I love me some music, yes indeedlydoo. I don’t listen to new stuff anywhere near as much as I should though. This is largely due to shoddy updating of my digital music (I am old school, and still buy CDs – so sue me (NB this is not an actual invitation to actually sue me. I also would imagine your grounds for doing so would be more than a little dubious)). So it was pretty good a week or so ago when I got hold of (and subsequently placed in my CD player (and pressed play, you bloody pedant)) the ‘new’ albums by Broken Bells and The XX. Both of them are much goodness. In fact, I would say The XX album is the best début I’ve heard since the Strokes’ ‘Is This It’ back in 2001.
Broken Bells are Dangermouse (not the cartoon character, the renowned producer) and the singer from The Shins. The Shins are good, by the way, as are actual, real, physical shins. Physical shins are sometimes underrated, I feel. Celebrate your shins. They are now officially body part of the day. Well done, shins. We will celebrate with a concert by The Shins (NB – we won’t).
The XX (or is it ‘the xx’, or ‘The xx’? It really is far from clear, and frankly, not exactly important (I have now just checked on Wikipedia, and it appears to be ‘The xx’, which I must admit somehow offends my slightly anal sense of order. I think it should be ‘The XX’. Capitals are innately more satisfying. (Oops, I’ve done the brackets-in-brackets thing again, bad me))). (Returning to the point) ThE xX (hell, lets go upper-or-lower-case-crazy!) are concerned, I feel like I am coming to the party a bit late, with my first listens to the album (imaginatively titled, ‘xx’ (yes, actually ‘xx’, though it should of course be ‘Xx’ – capitals, dear boy) being a few days before they got a Mercury nomination. I will now be shunned by all the cool indie kids (I am 30 years old and should not be hanging with the kids – further proof of this being that I just used the phrase ‘hanging with the kids’. Twice).
I remember before I went to University how important music was to me, and how every spare penny would go on the latest CD by whoever (yeah, well done the younger me, getting much use out of the second ‘Space’ album these days, are you? (N.B. The first one is, I maintain, still a slice of quirky-pop gold)). Point is, those days when you would argue about someone’s music taste and who was good and ‘rubbish’ seem so long ago. I can’t keep up anymore. It’s a young man/ woman's game. And I’m only 30. But then, I don’t want to be one of those people who are old enough to know better still reading the NME, do I?
In summary: Broken Bells and The xx are goodness. I should listen to more new music. I also need to spend a weekend digitising loads of my more recent CD purchases (but then I would have to use iTunes - urgh...).
Onwards!
Levin
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Friday 23 July 2010
Twenty miles!
I may well be everso slightly insane.
20 miles is a long way, isn't it... Yeah... And I have only gone and agreed to walk 20 miles. At night. In London. In September. It's another charity walk, and its for a cracking cause. But 20 miles! Blimey! That's a long old slog... at night! Madness! So who is it for I hear you ask, my dear reader, well... Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres (see www.maggiescentres.org) - and this is what they do:
A Maggie’s Centre is a place to turn to for help with any of the problems, small or large, associated with cancer. Under one roof you can access help with information, benefits advice, psychological support both individually and in groups, courses and stress reducing strategies. You don’t have to make an appointment, or be referred and everything we offer is free of charge.
As you can see. it's really really important stuff and almost certainly (*aside* most certainly certainly) worth walking 20 miles for (20 bloody miles! Argh! Hurty feet ahoy!). Centres like this are an amazing service to offer people when they are in need, and I am sure it is something everyone can relate to. Doubtless I will do some sponsorship bothering at some point soon (you have been warned). In the meantime I have two 'training walks' of about 12 miles each to worry about in the next few weeks - ARGH!
On another tangent altogether, I have a top weekend ahead, with a BBQ at Clare and Mikes, and a visit from Claudia and James, who I have not seen since Jess and I got married. Looking forward to it very much. WIN!
Onwards!
Levin
20 miles is a long way, isn't it... Yeah... And I have only gone and agreed to walk 20 miles. At night. In London. In September. It's another charity walk, and its for a cracking cause. But 20 miles! Blimey! That's a long old slog... at night! Madness! So who is it for I hear you ask, my dear reader, well... Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres (see www.maggiescentres.org) - and this is what they do:
A Maggie’s Centre is a place to turn to for help with any of the problems, small or large, associated with cancer. Under one roof you can access help with information, benefits advice, psychological support both individually and in groups, courses and stress reducing strategies. You don’t have to make an appointment, or be referred and everything we offer is free of charge.
