Playing For Change: Song Around the World | Stand By Me from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
My good friend Michael from the Bronte Blues Club sent me the link to this video. A good one for Christmas reflections.Friday, 26 December 2008
Holiday Good Wishes
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Strange Goings-On In the Twitterverse
Having bought an iPod Touch recently I have since had some trouble finding a suitable Twitter app for it. Twitterific is one I’ve used on my desktop mac but somehow for me it does not transfer well to the Touch. Next came Twitterfon. This was better but it still lacked something in terms of looks and usability. Thanks to FruitBytes, I came across Tweetie. This app comes at a cost (£1.79!) but it is a small price well worth paying. It has many benefits over others including the ability to handle more than one Twitter account. Its speech bubble listings and clever use of colour also give it a distinctive look and an element of style.
Reading a few of the latest tweets before being overcome by sleep last night, I came across one of Tweetie’s weirdest features. It takes advantage of the fact that the Touch can ‘know’ one’s location (if you decide to let it), and so Tweetie can find the latest tweets from others in the area. Using Twitter regularly, you get a feeling of knowing those you follow. In many cases they share some interests and so become friends, sort of, even though you have almost certainly never met them (and in all likelihood never will). So to see this new list of complete strangers, well, more complete strangers than your friend-strangers is most err…strange. Perhaps it’s the time of year, but several of their tweets were admissions to being more than slightly the worse for wear. Give it a try. See if you have the same reactions as me.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Obama Twitters No More?
Excited by this, I clicked on the link, expecting some micro-thoughts on his latest recruits, the ecoonomic crisis or even mundanities such as what he was having for breakfast. Disappointed was I to discover he hasn’t tweeted a single line since November 5th!
Now you would have thought that if he could tweet on a daily basis during the madness of a Presidential campaign, he might manage a line or two maybe even once a week during the more relaxed President Elect period.
Hold it! Wait a minute. Was November 5th about the time of his election? Please don’t tell me his Twitter account was just another piece of cynical political marketing? He wouldn’t do that! He’s the Change We Need. He wouldn’t do that. Would he?
Pure Evil and the Power of Language
Old news now. Over a week it’s been since Karen Matthews was found guilty of kidnapping her own child. Yet I feel compelled to write as something that was said during one of the post-trial statements has been bothering me. In his opening remarks, Detective Superintendent Kevin Brennan (above) says ‘Karen Matthews is pure evil.’
He then goes on to describe the events which grabbed the attention of the nation throughout the early months of this year. For those not familiar with this sad tale, Matthews, who lives in Dewsbury, a former industrial town in the north of England, reported her daughter missing one night last February. For three weeks extensive police searches revealed nothing until finally the little girl was discovered in the apartment of Michael Donovan, a relative of Matthews’ partner, a mere mile or so from her home. Joy quickly turned to confusion and then anger as it became clear Matthews was being held as a suspect. These events culminated with the guilty verdict last week.
If he’d described her actions as being pure evil I’m sure most would have either agreed or hardly noticed the comment. It was that labelling of the individual themselves that jarred. Applying the ‘evil’ tag to Matthews herself as opposed to her crime not only makes the comment more damning (which could have been the intention) and permanent, it also adds several unhelpful layers of complexity.
Some time around the birth of political correctness I was working as a teacher. Part of my job was to administer criticism and apply suitable sanctions when pupils did something wrong. During that time it was stressed that admonishment should always refer to the misdemeanour and not the child themselves. Put simply, ‘You are a bad boy/girl’ was frowned upon and discouraged whereas ‘The thing you did was wrong’ was favoured. Generally speaking, this made a lot of sense to me, unlike much of the other petty liberalism of the period. Clearly the crime in question here is far more serious than any child’s prank.
I would want to emphasise I have no argument with investigation or verdict. Matthews and her accomplice undoubtedly deserve to spend a long time in prison and already I have spent too much time and thought agonising over those five short words. Suffice it to say the case was complex and stressful enough without adding comments that raise questions of philosophy, theology and eternal damnation.
There are many more issue connected with this case that are far too complex to go into here: crime and its connections with poverty and unemployment, responsibilities of the social services, the role of the media and stereotyping to name but a few. Do a search. You’ll find plenty.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Hash Tags 'n' Glad Rags
I digress here for a moment or two. My flow has been interrupted while I actually search for the aforementioned key. It’s not displayed on the Apple keyboard. A quick search on the web not only reveals the location of # (alt+3 for uk keyboards) but also that many others have struggled to find it before.
