro, who, as usual, were superb, and rocked my world.
Cirrus Fingers, who turned out to be a couple of guys I know rocking the Packhorse in an unexpected trip hop/drum 'n' bass intense live set. Not the greatest band I've ever heard, but they brought a lot of friends in with them, and it's early days yet. They were pretty original, and I think that they will find a certain target audience. It just might not be a pub full of freshers on a saturday night.
Speakeasy. What can I say? Every time I see them, they get better. They're supporting us at the october first gig, they're supporting Dive Dive on their national tour date at the brudenell social club, and tonight they were headlining at the packhorse. More like the packedroom. It was rammed. They were superb. Highlights included the opening track, 'You and Your' which they are currently recording in the studio, and 'Just a Man' which is an older track. You can download the old version from their website, or you can get along to one of their upcoming gigs to see them perform a much more intense, emo driven version, climaxing with Matt playing his guitar with a violin bow. This band rock.
Also this week, I had the pleasure of practising with my band, The Salvator Darlings. We're about to start our slow-moving 'Third Party, Fire and Theft Tour', so we've been rehearsing with new members, Rosie and Simon. It's coming along beautifully, and I'll keep you up to date with where you can catch up with us. You can also get hold of a tour tshirt by getting in touch with me and asking for one. They have a picture of a scally on the front, and they say 'The Salvator Darlings stole my car'. The back says 'Third Party, Fire and Theft Tour 2004'. They're brilliant...
Thursday, September 16, 2004
pencil sketches...
Ladies and Gentlemen, if I can please draw your attention to the list of links to other blogs that can be found towards the bottom of my sidebar. There you will find blogs of all sorts; the latest addition to which is this one. I won't give away the blogger's highly secret identity (for americans, this is sarcasm), but I will suggest that you read his site on a regular basis. Highly entertaining...
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
a difficult one...
I read J Puddy's blog the other day, and tried to follow a link that he published in his post, 'Division' there, but it didn't work. It's up and running now though, so I just had the chance to see what he was on about. For your information, here is his blog article:
And here's the comment that I posted in response:
I highly recommend that you check out the site and read the essays/listen to the presentation. It raises a number of issues that certainly I have never thought about...
Link. "An interesting talk on gays and lesbians and how the church should relate to them, by Tony and Peggy Campolo. Pretty well known dude (Tony) in Christian circles."
And here's the comment that I posted in response:
"I just went to the site, and I checked out an essay written by a guy named Justin, who supports same sex marriages for christians. The main points of interest for me were how we explain away some laws as cultural difference, and others not; and that the greatest commandment of all is to love. Like Andrew, I think that there's no easy answer to this one. One thing that I can easily stand firm on, however, is his conclusion:
"Most of all, pray. Pray every day for God's guidance in your life and for the wisdom and humility to admit when you're wrong. If you find that you disagree with fellow Christians, remember that they are still your brothers and sisters in Christ. And they may yet have something to teach you.
Follow Christ at all costs. Nothing matters more than that."
I highly recommend that you check out the site and read the essays/listen to the presentation. It raises a number of issues that certainly I have never thought about...
highs and lows..
This weekend was fun. I drove to Chelmsford, went to a wedding, played records at the reception, drove through central london (over Tower Bridge and everything!), got interviewed on a radio station about my DJ ministry, and broke down in my car on the M1 three times on the way back up. I went to the hockey (with a lift from my dad), and took a taxi to work yesterday, because my car was at my dad's being mended.
My dad is a star. He fixed my car yesterday, and brought it back up to Leeds for me. My mom is a star. She drove the other car up at the same time, so that they could just drive back to Worksop together. Today, because of them, I went to work in my car today, and saved myself a tenner.
Oh, we won the hockey, by the way...
My dad is a star. He fixed my car yesterday, and brought it back up to Leeds for me. My mom is a star. She drove the other car up at the same time, so that they could just drive back to Worksop together. Today, because of them, I went to work in my car today, and saved myself a tenner.
Oh, we won the hockey, by the way...
Friday, September 10, 2004
Last night Jackie Chan came round..
I played pool with him, and we hung out. Mr Miagi and the X-Men called in for a while as well.
Ah, my life may not be quite like that, but it's pretty good fun at the moment. I just finished my first week at work in a school for children who have Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). In my first week, I have: been swimming; been to Bolton Abbey, taken two pupils to the supermarket; nearly won a quiz in the staffroom; baked a cake; been bitten by a pupil; fortunately had a hepatitis b innoculation; discovered there are at least 4 other Christians on the staff; cleaned up the result of what appeared to be synchronised vomiting in the little kids' class; learned some Makaton; and been trampolining. Amongst other things. It's all in a week's work. This is probably the greatest job in the world. I love it. It's exciting, it's fun, it's rewarding, the hours and the holidays are superb...
In other news, I'm spinning at a friend's wedding reception tomorrow night. Then I'm being interviewed on Premier Radio on Sunday morning about my dj ministry. All this before I head to my parents' house for a late sunday roast, then to the ice hockey match with my dad and my good friend Alice (who I wrote a song about). Just in case you haven't had enough of the links, you can read the lyrics to the song here, on The Salvator Darlings Website. (That's my band, by the way.)
Does anyone find that for ages they don't put any links anywhere on their site, then all of a sudden they get link fever, and have to put about a thousand in one article? No? Just me then...
Ah, my life may not be quite like that, but it's pretty good fun at the moment. I just finished my first week at work in a school for children who have Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). In my first week, I have: been swimming; been to Bolton Abbey, taken two pupils to the supermarket; nearly won a quiz in the staffroom; baked a cake; been bitten by a pupil; fortunately had a hepatitis b innoculation; discovered there are at least 4 other Christians on the staff; cleaned up the result of what appeared to be synchronised vomiting in the little kids' class; learned some Makaton; and been trampolining. Amongst other things. It's all in a week's work. This is probably the greatest job in the world. I love it. It's exciting, it's fun, it's rewarding, the hours and the holidays are superb...
In other news, I'm spinning at a friend's wedding reception tomorrow night. Then I'm being interviewed on Premier Radio on Sunday morning about my dj ministry. All this before I head to my parents' house for a late sunday roast, then to the ice hockey match with my dad and my good friend Alice (who I wrote a song about). Just in case you haven't had enough of the links, you can read the lyrics to the song here, on The Salvator Darlings Website. (That's my band, by the way.)
Does anyone find that for ages they don't put any links anywhere on their site, then all of a sudden they get link fever, and have to put about a thousand in one article? No? Just me then...
