not sport | Wait until next year

December 13, 2011

Top Two Songs of 2011

Argh, this is difficult. I haven’t even begun, and I’m having trouble. The whole Top Two concept kind of counters any concerns that lists are arbitrary, or crude, or an excuse for me to just be plain lazy with my blogging. Yet I’m now worrying about methodology and definitions and suchlike. I’m pretty sure reading this blog post about how The Wire magazine compiles its end-of-year lists didn’t help. Who knew voting and categorisation and the like could be so complicated? Read the rest of this entry »

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December 10, 2011

Top Two for 2011: Introduction

I really don’t like End of Year lists. Well, I like reading other people’s, but I really don’t like composing my own. So, don’t worry, I’m not going to veer into some “Art is subjective, lists are objective, so lists of books/albums/cross-stitching are bad”-type argument. Organising stuff into lists can be fun, and for any sort of year-end retrospective seems entirely sensible. Over the years many End of Year lists have pointed me in the direction of a lot of fun and worthwhile stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

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December 1, 2011

Writing notes

I was catching up on my Instapaper reading this morning, working my way through articles I’ve chanced across on the internet and decided to ‘Read Later’. I know I’ve spoken of Instapaper before, but I think it is such a great tool for making the most of longer-form articles on the web. I kind of see it as an attempt to make my internet (where I’ll save it) and mobile phone (where I’ll read it) activity just a little more nourishing and worthwhile. Or to feel a little less like I waste my life staring at daft stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

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November 25, 2011

Rock ‘N’ Soul Ichiban!

I know we now have huge-memoried mp3 players and Spotify and iTunes and downloads and pretty-much-immediate access to vast catalogues of music and that it is wonderful and all, but sometimes I like to hear something new, or different, or something I wouldn’t chance upon naturally through those aforementioned technical innovations that offer so much choice that I end up just a little bit overwhelmed and so curate myself into a cosy, familiar, safe corner. Sometimes I need someone else to choose what I’m listening to, to point my ears in an interesting direction. In short, I still love (and need) radio. Read the rest of this entry »

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November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American visitors. It seems like a good excuse to post one of my favourite New Yorker covers, that I think is apt for all manner of high days and holidays. I’m thankful for a whole bunch of stuff – a wonderful wife, supportive and loving family, a home, a job…so much great sport, great music, beer, takeaway curry, catch-up television, high-speed internet access…you know, all the important stuff.

I shall try to hunt down a turkey sandwich or something this lunchtime, and think of all you lucky people with a day off work. Have fun!

Category: not sport