It turns out (and remember, I know there’s huge numbers of you technical folk out there who are saying right now ‘Doh! You don’t know that yet?’ I’m talking to the rest of us) that the # key before a search term actually does a job.
This is how the site http://hashtags.org explains it: “Hashtags are a community-driven convention for adding additional context and metadata to your tweets. They're like tags on Flickr, only added inline to your post. You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol: #hashtag.”
Hmm. Not sure I quite get that. Bit of real-time research needed here. Been to Wikipedia. A bit clearer, but maths never was my strong point. A few more websites later, it seems that, probably stated too simply, the hash tag improves searchability on a database. So if someone tweets using # followed by a term, eg Stephen Fry’s #oscarwildeday, and then someone uses the same term in their tweets, any searches will find all those entries quckly and easily. Another report I found about the use of hash tags was by anti-bullying site BullyingUK.
And of course, for every idea or innovation, there’s always people who see the negatives. As It happens, I think Paul Nich makes a good point here in his explanation that hash keys only work well when the group is big. He suggests another solution for smaller groups or organisations.
So, I’ll be trying a few # searches over coming days and I’ll let you know how I get on.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Why We Blog
Personally, I think he’s right. Well, he is at least for the job he does and for the level at which he works. Firstly, he’s a journalist. Writing is part of his work and if nothing else, a blog gives him the opportunity to demonstrate his craft. Secondly, being in the social networking and marketing industry, his blog is a practical example of how blogging can help a company to grow and thrive. Furthermore, it gives him the right to write about blogging, podcasting and other web based social networking.
For the rest of us, particularly those starting right at the bottom with an audience of nil, keeping going is not quite so straightforward. What to write about is a major issue. ‘Write what you know,’ they say, and ‘don’t write trivia’ about the family dog or the kids. Trouble is, that’s what’s part of people’s lives. It is what they know and they don’t see it as trivial. I would argue that if they do it well then no problem. One of my favourite blogs is by someone who works in Starbucks. Her entries are of no great importance but the anecdotes she relates and her chatty, informal style have enabled her to build an audience to the extent that she feels confident enough to ask for tips. So, I make no apologies for trivia, particularly when I tweet.
Another good reason for blogging at the bottom and keeping going is at least it is a way of displaying a writing ability and developing a suitable style. And the more we do it, hopefully the blog will improve. And who knows? We might even get an audience.
So if, like me, you’re just starting out, why not treat your blog as a morning constitutional? Get up (a bit earlier perhaps?). Bathroom stuff. Enough clothing to be decent. Coffee. Blog.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Social Networking for the Rest Of Us
I have described how this happened for me before but briefly it began in a big way with a presentation by Ian Green of Green Communications, my reading of Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky and following the blogs of influential voices such as Dave Winer, Mitch Joel and others.
Obviously here in Sunny Oxenhope we are a world away from such high fliers (although the internet allows us to be an email away from direct contact and generally if we have something interesting to contribute a reply ensues). What interests me is how this technology can help local businesses - the butcher, greengrocer, hairdresser. How could they become part of the global network and also see their customer base and sales increase? Certainly many such institutions are under constant threat from the big supermarkets and need all the help they can get. Following on from that, is there potential for a local social networking business? If the big corporations can be served by companies such as Green Communications, could local shops and businesses benefit from similar yet smaller scale advice, particularly when sites such as Blogger, Wordpress, Flickr, UpComing or even LinkedIn mean a considerable web presence can be constructed with very little expenditure?
To compare my position with a race or journey, I look way ahead to the leaders, the front runners including the individuals and organisations mentioned above. Looking back though, there is a long tail of social networking stragglers. My excellent local butcher had never heard of Twitter when I mentioned how my tweets about his pies had got a number of responses. He might argue he’s doing very nicely thank you and doesn’t need to get involved in all that stuff. At the very least though it is self-publicity and free advertising. The potential beyond is huge. Just ahead in the race are those who have websites in the same way they have business cards, compliments slips or letterheads. Their sites exist and and are immediately forgotten. Six months later they look tired, neglected and hardly ever visited. I have even come across larger institutions such as museums that still look upon their websites as little more than virtual billboards.