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Old Abe
The thought has recently occurred to me that blogs are incredibly selfish things. I mean, you sit down, and write all about the things that have happened to you, that you want to happen, and that you're thinking about. You express your point of view, and publish songs and poems that you wrote. And you do all of this because you think that people are going to read it and be interested. The funny thing is, they often are. People share our interests, and that's why they read our blogs. Other people sometimes have the same sense of humor as us, so they find the things that we write funny. Sometimes they find the things that we write funny because we are so geeky that we don't realise that we've written something that makes us sound like complete losers, so people read our blogs to laugh at us behind our backs. That's all fine. But wouldn't it be nice if some blogs were a bit less self-oriented?
So, I have come up with the first of many plans to revive and inspire excitement on this blog in particular. Every so often (I'd say every week, but you know how things go...) I will publish a blog about the life of someone else. Perhaps someone I know, perhaps I won't know them at all, but the idea is that instead of you always reading about what I've been getting up to, you can find out about what someone else has been doing. If they have their own blog, I'll include a link to it, so that if you like what you've read, and find that you have similar interests, or find them funny (for whatever reason...), you can read more. If they don't have a blog of their own, and you like it, we can try to get them to start one, and if they won't, then just enjoy the post on this site. Sound good?
Right, so I guess, as Abraham Lincoln said, no act is truly selfless, so I'm hoping that I'll get some more correspondence from this. If you want other people to read your blog, or you have a life, aspect of your life, or story that you think would be well recieved, email me...
That's all for now.
So, I have come up with the first of many plans to revive and inspire excitement on this blog in particular. Every so often (I'd say every week, but you know how things go...) I will publish a blog about the life of someone else. Perhaps someone I know, perhaps I won't know them at all, but the idea is that instead of you always reading about what I've been getting up to, you can find out about what someone else has been doing. If they have their own blog, I'll include a link to it, so that if you like what you've read, and find that you have similar interests, or find them funny (for whatever reason...), you can read more. If they don't have a blog of their own, and you like it, we can try to get them to start one, and if they won't, then just enjoy the post on this site. Sound good?
Right, so I guess, as Abraham Lincoln said, no act is truly selfless, so I'm hoping that I'll get some more correspondence from this. If you want other people to read your blog, or you have a life, aspect of your life, or story that you think would be well recieved, email me...
That's all for now.
Where we're going, we don't need roads...
Having failed so far to come up with something worthwhile putting on the site, I'll resort to more song lyrics. Matt from Speakeasy came round last night to watch a movie. Since I have recently purchased the Back to the Future boxset, we decided that it would be criminal not to enjoy episode one of this fine trilogy. Oh how we laughed. To be fair, I can probably get most of the way through the script of that movie without having to watch it, so doing something like, for example, writing a song about the movie, wouldn't be a major problem. So that's what we did. The story of Marty Mcfly is retold in glorious musicolor, appearing at a Salvator Darlings gig near you soon. And, if you're interested, here's the lyrics:
My calculations were correct
On that night in 1985
And did I detect
A flux capacitor in overdrive?
I was doing 88
Powered by plutonium.
The doc had just turned late
Terrorists in pandemonium.
(Bridge 1)
With your best friend's life going down the sink
You'd better think, Mcfly, think
Cause you're going
(Chorus)
Back to the future
Back to the future
1.21 gigawatts -
Yes my friend, that's lots of watts.
Arrived in 55
In a barn on the Twin Pines Ranch.
Glad to find that I'm alive,
I see a man clinging to a branch.
(He's a peeping tom!)
Spying on a girl.
Dressed in 1950s lingerie,
She looked kind of like my mom
But in a creepy kind of teenage way.
(Bridge 2)
She was looking kind of hot and tried to ask me out,
then she tried to kiss me - I was freaking out
I had to get
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, your mom was looking hot.
(Middle)
This is where my tale takes its turn,
My father he had to learn
How to fight the local jerk
If my plan was going to work...
I got attacked by a gang of punks
Who locked me up in Marvin's trunk
And I was stuck with no way out
My mom began to scream and shout
As Biff was getting far too fresh
My dad began to clench his fist
Then choking back his greatest fears
Said 'get your damn hands off of her'.
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, Biff deserved exactly what he got.
Back at the tower clock
The time I had was running out.
With cables set up by the doc
We had planned the perfect route.
Four minutes past ten
Lightning struck Hill Valley hall.
To 85 again -
You'll never have a closer call.
(Bridge 3)
Just in time doc Brown was able
To connect the final cable.
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, Emmett's death I had to stop.
(Final Chorus)
Back to the future
Back to the future
He'd taken several bullets to the chest,
But my friend, on my advice, he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Very, very silly.
If you live in Leeds, I recommend that you make it down to The Vine on the Headrow on Tuesday September 7, where you can see Speakeasy supporting The Bilderberg Group, Farming Incident and Dolores. Check out the link to their website above for more details. Let's support local music...
My calculations were correct
On that night in 1985
And did I detect
A flux capacitor in overdrive?
I was doing 88
Powered by plutonium.
The doc had just turned late
Terrorists in pandemonium.
(Bridge 1)
With your best friend's life going down the sink
You'd better think, Mcfly, think
Cause you're going
(Chorus)
Back to the future
Back to the future
1.21 gigawatts -
Yes my friend, that's lots of watts.
Arrived in 55
In a barn on the Twin Pines Ranch.
Glad to find that I'm alive,
I see a man clinging to a branch.
(He's a peeping tom!)
Spying on a girl.
Dressed in 1950s lingerie,
She looked kind of like my mom
But in a creepy kind of teenage way.
(Bridge 2)
She was looking kind of hot and tried to ask me out,
then she tried to kiss me - I was freaking out
I had to get
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, your mom was looking hot.
(Middle)
This is where my tale takes its turn,
My father he had to learn
How to fight the local jerk
If my plan was going to work...
I got attacked by a gang of punks
Who locked me up in Marvin's trunk
And I was stuck with no way out
My mom began to scream and shout
As Biff was getting far too fresh
My dad began to clench his fist
Then choking back his greatest fears
Said 'get your damn hands off of her'.
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, Biff deserved exactly what he got.
Back at the tower clock
The time I had was running out.
With cables set up by the doc
We had planned the perfect route.
Four minutes past ten
Lightning struck Hill Valley hall.
To 85 again -
You'll never have a closer call.
(Bridge 3)
Just in time doc Brown was able
To connect the final cable.
(Chorus)
Yes my friend, Emmett's death I had to stop.
(Final Chorus)
Back to the future
Back to the future
He'd taken several bullets to the chest,
But my friend, on my advice, he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Very, very silly.
