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Tuesday 30th September
At a party earlier in the year (I forget when), I was talking to a man (I forget who) and he said something interesting to me (the one thing I do remember). We were talking about work and I mentioned I wasn't doing what I wanted to be doing but that I had no idea what my ideal job would be. He asked what I liked doing and I said writing, so he suggested that I aim to be paid for a piece of writing by the end of the year. One paid article. I didn't think much more of the conversation but since then I have written more than I ever have off my own back and have had work published on other sites, but the one paid article is still not something I have attempted. On reading a new magazine for women called Be Unlimited, I think I have found the extra kick that I need so now ought to make some time to write. It may not happen before 2004 but I'll be sure to let you know when it does.
Posted on September 30, 2003 | Comments (12)
Saturday 27th September
I used to love music. I still really enjoy good music but it used to be more than just something to listen to - music used to be my life. Saving up for an album was a big thing and my Christmas list was dominated by all the stuff I hadn't got round to purchasing yet. I recorded some of my favourite songs from the radio to listen to whenever I wanted, and created compilations for my friends. In later years, I created them for myself to listen to in the car. These days, whenever I'm reminded of an artist from my younger days I usually think "my god. I had this album on cassette"! My entire teenage music-lover existence revolved around this fantastic invention with its crappy plastic and noisy reproduction, but it was amazing. How else could I have afforded to buy and record music when all I had was pocket money? Well, now cassettes are 40 years old and they're apparently still around. Since I had my car mini-disc player cruelly stolen last year, the cassette player has been returned to its home but I haven't played a single tape on it. Perhaps, to mark this momentous occasion, it's time to ditch the radio for a while and go retro. Damn. Now I wish I still had that A-Ha album.
Posted on September 27, 2003 | Comments (8)
Thursday 25th September
I was going to post about David Blaine and his 'how long can I stay in a box being ridiculed by Londoners?' stunt, but then I saw this on the BBC news website and decided that I didn't want to resort to tabloid journalism after all (although the Independent are reportedly doing so next week; it can't be all bad). Instead, I shall continue on from comments left under last Saturday's post and ask anyone who's interested in a Manchester blogmeet to suggest a date that would work for them. Seems the most simple way of finding one that people can agree on, so I just have to find my diary...
Posted on September 25, 2003 | Comments (17)
Tuesday 23rd September
Another classic advertising campaign bites the dust - the Milk Tray man is no more. Now, I'm as sad as the next man/woman about this, but time moves on and things have to change. Unfortunately for us, things don't always change for the better. But, just when you thought you couldn't take any more of Bounty's strong housewives, our salvation may be at hand in the form of PVRs. If we all get Personal Video Recorders then we'll never have to watch crappy ads again and, according to MediaWeek, "The theory goes that if the TV ads are relevant and entertaining then people will still watch them. There will be increasing pressure on agencies to start thinking more like programme producers and less like advertisers." So plenty more No Nonsense John Smith's adverts and gyrating Lilt Laydeez then?
Posted on September 23, 2003 | Comments (11)
Saturday 20th September
Later on today I'm getting together with a group of people I've never met, which prompted me to wonder about meeting up with some other bloggers in real life too. It was then suggested, by someone who shall remain nameless, that these people may not be as entertaining in person as they are online. Could it be true? Is there a chance that Scaryduck is simply an ordinary boring husband and father to Mrs Scary and the scary ducklings? Could Green Fairy in fact be a dear sweet young woman who would never want to upset anyone by speaking out of term? Surely the razorhead isn't actually a long-haired ugly straight guy with nothing of interest to say? And I'll eat my hat if Lyle actually likes United Utilities. I think it's all lies. I reckon they're all just as entertaining as the the first episode of Dead Like Me that I watched on Sky One last night. If you have that channel and missed it, try not to do the same next week or you'll regret it.
