Guitar String Bravado
I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years but this week had something of an epiphany. (warning dull short post about guitar strings).
Through My Eyes
My wonky eyes have given me an idea for a new photography project.
The Best Worst Guitar
Epiphone 435i – a 1980s superstrat. HSS, with locking trem. I didn’t know anything about guitars. But I decided I wanted to play electric guitar. Mainly to fit in with some new friends at sixth…
A Voice for Ellie
Today I published my first short story on Amazon Kindle. Well not my first ever short story. It’s just the first that I’ve published on Amazon’s Kindle platform.
Videogame Ghosts
Lack of interactivity is something I’m noticing more and more in games. It’s not that the worlds used to be more interactive – it’s that as the detail in games has increased the level of…
Trouble in Greendale
For many years now Royal Mail Postman Pat Clifton was the man you could always rely on in Greendale. He was the glue that held the community together, the face of officialdom that could be…
Satan’s Navy – not by Patrick O’Brian
It seems the Royal Navy has officially recognised its first Satanist. You can read the full story courtesy of the BBC. At the urging of a friend and because clearly I had nothing better to…
Bagpuss – The Chocolate Biscuit Episode
Remembering a childhood classic now, in the form of my rant about the political ideas behind a certain episode of Bagpus. Well as you remember, Emily, the little girl who seemed to have somehow become…
Behold a Random Selection of Nonsense
Dave…Not His Real Name
I’ve made it pretty clear in the past how I feel about the increasing dumbing down of the once great BBC News presentation – the…
Children & Violent Videogames
Do you ever just read something and hold your head in your hands in despair? I did when I just read some online debates among…
The Whole Women Bishops Thing
Imagine for one moment that rather than being a lapsed Roman Catholic married to an Anglican priest I’m actually a member of the Anglican church.…
The Wuss-Tones of Modern Rock
What in Tony Iommi’s blessed name is wrong with modern, so-called rock bands? I look at these bands such as Strokes, Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand…
No Sex Please – We’re a College Christian Union
Sexual morality, for want of a better phrase is something I believe is a completely private thing. Your choices on how you express your sexuality…
The Corned Beef Tin of Doom
A gruesome story from ten years ago…the faint-hearted might like to look away now.
Day of the Fondleslab
A few weeks ago my laptop died. The internal fan over the GPU stopped working and within short order the graphics card melted. The first…
Cross Purposes
Once again the subject of wearing crosses in the workplace has reared its head again following the government’s decision that there is no automatic right…
Fiio E5 Headphone Amplifier Review
This isn’t my Cowon S9 32GB review. You’ve probably noticed that from the title. It was meant to be though. I just haven’t finished that…
Life Changing? No, Just a Gameshow
Something odd has happened to British television in the last couple of years. The gameshow, once a staple of primetime television, has disappeared from our…
Dumbing Down Science
There’s a very interesting article about media attitudes to science over at The Guardian Online today. While regular readers of the blog will know I…
An Open Letter to Oliver Letwin MP (Con)
Dear Mr Letwin, I returned home from shopping this lunchtime to find a poor tree had died partly to fund an election “communication” from you…
What’s the matter with Harry?
I’ve not enjoyed the latter half of 2011 thanks to a lingering illness. What’s wrong with me? My guess is something as simple as kidney…
Videogame Ghosts
Lack of interactivity is something I’m noticing more and more in games. It’s not that the worlds used to be more interactive – it’s that…
Through My Eyes
My wonky eyes have given me an idea for a new photography project.
A Retrospective
I recently received the official wedding photos for mine and Lanie’s wedding. I won’t bore you with why it’s taken over three years for me…
British TV Is Rubbish
What on earth has happened to television in recent years? Yes I know we’ve always had plenty of guff on TV such as Mind Your…
Airships – You Know It Makes Sense
I hate flying. Flying on commercial passenger jets that is. Such planes are horrible, claustrophobic, smelly, unsafe, fragile tin-cans that hurtle through the sky at…
Laney Ironheart IRT60H Review
Laney makes great guitar and bass amplifiers and has done since the 60s. Lyndon Laney began as a teenage tinkerer making amps in his shed…
Flappy Paddle Middle Age
I’ve not yet reached the age of forty but it’s pretty clear I am entering middle age. However none of the usual signs are there…
Lightning Over Dorset
I was very lucky to get this shot last night. I’ve tried to capture lighting before but never quite got a satisfactory shot. This one…
Jools Holland’s Formulaic Tosh
There was a time when “Later…” the live music show presented by Jools Holland was essential viewing. On a BBC that knows so little about…
A Response to Mumsnet, On Grief
I read a lot of rubbish on the internet. That’s part of my job. I’ve also developed something of a thick skin, I can even…
The Church Service that Wasn’t
Well Sunday saw us manage something we’ve been aiming to do since we moved into our North London flat, get up early and go to…
Line 6 POD HD500 Tips & Tricks
I’ve been using the new Line6 POD HD500 for a week or so now and I’ve worked out a few tips and tricks you may…
Annoying TV Personalities
It’s a lovely sunny afternoon here in Essex, I’m enjoying a lunch of cheese and onion toasties and feeling all relaxed and happy. So what…
Lancaster Reunion 2003
In February 2003 a few of us old Cartmelians (and a Lonsdale lad) made our way to the hallowed ground of Lancaster University. Those present…
That’s Not My…
There are signs that the “That’s Not My…” baby touchy-feely book series has run its course. It looks like the authors are running out of…