Goodbye 2006

It wasn't too bad actually. University-ing all year, going to some gigs which were good, but at the same time getting very tired. Almost losing a tooth, and then my eyes swelled up and I needed surgery. Messy.

Christmas was good, I now have a digital radio with which I can listen to such stations as Xfm, Virgin Xtreme (which isn't particularly extreme, or much beyond being a generic indie/rock channel) and Panjabi Radio, where I can't understand the difference between a prank call, a request phone-in and an interview. Good for an alternative listen though.

I was also given Nicholas Nickleby, yet another example of why Dickens is a good writer. And a couple of albums - Empire (Kasabian), Black Holes & Revelations (Muse), and The Warning (Hot Chip). I would recommend both the Muse and Hot Chip, particularly the latter, if not simply for Over and Over.

Which brings us to the end of another year, and another unread blog post. [joys]

Back in the 'ford

It's Christmas, and so I can now enjoy the comforts of home back in Watford. No boiler in the corner of the room, no limit on internet use, and I don't have to bother with all that business of going to lectures. It is a bit colder than Southampton, but there isn't as much wind.

Downsides - I now have to search for presents for people who don't know what they want (I don't know what I want either), write two reports on lab sessions, and see if I can actually understand the mysterious art that is analogue electronics. All I have to help me is the internet, and some books that are written how the lecturer talks - tangled prose full of, "Let us suppose that..." and, "Alternatively...". I don't want alternatives to things I'm already not sure about, it's like being taught how to use imaginary numbers without knowing how to count.

Actually it's not quite that bad, but it does cause furrowed brows. There is no easy way to do it all, it's guesswork, experience, and knowing an awful lot of clever tricks which aren't particularly obvious.

[sigh, grumble etc.]

What do I say?

How do you start a conversation with people? I'm fairly sure all the conversations I've been in with people I don't know were the result of introductions or they talked to me.

Worse is the fear of talking to people who I know (I've met and talked to them a couple of times), but I can't seem to start a conversation outside of a dark, smoke-and-alcohol filled room. It may just be I'm in a hurry for lectures. But I avoid them, I don't know what to say. It does feel wrong to stride past them on the way to campus, but I can't face them somehow.

I shouldn't post this late, sleepy time awaits. [snore]

House Music

Ah, House Music. How can it give so much joy with such a simple premise? A couple of bars of chords on your synth, or just nab a sample from some old 80s tune, and you have yourself a floor-filler. Marvellous.

I went to the Cube (the Southampton uni club) and the Cut-Up Boys were there. It was like an odyssey through house. Pity about the turnout though.

When we got there, we asked the security guard how busy it was. "It'll be busy when you get down there." He was not wrong. We may as well have gone clubbing in the desert. It did pick up a little eventually, but it was still at about a tenth (or less) capacity.

Un-necessary post #2

I really should have tried to write more regularly. Even though nobody reads this.

In summary, I saw Mr Scruff, The Young Knives and Cansei de Ser Sexy. All three very good artists/bands.

2nd year electronics is a lot of hard work.

And I can't remember anything else significant/interesting that happened during the last three months, so I won't bother writing about it.

In other news, Marching band play Radiohead.

Monkeys and Aphex Twin

The marvellous and confusing flurry of musicalish noises that issues forth from Mr Richard D. James is often confusing. Occaisonally he makes something quite listenable, and his most famous tune of this nature is 1997's Windowlicker. Unnerving video by Chris Cunningham here.

A combination of that tune and a very creepy bicycle safety film from the 60s gives this.

Share and enjoy. And fear...

House!

I went to visit my new student house this weekend in Southampton. There was trouble with keys to start with, I went to collect mine and walked to my house, ready to open the door. My other housemates had just turned up there, and I said, "I've got my key!", all smiles and eagerness to get into my new abode. They went off to collect theirs, and I opened the door. Or tried to.

Thank you to the people across the road, laughing at me sitting on the wall, unable to get into my house. I know where you live. Fortunately, the landlord cut me a new key at no extra charge.

Looking at my "boxroom" and comparing to the others, my chest of drawers is much smaller, and I have less floorspace. And then there's the boiler, ready to either poison me with carbon monoxide, or blow me up in the event of it breaking. There's also the window that is an entry point of choice for thieves - "Remember to lock your windows, there was a burglary last month. They got in through the back." Well, now I feel secure.

In other news, it's too bloody hot. Though you probably know that. Unless you're somewhere cold, in which case I say well done, and wrap up warm.

Blog?

Oh no, it's happened again. Yet another blog has been created. And it's probably going to be self-obsessed and tell everyone who doesn't want to know about whatever happened in the author's day, and nobody will care.

What a great start...