Since I got my new Sony Ericsson phone last month it's replaced my ipod touch for jaunts to Nottingham and general music listening. The trouble is it only came with a 2gb SD card so I need to get either an 8gb or 16gb which are surprisingly cheap. Being limited to a measly 2gb I really had to pick and choose my fave albums carefully till I bag a bigger memory card. Enter seemingly my perpetual favourites 'Infected Mushroom'. So, my song of this month is their cover of the Doors 'Riders on the Storm' from their Legends of the Black Shawarma album.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tv Of The Month
It's not been a great month for tv really, in fact I haven't watched a great deal at all. The lure of my 42" screen tends to happen around tea time whilst preparing or eating food. I've got a back log of dvd's to watch, as well as several recorded programs too. Anyway, on to the titled subject. My favourire program this month has been 'One man and his campervan' which ran on BBC2 for ten days earlier this month. It chartered the culinary road trip of Volkswagon campervan owner Martin Dorey from Devon on his journey around Britain. I'm guessing it was filmed last summer. I loved Martins laid back attitude to life, his appreciation of people and places and very likeable demeanor. To be fair I think I would have preferred more of a travelogue type program as I feel there's too many cooking programs on these days but this was cooking with a difference - from a VW camper with its limitations. I love VW caravettes, probably as my dad had one several years ago, alongside the mini they are probably my favourite motor vehicle and I'd love to own one and explore this lovely isle we love on because lets be honest in our life times how much do we actually see of our own countries?
Second up program wise is (ok you can groan) is Channel 4's 'Coachtrip'. I concede some may say it's irreverent reality tv but I like it. Coach trip has that common touch and is a great idea. Host and tour guide Brendan Sheerin often provides comic interludes and witticism's as seven couples basically compete to stay on the coach trip holiday the longest. There's laughter, skullduggery and tears which provides great early evening light hearted entertainment.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Jerry Sadowitz Returns
There I was again, in a queue waiting to see Jerry Sadowitz, billed as Britains most offensive comic on posters outside. My friend and I waited patiently in the cold whilst I took time to admire a Vauxhall Astra much like mine parked across from the venue, which this time was Just The Tonic again but in its new home just around from the Cornerhouse in Nottingham. There was a slight technical hitch before going in, some PA problem but the staff kept us informed and we were inside and seated pretty quickly all said and done. Pint in hand, seat near the back I waited and before long and after an announcement of 'No flash photography, please turn mobiles off and can all Jews go to the showers' he was there before me - and on a mission to shock and offend on a James Bond villain style scale.
Jerry Sadowitz is an artisan verbal assassin, his blitzkrieg style delivery is rapacious on the senses, he literally takes no prisoners. He cuts through taboo subjects in laconic style, he says what he means and means what he says, that's his approach, and for me it totally works. I blogged about Jerry Sadowitz some time ago but this time around he certainly had more rancour to his rants. I suspect he was on stage for about an hour and half and he seemed to have a renewed vigour about him since the last time I saw him. This time there was very little magic and more malevolence to his vitriolic assaults on various groups, factions and individuals.
But let's examine things more closely, is Mr Sadowitz being nasty for the sake of it or really just having the balls to say what a lot of people think? It's not just that, if you listen to things he says instead of laughing at the obvious words that stick out then you realise he isn't always bigging up the bad guys. When he mentioned child sex he questioned why would people do it as kids aren't at all sexual but most of the audience are laughing at key words and not sentance content or subtle points. There's no denying Sadowitz does intend to shock but much of what he says is often relevant and indeed current. As I mentioned earlier, he says what we often think but makes clever points about monkeys being more intelligent than men in some respects and in other points he clearly identifies mankinds baser urges.
I left the gig wanting more, much more but then he fascinates me because he's such a clandestine character, I'd love to know the real Sadowitz and what he really thinks on issues but then the obvious answer is he has just told me and hundreds of others on stage. He ended the sensual onslaught of a show by showing how versatile he is being able to comment on any subject with his usual caustic irony then has a pasqinade pop at American sit com-comic Seinfeld (and rightly so).