If you live in Leeds, I recommend that you make it down to The Vine on the Headrow on Tuesday September 7, where you can see Speakeasy supporting The Bilderberg Group, Farming Incident and Dolores. Check out the link to their website above for more details. Let's support local music...
Thursday, September 02, 2004
It's very lonely over here...
Is it just me, or has no one left me a comment for ages? It's definately not just me. I think that perhaps my posts are boring, and therefore will be coming up with ways to remedy the situation. Bear with me while I have a think. Meanwhile, please enjoy this picture of Valerie. And leave me some comments!
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Hi, I'm an actor, and I can project without hurting my throat...
Well, not quite, but one of my friends is. Had some buddies over last night for tasty food and songwriting fun. We started writing a song about being an actor. It's pretty stupid, but I think that it's going to be just the sort of thing that we can pull off with the band. For more news on The Salvator Darlings, and to get the lyrics to this song when they're posted, to download some of our songs, and to see pictures and all the rest of it, simply click here.
This morning was wierd. I've been working on Saturdays since I was 13, and anytime that I didn't work on a Saturday, there was a very good reason for it, i.e. I had to go to a wedding, or there was some need for me to go visit my parents, or I was properly on holiday, you know the sort of thing. Well, this morning, I got up, and I didn't have to go to work. Neither did I have to pack a suitcase, or a bag, and go and do something important. I have Saturday off, because I DON'T WORK ON SATURDAYS ANYMORE. It's brilliant, and I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.
So, plan of action for the day - I have to go buy a couple of things, then I'm going to do some studying for my exam next week, before doing absolutely nothing this evening. That sounds more and more fun by the minute...
This morning was wierd. I've been working on Saturdays since I was 13, and anytime that I didn't work on a Saturday, there was a very good reason for it, i.e. I had to go to a wedding, or there was some need for me to go visit my parents, or I was properly on holiday, you know the sort of thing. Well, this morning, I got up, and I didn't have to go to work. Neither did I have to pack a suitcase, or a bag, and go and do something important. I have Saturday off, because I DON'T WORK ON SATURDAYS ANYMORE. It's brilliant, and I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.
So, plan of action for the day - I have to go buy a couple of things, then I'm going to do some studying for my exam next week, before doing absolutely nothing this evening. That sounds more and more fun by the minute...
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Four fantastic things...
Today, the following things happened to me:
I finished working at starbucks forever.
I got a new cell phone.
I watched Sheffield Wednesday win in their Carling Cup first round match.
I recieved my Pulp cd through the post.
Brilliant. I have a phone to play with, a great album to listen to, a win to celebrate, and no work to get up for in the morning. I have important things to do, why am I still here?
I finished working at starbucks forever.
I got a new cell phone.
I watched Sheffield Wednesday win in their Carling Cup first round match.
I recieved my Pulp cd through the post.
Brilliant. I have a phone to play with, a great album to listen to, a win to celebrate, and no work to get up for in the morning. I have important things to do, why am I still here?
Monday, August 23, 2004
A good day...
I only have two more days left at starbucks! I went to work today, and I thought that I was finishing at ten this evening. When I arrived, I looked at the board that we have in the back that tells you who's working what shift that day, and it said that due to a deep clean of the store, we were closing at seven... Nothing could spoil that!
In addition, my crazy boss has tomorrow and Wednesday off, so today was my last day working under her regime..
I have only 8 days left until my resit exam now, and I'm working pretty hard on the revision for it. It's pretty interesting stuff - English and American detective fiction. But to be honest, when you hear nothing but crime fiction from the books you're reading, and your parents, for three months, it gets a bit tiresome. I think I'd be ready to commit some sort of hard-boiled crime on Raymond Chandler if I could meet him right now. Of course, that's not really possible, what with him being dead and all...
Finally finished the movie for my sister's birthday video today. It's a detective movie (I told you, I can't escape this ridiculous genre..) It's the third year that we've done it, and this year, as it was her 21st, we thought that we might even go so far as to have some sort of plot. It essentially focuses on the idea of claiming that her boyfriend is a sucky cop, which he isn't. It's shoddily made, the scripting is almost non-existent, bits of the story are missing, the camera work is horribly shaky, and the editing was done entirely by pressing pause and record on a vcr.
Right, back to the grind - today has been so good that not even a good hour's detective fiction before I go to bed can ruin it...
In addition, my crazy boss has tomorrow and Wednesday off, so today was my last day working under her regime..
I have only 8 days left until my resit exam now, and I'm working pretty hard on the revision for it. It's pretty interesting stuff - English and American detective fiction. But to be honest, when you hear nothing but crime fiction from the books you're reading, and your parents, for three months, it gets a bit tiresome. I think I'd be ready to commit some sort of hard-boiled crime on Raymond Chandler if I could meet him right now. Of course, that's not really possible, what with him being dead and all...
Finally finished the movie for my sister's birthday video today. It's a detective movie (I told you, I can't escape this ridiculous genre..) It's the third year that we've done it, and this year, as it was her 21st, we thought that we might even go so far as to have some sort of plot. It essentially focuses on the idea of claiming that her boyfriend is a sucky cop, which he isn't. It's shoddily made, the scripting is almost non-existent, bits of the story are missing, the camera work is horribly shaky, and the editing was done entirely by pressing pause and record on a vcr.
Right, back to the grind - today has been so good that not even a good hour's detective fiction before I go to bed can ruin it...
Friday, August 20, 2004
Hammer into...
When maple leafs are blue
They blossom in the month of June;
October - born anew,
Every season ends
So soon I'm falling, falling, falling
For the trees.
Glacial lakes I dive
Into your cooling summer breeze
Becomes the roaring winds that hammer, hammer, hammer.
They blossom in the month of June;
October - born anew,
Every season ends
So soon I'm falling, falling, falling
For the trees.
Glacial lakes I dive
Into your cooling summer breeze
Becomes the roaring winds that hammer, hammer, hammer.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Britpop party
I'm having a party. Well, we're having a party. My house. Me, Rob and Martin. Martin doesn't know about it yet, of course, because he's still living somewhere in Lincolnshire. But he's still having a party with us anyway. Now, here at our house, we throw good parties. And we don't like to do them the same as anyone else. We like to have fancy dress themes, but not the usual kind; oh no, there's no 1960s/1970s themes for us. No pimps and ho's (as is often the case here in Leeds, for some reason). We don't do Hawaiian or 80s parties. There's certainly no open fancy dress. So, what do we do? Well, the theme for our up and coming party is britpop. The revival of great British indie music in the 1990s. We only have a small house, but it will become the greatest venue in Leeds for my band, another local band, Speakeasy and Leeds Student Radio legend, Steve Darke. We will have a live video link from the basement (where the bands will be) to a projector screen upstairs, so that everyone can watch even when the basement is full. There will be a selection of the finest britpop music, and much reminiscing. But there's a problem. A lot of people can't decide who to go to the party as. They must come as a member of a britpop band, but there were a lot of bands, and not everyone can remember who they all were. Suggestions for party goers on the comments board, please!