So that’s one of my target for the coming year. To explore how the wonderful world of social networking can be applied successfully to local shops and businesses that are ‘under the radar’ of the big players. Watch this space.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Sherman Robertson at the Bronte Blues Club
I know I’ve said it before, but the house band, BBC5, were in particularly good form. Apparently singer Michael Ford had been suffering with a head cold for a number of days and whatever it was that lingered in his nose or throat gave his voice a pleasingly gravelled edge.
And then came the whirlwind that was the Sherman Robertson Band! Having heard their session on last Monday’s Radio 2 Blues programme with Paul Jones, I knew what to expect in terms of style, but nothing could have prepared our little gathering for the performance that followed. From Beaux Bridges, Louisiana to Laycock Village Hall! It never ceases to amaze me that such a quality of music can be heard at this tiny venue high in the hills.
Sherman Robertson is a truly wonderful guitarist and showman. To me, the sound was vaguely reminiscent of Robert Cray and a number of others confirmed the validity of such a comparison. I saw Cray a few years ago (at Manchester Apollo: an inferior venue) and to me Sherman has the edge. More grit in the voice and guitar style. The supporting band were superb. Loud, but so clear, tight and obviously having a great time. Unfortunately a quick trawl on the old internet has not revealed any names, but I think I heard that the bass and keyboards players hailed from Leicester and the drummer from Birmingham.
Thanks go also to the organisers for managing to capture this rare talent for the Bronte Blues Club. If not thought of as an essential venue on the British blues scene before, it truly is now. A magical night. And it didn’t snow.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Bit Guilty …
I was very pleased about Obama. Whether you like him or not you have to agree it’s good to have a politician elected without having to ‘dumb down’; appear less bright than he is in order to pander to ‘the common man’, whoever that is. Same with Gordon Brown really. He recently seems to have got the plaudits by being serious, being himself, rather than pretending to be something he’s not.
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time updating another site I run. I first designed it using Freeway about four years ago. Now I’m attempting to bring it into the Web 2.0 era using Rapidweaver. Trouble is, it has grown to be huge and so is taking forever to transfer.
Also been using Twitter a lot. I’m enjoying it more and more. There’s a huge variety of people out there and it is truly amazing what can be said in the space of 140 characters.
OK. I’ll try to write something on a more regular basis from now on.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
… and another thing …
Ross, Brand Etc, Again
As many have said already, what gives me the right is the fact that I pay my licence fee. While I've always believed the £100 or so I shell out each year is a bargain, it is not an insignificant figure. For the most part I feel proud to contribute to what I believe is one of this country's greatest institutions.
Still, I was not intending to put my oar in until I heard yesterday afternoon's edition of Running Away on Radio 4. Under other circumstances it would have been just another of those inoffensive afternoon offerings that reflect the lighter side of life. In this programme presenter Tim Samuels takes a 'famous guest' to one of their favourite places, gleaning aspects of their life story along the way. Yesterday it just happened to be Andrew Sachs.
I was expecting a series of anecdotes from his acting and comedy career. Not the case. It turns out that Andrew Sachs, the forgotten figure in all of this, was born in Germany, and the early years of his life had him caught up in the rise of the Nazis. His family only just managed to escape capture and for a time his father was arrested.
And while listening to these revelations, I felt the anger rising. Ross and Brand obviously had no idea they were dealing with a character who is far more than just an old sit-com comedian; someone who has seen and endured far more in life than they could ever imagine. We who came after owe Andrew and his generation so much and any form of belittlement like this is most upsetting.
I understand the BBC is required to cater for all ages and tastes, and this includes the young. But somewhere in the mix there has to be an element of the sort of respect which reflects the fact that older generations were once young and edgy themselves. But then the times themselves had an edge; one which offered challenges far greater than in today's cosetted society.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Why We Blog
Another recommendation from Hugh MacLeod (I’ve linked to his twitters, even though this video argues it might not be such a good idea). As someone with an audience of practically zero, ickledot finds this video particularly reassuring.
Jonathan Ross et al
It might be worth investigating whether this behaviour is part of a trend in radio humour, a bit like what the Office did for the sitcom. Surely programmes with such large audiences don't engage in such antics without planning.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Geese Have Gone
It was great to have them for a second year on our mill pond and we all hope they return in 2009.
