Another Note

To add to my mention of American attitudes to food, the commentators have just been talking about how one goes about eating a 72oz. steak.

Baseball Has Started

Spring training starts today. At this very moment Im hearing the first ads of the season for "large pepperoni pizza". I love the American carefree attitude to snacking. They just dont give a shit. Fantastic.

The Phillies have made very few changes to their world series winning team of last year. Losing Pat Burrell was a shame as he was someone who was great to watch when he hit a hot streak, but theyve traded up in Ibanez. A few changes to the bullpen, which should hopefully not disturb the best pen in the league. All in all I think we're still better than the Mets. Also great to see Jamie Moyer still going for another 2 years. Hes going to be 48 and still playing in the Major leagues. I think it goes to show cricketers are retiring a little too early. No reason spinners like Murali cant go into their late 40s as long as they are up for it. Far too much pressure is put on the older players to 'make way' when they hit their mid 30s. In baseball, due to the franchise system, you play as long as you perform and want to. There are disadvantages to the franchise system, but Cricket could learn a lot I think.

Just recovering after a completely pointless day. Spent most of the morning gathering all my applications to show the jobcentre Im worth their paltry 25£ a week, which they refused to even look at. This is the so called interview you get every 3 months where you are supposed to prove you are looking for work. Of course I never had a problem as I've been a non stop application machine, but it slightly irks me that someone could have done bugger all in the way of job hunting and be earning 100's of pounds a week. Oh well...

Lastfm seem to have a lot of Tom Paxton, who is the only performer of note Ive had the opportunity or money to be able to see live. A famous product of the Greenwich Village scene, Tom writes about crack cocaine addiction and the lives of hookers, while looking like the sort of chap who should be dishing out Werthers Originals to his granchildren, while rocking in an armchair round a fire (maybe he does). Try his eulogy to the 9/11 firefighters who died in the twin towers The Bravest and this wonderful song. A true living legend.

Interview

Just got back from my agency interview. Seemed to go well despite having a nasty cold coming on. I'm back in bed now dosed up on painkillers. Most annoying thing was their excel test based on the 2000 version. I use 2007 at home and wow does that old version bite.

Ive recently got onto spotify, which is a bit like lastfm, but is a downloadable prog and has lots of different stuff on there streaming at 160kbs, which is plenty for my non audiophillic ears. I recommend a look at the smithsonian folkways recordings, which are there almost in their entirety. Broadside Ballads, Vol. 3 is a fantastic listen. They also have a near complete collection of the fast folk recordings, which was a musical magazine running through the 80s and 90s in greenwich village. Such distinguished names as Tracy Chapman, Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin and the afforementioned John Gorka all recorded for the magazine. There really are some lost gems on there, interspersed with some weird shit as well.

Still jobless unfortunately. Might be getting some admin work soon if my interview on friday goes well.

Lots of new music recently too. Today I am recommending Mary Chapin Carpenter

Ahh I need to update this thing, too much to do

Album Of The Week

Hi Again, much applying going on today. Have six applications on the go at this very moment. Fingers crossed one of them will at least let me interview.

Today I was helping clear the hedges at Parks. We've overfilled a skip and filled 5 sacks with bottles and cans. Unbelievable what you can find in a hedge if you care to dig deep. There were broken windows, carpets, cans of unopened lager and car tyres. Fun stuff.

Currently on Rateyourmusic.com there is an album of the week group, sharing an album of any genre once a week. Next week it's my turn and I've decided to go with one of my favorite Canadian folksingers, Stan Rogers. Have a listen to Turnaround here. It starts with an Archie Fisher cover, but the rest of the album is self penned. It should make a bit of a change from the last few choices - electronic, straight up rock and some sort of instrumental kung fu hip hop.