helicopter moment

Sometimes I get busy days with lots of chores to do. Basic stuff like paying bills, running errands and similar. Today, was one of those days and I headed out to do all kinds of things driven from a list and quite tightly scheduled.


As I drove around the yellow autumnal lanes of Hampshire I mused that my complex schedule reminded me of the closing scenes of that Goodfellas film, where Ray Liotta has to run around doing lots of things and thinks he is being chased by a helicopter.

About an hour later (at 14:40), still on errands, I was on the way into central London, on the A4 near Hammersmith, when I spied a helicopter circling about a mile in front of me. I looked at it more closely as I approached it. Blue and Yellow. It was one of the Metropolitan Police helicopters.

Co-incidence, of course, but it made me smile.

Tag: london, police, helicopter

Always time for a cup of tea

mar just visited my site and reminded me that it was a good idea to pause a while and take a look around whilst sipping a nice cup of tea. Those that know me will know that like many Brits I enjoy my 'Breakfast tea' with milk, but that I am also partial to Lapsang Souchong, which is my tea of choice today. This is a unique black tea with a smoky aroma and distinctive, pungent flavour enhanced by smoking the tea in large baskets over pine chips. Even just sniffing the leaves is a great hit! (Wow - just done it!) A strong tea, big leaves and best taken with just water. Delicious and invigorating.

Citizen 32 at Matt & Phred's

Matt and Phred's is a cool jazz club in Manchester, where the new radical literature and arts magazine Citizen 32 has just launched. Citizen 32 focuses on contemporary issues bringing new and established poets and writers together.

Friend of this blog John Challis was amongst the poets on show.

Citizen 32's featured poets include diverse work from such established artists as Harold Pinter, Adrian Mitchell, Roger McGough as well as much new talent.

Compèring the launch night was Jackie Hagan, poet and dramatist who gave each poet a strong introduction, making it clear that no distinctions were being made for experience or talent – tonight everyone was equal.

The first on the bill were the Wild Women Collective, five poets each with their own different styles and agendas. It was a good mix to begin and, in BBC Manchester's words "John Challis shone out from the group with his raw and sensual poem, Passion". Others making impact were Irish poet Aiofe Mannix with exerpts from "The Elephant in the Corner" and the inimitable Chloe Poem’s "The Ballad of Will Young".

Tag: poetry, manchester, jazz

bookjam

Have you ever joined one of those book clubs? You know, the ones where you get a few free books to start and then a monthly choice? I have and have also experienced the change from 'this is good' through 'hmm I didn't mean to order THAT' to 'Stop right now!'. When we sign up, we know its a form of inertia selling, but hey, what is so difficult about saying 'No' to a choice every month? In my case, the club varies the frequency and sends extra offers, which I am sure is designed to confuse and disorientate. They also had special rules about free postage, but only if I ordered by POST (how weird is that?) and I couldn't ever talk to anyone on their phone system. Any emailed comments were also only answered by some kind of robot, so the whole experienced was somewhat negative.

You notice I use Past Tense? And today when I needed a book, I ordered it via a friendly online bookstore.

The club's loss.

Tag: books, commerce

Sieze a lunch

A rather speedy lunch, when we bundled into a car and headed for Banks, for what was actually identical Ceasar Salads, followed by Cappucinos.

None of us had much time, but we still managed to get through a lot of conversation in what was really just one hour, with the car ready to move us on at precisiely five to two!

Tag: lunch, restaurants, food and drink

keeping it Peel

In some ways it is hard to believe almost year has gone by since broadcaster John Peel passed away. Today is the BBC John Peel day. He was a one-off presenter, madly into music, but always pushing the edges of what could be done. Whether spinning 'Several species of small furry animals gather together in a cave and grooving with a Pict' or 'Teenage Kicks', there was an intelligent and deep love of the content he played.

One time radio pirate, name changed in USA and doing a lot of grass roots DJ-ing before he made the 'edge' of music his own.

Just looking through his artist listings from his live shows illustrates the number of bands and people he premiered. And quite a few of these have small slices of the original gigs - Here's David Bowie singing Velvet Underground's 'White Light/White Heat' with the Spiders from Mars.

Nowadays, theres a John Peel group in last.fm, so the vibe lives on.

Tag: music, johnpeel, John Peel

animal suction

The last vacuum cleaner expired in a not so obvious way. It continued to whirr, made loud noises but just pushed the dirt around in front of it. I'd dismantled it and re-assembled it to check there were no blockages or twiny strings messing up the mechanism, but I think the motor had just lost the plot.

So time for a replacement.

Enter the Animal.

After a browse around the internet, this piece of purple space technology was astonishingly good value (around 30% less than a store price) and delivered in a couple of days. It seems to generate a black hole of suction and has all kinds of microfilter systems included.

bug spotting

Spotted my first 'Nerds on Site' car in the UK today. I have long expected that there would be a rise in the need for 'digital plumbers' and this is an example of the trend. They have a strong image with the red beetles and I believe the lady drivers get 'Lady Bugs' with spots on them!

just plain wired

I spent part of today wired with a clip on radio microphone. When I first wear these things I am very self-conscious. The technician says things like "don't worry - the sound is off and I'll tell you when I switch it on".

For the first ten minutes I then walk around as if there are 20 microphones following me, somewhat conscious of what I am saying.

Then I forget (until I'm 'up') and anything could be happening and I'm oblivious of those listening.

Wallace and Gromit's other close shave

I was saving a Wallace and Gromit post for the UK launch date of the film, but hearing about the fire at Aardman Animation has caused me to bring the item forward.

The fire wiped out the "entire history" of Aardman Animation but was said by creator Nick Park to be "no big deal", compared with other world events such as the current tragedy in Pakistan. The fire broke out at just after 5.30am. Ten crews battled to bring the blaze under control as a number of surrounding roads were sealed off. The roof later collapsed, along with three interior walls.

The sets and props from Creature Comforts, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave are all thought to have been destroyed, along with those from Chicken Run - Aardman’s first feature-length release.

Aardman's spokesman said: "Today was supposed to be a day of celebration, with the news that Wallace and Gromit had gone in at number one at the US box office but instead our whole history has been wiped out.

Well, despite it all, here's to a successful film, from an immensely entertaining production company.
Tag: aardman, Wallace and Gromit, fire

Star Wars bloggerhead

I was wandering around the hard shell of the heavily pluggaged Bloggerheads site today; Manic's Star Wars tribute caught my attention because I think Star Wars fans might find this 3 minute broadband film synopsis genuinely interesting.

And then there's the Star Wars Photoshopping Project.

Original excitement.

Beam me up Scotty?

Izzy whizzy lets get busy!

Tag: Star Wars, Sooty, Photoshop

Scary Warehouse

Counting towards Halloween, I though something a little spooky would make a change. Here's an interesting French site, with deserted warehouses and a closed hospital. Take a look around, by clicking the picture, if you dare.

You may need to take a bath afterwards.