Friday, 17 October 2008
Schools Kill Creativity
As mentioned elsewhere, in a previous life I was involved in education in a formal sense, as a teacher. This brilliant presentation highlights some of the reasons why now I am not. Thanks go to Hugh MacLeod for the link.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Stephen Fry in America
Knowing that Stephen is such a technophile (he’s doing some great twitters on his current trip to Kenya), I was expecting to see a page on the BBC site with clips not seen in the broadcast. Haven’t found anything yet.
A minor criticism. Nothing to get upset about. I will be watching next Sunday.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Goose News
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Mark Lawson - A New King of Talk-Shows?
Whereas most talk show interviews are considered long or ‘in-depth’ if they last longer than ten minutes, Lawson has an hour with his subject so the conversation can be allowed to develop. While conversing at such length may be beyond many of our modern celebrities, most, if not all of Lawson’s interviewees have performed well. They appear relaxed and articulate. The programme does not fall into the trap of giving people an opportunity to ‘plug’ their latest product, and this further adds to the relaxed atmosphere. Often, as in the case of Lawson’s latest guest, Melvyn Bragg, the discussion covers a whole career, whole life even.
The Bragg interview (repeated Friday October 3rd, 2.45 am! Set the Sky+) was particularly intense as he described particularly painful periods of his life - his difficulty in accepting the return of his father after the war, his teenage depression, the suicide of his first wife. Echoes of previous discussion programmes such as the famous Face to Face (ickledot is too young to remember the original broadcasts of this series) perhaps, but here the interviewee has freedom to reveal their innermost thought or not.
Mark Lawson has often criticised those who look upon television of the sixties and seventies as being a golden era, his implication being that there are programmes of quality (whatever that is) around today. His brand of ‘talk-show’ amply illustrates his point. Hope it sticks around for a while to come.
Friday, 26 September 2008
The North in Focus
This image shows C. H. Wood with his H-B 1920s plate camera (courtesy Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage).
Sarah 'Miss Teen USA' Palin
Saw this on Dave Winer’s Scripting News blog this morning. Sarah Palin seemed to be a positive choice as John McCain’s running mate a while ago. If this is a truly reflects her knowledge of matters foreign, perhaps the rest of us have much to worry about.
Saturday, 20 September 2008
By Any Means
So I was quite looking forward to seeing Boorman’s latest effort, sans MacGregor, By Any Means. The challenge of this trip to Sydney, as the title suggests, is to get there on as many different forms of transport as possible.
I’m afraid I managed only ten minutes. I could stand Charlie’s grinning face and bulging eyes not a second longer. I’m not sure whether his presentation style has changed or the lack of a partner has made the difference. He now appears as a cross between a modern-day Bertie Wooster and Paul Whitehouse’s ‘Brilliant!’ character from the Fast Show.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Holiday Return!
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Holiday Imminent!
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Trouble in Thailand
A wry smile from ickledot, however, as for the second week running pundit Lee Dixon declared on Match of the Day 2 that there was no better man to be in charge of footballing matters in these troubled times than City’s manager, Mark Hughes. One cannot help thinking that the likelihood of this crisis happening were plain to see when Hughes took the job only a matter of weeks ago and his ‘world-view’ radar may not be quite as finely tuned as his football senses. The sensible option might have been to remain in the relatively secure waters of Blackburn. We shall see.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Steve Parry and Michael Phelps
A couple of days ago the BBC got their swimming pundit and Bronze medal winner Steve Parry to venture out into the crowds in Tiananmen Square and report on proceedings. Unfortunately, he was accompanied by a life-sized cut out of Michael Phelps which had been in their studio throughout the games. What fun ensued as an increasing number of people began gathering round him, mistaking him for Phelps, we were told. I suppose it was a mildly amusing snippet of video to run in between events.
By today, networks throughout the world must have been running low on new angles to cover on the Olympics, particularly as most events were over and only there was only the closing ceremony to come. So there was the BBC reporting on Parry’s adventure once more, only this time with the added twist that the story had been picked up by one of the American networks and Parry was being interviewed by what looked like a morning show anchor team. For some reason they were trying to get him to put on an American baseball cap, presumably to see if he actually looked like Phelps.
Talk about the media covering itself. BBC runs the story. American channel picks it up. BBC reports on American channel. Where will it end?
