Hey, it seems to be Saturday and I've got this running at home too now. Not for long today though as I have to go pick Joan up from work. Just thought I'd get connected here and mention that today's CDs have included:

Guns 'N Roses - Appetite For Destruction (first play in about 2 years) and
Aerosmith - Pandora's Box Disc 2 (A Christmas present I'm enjoying slowly)

And I also did a DVD commentary with the ironing - The Mummy. Quite interesting but not the best commentary I've heard as yet!

OK, got to go.

Just read a few articles about writing these things and tend to agree with them on one key theme: this really is a doddle to use. I've been thinking abput setting something like this up for a couple of years now, but never had the time to really give it a proper go. The few attempts I did make fell down through my non-existent knowledge of FTP getting in the way. Even when I tried to follow what looked like very simple and clear instructions things all went to pot. So, here I am doing it the easy way using someone else's inspiration and skills. Thanks to everyone else out there!

Getting in to gear for the weekend now. Joan, my good lady wife is working both days so I will be alternating between the PC at home and the ironing board if previous experience is anything to go by. Which also means that when PCing there will be CDs playing, and when Ironing the TV will be on. So expect comments on more music and tv and possibly even some films soon. My main aim is to watch some DVDs with the commentary tracks rather than the normal sound as I'm quite intrigued by the whole film-making process.

Adios, for now.

Meeting was actually quite interesting, but nothing worthy of putting on here. However, office network is refusing to behave today so about all we can do is send email and surf the net. Not particularly productive but better than roaming the streets.

Getting back to the cds mentioned earlier... It will obviously take a while for me to go through my entire collection and acquisitions so it could be a while before the full, balanced picture of what I like emerges. But do stick around, you might just find something you like. Which is a round about way of explaining thrash metal, mixed up world music and contemporarified classical all in one tranche.

Oh, I'm also happy to answer questions, talk to people reading this or whatever. If you came here via a link I sent you then you have my return address already, otherwise try ask-lola@talk21.com for now. I might even explain who Lola is some day...

Another day, another load of waffle. ER was indeed a good 'un last night. And I'm several pages further in to the Encyclopaedia. Enjoying that thoroughly even if it is likely to have the ultimate result of a severe dent in the bank balance. Already got Bagpuss on DVD, and thoroughly appreciating the quality afforded thus.

Going back to music, Suffolk Libraries seem to have a darn good selection of cds available and I tend to borrow them on a regular basis and if they happen to end up copied on to mini-discs when I get them home then hey, stranger things have happened. At the moment on loan I have: Bond - Born, AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip, Megadeth - Risk and Afro Celtic Sound System Volume 1. All most enjoyable. I only wish I had more time in the day to listen to stuff.

Well, got to go to a grenn travel plan meeting now. Thrills or Tedium? I don't know.

Just changed the template cos having looked at this on the web I decided I didn't like the constant colour changing.

Anyway, time to go home from work as there is some serious telly watching to be done tonight. DIY SOS which I'm addicted to (along with any other decent home improvement shows) - loads of inspiration for things we want to do at home. Whether we ever get the chance to do them, money to buy the bits, time to paint them and stuff is a different matter.

Also on tonight is ER, which we also can't live without. The only thing I object to is the fact that currently it is only on E4 here - paying for the satellite dish installation and monthly subscription is OK, but I do get sick of the superimposed logos on most of the channels thus obtained. I just want to watch the show, not a reminder of what channel I'm on. I already know that - I chose it. D'oh! And the constant ad breaks do my head in too. If only the BBC had bought it instead. Still, great to see Dr. Lewis back last week, pity we had to lose Chen though.

More tomorrow.

Started a new book today:

The Encyclopaedia of Cult Childrens tv by Richard Lewis.

I have to admit that its probably a symptom of my age (I'll be 31 in a couple of weeks) but I'm just fascinated with the whole 70s & 80s nostalgia thing. How much of what I think I remember now is genuine memories and how much comes from the books and tv shows is a matter for debate though. Most of what I recall seems like it was good fun at the time when I think about the period, although I did have some pretty bad experiences at school. A couple of people who'd best remain nameless on here would not be welcome at my birthday party!

Anyway, back to the book. It looks pretty good from what I've read so far both in terms of style and content. For those of you who can't obtain it I recommend tv cream on the web instead. You can find that here. Fuller report when I get a bit further in.

Hopefully as this goes on a good picture of my tastes will appear. Basically I'll read anything that people recommend to me, but tend to stick mainly to certain themes so keep looking to learn more!

Musically I will also give anything a whirl. So, I'll be listing all purchases, recent spins in the cd player and stuff too. The last two cds I bought were:

Sum 41 - Half Hour Of Power and
Ginger - Greivous Acoustic Behaviour, Live At the 12 Bar

Both absolute corkers. Ginger I have been a fan of since the Wildhearts first appeared on the scene, and this double cd is very highly recommended for anyone who knows a bit of his musical history. I'm not sure it serves that well as an introduction to the man himself though as it (a) was recorded in fromt of friends and (b) gets very loose due to alcohol by the end. Sum 41 I discovered recently through the Kerrang channel on Sky TV and was instantly hooked. This was a surprise purchase as all the shops were plugging the new album as their first so I was not expecting this one to exist. Well, I call it an album, they refer to it as an EP on the sleeve notes, but as I've got cds marketed as albums that are shorter.... Anyway, they impress me a lot by combining current trends in rock with the older forms of Heavy Metal and doing it very well. Check it out.

That'll do for now. See ya.

Right, I've checked the first load of stuff has come through, so I'm off home now.

Might start adding some substance tomorrow.

Hello to you, thanks for dropping by. This is only the first post so nothing really to say that isn't covered in the intro text (which I hope is elsewhere).

Not sure how often this is going to get updated, but please keep checking. You never know, I might even write something interesting one day.

Anyway, some background to get you going: My name is Simon, I work for Suffolk County Council in Ipswich, UK and live down the road in Felixstowe. Married, no kids, 1 cat, nice house, horrible mortgage.

Likes & Dislikes will follow in subsequent entries.