It's been a few days since I last updated, for no particular reason other than laziness. So sorry about that, this one will definitely be worth the wait. Well, maybe.
On Wednesday night went to see The Social Network, a week later than anticipated. I was the first to arrive at the cinema, and the queue was out the door and 'round the corner. It looked like we would once again have to postpone our viewing pleasure thanks to loads and loads of people arriving before us.
But wait! There was another showing an hour later. So, in lieu of making the long hard trudge to the Vue, we wandered 'round town for a spell - accidentally stumbling upon the new HMV in St. David's 2 - before returning for the 9.45 showing.
I thought the film was very good indeed, and so did Pete. Soph said she liked it too, but Cliffey was somewhat indifferent, and Tom didn't like it at all. I'm not sure of Alex's opinion, but if he's reading this, Al, do write in to let us know.
The film didn't finish 'til past midnight, and as Alex's car already had five people to fill it, I nobly volunteered to walk back. It wasn't much of a sacrifice to be honest; I rather enjoyed the walk, soundtracked as it was by the second half of Tom Waits' Rain Dogs album.
Upon my return I played a whole lotta Worms with Cliffey. We even attempted a few of the multiplayer missions, with varying results (just don't mention girders around Cliffey for a while). At around 3am, Anna Sharp dropped by having been to town, but I was quite sleepy by this point so I turned in.
Yesterday was a bit of a cropping fail. I had intended to meet up with Meic and do some recording, but I hadn't written anything yet and besides, his computer was misbehaving so we took a rain check. I rang up my mum to ask if she and my brother (both on half term) were doing anything for lunch. Having arranged to meet them in the bay and proceed to Pearl of the Orient for their rather excellent set lunch menu, I headed for the bus stop.
Well, I got into town okay. I was to meet my family at the Millennium Centre, and, like the fool I am, I got on a no. 9 bus to the bay.
Except not quite. The number 9 goes to the sports village, where the swimming pool and ice rink and Morrisons and Toys 'R' Us are. I thought it would go via the Mermaid Quay area, but alas, it just went straight there.
So I spent an hour stranded outside Morrisons, waiting for a bus (the number 7) that would take me to Pearl of the Orient. Two of them fell off the board (CAAAARDIFF BUUUUUS!) and I ended up arriving at the restaurant about an hour and a half later than I had hoped.
On the plus side, I got to spend some time in the bit around the sports village, which was quite nice. Also, it gave me time to write some lyrics and I now have something to record when I do eventually see Meic (it's about fast food). Also also, the Chinese still make delicious food, even when you do arrive late.
Tonight, my brother is coming 'round to play Risk and steal my fish fingers, and then it's Josh and Rich and Elusive Dave's Halloween party. I don't have a costume yet. I should probably buy one.
Joel.
P.S. Sarah has a very bad cold at the moment, everyone please send out lots of get well thoughts.
P.P.S. Tomorrow's update - and at my current rate it may not go up until next week - will be post no. 50, so expect something special, possibly.
Friday 29 October 2010
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Just Like Ma Used To Make
This morning I cooked my boxers.
They'd been in the washing machine and I hadn't had a chance to dry them out.
So I put them in the oven.
It didn't work.
Joel.
They'd been in the washing machine and I hadn't had a chance to dry them out.
So I put them in the oven.
It didn't work.
Joel.
Monday 25 October 2010
Wound Up and Ready to Play
I love music. Obviously.
Which is good because there's music everywhere! From the crap that you have to listen to when you're playing Fifa because the dicks who keep beating you some goals-no goals over and over and over again think that Akon is God to the awesome stuff that you've been listening to on YouTube for the past two months and finally bought the album for a fiver, it all colours in the whiteness that is otherwise life.
The past weekend has been particularly musicalicious for me, and as the too long sentence above suggested, it started with Cliffey and Tom making me listen to Akon while they beat me at Fifa. And yes I know I've already complained about Akon once here, and I almost kind of found him slightly okay prior to all this nonsense, but their insistence that I actually love him only makes me hate him all the more. Sorry chaps.
On Saturday I was up bright and early because my dad and I were heading to Bristol. It's a thing we do occasionally; he goes to lots of charity shops to buy Penguin Classics, then I go to Fopp and buy lots of CDs. I spent £34 there this time, on such wonderful artists as Tom Waits, Stephin Merritt, Sparklehorse, Grinderman, and Bombay Bicycle Club, although that last one was for Sarah. I also got a Tindersticks album, because they played this song at Green Man and I've been completely enamoured with it recently so I thought it was about time I bought the album. I put said album on in the car on the way back, and I think my dad would have been more open-minded about the whole experience if the first line hadn't been something about strangling.
Saturday evening, and a few of us (namely me, Sarah, Mark, and Elusive Dave, whom I may or may not have mentioned before) went to see Josh play his SCRIBER songs in great big capital letters at Cathays Community Centre. It was part of the Swn festival, although I feel that just seeing my friend Josh and some sort of youth punk band doesn't really count as "going to the Swn festival", so when my lecturer asked us in the session earlier who had been to the Swn festival, I kept quiet. Anyway, Josh was excellent as ever, and I managed to keep mostly quiet with my incessant heckling this time. He did a cover of Girl From The North Country and all was right with the world*.
That night we went out to see in Meic's 20th birthday at the Owain Glyndwr or however you crazy Welsh people might go about spelling it. Meic asked me to write a couple of rap songs to put on the album he has to produce for his course, so I should probably do that at some point; as good as P-Town is, it's only one track, and he needs six**. I also admitted to really liking Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) by the Pussycat Dolls but was very pleased to find that Sarah, instead of mocking me, also confessed to liking it. Then Bad Romance came on and I was very pleased about that, too.
Yesterday, Sunday, was my mum's birthday, so Sarah and I went over to my parents' house to fork over her present and card. I got her a purple handbag from Sturff, because she said she liked it and I get honorary employee discount there so woohoo. My mum was just surprised to find that I was giving her anything other than a CD, which is all I usually stretch to. I even got her a card, generous bastard that I am.
Sarah and I somehow ended up reminiscing over Digimon memorabilia, before retreating to my room for a power nap on my far more comfortable than our bed in the student house bed. The nap was soundtracked by British Sea Power's Do You Like Rock Music?, which is a great album whether you're asleep or awake.
In the evening we went to The Globe to see oh my goodness it's British Sea Power what a coincidence. They played many wonderful songs with names like Lights Out For Darker Skies and Favours In The Beetroot Fields, and people had leafy branches to wave and I bought a t-shirt from the merch desk which had placemats with ducks on and Sarah reckoned the bassist and the violinist were going out because she touched his bum at one point but I didn't see it. I also managed to get my grubby hands on a setlist, which was itself fairly grubby because I think the keyboardist trod on it. Good times.
So that was my weekend in music. I'm currently listening to Freezepop's Here Comes A Special Boy for something like the seventh consecutive time, a song made all the more awesome by the fact that it's about Achewood, which everyone should read so here's a link to that too.
I was trying to play a Klezmer Kollectiv song on my baritone earlier. I'm getting quite good.
Joel.
*I was, however, absolutely APOPLECTIC that the free CDs Josh was handing out had moons printed on them. Mine just has writing on it, although it is a limited edition first pressing so that kind of makes up for it.
**Speaking of P-Town, some kind soul put it up on YouTube the other night, just over a year after it first went up. It's not got a whole lot of views yet, so everybody go watch it.
Which is good because there's music everywhere! From the crap that you have to listen to when you're playing Fifa because the dicks who keep beating you some goals-no goals over and over and over again think that Akon is God to the awesome stuff that you've been listening to on YouTube for the past two months and finally bought the album for a fiver, it all colours in the whiteness that is otherwise life.
The past weekend has been particularly musicalicious for me, and as the too long sentence above suggested, it started with Cliffey and Tom making me listen to Akon while they beat me at Fifa. And yes I know I've already complained about Akon once here, and I almost kind of found him slightly okay prior to all this nonsense, but their insistence that I actually love him only makes me hate him all the more. Sorry chaps.
On Saturday I was up bright and early because my dad and I were heading to Bristol. It's a thing we do occasionally; he goes to lots of charity shops to buy Penguin Classics, then I go to Fopp and buy lots of CDs. I spent £34 there this time, on such wonderful artists as Tom Waits, Stephin Merritt, Sparklehorse, Grinderman, and Bombay Bicycle Club, although that last one was for Sarah. I also got a Tindersticks album, because they played this song at Green Man and I've been completely enamoured with it recently so I thought it was about time I bought the album. I put said album on in the car on the way back, and I think my dad would have been more open-minded about the whole experience if the first line hadn't been something about strangling.