Friday, 22 August 2008
New Version of Rapidweaver
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
More bit changes
Monday, 18 August 2008
A Change of Theme
Sunday, 17 August 2008
An Excellent Sporting Day
Particularly refreshing were the post-effort interviews. First, they revealed just how much effort and emotion had been expended, not only during competition, but in the previous weeks and often years and how much the subsequent reward, the medal, was valued. In addition, whatever each athlete lacked in interviewing technique was more than made up for in sincerity. Having witnessed the clipped comments of those pampered premiership poseurs on Match of the Day last night, it was so refreshing to hear it from the heart for once.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Friday, 15 August 2008
Rapidweaver 4.1 Release Candidate 1
To celebrate, I am definitely, definitely going to begin updating the website devoted to the history of my local football club. As you can see (but not for much longer), it is desperately in need of attention. And RW will be my weapon of choice.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
MobileMe debacle
I realise they wanted something that did not include the word ‘mac’ so as not frighten off the PC crowd. But MobileMe is not the answer. Hopefully, when all settles down and begins to work smoothly, MobileMe will be quietly dragged off to the place where bad tags go.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Another Jolt of 1968
As with most other such organisations, a highlight of the year was the summer camp. Initially, this had seemed like a good idea to me, and I remember being keen to go. On the day of departure we were required to meet at Chester Street bus station in the centre of Bradford. It could have been the early start, or more likely the fact that it was to be my first time away without the family, but there were a few tears were shed. Thankfully, this was done within the privacy of home.
Don’t remember a great deal else about the trip apart from going into Bridlington centre on the bus to the cinema. And then came that news. The Russians had invaded Czechoslovakia! There must have been eight or nine boys of various ages in our tent. Certainly I was one of the youngest. The eldest must have been in their late teens, and they immediately began speculating on the events that would surely follow: World War Three was imminent. The Americans would not tolerate such behaviour and Britain would have to support their allies. They would all be called up and everyone was doomed! For the first time in my life I was away from parental reassurance and if these older boys were saying these things then they must be right! I remember being petrified. I might even have blubbed. In public this time.
On my return home, the adults didn’t seem so bothered about the international crisis, perhaps because that generation had seen it all before. After a few days, my world returned to normal. Not quite the same for those in Czechoslovakia, I suspect.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Spooks Spin-Off
It took a bit of a sinister turn. When the goodies start doing violence, torture and being first to shoot people, I worry. A negative influence on the young? Probably not. I doubt that many of the young will be watching it. Too busy out enjoying themselves.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
TV Dilemmas (2)
Then I watched the Spooks spin-off (recorded). Had the production values of the original although there was something about some of the chase scenes that looked wrong. Don’t know whether it was the youthful cast or the futuristic setting, but it somehow lacked that feeling of seriousness and danger, despite quite a high death count. Overall a bit like Threads meets the Double Deckers.
So, might have a look at Britain From The Air on iPlayer tonight.
TV Dilemmas
A similar thing has happened just now with the TV schedules. At nine o’clock tonight there’s Britain From the Air on Beeb One, the repeat of Long Way Round on Two (which I’ve been watching, having missed it the first time round) and a new Spooks spin-off on Three. My first reaction was one of disappointment at having to miss at least one of these. Split second later remembered the Sky+ thing but that only records one programme while another is being watched (I think). Then I remembered the iPlayer. If I’m bothered enough to remember, I can watch the third one through the iPlayer!
I suppose the point I’m making is that having grown up in the days when the only opportunity to see a programme was at the time of broadcast, it is still something of a novelty to realise we are now in the new age of viewing on demand. OK, I know the video’s been around for many years, and I’ve owned several. But I have never reached the point of taking the recording facility for granted. And I still feel more comfortable watching a show when it is put out - always have the nagging feeling that if I watch it later, I could be missing something more interesting.
Monday, 4 August 2008
So! Michael Vaughan. Gone.
People should be worried. There is no way on earth a sporting person should be forced to an emotional edge such that he breaks down in a press conference as did the admirable Vaughan yesterday. No country had been invaded. No murder committed. If this kind of scene has become the norm then we as a nation need to address our priorities.
That was a bit heavy, wasn’t it? Totally out of character.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Wheelie bins
So! There's a shortage of wheelie bins.
I am so pleased! There is nothing so ugly as a straddled line of these things along roads and streets, waiting to be collected.
