Word!

So bad about blogging this month, but so excellently crafty in other respects (post coming up)

In the meantime, here is another excellent meme I'm stealing from Boz ~ a wordle pic of what I've been wittering on about here recently:


Cripes I'm obsessed with trivia! *hides in shame*

tweets of the year

This has been the year of twitter for me. I joined in January and rapidly succumbed to a severe addiction. Twitter informed me of breaking news faster than anything else, made me more politically aware and involved, made all my hobbies and interests much more interesting, turbo-charged the entertainment factor of television a thousand-fold, and helped me meet some great people. Here is a selection of my favourite tweets from 2009 - the good, bad, ugly, witty, profound, frivolous, and controversial: *

diamondgeezer RT @ElizabethRex2 : Dearest Charles, could you pop into the drawing room and explain how Twittering works? One needs to network...

jkottke How many innocent blogs have died so that Twitter may live?

jkottke I am now a locavore. I will only eat food located within an arm's reach of my mouth.

susanorlean No matter how many books you've written, if you're a writer your parents will always wonder when you're going to get a job.

susanorlean Mother's Day gift from 4 yr old son: I got to choose whether to watch Jurrasic Park 1 or 3 during breakfast. It's the thought that counts.

miketd It's my time. It's my time. My moah-ment. I'm not gonna let go of it

rolytaylor RT@DarkPianoIt took the universe billions of years to produce the moment you call "now." Strive to see the perfection in it! :)

edwardclarke It's heartbreaking in this day and age that at the funeral of a gay man there is zero acknowledgement of that fact.

thoroughlygood Is Patricia's dress "under construction" ? #eurovision

Wossy #eurovision I am with Peter Tatchell. Figuratively. Go on Graham, say it ! They are backward fascists. Dumb ass russians.

kvinnesland #eurovision UK has entered the wrong contest. Beautiful song, but do they expect to win without a stupid show and silly pants?

style_therapy The UK putting in a halfway decent showing at Eurovision? That's just not on. I feel kind of cheated.

davidschneider: The Norwegian boy might lose his virginity tonight. The Albanian dwarves have their eyes on him

owenblacker OMG Sookie. You have eight kittens upstairs, still blind. No, I am not gonna let you out so you can find more cock!

adventuresofboz Up in your spot like a tasty pastry treat, world!

edwardclarke Horrifying ENO surtitle fail - used 'discrete' when meant 'discreet'. We are truly living in decadent times.

frala_fontaine really need to stop opening Twitter and Facebook first thing. Though I did get distracted by some work..

AndrewOrange New life-as-a-writer progress report: Haven't actually written anything yet but at least I now have a printer in case I ever do. Baby steps.

AlextheFly @YHBW The 456 want our children. Are we sure it's not Madonna in there? #Torchwood

edwardclarke@sarahbrown10 RT @RedMummy: @edwardclarke Am bad person - I like veal. Ask SB to save her unwanted portions for me.

robfahey Every bit of pent-up nastiness from years of writing a show that's forced to pander to a kiddy audience came pouring out. #torchwood

dzhimbo Emphasis on medium draws attention to the structure of the piece, however, creating metadiagetic commentary on its meaning(s). #artchat

RedMummy@edwardclarke To Flybe I promised I'd always be true, but Virgin don't charge me for using the loo.

Shoq: We need public media; a BBC or CBC, or you can kiss the American experiment goodbye. Nice concept but the rat died. Sorry!

samuelpepys Sir W. Pen and I did dig another pit, and put our wine in it; and I my Parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things.

stigblog Weather outside too horrible. Weather in bed too lovely.

mrjohnwilkes: My warm Congratulations to Mr. Van RUMPOY. I can't recall voting for you, Sir, but I may have been PISSED.

jenblower hurrah! You're all void of class, baileys coffee from the tester bottle it is then! :D

karmachord The world is so painfully beautiful. Every single atom is poised on the edge...ready to implode or explode with blissful agony.

stigblog@JamesMW78 hmm. Chocolate + alcohol are only two of your 3 food groups. Takeaway is 3rd. You need all 3 to survive and thrive properly!

jonreed #frankieboylecrackermottos we're all highly evolved monkeys clinging to a piece of rock falling through space, and the rock itself is dying

edwardclarke Well, according to wikipedia Portillo is still up to his neck in oil http://is.gd/5iPi2 Come clean, #thisweek?

zefrog: am with @Hampstead_Heath (who should know!): Vote George at #xfactor! (or have we got it wrong?)