Saturday evening, and a few of us (namely me, Sarah, Mark, and Elusive Dave, whom I may or may not have mentioned before) went to see Josh play his SCRIBER songs in great big capital letters at Cathays Community Centre. It was part of the Swn festival, although I feel that just seeing my friend Josh and some sort of youth punk band doesn't really count as "going to the Swn festival", so when my lecturer asked us in the session earlier who had been to the Swn festival, I kept quiet. Anyway, Josh was excellent as ever, and I managed to keep mostly quiet with my incessant heckling this time. He did a cover of Girl From The North Country and all was right with the world*.
That night we went out to see in Meic's 20th birthday at the Owain Glyndwr or however you crazy Welsh people might go about spelling it. Meic asked me to write a couple of rap songs to put on the album he has to produce for his course, so I should probably do that at some point; as good as P-Town is, it's only one track, and he needs six**. I also admitted to really liking Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) by the Pussycat Dolls but was very pleased to find that Sarah, instead of mocking me, also confessed to liking it. Then Bad Romance came on and I was very pleased about that, too.
Yesterday, Sunday, was my mum's birthday, so Sarah and I went over to my parents' house to fork over her present and card. I got her a purple handbag from Sturff, because she said she liked it and I get honorary employee discount there so woohoo. My mum was just surprised to find that I was giving her anything other than a CD, which is all I usually stretch to. I even got her a card, generous bastard that I am.
Sarah and I somehow ended up reminiscing over Digimon memorabilia, before retreating to my room for a power nap on my far more comfortable than our bed in the student house bed. The nap was soundtracked by British Sea Power's Do You Like Rock Music?, which is a great album whether you're asleep or awake.
In the evening we went to The Globe to see oh my goodness it's British Sea Power what a coincidence. They played many wonderful songs with names like Lights Out For Darker Skies and Favours In The Beetroot Fields, and people had leafy branches to wave and I bought a t-shirt from the merch desk which had placemats with ducks on and Sarah reckoned the bassist and the violinist were going out because she touched his bum at one point but I didn't see it. I also managed to get my grubby hands on a setlist, which was itself fairly grubby because I think the keyboardist trod on it. Good times.
So that was my weekend in music. I'm currently listening to Freezepop's Here Comes A Special Boy for something like the seventh consecutive time, a song made all the more awesome by the fact that it's about Achewood, which everyone should read so here's a link to that too.
I was trying to play a Klezmer Kollectiv song on my baritone earlier. I'm getting quite good.
Joel.
*I was, however, absolutely APOPLECTIC that the free CDs Josh was handing out had moons printed on them. Mine just has writing on it, although it is a limited edition first pressing so that kind of makes up for it.
**Speaking of P-Town, some kind soul put it up on YouTube the other night, just over a year after it first went up. It's not got a whole lot of views yet, so everybody go watch it.
Saturday 23 October 2010
Tinny Timber
Last night was spent the way I seem to end up spending most of Friday nights recently - playing Fifa in Cliffey's room. Now as I believe I have previously mentioned here, I'm not the best at Fifa, and Cliffey and Tom were doing their best to put me off my game even further by bombarding me with Akon songs. I was not best pleased; Right Now is alright but that was the first song on the album, and there was a lot of crap to wade through afterwards. To make matters worse, once they'd tired of Akon they made a start on the Tinie Tempah.
Actually, forget "make matters worse". Tinie Tempah is better than Akon in my book (although that's not saying much), and I think his appeal comes mostly from his lyrics. Some of them are very silly indeed. I made the claim last night that anyone could write lyrics like that - it's just an assortment of arbitrary statements about his life. Cliffey said I should write my next blog in the style of a Tinie Tempah song, so that's what I'm gonna do. It was gonna be called Friday (Against All Odds) but looking at the Disc-Overy tracklist I don't think TT really does brackets, so instead it's simply called:
Against All Odds
I got uni at eleven in the morning
I gotta write a song and then make a recording
I make a techno track you cannot say is boring
The beat is thumping and the melodies are soaring
But there's a problem when I try to have a listen
The music cuts out like there's half a second missing
And while I'm fixing it I realise that I'm missing
Lunch with my girlfriend who I'd much rather be kissing
But against all odds
There can be no doubt
Give me forty-five minutes
And I'll sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
So now I gotta burn it onto CD
Sarah's waiting so I know I must be speedy
But there's more problems jumping out at me like 3D
'Cause when I try to go on Windows Medi
(a Player)
It says says my song ain't the right format
And let me tell you I don't motherfucking like that
I don't like iTunes 'cause the Mac lab ain't my habitat
And I gotta do this all in five minutes flat
But against all odds
There can be no doubt
Even in five minutes
I can sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
So I hand in my CD at the reception
I'm under pressure like I'm running for election
I call my baby up, I'm ready for redemption
I wanna cut this morning out like a c-section
We go to Queen Street for a cuppa and a sit down
We go to Caffé Nero, I feel like a hero
Such an awful morning, total utter zero
But there ain't none of that bullshit here, oh
'Cause against all odds
There can be no doubt
Give me forty-five minutes
And I'll sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
It'll be alright
It'll be alright
Flying like a kite
It'll be alright
Yeah.
Joel.
Actually, forget "make matters worse". Tinie Tempah is better than Akon in my book (although that's not saying much), and I think his appeal comes mostly from his lyrics. Some of them are very silly indeed. I made the claim last night that anyone could write lyrics like that - it's just an assortment of arbitrary statements about his life. Cliffey said I should write my next blog in the style of a Tinie Tempah song, so that's what I'm gonna do. It was gonna be called Friday (Against All Odds) but looking at the Disc-Overy tracklist I don't think TT really does brackets, so instead it's simply called:
Against All Odds
I got uni at eleven in the morning
I gotta write a song and then make a recording
I make a techno track you cannot say is boring
The beat is thumping and the melodies are soaring
But there's a problem when I try to have a listen
The music cuts out like there's half a second missing
And while I'm fixing it I realise that I'm missing
Lunch with my girlfriend who I'd much rather be kissing
But against all odds
There can be no doubt
Give me forty-five minutes
And I'll sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
So now I gotta burn it onto CD
Sarah's waiting so I know I must be speedy
But there's more problems jumping out at me like 3D
'Cause when I try to go on Windows Medi
(a Player)
It says says my song ain't the right format
And let me tell you I don't motherfucking like that
I don't like iTunes 'cause the Mac lab ain't my habitat
And I gotta do this all in five minutes flat
But against all odds
There can be no doubt
Even in five minutes
I can sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
So I hand in my CD at the reception
I'm under pressure like I'm running for election
I call my baby up, I'm ready for redemption
I wanna cut this morning out like a c-section
We go to Queen Street for a cuppa and a sit down
We go to Caffé Nero, I feel like a hero
Such an awful morning, total utter zero
But there ain't none of that bullshit here, oh
'Cause against all odds
There can be no doubt
Give me forty-five minutes
And I'll sort this out
Yeah against all odds
I'll put up a fight
I'll give it everything I got
And it'll be alright
It'll be alright
It'll be alright
Flying like a kite
It'll be alright
Yeah.
Joel.
Thursday 21 October 2010
Pedro The Benevolent
I had a lovely moment earlier this evening. I had dragged myself out of bed to make a quick run to the Co-Op, and I was on my way back home to grab a fork and demolish the chocolate meringue roulade I had just purchased. How middle class a student I am. Anyway, I was wearing my enormous black longcoat, and while I was passing a group of youths, one of them called me 'Undertaker'. I think I was supposed to be offended, but I wasn't. It was awesome. I used to love The Undertaker, he was my second favourite after Edge.
So last night we went to the cinema to see The Social Network. Sarah and I had been enjoying another awesome meal at Bella Italia - culminating once again in The Godfather, a gigantic sundae containing whipped cream, chocolate ice cream, brownie, vanilla ice cream, wafers, and chocolate raisins - and we rendez-vous'd with the others at Cineworld. Soph, Alex, Pete, Cliffey, and Tom were those who came, and we were all very excited right up until the point where we discovered that The Social Network was sold out.
This came as a disappointment. I had topped up my pone specifically to text 241, and Cliffey hadn't been to the cinema since Australia. But it was not to be - some of us were prepared to go and see a different film, but Despicable Me was ruled out on the grounds of being a "kid's film" (Soph) and we couldn't see Mr. Nice because it's an 18 and some people didn't bring any ID (Pete...and me). So back we went, but not until after Cliffey and Tom had hit up the pick 'n' mix. They weren't leaving empty handed, no way no how.
When we got back we decided that we were watching a film come hell or high water, so Pete set about downloading one while the rest of us chilled. Tom, Cliffey and I had a quick game of Fifa (we were all on the same team, and we won 2-1 after extra time, boom) and before long the film was ready to watch.
So we sat down in the living room - minus Soph and Alex, who we'd lost somewhere down the line, and Sarah, who had gone to bed, but plus Gem, who had been hangin' around in the house this whole time - and watched Kill Bill.
In Italian. With English subs. It was still really good, but it did get a little confusing when people started speaking Japanese in Italian in English.
Pete would like me to point out that not only did he go to the bother of downloading the film, he also paid for our taxi back from the cinema. So thanks Pete; you kept us out of the cold.
