Wednesday 29 December 2010
Louder Than War’s top 80 albums of 2010 | Louder Than War
Louder Than War’s top 80 albums of 2010 Louder Than War 80 albums from 2010? Pretty good going! Mind you, none of these can really be described as bland or mainstream. Well done, Louder Than War...
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Drinking The ChiRunning Kool-Aid | The Trail Jogger
Drinking The ChiRunning Kool-Aid The Trail Jogger
Certainly worth looking into if you want to improve your running fitness and style...
Certainly worth looking into if you want to improve your running fitness and style...
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Getting There Was The Problem
As I am a new Union Learning Rep, it was thought to be generally benificial for me to attend the RMT ULR Seminars at Euston, London. Even with a change to an earlier shift, things were going to be tight. There was a slim chance of catching the 1800 train from Plymouth to Paddington, rather than the 1844 train, with a change at Exeter. But, first, I had to get back to the depot to change clothes.I legged it from Royal Parade to The Viaduct and hopped onto the 2 bus, that was luckily about to leave, for the Depot. However, upon hearing that I was in a hurry, the driver decided to be a twat and a show-off to a couple of colleagues and go-slow, with a merry chortle and cheeky smile. The right-hand lane was open, free and clear to Charles Church but he deliberately put the bus up the arse of the traffic in the first lane; hahaha heeheehee.The slim chance I had of making the 1800 was slipping away as we waited, and waited, and waited in that queue as traffic in the right-hand lane flew by.
All the while, I was texting Vikki what was going on and we decided to catch the 1844 instead; I didn't bother telling the driver, who kept making snide witicisms all the way to Sugar Mills. He looked a twat when I told him as I got off; all his shit was in-vain. What a dick!
I got changed in the depot, behind the car, in the freezing cold, taking my time, and legged it to catch a bus to get me back into town; there was a bus, at the Morley Arms, across the road; it left before I got to the central reservation. Luckily, there was another bus coming, so I got on that, got a coffee at McDonald's in town and walked to the railway station.
As I arrived at the station, a 1A bus arrived at the stop and Vikki got off it. We still had about eight minutes to kill before the train left, so we double-checked the timetable and couldn't see Paddington on the board until about half-seven. Eh? Then we realised the 1844 train actually terminates at Exeter! O.K!
The train left on-time-ish and we changed trains at Exeter, onto the HST on the adjacent platform (usually you have to cross onto a totally different platform, in my experience).
We were yakking away all the way to Paddington. I checked for directions to the Travelodge, and the phone number, on my Blackberry and, finding reviews, learnt that it was a cold, grubby, noisy, expensive place to stay. I phoned them to confirm that we were on our way and not to let our rooms; they couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't be let out by the time we arrived, which was just what we bloody need to hear!
We got to Paddington at about half-ten. The Underground was closed due to the tube strike; bloody RMT! Tiredness was beginning to kick in...
Bus it is, then. This isn't as easy as it sounds! We didn't know which bus to get, which was the correct stop, or if they ran direct to Euston at this time of day/night. Also, London bus drivers do not take cash anymore, you have to pay at a machine, which is situated by the shelter/stop. That's ok if you have change. We found that we needed the 205 bus, running every 10 - 12mins, but we were at the wrong stop for Euston; the stop we wanted was on Eastbourne Terrace, around the corner. As we approached the stop, a 205 was approaching; we flagged him down but he just ignored us. We got to the shelter but it was not in use, due to the roadworks, doh!
We legged-it back onto the main drag outside the station and saw the 205 loading-up at the stop ahead but, as we approached, it buggered-off. Not to worry; they're every 10-12mins!
Oh, no they're not. We waited half an hour in the freezing open air, shivering and chattering...
Finally, FINALLY, the 205 turned up, after loads of buses for everywhere else twice passed by.
We got off at Euston Square, instead of Euston Station, by mistake and had to walk a few hundred yards to the Travelodge on Eversholt Street and checked-in at eleven-thirty P-bloody-M!
Yip-bloody-pee! Night, night...
Saturday 6 November 2010
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Friday 15 October 2010
Adsense? Nonsense, more like...
