A shot in the arm for music

Well, we have a new Christmas number one and for the first time in 5 years, it's not whoever happened to win X Factor this year. I don't need to tell you what happened and that's kind of what's so great about Rage Against The Machine pipping Joe Whassisface to the top of the Christmas chart.

This wasn't a Blur v Oasis style straight forward battle of two artists. In many ways Rage and Joe were pretty irrelevant, merely pawns in a much more interesting contest.

This was music drawing two distinct lines in the sand and stirring up people's emotions. This is music exciting people and this is music pissing people off. This is how I remember music to be when I first jumped around to 'Killing In The Name' back in the early 90's and it feels good.

This little battle has stirred something in the British musical psyche. Joe fans are ranting on Facebook about the injustice of an American shouty band they've never heard of stealing their boy's big moment. On the other side, Rage fans are reveling in sticking two fingers up to the X Factor hit conveyor belt. A victory for real music by real musicians, they say.

Whichever side you sit, it doesn't really matter. The real winner here is the music, which shapes us culturally as a society more than any other art-form.

A bit of passion, a bit of anger, a bit less nonchalant indifference.

It all bodes well for the decade to come. I hope the battle rumbles on and I hope nobody ever wins!

I'm dreaming of a grey Christmas

So today I woke up with a nice dusting of festive snow on the ground. Twice within a year - so much for Global Warming.

Maybe I'm just a cynical old git, but it's many years since I gained any pleasure from snow. It's cold, it makes journeys impossible and it makes you fall over. It also means getting out on my bike is impossible (or impossibly stupid - I did actually see one lunatic cycling down the pavement).

And today, it also made me gently glide into another car as I attempted to brake on a bend in our road. It wasn't even an impressive smash. Just enough damage to cost me my £250 excess and knock 20% off my no claims bonus.

Deep joy.

Ironically I wasn't even working today but had been drafted in at the last minute to take James to the Doctors for his swine flu jab. When James shouted at the top of his voice in the surgery "We hate crashing, it's bollocks!", I wanted the ground to swallow me up. And it wasn't even 9.30am yet.

So here's to a grey asphalt coloured Christmas. Let's leave the snow to countries that know how to deal with it. Those of you who want to, can search it out on your annual skiing holidays.

Bah humbug :(

Some things change, some things stay the same

Well I can't believe it's been almost a year since I blogged. Thanks to Lizzy for the nudge.

2009 has been quite a year it has to be said. Whilst much has stayed the same (domestic arrangements, employ, Palace still bouncing around the middle reaches of the Championship with impending financial doom seemingly just around the corner), much has also changed.

For a start I'm most likely penning this blog on my iPhone rather than sat at my desk and you've most likely discovered it on Twitter.

I've also transformed myself from Lager Lout to Lycra Lout and shed huge amounts of lard along the way. If I was looking for one image to sum up my year, it would almost certainly be bike shaped.

Professionally, it's been tough and it's fair to say I've done little to propel myself up the UK's rich list this year. Still, we keep being told we're in the worst financial melt-down since the 1930s, so there's little point dwelling on the negatives. 2010 will be much better. It's already shaping up to be so and at the moment, I'm not prepared to entertain the fact that I might be wrong.

Finally, to tell you of a challenge. Later today I will be sending off my application form to take on a London - Paris cycle ride in May 2010, in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. 374Km through Southern England and down through France, over just three days.

Not many of us can say we don't know somebody who has been struck down by this killer disease and Marie Curie do a fantastic job to make the lives of sufferers that much more tolerable and dignified. I will be proud to raise money for them in 2010.

You'll be able to chart my training progress here and of course have the opportunity to dig deep to provide sponsorship.

That's it for now, until the next time...

Back from the dead

Sorry, blog fans.

It only took me 5 minutes to get bored of blogging. I'll try and update you on everything you missed.

I've been ill, twice.
The bath decided to empty itself through the kitchen ceiling.
My foot is currently strapped up in an attempt by a physio to sort a back problem (?).
James has just thrown up all over my bed.
Palace's unbeaten run is over.
I appear to have no money in my bank account on the 7th of the month.

So 2009 looks like it's warming up to be a cracker. Well it might do once it warms up.

Tomorrow I enrol for a Pilates class at the gym. This will be the turning point in my fortunes. I will be the only person without a front bum in attendance, of this I'm sure, but it's the first step on the long road to happiness in 2009.

Until tomorrow