AJ_Scroxton: How can this final be two hours long? Even accounting for 72 minutes of commercials it just doesn't add up. #xfactor

CherylKerl Joa's takin te bein a stah leika duck te woata! Ah cudden get inte his dressin room te congratalate im coza aall his mindaz.

tomsimnett: A sperm has 37.5MB of DNA information in it. That means that a normal ejaculation represents a data transfer of 1,587.5TB

jonreed actually, I am panicking slightly. one week to go and I still haven't gilded my pears (what would @KirstieMAllsopp say?)

jonreed oh the weather outside is frightful/& the planet so igniteful/but since #cop15 won't learn/let it burn let it burn let it burn!

EvilKimau "All those moments lost like tears in the rain... time.. to die" SO sad but so true... I love that moment #bladerunner

jonreed and Hamlet on Boxing Day? BBC, you are spoiling us with the Twelve Days of Tennant!

edwardclarke BBC headline: "Eurostar train leaves Paris"

edwardclarke RT @themanwhofell: I'm very pleased that Lady Gaga was Chanukah No.1

adamfishpoet@edwardclarke I too am pleased for Milady GAGA, Master CLARKE; but reserve my strongest sympathy for Mr MORELLO's band of BRIGANDS.

themanwhofell The worst thing about yesterday was that it struck another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of heterosexual marriages.

owenblacker:D RT @homotweets: When it comes to exploring the sea of love, I prefer buoys.

jonreed one can only hope that I shall be visited by three spirits in the night (gin, vodka and tequila pliz)

jonreed experiencing Tennant fatigue. God I hope he's not in the Celebrity Big Brother house...

* Tweets of the year © and ™ boz

@BullyingUK

I have been thinking about doing this for several days now, ever since I was alerted to this issue by my twitter friend @efan78, but it has been surprisingly difficult to get round to it. However, time is now running out and as something which has affected my life profoundly I have to support this.

Bullying at school really blights lives - every year in the UK, at least 16 teenagers commit suicide as a result of bullying (and this figure is probably massively underreported). And the survivors suffer the effects for years afterwards - a kind of post-traumatic syndrome.

It is amazing that Britain has a charity which combats school bullying and the damage it cause - BullyingUK - and this is such a worthwhile cause to support.

I grew up in a time and place where such institutions did not exist. I was bullied at school every day for about two-and-a-half-years. No escape, knowing each day I had to return to face my tormentors and whatever cruel humiliations they had cooked up for me that day. Name-calling was the least of it: groups devised ways of getting me into trouble with the teachers; I was completely ostracized and isolated.

As a defensive strategy I emotionally walled myself in: ruthlessly guarding any access to any information about myself or my emotions. These habits I have never managed to grow out of.

Physically as well, apart from the absolute requirement of attending school I shut myself up at home in my room; not going out anywhere or socializing in case of meeting anyone from school. Very occasionally I may have accompanied my parents to the shops or the municipal library.

It is so difficult for someone in that position to seek help; you are so immersed in the horror (as well as the normal upheavals of adolescence) you don’t have the objectivity to assess what your best options are. Hence the suicides. Completely at my wit’s end, I did appeal to my father for help, but he was emotionally incapable of dealing with situation at all was was pretty useless - he didn’t even raise it with the school. And as for the school, I knew that some teachers were aware of what was going on and for whatever reason they did nothing too.

My father was quite authoritarian and made me have a very naff haircut that completely marked me out at school. Isolation as well kept me quarantined from teenage fashions - my mum bought most of my clothes anyway - so I was pretty much dressed as a freak, negatively reinforcing the situation.

Looking back now, it amazes me that I survived and went on to a very successful university career, graduating with a first in English Literature and History of Art. I then came to live and work in London, which I love.

The turning point for me was when a new boy arrived at my school who I made friends with - despite the best efforts of my tormentors this brave person chose my friendship over the popularity of the crowd. I really think that when they saw I had a strong relationship they backed off and the bullying seemed to cease as mysteriously as it began.

But one always wonders if it could happen again: trusting people and being self-confident are issues for me still.

I was lucky. Some kids don’t get that break and end up taking their lives. But survival must be possible.

So, with @efan78 - Ethan Kristopher-Hartley of 140 Characters blog - I say:


“This is why I support @BullyingUK - and why you should too.  Take a couple of seconds to vote to win them some advertising on the sides of buses from Up Everyone’s Street.  Visit their website at Bullying.co.uk and donate to them as well.  And if you’re a blogger you have 1 day left to help them in the Blogging for a Cause campaign.”