Dear Adsense, I have just tried to add Adsense to my blogger account; the code is below:
..............
Well, as you can see, it clearly isn't; because it won't allow me to copy and paste it.
Yours sincerely,
Fodzblog
..............
Well, as you can see, it clearly isn't; because it won't allow me to copy and paste it.
I don't know if it has even worked, whether I will get paid, and what the hell's going on because it is all so unnecessarily complicated to somebody who doesn't actually speak in compulingo or, as converting oxygen into carbon dioxide is so much more important and interesting, have the aptitude for it all.
Is it so really so difficult to speak in Earth lingo, instead of computer-bunker waffle?
Ye Gads, we are people out here, not just cyberthingies.
Do you have feelings and motions, such as joy, sadness, anger, etc? Have you ever seen daylight and colour, heard birdsong, felt a variety of textures and liquids, etc, that made you go: "Ooooh" or "Aaah"? Have you ever seen any artwork or architecture that made you go: "Nice!" Do you talk with people that aren't bland?
I appreceiate that I am not an unfeeling, monotonous robot and I am glad of this. Hmmph!
Yours sincerely,
Fodzblog
Sunday 10 October 2010
Boys From The Blackstuff
Just watched the Shop Thy Neighbour episode of the classic Boy From The Blackstuff serial of 1982 vintage; utterly brilliant scriptwriting and realistically acted. The series is contemporily set amidst the recession-hit Liverpool of Margaret Thatcher's Britain.Michael Angelis plays Chrissie, an out of work and increasingly desperate tarmac-layer; Julie Walters plays his also-suffering wife.
After doing some work whilst claiming dole-money (Unemployment Benefit payments) with his friend, Loggo, Chrissie and Loggo are summoned to the Benefits Office and find they will be done for fraud, by smug officials.
Chrissie and Angie's gas supply is disconnected because he can't afford to pay the bill. Chrissie and Angie are increasingly arguing and bickering throughout the episode. Their Benefit Office tail makes himself known to Chrissie and quits his job as it makes him feel like a low-life snitching on skint people trying to get by on jack-shit.
Things become increasingly fraught between Chrissie and Angie, culminating in Chrissie going into the back yard with a double-barrel and shooting his geese, blood splattering himself, Angie and their kid's rabbit, and them both collapsing in tears. Chrissie finishes the episode by say that he'd better clean the blood off the rabbit (a reference to when Angelis played Lucien, who was obsessive about his rabbits, in The Liver Birds).
Like I said at the start of this blog, it's absolutely fantastic and, very probably, Alan Bleasdale's best writing.
This is one of the must-see serials of the Eighties and is nearly as fresh, controversial and ground-breaking today as it was then. *****
Saturday 9 October 2010
Back To Work On A Sunday Morning
Yes, indeed. I'm back to work in the morning, after another exciting week off on holiday at home.
Not that I'm complaining, despite the fact that I hate Curst, which is not the real name of the company I work for, but rhymes with it. As you know, jobs aren't easy to come by right now, which is why I haven't yet left them. One day, soon...
This week I have not done very much other than take Titch for a few runs around the rugby pitches and an elongated walk along the cliffs (she loved it!), practiced on my bass guitar (I still need a stack more sessions to get Corrupting Kylie up and running) and Blogging, Twittering and Facebooking, etc. Hey, it's my time and I can do what I want...
Right now, I am watching Die Hard 4.0 on Channel 4; it's all about a "fire sale", which seems to be about some sort of massive computer hack, laced with terminology, sorry, computer speak, that I mostly haven't a clue WTF they are on about, but I'm getting the hang of it. I really wasn't part of the fledgling computer generation; my High School (they call them "Community Colleges" in the UK, these days; pupils are now called "students") had only one or two computers for over two thousand pupils, between 1979 and 1984, when I left (graduated, in today's parlance)school.
Just seen the advert for the Blackberry Torch, the slidy one; it looks shit hot! The advert features lots of young, arty, creative types, at the cutting edge of their chosen fields, flouncing around, looking all suave and care-free. They must be the target market, obviously...If the YACTs like it, it must be good. I-phone 4? That's for the dinosaurs...