As you can see. it's really really important stuff and almost certainly (*aside* most certainly certainly) worth walking 20 miles for (20 bloody miles! Argh! Hurty feet ahoy!). Centres like this are an amazing service to offer people when they are in need, and I am sure it is something everyone can relate to. Doubtless I will do some sponsorship bothering at some point soon (you have been warned). In the meantime I have two 'training walks' of about 12 miles each to worry about in the next few weeks - ARGH!
On another tangent altogether, I have a top weekend ahead, with a BBQ at Clare and Mikes, and a visit from Claudia and James, who I have not seen since Jess and I got married. Looking forward to it very much. WIN!
Onwards!
Levin
Thursday 22 July 2010
Power Monkey!
A conversation this morning, as Jess was struggling to wake up:
Me: Time for your shower, monkey...
Fuzzy-headed Jess: I am the 'Power Monkey'?!?!
Me: Erm...
Fuzzy headed Jess: Ooh ooh ah! Ah!
[monkey noises are much less satisfying when typed, I am sure you'll agree]
Me: Erm...
My wife is 29 years old.
She is also, evidently, a comic genius. And wonderful.
Onwards!
Levin
Me: Time for your shower, monkey...
Fuzzy-headed Jess: I am the 'Power Monkey'?!?!
Me: Erm...
Fuzzy headed Jess: Ooh ooh ah! Ah!
[monkey noises are much less satisfying when typed, I am sure you'll agree]
Me: Erm...
My wife is 29 years old.
She is also, evidently, a comic genius. And wonderful.
Onwards!
Levin
Wednesday 21 July 2010
A bit of perspective...
Right, so, you’re meant to post on these things kind of regularly aren’t you…? Oops! (DANGER! I almost wrote the last sentence as ‘kind of regular’, before realising I am not American and therefore attempting to deconstruct the proper use of the English language via laziness (NB. This comment does not apply to all Americans, that would be a lazy generalisation, and I have just been protesting about laziness, and I don’t want to look like a massive hypocrite (Wow! Three sets of brackets in row who would have thought it possible?)))
Anyhoo… Jess and I have been rather busy making the house a bit less of a mess after pretty much a whole month where every spare minute has been spent in (a) the noble pursuit of sorting out the garden (some of you lucky folks will be familiar with the excitement of the #fenceweek and #slabsaturday tags on twitter) and (b) the slightly-less-noble-but-perfectly-valid-pursuit of watching a ridiculous amount of Battlestar Galactica.
To make up for my shoddy lack of posting, I should probably summarise events in the form of ‘a handy list’™ (imagine if you could actually trademark ‘handy lists’, licensing them would make you a fortune – brilliant! I may have just worked out a way to halve the deficit in four years…). However, there’s only one thing I really want to post about, so maybe you’ll get a list next time…
CRY 'London Bridges' Charity Walk 2010
On Sunday 18th July I was one of around 800 people walking along and (repeatedly!) across the Thames for the annual CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) 'Heart of London Bridges' Charity Walk. CRY was founded in 1995 to raise awareness of conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD); Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS, SADS). It works to encouraging greater testing of the young for a range of genetic heart conditions. There were 34 of us walking in memory of Luke Meekings, who I can still remember occasionally babysitting when he was all of 11 years old. He died just over two years ago in his mid 20s from SADS and is missed by many. It’s pretty humbling to see groups of people around you walking in memory of their grandchildren, or their sons (the conditions overwhelmingly affect men). People younger than me who just suddenly went, with no warning at all… Rather puts into perspective me moaning about not having a lot of time as I've been building a fence...
If you’ve got a few quid spare, you can donate to this excellent and worthwhile cause via: http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/
Will post again soon...
Onwards!
Levin
Anyhoo… Jess and I have been rather busy making the house a bit less of a mess after pretty much a whole month where every spare minute has been spent in (a) the noble pursuit of sorting out the garden (some of you lucky folks will be familiar with the excitement of the #fenceweek and #slabsaturday tags on twitter) and (b) the slightly-less-noble-but-perfectly-valid-pursuit of watching a ridiculous amount of Battlestar Galactica.
