tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63785742206254797902024-03-06T00:43:12.122+00:00ThisModernLove“Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see in the making all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals.” Don DelilloGiles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-50925408804291646222010-09-23T18:46:00.002+01:002010-09-23T19:04:42.013+01:00On Giving Up.Something I have given a lot of thought to, is the wish that life was something you could give up experiencing, and just observe, like the tougher levels on a computer game that you can't crack, so you pass to your sibling to finish instead. I yearn with all consciousness to just be able to say, when one realises that they can't feasibly carry on, 'That's it for me, actually! I'll opt out, if that's okay', as if life was a particularly tough game of chess.<div><br /></div><div>Not suicide, though. Admittedly as a young '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">un</span> who still very much believed in God and Heaven and the possibility of an afterlife, the idea of suicide was an attractive one. When things got too much, I could just pop myself off and watch things unfold from above. But now, unfortunately I guess you could say, I am freed of such beliefs, and I'm stuck for a way out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because I cannot cope now, and by all indication that isn't going to change. I long so much for independence, but my Mother still has to send me emails telling me how to divide my money so as to carry on surviving. I'm never going to understand the world of bill payments, rents, direct debits, and why I have to wait until the 18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> to repay <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">LeakyCon</span>, and I've had to realise* that after recovering from a series of very serious illnesses, she may not be around much longer.</div><div><br /></div><div>So then what? I can't keep relying on friends, and in any case I have a habit of driving them away. I'm useless at relationships, particularly with the kind of people** that could actually help me sort my life out, and as such I have since given up on trying.*** I'm fucked. Absolutely fucked, and there's nothing I can do about it. I simply will never be able to cope with the pressures of adult life.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what the fuck do I do?! Maybe I could become a convict, and spend a life in prison. Or, as celibacy is something I am set on anyway, maybe a hypocritical, self-loathing life in a monastery is something I could consider. Bah! Answers on a postcard.****</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">xo</span></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">gb</span></div><div><br /></div><div>*Actually <i>had</i> to. My Mother has always been blunt.</div><div>**Usually women.</div><div>***Yes! As of the 22<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">nd</span> of September, 2010, I am now celibate and swear off all future relationships. If you wish to place bets on how long this will last, please speak to any of my flatmates.</div><div>**** Or in the comments.</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-23319093162727367682010-08-08T07:11:00.000+01:002010-08-08T07:43:39.054+01:00Goodbye Moreton.In a little under three hours I shall be leaving my childhood home for what will hopefully be the last time, to move into a house in Kingston where I now live with five other friends. I have no doubt that I shall spend time here again, when I inevitably run out of money, but it won't be the same. My room will no longer be my room, even for the fact that it no longer contains my piggy bank. It will take on that peculiar feeling that rooms that used to contain children always do, the trinkets on the windowsill and indentations in the walls mere sad reminders of the happy times spent there.<br /><br />The word 'RIOT' written in deodorant stain between two posters in a moment of Paramore-inspired anger. The burn on the window-ledge from teenage smoking. The covered-up burn mark on the floor from a pyromanic moment. Amongst the poetry scribbled on each wall, a dedication in blue from the one time I had school friends over to my house. The pockmarked walls from seventeen years of postered dedication to whichever band held my heart at that time.<br /><br />I recently threw out a battered pair of shoes, the kind you could well imagine turning up in a poor angler's unsuccessful efforts, and before I did, I spent a little while remembering what they'd seen. From the day I bought them with, best friend approved, after a day at the beach before signing on, to the last rainy day when their holes became too much, their day-to-day use saw one of the most important periods of change in my life. So what then, has this room seen?<br /><br />It's seen me grow up from an optimistic youth to the melancholic pessimist I am today. It's seen a myriad of friends, girlfriends, constants and flows. It's seen happiness. Pure, childhood happiness at the joy of LEGO, happiness at the first time I tied my laces by myself, played a song through, finished a computer game, finished a book, film, tv show, finished a video or a blog post. It's seen tears: Tantrums, depressions, worries. The first time I was dumped, the end of Gladiator, the end of Harry Potter, and tears that weren't mine: When my girlfriend crashed her car, arguments with my best friend, my Mom crying on my shoulder. It's seen laughter, excitement, despair, ecstasy, shame, and bewilderedness.<br /><br />I was in this room that I discovered Twitter, found the joys of the internet. This room that I discovered John Green, in this room that I heard him read the commencement speech that would kick start a period of change that continues daily today, and in this room that I first decided to act on that.<br /><br />I've lived in this house since I was two, and consider myself uniquely experienced because of it. Leaving a house that has seen me learn to read, write and get dressed is going to be tough. The only reassurance is that soon I will move into a fresh, new house, with new memories to make. New laughs to hear, new fights to worry about, new places to feel life.<br /><br />It was in this room, sat exactly where I am now, listening to the same song I am now, that I first made this blog. It's nothing like I planned it to be: It's not famous, it's not candid, and it's not about sex. It's hardly worth reading, really. I recently found out that the one steady reader I thought I did have isn't as committed as I believed. But I guess that's fine. Maybe one day it will be something big, but until then, like the crack in the wall against which I lean now, it can serve as a reminder of all my short time on this earth has come to be.<br /><br />Throw your arms around me.<br /><br />xo<br />gbGiles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-77054505753878111162010-07-27T02:03:00.004+01:002010-07-27T02:18:32.668+01:00Why I love my friends:<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#2E428B;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b> <!--StartFragment--> </b></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#2E428B;"><b><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">R</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">icky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, after the first day of competition....who are you favouring?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">M</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">e: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What?</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think the Irish really have a strong chance again, man.</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm still rooting with the Irish</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Moran's better than ever, and Mullet may be getting on a bit, but he's still bringing in the points.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who can discount the Bulgarians though....Krum is still a force to be reckoned with</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">True, but I think they've had their day, to be honest. I don't think they'll make it past the semis.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How are you feeling the French this year?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't think they'll make it past that match with Sweden.