coxy's blog

Opera

Firstly, a quick note to the Opera boys and girls. I have no idea what was going on yesterday - but I submitted posts to here from both my mobile phone using Opera Mini, and also through the computer browser, and they didn't actually appear on my blog until today. How strange.


Bonfire Night

Today, for those that are unaware, is Bonfire Night. Whilst many people across the country will be outside watching fireworks explode upon high - I am indoors.

Personally, I'd like to go to a proper, traditional bonfire night and that would be one that hasn't forgot that it's a celebration of the failure of the Gunpowder Plot - rather than what's on offer today.

The traditional celebrations involve a display of fireworks and the building of a bonfire, upon which is burnt an effigy representing the most famous of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes. But now, all that is lost, and people tend to use the night as an excuse to buy over-priced and under-whelming fireworks alone and set them off.

When I was younger, the idea was still going that the kids in the neighbourhood took part in building dummies and beg for money with the chant "penny for the guy". Later that night, the "guy" would get burnt atop of the bonfire with the whole neighbourhood attending.

Never-mind, eh?


Today

This morning I woke around 11.45am. I had some breakfast, read my post, filled in some forms to mail off (but more about that later) and then got a call of Ms. Amanda Laila Eid.

For those that aren't in the know, Amanda's my best friend and she lives in Leeds. Today she was coming back to Manchester and we'd agreed to meet up for the day. She told of how she'd be in town at 1.30pm, and I'd have her company until 5.30pm when she was going to meet Graham.

To be honest, I was a bit gutted. Because when I first spoke to her about today, she didn't mention she was seeing her ex-or-is-he-?-boyfriend Graham, or that she was meant to be going to see Metallica tonight - so I presumed I'd be seeing her for the night too, and we could've gone to a bonfire. Ah well. Plans scuppered.

It was nice to see Amanda though. I enjoy her company more than anyone. We went round a few shops, bought some trainers, and then went and grabbed a hot chocolate in Fopp and had time to talk. But not as much as I thought.

Graham turned up earlier than what I expected; probably around 4pm stating "Sorry I'm late". So, when Amanda had told me 5.30pm, she'd probably told him earlier than that. Bah. Well, when he arrived... you know what they say... three's a crowd. And so I felt uncomfortable and wanted to head home. So did.


A Good Cause

As I mentioned at the start of the Today section, I read my post this morning. I get al-sorts of crap through the door from day to day - but amid that crap, there's things I like to read. One of which is the Friends Of The Earth magazine that they send out to regular donation givers.

Well, in with the magazine there were a number of leaflets advertising other 'causes' - and I'm a sucker for giving money away. I like to have money of my own, but I live giving it to other people, and spending it on others. One way of doing this is to give it to charities.

This morning I was feeling generous, and one of these leaflets was from the folks at Viva! and titled 'Like a duck to water...' and was about duck farms and how ducks are factory farmed and badly treated.

Now, I'm a fan of ducks. They're great animals - I love them with their little beaks and feathers and "quack"... so to think of them being treated in a really shit manner isn't appealing. And so, I've ended up donating a monthly subscription to Viva! who will help prevent factory farming of ducks.

I suppose, the controversy on my level is that whilst I think ducks are brilliant animals, I love to eat them. You see the situation here? Factory farming of ducks: Very very bad. Dining on ducks: Mmmm. Very very good.

I guess, though, that now I've sent off the forms and am donating a monthly subscription, I can eat the ducks in the knowledge that they were raised well and had a happy life before being shuffled along to slaughter.

A second of the charities I have set up a monthly subscription with this morning was that of the Woodland Trust. These guys are the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. Hopefully my small monthly contribution will help the Woodland Trust protect natural woodland and forestry in the United Kingdom.


Music

The other day, after buying the Test-Icicles album on both CD and 12" Vinyl from HMV, I decided I need to stop buying music; and download it.

Music I've downloaded since then includes; an EP from Sway entitled 'This Is My Promo - Vol 2', the latest albums from Animal Collective, The Dandy Warhols, Head Automatica, Katie Melua and M.I.A.. And a few older albums from The Mars Volta and Ted Leo And The Pharmacists.

Its great, because I've downloaded albums that I know I wouldn't have picked up in the shops otherwise; like Katie Melua and Animal Collective and should I enjoy the albums... I'll probably go out and buy them.

I'm all for downloading, so long as people buy the music they like. Because that way, sure there will be a bunch of music that people download and don't buy - but there's the opposite effect where people will download music they wouldn't usually buy, enjoy it, and then buy it. I fall into the latter category.


World Wide Web

For those of you that like to surf around a bit, or are just bored, here's some linkage to places around the net.

Lord Mongo's Official Website has just been updated with a new front page and a photo section, and wallpaper download.

Yahoo! Instant Search is a beta test from the Yahoo! boys and girls which gives you your search results as you type. Marvellous.

You'd think the guy at Samsung would be happy as they unveil the world's first 8 megapixel camera phone.

Remember The Hamster Dance? Well, this animated gif is better. Far better. I never liked the stupid hamster thing anyway.


And Finally...

Whilst in town today, Amanda and I stopped on Market Street with a mass of others to watch some old man dance to the one-man-band that was buskin. You can watch it too, because I recorded it on my camera-phone.

That's all for now. Peas out.