We drive home and my neck and sides actually ache from laughing. I'm trying to remember his act as much as I can but some is already slipping away because of the pace of it all. Later I'm buzzing whilst sat at home reflecting because recently I've been fairly quiet and Mr Sadowitz has unwittingly made me realise I've lost that bit of edge I once had at times. The next day people mention it on twitter, Sadowitz fans totally get the man, the stupid few who didn't absorb the posters warnings or consider things like I have above - don't.
Comedy therapy? Who knows but what I do know is I'll never tire of seeing him. Come back to Nottingham soon!
Jerry Sadowitz is an artisan verbal assassin, his blitzkrieg style delivery is rapacious on the senses, he literally takes no prisoners. He cuts through taboo subjects in laconic style, he says what he means and means what he says, that's his approach, and for me it totally works. I blogged about Jerry Sadowitz some time ago but this time around he certainly had more rancour to his rants. I suspect he was on stage for about an hour and half and he seemed to have a renewed vigour about him since the last time I saw him. This time there was very little magic and more malevolence to his vitriolic assaults on various groups, factions and individuals.
But let's examine things more closely, is Mr Sadowitz being nasty for the sake of it or really just having the balls to say what a lot of people think? It's not just that, if you listen to things he says instead of laughing at the obvious words that stick out then you realise he isn't always bigging up the bad guys. When he mentioned child sex he questioned why would people do it as kids aren't at all sexual but most of the audience are laughing at key words and not sentance content or subtle points. There's no denying Sadowitz does intend to shock but much of what he says is often relevant and indeed current. As I mentioned earlier, he says what we often think but makes clever points about monkeys being more intelligent than men in some respects and in other points he clearly identifies mankinds baser urges.
I left the gig wanting more, much more but then he fascinates me because he's such a clandestine character, I'd love to know the real Sadowitz and what he really thinks on issues but then the obvious answer is he has just told me and hundreds of others on stage. He ended the sensual onslaught of a show by showing how versatile he is being able to comment on any subject with his usual caustic irony then has a pasqinade pop at American sit com-comic Seinfeld (and rightly so).
We drive home and my neck and sides actually ache from laughing. I'm trying to remember his act as much as I can but some is already slipping away because of the pace of it all. Later I'm buzzing whilst sat at home reflecting because recently I've been fairly quiet and Mr Sadowitz has unwittingly made me realise I've lost that bit of edge I once had at times. The next day people mention it on twitter, Sadowitz fans totally get the man, the stupid few who didn't absorb the posters warnings or consider things like I have above - don't.
Comedy therapy? Who knows but what I do know is I'll never tire of seeing him. Come back to Nottingham soon!
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Big Society?
Do many people know what David Camerons 'Big Society' is about, do the public at large actually care? Will Cameron do himself any favours for a big society by saying things like state multiculturalism has failed? Already some cities such as Liverpool and Manchester who are suffering from severe council funding cuts are distancing themselves from Mr Camerons big society pilot schemes. I've seen at first hand how government cut backs are destroying inner cities charities and projects topple and fall after many years of hard work, as the Tories put the squeeze on local government spending the big society only looks like it can ever implode. Mr Cameron of course still champions this empty grand scheme. Even people that want to volunteer cannot because the charities or projects they volunteer for are going to the wall.
The victim as I see it in Mr Cameron's big society is indeed us - the society because his scheme is clearly stumbling before it can walk. If projects and charities cannot help those that need it then society on all tiers begins to suffer, from the homeless to the mentally ill, from disabled to elderly, from blind to beaten women. The only way a big society can succeed is by supporting sections of the population that need it most and by cutting spending to these Mr Camerons big society is a contradiction in the broadest sense.
The victim as I see it in Mr Cameron's big society is indeed us - the society because his scheme is clearly stumbling before it can walk. If projects and charities cannot help those that need it then society on all tiers begins to suffer, from the homeless to the mentally ill, from disabled to elderly, from blind to beaten women. The only way a big society can succeed is by supporting sections of the population that need it most and by cutting spending to these Mr Camerons big society is a contradiction in the broadest sense.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)