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Had they been drawn against, say, Italy, first, I think they'd have had more of a chance,</span></span></span></span></p></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">but I think Sweden will dominate them, and they won't really recover.</span></span></span></span></p></b></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A lot of the Scandinavia have some good representation this year</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They have.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Finland are looking really strong....some really attractive Quidditch being played there.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yeah, they've gotten really good in the past few years. That win over Chile in the Qualifiers was fantastic!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Opening ceremony was as spectacular as ever..<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wyrd Sisters...on key as per usual </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They're so consistently great.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bagman went on a bit, though..</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How he worked his way up to Minister for Magic I don't know.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Appalling decision. I mean, true, Fudge's second term wasn't much better, but at least he knew what he was doing..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fudge was always going to haunted by the war....and the fact that he was the man that let Voldemort come back.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He made a good fist of it when all's said and done.</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yeah, but Bagman? I think that'll go down as THE example of a protest vote gone wrong.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yehh but it was him or Umbridge....who would you rather see there....it's a no brainer mate.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Haha! You don't lie.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think the whole Ministry needs a good overhaul. People seem to be pretty enamoured with that Potter guy, but I'm just not big on celeb politicians.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think Longfoot could do the job, though.</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Potter should stick to catching the snitch. If he'd stuck to that and not gone sticking his scar into politics then he'd be leading this England squad.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He would! What do you think of our chances, then?</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Knocked out by Japan again?</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We'll never win it anyway....shows what you get for appointing that bloody Italian wizard as coach</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Too true!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">About time they installed that Wood guy as the coach.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He may be young but he's got the skillz</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh god yes! I mean, he's the reason Puddlemere are the team they are these days.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He was our best acquisition so far, after kitting the team out with the new Firebolt IIs.</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They've even got the Harpies worried!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Cannons need some of them! What are you guys on?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Aha....Nimbus 2001's....if we're lucky.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Haha! Bless. I mean, granted, you keep trying, but I think relegation is going to come knocking soon.</span></span></span></span></p></b></b><b><p></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh for a turnaround at that club!!</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I mean, when you've Weasley as your best player...you know you're in dire straights.</span></span></span></span></p></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He's not bad in front of the hoops....but again, he's no Wood aha</span></span></span></span></p></b></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">True. I think you can count the number of goals Wood let in for his entire career on both hands.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Weasley would need the spare fingers from Wood to even get started on his tally </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hahaha!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">His wife's hot, though. You seen her?</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">She does a lot of charity work.</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ahh....Hermione Weasley....the WAG to end all WAG's</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">She has it all.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You know, maybe you should give her a run at being Keeper. She couldn't be worse..</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, presumably she know's how to handle the red balls...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ohoho!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The clash with the robes is something not to be sniffed at.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's horrific.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You'd imagine they'd do better, actually, what with the glare.. It can't be easy to score with that in your eyes..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well it's not helped us out this season I can tell you.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">or the last one, or the last one, or the one before that<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">or before that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fucking Puddlemere....YOU used to be the joke team....now it's really only us </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know!</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And all the new 'supporters' as well..</span></span></span></span></p></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 4pt; margin-left: 4pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 14pt; display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where were you when we'd never won a game?!</span></span></span></span></p></b></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:4.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:4.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've gotta dash, man. Nom's ready.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricky:</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Inabit You wonderful geek you x</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll speak to you soon, though. Make sure to catch USA vs Germany on Saturday. Should be good. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></span></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">xx</span></span></span></span></p></b><p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </b></span><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-85890732112867809142010-07-18T20:08:00.000+01:002010-07-18T20:09:17.932+01:00Upon finishing 'His Dark Materials'.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There's something so wonderful about finishing a really great book. It's that sublime combination of empathy, passion, and clarity of mind that flows through your veins as you come to the end of the last page. Wearied from the journey you've inevitably been on with the characters, burdened moreso by the weight of your own experiences, the sense of relief is palpable.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Really</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> good books always leave me feeling a little drunk, and allowing oneself to sink into that blissful catatonia is one of life's greatest pleasures. The intellectual high combined with the base and complex power of the emotions you are left with, sweep over your life like a sea mist, dampening everything with its touch. This is the time to create. To fuck, to kiss, to do something with your life. Even just to sit and watch the magnificent glory of the world pass you by, feeling a little richer for your pleasures.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But it never lasts. The fog clears, the dew dries, and soon you are left clinging desperately on to the last fragments of whatever world you have just left. The schwa-like urges you craved to fulfil ebb away, and soon you are left once more to the mercy of the real world, with only a fragile sense of dislocation to remind you of what you briefly were.