#AprilSongs #27 Saturday Night's (Alright for Fighting)

I originally was going to choose "Book of Saturday" by King Crimson for this but I had got it mixed up with "The Great Deceiver" (this is an acoustic reinterpretation and is rather good but you get the idea) from "Starless and Bible Black" ( What a wonderful and perfect description of dark night from "Under Milkwood" by Dylan Thomas) but the two songs could not be more different, the former in my opinion being fairly insipid while the latter is a brass assault and brilliant album opener. They are both on Youtube so you can check them out.

So then I though well "Saturday Night's (Alright for Fighting)" is one of Elton John's best and maybe a little obvious, but has some great lyrics and one of my favourite couplets:

"I'm a juvenile product of the working class 

Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass"

I've found an excellent 1984 live take which shows how good Elton John can be. This is the final #AprilSongs Saturday song and the whole sequence will be complete on the first of May.

Last I night I went to see Half Man Half Biscuit at The Boiler Shop and it was an amazing gig at a great venue. I managed to meet two people who I knew but had forgotten. The first was Clare (I don't know if that is the correct spelling as there are so many ways to spell the name)  from the Glamorous Owl (and if you want to partake in one of their excellent ring making workshops you get 20% off on the site) and I managed to compound my ignorance by not realising she had the names of the band on her T Shirt. She was with Victoria (who now lives in Liverpool) and a very affable Anarchist who I have probably seen at the Black Bull.

The other person was someone I have worked with, but it must be at least fifteen years back, but he recognised me but we had about two minutes at the bar.

Anyway have an enjoyable Saturday, I am off to Edinburgh.

And Sometimes Things Do Work Out

After two weeks an order from Aldi has turned up, taken in my my neighbour, causing musch annoyance for Aldi Customer Service as Yodel and then Parcel Force refused to follow basic instructions either because they can't be bothered or they like coming out to not be able to deliver to our house, but all is good now. It amazes me that these delivery companies, with all the useful technology available, cannot sort out a time to do just a single delivery. Basically most people are likely to be in before 8AM and after 6PM so if your deliver times were based between 6 and 8 and then 6 and 10 you could give the drivers a shorter working day and reduce the number of times you have to return for failed deliveries.

This weekend I also finally got to catch up with my great friend Mike O'Brien at Mog on the Tyne the Cat Cafe in which he is involved and found out about all the issues getting it off the ground despite Council kerfuffling and of course talking about , music and lots of other stuff. There's some video and pics on my instagram feed here. 

The night was over to The Doll at The Black Bull to see the impressive Moron-o-Phonics supporting Penetration, but for the first time ever I left a gig before the band I had gone to see came on. The room was packed , and the sound was good but where I was there were several big blokes very much worse for wear from the drink. While there were no problems as such, the amount of falling over and spilt drinks gave me cause for concern so I thought it better to leave. Still I caught the complete Moron-o-Phonics and that was worth the price of admission, and I caught a minute of them here.

So it's Christmas Eve and for the first time this month I actually walked into work, and managed so photographs. The weather is mild so that makes it easier, and I listened to the Cosmic Rough Riders and Thousand Yard Stare on the way in , and December's 340K target which looked in doubt earlier in the month, will definitely be hit.

Michael Moorcock's "Swords of Corum" is extremely entertaining, and far better than the Hawkmoon / Runestaff books that I finished previously although it is still light Science Fantasy but in my opinion rather good.

The sun is shining, and that is always positive, and that just made me think of "Sunchyme" by Dario G which is an incredibly uplifting piece for this Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas everyone.

..... and everything is Hunky Dory

The wind is blowing outside and it's dark outside, but it's Friday and the weekend is almost upon us. Last night I sampled the Vegan delights of Grumpy Panda a Vegan American Diner in Gateshead, possibly the only independent eaterie in the center of Gateshead. It's competition is a Nandos and the Wetherspoons pub The Tilley Stone , althe The Doll At The Black Bull also does excellent food, and that is abrilliant music venue where I was at last night watching the wonderful Liquer, a brilliant Cure tribute band (dee review here)

Anyway yesterday's album on my perambulations was David Bowie's "Hunky Dory". From when it was released, the cover of this albym put me (and may other people) off, Bowie's grainy face and yellow hair in a reclining posture, but close up just put me off.

