Tuesday 28 August 2007

Internet Music

I used to spend an absolute fortune on buying records when I was young, thanks to the internet I save a fortune :)
In my mind the record industry owes me a return after wasting all that money when I was a youth, when I could of been spending it on life's essentials when your a teenager.. Booze and Girls.
Yeah although I probably couldn't have drunk more at the time, those things that impress the birds... namely flash cars and wads of cash were out of reach due to music buying addiction.
Anyway it all came back to haunt me when I got hitched and had some kids, I had to flog the majority of the vinyl collection to pay for luxuries like rent, food and gas bills leaving me with my beloved music collection only on a pile of C90's always praying they didn't get jammed in the cassette player.
Then about 7 years ago a work mate gave me his old 133mb Windows 95 computer and I got myself a £10 a month Telewest surf unlimited connection, someone told me about Napster and Audiognome and here we go again.
Using the world's slowest modem on a dial up service I started replacing all the vinyl with mp3's, used to take over an hour per 3 minute song if the person you connected to didn't log off!! and that used to happen a lot as many were connected with those ISP's that disconnected you every hour, luckily my Telewest one was brilliant you stay online 24 hours if you wanted, although the wife wasn't happy about not being able to use the phone.
So in 7 years of downloading I think I've replaced 99% of what I'd originally bought, although I've collected a hell of a lot of stuff that I never owned at the time (just to review of course...hehe).

Shame that Audiogalaxy was closed down just after I got my first broadband connection as it was the greatest file sharing site ever put together, managed to find some of the most obscure punk songs that I had been convinced I couldn't find due to being the only person who'd ever bought the song.
So a big thanks to Napster, Audiognome, Audiogalaxy, WinMX, Morpheus, Kazaa, Direct Connect, BT++, Azureus, Rapidshare and the thousands of bloggers who make it all so easy nowadays.

Monday 27 August 2007

Depression and Reflection

Probably mentioned on here before that I hurt my arm when falling over back in May, just a standard trip over the kerb a bit of a stumble then straight down on my elbow.
Took a patch of skin off which stung for a while, not the first time and probably not the last time I've fell over.
The difference this time is that where previously the cuts, bruises, gashes etc have
always healed in a few weeks and I carry on as normal afterwards, this one seems to have caused lasting damage.
The patch of lost skin grew back although still scarred, but the pain in my upper arm is getting steadily worse and recently I have been unable to lift my right arm above shoulder height, if I stretch outwards I get an intense pain in my upper arm.
I have seen 3 different doctors who all seem as useless as one another, the first after the long lecture about smoking gave me anti-inflammatory drugs and a painkilling injection, which made it hurt all the time and the drugs caused an old foot injury to swell up!!.
The second decided I was suffering from arthritis and suggested vitamin supplements
(Glucosamine Sulphate), which I've taken for nearly 6 weeks and the pain is increasing.
Saw a different Doc last week who decided I have something called a frozen shoulder? but at least she sent me for an X-ray which the other 2 docs wouldn't do.
So I've had my X-ray but have to wait till next week for the diagnosis if anything can be done?
Depression is setting in big time due to not being able to do things which have always come naturally, basic stuff like pulling on a t-shirt is painful and pulling up my trousers is an effort.
I am a pretty good darts player (at least I was) now I can't lift my arm enough to throw them, plus all those things I've took for granted are now a problem.
In the space of three and a half months I've gone from active 40 something to invalid, due to tripping over a kerb.
If I could remember exactly where it was I fell it could be a classic "no win no fee" to the council, but I can't be bothered.
If I hadn't chucked my job in just before this happened I would probably have lost my job (the joys of contract labour, no sick pay, replaceable when unavailable).

Reflection comes when your view of the elderly and disabled people change.
Although feeling sympathy for anyone suffering any illness or long term disability, I never grasped exactly what it means and what it's like.
For anyone that has been fully active then suffered a disabling injury, it must be incredibly hard to come to terms with, my injury is extremly minor compared to most, I can still use my arms and legs yet I'm feeling sorry for myself, if one of those limbs were taken I really couldn't imagine how to cope, the people that do cope are stronger than I'll ever be.
The elderly obviously have longer to come to terms with it, but they must all remember how it was when they were younger and running up the stairs was something you just did and didn't have to plan, standing on a chair to change a lightbulb was done without thinking and now even if they can they have to be extra careful as a fall could be fatal.
The thing that worries me most (and this must affect every elderly person) is that my ability to defend myself has been taken away.
I'm 6'2" and 17 stone basically a "brick shithouse" type of person who has never felt the need to be scared of anyone, I have always been confident that if I was threatened I could defend myself without problem, which I've done in the past with no major injuries.
Now I don't feel so secure and it concerns me.
The act of throwing next door's frisbee back a couple of weeks ago doubled me up in pain, so if I had to throw a punch it would probably be a lot worse.
So I have the utmost sympathy for anyone who has reached that time in their life (through age or injury) when the body just doesn't do what it's been used to doing all their life.

