tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81884862008-11-14T21:12:48.405ZMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.comBlogger409125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-90455812856016687872008-11-14T21:13:00.000Z2008-11-14T21:12:48.608Z

I just read a Sky News ticker at Manchester Piccadilly. It said 'Prince Charles celebrates 60th birthday * Tragedy 'could have been avoided'.' Only by his untimely demise. Time makes fools of us all, and in Britain at least, sexagenarians of most of us. Assuming it was a mistake, the following 5 mins of messages gave no indication of what other tragedy they meant.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-74131181458606742402008-10-30T20:40:00.002Z2008-10-30T20:44:12.662Z

I was standing by the counter in the world's best known chain of "restaurants" waiting for my fries to cook, and a man with a pronounced French accent walked in. He asked for a "Royale Cheese". The two ladies behind the counter looked at him blankly. He asked again. Same response. So then he said "Big Mac". I intervened. "You mean a big cheeseburger, right?" "Yes" "(to staff) He wants a

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-57976598146438171582008-10-14T21:40:00.002+01:002008-10-15T10:16:24.513+01:00

Stand By Me and Message in a Bottle are up on the music page. I screwed something up exporting them though, and they're a bit too fast and high. Personally I think I might prefer it as it is. See what you think. Click the music link to the right. Edit: The files themselves aren't the problem - right click on the line in the flash player and choose download file, and it will give you the MP3 at

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-12852953472430540272008-10-13T12:03:00.000+01:002008-10-13T12:09:06.653+01:00

Superego: Everyone had a really good weekend, and I'm pleased that whatever I contributed to the day helped that to happen. Ego: I had a really good weekend. And I was pretty good when the speeches came round. Id: I want to have another really good weekend. Matt: When I have a few hours I'll actually write what happened, pop a few photos up and tell you all about it. But it was pretty good -

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-56654628951168141932008-10-08T21:29:00.002+01:002008-10-08T21:42:20.878+01:00

I sometimes maintain that Art Garfunkel was my second favourite member of Simon and Garfunkel. This is now no longer true. It's a technicality, but until Paul Simon plays me a live show, I don't think I can make a comparison. And Art is a good lad. His show consisted of about 50% Paul Simon tunes (from the time of their collaboration and afterwards). There were songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim,

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-19066845215214112402008-10-08T12:18:00.000+01:002008-10-08T12:20:26.892+01:00

Does all this email nonsense work then? Can i put a picture on my blog from my mobile? One that looks suspiciously familiar to readers of b3ta.com?

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-15011105453002399942008-10-05T18:46:00.002+01:002008-10-05T18:50:02.957+01:00

Following a friend's redesign I thought I'd try one of my own. I didn't realise it but until this post I had precisely 404 posts on this blog. If I was just a little geekier, I'd try to make a joke out of that. I've brought the blog to the front page (long overdue) and I've found new flash jukebox functionality, and a nice map that tracks where I've taken photos. Have a poke around, and if

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-81798320052180283282008-10-02T09:56:00.000+01:002008-10-02T10:01:20.029+01:00

Last night at the O2. And he played a beauty. He wrote all the songs. I mean ALL of them. Not just the ones he played last night, but actually all of them. I'm not a huge fan, but I'm definitely won over after last night. That is all.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-11614847475191392422008-09-29T21:56:00.002+01:002008-10-05T17:26:17.974+01:00

I've rerecorded Back in Black, as I had a few gripes with the way it came out last time. This time, I have less gripes. Ziggy Stardust is also on there, and the original take of Back in Black. It's all on the music page.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-17312003867915157962008-09-25T13:20:00.001+01:002008-09-25T13:29:52.238+01:00

I saw a sign on a back road near Tottenham Court Road station a couple of days ago. It said "Polite Notice: Please leave quietly as this is a residential area". There was a director of the BBC, News I think, who once banned his staff from describing anyone as "famous". The word was either unnecessary or incorrect, he reasoned. I think the notice falls into the same bracket. We do not

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-2405022803226283762008-09-22T21:01:00.002+01:002008-09-22T21:05:42.405+01:00

It's clear I need to keep working on lots of things, both my recording technique and my singing, not to mention bum notes from the guitar and some tuning issues with my kazoo. That said, I hope that you'll enjoy my latest musical offering. One track. The first recording I've made completely independently (and it shows Jim, your expertise will definitely be needed in the future). Please check out

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-60497745427886246322008-09-19T12:28:00.002+01:002008-09-19T12:47:25.635+01:00

Paul's stag weekend was not blog material. There's some sort of rule about what goes on tour staying on tour, which I've already broken extensively, and plan to break some more, but not on the internet. However, when the dust settled and we made it back to work on Monday, I'd got a Metallica gig lined up for the Monday night. It was a fanclub gig, and I'd had to join a mailing list to get into

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-18313970278038413212008-09-08T11:00:00.000+01:002008-09-08T11:30:33.414+01:00

On Friday evening Elissa and I popped into Tesco, picked up sandwiches, some smoothie, a couscous salad and a couple of cream slices, and headed to St Pancras to catch our train. Our train to Paris, where we'd be spending what we had down as a very relaxing weekend. Arriving at Gare Du Nord we headed to the Metro and got off just across the bridge from Notre Dame. Our hotel was a short walk away