Joel.
So last night we went to the cinema to see The Social Network. Sarah and I had been enjoying another awesome meal at Bella Italia - culminating once again in The Godfather, a gigantic sundae containing whipped cream, chocolate ice cream, brownie, vanilla ice cream, wafers, and chocolate raisins - and we rendez-vous'd with the others at Cineworld. Soph, Alex, Pete, Cliffey, and Tom were those who came, and we were all very excited right up until the point where we discovered that The Social Network was sold out.
This came as a disappointment. I had topped up my pone specifically to text 241, and Cliffey hadn't been to the cinema since Australia. But it was not to be - some of us were prepared to go and see a different film, but Despicable Me was ruled out on the grounds of being a "kid's film" (Soph) and we couldn't see Mr. Nice because it's an 18 and some people didn't bring any ID (Pete...and me). So back we went, but not until after Cliffey and Tom had hit up the pick 'n' mix. They weren't leaving empty handed, no way no how.
When we got back we decided that we were watching a film come hell or high water, so Pete set about downloading one while the rest of us chilled. Tom, Cliffey and I had a quick game of Fifa (we were all on the same team, and we won 2-1 after extra time, boom) and before long the film was ready to watch.
So we sat down in the living room - minus Soph and Alex, who we'd lost somewhere down the line, and Sarah, who had gone to bed, but plus Gem, who had been hangin' around in the house this whole time - and watched Kill Bill.
In Italian. With English subs. It was still really good, but it did get a little confusing when people started speaking Japanese in Italian in English.
Pete would like me to point out that not only did he go to the bother of downloading the film, he also paid for our taxi back from the cinema. So thanks Pete; you kept us out of the cold.
Joel.
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Dark Clouds Rumble
Good news! Thanks to my mother's laptop, which I have stolen borrowed, I finally have an internet connection to call my own. No longer must I take advantage of the libraries of Cardiff and their free internet. No longer will I have to borrow Cliffey's laptop just to tell you all what I'm having for dinner. From now on, all the news, guessing, slander, and goat-based nonsense you read here will be coming from a computer with Bunnymen in the media library and a picture of Sam Rees on the desktop. I wouldn't have it any other way. Also I can do uni work and stuff so that's handy.
Now, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder and that means it's the perfect time of year for going to gigs. We've got a few coming up over the next few months, the first of which was Yeasayer at the Millennium Music Hall last night.
It was Sarah, Tom, Josh and I - Cliffey I think would have liked to come but he was working so yeah - who made the long walk from Tewkesbury Place to the centre of town. For Tom and Josh it was the second time in three days, for they had been to see Professor Green (probably not a real professor) at the MMH on Sunday. They said it was awesome, and they seemed unsure as to whether an evening with Yeasayer could match it. I reckoned that it could.
We arrived just before the support act came on. They were called Suckers and while we were waiting for them we speculated as to what they might sound like. I thought they would resemble a cheap Klaxons; Josh disagreed, suggesting that they might be more like a shit Crystal Castles.
We were both wrong. Suckers were very, very good, utilising whistling and effects pedals and very high singing and maracas as drumsticks. In fact, I bought their album, and Josh bought a t-shirt with their name and a picture of a baboon on it. So that's a recommendation; everybody check out Suckers. I haven't listened to the album yet but I'm sure it rocks. Plus, one of them looks a bit like Jack Black (Sarah is the expert on Jack Black and she confirmed my suspicions). PLUS, one of the others looks like Howard Moon, especially when he plays the trumpet. Josh says they sound like Local Natives but I've not heard anything by them so I can't really comment.
I was actually a little concerned that Yeasayer wouldn't be able to follow their own support band. But I needn't have worried. They were excellent as well. I read an online review of their second album, and the author described the songs as having "an assful of funk". That will do for starters, and songs like Mondegreen ("everybody's talkin' bout me and my baby/makin' love 'til the morning light") were very danceable and awesome and the lightshow was really fantastic. But there was more; cosmic groovejams and creepycool treated vocals ( though Tom didn't much like that one) abounded, and it was a very good set indeed. Sarah and I, and sometimes Josh, will be going to several gigs this Autumn - British Sea Power, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire - but this is quite the yardstick.
So everybody check out Yeasayer too if you haven't already. They're good. So good that they gave us the spirit to walk all the way back. There were some hurty legs last night, I can tell you. Sitting down when we got back was the best sit down I've ever had. And then there was the chocolate cake, which Sarah had bought from the Co-Op earlier on for about three pounds. It was a good evening.
By the way, the man points contest is now on and poppin'. Josh, after much searching, earned one last night because not only did he have to walk from town to our house, he then had to walk all the way back to his house. So he's now drawing with Tom, who we decided got one for going into work when he was clearly very ill. Everybody else has zero.
Joel.
P.S. Josh and Tom decided between them that Professor Green was better than Yeasayer, but I'll bet the Prof. told them to say that or he'd pop caps in their asses. He is a rapper, after all.
Now, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder and that means it's the perfect time of year for going to gigs. We've got a few coming up over the next few months, the first of which was Yeasayer at the Millennium Music Hall last night.
It was Sarah, Tom, Josh and I - Cliffey I think would have liked to come but he was working so yeah - who made the long walk from Tewkesbury Place to the centre of town. For Tom and Josh it was the second time in three days, for they had been to see Professor Green (probably not a real professor) at the MMH on Sunday. They said it was awesome, and they seemed unsure as to whether an evening with Yeasayer could match it. I reckoned that it could.
We arrived just before the support act came on. They were called Suckers and while we were waiting for them we speculated as to what they might sound like. I thought they would resemble a cheap Klaxons; Josh disagreed, suggesting that they might be more like a shit Crystal Castles.
We were both wrong. Suckers were very, very good, utilising whistling and effects pedals and very high singing and maracas as drumsticks. In fact, I bought their album, and Josh bought a t-shirt with their name and a picture of a baboon on it. So that's a recommendation; everybody check out Suckers. I haven't listened to the album yet but I'm sure it rocks. Plus, one of them looks a bit like Jack Black (Sarah is the expert on Jack Black and she confirmed my suspicions). PLUS, one of the others looks like Howard Moon, especially when he plays the trumpet. Josh says they sound like Local Natives but I've not heard anything by them so I can't really comment.
I was actually a little concerned that Yeasayer wouldn't be able to follow their own support band. But I needn't have worried. They were excellent as well. I read an online review of their second album, and the author described the songs as having "an assful of funk". That will do for starters, and songs like Mondegreen ("everybody's talkin' bout me and my baby/makin' love 'til the morning light") were very danceable and awesome and the lightshow was really fantastic. But there was more; cosmic groovejams and creepycool treated vocals ( though Tom didn't much like that one) abounded, and it was a very good set indeed. Sarah and I, and sometimes Josh, will be going to several gigs this Autumn - British Sea Power, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire - but this is quite the yardstick.
So everybody check out Yeasayer too if you haven't already. They're good. So good that they gave us the spirit to walk all the way back. There were some hurty legs last night, I can tell you. Sitting down when we got back was the best sit down I've ever had. And then there was the chocolate cake, which Sarah had bought from the Co-Op earlier on for about three pounds. It was a good evening.
By the way, the man points contest is now on and poppin'. Josh, after much searching, earned one last night because not only did he have to walk from town to our house, he then had to walk all the way back to his house. So he's now drawing with Tom, who we decided got one for going into work when he was clearly very ill. Everybody else has zero.
Joel.
P.S. Josh and Tom decided between them that Professor Green was better than Yeasayer, but I'll bet the Prof. told them to say that or he'd pop caps in their asses. He is a rapper, after all.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
The Goats From Gemma Meadows (Part 4)
Part 3 is here.
Goldberg's story was not a pleasant one.
"Joel Fields," he said as he drove, "is not a good place."
Cliffey was confused. Joel Fields was supposed to be like heaven. Every goat knew that. For as long as he could remember, Pete, Sarah and he had dreamed of living there.
But then, if he had wanted to live there for so long...why had he turned back?
"Joel Fields used to be just like everywhere else. Gemma Meadows, Joel Fields, Sophie Springs, Alex Marsh, they all had their goods and bads, but nowhere was particularly better than anywhere else."
"So what happened?" asked Cliffey as they drove over a bridge.
Goldberg shook his head. "A monster."
"A monster?!"
"A goat-eating monster. Teeth like carving knives, eyes like cannonballs, breath like the month-old eggs of the dead. If you believe the stories, he arrived in the Fields one Monday, and started eating that afternoon. By nightfall, he'd eaten every goat there. Not one was left."
Cliffey shivered.
"Nobody's set foot in Joel Fields ever since," said Goldberg. "Why on Earth would Sarah and Pete want to go there?"
Cliffey wasn't sure what to say. "I guess they heard differently," he mumbled uncertainly.
Goldberg's van sped on.