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You were an adventurer, and in this sense almost all good literature is a work of fantasy. For like the protagonist in any fantasy novel, you return to your world to a blank reaction. No one can know what you've gone through, and any attempt to try to explain would cheapen the epiphany. You must simply labour on, enlightened by the wonders you've seen.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">xo</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">gb</span></div></span>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-32375932685509600402010-07-15T21:09:00.004+01:002010-07-15T21:57:49.273+01:00Up Onto the Bandwagon and Round the MoatNever one to miss a bandwagon, I thought I'd chime in on the raging media storm concerning serial attacker Raol Moat. Now I've been in a bit of an internet blackout for the past couple weeks, so I didn't catch the story as it was coming in, but I've read a couple articles, and listened to an interview. I may not be informed, but that doesn't stop <i>The News of the World</i> from going out every day, so why should it stop me?<div><br /></div><div>Now I want to make it absolutely clear that <b>of course </b>I think that the acts committed by Raol Moat were atrocious, and I do not agree with any of the dissident opinions concerning him. I do, however, take issue with the nation's reaction to the Facebook group declaiming him 'a legend'. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now these kinds of groups and fan pages are commonplace. They're basically the home take-away option for internet trolls. Instead of having to go out to YouTube videos and cause consternation in the comments there, they simply set up an obscene group and let the indignant come to them. They are nothing more than a cheap laugh for those that enjoy such a thing. Obviously there will be people coming to these groups that do harbour unsavoury opinions regarding their content, but overall, they are made up of bored idiots convincing themselves of their brilliance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now aside from the tabloid reaction to the papers being a dire case of 'feeding the trolls', the public demand to Facebook to remove such a group, and indeed, the Prime Minister's plea to the website, is something worth looking at. Although the page was indeed a joke, the government's sudden decision to tell us with whom <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10633297">we can and cannot sympathise</a> is unacceptable. Enforcing moral character is not a governmental responsibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, in this case, the person behind the Facebook group did have the intellect of a particularly small amoeba. In <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhPjY3X6rs&feature=youtu.be">this stunning interview</a> with Ian Collins*, it is clear that Siobhan O'Dowd** doesn't have the brain cells to understand just why her case was important, neither did she have the wit to counter Collins' not overly challenging questions. The country missed what could have been a vital chance to openly debate the nature of opinion and how we can and should express it. Instead we got a half-assed, botched attempt at humour that was dragged on longer than necessary by a press waiting with baited breath for any possible chance at outraged indignation.</div><div><br /></div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div>*A man who clearly sees himself as a halfway house between John Humphrys and Jeremy Kyle but instead comes across like Tim Westwood trying to 'get politikal'.</div><div>**Who by <b>no</b> means deserves to share a surname with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_George">George</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_O'Dowd">Chris</a></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-24626374600186269572010-06-14T13:57:00.000+01:002010-06-14T13:58:27.039+01:00This Great and Terrible Truth.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It is not the least bit coincidental that adults who commit suicide with firearms almost always shoot themselves in: the head. They shoot the terrible master. And the truth is that most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">xo</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">gb</span></span></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-90265774293767422382010-06-05T05:29:00.008+01:002010-06-05T05:45:12.947+01:00Just another night in Nantes..<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are so many people I need to apologise to, and I started to write them all out, but firstly, it's too long, and secondly it's unnecessary, as it's all for doing the same thing. Letting you slip away, or disappearing myself, or, basically, completely abandoning you.<br /><br />So I realised there's nothing I can say that isn't better put by </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCkT4K-hppE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this song</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.<br /><br />It's been such a long time since I've seen your smile. I've gambled away my friends, time, and sanity, and all I want to do is scream and shout how not okay this is and how not okay I am, but it's business as usual for the rest of the world. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So I'm sorry.<br /><br />xo<br />gb</span></span></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-79475524926975866682010-04-12T05:06:00.002+01:002010-04-12T05:29:40.889+01:00Way to NormalSometimes I think I should try and be normal.<div><br /></div><div>I mean, I just saw something that made me realise what normal men are like, and it just really brought home what people expect from each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>I mean, by way of example, I have nearly 300 songs about Harry Potter on my iTunes, and I'm writing my own. I spent most of today re-writing the theme to Doctor Who, and I play, amongst other instruments, the didgeridoo, ukulele, and lute. If you ask me about teams, I am very likely to start talking about Quidditch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not ashamed of being a nerd. I believe that knowing things is cool, I love reading, and I proudly wear my nerd colours on my sleeve (blue and gray). I just think that maybe somewhere along the line, I've completely lost track of things.</div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier, my friend Bri expressed her admiration at the fact that I wear frequently wear nail varnish. I've had similar sentiments from other friends. From other people, though, I've had emotions ranging from bemusement to nausea.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm not going to claim that I don't care what people think about me, because that is quite obviously a lie. I don't, however, care if short-sighted idiots can't get past the idea of a guy wearing nail varnish, or wearing girls boxers, or being almost 20 and still professing his public love for Puddlemere United.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the fact is that I'm not normal. I can't talk to you about real music. Albums made in K-Holes in Parisian bathrooms, played on childrens' toys - Yes. Why three lines of my iTunes are dedicated to an artist no one in the UK that doesn't know what DFTBA means knows of - Yes. But who Tinchy Stryder is? Who the Number 1 is at the moment? No chance.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't explain the offside rule. I drink Lambrini because I love it. I hate the taste of beer. I don't think I will ever be able to fall in love again, because I view it only as a chemical reaction. And I am <b>never</b> going to care if anything bad happens in the sporting world. I think people that have tattoos will regret them, but I plan to get my own. I judge people with facial piercings, but I have one myself. I want a toy Sonic Screwdriver. I still play act and pretend I'm a cowboy sometimes. My Facebook is in Latin.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't shake this feeling that I should enjoy youth while it lasts, because I'm going to end up lonely.