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Nobody knows where the poison goes...
Today marked the start of my last week at starbucks. Ever. (I intentionally avoid the capitalisation of starbucks on account of the fact that
a) it already represents capitalisation to a great extent, and
b) it just doesn't deserve the kind of recognition that comes with a proper noun.)
One week from today, I will have finished working for starbucks forever, and will have moved out onto the road of real work, leaving behind the footpath of hourly paid jobs, and the park of flexible hours.
On a slightly less joyful note, something happened at work today that really upset/affected/moved me. We have a sign up at the moment that says something like: 'for every bag of African coffee purchased, starbucks will donate 75p to buying books and equipment in the Sidamo region of Southern Ethiopia'. This all seems reasonable enough, starbucks contributing to the education of children in one of the primary coffee farming regions in the world. But then this old guy comes in today, and points out the sign. He says 'I went to school in Sidamo. My family is from there. But I left 40 years ago because of the war. They're still fighting, and I've never been back.' He was smiling all the way through this, and all I could think was 'starbucks make so light of this sort of thing, and this guy has lost his whole childhood because of the stupidity of man over there. And here's all these people coming in and buying a bag of coffee for £4.50, and feeling better about themselves because they've contributed 75p to a place that they just assume has got it bad, without ever knowing HOW bad.' It sucks. And that's all I have to say about that.
a) it already represents capitalisation to a great extent, and
b) it just doesn't deserve the kind of recognition that comes with a proper noun.)
One week from today, I will have finished working for starbucks forever, and will have moved out onto the road of real work, leaving behind the footpath of hourly paid jobs, and the park of flexible hours.
On a slightly less joyful note, something happened at work today that really upset/affected/moved me. We have a sign up at the moment that says something like: 'for every bag of African coffee purchased, starbucks will donate 75p to buying books and equipment in the Sidamo region of Southern Ethiopia'. This all seems reasonable enough, starbucks contributing to the education of children in one of the primary coffee farming regions in the world. But then this old guy comes in today, and points out the sign. He says 'I went to school in Sidamo. My family is from there. But I left 40 years ago because of the war. They're still fighting, and I've never been back.' He was smiling all the way through this, and all I could think was 'starbucks make so light of this sort of thing, and this guy has lost his whole childhood because of the stupidity of man over there. And here's all these people coming in and buying a bag of coffee for £4.50, and feeling better about themselves because they've contributed 75p to a place that they just assume has got it bad, without ever knowing HOW bad.' It sucks. And that's all I have to say about that.
Sunday, August 15, 2004
rumours...
What's up y'all? So, I just got one of those forwarded emails. The kind that I usually delete without reading at all; but this one was from someone who never sends me stuff like that, so I decided to read it. It turned out to feature a story about a movie, the plot of which revolves around the idea that Jesus and the disciples were gay. It claimed that the movie was based on a play of the same name: 'Corpus Christi', meaning 'The Christ Body', and it urged readers to sign the petition at the bottom, and forward it to all their friends. I decided to investigate this futher, as it seemed the sort of thing that might be possible. In doing so, I found this fantastic website, Truth or Fiction.
Sure enough, a read through of the site showed that it was a hoax. It seems that there is a play of that name, which features a theme based on the idea that Jesus was gay, but the name comes from the main character's home town of Corpus Christi. Not only this, but the email had claimed that the movie was due to be released later this year, and the website I checked had the last update on the rumour as sometime in 2001.
Don't get me wrong, if the story was true, I'd have signed the petition. But it's not true, and my already almost non existent faith in forwarded emails has finally breathed its last. Sad really. Never mind, I guess if another suspicious looking story turns up in my inbox, I know where to check it out now...
Sure enough, a read through of the site showed that it was a hoax. It seems that there is a play of that name, which features a theme based on the idea that Jesus was gay, but the name comes from the main character's home town of Corpus Christi. Not only this, but the email had claimed that the movie was due to be released later this year, and the website I checked had the last update on the rumour as sometime in 2001.
Don't get me wrong, if the story was true, I'd have signed the petition. But it's not true, and my already almost non existent faith in forwarded emails has finally breathed its last. Sad really. Never mind, I guess if another suspicious looking story turns up in my inbox, I know where to check it out now...
Friday, August 13, 2004
A smoke, a drink and a ponder...
Tonight I went to an indie club. It was my 'housemate' Rob's girlfriend Sarah's birthday night out, so we went to the Cockpit. I never thought of this before, but while I was there, it occurred to me how strange the phenomenon of the indie dj is. Those of you in Canada might not be familiar with this aspect of English club culture, so I'll fill you in a bit.
In most clubs, the dj is on a stage or platform. With hard house and trance (which I am most experienced with), the dj is almost like a sort of artist. When they play a certain tune, the crowd will cheer. They have friends in the dj booth with them, and when I well recieved record has been played, often these friends will take the record, and hold it in the air, to generate applause. Most people don't know most of the tracks that the dj plays, but they will stay and dance anyway. They will stay and dance if a track that they don't really like comes on, because the next one might be good. The dj beatmatches the records. They make them play at the same speed, and mix them into each other seamlessly, so that you get one long continuous journey of a night of music.
In an indie club, the dj's role is quite different. They press play on a cd player. This is not too unusual. In English 'cheesy' clubs, where they play pop music, the dj does exactly the same thing. The only real skill involved is in the selection of the music. The djs in these 'cheesy' clubs are almost hidden away. This is where the difference becomes clear. In an indie club, the dj is placed on a stage, much like in a hard house, trance, house, hip hop, or drum n bass club (the list is not exhaustive). This creates an odd effect. Because all they have to do is choose a cd, then play it, most of the time they stand there like a spare part. I only wish I had pictures to show you; it's quite hilarious.
In most clubs, the dj is on a stage or platform. With hard house and trance (which I am most experienced with), the dj is almost like a sort of artist. When they play a certain tune, the crowd will cheer. They have friends in the dj booth with them, and when I well recieved record has been played, often these friends will take the record, and hold it in the air, to generate applause. Most people don't know most of the tracks that the dj plays, but they will stay and dance anyway. They will stay and dance if a track that they don't really like comes on, because the next one might be good. The dj beatmatches the records. They make them play at the same speed, and mix them into each other seamlessly, so that you get one long continuous journey of a night of music.