The album is just jam packed with stunning songs, hit singles, and the only two that don't do it for me are "Eight Line Poem" and "Song For Bob Dylan" and they are just silver among the gold. The three chord attack of "Queen Bitch" which I heard played often at discos was the "B" side of "Rebel Rebel" (what a pairing)m "Quicksand"'s amazing imagery always captured, again a "B" side of "Rock and Roll Suicide". The you have "Kooks", "Changes", "Life on Mars" the list goes one, if you haven't got a copy then you should have one. The album closes with "The Bewlay Brothers" another lyrical adventure culminating in an Anthony Newley-esque descent into hel coda.

Anyway it's getting lighter outside, time to brave the weather and set off for work. Have an amazing weekend my friends. Mine started last night.

Numbers and Men In Skirts

As a kid I used to wonder why we had to learn our "times tables". Learning things parrot fashion , is not useful, especially when you are talking mathematics. Fast forwrd to "some time later"  and I find I don't have to look up , work out , or use a calculator to work out this simple multiplications, I just know them. And applying thouse concepts I'm pretty quick on working out the product of any pair of two digit numbers, but up to twelve I just know them, so actually learning the "times tables" benefitted me.

I am learning quite a lot about mathematics and number from my latest book feast, "How Not to Be Wrong: The Hidden Maths of Everyday Life" by Jordan Ellenberg which is just going through the differences between large and small sampling operations which has thown a lot of interesting concepts.

Tomorrow is the last day of the month so this week has been a rest from walking though I have still hit more that 7K each day so I am not being average, and from Tuesday I will attempt to do 340K steps in August and repeat that each month.

The last two days I have felt incredibly drained, and really not up to actually walking , and today I had the added extras of changing the bedding, mowing the lawn , and refilling the bird feeders. Added to that I think my phone is going through one of it's phases of not recording steps (a couple of normally 1K walks clocked at 200 steps), but I still hit 9K today and am 70K over the million for the last quarter.

Yesterday I was totally drained but I got myself over to The Doll at The Black Bull to catch Woment In Revolt (they are the ones in skirts) and you can see the video evidence here from a great night, but I was done by ten o'clock. I came home went to post the video online and managed to screw my computer by plugging in a USB cable. It then took an hour to do a restore, but all is good now and all seems to be working well. I've just had a look at the demographics of my audience for youtube and only 20% are female, I am not sure why that should be, but you could say  "C'est La Vie" as Chuck Berry once said , and we got the Pulp Fiction Twist scene featuring John Travolta and Uma Thurman for you to enjoy.

So the weekend is over and Monday is upon us, I hope to feel a lot more energised tomorrow, so I am going to get some sleep. 

Losing It

It's weird, you lose something, you go through all the scenarios of where and how you could have lost it, eventually give up and know that it's just lost, think about replacing it, but it isn't a life or death thing, so it slowly slips from your mind and thoughts. Then your friend Lynn texts you to ask if you are going to see The Coyotemen tomorrow night at The Doll at The Black Bull (They're supporting CBGBs royalty The FleshTones , you pull on your "Lawyers, Guns and Money" T-Shirt , grab the black denim jacket for a change, there's something heavy in the pocket, well heavier that normal , you fumble in your pocket and there is your lost camera complete with Pirate Ship video from Whitby.

The night got better, I met my mate Tom and we talked proper computing with testing, and nailing down specifications while dissing "Agile" "RAD" and "OO" before spilling my coke by placing it on a cunningly sloped table and finding out I'd missed a Garage Band festival in Leith by about fifty yards.

