Thoughts From A Dry Season

Not much to talk about at the moment; the Conservative Party have decided not to hold an entertaining, back-stabbing, vitriolic leadership contest. Realising the mess they got into last time when they made the mistake of letting the Party membership decide their leader, this time they’re going for the Soviet idea of promoting one candidate for the masses to endorse. That their idea of a leader that can win the next General Election is Michael Howard must give the Liberal Democrats a warm snuggly feeling at night.

Then there's the situation in Iraq, but I get depressed just thinking about that these days. Current feelings: Look, I don't want the US to pull out, because the country would descend into chaos relatively quickly, but would it be so hard for them to swallow their pride, and allow the UN to have overall control of the area? I mean, they could hardly do worse at the moment, could they? And don't get me started about the whole stupid "oh, that sign? Not ours, guv? Well, okay, it was ours, but they didn't have to put it up, did they?" business.

I would link to pictures to Chapel Hill's Halloween (look - no '‘' 8-)) party on Friday, but it seems that the Daily Tar Heel didn't take many pictures (hopefully, they were all out having a good time instead). So I won't. From what I hear, it's going to be a long night in the dth office, as they have to cover the local elections, so good luck to everybody involved…

Um, the new Camera Obscura album is quite wonderful, in a wistful, lovelorn-type way.

currently playing: Camera Obscura — Keep It Clean

9 Discs? Is That All?

Possibly includes a portion of the souls of Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean Pierre Jeunet. If not, well it has everything else…

currently playing: A Camp - I can buy you

Link Me At The End of The Day

A few links to end the week.

The scary thing was that it didn't seem too implausible that they'd do such a thing…

Japan goes all New Romantic.

Norton Internet Security 2004 blocks NRA sites (possibly by default, the NRA's notice is a little unclear about that).

Too much information...

A picture demonstrating why Nokia's N-Gage is going to be a miserable flop.

The Top 50 Most Common Used CDs in America. I own six!

Finally, something I've been meaning to mention for the last two weeks, but kept forgetting: The HMV site is now usable! They've got rid of all the horrible JavaScript links, replacing them with splendid normal tags. Navigating through their huge sale lists is now much easier. I'll let you know whether this is a good or a bad thing when I get my bank statement next month…

currently playing: Beth Orton — Anywhere

Save Me For Later

And we’re back. Panther looking good so far. Here’s an obligatory Exposé screenshot:

currently playing: Billy Bragg - It Says Here

A Ghoulish Music Friday

“Welcome, my friends, to a very special music update. A posting to chill your very bones. Come with me, to my secret music laboratory, where I and my assistant Igor construct new combinations of sonic terror!

Igor! Bring on the first song!"

"Yessss, Masssssteeerrr."

  • Bobby PickettMonster Mash

    "An excellent choice, Igor. For tonight is night when the zombies walk, vampyres stalk the night, and dead men lose their bones. Bwaaaahaahaha!"

  • Sophie Ellis-BextorMixed Up World

    "Hmm, Igor. This is not quite as Hallowe'en-themed as the previous one."

    "Ssssorry, Massster, but all the other sssssongssss were ssssoundtracksss."

    "Never mind. I will punish you later. And don't say any more words with an 's' in them. It's quite annoying."

    "Yessssss, Massssterr."

    "Sigh. Anyway, readers. You will fear the oddly-rhombus shaped one. Oh yes. Fear! Fear! Hmm, what's this Igor? A message from the Narrator? That I should read out? Who says he's in charge of me? I bow to no-one! For I am—"

    A huge anvil hangs suspended in mid-air above the good Doctor's head.

    "Oh, very well. 'This song is for everybody who's been having a bad week, and I hope things are looking up somewhat'. Namby-pamby sentiment! There will be no room for that in our glorious new order, will there, Igor?"

    "No, sssssirrrrr."

    The anvil disappears, but the Narrator reminds the good Doctor that he is the omniscient one in this tale, so the Doctor had better watch his back.

  • ElectrelaneI'm On Fire

    "Ah, self-immolation. Perhaps something you should try one day, Igor. But not today, for before this night is out, our undead creation shall haunt the land once more!

  • Elliott SmithBaby Britain

    "Is it ready, Igor? Is it ready?"

    "Yessss, massssterrrr. The piecessss are in place."

    "Very well. Let us begin. I give you a man, and the man was lost. I give you a hair from the 1922 committee, and a speck of blue rinse. I give you an answer, but not to your question. I give you a clause, and its number is twenty-eight. Come to us now, I call upon you. I call. I call. I. I. I."

  • BjörkImmature

    "It's alive! IGOR! IT'S ALIVE! I HAVE CREATED NEW LIFE!"

    "It'sssss beautiful, massster. What will you call it?"

    "An undead terror that will strike fear into the hearts of people, before being quietly buried in just over a year's time? Nice to meet you, Mr. Howard. Nice to meet you."

currently playing: New Order - Mr disco

Fish Are Friends, Not Food!

Finding Nemo is great, and you should all go see it immediately (and yes, all you lucky Americans should go and buy it on DVD when it comes out early next month and laugh at us, for we shall not see the DVD on these shores until the middle of 2004 at least…)

currently playing: Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - Stay (I missed you)

Only One Man Can Save Them Now.

Draft Boris.

currently playing: R.E.M. - little america

Bow down to Emperor DOOM!

"The world is more peaceful and more free under my leadership." - George W. Bush, 11/28/2003

currently playing: Dexy's Midnight Runners - One of Those Things

The Greatest DVD...Ever!

Who do I have to maim to get a copy of this, hmm?

(for Laura: the Daffy Duck cartoon with the artist being mean to him is the first on Disc 2: Duck Amuck.)

currently playing: Elliott Smith - Stupidity Tries

Please Don't Take A Picture

A Different Time: R.E.M. 1988-2003:

  1. Pop Song 89 (Green)
  2. Turn You Inside-out (Green)
  3. Shiny Happy People (Out of Time)
  4. Texarkana (Out of Time)
  5. Country Feedback (Out of Time)
  6. Drive (Automatic For The People)
  7. Find The River (Automatic For The People)
  8. Sweetness Follows (Automatic For The People)
  9. Bang And Blame (Monster)
  10. Strange Currencies (Monster)
  11. Tongue (Monster)
  12. How The West Was Won (and Where It Got Us) (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
  13. Be Mine (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
  14. Walk Unafraid (Up)
  15. Hope (Up)
  16. Lotus (Up)
  17. I've Been High(Reveal)
  18. She Just Wants To Be (Reveal)
  19. European Bonus Track: Wichita Linesman (b-side on Bittersweet Me UK single)

Not that there's anything particularly wrong with In Time, but you can't fit R.E.M.'s past fifteen years on one CD without leaving out a lot of great records…

currently playing: Blur - Sweet Song