In an indie club, the dj's role is quite different. They press play on a cd player. This is not too unusual. In English 'cheesy' clubs, where they play pop music, the dj does exactly the same thing. The only real skill involved is in the selection of the music. The djs in these 'cheesy' clubs are almost hidden away. This is where the difference becomes clear. In an indie club, the dj is placed on a stage, much like in a hard house, trance, house, hip hop, or drum n bass club (the list is not exhaustive). This creates an odd effect. Because all they have to do is choose a cd, then play it, most of the time they stand there like a spare part. I only wish I had pictures to show you; it's quite hilarious.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Where is everyone?
Summer is a wierd time in Leeds. Because it's such a student city, the whole place seems to shut down when term ends. For example, I have no next door neighbours, and no one but me has slept in my house since last friday. I got a comment on this site from my old next door neighbour, katie, and it just reminded me how great it was to have friends living so close. It's kind of strange not just being able to pop round and say hi, or watch tv together, or borrow some flour (don't ask)...
So, let this be useful advice to you: befriend your neighbours, cause you'll miss them when they're gone...
So, let this be useful advice to you: befriend your neighbours, cause you'll miss them when they're gone...
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Shine
There's something immensly satisfying about watching someone you have taught to mix, doing it well. I guess it's the same kind of feeling that a teacher gets when their pupils' recieve excellent exam results, or a director has when one of their actors is given an award for their performance. But there's more to it than that. With spinning, you teach someone how to cue up records, how to beatmatch, how to choose the right moment to start playing the next track, and when to fade it in. Then you leave them to it. They take it from there, with their music selection, their style of mixing, and many more factors.
Georgy showed up last night. Georgy is to playing records what David Helfgott is to playing the piano. She is prodigious, and Jewish, but with less mental illness... I gave her her first lesson at the start of June, she's been away from the decks for the past month, and when she got on them last night, she was mixing flawlessly. Seriously, this girl rocks.
So, she turned up at about 8pm, and brought in a huge box of records, and then some. We disappeared into the basement, and didn't emerge again until gone midnight. The box contained a lot of early 90s house, and some breaks, which is a real change from the hard house and trance that anyone who knows me, will know that I love to play. This was really refreshing though, and we had a sweet time. Man, those tunes are so funky, it's not necessarily a good thing that she leaves them here. In fact, I feel them calling me now. De La Soul, here I come...
Georgy showed up last night. Georgy is to playing records what David Helfgott is to playing the piano. She is prodigious, and Jewish, but with less mental illness... I gave her her first lesson at the start of June, she's been away from the decks for the past month, and when she got on them last night, she was mixing flawlessly. Seriously, this girl rocks.
So, she turned up at about 8pm, and brought in a huge box of records, and then some. We disappeared into the basement, and didn't emerge again until gone midnight. The box contained a lot of early 90s house, and some breaks, which is a real change from the hard house and trance that anyone who knows me, will know that I love to play. This was really refreshing though, and we had a sweet time. Man, those tunes are so funky, it's not necessarily a good thing that she leaves them here. In fact, I feel them calling me now. De La Soul, here I come...
Monday, August 09, 2004
One by one...
I'm getting rid of my housemates. We married Matt off on Saturday, and a fine event it was too. Old man Bradley and his lovely bride Rachel had a great day, put on a good bash, and have now cleared off to France in a camper van to go surfing. Do I hear any cries of jealousy? Check out the photos I took. Well, as you'll see, I didn't take all of them, I'm in some of them. Anyway, have a look, and marvel at everyone in their finery...
The wedding was special for a number of reasons. It was a superb service, great worship, lots of praying. Rachel entered to my favorite piece of classical music, Pachabell's Canon (which I'm listening to now). Irish Matt played one of his songs while they signed the register, then played them out to 'I'm a believer'. The reception was a veritable feast of all things good and tasty. It was also a treat for the vegetarians present (including The Salvator Darlings' very own Little Rob) as the meat products were few and far between. The highlight, though, of this section of the day, was the desserts. You remember the torturous cakes from my previous post? I got to eat them. It was a buffet, and so I cleverly took one bowl for me, and one for 'my friend Dave'. FIVE DESSERTS. That's what I ate. I had cheesecake, and ginger surprise (the surprise was it was full of ginger). I had banoffee pie and a chocolate/nut crunch thing. I had chocolate cake. It was beautiful; a moment of pure, orchestrated genius in the world of dessert eating.
The evening do was a Kayleigh dance (probably spelt wrong). Like a barn dance. I did one dance, and nearly threw up. Man, I'm so unfit.
NeverTheLess, a good day was had by all, and I wish them the best of times on the honeymoon, and the happiest of lives together. It'll be my turn one day. Scary thought...
The wedding was special for a number of reasons. It was a superb service, great worship, lots of praying. Rachel entered to my favorite piece of classical music, Pachabell's Canon (which I'm listening to now). Irish Matt played one of his songs while they signed the register, then played them out to 'I'm a believer'. The reception was a veritable feast of all things good and tasty. It was also a treat for the vegetarians present (including The Salvator Darlings' very own Little Rob) as the meat products were few and far between. The highlight, though, of this section of the day, was the desserts. You remember the torturous cakes from my previous post? I got to eat them. It was a buffet, and so I cleverly took one bowl for me, and one for 'my friend Dave'. FIVE DESSERTS. That's what I ate. I had cheesecake, and ginger surprise (the surprise was it was full of ginger). I had banoffee pie and a chocolate/nut crunch thing. I had chocolate cake. It was beautiful; a moment of pure, orchestrated genius in the world of dessert eating.
The evening do was a Kayleigh dance (probably spelt wrong). Like a barn dance. I did one dance, and nearly threw up. Man, I'm so unfit.
NeverTheLess, a good day was had by all, and I wish them the best of times on the honeymoon, and the happiest of lives together. It'll be my turn one day. Scary thought...
Friday, August 06, 2004
Cake or death?
My kitchen is full of cake. Small cakes. Big cakes. Coffee cakes. Chocolate cakes. Sticky fudge cakes. There are little iced buns, great victoria sponges, three tiered stacked sandwich cakes, layered with jam and butter icing. There are pies and trifles. Delicious desserts of every kind fill all available space. AND I CAN'T EAT ANY OF IT. It's not mine. Is this what hell is like?
Thank God I know I'm going to heaven...
Thank God I know I'm going to heaven...