This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

fuck you

Lily Allen's song has been drafted into the USA's culture wars - this rather brilliant, joyous and liberating fan video has been popping up all over. Very well done, very good (Warning: about every second word in the song is 'fuck'):



Maybe Lily should adopt this as her official video? - Crowd-sourcing pop videos! How radical!

Oh No! Not Piglet!

Testing . . . testing . . .

Aha! At last a really quite decent test to take, and one I did quite well in! Hoorah!

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test...

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 80% Advanced, and 87% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy

Now, why is it exactly I can't play scrabble??!

2008 review

My annual check-up and review!

What was your favourite song in 2008?

Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire

What was your favourite album in 2008?

Radiohead: In Rainbows

Are you richer or poorer?

Ha ha. With the ongoing credit crunch and collapse of the property market, like many thousands of others my net worth has probably taken a big hit. It’s possible my flat may already be in negative equity.

I’m not bothered. I love my flat and have no wish to move, have a steady job and can pay the mortgage.

Just in case, I have now got full insurance against illness, accident or redundancy – although it’s vaguely possible I may be let go, the other possibility is that my company may cease trading, so it’s best to be prepared.

I diversified my income streams this year and am looking to continue this process in 2009.

Thinner or fatter?

I think about the same, although general fitness still needs more attention.

What kept you sane in 2008?

Music.

Which personal accomplishments in 2008 are you most pleased with?

Being there for relatives in distress.

Expanding my revenue streams.

Continuing to blog while computerless; hitting my target of an average of 12 posts a month, with monthly totals being more consistent overall.

Finally replacing my apple mac – bought a brand-new powerbook 13” in November.

Buying an almost-new Nikon SLR off eBay.


What was the happiest moment of 2008?

Ingrid, Peter and family visiting.

What was your saddest moment of 2008?

My mother had a difficult year, but by December things were looking massively up for her.

Which bad habit are you most motivated to break?

Procrastination and hoarding are endemic issues with me – I have improved over the last few years but still need to be constantly aware. Flow.

What are you looking forward to in 2009?

One of my drearest friends is coming to visit London in the Spring.

More travel. I have promised the niece and nephew a trip to Rome in May; a German visit is on the cards; I would love to go to Poland if possible. My brother, sister and I plan to bring my mother across in the Summer – I may have to fly out to Johannesburg to collect her. If so, I would like to combine that with a visit to friends in Cape Town.

The Delphic iPod

Saw this on Boz’s blog (he got via Vicus Scurra) a while ago, and couldn’t do it until I was technologically updated. It’s pretty fun to do, and as a commenter on Vicus’s blog said: “This meme is surprisingly accurate for such a primitive form of psychometric inquiry.”

The Meme:

1. Put your music player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must put down the song name no matter what. (Hmm. I think we all cheated - - - I draw a veil - - -)


What would best describe your personality?
A Wolf at the Door (It Girl, Rag Doll) – Radiohead

Heh.

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Boss Drum – The Shamen

Yes sir.

How do you feel today?
Crying – Bjork

Nope.

What is your life’s purpose?
She Sun Shines - Cast

What is your motto?
Mouth’s Cradle – Bjork

WTF?????

What do your friends think of you?
Supernatural Superserious – R.E.M.


What do you think of your parents?
Walk Unafraid – R.E.M.

So true.

What do you think about very often?
Blue Pastures - James


What do you think of your best friend?
Mysterons - Portishead


What do you think of your crush?
In the Forest – The Coral


What is your life story?
River Deep, Mountain High – The Supremes


What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Moment with you? – George Michael


What do you think when you see your crush?
Winter Kills - Yazoo


What do your parents think of you?
Mysterious Ways – U2


How’s your love life?
Time to get away – LCD Soundsystem

Ipods have GODLIKE knowledge.


What will they play at your funeral?
Narcissus – Alanis Morissette

Bastards! I'll haunt them!


What will you dance to at your wedding?
Save a soul in every town – The Christians


What is your hobby/interest?
Electrolite – R.E.M.



What’s your biggest secret?
Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen


What do your think of your friends?
Viva la Vida - Coldplay


What song do you listen to when you are sad?
Slow Night, So Long – Kings of Leon


In love?
You are my sister – Antony & the Johnsons

Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong.