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-57868193193350257262010-04-08T20:01:00.000+01:002010-04-08T20:02:24.301+01:00Always relieving to know<div><a href="http://theoatmeal.com/quiz/baboon_dildo"><img src="http://theoatmeal.com/img/quizzes/generated/6_43_baboons.jpg" alt="How many baboons could you take in a fight? (armed only with a giant dildo)" /></a></div><div><p>Created by <a href="http://theoatmeal.com">Oatmeal</a></p></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-14053402282871511182010-03-21T07:30:00.005+00:002010-03-22T13:18:03.818+00:00A New Regime<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So hi.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It has, as usual, been a while. How have you been? How's that wonderful husband/wife/baby/boyfriend/girlfriend/dog of yours?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've been in a bit of a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/show?p=NAtx42WslAQ&feature=fvsp">dark place</a> of late. There are a host of reasons, to which everyone will be sure they know the definitive answer. You don't. Regardless, the end result has been me not attending lectures for 5 weeks, not attending an exam, going back onto drugs, drinking myself into hospital on one occasion, and generally trying to keep myself buried in the little hole I dug for myself.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Obviously, this is not a productive way to go through life, especially university. I'm blessed with the fact that I've done a lot of what we're learning this year already at A-Level, so it won't be too hard to get back in, but it won't be without difficulties. I have, for example, blown off my singing teacher several times this term. I'm also lucky that no real* assignments were due in during this period.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So now, whether simply because I've run out of drugs and I'm running out of cigarettes, or whether it's due to some deep moral change, I'm changing. I'm gonna go clean, try and quit smoking again, restrict my drinking to healthy** amounts and turn up to lectures. It's going to be hard: I'm already getting headaches and nausea from some of the withdrawals and I spent most of last night dreaming about weed, but I'm going to do it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amsterdam might be tricky, though.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In related news, I've decided to lose weight. As a student, specifically a music student, I realise I am letting the collective side down by being anything other than horrifically skinny and malnourished. So, with a goal in mind, I'm setting out to shift a whole bunch (read: my love handles, stomach, and chubby-but-loveable ass wobbles) of weight. I won't be doing an <a href="http://www.alandistro.com/">AlanDistro-like blog along</a>, simply because the added disappointment of 26 people*** on my conscience when I'm tucking into the free pot of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Loseley Double Chocolate Ice Cream</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that comes free with every 'Party Feast' ordered from </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Red Planet Pizzas</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (I'm not sponsored, but if anyone from Red Planet </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> reading this, I'd be willing to negotiate) will be the last thing I need.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So that's it! My big news. I'll try and do another post this month, to bring you up to date with all that's going on in my life, instead of this rather unnecessary idiocy. For now, I'm off to wash 8 weeks worth of dirty washing and dishes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who knows? I might even shave!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">xo</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">gb</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*World Music doesn't count as a </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">real</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> module</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">** Well, health</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ier</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*** </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yes! That's how many people follow me now! Thank you all!</span></div></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-81287156459493572562010-02-16T13:15:00.004+00:002010-02-16T13:18:36.232+00:00Boogie on down.<a href="http://www.eecoboogiewoogie.com ">Eeco Rijken Rapp</a> is a friend of my old piano teacher, <a href="http://youtube.com/fingersphillips">Julian Phillips</a>. Can't stop listening to this piece. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><object width="400" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ji66n0-fGNQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ji66n0-fGNQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />xo<br />gbGiles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-89984915210605563562010-02-08T16:17:00.001+00:002010-02-08T16:17:56.469+00:00formspring.meAsk me anything <a href="http://formspring.me/flangel66" target="_blank">http://formspring.me/flangel66</a>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-71195400273807601772010-01-19T16:52:00.005+00:002010-01-19T17:15:19.002+00:00HysteriaIf you can't stand middle-class white teenagers whining about their inability to cope, then I suggest you don't read this entry.*<div><br /></div><div>It's generally been the case that as unstable as my personal life may be, academically, I've always been pretty fine. I'm lazy, true, and I have a habit of pushing my deadlines to the very last minute, but generally, whilst my relationships and emotions are crashing down and whirling up around me, the path of my education has been pretty firm.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, for some reason, the opposite is true. For the first time ever, I have a large group of friends, with a core group of really close ones, and I'm only 10 minutes away from the girl I've spent most of my life missing. I may not be able to make up my mind about romantic relationships, but they're either looking up or aren't an issue, so I don't really have any huge burdens of the heart either.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite all this, though, I can't seem to get happy enough to want to work or write anything of substance. I can't even bring myself to get up and do my laundry (I'm currently wearing a shirt I've worn three times this week alone). It's a good job I don't have any lectures for another week, because I sincerely doubt I'd go to them.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I don't know what to do. I drink, but I know that's not the solution. If anything, it makes it worse. But I can't <b>bare</b> being sober and clear-minded at the moment: it allows me to start thinking. So what do I do? I guess I wait, hope for the best, and become superstitious enough to maybe pass my first year.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, I'm not on Facebook anymore because of a breach of TOC, so if you want me, I'm on <a href="http://twitter.com/flangel66">Twitter</a>, or <a href="mailto:flangelblog@gmail.com">message</a> me for my number.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div>*Although I would wonder why you're following this blog at all, were that the case..</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-10682421101965197372009-12-10T07:59:00.003+00:002009-12-10T08:07:28.042+00:00I hate the bargaining side of depression<div>Not the 'Five Stages of Grief' bargaining, the '<i>If I can just make it through toda</i>y' bargaining. The one where you promise yourself that if you can make it through this day in one piece, you can have a whisky, or you can enjoy the release of Friday, or you can have that piece of turkey you have waiting for you in the freezer.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the surface, it works. It gives you something to think about, and set your mind on, as you fail your way through a singing lesson, and as you lounge languid and bored in each of your lectures. But really it doesn't. Because lurking deep below the surface is the real and destroying knowledge that no matter how successfully the day goes, there's not going to be anyone at home to kiss you 'Hello', to cuddle you and to tell you how proud of you they are for making it through each day.</div><div><br /></div><div>And even worse, there's the knowledge that surely there will be a day when you <i>can't</i> make it through. And the implications of that are crushing.</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-28898018623061881942009-11-17T17:16:00.005+00:002010-01-19T17:21:12.342+00:00I have awesome friends.