To make up for my shoddy lack of posting, I should probably summarise events in the form of ‘a handy list’™ (imagine if you could actually trademark ‘handy lists’, licensing them would make you a fortune – brilliant! I may have just worked out a way to halve the deficit in four years…). However, there’s only one thing I really want to post about, so maybe you’ll get a list next time…
CRY 'London Bridges' Charity Walk 2010
On Sunday 18th July I was one of around 800 people walking along and (repeatedly!) across the Thames for the annual CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) 'Heart of London Bridges' Charity Walk. CRY was founded in 1995 to raise awareness of conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD); Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS, SADS). It works to encouraging greater testing of the young for a range of genetic heart conditions. There were 34 of us walking in memory of Luke Meekings, who I can still remember occasionally babysitting when he was all of 11 years old. He died just over two years ago in his mid 20s from SADS and is missed by many. It’s pretty humbling to see groups of people around you walking in memory of their grandchildren, or their sons (the conditions overwhelmingly affect men). People younger than me who just suddenly went, with no warning at all… Rather puts into perspective me moaning about not having a lot of time as I've been building a fence...
If you’ve got a few quid spare, you can donate to this excellent and worthwhile cause via: http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/
Will post again soon...
Onwards!
Levin
Thursday 15 July 2010
First post...
Howdy.
This'll be my first blog post, then. I keep thinking I should do one, and well, I never do. So now I have. The list below is inspired by a 'project' Jess (my wife) and I are going to try to do, along with my best mate, Pat. The idea is to try random creative things and see how it turns out. Some of the list ended up being quite funny (at least according to Jess and Pat), so I thought I would set up a blog and write a post, and hopefully I will keep it up!
10 things I noticed from my desk at work that I hadn't really thought about before:
1. There’s always a cardboard box on top of the recycling bin near me. Always. It’s not always the *same* box, but it is as if there is some kind of box-recycling-bin-timeshare going on. Maybe they swap out at weekly intervals. Is there a HP inkjet cartridge/ toner box that used to be on this recycle bin sunning itself in an office in the med as I type? Maybe.
2. There’s still tinsel from last Xmas in the bottom of our stationary cupboard. There are turquoise and silver strands coiled up like tinsel snakes kipping after an all nighter at a tinsel-disco, or something.
3. The largest stapler I have ever actually seen - I mean it is MASSIVE - is on top of the stationary cupboard. From where I sit it looks dubiously (and intimidatingly!) phallic.
4. I still have an invite to an ACC’s leaving party wedged into the partition on my desk near the wall. It still has his handwritten post it note telling me ‘it should be a lively one’. Graham Hooper was his name, and his good humour is sorely missed.
5. Surrey Police feel it necessary to print in BIG RED LETTERS that a business card IS NOT A PROOF OF IDENTITY. Odd, I got through customs fine last time with mine (
This'll be my first blog post, then. I keep thinking I should do one, and well, I never do. So now I have. The list below is inspired by a 'project' Jess (my wife) and I are going to try to do, along with my best mate, Pat. The idea is to try random creative things and see how it turns out. Some of the list ended up being quite funny (at least according to Jess and Pat), so I thought I would set up a blog and write a post, and hopefully I will keep it up!
10 things I noticed from my desk at work that I hadn't really thought about before:
1. There’s always a cardboard box on top of the recycling bin near me. Always. It’s not always the *same* box, but it is as if there is some kind of box-recycling-bin-timeshare going on. Maybe they swap out at weekly intervals. Is there a HP inkjet cartridge/ toner box that used to be on this recycle bin sunning itself in an office in the med as I type? Maybe.
2. There’s still tinsel from last Xmas in the bottom of our stationary cupboard. There are turquoise and silver strands coiled up like tinsel snakes kipping after an all nighter at a tinsel-disco, or something.
3. The largest stapler I have ever actually seen - I mean it is MASSIVE - is on top of the stationary cupboard. From where I sit it looks dubiously (and intimidatingly!) phallic.
4. I still have an invite to an ACC’s leaving party wedged into the partition on my desk near the wall. It still has his handwritten post it note telling me ‘it should be a lively one’. Graham Hooper was his name, and his good humour is sorely missed.
5. Surrey Police feel it necessary to print in BIG RED LETTERS that a business card IS NOT A PROOF OF IDENTITY. Odd, I got through customs fine last time with mine (
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