The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Diamond Dogs tastes of Twiglets

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Bargepole’s recent review of Bowie’s Diamond Dogs album left a bad taste in my mouth. Nothing up with the review, it’s just that I remember ordering the record from Britannia Music as young pup and have clear memories of listening to it with my Dad, one evening. We had a little portable record player and I’d put it on the kitchen table once tea and homework had been cleared away. We sat listening, my dad explaining about George Orwell, Big Brother and 1984 to me. It must have been the festive season as there was one of those multi compartmentalised dishes around with various snacks in – peanuts, those little fish shaped salty biscuit things, and Twiglets. I’m not sure if I’d had them before but I was fascinated and repulsed by the taste. Now I can’t hear or read about Diamond Dogs without ‘tasting’ marmite nor can I eat the black stuff on toast without breaking in to a quick chorus of the Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family. Anyone else got any sensory experiences triggered by music, or vice versa?

Back Up Baby Back Up – ATM

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I finally decided to back up my music, photos, art work etc to a Seawhite 4TB external hard drive which has promptly bust before being a quarter full. Of course I’ve had it beyond the Amazon returns date, so its a rather pricy door-stop now. Thing is – looking at Amazon reviews there doesn’t seem to be a reliable external HD – every one has about 12% of reviewers leaving a 1 star complaint about sudden death of the buggers regardless of manufacturer. Does anyone use cloud storage rather than HD? Any recommended providers? Any external drives you’d stake your digital-lives on? Thanks in advance

World Cup Competition

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Hi – at my school my form and I are running a competition to raise money for our year charities (Alzheimer’s and Meningitis).

For a quid, you choose four teams – one from each pot. As the tournament progresses each of your teams earns you: 3 pts for a win, 1 for a draw and 1 point for each goal scored (with the exception of penalty shoot-out goals – a shoot out win at the end of a 0-0 draw would earn you 3 pts for the victory, but nothing for the goals).

The top three entrants win vouchers – Amazon, X-box, whatever. If a number of entrants tie for first place three names are drawn from a hat.

Anyone fancy a go?

Pot one: Russia (hosts), Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France Pot two: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Croatia Pot three: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran Pot four: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

Legal issue

by 9 Comments

Hi A friend is getting divorced from her husband. They have a shared email address. Her solicitor told her to communicate with them using a different email address which she has done throughout the process – which is now approaching a conclusion. However, earlier today the solicitor (or a trainee at the practice) emailed the joint account with a long post revealing a lot of sensitive information regarding her salary, the fact he could pay less maintenance than he was offering, issues to do with his pensions etc – basically all the info they’d put together, breakdowns, possible outcomes etc, everything that could be taken to mediation – all now shared with him. She’s understandably a bit miffed by this to say the least. Any advice as to what her next steps should be?

ATM – games console question

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My 8 year old is door-slammingly peeved that the forthcoming Lego Marvel Super-heroes 2 is not being released for PS3. I’ve explained the concept of first-world problems to him but in the week when Lego Dimensions has gone under, Disney Infinity having long since succumbed (despite its name), he’s crushed, distraught, having none of it. In fairness to the tyke he hasn’t asked for a new system – but if Santa was to bring him a new console – would those who know about such things recommend a PS4 or an X-Box?

First word challenge

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A bit of bank holiday week-end fun if you fancy it. Can you think of a song that is identifiable by it’s first word alone? Post the word, let others guess for literally hours of unbridled fun. I’ve been wracking my brains and I came up with three – one of which – Awopbopaloobopalopbamboom – I immediately disqualified. Proper names should probably be ruled out too. I’ll post one of mine after the break (bet you can hardly wait)…

tick…tick…tick

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When I was a kid, every so often an old tune would be re-released and become a hit. I remember Bill Haley and the Comets, Rock Around the Clock being on Top of the Pops and looking like something from a different age. Today I found out that Song 2 and Firestarter are 20 years old in 2017. 20! Do you remember the re-released Leader of the Pack being a hit in the 70s? Wannabe was 20 last year – making the Spice Girls the modern equivalent of the Shangri Las, or the Ronettes to today’s teenagers.