We never asked for them and so they are living proof that we do not actually live in a democratic society.
Bring back the humble dustbin!
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Firefox 3 and Delicious
Internet pioneers have been on about Web 2.0 and the social networking revolution for a number of years now, and the fact that ickledot is becoming aware of its power shows it is moving into the mainstream. The principle of storing all ones stuff away from your actual computer and into ‘the Cloud’is spreading to all aspects of computer usage and storage. This not only includes blogs, photos and movies but also bookmarking, most notably through delicious.
Delicious now has a new look and domain name: delicious.com.
ickledot downloaded Firefox 3 web browser a couple of weeks ago after it was recommended by friend Tim (who runs an excellent site about food in West Yorkshire). One of few disappointments was the loss of the delicious tagging option. Thankfully this has now returned with added options. Now all my bookmarks are stored in the aforementioned ‘Cloud’ as well as on my machine.
Thanks for news of this goes to Mitch Joel of the Six Pixels of Separation blog.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Mad Men Returns
Sunday, 27 July 2008
So! Mick Jagger at 65
Then I heard that five minute slot on Radio 4 about 1968 which mentioned that on the corresponding day then he was celebrating being 25. He would be, of course. Do the maths, as they say. But it still gave me a creepy feeling. Only a year before, the Beatles had sung When I’m 64. And now they are.
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Last Goose Report
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Being fair to the RSPCA
When I explained that our ex-mill pond was only moderately sized, and that the geese were quite prepared to come ashore for bread, we agreed that she might have been at the wrong stretch of water. There is a reservoir a mile or so up the road and she may have been there.
Anyway, they are possibly going to visit tomorrow and have assured me that they will phone either my neighbour or me if they fail to find our pond.
Meanwhile all geese are continuing to eat heartily.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Update: Goose News
Tonight I went out to feed them and they were all there pretending to be ravenous (apparently the same neighbour feeds them regularly as do others - no wonder they’ve come back this year). Injured one remained in the water while the others got out to harrass me for bread. It remains to be seen whether the dicky leg recovers.
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Injured Goose
After feeding them, I rang the RSPCA. I was reassured that someone would come to see what could be done but as today is Sunday, this might not happen til tomorrow. It could be a worrying night for us all, particularly the goose. Picture shows injured goose in the background.
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Carl Bromwich Photography
Monday, 7 July 2008
From Clay Shirky
hope you like the rest of the book -- thanks for reading
-clay
Saturday, 5 July 2008
To Clay Shirky
I have formerly never heard of Hugh MacLeod and he certainly has not heard of me (to my knowledge still hasn't). So I set up a Twitter account of my own and followed his twitters and even became concerned when he stopped twittering for a while - he had mentioned that his dad was ill and I thought something terrible might have happened. Anyway, one day he mentions you and your book. So I begin following you twittering and I buy the book. It arrived today, I've read the first chapter now and enjoyed it immensely.
Not too many years ago, none of this could have happened. As you say - a social revolution.
Guy Tortora at the Bronte Blues Club - A Tortora de Force
First point of note was the clarity of Guy’s soulful voice. Each word heard clear and words worth hearing. A particular favourite was Cotton Was King: a bitter critique of the slave trade. Tortora is supported by a band of superb musicians: Andy Roberts on bass, Janos Bajtala on keyboards and Adam Roman on drums and percussion. If the second year is to bring more like this, ickledot’s ten quid membership fee (paid last night) is the best value he’ll get in 2009.
Charles Wheeler
A number of years ago, ickledot was delighted to receive a personal handwritten reply from Mr Wheeler after he had written to commend a programme which reassessed the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. It had described how supporters of Johnson’s successor, Richard Nixon, had deliberately caused the peace negotiations to end the Vietnan conflict to stutter through the last months of his presidency. Thus Nixon, not Johnson, would be seen as the successful peacemaker. In his reply, Mr Wheeler was kind enough to clarify a number of questions ickledot had raised regarding these events.
Many would not have bothered to take the time and trouble to do this. His personal postcard even included his home address, as if indicating a welcome of further correspondence. It reflected the fact that he truly cared about the issues he reported. He will be sorely missed.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Long time no blog
Into July and the work moves on apace.
Last Saturday the Industrial Museum opened its Summer of Science Exhibition. ickledot designed the text panels for this display and hopefully there will be some images soon.