* * *
Meanwhile, Pete and Sarah's progress had come to a halt.
"You don't know the way, do you?" asked Sarah.
"Hm."
"I thought we'd be there by now, Pete. It's getting dark."
"Hm."
"Well, you'd better pick a direction quickly. That troll could be right behind us."
"Hm."
"Come on, Pete!" Sarah yelled. "We didn't come all this way to let a fork in the road defeat us! Which way are we going?"
"I...I'm not sure. It's not like I have a map or anything."
"Well, should we split up then? You can go left, and I can go-"
"No, no!"
"...Okay, I'll go left, and you can go right."
Pete rolled his eyes. "No, I mean we can't split up. What if one of us gets to Joel Fields, and the other one ends up wondering endlessly in the forest alone? We have to stay together."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Fine. So which way shall we go?"
Just then, they heard a familiar roar coming down the path towards them. The troll was right behind them, alright. And he was gaining fast.
And Pete still didn't know which way to go.
So Sarah took charge. "We're going left. Come on! Quick!"
And into the forest they ran.
* * *
There was one thing Cliffey didn't quite understand.
"So...how come the monster stopped at Joel Fields? Why didn't he come to the Meadows?"
"No one knows for sure," said Goldberg. "Some say he was so full after his feast at Joel Fields that he just went home. Some think that he got lost on the way to his next feast, and he's been wondering endlessly in the forest ever since. And some..." Goldberg paused. "Some say he's still there."
Cliffey shivered again. He told himself that it was simply because the sun had gone down, and night was settling in. The nights had been very cold recently.
"For what it's worth," Goldberg continued, "I think the monster's long gone. I reckon that, if those two do get to Joel Fields, all they'll find is a few acres of overgrown grass. But, you know, better safe than-"
Goldberg stopped abruptly.
"What? What's wrong?" asked Cliffey.
"That bridge we went over a couple of miles ago," said Goldberg, thinking. "Didn't there used to be a troll under it?"
TO BE CONTINUED
Goldberg's story was not a pleasant one.
"Joel Fields," he said as he drove, "is not a good place."
Cliffey was confused. Joel Fields was supposed to be like heaven. Every goat knew that. For as long as he could remember, Pete, Sarah and he had dreamed of living there.
But then, if he had wanted to live there for so long...why had he turned back?
"Joel Fields used to be just like everywhere else. Gemma Meadows, Joel Fields, Sophie Springs, Alex Marsh, they all had their goods and bads, but nowhere was particularly better than anywhere else."
"So what happened?" asked Cliffey as they drove over a bridge.
Goldberg shook his head. "A monster."
"A monster?!"
"A goat-eating monster. Teeth like carving knives, eyes like cannonballs, breath like the month-old eggs of the dead. If you believe the stories, he arrived in the Fields one Monday, and started eating that afternoon. By nightfall, he'd eaten every goat there. Not one was left."
Cliffey shivered.
"Nobody's set foot in Joel Fields ever since," said Goldberg. "Why on Earth would Sarah and Pete want to go there?"
Cliffey wasn't sure what to say. "I guess they heard differently," he mumbled uncertainly.
Goldberg's van sped on.
* * *
Meanwhile, Pete and Sarah's progress had come to a halt.
"You don't know the way, do you?" asked Sarah.
"Hm."
"I thought we'd be there by now, Pete. It's getting dark."
"Hm."
"Well, you'd better pick a direction quickly. That troll could be right behind us."
"Hm."
"Come on, Pete!" Sarah yelled. "We didn't come all this way to let a fork in the road defeat us! Which way are we going?"
"I...I'm not sure. It's not like I have a map or anything."
"Well, should we split up then? You can go left, and I can go-"
"No, no!"
"...Okay, I'll go left, and you can go right."
Pete rolled his eyes. "No, I mean we can't split up. What if one of us gets to Joel Fields, and the other one ends up wondering endlessly in the forest alone? We have to stay together."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Fine. So which way shall we go?"
Just then, they heard a familiar roar coming down the path towards them. The troll was right behind them, alright. And he was gaining fast.
And Pete still didn't know which way to go.
So Sarah took charge. "We're going left. Come on! Quick!"
And into the forest they ran.
* * *
There was one thing Cliffey didn't quite understand.
"So...how come the monster stopped at Joel Fields? Why didn't he come to the Meadows?"
"No one knows for sure," said Goldberg. "Some say he was so full after his feast at Joel Fields that he just went home. Some think that he got lost on the way to his next feast, and he's been wondering endlessly in the forest ever since. And some..." Goldberg paused. "Some say he's still there."
Cliffey shivered again. He told himself that it was simply because the sun had gone down, and night was settling in. The nights had been very cold recently.
"For what it's worth," Goldberg continued, "I think the monster's long gone. I reckon that, if those two do get to Joel Fields, all they'll find is a few acres of overgrown grass. But, you know, better safe than-"
Goldberg stopped abruptly.
"What? What's wrong?" asked Cliffey.
"That bridge we went over a couple of miles ago," said Goldberg, thinking. "Didn't there used to be a troll under it?"
TO BE CONTINUED
Monday 18 October 2010
A Town That's Right For Me
I've just had a band practice, and today that meant playing Funkytown over and over again for about an hour and a half. It doesn't half get in yer 'ead, that song. And we haven't even got a cowbell, so our version is rubbish.
I mentioned a coupla weeks ago that our band assignment this year was to play a gig with a theme. Some people in the past have down psychedelic, or ska sets.
We're doing songs from Shrek. So that means Funkytown, I'm A Believer, Hallelujah, and Holding Out For A Hero, which I have chosen to spearhead because I loves the power ballads, I do. Especially when I can stitch in some kind of epic horn solo.
Now, the keener-eyed of you will have noticed that I didn't update over the weekend, but in my defense there's not been all that much to write about. The bins were getting mighty full, and the fruit flies mighty numerous, so Gem had another clean-up (I helped a bit, honest! (Well, I took the recycling bag out)) and bought some new, pink, rubber gloves, which are rather fetching. She also bought a Fridge Freshener, which is like an air freshener but - get this - it goes in the fridge. So our leftover pizza may be smelling a bit lemony by the time I come to eat it.
Tom and Cliffey went to Varsity to watch the Merseyside derby yesterday, and they were rather too pleased with Everton's 2-0 victory for my liking. However, I do have a trick or two up my sleeve; I've just checked the fantasy football, and as of this morning I'm 25 points ahead of Tom. That's mostly thanks to one Carlos Tevez from Argentina, who grabbed two goals against Blackpool last night, but Leighton Baines getting an assist and a clean sheet can't have hurt, either.
Okay, I've got another depressing Cultures lecture to get to now, and then I'll be heading home to eat some lemony pizza and watch TV. I've not seen the Strictly Come Dancing results show yet, so nobody tell me who left.
By the way, Sarah thinks that Strictly Come Dancing is one of the worst programmes on television, so can everyone please write in to correct her. Thanks.
Hahwon't you take me to...
Joel.
P.S. I've just been checking the viewing figures and I've just gotten my first Slovenian visitor! So hello Slovenian visitor, I hope you feel welcome here. Give my regards to Ljubljana.
I mentioned a coupla weeks ago that our band assignment this year was to play a gig with a theme. Some people in the past have down psychedelic, or ska sets.
We're doing songs from Shrek. So that means Funkytown, I'm A Believer, Hallelujah, and Holding Out For A Hero, which I have chosen to spearhead because I loves the power ballads, I do. Especially when I can stitch in some kind of epic horn solo.
Now, the keener-eyed of you will have noticed that I didn't update over the weekend, but in my defense there's not been all that much to write about. The bins were getting mighty full, and the fruit flies mighty numerous, so Gem had another clean-up (I helped a bit, honest! (Well, I took the recycling bag out)) and bought some new, pink, rubber gloves, which are rather fetching. She also bought a Fridge Freshener, which is like an air freshener but - get this - it goes in the fridge. So our leftover pizza may be smelling a bit lemony by the time I come to eat it.
Tom and Cliffey went to Varsity to watch the Merseyside derby yesterday, and they were rather too pleased with Everton's 2-0 victory for my liking. However, I do have a trick or two up my sleeve; I've just checked the fantasy football, and as of this morning I'm 25 points ahead of Tom. That's mostly thanks to one Carlos Tevez from Argentina, who grabbed two goals against Blackpool last night, but Leighton Baines getting an assist and a clean sheet can't have hurt, either.
Okay, I've got another depressing Cultures lecture to get to now, and then I'll be heading home to eat some lemony pizza and watch TV. I've not seen the Strictly Come Dancing results show yet, so nobody tell me who left.
By the way, Sarah thinks that Strictly Come Dancing is one of the worst programmes on television, so can everyone please write in to correct her. Thanks.
Hahwon't you take me to...
Joel.
P.S. I've just been checking the viewing figures and I've just gotten my first Slovenian visitor! So hello Slovenian visitor, I hope you feel welcome here. Give my regards to Ljubljana.