Peaness

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I discovered a new (to me band) from reading a music paper! The cafe that me and the lad like to visit between comic shops has some free magazines on offer – one was the woeful NME which I read whilst the waitress was fixing the banana milkshakes. It’s taking me a lot longer to read The Skinny, which is ace. It’s a NW based free newspaper covering most aspects of the arts … anyway – they have an interview with Peaness. They are the new best band in the world. Seriously. Felt it was my duty to tell you.

Mad Magazine Humble Bundle

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I can’t remember if the Humble Bundle has ever been mentioned here – usually large amounts of digital comics and games on sale for tiered amounts – even the most expensive is very cheap – charities get a chunk of the proceeds. The latest bundle is of Mad magazines – looks to be all relatively recent stuff – I’ve no idea of the quality, but I liked it a lot in the past. Over $200 of comics for £15 or thereabouts. Smaller/cheaper bundles are available. Offer ends in a fortnight. (If anyone is interested on earlier issues – free – on disc then pm me for details).

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/mad-magazine-bundle?mcID=102:57bf78ff6c876658168b4569:ot:56de845f733462ca8975d88d:1&utm_source=Humble+Bundle+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2016_08_31_MAD_Magazine_BookBundle&linkID=57c71b2c318b66a6198b456a&utm_content=cta_button

I wish I liked

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Björk. Or, rather, I wish I liked Björk’s music. The excellent Vulnicura thread confirmed it. I think she’s fascinating, visually stunning – a true artist. I just can’t get along with her music. Nothing about it holds my attention. I’d love to have all her cds lined up on a shelf ‘cos I think she deserves fame and success for her pioneering spirit, originality and risk taking. But I just haven’t been hooked by any post- Sugarcubes stuff. I’m happy watching videos on Youtube, but with the sound down. I’ll read interviews with her, read about her, listen to her speak and hang on every cockney/Icelandic word. I think she’s brilliant, a genius … but a track comes on and I (mentally) turn off.

I don’t think this is an ‘I don’t get …’ or a ‘sell me on …’ post.

Does anyone else feel like this about anyone, not just Björk, from any sphere of the arts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeAZ9DQZFz8

Procrastination

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I no longer know if I’m putting off tidying my son’s bedroom after last week’s boiler replacement or writing reports on yrs 7,8 and 10.

Hillary Clinton and Google

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Did anyone see this? I am not familiar with SourceFed – the YouTube Channel who made this programme – they say they are a satirical/comedy outfit. Im not against Hillary Clinton – in my woolly pinko liberal mind Id have preferred Sanders but if its her or Trump… well.

Anyway – this video puts a compelling case forward that Google is manipulating its search results to protect Clinton by altering search recommendations. Type Hillary Clinton CRI.. and its autocomplete function offers Hillary Clinton CRIme reform /CRIsis or CRIme bill 1994.

The same search on Bing or Yahoo offers CRIminal charges/ CRIme/ CRIminal investigation /CRIme record etc etc. Needless to say searches on all three search engines for Donald Trump RAC or Bernie Sanders SOC link to RACism or SOCialsm.

So what? Well as the clip continues and points out links between Clinton supporters and Google executives it moves to a study by Dr Robert Epstein who claims political opinion can be changed by search engine results by up to 48%!

In the UK it was long been acknowledged that the newspapers could swing an election (many will remember the It was the Sun what Won it headlines when Major beat » Continue Reading.

F*CK CANCER

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FUCK CANCER. FUCK 2016. Comic book artist and writer Darwyn Cook is receiving palliative care for cancer. If you’re not familiar with Darwyn Cooks work look him up. If you used to love comics but have drifted away over the years he may suck you back in. His work is gorgeous/effortless/reminiscent of the silver age goodness that shone from Superman and the Flash back in the day. If you like hardboiled stylish noir – check out his graphic novel adaptations of Richard Starks Parker stories. By all accounts he’s a lovely chap too.

FUCK CANCER.

http://darwyncooke.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/fuck-cancer.html