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Another day, another dollar
Or no dollars. Or pounds. In fact, no currency of any sort whatsoever. It seems that I have been ill all week. That's why you'll find unnatural amounts of posting going on on this blog, because I have nothing else to do with my time. I'm supposed to be at work, earning money, but I've had to call in sick. This presents a problem: I'm only part time, so I don't think that I'm going to get any sick pay. Not to worry, the freezer is full, and I'm going to my parent's place tomorrow, so that should help out a bit. In the meantime, don't ask me to buy you a drink...
Where is the line?
Where do you cross over from being a regular internet user to being a complete geek? Have I made the transition? I check and send emails at least twice a day, I spend hours surfing the web to find good designs for pages, I blog on an (almost) daily basis, I have designed and built a website and I get excited about learning new bits of useful HTML.
Am I a geek? Answers on a postcard please (well, on my comment page, actually)...
Am I a geek? Answers on a postcard please (well, on my comment page, actually)...
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Personality Test
So, a few days ago, Rachel published a post, announcing that she had recently put her computer media library on random, as she had heard that the first ten songs it plays should reveal something of your personality. Her conclusion was simply that she has very eclectic music tastes. I decided to do the same. Here are the results:
1. Some Random German Punk Band - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
2. Bromacinfro - Random Track
3. Radiohead - Planet Telex
4. Ben Folds Five - Jackson Cannery
5. The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches
6. The Darkness - Get Your Hands Off My Woman
7. Reeve Hunter - I Must Obey
8. Supergrass - Lose It
9. Foo Fighters - My Poor Brain
10. Modest Mouse - Third Planet
So, what can be made of my personality from this seemingly inadequate list? Well, my first thought was that it wasn't as eclectic as I had originally expected it to be. I think the best way to analyse it, is to go through song by song:
1. Yes, the song sucks, but it's a punk cover. From this, I determine that I sometimes don't care about the quality of the music or lyrics, so long as it's done badly, and very very fast.
2. A jazz/swing band from Toronto, who you almost certainly haven't heard of, even if you're from Toronto. The fact that I don't know the name of the track kind of speaks for itself - sometimes, even if I like what I hear, I won't have the motivation to find out more about it.
3. I'm still listening to the same music I liked when I was 16.
4. I don't care if you don't like them, they're the best band ever, and I will defend this opinion to the death. Again, I was listening to them when I was 16, and I haven't moved on. Does this mean that I am immature?
5. This song is silly. The singer is allergic to aforementioned fruit. Sometimes I don't care, so long as it's silly.
6. More silliness. Perhaps I am a silly person. Yes, yes I am.
7. This is a superb track by a guy who splits his production time between amazing, introverted, deep, acoustic tracks like this one, and Nintendo beats hip hop. Although he's far better than I ever could be, I guess he's the closest I've found to my songwriting style(s). You probably haven't heard of him, unless you're from Waco, Texas.
8. See #3
9. The song title says more than I ever could. This post is hurting my head.
10. I have no idea who these guys are. Jacob put the track on my computer for me, and I'd forgotten it was there. It's quite good though. I guess that means that there are parts of my personality that I am vaguely aware of the existence of, but I tend to leave them be. Or perhaps this whole thing, as Rachel concluded, is a load of rubbish...
1. Some Random German Punk Band - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
2. Bromacinfro - Random Track
3. Radiohead - Planet Telex
4. Ben Folds Five - Jackson Cannery
5. The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches
6. The Darkness - Get Your Hands Off My Woman
7. Reeve Hunter - I Must Obey
8. Supergrass - Lose It
9. Foo Fighters - My Poor Brain
10. Modest Mouse - Third Planet
So, what can be made of my personality from this seemingly inadequate list? Well, my first thought was that it wasn't as eclectic as I had originally expected it to be. I think the best way to analyse it, is to go through song by song:
1. Yes, the song sucks, but it's a punk cover. From this, I determine that I sometimes don't care about the quality of the music or lyrics, so long as it's done badly, and very very fast.
2. A jazz/swing band from Toronto, who you almost certainly haven't heard of, even if you're from Toronto. The fact that I don't know the name of the track kind of speaks for itself - sometimes, even if I like what I hear, I won't have the motivation to find out more about it.
3. I'm still listening to the same music I liked when I was 16.
4. I don't care if you don't like them, they're the best band ever, and I will defend this opinion to the death. Again, I was listening to them when I was 16, and I haven't moved on. Does this mean that I am immature?
5. This song is silly. The singer is allergic to aforementioned fruit. Sometimes I don't care, so long as it's silly.
6. More silliness. Perhaps I am a silly person. Yes, yes I am.
7. This is a superb track by a guy who splits his production time between amazing, introverted, deep, acoustic tracks like this one, and Nintendo beats hip hop. Although he's far better than I ever could be, I guess he's the closest I've found to my songwriting style(s). You probably haven't heard of him, unless you're from Waco, Texas.
8. See #3
9. The song title says more than I ever could. This post is hurting my head.
10. I have no idea who these guys are. Jacob put the track on my computer for me, and I'd forgotten it was there. It's quite good though. I guess that means that there are parts of my personality that I am vaguely aware of the existence of, but I tend to leave them be. Or perhaps this whole thing, as Rachel concluded, is a load of rubbish...
Feeling old
My sister turned 21 today. That makes me feel very old indeed. My relatives all joined us for a meal, and I saw my cousin, who has suddenly, it seems become tall and very 15 years old. I'm sure he wasn't that big last time I saw him. Uh oh... Hasn't he grown and all that:
"I'm getting old Mike"
"We're all getting old Timmy, well, except my cousin."
"What's so special about him?"
"He's actually getting younger."
"Bastard. What are we going to do?"
"There's nothing we can do. The government knows, they're keeping it hush hush."
"Not about your cousin, you cretin, about us!"
I think that Spaced says it better than I ever could. Well, maybe not exactly what I was trying to say, but funny nonetheless. Props to my homeboy the Fresh Pegg...
I'm back in Leeds now, after an exhausting couple of days. I'm supposed to be at work tomorrow, but I'm not feeling well, so I called in sick. Guess I'll sleep late, do some uni work, and get some rest. I've got a big weekend ahead again. More news will follow, in the meantime, check The Salvator Darlings website for some new photos of the band, and email me with your thoughts/musings/anything else you want to tell me about. Over and out...
"I'm getting old Mike"
"We're all getting old Timmy, well, except my cousin."
"What's so special about him?"
"He's actually getting younger."
"Bastard. What are we going to do?"
"There's nothing we can do. The government knows, they're keeping it hush hush."