<object width="400" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gGZRLZogoAU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gGZRLZogoAU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="295"></embed></object>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-62683062702949370652009-10-26T20:52:00.006+00:002009-10-26T20:58:51.069+00:00AutumnsongFor the last few days I've been listening to the newest version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hexachordal">Tom Milsom'</a>s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPd8mHXap_U">Indigo</a> on repeat.<div><br /><div>Today this arrived in my sub box.</div><div><br /></div><div>Play it loud.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:10px;"><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZSNlZO6IlNw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZSNlZO6IlNw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></span></span></div></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-3076131366966407622009-10-21T15:59:00.009+01:002009-10-25T22:15:28.308+00:00Uni or Your Memory<div>(See what I did there? Ahohoho!)</div><div><br /></div>So*! Much to be said!<div><br /></div><div>Well firstly, I am, as you will surely notice, writing this not from a decrepit Dell with a missing 'O' key (the sudden abundance of said letter is clearly a give-a-woy), but from my brand new shiny MacBook Pro, which means I can now <a href="http://dailybooth.com/flangel66">Dailybooth</a>, do the occasional video (links will come once I actually get bloody around to it), and generally just enjoy e-life that little bit more.</div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest thing to happen between my last blog and this one was that I went to go see <b>The Mountain Goats</b>. Followed shortly by the fact that oh god I totally moved to London and started university.</div><div><br /></div><div>Uni's great, the course is boring at the moment, but promises to pick up and I'm making friends pretty quickly and easily. My academic advisor <a href="http://davidosbon.com/">looks like a cross between Hagrid and Meatloaf</a>, but acts like Dr. Cox, which is pretty legendary (can you tell I love him?), and he seems to like me, which is cool. But really, and I'm not gonna lie, it's <b>all</b> about having my own toilet.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxsSsjShw6TLBZQLDUOv2gbs3O1_V7N8ALMUnnAqp95OIKbUVMCjmg0lPiXgrC7Tz32Xo5C8b0vA1rnmMQA0M7gHAWdjAkFUN3Q46ioV2qX1_8Cwn12Mp6sxl9ldwE9N97lwgdSM9DpgR/s320/DSCN0038.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396605847722692626" /></div><div>The Mountain Goats on the other hand (or 'Goat' as should be as it was only John Darnielle (I say 'only' - I mean, it's fucking JOHN DARNIELLE! I was in the same room as him and everything!)) were nothing short of perfect. I was originally going to go with my friend <a href="http://captainceej.blogspot.com/">Casey</a>, but she unfortunately developed a pretty severe allergic reaction to some guinea pigs (it's true! <a href="http://twitter.com/captainceej">Ask her!</a>), so I went with the wonderful <a href="http://jess-young.blogspot.com/">Jess</a> instead. We've met before at a Patrick Wolf show earlier this </div><div>year, but by the nature of such a gig we didn't get to hang much. So it was pretty awesome to be able spend a bit of time chatting before and after the gig this time.</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_HVm_4mthyphenhyphen5026KMEq86Q52TT2xIeueVzu1Xmn4eAW9gadkchqSJuV7xMqlYsgyPAQxyacBBNVbWPWTo2D2NpCkXDiL0qha8G1PkEUkNu9bKk_wZO4uS_7y0OAaFK2_OnkG3eliV4kb6/s320/DSCN0039.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396607149995791986" /><div>Being that he was touring his <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-World-Come-Mountain-Goats/dp/B002LBGBJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256507012&sr=8-1">new album</a>, I expected John to play a whole load of songs from it, and maybe a couple past singles. Brilliantly, though, he admitted that he doesn't come over to the UK too much, and so played a whole load of old classics, like '<i>Jenny</i>' and songs from the last few albums, like '<i>Broom People</i>', '<i>Up the Wolves</i>', and '<i>Woke Up New</i>'. He did play some new stuff; '<i>Matthew 25:21</i>', and '<i>Deuteronomy 2:10</i>' both got an outing, as did '<i>Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace'</i> for which I love him even more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, it was by far one of the best gigs I've been to. Darnielle is an <b>AMAZING</b> performer, whose banter is sometimes so good you don't actually want him to play. And of course a lot of a gig's brilliance is about who you go with, and I was lucky to be with Jess, who was great fun, and didn't seem to judge my giddy excitement at each song announcement too much. So yeah! Awesome night!</div><div><br /></div><div>And Finally** this coming November will be a busy one for me. As well as <a href="http://www.movember.com/">growing a moustache</a>, doing graduation ceremonies and working on my 'Writing about Music' assignment (which I'm doing on The Decemberists), I will be doing '<a href="http://hmtpng.com/">Hometaping</a>' - the <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> of music. Basically I have 30 days to write and record an album at least 20 minutes long and upload it to share with the world. It's a nice slant on the novel writing idea that's gaining popularity each year, and I'd love it if y'all joined me! Let me know!</div><div><br /></div><div>Also I've really been getting into the work of the <a href="http://www.thehpalliance.org/">HP Alliance</a> and everything they've been doing to reduce WorldSuck and make the world a nicer place. One such thing is <a href="http://thehpalliance.org/wrock4equality/">Wrock4Equality</a> which had tonnes of Harry Potter fans calling people up and urging them to <a href="http://www.protectmaineequality.org/">overturn Prop 1,</a> the Prop 8-like legislation that threatens to overturn the equality laws passed in Maine this year. So check it out, even if you're not into Harry Potter. Love is something we can all spread, regardless of whether our inspiration be Dumbledore, Jesus, or fucking Bono.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speak soon!</div><div><br /></div><div>xox</div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*I start so many of these with 'So', it's almost becoming a tradition. I'll stop now, I promise.</div><div>Also: Earliest footnote ever? Ithinkso!</div><div><br /></div><div>**I call this 'And Finally' because, in my head, it's always full of funny 'round-up' stories, though it's generally anything but. I'll try and get a water-skiing squirrel story for you next month if you're good, though.</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-50029991971956758992009-09-13T18:25:00.004+01:002009-09-13T20:22:59.366+01:00Relative escapismSo as many of you will know, I've spent most of my teenage years hating the house, county, and basically everything about the place I live in. I've been dreaming of getting out, running away and leaving for the city since I was old enough to go on trains by myself.<div><br /></div><div>In just under four days, this dream will come true. I'll leave Dorset, pack up my posessions, and move into a university-owned flat in London, ready for my first year at Kingston. And yet, I honestly, truly, really don't want to.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I first started dreaming of London, in my mind I'd turn up to a friend's house with a small bag, some clothes, a guitar and a bottle of Jack Daniel's. Over time, this dream changed, Jack Daniel's became Scotch, the guitar became first a ukulele, then an accordion, and the clothes got progressively weirder. In short, I built my dream and concept of London around who I wanted to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where this became a problem is when that dream became tangible. By the beginning of this summer, it was definite. Come September, I would definitely be moving in to my own* place with a decent laptop, a host of instruments (including an accordion) in tow, and feeling pretty damn good about myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it was not to be. Instead, I'm arriving on Thursday, already broke, laptop-less, accordion-less, with no smart clothes that fit me any more after the splurgiest of summer splurges, a mullet (courtesy of the well-trained folks at Toni & Guy), and a broken tambourine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having had my wildest dreams presented to me on a silver platter, the idea of coming back down to earth, and arriving at uni the same formless, style-less, wannabe kleptomaniac musician I've struggled most of my life to not be is depressing beyond measure, and my determination to not have to experience it is reaching the dizzying heights whereupon I'm finally ready to admit that I fucking miss the easy escape afforded by drugs.