The Papers

This is still so true.

Music Matters

Whilst aimlessly wondering the inter-tubes, I stumbled across a site called Music Matters. The videos on this site are incredible in terms of both the music they contain and the quality of the animations. I strongly suggest you take a look and I especially recommend the Louis Armstrong and Blind Willie Johnson videos. It makes you realise what amazing people they must have been and somehow makes their music mean more because of it.

Anyway these videos set me thinking: what makes a great musician? I don't have an answer to this question but it's interesting to think about.
Is it that they live on through their music in a similar way to the way that actors survive through their films? I don't know whether that's important or not or if all artists have that whether they're good or not.
Is it that they make us feel good and lift us out of day-to-day life? I for one would find life intolerable without music and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Or is it just that inexplicable shiver that runs down your spine when you listen to a truly great song?
Or have I missed something out? Please comment, I'd like to know what you think.
Sorry it's taken so long for a new post but thinking of ideas is harder than you'd expect. Ah now I'm just making excuses. See you next time, whenever that might be.

Boredom

When did the internet get boring? Not individual websites but the web as a whole. What I really mean is the fact that I just spend ages switching between about 5-6 different websites and rarely visit anything else. These are: my email, Facebook, BBC, Google Wave and the Escapist. So after I've run out of things to read on those sites I get bored. I don't think 'Oh, I'll go and look at something else' because I can never think of anything else - I think '*sigh* I'm bored'.

Boredom is a weird thing. The way to stop it is by doing something but it makes you (or me at least) less likely to do so. It one of those self-perpetuating cycles or maybe spirals. And at the bottom of that spiral is depression. Yet when I can hear people talking in the next room, I don't go in there. It's like I'm paralysed by boredom but if I do go in I cease to be bored. So I put it to you that the cure for boredom is people.

Sorry it was mildly depressing this time but it's that time of year isn't it? I need summer.

Haiku

Internet. How nice.
Lots and lots of pointless stuff.
Isn't it lovely?

Solitaire

What is it about Windows Solitaire that makes it so addictive and brilliant and yet a complete waste of time? I have several theories:

1. Failure: You may only win about 1 in 8 times but losing all of those games doesn't put you off but instead spurs you on to eventual victory.
2. Anger: You often want to beat the game into a bloody pulp or maybe headbutt it into a fine paste or maybe... You get the idea - I'll stop before you all start backing away very slowly. This will mainly because the one card you need is under two others. You want to win so that you can shout "In your face, Solitaire! In your face! Ha!" at your mortal enemy.
3. Reward: The big reward you get is the cards happily bouncing off the screen and leaving a nice pattern behind. However, it is annoying when a fully black trail messes the whole thing up.

Just a short pointless one this time I'm afraid but at least it's something, eh? See you next time.

New Year and Snow

Well, Christmas is officially over - the decorations are down, the tree is mouldering outside in the snow and now there's nothing to look forward to for months to come. Presents have ceased to be presents and are now just objects. New Year Resolutions have already been failed at miserably. Now is the time for going back to work, back to the grind. Sorry I'm being so depressing. Let's talk about snow instead.

What is it about snow that turns us all into kids? It's just frozen rain yet we all get so excited about it. I mean, sure, it's pretty - it turns half the world white and makes the colours shine out all the brighter. It makes the trees look less bare and lifeless. And it's also fun - throwing snowballs at each other, breath steaming out under hats and over scarfs, making snowmen (among other things). The air can be filled with laughter and fun.

But despite the glories of it, it seems to bring the whole country to its knees. The post doesn't run, nobody goes to work, people get stuck inside their houses, other people have to walk because their car is stuck. Isn't it fun?

So really snow is lovely for a few days but it soon begins to wear on you and you just want it to go away. Of course if you have no need or desire to go out, like me, it makes no difference and its just wonderfully pretty.

Anyway, my new year resolution is to update this blog more often. Of course it will fail but it might be worth a try. See you next time.