Friday 15 October 2010
Vincerò, Vincerò
I left my bag in the Atrium last night. I'd been working on my news theme in the computer lab, and at around 7pm I decided that it was about time I packed it in and went to meet the others at Varsity. So I logged off, fired up Depeche Mode's Violator (not a bad album for 75p), and headed into the night.
Without my bag. In a way I'm glad; it was quite heavy and I wouldn't have wanted to hold onto it in Varsity. And hey, it's not like anything was stolen; it was still there this morning, so no harm done.
Anyway, the reason behind our outing to Varisty was, of course, karaoke. Everybody was eager to get their hands on the cash prize, or at the very least the food vouchers.
We were all in fine voice. Soph was the first up, and she did her usual rendition of You've Got A Friend, and obivously it was very good because Soph has, as Gem put it, "the voice of a black woman". Gem did a soulful Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, but not before James had made his rather growly mark on Mustang Sally.
"Hang on," I hear you cry. "Who's James?"
Well prior to last night, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. I met James for the first time yesterday, and it turns out he's Soph's new workmate. He's very Scottish.
Anyway, after Gem had been up it was my turn. I managed a solid, if slightly nervous, go at Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, cunningly chosen because it has several longish stretches without vocals, which meant time for me to relax.
Josh and Rich were there too, but they seemed fairly adamant that they weren't gonna sing. Josh said he would if they had one particular Arcade Fire track (Sprawl 2 or something, I don't know, it's off the new album and I've not really gotten into it properly yet) but, alas, they did not.
So the rest of us got up and had another go. Gem did This Kiss by Faith Hill. Soph did It's Raining Men, and that was fun. James did something, I forget what. I did ITEOTWAWKI (AIFF)* by R.E.M., which was rapturously recevied. I think I did well to find a song that was both impressive and easy to sing; I already knew all the words and, well, there are a lot of them, so I think people were impressed. One guy even shook my hand, and another offered me a record deal, but I turned him down because, as we learned in Musical Cultures, only 0.4% of artists who sign with a major label make any money off it.
After that, Soph and James had another go - a duet this time, on Summer Nights from Grease, and it seems that somewhere down the line I forgot how dirty that song is. Gem did another one too, something by Lily Allen, which seemed to be about how her boyfriend can't satisfy her in bed. So...yeah. I didn't have another go; I decided that I wouldn't be able to top my R.E.M. cover.
Other highlights included two guys singing Barbie Girl to each other, doing the right voices and all, as well as one poor man struggling through Sex Bomb (Josh and I were trying to work out he whom he most sounded like; it started out a bit William Shatner, dabbled in Jim Carrey-esque shouting, before settling firmly in Stephen Hawking territory).
However, there was one man who was head and shoulders and chest hair above everyone else. He sang Nessun Dorma in the style of Pavarotti, and my word did he belt it. It's not often one sees a standing ovation at the Varsity karaoke night, but there it was. It certainly brought a tear to my eye.
So that was karaoke night. I had been tempted to leave early, but I'm glad I didn't, because I would have missed one of the greatest performances of our time. And a particularly sensitive rendition of Tenacious D's Fuck Her Gently.
Oh, and there was no cash prize. Turns out that's the Sunday one; the Thursday one's just for laughs.
Joel.
P.S. Soph and Gem (and James, under protest) went into town afterwards, but I elected not to go with them. Instead, I sat in the living room with Cliffey. He read some philosophy book. I read some book on music education. He ate muffins and frankfurters. I ate bread and peanut butter. It was nice.
*It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Afficionados abbreviate.
Without my bag. In a way I'm glad; it was quite heavy and I wouldn't have wanted to hold onto it in Varsity. And hey, it's not like anything was stolen; it was still there this morning, so no harm done.
Anyway, the reason behind our outing to Varisty was, of course, karaoke. Everybody was eager to get their hands on the cash prize, or at the very least the food vouchers.
We were all in fine voice. Soph was the first up, and she did her usual rendition of You've Got A Friend, and obivously it was very good because Soph has, as Gem put it, "the voice of a black woman". Gem did a soulful Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, but not before James had made his rather growly mark on Mustang Sally.
"Hang on," I hear you cry. "Who's James?"
Well prior to last night, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. I met James for the first time yesterday, and it turns out he's Soph's new workmate. He's very Scottish.
Anyway, after Gem had been up it was my turn. I managed a solid, if slightly nervous, go at Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, cunningly chosen because it has several longish stretches without vocals, which meant time for me to relax.
Josh and Rich were there too, but they seemed fairly adamant that they weren't gonna sing. Josh said he would if they had one particular Arcade Fire track (Sprawl 2 or something, I don't know, it's off the new album and I've not really gotten into it properly yet) but, alas, they did not.
So the rest of us got up and had another go. Gem did This Kiss by Faith Hill. Soph did It's Raining Men, and that was fun. James did something, I forget what. I did ITEOTWAWKI (AIFF)* by R.E.M., which was rapturously recevied. I think I did well to find a song that was both impressive and easy to sing; I already knew all the words and, well, there are a lot of them, so I think people were impressed. One guy even shook my hand, and another offered me a record deal, but I turned him down because, as we learned in Musical Cultures, only 0.4% of artists who sign with a major label make any money off it.
After that, Soph and James had another go - a duet this time, on Summer Nights from Grease, and it seems that somewhere down the line I forgot how dirty that song is. Gem did another one too, something by Lily Allen, which seemed to be about how her boyfriend can't satisfy her in bed. So...yeah. I didn't have another go; I decided that I wouldn't be able to top my R.E.M. cover.
Other highlights included two guys singing Barbie Girl to each other, doing the right voices and all, as well as one poor man struggling through Sex Bomb (Josh and I were trying to work out he whom he most sounded like; it started out a bit William Shatner, dabbled in Jim Carrey-esque shouting, before settling firmly in Stephen Hawking territory).
However, there was one man who was head and shoulders and chest hair above everyone else. He sang Nessun Dorma in the style of Pavarotti, and my word did he belt it. It's not often one sees a standing ovation at the Varsity karaoke night, but there it was. It certainly brought a tear to my eye.
So that was karaoke night. I had been tempted to leave early, but I'm glad I didn't, because I would have missed one of the greatest performances of our time. And a particularly sensitive rendition of Tenacious D's Fuck Her Gently.
Oh, and there was no cash prize. Turns out that's the Sunday one; the Thursday one's just for laughs.
Joel.
P.S. Soph and Gem (and James, under protest) went into town afterwards, but I elected not to go with them. Instead, I sat in the living room with Cliffey. He read some philosophy book. I read some book on music education. He ate muffins and frankfurters. I ate bread and peanut butter. It was nice.
*It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Afficionados abbreviate.
Thursday 14 October 2010
Paracetamol Panic!
Cutlery is proud to present a shocking glimpse of what life in the house on Tewkesbury Place is really like...
I'm not sure I have anything to add really. My sugar-coated patter would just detract from the BARBED-WIRE REALITY of it all.
Joel.
I'm not sure I have anything to add really. My sugar-coated patter would just detract from the BARBED-WIRE REALITY of it all.
Joel.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice
Autumn is decidedly in the air, and I would not recommend going out without a jumper right now. Walking back from the cinema in nothing more weatherproof than an orange t-shirt and ripped jeans was a very brisk affair, I can tell you.
But yes, it's not even been Halloween yet and we're already talkin' 'bout Bonfire Night and even Christmas. We want to put together some sort of house Secret Santa thingy and, well, it's best to sort these things out early.
I hope I draw Cliffey, 'cause then I can just buy him hella N64 games.
Of course, before December comes November, and we're already making plans for that too. There's some division over whether we should go to a proper public fireworks display, or just let a few off here. I went all of last November without shaving, just to see if I could grow anything resembling a beard. I couldn't, but I've got a bit of a headstart this time. Sarah thinks I look Spanish.
Finally, in the interest of networking, I feel obliged to point you all towards JR's blog, which he updated today for the first time in a while. So here it is. It will probably prove better than mine, but I reckon I'll update more. So, y'know, quantity over quality.
Joel.
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Cutlery
I have often thought about the concept of Student Life, and I've long since decided that I'm not living it. I've never been drunk, and when I talk say that I'm going to town, I mean that I'll be in Spillers at about 3 in the afternoon buying a British Sea Power EP. Last year I lived in a proper student accommodation building; the latest I ever went to bed was 5.30am, after watching the extended version of Return of the King.
And I've not made any major changes this year. In fact, since Sarah's dad lent us the Town Called Eureka boxset, I've barely left the house at all. We have house parties occasionally, but I usually make myself fairly scarce, and will often slip off to bed before it's even past midnight.
So I'm really only a student insofar as I go to university and pay less at the cinema. But surely I'm the pale-skinned, seldom-seen recluse in a house otherwise full of drunken crazy people, right?