"Not about your cousin, you cretin, about us!"
I think that Spaced says it better than I ever could. Well, maybe not exactly what I was trying to say, but funny nonetheless. Props to my homeboy the Fresh Pegg...
I'm back in Leeds now, after an exhausting couple of days. I'm supposed to be at work tomorrow, but I'm not feeling well, so I called in sick. Guess I'll sleep late, do some uni work, and get some rest. I've got a big weekend ahead again. More news will follow, in the meantime, check The Salvator Darlings website for some new photos of the band, and email me with your thoughts/musings/anything else you want to tell me about. Over and out...
Monday, August 02, 2004
Back to the grind
Look, I know that I'm going to have to get used to this whole monday morning thing - I mean, it's not even that early now; but for now, I just can't take it. I love my weekends off so much, and suddenly it's all over and you have to go back to work. I think it's got something to do with the fact that I work for life-sucking corporate jerks who seem to think that a reasonable job description is:
Person should be able to work long and boring shifts doing something they have no interest in. They should be willing to have an extremely short lunch break, which they will take when someone else decides it is time. Most of all, they must have a desire to work different shifts each week, and be chastised for wishing to take any time off at all, for example, to attend weddings.
I hate my job.
Person should be able to work long and boring shifts doing something they have no interest in. They should be willing to have an extremely short lunch break, which they will take when someone else decides it is time. Most of all, they must have a desire to work different shifts each week, and be chastised for wishing to take any time off at all, for example, to attend weddings.
I hate my job.
A Roast Pig!
So, I did the whole wedding thing again yesterday, second week in a row. No, it wasn't my wedding, I've never been married; it was the wedding of one of two of my friends from Worksop, where I come from originally. It was kind of wierd to be honest, she's younger than my sister, and I've known her forever, it seemed strange to see her walking down the aisle.
Anyway, the service was very nice, and all, the reception was superb, with food supplied by Wright's butchers of Carlton. These are the family butchers, and, man do they know how to put on a feast! I went to school with their daughter, my sister went to school with their son, and my dad taught both of them. We know the whole family fairly well, so it's always fun to find them serving you at a wedding. One of the other waitresses was Another girl that I went to school with - I had a major crush on this girl when I was about ten!
The evening do was something else. A disco, with a hog roast. I took pictures, Pud, I'll send them to you.
Also struck up an old aquaintance with the lead guitarist from my old band, Bleach. Steven Archer. Great guy, got a great girl. We got on well. Watch this space for joint gigs...
Anyway, the service was very nice, and all, the reception was superb, with food supplied by Wright's butchers of Carlton. These are the family butchers, and, man do they know how to put on a feast! I went to school with their daughter, my sister went to school with their son, and my dad taught both of them. We know the whole family fairly well, so it's always fun to find them serving you at a wedding. One of the other waitresses was Another girl that I went to school with - I had a major crush on this girl when I was about ten!
The evening do was something else. A disco, with a hog roast. I took pictures, Pud, I'll send them to you.
Also struck up an old aquaintance with the lead guitarist from my old band, Bleach. Steven Archer. Great guy, got a great girl. We got on well. Watch this space for joint gigs...
Saturday, July 31, 2004
finally...
At last! Some friends worthy of the title. Thank you to the people who have left comments. The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves! hmmm... fun fun fun here, I just wrote a blog, and it disappeared from my computer without publishing. Sucks eh? I'm going to have to try to remember what I wrote now...
So, I got my car taxed - good. I sold my laptop - great. I got given a digital camera - brilliant! I'm off to this wedding now; number 2 of 3. Best get my suit on then...
So, I got my car taxed - good. I sold my laptop - great. I got given a digital camera - brilliant! I'm off to this wedding now; number 2 of 3. Best get my suit on then...
What's going on?
Ok, that's it. I'm sick of this. I've been posting fairly regularly, with some interesting information. I've been BEARING MY SOUL on this thing for at least a week and a half now, and I still have no comments. Come on people. Show me what you're made of!
Jerks...
Jerks...
Friday, July 30, 2004
Things to do
I'm very busy this weekend. I have to go sort out the insurance for my car this morning, and send a package to Bethany before it's too late. I also have to pack my stuff for a weekend at my parents' place. Then I have to go to work till ten, before driving to Worksop. I have a wedding to go to tomorrow (got a new suit, it's rather nice), and I have to finish making a film with Brett and Ken (more on that later). On Sunday, it's off to church with the Rents, the on to Joey Reu's 2nd birthday, how cute. We have a band practice at five on sunday, so I have to be back in Leeds for that.
So, it's all pretty busy, and if I'm honest, I should be getting some stuff done rather than sitting here procrastinating. But when I started this blog, I took on a responsibility... Speaking of blogs, read this one. Rachel is also from Leeds, and, it turns out, pretty funny. She's a bit fed up at the lack of hits on her site, so cheer her up by having a look around. It can be your good deed for the day.
So, it's all pretty busy, and if I'm honest, I should be getting some stuff done rather than sitting here procrastinating. But when I started this blog, I took on a responsibility... Speaking of blogs, read this one. Rachel is also from Leeds, and, it turns out, pretty funny. She's a bit fed up at the lack of hits on her site, so cheer her up by having a look around. It can be your good deed for the day.
mixing it up
So, my last post was actually written by Bethany. I had the extreme pleasure of her company for the first part of this week, and I was rather fed up when she left, it has to be said. Highlights of her stay in Leeds included:
A BBQ on a park with a guitar, songwriting, a game of pick-up hockey, wine, great food, and good people.
A trip to the historic city of York, where we rode the open top tour bus and went in the minster for free, went shopping, walked round the museum gardens, walked on the bar walls, went in the Colourscape for a very small fee, and checked out Rock Church, home of a bunch of my friends.
A visit to North Bar to celebrate Irish Matt's birthday, and enjoy the root beer.
A Beautiful Feet headline gig at Joseph's Well.
An intense worship session in the basement with decks and artwork, prayer and scripture, and much more...
I didn't expect to miss her as much as I am doing, but some things are like that - we had a blast, and I got to hang out with her in a way that I don't think I ever really have before. As J would have said, she's one tight chick. I just think she's pretty cool.
Anyway, she's gone now, and I am, of course, left with the job of mailing all the stuff she forgot to her. This includes a new mix cd, based on Tuesday night's worship session, ready to head to Canada. I'm pretty pleased with it, the usual hard house/trance, but well intense, and completely to the glory of God...
Right, I'm off to look for my car insurance documents.
A BBQ on a park with a guitar, songwriting, a game of pick-up hockey, wine, great food, and good people.
