If you have an interest in UK politics then this could be right up your street or, at least, somebody’s street. The design is a little crude but downingstreetsays.org has just joined my list a Bloglines. Somebody’s got to keep an eye on what Tony’s saying!
I was mighty impressed that the report highlighting downingstreetsays.org at BBC News didn’t feel the need to explain weblogs to anybody. Hoorah. Happy Tuesday!
February started so well on this site and then I faded by the end of the month. I am not entirely sure what lead to this state. It’s a double-edged sword – or some such saying – as during the time I could have been writing here I have been the gym which is proving more enjoyable than you might imagine. For those of you that know me you’ll understand what a surprise that is to me. However, I do want recommendations for the perfect tracks to fill one hour in the gym to stick on my mp3 machine. Sky News can get quite depressing when you are on a treadmill.
I have managed to say very little about marriage in San Francisco – except to say congratulations to Jase – because, frankly, a lot of other people were saying it better than I was. I decided I want to go to Paris again, but instead booked a holiday to Orlando.
So, I’ll leave February by saying congratulations to Lord of The Rings on winning 11 Oscars. Not because I, for one moment, think anybody from that film will read this but because I enjoyed the trilogy very much indeed.
Anyway, I predict an interesting March. I hope it’s reflected here.
2005: More Politics
2003: Haunted Castle
2003: Ben Affleck In Tight Leather
You may have noticed that at some point last week a couple of pictures arrived in the top bar of Listen to Musak. For a while I have felt that the front page of my site is a little dull so I have been thinking of ways to add some images. The lovely bodies pictured are intended to be temporary. They will get replaced with images from my gallery or photo selection soon. I have, however, troubled over the layout.
The Mozilla layout engines makes the front look like this
I believe this to be incorrect layout but my style sheet knowledge is limited. I think it’s the better look. Internet Explorer and Opera look like this
which I don’t like as much but I think is technically correct.
If you know that I am wrong and have just done some obviously bad coding then please let me know.
2005: Prevention of Terrorism Bill
2003: Spend Spend Spend (Online)
You know it’s a very strange world indeed:
Authorities arrested the mother of a 17-year-old boy who saw his picture on a missing children’s Web site and discovered that he was allegedly abducted from Canada 14 years ago. [Source]
It must be quite horrific to discover that you’d been kidnapped. My heart goes out to the kid who must be torn apart right now.
2004: Pankcakes Anyone?
2004: Where Should I Send It?
2003: About Schmidt
2003: Catch Me If You Can
It’s pancake day tomorrow. Now, my gym buddy and I are on a bit of a health kick. We want a body like Andrew Kinlochan or Philip Oliver, but that’s never going to happen. But, I would like to know if anybody has a recipe of a low fat version of the classic British pancake.
And if anybody’s interested. Gym Buddy and I have, so far, stuck to our routine so all is going well.
2004: Missing
2004: Where Should I Send It?
2003: About Schmidt
2003: Catch Me If You Can
Well, I spent the weekend in Weymouth in Dorset where the wind was howling around but the company was good and the photographs non-existent. I even watched the Rugby, which I am sure would make my father happy, and enjoyed it. While I was away I managed to read about What the Bible really says about marriage – there are some interesting links in that article so you should really read it.
Additionally, I discovered that I have 30 free Orange Photo Messages to use before the end of the month. I just don’t know who would be interested in pictures of my desk! Oh, I also I booked a holiday! Here’s a clue. What do I need to do to ensure that I get a reasonably smooth passage into the US and where do you get an International Driving Licence these days?
This morning I am trying to resist the urges of caffeine by drinking a Strawberry and Banana smoothie. I’m just not doing very well. So I am trying to resist caffeine pangs by reading Steph’s Story; how I much would I like to be in Paris right now? And that’s not working either.
2004: Missing
2004: Pankcakes Anyone?
2003: About Schmidt
2003: Catch Me If You Can
Last week San Francisco allowed same-sex couples to legally wed – at least for now. Congratulations should go to all who married over the past few days but especially to Jase & Michael who married on Valentines Day.
