Surely this can't be true?

Interesting fact No.5
John Prescott has never sent an email (!!!!!!!!)

Fancy some cash?

It would appear that a sum up to £20k was up for grabs in a Welsh street. A man shouted "Who wants free money?" before scattering £20 notes everywhere. As you can imagine, there was a mad scramble! Story here. It would be interesting to hear what the story is behind it. Was the money stolen? Is it fake? It might be nice to make up some different senarios. Give it a go!

AllofMP3

Evil or not? I believe that it's the Russian mafia but I'm turning a blind eye to all the downloading from the site that is happening in my house.
Site here
News story here

Shooting from the hip

I used the expression "Shooting from the hip" the other day and realised that it isn't an expression that I've ever used before. I'm guessing that in old cowboy films, if the hero fired his gun as soon as it was out of its holster, he was shooting from the hip. Acting on pure emotion, without aiming or weighing up the consequences of his actions.

Sweet and Sour

This cast a little brightness on a cloudy day: the story of a cat who can sense when its owner is about to have an epileptic fit and sits and stares at him. I presume this means the man can take preventative measures...

Unfortunately I heard this morning that a childhood friend committed suicide at the age of 44. Words fail me...

Genuine Authenticity

One thing we're good at as a nation is cynicism. Politicians don't get respect, bands are labelled "manufactured" and even authors are regarded with suspicion with their "true life catalogue of childhood abuse" books. Everything is about an angle, the edge, something different that will grab the nation. Like soduku. But the public don't want to feel manipulated because of course for "an edge", there's a high reward. Find the edge and you'll get loads of money. So instead of an edge just happening and everyone feels good at this new angle (but bored with it after a few months and it isn't new any more), people search for the edge, that extra something that will sweep the nation and reap huge financial rewards. This means that maybe my husband is right about the Arctic Monkeys- we went to see them at the Waterfront just before "Bet that you look good on the dancefloor" broke- a small but growing band in a small venue. The place was packed and there seemed to be a large number of nutty fans who sang loudly, pogo'd and went completely nuts. I just thought they'd built up a dedicated fan base who follow them around the country but admittedly, there was something strange about that kind of reaction to a band that were relatively new. Joolian still believes that it was a rent-a-mob, paid by the record company to whip up not only a positive vibe but a fervour surrounding the group. I enjoyed the gig but thinking about it the nutty crowd did add considerable atmosphere and "wow" factor. Were they genuine fans or a marketing ploy?
Blogs are another arena where "ordinary folk" can be discovered: one was a prostitutes blog who firstly got a column in a broadsheet, swiftly followed by a book deal. A more recent one is Wanderingscribe who apparantly was homeless and lived in a car. She made no bones from the outset that her intention was to secure a book deal. And by jingo, she has. However there is a backlash against Wanderingscribe with its own backlash blog. If you wanted to be really cynical, who's to say that that isn't just adding to the hype?
And we have Sandi Thom, just a struggling artist try to break through. Or is she? Was she signed to a record label before her home gig broadcast on the web?

I don't really know and I'm not sure I care. From the point of view that all the machine is interested in is making money, I do care that integrity is lost and we the gullible public are ripped off for every penny they can get. But from the point of view that talent can be discovered in a multitude of ways and the methodology isn't important remains. Let's face it: Pop Idol brought to us Will Young, Big Brother has brought us... nothing and probably never will. Long live Genuine Authenticity.

Go Serbia Montanegro!

Well in work's football sweepstake, I drew hot favourites Serbia! How everyone was envious of me!

Interesting fact No.4

Professional football referees can run 13km in a match

Creative Men

I have noticed that a lot of blogging men are creative with cameras. Maybe they paint or sketch too, I don't know but that never becomes apparant. What is apparant is that men like photography and that blogging is a good way to display what they've done. But why are men attracted to photography? What is it that means they may not be in art in a pen to paper/paint to canvas/moulding clay kind of way? I think it's to do with the instantaeousness of it, especially with digital cameras. Boof! There's an image- not quite right- Boof!- There's another- Perfect! What do you think?

Prescott gives up Dorneywood home

Who runs this country: us via an elected democratic government or the media?
Humph...