A trip to the historic city of York, where we rode the open top tour bus and went in the minster for free, went shopping, walked round the museum gardens, walked on the bar walls, went in the Colourscape for a very small fee, and checked out Rock Church, home of a bunch of my friends.
A visit to North Bar to celebrate Irish Matt's birthday, and enjoy the root beer.
A Beautiful Feet headline gig at Joseph's Well.
An intense worship session in the basement with decks and artwork, prayer and scripture, and much more...
I didn't expect to miss her as much as I am doing, but some things are like that - we had a blast, and I got to hang out with her in a way that I don't think I ever really have before. As J would have said, she's one tight chick. I just think she's pretty cool.
Anyway, she's gone now, and I am, of course, left with the job of mailing all the stuff she forgot to her. This includes a new mix cd, based on Tuesday night's worship session, ready to head to Canada. I'm pretty pleased with it, the usual hard house/trance, but well intense, and completely to the glory of God...
Right, I'm off to look for my car insurance documents.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Old York, Old York (shire)
Ello. I've just returned from a fantabulous day spent in the city of York. Please note that I am referring to York, England. Not to be mistaken for the notorious York, Toronto, CANADA.
I apologize for the recent lack of blogging. I spent some much needed time at home and with friends from T dot. Bethany tried countless times to interrupt my yawns today. She failed miserably, but brought to my attention a most uncommon dilemma some people encounter.
Have you been satisfied with your yawning lately?
I'll leave to North Bar now. Don't try to stop me.
I apologize for the recent lack of blogging. I spent some much needed time at home and with friends from T dot. Bethany tried countless times to interrupt my yawns today. She failed miserably, but brought to my attention a most uncommon dilemma some people encounter.
Have you been satisfied with your yawning lately?
I'll leave to North Bar now. Don't try to stop me.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Questions
Which came first -
My dreams or disappointments?
And which one's worst?
A dream can die, but a broken one's forgotten.
My dreams or disappointments?
And which one's worst?
A dream can die, but a broken one's forgotten.
All the things that I've done
Today I went to a wedding in Newcastle. It was fantastic, my friends Jenny and John, who used to be in my cell group, had their ceremony in John's old church, then they moved on to a reception with amazing food in a big old boarding school, before a jazz band provided the evening's entertainment. I had a great chance to catch up with a bunch of people that I haven't seen for ages, had a few drinks, because, unlike most weddings that I go to, I wasn't driving, and generally had a good day.
I shouldn't have been there today. I should have been at my graduation ceremony. But I failed two modules this year, and so I haven't graduated. I'm not alone, there are others, but it still seemed a bit wierd. Nevertheless, I will graduate in February, I went to a fantastic wedding, had a great time, and instead of watching my old friends get drunk tonight, I'm writing a blog about what a great day I've had. God's good isn't he?
Oh, and I was given a digital camera this morning, having spent a couple of weeks wondering where I would get the money to buy one...
I shouldn't have been there today. I should have been at my graduation ceremony. But I failed two modules this year, and so I haven't graduated. I'm not alone, there are others, but it still seemed a bit wierd. Nevertheless, I will graduate in February, I went to a fantastic wedding, had a great time, and instead of watching my old friends get drunk tonight, I'm writing a blog about what a great day I've had. God's good isn't he?
Oh, and I was given a digital camera this morning, having spent a couple of weeks wondering where I would get the money to buy one...
Thursday, July 22, 2004
New things, new things...
I went to work again today. This pleases me, because it means that I don't have to work tomorrow. Don't misunderstand me, it's not that I don't ever work two consecutive days, but in this case, today marked my last day at work before my long weekend starts. Tomorrow I am going into town with Kelly to buy a new suit, and then my band have a practice. This is very exciting. Our bassist left the band in May, when he went back to his home in Waco, Texas, and tomorrow is the first practice with the new bassist. The new player of the guitar with the longer neck and less strings that plays lower tones shall remain nameless, as shall the new incarnation of The Salivators until Saturday. Keep an eye on the aforementioned website for news and photos...
Brighter in the morning
Well, I say morning, but in fact it's just gone 12. That means it's technically afternoon. We're not fussy here though.
I woke up this morning to find an email from my good friend Jenna. That was a good thing, it made me feel better for a couple of reasons - firstly because it made me feel like someone was there, and secondly, because she told me that she is essentially going to be spending the next year of her life in the middle of the desert. How bad can it be for me? At least I have friends around me that I can call on...
In other news, I have to go to work till ten tonight. It's going to be rubbish. Laters...
I woke up this morning to find an email from my good friend Jenna. That was a good thing, it made me feel better for a couple of reasons - firstly because it made me feel like someone was there, and secondly, because she told me that she is essentially going to be spending the next year of her life in the middle of the desert. How bad can it be for me? At least I have friends around me that I can call on...
In other news, I have to go to work till ten tonight. It's going to be rubbish. Laters...
It's late and I'm lonesome
I've been to work today. Then I came home, updated the Salivators website, and played on Matt Hoffman's pro bmx for a bit. Now I'm sat at my computer. This is wierd. I've spent the past month of my life completely surrounded by other people - I went on holiday with my family, and I shared a hotel room with my sister for a week. The day after I got back, Jacob came to stay with me, and he only left on Monday. Then I was with another bunch of Canadians yesterday. I got back, went to work, and right now, I am on my own. It feels kind of strange. Although I've loved hanging out with all my buddies, I've been quite looking forward to spending some time on my own; playing video games without everyone being better than me; writing songs etc...
Man, this is my second ever blog, and I'm whinging already. I just thought I should tell you how I feel. It seemed like the right thing to do. Funny thing is, as much as I hate feeling lonely, it's when I'm on my own that I'm most prolific re:songwriting. Good thing really, with such exciting times ahead for the band...
Man, this is my second ever blog, and I'm whinging already. I just thought I should tell you how I feel. It seemed like the right thing to do. Funny thing is, as much as I hate feeling lonely, it's when I'm on my own that I'm most prolific re:songwriting. Good thing really, with such exciting times ahead for the band...
First things first
Ok, let's get this straight. If I'm going to write a 'blog', then you're going to have to have at least some interest in what I have to say. I'm not suggesting that what I have to say will ever be of any consequence, just that if you're going to read this thing, it will be to your advantage to find my ramblings at least vaguely entertaining. If you don't, then go away.
Also, I'm already sick of the fact that this site is so slow to post on. Those of you who use it will know what I mean.
Keep watching..
Also, I'm already sick of the fact that this site is so slow to post on. Those of you who use it will know what I mean.
Keep watching..
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