| Posted using sms_to_lj... |
[Oct. 13th, 2008|12:38 am] |
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Argh! Satnav Janet has lost us, gone mad & is taking us on a scenic tour of Acton! :-S |
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| A PS to my last post |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|09:02 pm] |
Simon Schama is by far my favourite of what the British media refer to as "media dons" - academics who do accessible television programmes.
So I was sad to see that time isn't being very kind to him in this new series.
I don't mean that he's got fat or bald or ugly, because I wouldn't care. He's looking - well, old and unwell.
And I find that very sad indeed. |
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| Latest idea for a book |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|08:39 pm] |
By odd coincidence, the media I've consumed in the last 24 hours has had an unintended theme, which has given me an idea.
One of the things Bill Bryson writes about in his autobiography is the decline of the small family farm in Iowa, and thus many of the towns which made up the essence of Iowa in the 50s have disappeared.
I just finished watching the first part of Simon Schama's new series ("The American Future: A History"). It's about the use of water and thus agriculture & of course the Dust Bowl came into it.
Add to that the fact that one of my favourite non-fiction books is Jonathan Raban's Bad Land, the story of how the railroad companies conned thousands of homesteaders to try "Dry Land Farming" (a faux-scientific scam of epic proportions) in eastern Montana in the early 20th century.
What that all adds up to is that I've been reminded that the American midwest is as full of ghost towns as the Old West. Ghost towns of the old west have a whole literature & mythos surrounding them, and some are tourist attractions. I am guilty of having plans to add to that literature.
Abandoned towns and farms of the midwest (here I include Montana and the Dakotas which might not be strictly speaking correct) are less well known. They don't have the exciting gold rush and Wild West history, and for the most part they declined much more recently. In many places that decline is an ongoing process.
I think there's a niche market for me to get out there and document. So now I need enough savings and/or publisher's advance to fund a year travelling and researching rather than the six months I thought I could get a start on the Old West with, and the result would be two very different books[1].
I really am such a nerd I can get a kick out of Iowa and Nebraska, as long as there's decaying settlements. Deal with it.
Now y'all can see why I hate my chronic illness situation so much. I have the training and skills to actually do this, but for the intermittent brain fog and permanent lack of physical stamina.
[1] I understand that contemporary way to be doing it would be to start out with a blog and then hope to get a publication deal on the back of that. |
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| Hello All |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|06:10 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  happy | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | The Ink Spots:- If I Didn't Care | ] |
Hello all.
First of all, let me say i am very sorry for my behavior over the last couple of day's, im really not sure i acted like i did, and i know i've been a dick.
Anyway..
This weekend went rather quickly, i've had a 3 day weekend because i had the friday off Uni, have started looking for a part time job to help with the costs at uni (i have my grant but i need some extra cash)
My bike is in for repair.. (again) long story..
And some of you (if you read this) will know i was looking for a selection of songs the other week.. They are below:-
Track listing
20th Century Blues - Noel Coward
Academy Award - Stanley Black
Avalon - Django Reinhardt
Bei Mir Bist Du Shein - The Andrews Sisters
The Best Things in Life Are Free - The Ink Spots
Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? - Bing Crosby
Danny Boy - Mario Lanza
God Bless the Child - Billie Holiday
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? - Patti Page
If I Didn't Care - The Ink Spots
It Had to Be You - Django Reinhardt
It's Bad for Me - Rosemary Clooney
Jitterbug Waltz - Fats Waller
Just One of Those Things - Lee Morgan
Just Walking In The Rain - Johnnie Ray
La Mer (Beyond the Sea Instrumental) - Django Reinhardt
Let's Fly Away - Lee Wiley
Liza - Django Reinhardt
Night and Day - Billie Holiday
Papa Loves Mambo - Perry Como
Please Be Kind - Django Reinhardt
The Party's Over Now - Noel Coward
This is a Changing World - Noel Coward
Waltz of the Flowers - Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky
Wild Ride - Faux Frenchmen
World Weary - Noel Coward
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams - Bing Crosby
You're Getting to be a Habit With Me - Harry Edison/Bing Crosby
You're the Top - Cole Porter[3]
These are the full song's which are played during the game Bioshock, and well me being odd and the like really love the 1950s feel of the game and the music, so i decided to download the OST, just for the music, and well i downloaded it and noticed there was extras included with it as well..
Brilliant thought i and decided to click on it.. There were sounds from Broken Jukebox's which i think are brilliant full stop and slightly creepy and make good message tones.
There was another part which said MP3's so i clicked on it and low and behold there is the complete soundtrack listing for the song's im after.. My jaw almost hit the floor.
