Jon Wade's Blog

YouTube is so great. Just saw this, I think for the first time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7R7q1lSZfs

Not sure if I have seen the video before. Seems familiar. never had MTV. 1981, I was only 7. No More Heroes, I remember that. No idea why. I remember listening to No More Heroes in a pub in Preston, probably 1993, with a drinking pal, and he had never heard the Stranglers before. But he liked them.

I love hearing music I have not heard in ages. And I am now old enough to safely say that I had not heard that in ages. Maybe a decade, maybe more.

What happened to England? And how could a goal in a World Cup final be disallowed by a referee?

Yesterday England crashed out of the World Cup after Germany beat them 4-1. Germany initially dominated the game, scoring two goals which simply made a mockery of the English defence. But England fought back with an excellent goal from Matthew Upson in the 37th minute. This was quickly followed by an excellent goal from Lampard that meant England equalized just before half-time. England were suddenly on top and looking strong. The tables had turned and Germany’s young defence was suddenly a walk over.

But that goal was disallowed. Even though it was seen by half the crowd in the stadium, most the players on the pitch and about 500 million people watching on television the referee in his wisdom disallowed it, because he was not looking. Even when it was shown on the giant screens in the stadium the referee still could not see the ball clearly cross the line and land about 1 metre from the goal line before spinning back out into the goal keepers arms.

Some people are saying that England were playing badly so that it does not really matter. Yes, England were playing badly for the first 30 minutes, and yes, they played badly after the ref disallowed their goal – the team lost all hope and faith and just fell apart. But in those last 15 minutes of the first half, England were playing brilliantly and were on top. If that goal was allowed they would have had the strength and determination to carry on and win the game. But a blind ref put a stop on that.

FIFA stand by their decision not to have any “technology” in the game to help the referees. This is a stupid and out dated idea. Many sports have the aid of video to ensure that a correct and fair decision is made. Cricket, tennis, rugby all use cameras. Fencing and taekwondo now use electronic tagging. All athletics has advanced video that can determine differences over microseconds. So why cannot football? Is there not enough money in the game?

Anyone who says that stoppages for a referee to watch a video playback would spoil the game are missing the point. The thing that spoils the game most is unfair decisions and mistakes by the referee. What was a great game has suddenly become a joke.

Today I was told by a lass on the tele that today was the official start of summer. Now, call me a traditionalist, but I am sure that summer used to start on the Summer equinox, and that June 21st (or is it June 22nd) was actually the official start of the summer season. So, when did the officials move summer? And why?

Does winter officially start on December 1st now? Will Christmas be moved to match the official start of winter now that all the pagans are dead and no longer celebrate midwinter, or will the Christians keep the 25th for old times sake?

And what about spring and autumn? Will the equinoxes (or is that equini) be scrapped in favour of the start of the cricket season and the end of the F1 Grand Prix season? Where will it all end?

Start exercising again, and resorted to using one of those online products, which in this case was a book/cd/dvd package called the Great Shape Up Program. It is designed to be done with your partner, as this is the way its founders have been working out for most of their relationship it seems. That is Dan and Jen Polimino.

Working wife my wife on this weight loss scheme was a good idea. One of the benefits of doing The Great Shape Up Program together as a couple was the support we could offer each other. When one of our friends ordered dessert at a restaurant, we would politely decline together. We enjoyed discussing the progress we were making toward achieving our goals and loved how we both felt healthier and more energetic. We would discuss what to order in a restaurant that would be healthy and my husband was very supportive of my changing our meals at home to be healthier.

We have always enjoyed working out together when time allows us to do that. We made (and still make) a special effort to frequently run together, go work out at the club and even do plyometrics together. We definitely are much happier with our physical well being than we were last year at this time, thanks to The Great Shape-Up Program. This program was the best investment we ever made.

You can find out more about it over at MotleyHealth.com where they have a review of the Polomino Great Shape Up Program.

It seems that summer arrived in Essex yesterday, well done sun. I spent the afternoon outside and got too much sun. So typical of me. By 5pm I tried to carry on with some work but only succeeded in passing out on the bed instead. I was close to being heat exhasuted I think!

One of the great things about working for myself from home is that I can just drop everything and enjoy the sunshine when I want. I think that this year I may actually appreciate out summer. The day before yesterday I took my son to the park late in the day after I finished work and it was boiling. I was wearing jeans and quickly regretted it. But it suddenly dawned on me that tens of thousands of commuters were at that time sitting, or standing, on hot sweaty trains travelling back from London. I was strolling to the park to play football with my son before playing on the climbing frames. Now that is a better life indeed!

Soon I will get the BBQ out of the garage and fire it up. But got 2 children’s parties this weekend, so it may have to wait until Monday afternoon.

Here is Dave Gilmore playing Shine on You Crazy Diamond at the Syd Barrett concert in 2008. This was the first Pink Floyd song I ever heard. At least the first one I actually chose to listen to. I had probably heard Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) on the radio a few times.

When I was you, between 11 and 13 ish I listened to pop music. I know that I owned some Madonna records, Whitney Houston, and some others, possibly Mel and Kim. I also had the “Now That’s What I Call Music” tapes (and LP’s) and the “Hits” ones too. There were some good songs back then. However, at some point I was introduced to my mate Max. This was when I was about 13 I think, possibly 3rd year at secondary school. Would have been about 1987 I guess. He lent me a tape which had Wish You Were Here on one side and possibly The Final Cut on the the other side. Then again, it may have been a short tape. But I remember the moment today very vividly.

I owned an Ingersol hifi at the time, which is still alive, just about, although now living in my loft. It had a record player, tape deck and radio clock. This was the best, as I could set tapes to wake me up in the morning instead of listening to the radio. Even to this day I do not like to wake up to the radio, unless it is Radio 4. Where was I?

Oh yeah, so it was after school, and I put the tape in the stereo. And pressed play. It was interesting. The introduction to Shine On You Crazy Diamond is just instrumental for about 3 minutes. I heard that the chord played at the beginning is still the longest continuous A chord ever recorded. A strange record for a strange band. Anyway, I was enjoying the music, thinking it was a pleasant change from the pop music I listened to before. Then Roger Waters started singing. OMG! What an awful noise. I was embarrased, and worried my brother would have heard it, so quickly switched it off. That was the end of Pink Floyd for me.

But something made me put it back on later, with the volume turned down a little. And it quickly grew on me. In a short while I was hooked. I listened to Pink Floyd pretty intensively for a good part of the next decade, really until I left Uni when I was 23. Here is a recent version.

According to the blurb on YouTube this is from Earl’s Court, London in October of 1994.

This is what is great about the Internet, and especially YouTube. I have a few Fairport Convention albums and some Sandy Denny too, but I had never heard of this song before. At least, I do not remember it. It is a recording from a nice crackly LP. Wonderful little bass line, plus the outstanding Sandy singing.

This is another of those classic English folk songs. It managed to paint a picture in my head of the perfect English countryside whenever I hear it. But at the same time it tells the sad story of the passing of time, good days gone, things closing to an end. Music like poetry.

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it’s time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it’s time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it’s time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time
For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes?

Another wonderful piece by Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny singing. This is from the album Liege and Lief. I have listened to this album hundreds of times over the last 20 plus years, but never stopped to wonder what the title of the album refers to. Liege is a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord. Lief is to do something gladly. So there you go.

This is possibly the best Fairport Convention song from the Sandy Denny period. But it is hard to say, as there were so many good ones. The subtle guitar and beautiful voice make this music almost enchanting. Whenever I hear it I have a sudden urge to go and seek some rural idyll in the UK that no doubt no longer, or never did, exist.  Enjoy!