Back Again

Blimey, nearly 2 weeks since my last post... doesn't time fly.
Anyway just felt the need to post this for some reason, and old all time favourite advert.

Wednesday 15 August 2007

Television Personalities

Recommended - Still going after all these years!!
I think this one came out a while back but it's well worth a listen.
Dan Treacy's vocals still make me think of Joe Pasquale but that shouldn't put you off.

Here's what Dan had to write about it (shamelessly pinched from Amazon)
"Aha! we hear the doubters and cynics sing... We smell cash £££ in another dodgy batch of out takes and fillers!!! Oh, far from it! The story behind this compilation goes back a long way...A very long way... after a long sabbatical - at this point if you don't know my/our history, I suggest you cram up on your homework/history ... GOOGLE! GOOGLE!).
I owe this CD in most to a lovely kind bunch of mostly New Yorkers, Rob and his marvellous band The Baskervilles.
They arranged a benefit gig in New York in lieu of my release from prison [naturally I was fitted up]. They raised over £1,000 with the stipulation that I went back into the studio. So, in the summer of 2005 I went into Soup Studios in North London with engineer and producer Simon Trought. This CD was the culmination of those sessions.
Our next/new LP, My Dark Places (Domino Records) came later...
The cover versions (If I Should Fall Behind - Bruce Springsteen, Mr Brightside - The Killers) are simply songs that I love, that move me, that make me laugh...
I was inundated with offers after prison release, but I'm afraid some certain `industry' people were disappointed to find I was not a shambling wreck...I've been called the original Doherty... yes Tommy Docherty... football legend!
I'm as proud and disappointed of this CD as anything I've ever done...
And here's Debbie with the weather. "

Music

I've done a major update on the player, 18 songs added.
A mixture of 40 years worth of stuff I like :)
Added some new stuff, some old 70's funk, some punk classics and a few oddities.

So goodbye to the Kings Of Leon, Aphex Twin, Lily Allen, Siouxsie, Fun Lovin Criminals, 808 State, Pixies, Stone Roses, Madness and the Stranglers.
Hello to Vangelis, TV Personalities, TRB, Sufjan Stevens, Portishead, Marvin Gaye, Hard-Fi, Damned, Chem Bros, Barry White, Adverts, Timmy Thomas, O'Jays, Isley Bros, X Ray Spex, Dickies and Devo.

A reprieve for a while for these favourites
John Lennon, Harvey Danger, AM, Thirteen Senses, Linkin Park, Flamin Groovies, TVP, Spizz Oil, SFA, Radio Stars, Members, Creatures, Buzzcocks, Albertos, Spear Of Destiny, I Monster, Dr Feelgood, Smiths, Inspiral Carpets And M Smith, and the Stooges.

Monday 13 August 2007

Weston Super Mare

Skegness



Day Trips

On a lighter note.
Did a few day trips this week taking in some seaside towns.
Living in Southend I probably don't appreciate what our seafront has to offer, but after visiting other seaside resorts the comment "poor man's Southend" seems to come up a lot.
Skegness is the latest to suffer that fate, I had never been there before so I thought I'd look it up.
Have to say it was pleasant, but nothing special.
They have all the usual things you would expect of a seaside town, but I ended up comparing it to Southend and it didn't match up.
Bognor Regis got a visit and again it was ok, but lacking against the home town.
I was impressed by Weston Super Mare, maybe because the weather was excellent that day but also by the people who all seemed polite and friendly (the main thing that lets Southend down).
I plan to go back there soon, as I enjoyed my brief stay.

Public Service Announcment

I seem to be getting inundated with suspect e-mail attachments from companies like egreetings.com, FreeWebCards.com, MyPostcards.com etc.
My AV quarantines them as "potentially unwanted message body detected" so they aren't doing any damage (as far as I know), but are getting annoying.Most of the headers are "you've received a greeting card from a (school mate, friend, relative etc)"
It turns out it the latest scam to get you to visit a site which will download spyware/malaware onto your PC.
I've had about 30 of these in the last few weeks, so I thought I was being targeted but after some checking it appears over 40 million of these e-mails are currently being sent every day!!

Official Report
"Internet spammers launched a widespread attack on e-mail inboxes this month. But instead of trying to lure users into opening a corrupted attachment, they're concealing a computer virus in a link to an online greeting card."

Explanation from an IT friend
"Those e-mails are all "drive-by" Trojan attempts - send the mail address a URI and see if the owner will visit it. If you visit the URI, you download and run a Trojan that adds your PC to the vast network of "zombies" through which the original e-mail was sent."

So obviously I recommend deleting any suspect greeting cards you receive,
or better still be paranoid like me and delete anything with an attachment :)

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Worst Adverts

Just a heads up for this excellent website http://tvs-worst-adverts.co.uk/
Currently featuring 2 of the worst adverts on UK TV at the moment.
Both are from loan companies trying to get you to take out another expensive loan to cover all your debts that you couldn't afford to pay before, while not mentioning that you've now probably doubled your debt and all those bills like rent, mortgage, gas, electric, water, council tax, food etc will still need to be paid before you can pay for this, which is probably how you got into debt in the first place.