Man, I would hate that. But fortunately, I'm in very good company here. There were some rumours of a party on Sunday, but Gem is doing her best to squash those. Some of us have lectures on Monday morning. Gem is actually out on the town tonight, but after initiating a house-wide tidy on Saturday, she's earned it, bless 'er.
So who in this tidy, tidy house is living the Student Life? Cliffey was going out a lot, but now that JR and Andy have left, he seems to have lost his fresher's spirit. He's at work right now, but I'd wager that if he were at home he'd probably be watching Monsters Inc. then going to sleep. And more power to him for it.
You might think that Pete is a more typical student, looking at the state of his room, but he's currently somewhere in Cornwall, probably dreaming about all the different rocks he'll be excavating tomorrow. And Pete never goes to clubs. He's more of a 'chicken burger at the pub quiz' kinda guy.
Actually, I take that back. Pete did come to town with us that Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. But was that to experience some phat beats and dance himself into a K-hole? Were we there to bear witness to the sound of drum and bass? No. We were in CAI, waiting to see the Klezmer Kollectiv (which was awesome, by the way).
Soph...well Soph's not even a student. She likes a drink as much as anyone - probably a little more, in fact - but she almost always has to take her hangover to Boots with her the next day. Judging by the sounds that were coming through the wall, she and Alex were just catching up on The Inbetweeners, but I think they've gone to bed now.
In case my stance on all this hasn't come across thus far, I love living here. It's awesome and exactly what I had hoped for. I don't want to drag myself around the stickier parts of central Cardiff until 4 in the morning; I want to have a chat with my friends, do the blog, and go to bed at a sensible hour. I may be old before my time, but to hell with Student Life - this is Joel Life.
Pete asked me a few weeks ago why I named this blog Cutlery. To be honest, there's no great backstory; I created this blog two days before moving into the house, and I didn't really know what sort of time I'd be having here yet. Having not even packed all of my stuff, all I knew about the house at that point was that it would contain me, several other people, and the things we brought with us. Our TVs, games consoles, guitars, glockenspiels, laptops, clothes, bedclothes, cuddly toys, pens, pencils, crockery, cutlery.
So that's all it was, and it wasn't easy turning it into a cheesy, faux-profound paragraph like that. But I have since discovered that cutlery has a surprisingly large bearing on life. Always on a knife-edge, trying to navigate forks in the road, and all the while trying to make time for some spooning.
And judging by the sounds now coming from the ceiling, Soph and Alex have just found time for a little forking. So before I tap out another cheesy, faux-profound paragraph, I shall sign off.
By the by, it's just gone 11pm and Sarah is asleep with her Mr. Bump plushie beside her as I type this. Obviously living in this house full of party animals has made no impression on her.
Joel.
P.S. Sorry for the essay, I had intended today to just post a video here and leave it at that. But Blogger's video uploader failed me, so I had to improvise. Maybe tomorrow.
Monday 11 October 2010
Pyjamas
Yesterday was officially a pyjama day, as all Sundays should be. I did put my clothes on briefly, to go to the Co-Op and buy some food, but I wasted no time in getting re-changed upon returning.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm sure you're all wondering how Sarah and I spent our half-anniversary. We went to her "actual" home in Swanbridge on Friday night, where we watched some Old Grey Whistle Test archives before turning in for the night. Sarah had work on Saturday, and I went along with her - I did many a food run to Tesco, and no we're not obsessed with food. After closing the shop, we hopped on a bus and headed back to the middle of Cardiff for dinner. We went to Bella Italia, and had a pizza each, then went to TGI Friday to share a toffee popcorn sundae for dessert.
We were very full.
So yesterday wasn't the most active day either of us have ever had. Our trip to the supermarket aside, we watched A Town Called Eureka, did some laundry, watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ate some fish goujons, watched Looking For Eric, and went to bed.
Sarah didn't want to watch Looking For Eric; we came in about halfway through Cliffey's viewing of it and watched a bit of it and Sarah got quite worked up about how much of a dick the bad guy was, so I insisted that we watch it 'til the end so that she could see him get his comeuppance. It was awesome.
Some of the others went to the pub quiz, but we refused to go with them because we would have had to leave our pyjamas again. It's not like they won or anything.
The other housemates might get more of a mention tomorrow. Except for Pete, who's gone on another trip.
Joel.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm sure you're all wondering how Sarah and I spent our half-anniversary. We went to her "actual" home in Swanbridge on Friday night, where we watched some Old Grey Whistle Test archives before turning in for the night. Sarah had work on Saturday, and I went along with her - I did many a food run to Tesco, and no we're not obsessed with food. After closing the shop, we hopped on a bus and headed back to the middle of Cardiff for dinner. We went to Bella Italia, and had a pizza each, then went to TGI Friday to share a toffee popcorn sundae for dessert.
We were very full.
So yesterday wasn't the most active day either of us have ever had. Our trip to the supermarket aside, we watched A Town Called Eureka, did some laundry, watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ate some fish goujons, watched Looking For Eric, and went to bed.
Sarah didn't want to watch Looking For Eric; we came in about halfway through Cliffey's viewing of it and watched a bit of it and Sarah got quite worked up about how much of a dick the bad guy was, so I insisted that we watch it 'til the end so that she could see him get his comeuppance. It was awesome.
Some of the others went to the pub quiz, but we refused to go with them because we would have had to leave our pyjamas again. It's not like they won or anything.
The other housemates might get more of a mention tomorrow. Except for Pete, who's gone on another trip.
Joel.
Friday 8 October 2010
Update on The Core Eight
CLIFFEY received several purchases in the post today, mostly books for his uni course but also the videogame version of Lost, which he's been playing all afternoon and still may be playing now, I'm not sure.
JOEL went to uni today, left his USB stick in one of the computer labs, and had to go and get it off the teacher. He also manged to upset DanGuy by saying some nasty things about him.
PETER got back from his school trip to Devon today. He missed everyone very much, but he did get to stay in a really really big caravan. Well, big for a caravan.
SOPH had a not particularly great day at work, but that's her fault for not being a schoolchild anymore like the rest of us are. She was, however, cheered up no end by Joel's scathing critique of DanGuy.
GEM ordered a jacket off the internet, but had to go to uni today so she was asking everyone else if they would be in the house to answer the door when the postman came.
SARAH had film studies today and watched a bit of Donnie Darko. The emo guy in her class thought that The Killing Moon was by The Smiths, but it's actually by Echo & The Bunnymen. Ha! 1-0 to me, emo guy.
ALEX I didn't see Alex today.
JR is still gone.
This is the third consecutive entry with a rhyming title.
Joel.
P.S. I'm spending tomorrow with Sarah because it'll be 6 months since we became a thing. So don't hold your breath too long for an update - I might do one on Sunday to make up for it.
JOEL went to uni today, left his USB stick in one of the computer labs, and had to go and get it off the teacher. He also manged to upset DanGuy by saying some nasty things about him.
PETER got back from his school trip to Devon today. He missed everyone very much, but he did get to stay in a really really big caravan. Well, big for a caravan.
SOPH had a not particularly great day at work, but that's her fault for not being a schoolchild anymore like the rest of us are. She was, however, cheered up no end by Joel's scathing critique of DanGuy.
GEM ordered a jacket off the internet, but had to go to uni today so she was asking everyone else if they would be in the house to answer the door when the postman came.
SARAH had film studies today and watched a bit of Donnie Darko. The emo guy in her class thought that The Killing Moon was by The Smiths, but it's actually by Echo & The Bunnymen. Ha! 1-0 to me, emo guy.
ALEX I didn't see Alex today.
JR is still gone.
This is the third consecutive entry with a rhyming title.
Joel.
P.S. I'm spending tomorrow with Sarah because it'll be 6 months since we became a thing. So don't hold your breath too long for an update - I might do one on Sunday to make up for it.
Thursday 7 October 2010
Au Revoir JR
The Core Eight is no more. JR has gone to university. What will we do without him?
We're all devastated, of course, but I think the most upset is Soph. She'd never admit it, of course, but I think she's going to miss pestering him in the mornings, when he's crashed out on the airbed and she wants to watch TV.
We had a send-off gathering for him last night. It was less riotous than DanGuy's leaving do, but, unlike DanGuy's departure, there was no cause for celebration here. At one point, Cliffey actually burst into tears, and Alex had to do his special dance to cheer him up*.
This morning, JR, Cliffey and I had one last game of Risk to see JR on his way - Cliffey won, the bastard - and we waved our friend off with tears in our eyes. I don't think he's actually left Cardiff yet, but I'm fairly sure that'll be the last we see of him for a while.
So our Core Eight is down to Seven. There's some controversy as to whether we should leave it like that, or draft someone in to replace JR. Of course, no one could replace blah blah blah, but I reckon if anyone is going to get us back to eight (and somebody probably should, or the next Goldeneye tournament won't work at all) it'll probably be Tom. He's been 'round a lot recently anyway, and he and Cliffey seem to be getting on well, what with all the Fifa and such, so he seems the obvious choice. But he will have to see off strong competition from the likes of Anna Sharp, who hasn't been 'round that much but does seem to fit right in around here; and Josh Price, who holds the considerable advantage of having the same name as his predecessor.
