Toys, changes

Now I know I've said this before, but I think I might just be finally off the Irish project. There'll be a few bits and pieces I'll probably be hassled about in the coming weeks, but I'm now committed to two main things: an entertainment project and a pitch for some retail work, both of which are intriguing and exciting to say the least. This all kicks off on Monday. I'm also coaching a junior BA onto the Irish project - hopefully this won't take up too much time but we'll see, I suppose.

This weekend's been fun so far - yesterday the Kiwi and I went to the 'Opportunities New Zealand' show to get some info on things relating to moving there; freight, money transfers, jobs and so on. I'm not sure how helpful it was, but we did meet a shipping company who seemed to know what they were talking about, and I picked up a brochure from a recruitment person who had lots of technology delivery jobs by the looks of it. I'll be the first to confess that this isn't precisely where I see my career going, but it's the most likely option in an industry where ecommerce isn't really happening at any scale.

We also had a look in Trailfinders for flights over there via Canada (snowboarding), terrifically expensive as always, but some reasonable deals to be had and to be honest we'd sort of expected it wouldn't be cheap. Irritating that a single ticket is about the same price as a return though, not news to me but it always gets on my nerves. More on this as it develops.

In other news, I have a new toy to share with you. In the box on the right, I've linked up my Nike+ account, which shows all the running I'm doing. It's a little widget that fits on my running shoe and onto my iPod, which then tracks my pace, distance and times, and when my iPod is connected to my PC, uploads all the data to my profile on the Nike+ website. Brilliant.

In fairly typical fashion, I bought the widget and then had to buy an iPod; fortunately I picked one up on eBay for not very much. Today's run was to the tune of the new Elbow album, which is brilliant. I got the new REM one the other day too, but it still leaves me cold, much like every other thing they've ever done. I've really tried hard with that lot, but it's never worked, with the possible exception of Up, which most people seem to think is their bleakest and most depressing album... not sure what that says about me but somehow I found it a little more, um, profound than Shiny Happy People. That song provokes some very dark and violent feelings in me for some reason.

Hermitude

I know, I know, it's been ages since I last posted. I'm not ignoring you all or getting bored with bloggery, I've just been making a concerted effort to preserve my health and bank balances by staying in (and thus out of trouble) for the past couple of weeks. Bar half a night out with some old digital people (Blair, Dan A and some others) last week I've been very good indeed, even last weekend when I practically became one with the sofa. Bliss.

On the work front, things are pootling along quite nicely thank you very much. I've made my decision and am staying firmly within the retail team, as firstly it's what I understand and secondly there's a fair old job to be done in getting this business to behave like the market leader it's become. So that's that. It does mean I've now got a ton of work to do as well as my day job though...

The Kiwi and I went to the premiere of Beowulf on Sunday, what a lark that was - red carpet, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins (who was very gracious when the Kiwi burst out in solitary applause when he walked past - he'd so play her dad in the film of her life) etc. Truth be told it's a distinctly average film, but the 3D imagery really is quite special. It also gives you the opportunity to turn around halfway through the film and titter at the whole audience looking like Buddy Holly with their 3D specs on.

And as those who keep an eye on my Facebook profile will know, I'm less than impressed with Ms Jolie up close, which continues my trend in finding women who're known for being something special a bit average in the flesh. Shallow, I know, but I just can't help it. They all need to just eat some pies or something.

A slightly grumpy post

My word, what a weekend. I'll try to give something of a snapshot in a short pre-work post:

 

Friday night, dinner at Satay in Brixton before Maximo Park, which was a brilliant affair although some cruel prankster had slipped some pieces of orange into an otherwise tasty grilled lamb dish (heathens). The Kiwi had the foresight (not to mention the contacts) to check the stage times beforehand, so unlike Kathryn we arrived at about 2145 with enough time to struggle to the bar, narrowly avoid a fight, purchase four pints (THIRTEEN QUID!!) and shuffle to my favoured Academy spot (three quarters of the way down, on the left-hand side) just as they launched into their set.

Now, although they were superb as always, there was something amiss. I'm going to come across as awfully snobby here, but I've consistently noticed that the more popular a band is, the less enjoyable their gigs are. Up to a point - massive stadium shows have their place. What I'm talking about is this. When the Kiwi and I went to see the Park at ULU in early 2005, before the album release, we paid about £9, got into a packed venue and generally got a bit excitable with the rest of the crowd. The Academy on Friday night was full of proper part-timers: drunk, lairy, pushy and aggressive. Barely paying any attention to what they'd paid £18 to see, acting more like they were in the local Wetherspoon's. Sort of takes the edge off the whole thing, if you catch my drift.

As for the band, predictably ace, with an almighty version of Limassol which built up into a massive, practically Jesus and Mary Chain-like frenzy of feedback and general noise. Graffiti and Our Velocity also stood out, note perfect. My one criticism, and again accuse me of being elitist or whatever, was that they lacked their earlier sense of desperation and mania - hate to use the word but I think 'edginess' is what they lacked here. Paul Smith always seemed on the verge of a complete breakdown whilst performing; on Friday there was more swagger, more comfortable self-assuredness, and that really didn't sit with the Park brand. Even Lukas Wooler's trademark jerky flailing seemed a touch contrived.

I guess it's unavoidable in some ways - if success removes you from the environment that formed part of your original formula, it'll be hard to reproduce with any credibility. Oasis are a case in point here. And maybe I'd been put in a sour mood by paying thirteen quid for four pints of watered down Carling.

Anyway, the rest of the weekend consisted of the two of us driving up to West Yorkshire in a lovely silver Peugeot convertible (much good that did us this weekend...), staying with an old friend who's just moved up there, watching the rugby (hooray!) and coming home again. It's so good to be reminded that there's more to this country than horrid old London, and the north really does have the best bits. 

Coming out

So having recently left the entertainment business, I recently bought the first two CDs I've bought in around two years. An odd experience, and to be honest one which compounded my lack of faith in digital music as a mass format. I use iTunes and WMP as my media players, and have a Creative Zen as a portable player. At some point in the future I might consider going back to an iPod, so I need my music library as MP3s. Which means buying CDs, unless I'm after something that happens to be available as such, which is relatively unlikely. I don't steal music, so CDs are my only option.

Anyway, I'm skirting the point. The confessional nature of this post is brought on by the realisation that something I've always suspected about myself needs to come out. I need to come out of the closet as a bit of a country music fan. One of the CDs which arrived last night was an earlier album from the lovely Neko Case, whose 'Fox Confessor Brings The Flood' is one of my all time faves. That particular album is, as they say, 'a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll', but this one, 'The Virginian' is proper a-wailin' and a-toe-kickin' Dolly Parton / Carlene Carter COUNTRY music. And I rather like it.

Well that was a surprise. I might go out and buy a rhinestone jacket or something, not really sure where this leaves me.

FYI - the other CD was Jenny Wilson's 'Love and Youth', which I've not really listened to yet, but bought on the strength of 'Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward', off the latest Modular 'Leave Them All Behind' mix. And also, can't help but mention this, I'm not that far from the entertainment industry that I can't get into the premiere of the new Fantastic Four film last night, and the aftershow to boot. Celeb-tastic... although it has brought me a bit more into the size zero debate as Oh My God they're all practically emaciated and frankly that's not attractive. I'm talking to you Jessica Alba: eat more pies.

... and now to work. It's actually 0704; the clock on this blog seems to be out. More later...