Anyway here's the Ocean finance one
http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA0349&advertiser=Ocean%20Finance

Picture loans - Dad's found your scooter one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY_mPrjHQyY

Lovely comment on the above website "Josh, how many more times? Dad’s taken your scoota and all your other toys down to Cash Converters to pay back the £45 grand we owe Picture.”

Well you have to laugh, I remember being desperate enough to apply for one of these loans but luckily for me I was blacklisted by several banks and other companies and even the loan company wouldn't touch me.
Lucky escape for me, I ended up selling my record collection and anything else not nailed down to pay the bills and eventually got out of debt without a 25 year loan hanging over me.

Crime and Punishment

I was reading one of Nuzz's posts about taking DNA from anyone who commited a crime even trivial ones and my thoughts are why not.
Anyone that's seen the film Gattaca will probably have nightmares about it, but is there anyone out there who hasn't felt concern about rapists, paedophiles and muderers being "out there" after many high profile incidents.
If you can't handle the consequences don't do the crime, and if you've done nothing wrong you shouldn't need to worry.
My personal opinion is that everyone should have their DNA listed, I know it's not 100% foolproof but it's pretty close, and it would surely make a list of suspects much smaller.
So it affects our human rights, I'm willing to forego that right if it makes the lives of my family and friends safer, and stops people kidnapping little kids.

On a vaguely similar theme, I was reading in the local paper about a woman who was zapped by a police speed gun which just happened to be behind a tree, she gets out of her car and goes and has a moan to the cops and writes to the paper about them not being visible.
So there are big signs telling her it's a 30mph zone but it's the coppers fault she was speeding because he wasn't visible, she was speeding she got caught, take the punishment.
I'm not trying to be high and mighty and say I've never broken a speed limit because I have, give me a bit of open road and I'm foot to the floor but common sense tells me that around built up areas you stick to the limits, several times I've had kids run out in front of me and due to the fact I'm under 30mph I've managed to stop well before hitting them.

Drugs

Probably just me but isn't there a simple cure for the drug problem?

Since Bush and Blair got rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Afghan farmers have started producing tons of opium again (the Taliban were against drug production), so the world will be flooded with more and more heroin.
So why not use this new resource for our benefit? Free Heroin to anyone that wants it, no need to go round mugging people and burgling people's houses to get money for drugs.
The drug dealers wouldn't need to shoot each other (and innocent people) for dealing on their patch as there would be no customers, and the users would all be too stoned to cause aggro.
The money saved on policing drug areas could be given to the NHS for new hospitals because obviously there could be thousands of drug users who might survive the overdoses and would need medical aid, giving plenty of work for doctors and nurses which would generate more income tax for the government.
A large proportion of benefit claimants would be "on a different planet" and would forget to sign on, saving even more money.
A large proportion of the prison community in for drug related crimes could be dosed up and let out, leaving room for proper criminals like the dealers who would probably have to turn to other crimes after having their main source of income taken away.

Just a thought :)

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Confused Rant

The Environment

Global Warming
Floods caused by Global warming? nothing whatsoever to do with all the new houses built on flood plains and government cutbacks on things like drain cleaning, maintenance of flood defences etc.
Droughts caused by global warming? nothing to do with governments not spending money on building new reservoirs and water companies not fixing all the leaking pipes.

A month of rainy days, or a month without rain it must be down to global warming of course.
I know global warming exists but it's become an excuse for everything these days.
We've had extreme weather through the ages, I remember my house getting flooded when I was a kid in the sixties, local areas were severely flooded in the fifties, we've had a lot of rainy days this year but not even been close to the minor flooding of 10 years ago.

When watching the news over the last few weeks I saw the people of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire blaming the government for the weather, my first thought was how can you blame anyone for the weather? but the more you listen to reports the more truth comes out.
Gordon Brown comes up with new standard excuse no.1 global warming, but years of neglect since the tories killed the unions have seen public services eroded to the basic theory of "if it don't make a profit, don't do it". So all the preventitive measures that would have been carried out years ago now don't get done because there's no money to be made.

Recycling
How can companies like Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and the rest have the nerve to promote recycling, when they are responsible for probably 90% of the packaging that's filling our landfills? Fruit and veg now comes in polystyrene trays with plastic covering, milk comes in plastic bottles, in fact just about everything you buy is in some sort of plastic covering.
I think supermarkets should be fined for every product they put in unnecessary packaging.
What's wrong with paper bags for fruit and veg these are totally bio degradeable, bring back the old method of getting money back on bottles (earnt me a fortune when I was a kid) used to be 3p a bottle (beer, Fizzypops etc) none ever got thrown away as all the kids would go round collecting them to make extra pocket money. Milk bottles still exist but they've been priced out of the market by the supermarkets.

Another You Tube Video

The second coolest car on film (after Steve McQueens Mustang),
Mad Max's V8 Falcon.
This vid doesn't actually feature any sound from the film, just
uses Ace of Spades by Motorhead, but features the best clips of
Mad Max 1 & 2 which are two films I'll watch everytime they're on.
Enjoy :)