What song do you air guitar to?
Goin’ Back – Dusty Springfield


What should be your signature karaoke song?
Hunter - Portishead


What is your greatest desire?
Black Swan – Thom Yorke


What does next year have in store for you?
Cymbal Rush – Thom Yorke


What’s your outlook on life?
Hard to Beat – Hard-Fi


How will you die?
Anytime at all – Alison Moyet


Do people secretly lust after you?
Myxomatosis – Radiohead

I’ll take that as a no.


The best advice you will ever get?
I Want You – Madonna (featuring Massive Attack)

Flattering - ? -

summer sounds

I’ve been tagged by Boz! Thank you Boz for the shout and the challenge, which I hurry to complete.

The task:

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs."

I feel slightly hesitant, largely because I’ve just fallen in love with the new Coldplay album, and in my world there is not a single person who admits to liking them. I get an awful lot of stick about it. Someone surely must buy their records; apparently they are the biggest band in the known universe or something. Anyway, even I thought X&Y was dire, and they were on probation with me. Luckily, Vida la Vida is a vast improvement. I’m choosing the title track as my first song.

Radiohead’s In Rainbows precipitated a reassessment of their post-2000 oeuvre. Can’t live without it; am choosing Jigsaw Falling into Place as my second song.





I don’t get the Arctic Monkeys at all but Alex Turner’s side project The Age of the Understatement (by The Last Shadow Puppets) is a really refreshing listen; a retro sound created anew for today. I love the wistful last song The Time has Come Again.



Fourth up is Alison Moyet’s A Guy Like You from her excellent The Turn. Her voice is so amazing, and I’m loving the Yazoo revival this year. Pity I don’t have tickets.






Her Royal Madge-sty is next with Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You from Hard Candy. It’s one of the quieter songs from the (super) album, and somehow very cinematic in feeling.






Bleak, monumental, sublime – Portishead’s Third is really good when you need to turn the volume up loud and wallow in the misery. I choose The Rip.







And to end on a lighter note, I Hear a Symphony by The Supremes. I’ve just bought their complete hits album at the V&A. It’s accompanying the exhibition of their stage clothes and an excited shop assistant told me the CD is exclusive to the V&A. Well, as exclusive as a Supremes greatest hits album can be, anyway. Uplifting.




Well, that’s me done. I’m amazed I left out Arcade Fire, easily my best discovery of the last year.

I’m throwing this open to everyone now – what are your seven favourite songs of the moment?

2007 Review

I did this at the end of 2006 so it’s good to continue for 2007:

What was you favourite movie in 2007?

I was going to say Pan’s Labyrinth, but checking back I nominated this for 2006 so I’m going to go with Atonement.

What was your favourite book in 2007?

2007 was not a reading year for me. My book of the year is Patrick O’Brian’s The Nutmeg of Consolation (1991). I’m a fan of his Aubrey and Maturin books and this is the 14th in the series.

What was your favourite song in 2007?

Anything from Arcade Fire’s first two albums, Funeral and Neon Bible will do. However, for the sake of variety and in admiration of their wit I’ll nominate LCD Soundsystem’s North American Scum.

What was your favourite album in 2007?

Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible, no question.

Are you richer or poorer?

A fascinating question, depends on how you look at it.

In 2006 I was unemployed but my flat was rocketing in value – it went up almost 53% in just over a year, so far more than my annual salary would have been.

In 2007 I started a new job, which pays a salary that allows me to service the enormous amounts of debt racked up while unemployed. However, my flat’s value is now in freefall. So who’s to say if I’m richer or poorer?

I suppose the bailiffs aren’t exactly beating my door down yet, so I’m ok.

Thinner or fatter?

Again, rather debatable. I reckon I’m fatter and could choose to tone up and lose some excess belly.

What kept you sane in 2007?

Employment is really good for mental health, strangely! – plus my blog keeps me happy ☺

Which personal accomplishment in 2007 are you most pleased with?

Becoming employed again!

Keeping my little blog going while computer-less!

What was the happiest moment of 2007?

Friends from South Africa visiting.

What was your saddest moment of 2007?

The death of my father at the end of April.

Being burgled end May.

What resolutions have you made for 2008?

I’m increasing my posting average to 12 a month, with a consistency level of between 9 to 15 posts a month.

I will cycle to work.

I will work to continue the improving trend in my finances.

I will replace all the stolen equipment without increasing my levels of debt.

Which bad habit are you most motivated to break?

No procrastination! See it, do it; blog it!

What are you looking forward to in 2008?

Hoo. At the moment, the summer. Let’s hope it’s less wet than last year.