Anyway I hadn't written for a bit but thought it's never a good idea to give up hope, even when you've forgotten about what you had given up hope on. On Monday I hit my annual diabetic review having reduced my daily insulin intake by more than 50% basically thanks to walking, hopefully they will send me away with a gold star. I am 80% complete on the Million Step Challenge and when that is complete I intend to keep up at least 10K steps a day.

I was wondering if I could write 100 words tonight. I think I have, though not been too active in July, but we are only seven days in.

It Makes Me Happy

What does ? Everything . Well lots of things , maybe I should just list things.

I know my recent posts have been about being happy , hugs and feeling good rather than slagging off Apple and mobile phone companies or being slightly down about  Preston losing , but seriously, I am grateful for being able to make this list. Part of the reason I can do so is that I do always look for good things regardless of what happens, and a small thing , today I got told I was out of my probation period and they liked me at work and last night Youtube relented and allowed my Ezra Furman slideshow for "One Day I Will Sin No More" . I will record my own version of this and put it up on my Youtube Channel soon.

So what makes me happy:

The Vampire Rabbit Spots Its Prey

• The love and support I get from my close friends and family , here and all over the world
• The fact there is always someone there for me , and I am there for them
• The appreciation that people give me when I share time and experience with them
• I love my hometown of Preston , I don't get there enough , but Newcastle is now my home and I love the place and it's people and the friends I have made here make me fall in love  with everything every day
• I can't get down for too long because there is always something good about to happen
• I love the positive things I can show people
• I love berating people about not visiting The Lit & Phil , it is a beautiful amazing place
• I love the fact that so many people don't know about the Vampire Rabbit and the look on their faces when I take them is brilliant
• I love the fact my friend Barbara has resurrected Trillans and my friends Maz and Shev have made The Black Bull into the North East's Go To Punk venue and Dave and Julie Campbell have turned The Schooner into a brilliant Western Swing venue and brilliant pub
• I love my friends
• I love the culture , the museums , the coast
• I love well I might never stop

Anyway that is just some of the stuff, have a brilliant day everyone , I really do love you all

I Just Can't Be Happy Today... Well Actually I Can, We All Can

Well actually I can, everybody can , there's always something to enjoy or feel good about. I was at a great gig last night by the Star Spangled Chestwigs and had a great crack on with several friends. When I left got an "affectionate" goodby from Shev and the crowd, got to the Metro station , train pulled up , which got me into Newcastle Monument where I walked to my bus stop two minutes before the last bus turned up. That wasn't planning, it was luck, but just made me feel better.

I took the title from the excellent Damned song.

Don't Worry Be Happy

Earlier in the day I'd had lunch at Cafe Rouge with my daughter Juliet, which was excellent, great service , and there were a couple of parties in , one of which had a few young mothers among their number. As I was leaving I noticed that one mother was breast feeding her baby, the atmosphere was so relaxed that she could do that as it should be , completely naturally . Kudos to Cafe Rouge for providing that environment, they have gone up in my estimation.

The thing is being happy is a positive trait that should be practiced and encouraged in everyone. Bad things happen but to work towards coping with them, and find something that will put a smile on your face.

A lot of people seem to spend more energy being miserable and they must have a sad life. The right wing push hate slogans, and people who are good friends of mine often spread these probably without thinking. On Facebook groups like Britain First and Right Wing News are particularly spiteful and nasty. Anyone on benefits spends all of that hard earned tax payers money on cigarettes, tattoos, alcohol and cable TV and immigrants just walk in here and get mansions and new cars, although it's seldom you can find hard examples of this. They seem to forget that their taxes are also paying for the tax "avoidance" / "evasion" of large corporations , but that is apparently ok. But what they don't think is that the avoided tax will end up bled out of the economy and in a Cayman Islands Hedge Fund, while cash paid out in benefits will stay within the economy. If we stopped ev
asion with the money returned to the economy we could employ people under the direct control of government to properly administer tax and benefits.

Another of the hate posts I've seen recently are targeting diabetics. "Don't they understand if they stop stuffing their faces with cake and chocolate they'd be ok". These have been posted by people I consider my friends. Well yeah I'm overweight but don not over indulge. Also  what about Sir Steven Redgrave, hardly a lard arse, and a good friend of mine has far worse diabetes that me , which she is coping with but is a mere slip of a girl.