TTFN (Ta-Ta For Now)
Friday 8 October 2010
The Social Network: Face-off at Facebook - Telegraph
The Social Network: Face-off at Facebook - Telegraph
Of interest to all on Bacefook
Of interest to all on Bacefook
Thursday 7 October 2010
Walking The Dog Along The Coast
For two days in a row I took Titch for an hour's run up to and around the rugby pitches near where I live; today would be different, for we would be walking from Wembury, along the coast to Jennycliff, over-looking the stunningly beautiful Plymouth Sound. I even picked the right day for it, too; a warm, sunny October afternoon; perfect.Now, Titch is not used to walking for such a long time or for such a long distance, so it was a good opportunity to see how well she would cope and behave; I was pleasantly surprised with both aspects. Whereas, when I take her for a walk or run up to the rugby pitches, she harasses and harangs any other dogs; maybe she's getting territorial. This is indeed a possibility as, when a dog passes the double gates at home, she barks like mad at them; not very pleasant for dog and owner alike.
Back to the walk and she really didn't know what she was in for because, when we set off in the usual direction and we reached our usual cut-off path, she automatically assumed we were headed in the usual direction; wrong. We were boarding the 48 bus to Wembury from the stop 100 yards further along; cue, puzzled look on dog's face. Thankfully, Titch does travel well on buses and, as there were no other dogs aboard for her to pounce on, it was an uneventful trip. Hurrah!
Back to the walk and she really didn't know what she was in for because, when we set off in the usual direction and we reached our usual cut-off path, she automatically assumed we were headed in the usual direction; wrong. We were boarding the 48 bus to Wembury from the stop 100 yards further along; cue, puzzled look on dog's face. Thankfully, Titch does travel well on buses and, as there were no other dogs aboard for her to pounce on, it was an uneventful trip. Hurrah!
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on Wembury Beach (pffft!), so I had to walk her for a couple of hundred yards before I could let her onto the low tide-exposed rocks below. She was clearly enjoying this change of scenery and explored as many rockpools, seaweed beds and sandy and shingly bits as she could; she was almost dancing with joy!
Now, if you let it, a walk as long as this can get to be a bit of a drag for both dog and owner alike, so it's best to break it down into sections, if you can. We had a little break for drinks and snacks near Heybrook Bay and continued to Bovisand, where Titch made a few new friends, especially Franklin, a large dark-brown beast, somewhere between Labrador and Great Dane. How they enjoyed chasing and growling each other along Bovisand's lovely beach; love was in the air, I think! You could see on their faces that they were really sad for them to have to part; bless.
The last leg of the journey began with a steep climb towards Staddon Heights, passing Fort Bovisand, and along the eastern edge of Plymouth Sound, with views across the water to Cornwall, on the opposite side of the Sound, and Plymouth itself. We arrived at Jennycliff just as the clouds started appearing and rain came down immediately, but that's nothing (well, a little rain won't melt you, will it?).
After we made it home on the 2 bus, and I'd towelled Titch down, she made a B-line straight for her dish and polished off all her food before slumping onto the hallway floor with a "Hmmph!", relieved it was all over for the day. She will sleep well tonight; I wonder what she'll dream of: beach? rockpool? nice, cool streams to lie in? Franklin? Yes, definitely Franklin! Good effort, Titch! Night, night. Sweet dreams...
Woof!! It's all about the dog!
Hungarian toxic sludge reaches Danube river - Telegraph
Hungarian toxic sludge reaches Danube river - Telegraph
This is going to be really bad...
This is going to be really bad...
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Boredom in my bedroom; but it's my own lazy fault
Tonight I am sat on my bed watching TV, Tweeting, Blogging.All I have done today is take Titch for a run, get a shower and nothing much else but tap away at my laptop and Blackberry; tap,tap,tap, bleeding tap.
Boredom, tedium is starting to drive me towards doing something, but I only stirred to lift the TV remote; searching for something to watch, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Empires of the Sea; then what? Er, dunno.
My bass guitar is standing guard over nothing, just waiting my much needed practice; it will wait in vain tonight. I could have had a little practice earlier but, with all the lazing about that I've done today, it shall stand idle, scoffing at my lack of effort.
