Dissatisfaction

I have yet to do my Christmas blog, things keep cropping up although the most recent event ought to enable me to get more done.

My television died.

If you like a black screen with an irritating repetitive clicking sound then I have just the tv for you.

Damn it. I'd watched one episode of the DVD I got for Christmas, the third season of The Secret Life Of Us. Which is, by the way, one of my all time favourite programs. So having it sitting on my shelf, taunting me with its newness is really quite distressing. Well disappointing.

I need a new tv. Right after the expense of Christmas. Excellent.
I'm thrilled.
No really, it's just that I'm hiding my ecstasy really well right now.

Song Of The Week III

I absolutely adore The Peatbog Faeries. I can't remember the first time I heard or saw them, only that I was hooked from the very first moment.

I think my favourite song of theirs is either Caberdrone or Macedonian Woman's Rant, but as I can find neither on youtube, this is the one I'm going with.

As far as I'm concerned, if there's fiddle and pipes you just can't go wrong. I'm pretty much in heaven.

Song Of The Week II

I absolutely love this song. I'm very grateful to my good friend Dominic for introducing me to Laura Marling and this song captured my attention from the first time I heard it and it has just grown and grown on me.

I've seen some comments on youtube that say the video is dull, now maybe I'm dull too, but I like the video too!

It's all rather super chaps!

World Domination

I've been driving around today as I've finally started my Christmas shopping, and nearly completed it too by the way!
Anyway, I have come to the decision that when I finally get around to taking over the world I am going to start making some new laws.
The first one that I am desperate to instigate is that the imbeciles who make random manoeuvres in the road without indicating should have their tyres shot out. In fact all the drivers that get to T-junctions and fail to indicate which direction they intend to take will be getting their tyres shot out.
I have yet to figure out the logistics of this but I figure, seeing as I'll have taken over the world I'll have minions to think about the boring logistics.

I had thought about the death penalty for the indicator-less imbeciles but I wonder if that is not a smidgen on the extreme side. So it's death to the tyres instead.

I'm working on more laws and punishments for more heinous crimes, such as failing to recycle properly. I'm not sure what the punishment is for that yet. I think the shopping expedition has curtailed my imagination.

Countdown

I guess the countdown has officially begun. It's less than a week. Which also probably means I should get started on that whole Christmas lark. I do work best under a deadline so maybe leaving it until the last minute will be my new way of doing things.
I was always up late the night before an essay was due so maybe that's just the way I work. Although it might also be that I loathed essay writing and avoided it as long as humanly possible.
I've been quite frank this past year about my dislike of birthdays, which goes almost hand in hand with my dislike of Christmas and New Year.
For me the antipathy towards Christmas stems really from it being so incredibly commercialised and the sheer length of time it goes on for. If the excitement started in December I might find it easier to get excited, but by the time December finally rolls around I'm already weary of it. There's only so many illuminations the eye can take in before it starts to roll backwards into the head.
I was thinking about the twelve days of Christmas. Now most of the old songs get covered in the end, updated a little but really, it'd have to be the ninety days of Christmas. How long before advent calendars start in November?
I sound like Scrooge I'm sure, a certain amount of ribbing seems to be expected by those who share my feelings about Christmas. "Bah Humbug" being bandied around with regularity.
But you know, I don't really mind that, because it's better to accept these things, admit to yourself and everyone that there are times of the year you simply don't enjoy. We're all different. My Christmas is usually my festival time, hanging out, doing the things I love, listening to music I love and feeling completely and utterly relaxed. Maybe it's the essence of Christmas that seems to be being lost.
This is essentially a religious celebration, although over dates once celebrated by Pagans, it is now almost wholly seen as a Christian celebration. Not long until the Solstice though, which is on the 22nd. However, we forget all the origins and become obsessed with the gifts under the tree or the Coca-Cola'ised Santa.

Don't get me wrong, I love gifts, both in giving and receiving. Who doesn't really? Honestly?
Maybe I'm just being more honest this year about Christmas because my festival was so unhappy earlier in the year.
Maybe I'll just concentrate on working out some stonking resolutions for the brand-spanking-new year that is starting to work its way into my consciousness.

Song Of The Week I

I'm somewhat addicted to music, most of it of the folk variety, although my favourite thing about that genre is that it's such a hugely broad genre and can effectively encompass a myriad of other genres from blues to bluegrass, from country to klezmer, from fado to reggae, and so on and so on...

However I don't think this particular song would ever sneak into a folky genre.
But I love it all the same and it's been one of my most listened to songs this week, so in this splendid feature that is purely for my own benefit here it is:

You Know My Name by Chris Cornell:

I don't know exactly what it is that hooks me about it, but I love it. I did from the first time I heard it.
It made me want to watch the movie too, which, by the way, I was disappointed by. I know you some of you loved it, but despite how much more real Bond was, I missed the Bond of Roger Moore. I'm sure that's sacrilege to many but I like humorous Bond. I like Q and I like gadgets. What can I say. I'm a geek.
I know that Daniel Craig's Bond was closer to the Bond of the novels, but still.
That's not to say that Mr Craig didn't make a damn fine Bond, for he did.
Anyway, as is my wont, I digress. Enjoy!

Dogsitting

I'm not used to having a dog. I forget that if you put something edible on the floor, it's not likely to remain there for long. I also forget that this pooch:has a predilection for discovering what treasures you have chosen to throw away. Unfortunately, yesterday I chose to throw away an almost empty container of Poppy Red hair dye. The little white Louis is now a little pink. I may have chortled a little.

I was walking him this morning and saw the funkiest blackbird. It had a completely white 'forehead' and was covered with little white spots, so that it looked almost polka-dot. It's been a long time since I've seen any wild albino animals, I guess they're too much of a target to predators, but damn he was funky. I want one!

On Monday when I went to the barn I pulled up in front of the barn doors and noticed a flock of birds splashing in one of the big puddles and realised I was watching dozens of fieldfares all enjoying a good bathing session. I sat in my car and watched as they seemed to play, splashing each other. I can't remember the last time I saw a fieldfare and I wonder if they're on their way to somewhere warmer, stopping briefly in my puddle for a spruce up. I checked, and it seems they winter here, so I'd love to know where they spend their summers.

I've been after a chair for my bathroom for ages and on Monday I spotted the campest purple chair ever, and for a bargain price so it was mine. Or so I thought. Someone else has proclaimed ownership:

It's a bit of a rubbish photo, but Mifford is already covering my camp chair with her furry self. She really believes that what's mine is also hers.