So im currently sat here listening to these tracks, door wide open.. And im feeling very 1950's and i love it..
On another note, im going to try and pick up a Venetian Mask.
If your not sure what one of those are, i've included a picture:
It reminds me very much of the Dr Who episode.. If people have watched it they will know the one i mean.
Plus there is something about masks which draw me to them, it's the reason i have a gasmask a WW2 Respirator mask and a Bali Frogmask currently hanging on my wall.. There's something, possibly it's the fact your hiding your face and can only see the eyes, which people say are a window to the soul.. Im not sure.
And it's funny because i understand the Code which is currently showing on the screen from me posting the image in.. And i can programme it in.. |
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| [books 2008] More Philip Reeve; Bill Bryson |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|04:57 pm] |
51. A Darkling Plain by Philip Reeve
The last and, in my opinion, the best of the Mortal Engines quartet. This book is twice as long as the rest in the series, and is really not noticeably a "young adult" book in any way. Still steampunk as all hell, with non-stop adventure. There's a genuinely sad moment when Fishcake the Lost Boy is treated like a child for just one day.
Just go read it, if you haven't already.
52. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Bryson, best known as a travel writer and his introduction to science, A History of Nearly Everything, writes here about his childhood in the 50s in Des Moines, Iowa. He gives a remarkably balanced view of the things that were great about the 50s and the things that weren't so good, even though he was too young to be aware of most of the bad things. He acknowledges that he had a lot of advantages over most other children of his time because his parents were, even in their community, relatively affluent. He certainly makes 1950s Iowa sound like a great place and time to have been a kid.
Having said that, I'm glad I got it out of the library. For a start, it took me less than 24 hours to read.
A lot of the things that were supposed to be funny (especially his mother's absent-mindedness) I found plain annoying.
Probably worth what little effort I put into it. |
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| WarMachine |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|04:04 pm] |
This afternoon has been spent making modifications to the WarMachine. I think only a couple of people will be able to spot the mod's. Prize to the person who does perhaps ;). |
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| Back to the recording studio! Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|10:16 pm] |
On Friday night, we had the drinkies to welcome in the new singer of Darkness Visible, as well as the new guitarist and new backing vocalist. It was a great night! We had around 25 - 30 people over the whole time. Most were roped into getting their pics taken with some of our props, so there will be some silly pics appearing on the myspace page soon!
We're also returning to the recording studio in late November to record "I Nehemia." This will be the same version that people have heard at our last few gigs - which is quite different to the one we put out on "Dark Eyed and Starry" in 1995. I'm now all excited about recording again as well as returning to gigging in Feb next year! |
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| I should start more weekends on a Thursday... |
[Oct. 12th, 2008|11:31 am] |
Thursday saw the book sales equal a dozen. Superb. Not great figures but as I've only advertised it's existence to a few hundred and I'm selling, currently, on average, more than 1 a week, that's not bad. Go tell more people http:stores.lulu.com/magehome and so will I.
Thursday was rushed. Post a working day that had included a 216 mile round trip to Aylesbury for my company, followed by chasing buses around Bristol for 25 minutes; and a quickly eaten supper - it was out to Dockside Studios to go through the set for Sunday nights last minute gig. Then back home. The ride to Aylesbury took two and a quarter hours due to the fog - though it did give some beautiful effects as the sun rose. On the way back I hit some rush hour traffic which made for the same on the ride back. Was a good ride though.
Friday was my Birthday - which involved loads of pressies, thanks to all for the pressies and the cards (everything in 21st century pop culture from Dr Who to Judge Dredd via D&D was represented in almost equal measure. It was great. A very pop culture Birthday.
Then it was out for the Birthday treat, besides being a day off work, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) oryctolagus and I took a trip around the SS Great Britain (a 100 yards (if that) away from the office I work in) and then a journey around the harbor on a river taxi which took me within a stones throw of the office (which, if I'd been carrying any stones, would have been a tempting thing to do. Back home for Lamb dinner and relaxing with a bottle of JD and Mad Max DVD's (I told you the pop culture had been very much in place).
Saturday (after a brief visit to B&Q) was a trip to Glastonbury - Met up with Ben and Mildred, shopped very little and sold band CD's to one of the shop's (Witchcraft) run by some old friends. If ever you're in Glastonbury go find them out. They run Witchcraft, The Magic Box and the Cat and Cauldron. Which has something for just about everyone.
