a brief list of some things I am working on (which will never be completed)

1 – writing a book.
2 – writing a panto.
3 – learning to use Drupal.
4 – redesigning my website
5 – possibilities for future Professional Development
6 – listening to Opera
7 – finishing a book (reading 4 currently), before I buy another one.

i have broken the internet.
sorry.

I intent to repair it but frankly i am puzzled.

(For my blog i use the excellent wordpress,downloaded to my own site & hooked up to my own mysql database. I can get to the log in page, enter my details, then it points me to a big white page of nothing. nada, white screen of death.)

Once I have a solution I shall let you know, in the mean time I am using something call deepest sender and the wordpress for Iphone app to add content.

testing testing
(the last test I did I came top of the results!)

I went on a small training thing this morning. to fidn the way to the training room we had to pass by a sign which read.

“Potential Web Guru’s this way.”

I like signs like this. they give me joy. and thus God is also joyful.
(I wish i had taken a photo!)

so when plating with the newish, and rather cool Wolfram Alpha search engine I asked the obvious question. Below is the type of answer which possibly will save the internet from itself.

I like a search engine that is not afraid to give you a shrug of its shoulders and the ubiquitous “dunno” answer.

p.s. on the other big question, yes, the answer is still 42.

I didn’t mean to
But it happened

I needed to reflect on how much time i was on the computer.
so I stopped.

I stopped maintaining and developing my website.
I stopped blogging
I stopped e-mail as far as possible personally
I stopped using facebook
I stopped using bebo

I kept on twitter. I should have stoppped though
I fept on the intenet at lunchtimes etc. I should probably have stopped

I wanted time to ask….
why
who
should I
when is too much

I don’t think i have balance.
I don’t think i am a balanced person, generally.
I never live with balance, although I like the notion

But recently I have been thinking about blogging again.
perhaps simplifying my online life and keeping it as a part of me, not the defining signifier of me.
need to take care though. of me, you, us, we, them?

we will see.
I will try

I am trying.

reecently I have been busy with thePROJECT, a series of interim events which are somehow heading towards a expression of festival focused on Arts, Culture and Faith within a uniquely scottish context.

I am quite excited about the whole thing and think it will be grand.
as well as names John Bell, Doug Gay, Mr Cutler, Iain Archer, We See Lights etc. it has been good just engaging with the people who have put all this together. It has been an excellent exercise in just being creative and thinking beyond a very narrow perspective. The perspective at work is kind or narrow and concentrated. that is good it delivers specifics and relevance. But this wider remit has been good fun.

I don’t know if it has been as challenging as it should have been. I focused on the Web side of things and this has been fun.
click for the project website

anyway if you are free and able to travel to edinburgh this weekend please consider coming over and enjoying “A day for the deliberate exploration of the arts, culture and faith. A comfortable place for insiders, outsiders and maybe especially those at the margins of the church.”

should be fun!

recently the spam filter has been picking up some very complimentary spam in the old spam filter. this includes;-

“Viagra, this is the coolest site”
“Viagra, incredible site”
and the classic
“Yooo..

I kno it has nothing to do with what you wrote, but have you ever heard of [some website address] . They seems to promise free ringtones

PS. Dont be an ass, this is NOT spam ”

sorry it is the PS. Dont be an ass, this is not spam [smileyface winking] that really makes me laugh.

On a slightly more concerning issue it does appear that my website has an invigorating effect on the first two spammers of is Viagra now a new term for amazement. My brother did at once float the idea of turning “Homebase” into the verb for doing something not very well, kinda shoddily,
“oh look at that bookcase, its been homebased”
“you don’t want to do an homebase”
“you did a homebase on that bookcase”
I think it could catch on you know!

So the holy grail really is free legal music.
something you can downlaod and own just because the other person is giviging it away. something which some artists are trying, some thing which can work well.

Anyway two live concert recordings are currently available for download by two of my favourite bands.

On the “pop”ier side of things, Barenaked Ladies have been long term loves of mine. they have a turn of phrase, an ability to make you laugh with simple yet effective humour, and a great line in pop/rock tunes. And they are Canadian. nice. ever since i heard “If i had$1,000,000″ i have followed them. anyway things have been a bit shaky for them. They left their label, formed their own record company, released 2 albums and 1 children’s album, Lead singer Steven Page was arrested for drugs offenses, declare to prove himself innocent, the band canceled a tour with Disney.
No real surprise then that the band announced that band Steven Page had left the band amicably to pursue solo projects, causing the band to go from a 5 piece to a 4piece.

So what would it sound like?
Would it be any good?

one of the key points of the band had been the vocal interplay between ed’s straighter rock vocals and Steven’s more theatrical vocals. The other thing which really made them stand out were the intricate five part harmonies which the band preformed live. well, a week or so ago as part of a mardi gras celebration the and played live as a four piece. They recorded the live front of house mix and have released the whole concert live as a free give away.

get the download here

and would you believe that apart from a few ropy harmonies which i think can be mostly forgiven they sound not half bad.
(I particularly love “the Big Bang Theory” theme tune) yeah, we built the pyramids!

Perhaps I just have a love of wordsmiths. The second live offering is the first live performance of the album “The Hazard of Love” by The Decemberists. The album is described in a press release as, “a 17-song suite that tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake.” yeah rock on! not really spinal tap i suppose but to be honest. it is quite wonderful.

Is it any good?
A live 17 song suite, isn’t that just a return to prog?

I have only got through the first 10 songs but think that a long drive to Edinburgh this evening may provide me with the opportunity to hear the whole thing. What’s that? how can I listen to the whole concert. well i will tell you. The good people at NPR recorded the whole thing, broadcasted it live on the web and on American radio and have made it a live concert podcast.
Click here to access the live stream or the podcast.

sometimes. I really love live free music, don’t you?

In these times of trouble financially, the repairing manifesto from Platform 21 in amsterdam is pertinent and relevant. (I cannot remember who pointed this out but thanks to them.)