D.I.Y.

I have a love hate relationship with decorating and D.I.Y.. To begin with it's therapeutic but after a while, and particularly when you don't seem to be making much headway in the grand scheme of things, it just becomes a fuckin' drag. Tonight, more drilling and filling (no, you dirty dogs, remember it's DIY) and dust and grit and mess. Well, I say mess but fortunately I avoided dirtying the floors again by catching most of the brick dust in my eye.

I will retire to the relative dust free atmosphere of the Lake District for a couple of days. If I can see to find it that is.

moving towards sex

This Christmas I've decided to do something different - buy a new house. Having picked up the keys I now have the job of making it liveable . It doesn't need much (o.k. a new gas range and kitchen, blinds, some flooring etc.) but it needs a repaint inside after filling and sanding a million picture hook holes and plugs where fittings used to be (randomly arranged of course). I spent today arranging electricity, home phone, multi room satellite - amazingly I have got the dates I wanted even though there's only 3 working days between Christmas and new year. I love it when a plan comes together although I think I slept in with my ADSL provider - they need up to 3 weeks to activate the DSL line with the phone provider. Getting my business line looks like it's going to take a while longer, probably because my company will take several days to do anything at their end to start the order process off. Twats. 1 day down and counting. Of course now I have to get a move on and get my filling, sanding and painting done around Christmas. Still, should be relatively settled by new year's eve. Did someone say party? Music, t.v., fridge - prioritise! So if I disappear for a while you'll know where I've gone unless it's new year's eve in which case even I'll not know where I am.

p.s. I hope I get some sex soon other ways I may burst. It won't be pretty. Wish me luck.

a wee weep

In a house full of televisions and satellite boxes it's hard not to flick through a few channels and catch something worth watching . Tonight I was perusing the film channels and happened upon Love Actually . A few years ago I wouldn't have given a film like this the time of day but I stopped changing channels and let it wash through . I saw it a few weeks ago too,sitting in on a Saturday night, my daughter tucked up in bed . Hugging a large glass of merlot I sat there getting emotionally involved at all the to-ing and fro-ing in each of the relationships while listening to it's fantastic soundtrack . Now don't get me wrong, it's not Oscar material because it's a feel good movie with stories of love lost, but there are half a dozen performances in there that get you involved - like Liam Neeson but particularly Emma Thompson and Laura Linney . Long story short - I got a trembly chin a few times and some wet cheeks . Tonight, it was already part way through when I came upon it . And when my emotions had been engaged I drifted off to think about my daughter . I can't imagine my life without her .
Turn on the taps .

Rachel Stevens checks your nuts

I used to fancy Rachel - sort of "girl next door" thing going on - not stick thin , you know , a bit of meat on her rump . Can't sing for shit , but nice videos .

Anyway , she's fronting up a campaign to help increase cancer awareness in men and to this end has made this short flashplayer video .

Glastonbury Music Festival 2005

The U.K.'s largest annual music festival takes place this weekend . Headline acts from all spheres of popular music take to the stage over 3 days .

Listen to or view live webcasts of some of the acts appearing on Friday , Saturday and Sunday .

Further info

1 Giant Leap

Every once in a while a piece of music comes along that breaks the mould and becomes a necessary part of your sustinence . This was the case for me a couple of years ago with a CD that was released . It's still in my car CD player today ! I challenge anyone reading this not to like it .

It was a project begun by 2 people but included many others , like Michael Stipe of R.E.M. , Robbie Williams , Maxi Jazz of Faithless , Neneh Cherry , Senegalise singer Baaba Maal , the Indian vocalist Asha Bosle as well as actors , writers and philosophers . The concept was to record artists from many different cultures / countries playing together and being able to learn and interact with each other . However , these artists would not meet as the album was recorded largely on 2 laptops powered by car batteries as the intrepid 2 moved around the world . the result was an amazing album , simply called 1 Giant Leap . To whet your appetite a downloadable fact-pack is available on PDF which tells you more about it than I ever could .

I'd encourage everyone to go out and buy this either on DVD or CD . I know it can be bought at Amazon in the U.S. and here in the U.K. ( the project's website can sell it direct too ) . If you're in any doubt have a read through the reviews on the Amazon link .

The full story is covered on the project's website .

Here's a link to a review from a BBC webpage and a more detailed review from sound on sound .