**</div><div><br /></div><div>One of these days I'm going to wriggle up on dry land.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div>*Okay, so maybe not 'my own', but shh.</div><div>**I'm truly sorry if this sentence makes no sense. I got bored around 'and a broken tambourine' and I fucked off to go get drunk.</div><div><br /></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-84273787442383852502009-09-08T15:27:00.003+01:002009-09-08T16:47:44.482+01:00Why Me and Tumblr will never be BFFs.After ranting about it so passionately in yesterday's post, I then spent the evening pruning, editing, and generally molesting <a href="http://flangel66.tumblr.com">my Tumblr</a>, and I came across my big issue with it. It lacks interactivity.<div><br /></div><div>Most people opposed to Twitter criticise it because it appears, on the surface, to be simply another way to inform the world of your every thought, [bowel] movement, and irritation, no matter how inane they may be. Unfortunately, many times, they are right. A quick glance at most of the accounts participating in the daily rape of the trending topics show nothing more than: "Goin out." "Out wit m8s" "Back from bein out wit m8s!! LUV YA GIRLIES!" with almost no replies to anyone (except maybe to point out the fucking obvious to someone so as to maintain that air of quiet satisfaction such people always seem to carry around with them, the twats), on their pages.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happily though, a lot of users do interact, even if it's just to promote their business, and the site is better for it. Such interactions may indeed start with an inane 'breakfast' tweet (as the world at large seems to believe Twitter is solely made of) but will, as I recently experienced, rapidly move on to other topics, and both parties can be enriched or at least mildly entertained by the whole thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tumblr, however, seems to have briefly considered this idea with it's 'Tumblarity', but thrown it out of the window. The closest possibility I've yet to find of interaction is a Facebook-like 'Like'* option, and then the 'Reblog' facility. Even if I am just being thick** the whole site appears to be based around the concept of 'Look at this. It's pretty damn sweet/cool/philosophical/4-Channically brilliant, why don't you try it out for yourself?'.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which, don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of. I just find myself waiting for comments (like I do on here. Refresh. Tweet. Refresh. Cry. Repeat.) whenever I post something of my own making (like <a href="http://flangel66.tumblr.com/post/181335409/yojohngreenyo">this John Green/Exzibit macro</a> I was so unrighteously proud of) and then throwing a little paddy when I can't comment on someone else's <a href="http://crazycrayon.tumblr.com">inspired post/reblog</a> without reblogging it myself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, in matters of the (almost) non-nerd, as well as the last in a series of lovely and delightful postcards and letters I've had from the always fabulous <a href="http://jess-young.blogspot.com">Jess Young</a>, whose photography you should totally check out, I got my copy of <a href="http://driftlessponyclub.com">Driftless Pony Club's</a> '<i>Expert</i>' today in the post.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was<a href="http://dftbarecords.blogspot.com/2009/08/1-of-3-cd-cases.html"> a debate posted</a> by <a href="http://youtube.com/Nerimon">Alex Day</a> some time ago, on the <a href="http://dftbarecords.blogspot.com">DFTBA Records blog</a>, about the packaging their CDs came in. At the time I'd only bought '<i>Taking Leave</i>' by Alan Lastufka and Tom Milson, which came in a sort of hybrid between a full jewel case and a slip case.*** As <i>Taking Leave</i> was an EP, like <i>Expert</i>, I was expecting a similar casing for the DPC EP. It came, however, in a slip case (it was signed by <a href="http://youtube.com/WheezyWaiter">WheezyWaiter</a>, which made it all okay) which I must admit being a bit disappointed in. A slip case may be much kinder to my cramped CD rack, but I do miss the fullness of a jewel case or hybrids.</div><div><br /></div><div>The musical content is what really matters, and it's brilliant, everything I wanted from the band, and endlessly repeatable. I just can't help feeling let down by the packaging. It feels like a freebie, and I half feel like I might as well have just bought it from iTunes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I'm out bitchez.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div>* Convoluted solely for the opportunity of a legitimate 'double like'. They're worth millions.</div><div>**And please tell me if I am, it's a common occurence</div><div>*** There probably is an actual name for it. It'll always be '<i>The Hybrid</i>' to me, though.</div><div><br /></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-58744733974119435812009-08-31T17:28:00.004+01:002009-09-07T16:02:13.833+01:00On Arrogance, Macs and TumblrWell aware of how tedious it is for me to start every update with an apology, this time, I shall do no such thing. In fact, in a unbelievable streak of arrogance, I'm not only going to blame you personally for the lack of updates here, but I'm also going to post-date this entry to August. I've a rather beautiful streak of at least one post a month going at the moment, and I'm not about to let that go to seed simply because you couldn't be bothered to check here sooner. <div><br /></div><div>It's okay, I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again.<div><br /></div><div>So, I guess the big news is that I'm off to <a href="http://www.kingston.ac.uk/">university</a>, and moving to London! I have an address, a new bag, and a host of reading material all ready and (almost) packed, and, with any luck, this will be last update I post on this laptop. I'm moving to pastures whiter, and I'm getting a Mac at last. </div><div><br /></div><div>That last statement will have made one third of you cheer, one third of you despair, and the other third wonder when I became such a nerd, wonder why you're reading this shit anyway and move on. The fact of the matter is that I've had it with PC's, and if me and Windows don't go on a break soon, I'm afraid we might have an irreparable falling out. As Becky '<a href="http://youtube.com/yourtikken">YourTikken</a>' Smith said on <a href="http://tikken.wordpress.com/">her WordPress</a>: </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I don’t </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">dislike</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Windows. I used nothing BUT Windows up until last December. It’s just that, well, Apple products are so much easier. They cater to my simple mind. Everything is sleek and the keyboard shortcuts make sense and my Notebook takes about 30 seconds to start up, tops. It’s true: Apple is an all-pervasive, Orwellian, violating force – but my GOD does it feel good to get violated by them.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I've made my choice, you can fight it out in the comments.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In other news, some of you may recall that I ended </span><a href="http://flangel66.blogspot.com/2009/07/link-tastic-penance-in-blog-form.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">my last post</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> with a prediction that I would, before long, add a </span><a href="http://tumblr.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tumblr</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> account to the list of sites that I'll never use. Well, </span><a href="http://flangel66.tumblr.