Maybe we'll have auditions.
Joel.
P.S. I feel I ought to also mention that there was a bit of a bomb scare today. I met Sarah for lunch outside Coleg Glan Hafren, and she'd just gotten off the phone to her friend Emily. Emily had apparently been in hysterics, telling Sarah to get out of Cardiff because there was a bomb at the prison. This worried me, because I was supposed to be in uni in the afternoon, and the Atrium is right next door to the prison. But after consulting uni websites and news outlets, and calling our friends and family from Wetherspoon's and asking them to do likewise, we concluded that it was all safe. And it was - I got through my afternoon lecture un-blown up. So where Emily got her facts from I have no idea.
*Not really.
We're all devastated, of course, but I think the most upset is Soph. She'd never admit it, of course, but I think she's going to miss pestering him in the mornings, when he's crashed out on the airbed and she wants to watch TV.
We had a send-off gathering for him last night. It was less riotous than DanGuy's leaving do, but, unlike DanGuy's departure, there was no cause for celebration here. At one point, Cliffey actually burst into tears, and Alex had to do his special dance to cheer him up*.
This morning, JR, Cliffey and I had one last game of Risk to see JR on his way - Cliffey won, the bastard - and we waved our friend off with tears in our eyes. I don't think he's actually left Cardiff yet, but I'm fairly sure that'll be the last we see of him for a while.
So our Core Eight is down to Seven. There's some controversy as to whether we should leave it like that, or draft someone in to replace JR. Of course, no one could replace blah blah blah, but I reckon if anyone is going to get us back to eight (and somebody probably should, or the next Goldeneye tournament won't work at all) it'll probably be Tom. He's been 'round a lot recently anyway, and he and Cliffey seem to be getting on well, what with all the Fifa and such, so he seems the obvious choice. But he will have to see off strong competition from the likes of Anna Sharp, who hasn't been 'round that much but does seem to fit right in around here; and Josh Price, who holds the considerable advantage of having the same name as his predecessor.
Maybe we'll have auditions.
Joel.
P.S. I feel I ought to also mention that there was a bit of a bomb scare today. I met Sarah for lunch outside Coleg Glan Hafren, and she'd just gotten off the phone to her friend Emily. Emily had apparently been in hysterics, telling Sarah to get out of Cardiff because there was a bomb at the prison. This worried me, because I was supposed to be in uni in the afternoon, and the Atrium is right next door to the prison. But after consulting uni websites and news outlets, and calling our friends and family from Wetherspoon's and asking them to do likewise, we concluded that it was all safe. And it was - I got through my afternoon lecture un-blown up. So where Emily got her facts from I have no idea.
*Not really.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Is It Acceptable To Spoon (When Someone's In The Room)?
You've got your baby by your side,
You're in the mood for some romance,
But can you show her how you feel,
When you've got an audience?
Is it acceptable to spoon,
When there's someone in the room?
Is it impolite to hold her tight,
When you're not alone?
It's a fork in the road,
But though the road of love must wind,
You can't let these forks distract you,
When you've got other cutlery in mind.
You're in the mood for some romance,
But can you show her how you feel,
When you've got an audience?
Is it acceptable to spoon,
When there's someone in the room?
Is it impolite to hold her tight,
When you're not alone?
It's a fork in the road,
But though the road of love must wind,
You can't let these forks distract you,
When you've got other cutlery in mind.
Is it acceptable to spoon,
When there's someone in the room?
Is it impolite to hold her tight,
When you're not alone?
Never gonna get another moment like this,
When you're close enough to touch.
FEMALE VOCALS:
I wonder if the world minds knowing
Just how hot our blood is flowing,
'Cause even though I know it isn't right,
God knows I can't resist your charms,
So if I fall into your arms,
Can you promise me I won't regret this night?
MALE & FEMALE TOGETHER:
Is it acceptable to spoon,
When there's someone in the room?
MALE (FEMALE):
Is it impolite,
(Though it feels so right)
To hold her tight,
(When you're not in private)
Never gonna get another moment like this,
When you're close enough to touch,
So please forgive me friend,
For being so intense,
But I just love her too much.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Digimon = Digital Monsters
When I woke up this morning I immediately started panicking, because it was 8.20 and I had a lecture* at 9. I was about to get up and get going as fast as I could, but then I remembered that Pete had given my bike a tune-up, and that there was no need to hurry because the journey to the Atrium only took fifteen minutes by bike.
So I lay back down for a few minutes, which turned out to be a mistake, because by the time I woke up for the second time that morning it was 8.50 and my lecture started in 10 minutes. And I still wasn't dressed.
It was about 9.15 when I finally arrived at the Atrium, but at least I know now that I can't use cycling as an excuse for a lie-in.
Yesterday evening I went to Swanbridge, which I think is technically part of Penarth. It's where Sarah lives,
and there are a pair of swings a mere stone's throw away. It's not very often I get to go on swings nowadays - the only set around here are in Roath Rec, and they're usually occupied by children, who seem to think they have some kind of priority - so I was eager to have a go on these ones, slightly off the beaten track as they are. So we swang on the swings, and discussed what we would eventually do with our lives, and where to begin. The swings are a good place for deep conversations like that.
Back at Sarah's house her 12-year-old stepbrother Will challenged me to a game of Fifa '10, a game at which I am notoriously bad. I have lost many times to Tom, Cliffey, and even JR. The last time I played, Tom's Cardiff City beat my Liverpool 9-1. It was embarrassing. Admittedly I have been playing Fifa '11 a lot lately and I'm not nearly as bad at that, but that, contrary to what you might believe, is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT GAME.
Anyway, I played as Liverpool and Will, oh goody, was Cardiff. I braced myself for another defeat, this time at the hands of someone so young he probably doesn't even know what Digimon is.
But as it happened, I won! Only 1-0, but still. Some might say that my victory isn't that impressive, because it came against a) an inferior team, and b) an opponent 7 years my junior. To be fair, they probably have a point, but as it was my first ever victory on this game, I'll take it.
Back at the house, Cliffey and I shared another Tesco's apple crumble. Sarah and I also went on Sporcle and tried to name all 69 Love Songs, and nobody could understand why When A Man Loves A Woman wasn't one of them.
Oh well. Those of us in the know retired to our bedroom, stuck the album on, and felt smug because we knew about all this great music and no-one else did.
Seriously, everybody has to buy 69 Love Songs. I felt asleep after about 11 of them last night, but I was just tired.
Joel.
*In the lecture we listened to a track by PJ Harvey and John Parish called Taut. The majority of the class hated it but I for one thought it rocked. Make up your minds.
So I lay back down for a few minutes, which turned out to be a mistake, because by the time I woke up for the second time that morning it was 8.50 and my lecture started in 10 minutes. And I still wasn't dressed.
It was about 9.15 when I finally arrived at the Atrium, but at least I know now that I can't use cycling as an excuse for a lie-in.
Yesterday evening I went to Swanbridge, which I think is technically part of Penarth. It's where Sarah lives,
and there are a pair of swings a mere stone's throw away. It's not very often I get to go on swings nowadays - the only set around here are in Roath Rec, and they're usually occupied by children, who seem to think they have some kind of priority - so I was eager to have a go on these ones, slightly off the beaten track as they are. So we swang on the swings, and discussed what we would eventually do with our lives, and where to begin. The swings are a good place for deep conversations like that.
Back at Sarah's house her 12-year-old stepbrother Will challenged me to a game of Fifa '10, a game at which I am notoriously bad. I have lost many times to Tom, Cliffey, and even JR. The last time I played, Tom's Cardiff City beat my Liverpool 9-1. It was embarrassing. Admittedly I have been playing Fifa '11 a lot lately and I'm not nearly as bad at that, but that, contrary to what you might believe, is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT GAME.
Anyway, I played as Liverpool and Will, oh goody, was Cardiff. I braced myself for another defeat, this time at the hands of someone so young he probably doesn't even know what Digimon is.
But as it happened, I won! Only 1-0, but still. Some might say that my victory isn't that impressive, because it came against a) an inferior team, and b) an opponent 7 years my junior. To be fair, they probably have a point, but as it was my first ever victory on this game, I'll take it.
Back at the house, Cliffey and I shared another Tesco's apple crumble. Sarah and I also went on Sporcle and tried to name all 69 Love Songs, and nobody could understand why When A Man Loves A Woman wasn't one of them.
Oh well. Those of us in the know retired to our bedroom, stuck the album on, and felt smug because we knew about all this great music and no-one else did.
Seriously, everybody has to buy 69 Love Songs. I felt asleep after about 11 of them last night, but I was just tired.
Joel.
*In the lecture we listened to a track by PJ Harvey and John Parish called Taut. The majority of the class hated it but I for one thought it rocked. Make up your minds.