2003: Florence, Italy
Last night – to end a great weekend – we visited the 606 Jazz Club in South London. This is exactly the kind of place I have been looking for since I arrived in town in 1993 and, for some reason, none of the venues that I have previously tried have come close.
It’s an intimate basement Jazz Club and last night Claire Teal and Anita Wardell performed. It was an excellent 3-hour-ish set of new Jazz standards, some new songs and some scatt jazz (which, I believe, is Anita’s trademark). Both of the women’s voices were superb and the backing trio fantastic. You sit right next to the stage area. All the musicians were good but the dexterity exhibited by the drummer was incredible.
The club only has a dinner licence so you have to eat to be able to drink and the menu, if a little pricey, was certainly very good. They do crowd people in – there is very little room between tables – but it added to the atmosphere rather than being uncomfortable.
I shall be going again.
I am not sure if it was all the time spent wandering the streets of London earlier, but PY and I decided to rent a movie this evening and, given that it was already in the house thanks to LoveFilm.com (formerly dvdsontap) we watched Douglas McGrath’s adaptation of Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby.
I didn’t know the story and really didn’t know what to expect. I imagined a period drama and, in truth, I only added it to our rental list to see how Charlie Hunnam performed in a role that was so different from some of his previous work. I was very pleasantly surprised indeed.
The story may – or may not – be faithful to the book but as a story of a young man who must look after his family following his father’s death it was very well done. Hunnam was better than I expected, Christopher Plummer as the Uncle was fantastic and Jim Broadbent was wonderful as Squeers the schoolmaster. Juliet Stevenson was also brilliant as his wife, Mrs. Squeers.
What surprised me most was how well the comedy worked. Parts of the story are very bleak but Dickens used comedy as well as tragedy to make his points and it comes out very well. It’s not belly-laugh humour but the wit is straight to the point.
And, being a DVD, I always try and look at the extras. Douglas McGrath’s Director’s commentary shows how much thought goes into the parts of the film that pass you by.
Recommended as a great period drama that plays well today.
2005: Looking Good In The High Street
2004: Borough Market: Southwark’s Great Food Home
2004: Paying A Quick Visit
So, this is the 12th Valentine’s Day I will have spent with PY. We are spending much of this weekend with friends and exploring new parts of the city.
Last night we were in Balham at Dish Dash. We had previously visited the Goodge Street branch (PY had his 30th birthday party there) but had never been out this way. The evening was spent with plenty of little Persian dishes (Swordfish Kebabs & Spinach and Chick Pea Mazza being my favourite). If you are ever in the area you must go. There were, however, a large number of other, tempting, restaurants in the area Peter Sellars once called ‘Gateway To The South’. It’s an area we must visit more often. Recommendations welcome.
Today we rose early (for a Saturday) to visit the tempting delights of Borough Market. If you have never been this is a gourmet market to be found as you head eastwards. The market sells some top-quality fresh produce, and it’s a charity so it should be preserved. It is also a wholesale market at other times of the day/week. There are all types of breads, vegetables, meat and fish sold by proper market traders who, from what I can tell, know their products very well indeed. The Spanish Chorizo stall had the longest queue I have ever seen for a take-away food stall in London. It must have been superb. We bought Ostrich streaks for dinner this evening and they certainly look very tempting (and almost fat-free, apparently). Gym Buddy and I will appreciate that aspect of tonight’s meal.
Borough Market is in Southwark which must be one of my favourite parts of London. The South Bank from Waterloo and the London Eye via the Tate, Millennium Bridge and The Globe was a deserted riverside area when I first came to London. There was, more-or-less, no life between The National Theatre and Tower Bridge. Nowadays, it’s one of the most bustling areas for tourists and locals alike. I really think a Saturday walk down the south bank of the Thames is well worth it. This is the kind of place which makes all frustrations about living in a big city evaporate. It restores my faith in London.
Tomorrow, we head for Highgate to visit some of of those American friends I mentioned in a prevoius post. Certainly looking forward to Sunday Lunch.
2005: Looking Good In The High Street
2004: Nicholas Nickleby
2004: Paying A Quick Visit