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I did</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I'm not all together sure that I'll stick around on there; as </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/billtvmacon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">BillTvMacon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> said in one of his </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW1KnZv4cGQ"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">recent videos</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Tumblr seems to be every site I already use all rolled into one. All they've added is '</span><a href="http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/10/tumblarity-tumblr-introduces-new-stats-page-to-mixed-reviews/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tumblarity</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">' which just seems to be a rather heartless measure of how much you fail at using their site. And I fail a lot.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The problem is that Tumblr seems to be mainly suited to people that have a lot of varied media to share with the world. I don't take many photos (I always mean to, but forget, or my camera is out of battery), I rarely search for photos of my favourite bands unless I want a desktop background, I don't audioblog, I don't film videos, and aside from the occasional quote and a blog post on here, I haven't much text to share with the world that isn't linkable on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/flangel66"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. The end result of which is that I just end up parroting other people's posts, and, as most of the people that follow me on Tumblr already know each other, this seems a bit silly. Plus, the layout confuses me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">But regardless of my foreseen length of stay, you should all go and </span><a href="http://flangel66.tumblr.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">follow me</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> anyway - It will make me childishly happy.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">That's it for now. I might well write more this week, my Dad is on a writing course and I want to (as ever) prove that I'm better than him. I also have the house to myself, and as everyone that has been to my house will attest, writing is about all there is to do here.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hope you're all well!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">DFTBA,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">xo</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">gb</span></span></div></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-30830712792765324212009-07-18T14:28:00.013+01:002009-07-18T21:51:45.419+01:00A link-tastic penance in blog form.So it's been a good while since I did anything remotely bloggy. I apologise profusely and hand you this humble offering as penance for my non-journalistic laziness.<div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASbR3Kev3x4E_-AiSGE51U6h_T-hpAxtb7pT3X-JziOigOGS5BbxXW5wfU7JWZwyO62I4xFpwzB3zWWVJcpQvMStY4ot7z6hzwuwy6OZ9lHvfZ4hqiyxSzYZhgoGrv-dHY5-gw8O8t9vH/s1600-h/cd+cover+SQUARE+300.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASbR3Kev3x4E_-AiSGE51U6h_T-hpAxtb7pT3X-JziOigOGS5BbxXW5wfU7JWZwyO62I4xFpwzB3zWWVJcpQvMStY4ot7z6hzwuwy6OZ9lHvfZ4hqiyxSzYZhgoGrv-dHY5-gw8O8t9vH/s320/cd+cover+SQUARE+300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359796761866267426" /></a>I recently bought 'Taking Leave', a joint-effort EP by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/fallofautumndistro">Alan Lastufka</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/hexachordal">Tom Milson</a>. It's only £6.00 including delivery to us UK-ers, which, considering the sheer beauty of the lyrics and the genius of the music, is really a bargin. It's available from the <a href="http://dftba.com/">DFTBA Records</a> website (or from iTunes or Amazon in MP3 form), where you can also buy some other gems from the YouTube community, including <a href="http://store.dftba.com/product/chameleon-circuit">an album of songs based on Doctor Who</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a rather tasty preview of Alan and Tom's work:</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="400" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/H613IQiDEgU&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/H613IQiDEgU&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="315"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One thing that is definitely well overdue a blogging is my trip with the ever fabulous and lovely Louise to see Counting Crows<b>*</b> in Bournemouth. They were scheduled to play in December with Ben Folds, but due to vocal problems the gig was pushed back to May. It was an absolutely amazing gig, definitely one of the best I've ever been to in terms of showmanship alone. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Duritz">Adam Duritz</a>, the lead singer, has more showmanship in his little finger than the likes of Lady GaGa have in their entire mirror-plated bodies. For realz. He makes standing still and singing loudly on tiptoes utterly, mind-bendingly enthralling, so you can imagine how squeal-worthy his inclusion of '<i>With a little help from my friends</i>' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4p-C6SqtkU">into one of their songs</a> was. A five star gig.</div><div><br /></div><div>The three of you that also follow my other blog, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ProjectRead">Project Read 2009</a>, will have noticed that it has fallen into disarray. This is not to say that my reading challenge has also gone down the same path, in fact, if anything, it's gone from strength to strength since I stopped blogging about it every three days.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">**</span></b><b> </b></span> I am currently taking part in <a href="http://infinitesummer.org/">Infinte Summer</a>, a challenge to read the 1079 page*** <i>Infinite Jest</i>, by David Foster Wallace, over the course of the summer. It's hard-going, but incredibly well worth it; Wallace is an author the likes of which it's rare to come by these days. So come join us: We have <a href="http://miklb.com/infinite-summer-bookmarks">bookmarks</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for now, I think. I am, as ever, on <a href="http://twitter.com/Flangel66">Twitter</a>, as well as on <a href="http://facebook.com/GilesBaggott">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.43things.com/person/Flangel66">43 Things</a>, and soon, I fear, <a href="http://tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best Wishes!</div><div>(Dumbledore Forgot to be Alive)</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>Giles</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S: Have a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/GilesWishList">Wish List</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;"><div><b>The Office</b>: Season 3, Episode 23 (Beach Games)</div><div><b>Looking for Alaska</b>: Finished</div><div><b>Perks of Being a Wallflower</b>: Finished</div><div><b>An Abundance of Katherines: </b>Finished</div><div><b>Infinite Jest</b>: Page 221</div><div><br /></div><div>*My 'O' key doesn't work properly sometimes: Guess the typo.</div><div>**An overstatement of gigantic proportions</div><div>*** Plus footnotes. Lots of them. Some of them 11 pages long.</div></span></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-24351743036924126292009-07-15T02:17:00.001+01:002009-07-15T02:20:02.755+01:00Music from a Tree!<div>Sheer creative brilliance!</div><div><br /></div><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5583313&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5583313&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5583313">Diego Stocco - Music From A Tree</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user647380">Diego Stocco</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><div><br /></div><div>More on it <a href="http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Music-from-a-Tree/263872">here</a>.</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-34224361459766316952009-06-28T11:28:00.005+01:002009-06-28T11:50:28.590+01:00Oh Lord..<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">You know there's not a part of this email that doesn't scare me to the depths of my very soul?</span></div><blockquote>Hello<br />My dear. how are you doing today hope fine. my name is Confidence. i just came acros your profile today at nerdfighters. on my search for relationship. To me age. distance. race and color do not matter. rather what i value most is the understanding and love that will exist between us. So in a specially manner i will like to further communication with you so as for us to know each other well. if you share the same view with me you can get back to me.