Posted on September 20, 2003 | Comments (25)
Wednesday 17th September
I realise there's been quite a lack of updates recently, but things have been busy here. A 60th birthday dinner, a funeral and the start of an evening course have all sapped my time since I last wrote, plus family visits, exercise, a pub quiz and a meeting of local lomographers are still to come this week. I'll update you on anything even vaguely interesting when I have a moment but, in the meantime, you should take a leaf out of my late grandma's book and put your feet up whilst enjoying a nice alcoholic beverage. She always said she'd spent enough time being busy in her younger years, so became practiced at relaxing more recently. A wise plan, methinks.
Posted on September 17, 2003 | Comments (0)
Friday 12th September
Watching BBC News 24 this morning, a couple of women caught my eye. Firstly there was the story about Bolshoi ballerina Anastasia Volochkova being unable to dance because she is, to quote the programme, "too fat" and the male dancers cannot lift her. Strange then that I go to their website and am told that she is unusually tall for a ballerina and that is why only her usual partner (who has mysteriously disappeared), can dance with her and perform the lifts. The interview with Anastasia did hint that the spin News 24 was putting on the story was a little bit sensationalist, as she seemed to only mention the lies being told about why her partner could not dance, but I am still amazed as the BBC always used to seem impartial. Makes you wonder just how much they manipulate the rest of the news.
Also, when the front pages of this morning's papers were shown, Britney Spears caught my eye. It was difficult to ignore her, in fact. On the cover of both The Sun and the Daily Mirror, Ms Spears was shown trying to emulate a pose once struck by Brigitte Bardot. To me it just looks like both papers are attempting to become a 'Daily Loaded', although for The Sun it's actually a blessing that the Editor, Rebekah Wade, is sticking to this kind of sales technique rather than trying to incite vigilante mobs with the sensationalist paedophile stories she ran in the News of the World. It looks like some people still aren't bored of Britney.
Posted on September 12, 2003 | Comments (3)
Thursday 11th September
Isn't it amazing how quickly September 11th has come round again? In some ways it seems like the horrible events that took place happened only months ago, but in other ways it seems longer than two years. I can only hope that something like it never occurs again, but you can't be sure as it shouldn't have even happened once and it did. I shall spend today being glad that I'm alive and thankful for all I have - corny, I know, but these sort of events can turn even a blonde serious for a moment or two.
Posted on September 11, 2003 | Comments (1)
Sunday 7th September
Went out last night to watch a film... but this was no ordinary showing. We watched Tim Burton's Batman in a disused monastery! It was part of the Stella Screen 2003 tour, and was a pretty interesting idea. Sound wasn't great (the acoustics didn't really do Danny Elfman justice), and the seats were hard, but we got two free Stellas with each ticket and some pigeons flying about overhead. I'd also forgotten just how good that film is. To top it all off, I got to drive home along a nicely windy stretch of motorway in an Audi A4 1.8t whilst listening to the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack. Track five is downright dangerous!
Right, I'm off for a couple of days to do some work in a different office and, hopefully, get some inspiration for a few more interesting blog entries. Until Wednesday you can amuse yourself with my friend test, if you haven't already.
Posted on September 07, 2003 | Comments (3)
Friday 5th September
Somebody on the radio mentioned this story about an amphibious car and said that, at £150k, who would buy one. Plenty of people, I reckon. I mean, if you won the lottery and were wondering what fun yet practical items you were going to waste your cash on, wouldn't a car that was also a boat be high on your list? You'd feel like James Bond (and I do know his was a submarine, before anyone mentions it). Also, there are a lot worse things a person could spend that kind of money on... like this for example.
Posted on September 05, 2003 | Comments (1)
Tuesday 2nd September
After all the rants that have been published/aired about the Atkins diet in the past month, this comment in The Guardian was a refreshing change. I especially liked the line: "every doctor everywhere will have met someone once who ate nothing but carrots for six months and ended up with no lungs (though very good night vision)."
P.S. Happy birthday to my sister for today. 1980 doesn't seem like 23 years ago, even though I was only five when it happened. Scary.
Posted on September 02, 2003 | Comments (1)