Really I feel sad for the people who write and spread these things while happily they are taken advantage of by big business and right wing governments and organisations.

So basically , the sun is shining , there are lots of things to do, pick up a phone and talk to a friend, meet them in a park or art gallery, go and see a film, listen to some music, read a book, go for  a walk (I found an excuse to make myself go for a long walk earlier and feel better for it), there are lots of things you can do to make you feel good. Try to see the good in others but don't be taken advantage of. If someone is having a hard time , offer a helping hand, be there for your friends, I know all my friends are.

Anyway there's been some diatribes here , but I am happy , I am good , and I am having a great weekend.. You do the same.

August Is Here

Augustus

It's month eight although it used to be the sixth month before they rearranged the calendar, named after some Roman Emperor called Augustus. We still have excellent weather, with rain during the night and sun during the day.

Again nothing major to write about although I am slightly exasperated on a number of fronts with IT people refusing to take responsibility for systems they are paid for looking after and saying it's not their responsibility. I and others diagnose the problem and then nothing gets done apart from those idiots suggesting it may be the users fault.

This has happened three times this week already , once in work twice outside of work, but I'm not too bothered and it's not worth  getting het up about.

I'm just looking forward to a really nice weekend looking forward to lunch with my daughters and seeing the Star Spangled Chestwigs on Saturday at The Doll at The Black Bull in Gateshead. Sensible people  deal with the drudgery and take delight in the good things and that's what I intend to stay doing. Have a great day and a better weekend

Some Days

Some days you just can't seem to get out of first gear. Today has been one of those days. There's things I tend to do on a weekend but have just not been able to get motivated to actually do anything. Though having said that I have gone into town and was disturbed by a huge Nazi rally in the centre of Newcatstle.

I then went down into the Monument Metro and there was an old guy sort of busking. He sank Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and Dean Martin's "Little Old Wine Drinker Me" in a very pleasant melodic Geordie burr to recorded accompaniment.. The only problem was the timing of his songs and the timing of his accompaniment were completely out of sync. If he had been unaccompanied it would have been technically better, but ....

... on the station platform everyone was talking about with a smile on their faces, this guy was raising money for charity and putting a smile on everyone's face including mine. He was cheering everyone up and bringing lots of happiness to a grey day in Newcastle, especiall considering the idiocy that was happening above.

Anyway I went over to Gateshead to The Doll At The Black Bull to see if I could sort out why their website was juts showing advertisements. I couldn't find a real reason for it but it was working when I left . It's here , and I hope it works for you.

Anthony Moore

Anyway despite this potentially being a waste of a day, it turns out lots of good came out of it, and at the end of the day I'm quietly satisfied with my small contribution to the world. Hope you all sleep well. The music I was going to choose was Anthony Moore's take on Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star" but it;s not on Youtube yet, so I chose "Judy Get Down" which is another song I love.


 I remember years ago when Bryan Ferry was asked his opinion on Cockney Rebel's "Judy Teen" he said he preferred the Perry Como version. How cruel ... and funny.

Life is just a TLA and Iron Maiden

It's the sixth of June already. We're half way through 2013. Another work day. And need a piece of music for today's June's Tunes. It's funny how sunny weather is quite uplifting but when it's grey you can easily feel down . It that what they call SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) . Yesterday I was told I may have had a TIA , and the doctor spoke as though I should have known what he meant . It's a sort of mini - stroke that leaves little or no trace barring the damage it does. So in theory you could have one and not be aware of it. TIA stands for Transient Ischaemic Attack which would have disturbed me even more if he'd come out with that !

Still it's just another TLA (Three Letter Acronym) , anyway here's today's tune ,ad it's the sixth we'll go for Iron Maiden's 666 - The Number Of The Beast:


   

Oh by the way Maiden England are playing The Doll at The Black Bull soon . Check here for details.