Then to today. See some of you at the gig later - don't forget to buy me a birthday drink. |
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| GIG:Bristol/Southwest: Vlad in Tears + Cauda Pavonis 12/10/08 |
[Oct. 11th, 2008|11:27 am] |
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( The Fleece in Bristol ) |
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| Thanks to everyone for the Birthday wishes... |
[Oct. 10th, 2008|08:37 pm] |
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...And a similarly happy Birthday to fellow drummer and Goth Legend in the making noondaydemon. |
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| The Daily Twits |
[Oct. 10th, 2008|01:02 am] |
Whatever thoughts crossed my mind that weren't worth a whole post.
Microblogging using LoudTwitter and Twitter. ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif) matgb_twitter is there if you're mad enough. |
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| I'm sure it's not just me |
[Oct. 9th, 2008|08:20 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  crushed | ] |
but why does everything seem like an uphill struggle against Everest at the moment........ |
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| Sock |
[Oct. 9th, 2008|05:19 pm] |
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Note to self: starts with an s, not a c... Do not let the typo through! |
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| TradGoth Floor at Slimelight this Weekend |
[Oct. 9th, 2008|04:39 pm] |
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The TradGoth Floor will be open this Saturday(11th Oct) at Slimelight. The other floor will be the EBM Floor. Free for members before midnight. :) http://www.slimelight.net/Sportal/ |
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| Symantec to buy MessageLabs |
[Oct. 9th, 2008|03:27 pm] |
Arrgh, MessageLabs have been a good company. We use them at work and they just do that they say on the tin.
Symantec break everything that they touch. Seriously, *everything* that they touch.
So Gay. But don't just take my word for it: click HERE. |
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| Tweets for Today |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|11:07 pm] |
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter |
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| London Sofa/spare bed needed ASAP |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|08:59 pm] |
Ups and downs this week, the PC I use got infected with a virus over the weekend, and I can't shift it, and now our home internet is down, Virgin say it might take 48 hours to fix. Which is great timing, as I need to book tickets to London and arrange somewhere to stay. For tomorrow night!
I'll be texting/ringing a couple people later, my usual willing victim has just moved[1], but if anyone in London can offer me a sofa (or even better, a spare bed or summat) tomorrow night and Friday night, I'd be much appreciative.
See, I won Tim's competition to attend his Google for Grownups SEO seminar, which will be very useful work wise (and there's no way I could afford a ticket normally right now), so I need to be in London all day Friday. Which is really cool.
So, my email is matbowles[at]gmail[dot]com friends can read my contact details post and a lot of you have me on Facebook as well which has my mobile.
And if you're close to Warren St or a Tube that goes there, double plus good.
I'm completely skint though, so am unlikely to be pub/clubbing unless someone else is buying, but it'd be cool to meet people and do something...
[1] nadriel, I have no idea what your new place is like and even if you've got a sofa, so am not presuming at all, but I'll be in contact once I've got back home... |
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| Damaged Goods EP |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|08:00 pm] |
Did anyone else view 'Jack: a soldier's story' last night?
I'd recommend that those of a fragile disposition avoid it because, well, fucking hell.
About a decade ago, I worked for a chap who'd served in Vietnam. That job interview was more or less me slurping tea for two hours while he told stories about his experiences. Yon telly-programme was eerily familiar. It also didn't help that the Jack in question looked a lot like an old friend and the last time I bumped into one of the other chaps I used to go drinking with, he'd just come back from Afghan and was a fund of similar stories.
[FX: Shakes head]
I consider myself fucking lucky not to have followed grandfather and uncle into the military. |
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| [gig] Amanda Palmer, Thekla, 7th October |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|07:36 pm] |
Went along to see Amanda Palmer at the Thekla last night.
The first act was some guy with an accordion with a Kurt Weil/Brecht thing going on. I have to find out who he was, because he had the best t-shirts I've seen in a long time, but not the money to buy one.
Middle act was Amanda's cell player doing some solo stuff - I think there was a Muse song in there, but mostly it was pretty minimalist & arty. Which didn't suck, but also didn't work in the context. It might have worked if she'd gone on first, but completely didn't work after the accordion guy.
Amanda, predictably, rocked. She played a mix of her new solo stuff and Dresden Dolls material, including a stunning rendition of Half Jack with strings. (Half Jack and The Jeep Song are my favourite Dresden Dolls tracks). She had a lovely quartet of Australian performance artists making the stage show more lively (Amanda is one hell of a performer, but a girl and her piano have a limited visual range). The new material is, not surprisingly, a lot like the Dresden Dolls stuff, but may be different on CD as she said that they had more instruments in the studio. Sadly, acquisition of album has to wait till I get paid.
I'm feeling distinctly post viral (ie the cold is gone but I still feel like I've been hit by a truck) and nearly didn't go; but I'm really glad I did, because it was a great deal of fun. |
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