Monthly Archives: December 2005

It’s Tia Maria time!

Posted on by

Good things about Christmas this year include sherry trifle, walks with the dog and generally having family around. It’s all been a nice change from last year.

Today we took Casper down to Dulas Beach, where he got very, very wet. We had my mum round to the house again for a few hours in the afternoon as well as a few lovely guests. Boxing Day is all about the company, but less about the gross over-consumption of food.

Casper on Dulas Beach

I’m here in Wales until the end of the week, before heading down to London for New Year In The Bush! Getting more back to normality tomorrow though, with the car to wash and a kitchen floor to take up.

But before then, there’s more alcohol to drink. Mmm, Tia Maria.

Nizlopi for number one!

Posted on by

Of the Jo Whiley-championed JCB Song which enters the singles charts today, the Guardian says:

It’s like a battle between a lovely little ant and a giant ugly lizard, little indie labels versus evil major corporations, homemade creativity against mass commercialised bastards, because this year’s race for the top of the Christmas Top 40 boils down to a fight between two blokes from Leamington Spa with a life-affirming song about being five years old or the winner of X Factor singing a cover version of a song that was quite possibly written by the devil.

So, they’re a couple of blokes from Leamington, on a comparatively small label who’ve written what seems like a genuinely honest song. And they have a cool name.

Even if you don’t like the track itself, that’s still plenty of reasons why it just has to be number one for Christmas, especially given the competition.

This is going to be the first single I’ve bought in quite a while, and deservedly so.

Employment

Posted on by

The acceptance email has been sent. As of today, I am offically employed once again! My new employers will be the lovely people at Alfresco Software, and I’m genuinely excited about the stuff I’m going to be doing there. I start on Monday.

It was worth the wait :-).

UPDATE: It seems I’m not the only one celebrating a new job. London in Janurary is going to be the place to be.

Jamming

Posted on by

Congrats to Giles and Polly for hosting a fab Christmas party last night! We went on quite late in the end, with the result that the music that I’d put together at the last minute on Polly’s laptop unfortunately didn’t quite last through the night.

In the end I ended up replaying a big chunk of the precompiled playlist and a whole bunch of songs off CDs nearer the end – almost proper DJing! Lots of fun, and nice to have an excuse to stay slightly soberer that I otherwise would have been – perhaps I’ll do it again sometime.

Here’s the precompiled list in full.

Mamas and the Papas – California Dreaming
The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
Jim Croce – Working At The Carwash
Chef – Chocolate Salty Balls
The Beach Boys – Wipeout
The Beach Boys – I Get Around
Terrorvision – Tequila
Barbie Girl – Aqua
Wham – Do They Know it’s Christmas
Kylie Minogue – Spinning Around
Sophie Ellis Bextor – Murder On The Dance Floor
Busted – Year 3000
Belinda Carlisle – Always Breaking My Heart
LeAnn Rimes – Can’t Fight The Moonlight
Candi Station – Young Hearts Run Free
Bryan Adams – Summer of 69
S Club 7 – Reach
Trick Pony – Cotton Eyed Joe
Divine Comedy – National Express
Snap! – The Power
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
The Lion King – Hakuna Matata
Presidents Of The USA – Video Killed The Radio Star
Space – Neighbourhood
Clock – Oh What A Night
Robbie Williams – Old Before I Die
Eminem – Sing For The Moment
Pete El Conde Rodriguez – I Like It Like That
The Seahorses – Love Is The Law
OMC – How Bizarre
Supergrass – Alright
Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song
No Doubt – Just A Girl
Sum 41 – In Too Deep
Suggs – Cecilia
Ocean Colour Scene – Mile High City
Garbage – Stupid Girl
Ash – Girl From Mars
The Strokes – Last Nite
Free – All Right Now
The Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
Garbage – Only Happy When It Rains
Placebo – The Bitter End
Jimmy Eats World – It Just Takes Some Time
Pink – Get This Party Started
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
Skunk Anansie – Weak
Muse – Feeling Good
Pink – Just Like A Pill
T.Rex – 20th Century Boy
The Cardigans – Lovefool
Pink – Don’t Let Me Get Me
Reef – Place Your Hands
Queen – We Will Rock You
The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
Buddy Holly – Rock Around the Clock
Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love
Buddy Holly – I’m Gonna Love You Too
Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls Of Fire
Elvis – Hound Dog
The Beatles – Hey Jude
The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Goo Goo Dolls – Slide
The Pogues – Fairytale of New York
Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Chrismas Everyone
Iggy Pop – The Passenger
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
Babybird – You’re Gorgeous
Deep Blue Something – Breakfast At Tiffany’s
The Rolling Stones – The House Of The Rising Sun
The Beach Boys – Surfer Girl
The Beach Boys – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
Queen – We Are The Champions
Feeder – Comfort In Sound
Ben E King – Stand By Me
Sting – Every Breath You Take
Mamas And The Papas – Dream a Little Dream
The Lion King – Can You Feel The Love Tonight
The Stranglers – Golden Brown
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
Wham! – Last Christmas
Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
Marilyn Monroe – Santa Baby