Hopefully, this should now post on Twitter. Blimey, it’s exciting this Web2.0 (or whatever) stuff, isn’t it!
July 6, 2009
June 28, 2009
Michael Jackson dies – slight return
On my post yesterday, I mentioned Freddie Mercury and Jakcson recording a demo together, which was unreleased. If you want to hear it, then try this:
Or this (this song, without Jackson’s vocal ended up on Mercury’s first solo album, Mr Bad Guy) – sound quality ain’t so great on this one.
June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson dies
Michael Jackson dies: worldwide reaction | Music | guardian.co.uk.
Wasn’t a Michael Jackson fan (though one lad in my primary school was a huge fan – this would’ve been the time, I guess, of the “Bad” album and tour). And clearly he had what’s being referred to by everyone as a troubled life, which kinda overshadowed his musical gifts.
So I haven’t got a huge amount to say about it. But, perhaps predictably, a large number of people on the Guardian website are criticising (to put it mildly) the decision to make this front page news and give so much emphasis to Jackson’s death. I guess, in the grand scheme of things, the death of one man, even one incredibly talented and famous man such as Jackson, isn’t as huge as, say, the elections in Iran. But I think this is news – and big news. Partly because of his fame: Jackson was hugely famous and, in an era of production line, manufactured bands, justly so. He wasn’t just another celebrity and the massive rush to buy tickets for his O2 gigs were surely proof of that. People were genuinely shocked by his death: I was when I heard it on the news this morning, and I’m not a fan. Also because of the shock: his health was in question, but nobody expected him to actually die. And when someone as famous as Jackson dies as suddenly as he did, sorry, but that is news.
And, for crying out loud (sorry, getting into rant mode), the Guardian is excellent at avoiding the celebrity culture (despite the 6 pages on Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in G2 the other day – hmmm…) and has given good coverage to the Iran election. So to accuse it of bowing to celebrity is a little unfair, I think. As I’ve said above, he wasn’t just A. N. Other celebrity and his death is “bigger” than, say Jade Goody’s (sad as that was).
Finally, Jackson’s death will move off the front pages soon enough, at least in the quality press. This is as it should be. Iran will (I hope, ‘cos there’s definitely something going on there) be back up tops soon enough and this is how it should be. But it is really going to hurt anyone for one day, or 2 at the most, to give this the attention it deserves? A few people have, rather patronisingly, suggested he “only” entertained people. Sorry, but that’s a huge skill and gift and should be recognised as such. No, he didn’t have anything particularly political to say: but why does that make him any worse than someone who did? To entertain and brighten people’s lives up on the scale that Jackson did isn’t something to be sneered at: it’s a huge gift and talent and we should treasure those who have it.
Finally, finally, it’s worth seeing if you can find a copy of the recording he did with Freddie Mercury in the early 1980s. It was never released, and I believe Jackson at point denied it even existed, but their voices together were a beautiful sound. If I come across it anywhere, I’ll post it here.
And I said I didn’t have much to say about it…
March 17, 2009
Remember me?
This whole blogging thing – it might take off.
Anyway, just thought I’d post this, as it made me laff: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moaksey/2223060360/
August 25, 2008
SOB… they’ve gone
VIDEO: Tinsley Towers blast drama – M1 reopens – The Star.
The Tinsley cooling towers, one of the few landmarks in Sheffield, have finally gone. After years of wrangling about whether they should be demolished or not, Eon, who owned them, did the deed and blew them up.
Of course, with them being so close to the M1 (less than 12 metres away), they had to do it at 3am in the morning. But that just lends the whole scene (watch the video above) a real eerie, ghostly feel as they go sown and especially when they realise that – oops! – they haven’t quite demolished one of them.
It won’t be the same, going to Meadowhall, any more (the towers weren’t far at all from the shopping centre), especially as the Supertram route runs pretty much under the Tinsley Viaduct, which carries the M1 at junction 34, so you went right by the base of the towers. It’ll be a little strange doing that – so I’ll have to do the trip at least one more time, just to see the difference (which, I know, makes me the equivalent of those who were holding up the M1 taking photos this morning, but hey! you’ve got to. Right?)
July 22, 2008
YouTube – Swing Out Sister – Breakout (1986) ►STEREO◄
I heard this on the Going Live! section of the BBC programme I Love 1987 (during the bit where they’re criminally underrating Gordon The Gopher) and heard it loads on Radio 2 and it’s been bugging me for ages.
But miracles, it seems, do happen.
To say I’m not a fan of Sarah Kennedy is an understatement, to say the least (she does go on a bit for my liking), but for some reason we always end up listening to her during the morning. However, for once I was grateful for her as, finally, she read out who it was! Hurrah!! And my months, nay years of agony are over!
And hearing it in full, it is rather spiffy. And the video’s pretty fab as well.
Now what can I worry about…
July 7, 2008
At last!
My horrendously stressful week is over, following our last residential weekend at Liverpool Hope Uni. I had 2 presentations to do, both of which I managed to do reasonably well (I think!) – certainly I got good feedback from the audience (is that the right word?) at the first one.
A small tip, though: when doing a Powerpoint presentation, always make sure your notes have some indication of which slide’s going to come where; I didn’t for my second one, so it was a bit like “Oh! That’s what’s next” or “That’s what I’ve just said” for half the slides.
Also, interesting to have a presentation on Baptist worship, being a Baptist and all. But then as the tutor said, there were 4 Baptists in the room (including himself), which probably meant 5 different opinions and 8 different styles of worship! That’s what being a Baptist is all about: call it openness, call it flexibility, call it just can’t make up our minds…
Actually, doing such an ecumenical course (albeit one that’s quite heavily Anglican-dominated, which isn’t a criticism) has made me want to explore more Baptist history and tradition and the reasons why we do the things we do. The problem is you just kind of fit in with the ways things are done and never stop to ask why, what’s behind it all etc. Why don’t we have liturgy, at least not the same extent as other denominations? Why can any believer lead Communion in the Baptist church? Why are Baptist services so different from church to church? I’m not saying any of these things are wrong, but I think it is good to get to know the history, tradition and reasoning of it all. Especially for a denomination with such a rich, radical, eventful past as the Baptist denomination.
June 23, 2008
June 20, 2008
This feels a bit geeky…
… and, in truth, it probably is. But I’m writing this post, from an Acer laptop, via a wireless connection to my modem/router upstairs.
I know, I know, the world and its gerbil has done it. And it’s not even a very good laptop. But, hey! It’s a first for me. Plus I can’t help thinking that I’m somehow embracing my inner geek by doing so. Especially as I’ve got it to dual-boot with Ubuntu (though that doesn’t seem to like the wireless adaptor on the laptop).
All I need now is a Blackberry or smartphone of some description and I’m there!!
Sad, sad, sad…
June 19, 2008
What to preach on?
Before I go on with this, please note that I’m not meaning to be churlish – honest!
It’s just that a week on Sunday (June 29) is my last “official” Sunday at Cemetery Road Baptist Church, where (for those who don’t know), I’ve spent the last year as part of my training for becoming a minister. And Nigel, the minister, has given me a free choice of what I preach on, rather than have me fit in with the current series that’s being looked at.
Which is great, except I haven’t a clue what to preach on! It’s a bit like when you were at school and were given a blank piece of paper and told to “draw something”. But what? You had the whole of the world to choose from – how could you decide?
Similarly here: I’ve got the whole of the Bible (pretty much) to choose from. Do I just go with the lectionary readings for that week? Do I revisit one of my old sermons? Do I choose something that’s vaguely related to moving on? I’m really, really, stuck!!