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-44219790666254806312008-08-12T12:51:00.000+01:002008-08-12T12:53:41.763+01:00

I'm getting keys to my new place tonight! And moving in very soon! In the last few weeks Elissa and I visited Snettisham, and saw birds flying around in vast numbers, there have been a couple of parties, we've watched a few films and, well, everything. But the photos are the best bit, and cause I still don't live anywhere, not much of it is online. Maybe this blog stuff needs to take a

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-31685122621273246982008-07-29T14:43:00.000+01:002008-07-29T14:50:16.852+01:00

A few weeks ago, Elissa and I took the Metropolitan Line from Aldgate East to Liverpool Street. So did a pigeon. It hid in its own seating well until we approached the station, and then just before the doors opened, it took off, meaning that when the doors did open it could exit the train above the boarding passengers. Presumably it wouldn't have to do this if pigeons were included in the usual "

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-12617930326729177442008-07-11T14:24:00.002+01:002008-07-11T14:34:18.891+01:00

I bought a kazoo a couple of days ago. This was in no small way inspired by Swannee-Kazoo from I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. I intend to put it to good use in a month or two, when I'll have a computer with gadgets attached to it, to pick up all the subtlety of its soothing tones. Last night I was walking past a busker playing "Sittin' on the dock of the bay" and he was just coming up to what I

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-68965728580293665632008-07-08T09:26:00.001+01:002008-07-08T09:34:50.645+01:00

So I moved up to Corby Glen for a few weeks while I trained for my new job, in Peterborough. I have since made it back to London, on numerous occasions, but now, more permanently. And in the last few weeks, the following mildly diverting things have happened. Elissa came up to Corby, saw a hedgehog for the first time, spotted two barn owls, and enjoyed Stamford's premier tourist attractions,

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-35611196888054534712008-06-10T18:49:00.002+01:002008-06-10T19:00:01.247+01:00

This weekend was beautiful. Saturday was mostly dry and warm but the weather on Sunday was something else. Everyone and his mother was out in Tooting Bec Common, where Elissa and I arrived at 5pm with a fishing rod and some freshly buttered toast. We were hoping to catch ourselves a squirrel! In the corner of the common, two squirrels started to show an interest. We pulled out the fishing rod

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-14204000463318520722008-05-27T19:54:00.005+01:002008-05-27T20:52:28.453+01:00

I'm back in Corby for a few weeks while I train in Peterborough, to do my job in London. I lived in Corby for the first 18 years of my life, before I moved to London to study, and so it's packed full of (mostly) happy memories and emotional significance. While this sort of post is probably akin to posts of people's cats (yes, your cat is lovely to you, but why do I have to look at it?) I thought

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-80379222916820831382008-05-23T18:24:00.003+01:002008-05-23T18:43:29.600+01:00

I got a job. I'm a database analyst for one of the nation's leading magazine publishers, and currently based in the Peterborough area. I'll be back in London in a month. The people in the office are friendly and cheerful, and my boss is a man who recently did a skydive in a mankini. For charity, it should be noted. If I don't say that it was for charity, people have generally been concerned for

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-6743732037204385992008-05-12T21:54:00.002+01:002008-05-12T22:00:27.928+01:00

I've not written anything for about a month, and nothing worth reading for much longer - since I got back really. I am planning to write lots here, when I get my camera working again, when I know what's going on with my life. Almost as notes to myself for the future, but so you know what's happening, I've just been offered a job (through an agency, so I still don't know the details), I've joined

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-24414445759426146822008-04-14T16:47:00.002+01:002008-04-14T16:54:15.717+01:00

Tripod were one of my favourite things about Australia. Here they give Oasis all the respect they deserve. Download the MP3 here, and a bunch of others from here, under Recommended downloads.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-5387109722142920132008-04-14T15:13:00.003+01:002008-04-14T15:22:40.507+01:00

Me and my tight friends have a habit of drinking in Sam Smith's pubs, where you can buy a round for you and four friends and a bag of crisps with a tenner. A few of us were out last night in The Princess Louise, which was recently refurbished and has lots of little booths with tables in them, for the drinker looking for privacy and getting there good and early. We talked about many things, but

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-15835207137126933102008-04-06T17:57:00.003+01:002008-04-07T17:58:55.735+01:00

This weekend I went to Rock The House in Lincolnshire, a benefit concert for a friend of a friend who was injured around 12 months ago. There were a series of great performances from a variety of people, including the boy's father, who played a very emotional folk set. Later on in the evening, I had just a smidgen too much to drink, and fell over a log, splitting my forehead open and requiring 4

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188486.post-43012777812630167042008-03-26T12:33:00.002Z2008-03-26T12:41:24.271Z

I have just been reading what seems like an ongoing saga in the UK news. Gordon Brown wants to pressure the government into voting for a bill to allow experimentation on part human, part animal embryos. This conjures up a lot of strange images, not entirely unlike that mouse with an ear on its back. Personally I'm in favour of it, because it has been described as 'militantly atheist' by various

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02903342994529623737noreply@blogger.com2