<br />yours in love Confidence.</blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Her full name, apparently, is Confidence Doe.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">Aside from the fact that whoever sent this has obviously done a good bit of stalking, as it came to an address I don't use for the Ning, instead to one I've mentioned in passing to a friend once, what scares me the most about this, is the line: </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><blockquote>'..the understanding and love that <i>will</i> exist between us.'</blockquote>Apparently, I have no choice in the matter!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Y</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">n</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">r</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> reason, methinks, to stay away from the Ning.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">xo</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">gb</span></span></div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-18324038850297778832009-06-24T16:18:00.005+01:002009-06-24T21:44:23.564+01:00Obligatory Updates!So that last post referenced a load of fairly big things that have happened in my life that I have yet to tell you lot about, and it felt shoddy just tacking them on at the end, there, so instead you get two updates in one afternoon! You lucky lot, you!<div><br /></div><div>So firstly. I'm now going to University in September, to <a href="http://kingston.ac.uk/">Kingston</a> to read Music. I briefly outlined the situation in the last post, but basically I thought that when I didn't reply to them at the beginning of last year's term, that they'd have given my place away like they threatened. Then I forgot that I'd applied for this next year at all, as I got caught up in the Goldsmiths broohaha. I recently got a letter from them asking me to sort accomodation (which I did) and telling me they were looking forward to seeing me in September.</div><div>So after a lot of deliberation, I decided to go, partially fearful that were I not to, I'd never actually get into university at all. I did however, also speak to various people about Goldsmiths, and about the course at Kingston, and I feel sure that I'd do much better at Kingston than I would at Goldsmiths, where even on the audition day, I felt somewhat dwarfed in terms of talent.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other news includes me getting an <a href="http://www.gumtree.com/posting_images/12/40107112__1244577753__1__1-399cb5167e31b16e1402ba889c3c4f0d.__big__.jpg">organ</a> (£20 from the local village hall - 'Tis broke but easily fixed), the purchase of my very first <a href="http://sparksflyup.com">John Green</a> book (Looking for Alaska), alongside The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the first three seasons of The Office (see below), and my goals for the one week I have off.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, in a rash moment of motivation, I decided to have five songs up on my MySpace (at least two of which must be GBM orginals), both this and my Project Read blog updated and sorted out, a podcast out, and a busking licence, by this next coming Sunday. As yet, I have one <a href="http://myspace.com/gilesbaggott">cover of Beirut's 'The Penalty' up on MySpace</a>, and two half edited blog rants on here.</div><div><br /></div><div>Evidently, I have lots of work to do!</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, I am off to my piano lesson, and in the true spirit of v/b-loggers all over the world - I'll edit this when I get back.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Office</b>: Season 2, Episode 11</div><div><b>Looking for Alaska</b>: Page 119</div><div><b>Perks of Being a Wallflower</b>: Unstarted</div><div><b>Infinite Jest</b>: Not yet purchased.</div>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378574220625479790.post-75629082773011450272009-06-24T15:40:00.003+01:002009-06-24T21:44:23.568+01:00How do you do this, again?<font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" style=" "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">So as you may well have noticed, I've not properly blogged since BEDA. In fact, truth be told, I've not done a whole lot anywhere voluntarily since BEDA. I've worked a bit, I've gotten into uni, and I've obtained an organ, but I had only a modicum of free will in any of those activities.<div><br /></div><div>This, no doubt, is going to lead to problems in future. I rarely do anything voluntarily unless I have people chasing me up about, unless I feel like I'm definitely achieving something, and unless there is a definite and tangible sense of failure if I don't complete it. Here lies the problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because as I mentioned earlier, I've recently gotten into university (actually that's a lie, I got into university a year ago, I just thought I no longer had a place and forgot I applied for a deferred entry). <a href="http://kingston.ac.uk/">Kingston University</a>, to be specific, to study music. After that, as many of you know, I want to go on to become a musician and writer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Already, I hope, you can see the problems. Firstly we have university, where as everyone tells you, it's 'down to you'. I had serious issues (like handing in my coursework to my teacher just as he was about to post them all off to the exam board) at school, where it wasn't down to me, it was down to a team of teachers all of whom were hired to get the best, or at the very least some, work out of me. This attempt, it is widely believed throughout both my family and my school reports, was a complete failure. Even when I had teachers sitting in my room next to me to make sure I worked, I still managed to avoid doing anything constructive. I will actually go completely out of my way to avoid work.</div><div><br /></div><div>So far, not so good.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then after that, we have 'the big wide world'. Looking at the list of conditions under which I will work, you might feel I am best suited for a career in an office somewhere. Where I've got a manager hassling me and the other members of my team to get sales, or to crunch those figures, and where the tangible sense of failure comes from being fired for not working hard enough.</div><div>But no! I have instead decided to choose a career in music and writing, where until you reach a stage where you're controlled by labels and publishing houses, all pressuring you to finish your album or book, you're on your own. No one pushing you apart from your under-nourished family, and no one but your own sense of shame to tell you when you've failed.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am, as they say, completely fucked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until of course, you realise that you're reading this, and so, some how, I have at least attempted to achieve some of my goals. Despite the distraction of losing my inspirational can of Coke (long story, don't ask), I've still managed to get back onto the blogging bandwagon. This, I guess, is what keeps musicians playing and writers writing. Rock bottom.</div><div>Not that I'm anywhere near it at the moment. I am doing fairly well for money (so much so that I'm actually lending it to my parents now..), I've a well planned-out future, and 7 discs of The Office left to watch. You could argue that life is dandy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess it is, as it usually is, a mixture of fear and hope that keeps us (me, at least) going. Fear that I will hit Rock Bottom, with all the strings on my bow old, torn and tattered, and Hope that by uploading <a href="http://myspace.com/GilesBagott">an if-I'm-honest-pretty-shit Beirut cover onto my MySpace</a> will in some small way,kickstart my dreams of playing it to a baying crowd of thousands.</div><div><br /></div><div>So really, God only knows how this is going to go. I might well stumble my way through uni, try music and end up writing for a small-time music website that's struggling to stay alive by the week, or I might well eventually get motivated, start working, and in five years time be telling this story to a smiling mob of teens before launching into 'The Ballad of Bone-Idle Baggott'.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll keep you posted.</div><div><br /></div><div>xo</div><div>gb</div></div></font>Giles Baggotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16271922422744864720noreply@blogger.com0