Monday 4 October 2010
Asploding Coke
Pete has gone to Devon for a few days, but he's left us with a bit of a mess in the freezer. He left a can of Coke in there, you see, and there was some expansion, and now his cock Coke has exploded. So there's now a sort of brownish sludge in the freezer - Soph thought it was shit, but it wasn't - and we're trying to decide whether to clean it up or leave it to show Pete.
Everyone seems to have had a nice, gay weekend, especially Cliffey and Tom who spent almost the whole time playing Fifa, stopping only to go and watch the real football in Varsity. The rest of us, not best pleased with the vast crowd in Varsity, went to Coffee #1 instead. I had a slice of chocolate cake, and it almost killed me.
Unfortunately for anyone who might have wanted any of my time over the next few months, the new series of Strictly Come Dancing started on Friday.
And now I'm going to sign off and watch The Inbetweeners. My life is slowly being taken over by TV shows.
Joel.
Everyone seems to have had a nice, gay weekend, especially Cliffey and Tom who spent almost the whole time playing Fifa, stopping only to go and watch the real football in Varsity. The rest of us, not best pleased with the vast crowd in Varsity, went to Coffee #1 instead. I had a slice of chocolate cake, and it almost killed me.
Unfortunately for anyone who might have wanted any of my time over the next few months, the new series of Strictly Come Dancing started on Friday.
And now I'm going to sign off and watch The Inbetweeners. My life is slowly being taken over by TV shows.
Joel.
Sleep with Marion Kill
So yesterday I was gonna get Pete to do an entry - he did ask - but he changed his mind and so there was no update yesterday. To make up for it, here's a selection of what we came up with at The Cottage tonight when faced with a cavalcade of shag/marry/kills.
Snow White
Jasmine
Ariel
I fielded this one, and I decided that Snow White would be the one to marry. Tom wasn't convinced at first, but I argued that her ability to summon birds to clean the house might come in handy.
Dame Judi Dench
Dame Helen Mirren
Dame Edna Everage
This one was for Pete, and after killing Edna Everage with no hesitation, he admitted that he didn't know the difference between the remaining two, so any answer he could give would be arbitrary.
Ali
Ralgex
Welshie
Three girls Cliffey met on his travels. I've never met them, I've no idea what they look like, but I wanted to prove that I'd been reading his blog.
Woody from Toy Story
Woody from Toy Story 2
Woody from Toy Story 3
Cliffey again. At first he asserted that he was a knob in TS3, but I pointed out that he was a bigger knob in TS1, because at least he had a point in TS3. He accepted this, but before he gave a final answer we were interrupted by Soph asking if this was what we had come to.
We also made up a variation where you are presented with three songs and you have to pick one to lose your virginity to, one for the first dance at your wedding, and one for your funeral. That one was quite fun to but for now I'm gonna have a quick game of Fifa and then I'm going to bed.
Joel
P.S. Quote of the Week:
Snow White
Jasmine
Ariel
I fielded this one, and I decided that Snow White would be the one to marry. Tom wasn't convinced at first, but I argued that her ability to summon birds to clean the house might come in handy.
Dame Judi Dench
Dame Helen Mirren
Dame Edna Everage
This one was for Pete, and after killing Edna Everage with no hesitation, he admitted that he didn't know the difference between the remaining two, so any answer he could give would be arbitrary.
Ali
Ralgex
Welshie
Three girls Cliffey met on his travels. I've never met them, I've no idea what they look like, but I wanted to prove that I'd been reading his blog.
Woody from Toy Story
Woody from Toy Story 2
Woody from Toy Story 3
Cliffey again. At first he asserted that he was a knob in TS3, but I pointed out that he was a bigger knob in TS1, because at least he had a point in TS3. He accepted this, but before he gave a final answer we were interrupted by Soph asking if this was what we had come to.
We also made up a variation where you are presented with three songs and you have to pick one to lose your virginity to, one for the first dance at your wedding, and one for your funeral. That one was quite fun to but for now I'm gonna have a quick game of Fifa and then I'm going to bed.
Joel
P.S. Quote of the Week:
"Taiwan? They're 'avin a great time!"- Cliffey
Friday 1 October 2010
Oktoberfest
October has come and it's been raining. A lashing bitch of a day was not what I wanted to see when I opened the door this morning, especially given that I had to do the trip to the Atrium on foot, my baritone case's handle carving deep canyons into my hand all the while.
But Pete complained last night that this is becoming a Joel blog rather than a house blog, so I shall keep it strictly at home this time.
And what's going on in the house right now?
Fifa night!
Basically, Cliffey bought Fifa 2011 this morning (it came out at midnight; Tom was in line at Tesco's before Cliffey was even back from work last night) and it's looking increasingly like we're going to spend the whole night at it. I suggested some sort of championship thing where we play every version of Fifa we have handy- we've got 6, across three different consoles - and see who's the best overall. But frankly I can't see that happening, so enamoured are we with this shiny new thing.
So here we are, Cliffey, Tom and me, in Cliffey's room, in our pyjamas, playing Fifa 'til the morning light. Tom's rung his dad to say he won't be home tonight, Cliffey's put an apple crumble in the oven for us, and we're settling in for the night. I've even opted to forgo the first episode of Strictly Come Dancing, although I imagine I'll catch it on catch up, big girl that I am.
I am aware that some people reading this won't be the least bit interested in Fifa - as Tom said earlier, "girls just don't get Fifa" - so I'll leave it be for a moment and mention Tim's send-off at The George last night. We trudged through the already sheeting rain to get there, and spent the whole time standing up, but several people were happy to spend quite a lot of money on the quiz machine so we were well entertained. Oh, and a guy came around with a camera and asked us if we'd like to be on the screens around the pub. We did, apparently, so he took a picture of us all and I for one will not be returning to The George for fear of seeing my own terrible visage grinning back at me.
Now more on Fifa! The soundtrack to Fifa '11 is pretty damn sweet, with music from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, Dan Black, Dum Dum Girls...the list goes on. It's a world away from the old games, where you'd get a Moby song and then six dancey tracks you'll never be able to find outside of your PS1.
See what I did there? I made it so that people who don't like football can relate to the Fifa obsession going on around here.
As for those housemates who aren't playing Fifa (i.e. wasting their evenings), Pete just now stumbled in looking as though he's just gotten new eyelids and he's not used to them yet; Gem's sat in the living room watching TV and getting drunk on a bottle of rosé; and Soph's gotten over her food poisoning and is currently at a children's party.
Cliffey, Tom and I just had some apple crumble (£1 from Tesco) and custard (8p from Tesco), and it's beginning to look like a very good night indeed.
Joel.
But Pete complained last night that this is becoming a Joel blog rather than a house blog, so I shall keep it strictly at home this time.
And what's going on in the house right now?
Fifa night!
Basically, Cliffey bought Fifa 2011 this morning (it came out at midnight; Tom was in line at Tesco's before Cliffey was even back from work last night) and it's looking increasingly like we're going to spend the whole night at it. I suggested some sort of championship thing where we play every version of Fifa we have handy- we've got 6, across three different consoles - and see who's the best overall. But frankly I can't see that happening, so enamoured are we with this shiny new thing.
So here we are, Cliffey, Tom and me, in Cliffey's room, in our pyjamas, playing Fifa 'til the morning light. Tom's rung his dad to say he won't be home tonight, Cliffey's put an apple crumble in the oven for us, and we're settling in for the night. I've even opted to forgo the first episode of Strictly Come Dancing, although I imagine I'll catch it on catch up, big girl that I am.
I am aware that some people reading this won't be the least bit interested in Fifa - as Tom said earlier, "girls just don't get Fifa" - so I'll leave it be for a moment and mention Tim's send-off at The George last night. We trudged through the already sheeting rain to get there, and spent the whole time standing up, but several people were happy to spend quite a lot of money on the quiz machine so we were well entertained. Oh, and a guy came around with a camera and asked us if we'd like to be on the screens around the pub. We did, apparently, so he took a picture of us all and I for one will not be returning to The George for fear of seeing my own terrible visage grinning back at me.
Now more on Fifa! The soundtrack to Fifa '11 is pretty damn sweet, with music from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, Dan Black, Dum Dum Girls...the list goes on. It's a world away from the old games, where you'd get a Moby song and then six dancey tracks you'll never be able to find outside of your PS1.
See what I did there? I made it so that people who don't like football can relate to the Fifa obsession going on around here.
As for those housemates who aren't playing Fifa (i.e. wasting their evenings), Pete just now stumbled in looking as though he's just gotten new eyelids and he's not used to them yet; Gem's sat in the living room watching TV and getting drunk on a bottle of rosé; and Soph's gotten over her food poisoning and is currently at a children's party.
Cliffey, Tom and I just had some apple crumble (£1 from Tesco) and custard (8p from Tesco), and it's beginning to look like a very good night indeed.
Joel.
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