Perhaps I should just switch everything off and go to sleep, but it still feels too early, especially as I didn't get out of bed until midday (lazybones).
I fancy going for a train ride to London, as I haven't been since 1985, and/or Oxford for the day tomorrow (I can do that for £5 on Curst, you know); I should do that more often. Yes, definitely more often because I shall be leaving Curst soon.
Night, night...sweet dreamzzzzzzzzz Photo: Titch lying IN bed. Spoilt bitch, eh?!
Dog Running
No, it's not some kind of clandestine canine smuggling operation; it's just about going for a run with your dog.When I normally go for a run I am on my own, alone with my own thoughts, admiring the scenery too, if I'm out in the beautiful Devon countryside; running with a dog alongside you is quite a bit more enjoyable
My favourite scenic run is from Wembury to Mountbatten, along the South West Coast Path (SWCP); you can't get lost, except within your own thoughts and imagination, as the sea is always to your left. I sometimes catch the 48 bus out to Wembury, for the start of the run, and catch the 2 bus back, at the finish of the run; you get many a bemused and bemuddled look from the passengers, but don't let that stop you!
Got a dog? Enjoy running/jogging? Give it a go, it's enjoyable...
Picture: Titch and Cinnamon on Bovisand Beach
getting out of bed
It's only five to one in the afternoon and already I am thinking about getting out of bed and taking the dog for a run. What is bringing on this recently unusual burst of energy?
My gym membership ended at the end of June and I've certainly been lacking in enthusiasm for all things energetic, as can be seen by my expanding gut.
I can't make the Autumn Trail Run on Sunday because of work, so I must try and get my arse into gear.
Come on, Fodz! Shift it!
My gym membership ended at the end of June and I've certainly been lacking in enthusiasm for all things energetic, as can be seen by my expanding gut.
I can't make the Autumn Trail Run on Sunday because of work, so I must try and get my arse into gear.
Come on, Fodz! Shift it!
Ask the indie professor: What does your gig T-shirt say about you? | Music | guardian.co.uk
Ask the indie professor: What does your gig T-shirt say about you? Music guardian.co.uk
I usually wear my Monkey Y-shirt or a Hash House Harriers T-shirt...
I usually wear my Monkey Y-shirt or a Hash House Harriers T-shirt...
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Blogger: Error performing your request
Went for a short cycle ride today, through Staddiscombe, Staddon Heights and Jennycliff, then back to Elburton after dinner at Mum's, for the first time since I did my neck in two years ago.
It felt good, but the bike needs a load of maintenance...here's to the next ride!
It felt good, but the bike needs a load of maintenance...here's to the next ride!
Friday 2 July 2010
Back to work
Going back to work tomorrow because my sickpay has been cocked up and I can't afford to take the risk that it might be sorted soon. Never work for First Devon & Cornwall!!
Friday 25 June 2010
Tramadol
I hate taking tablets, etc., in general, but these fuckers are awful.
Tramadol is a central nervous system pain reliever that makes my head spin and has nearly caused me to faint on several occasions.
My doctor prescribed me these on Tuesday, after I told him that I did not want the mind-bending Dicloflenac Sodium.
He also prescribed me a ten-day sicknote; this I do like...
Tramadol is a central nervous system pain reliever that makes my head spin and has nearly caused me to faint on several occasions.
My doctor prescribed me these on Tuesday, after I told him that I did not want the mind-bending Dicloflenac Sodium.
He also prescribed me a ten-day sicknote; this I do like...
Sunday 20 June 2010
"A funny thing happened to us on the way to the future. The internet went from being something exotic to being boring utility, like mains electricity or running water – and we never really noticed. So we wound up being totally dependent on a system about which we are terminally incurious." John naughton, The Observer.
Bad back
Off work today with a bad back; I only managed an hour or two sleep lastnight and can't get back to sleep.
I have tried Nurofen and Dicloflex (dizzy-ing and vomit-inducing) but to no effect...doh!
I have tried Nurofen and Dicloflex (dizzy-ing and vomit-inducing) but to no effect...doh!
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