As indicated by ickledot’s twitters, some new work has come from Carl the Photographer. Having spent some time working on an archive of Belle Vue Studios, one of Bradford’s former portrait photographers, it is good to see the tradition is thriving and styles have moved into the 21st century.
Friday, 30 May 2008
Home again
S’been a while since I last posted a longer blog. I’ve been on holiday in France, as you may have gathered from my Twitters. Since returning through the murk of a wet Wednesday on the M62 I have been quite busy. A day at the Industrial Museum working on a couple of forthcoming exhibitions and also catching up on things.
Yesterday I downloaded the new Rapidweaver 4 and am using it now on this blog. Too early to tell how good it is yet but it certainly looks like a complete overhaul and no cost to users of RW 3.6. Very good!
Sunday, 11 May 2008
May 11th
Friday, 9 May 2008
Result from Testing
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Testing Testing
Friday, 2 May 2008
Reflecting on local election
Sunday, 27 April 2008
From the Print Fair - 2
Saturday, 26 April 2008
From the Print Fair
Humph
Friday, 25 April 2008
ickledot in London
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Weird goings-on at the pool
Little did I realise that the instructor of the class going on in two other lanes had directed her charges to walk briskly along the length of the bath in one direction. Amazingly, this caused something of a whirlpool effect, hence my difficulties.
It was the talk of the hot-tub, I can tell you.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Madmen - What's That All About?
Maybe the Americans needed a strong reminder that their so called golden Eisenhower era was not as idyllic as they remembered, but for me it's a bit of a yawn.
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Bronte Blues Club - Another Epic Night
From the opening chords of Tommy Allen's Fender (ickledot is no guitar spotter - the internet thing can be so useful), we all knew we were in for an historic evening. He and the rest of Mojo's band, Chris Lomas and Doug McMinn, were at the top of their game and Mojo himself was wonderful.
In an age when youth and celebrity reign over all it was so refreshing to witness a collaboration which spanned the decades so effortlessly, yielding such joyful results.
Another hit for bronteblues. Congratulations to all concerned.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Domestic Bliss? Nearing completion
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Good food in West Yorkshire
CCTV and litter louts
If a camera should capture a community minded citizen picking up a piece of litter, surely some kind of reward would be in order? A minor reduction in Council Tax? Gift vouchers? A roll of honour in the local paper?
ickledot thinks incentive works better than punishment every time!
Saturday, 12 April 2008
A Night at the Bronte Blues Club
The house band, BBC4 (1,2, 3?) were also in acoustic mood and in great form. Highlight for ickledot (bit of a creep and not necessarily a blues purist) was Jon Crossley's rendition of Randy Newman's 'Louisiana 1927'. Clearly enjoyed by all, the pre-main act chat melted away, so if any pin dropping had occurred, we'd have certainly heard it (well not really, cos Jon was playing, but you know what I mean).
A great night. Thanks to all concerned.
Friday, 11 April 2008
Simon Mayo in the Afternoons
A quick look on the BBC website reveals that he has not left or switched after all, but if he had, would he be the first to move from poppy Radio 1 DJ through tabloid Radio 5 to broadsheet Radio 4?
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Domestic Bliss? Further Progress
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Frankie Howerd and The Curse of Comedy
This was where, for me, the other three suffered. They weren't funny, at any point. Now I know what you're thinking. They were dramas, not comedies. True, but the writers and producers should have worked harder to make us laugh at some point so they could illustrate why these characters were so popular. Or were they assuming an audience of over 50s who could all remember the originals?
Domestic Bliss?
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Flickr badge added
Added a Flickr badge tonight. Not many photos on Flickr. Will put more on in the coming weeks. Should take about as long as an Olympic torch takes to get round london.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Getting my head round Rapidweaver
On Friday I downloaded Blocks for Rapidweaver. As with most software that promises the world and ease of use, it is not quite so simple. After a while of trying, I now have a home page with this blog in a Block. Think I am going to need a new theme or turn off the sidebar to get full use of these Blocks.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
The Store With The Friendly Welcome
Recently, ickledot has been working on this highly successful exhibition at the Industrial Museum in Eccleshill Bradford. It celebrates the famous Busbys' Department Store. ickledot scanned and repaired images from the CH Wood archive and designed the huge window blinds, text panels and slideshows for the display.