Comparing deaths

This post is in response to a recent news report of a tragic accident in London. An eye-witness said:

"It makes you think, who cares if I die of lung cancer? Because you can go anytime, anywhere, anyhow."

Hopefully, when the shock has subsided, he will reconsider this statement. Maybe he doesn't have anyone to care, in which case he is still choosing a prolonged painful death. Assuming he does have someone to care, his attitude is totally selfish. They won't want to watch his suffering.

I hope he recovers from the trauma and is able to think rationally about living well rather than dying badly. I hope he has people to care about him and I also hope that he doesn't wish to test their love by putting them through weeks or months of distress.

♫ Advertising Jingles

Brutus Jeans (takes me back, my favourites were Falmers) used this song in the mid-70s, really catchy feel-good tune with the words "When I wake up in morning light, I put on my jeans and I feel alright. I pull Brutus Jeans on, I pull my Brutus Jeans on..."

David Dundas subsequently released the full song which reached number 3 in the UK singles chart.



Other memorable advertising jingles (none of which were written by Charlie Harper) included Coca Cola's "I'd like to teach the world to sing" subsequently recorded by the New Seekers, "I'm a secret lemonade drinker" written by and featuring Elvis Costello's dad and, to finish, the brilliant Courage Best ads by Chas n Dave.

♫ Radio On

Funny how one thing leads to another. I was listening to Roadrunner by Jonathan Richman (from the mid-1970s) and decided to share with Friends on Facebook.



My cousin commented that, coincidentally, he had also been listening Jonathan Richman as they are both playing at the same festival this weekend, so I looked it up.

I had never heard of the Green Man Festival even though it's massive and in its 10th year, held in the Brecon Beacons national park in Wales. Maybe if I had known about it earlier, I could have volunteered as a litter-picker ;)

They even have an on-line radio station, Green Man Radio and TV!

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

♫ The Good, The Bad and the Others ... Live Music at the Olympics

I didn't see all of it, but here is a round-up of the memorable parts of the London 2012 ceremony  (IMHO)

The Good

Getting straight to the point, The Who. Excellent performance.

Take That - and this is a major admission from someone who truly dislikes their style of music. However, by the time they took the stage, it was a pleasant change to hear in-tune singing.

One Direction - again, not my favourite style of music but very well delivered.

The Bad

Paul McCartney. If you listen to old tracks from Beatles and Wings albums, his voice was usually a bit shaky but did he not know that he couldn't deliver quality at the Olympic gig?

Ray Davies. Not quite so off-key as Sir Paul. Great song, poor delivery.

Liam Gallagher. What happened there? Had Nicola Adams punched him on the nose?

The Others

The Spice Girls sounded just as before (they lost it a bit when hanging on for dear life), Kaiser Chiefs performed a good enough rendition of Pinball Wizard, Annie Lennox was as professional as ever as was George Michael (though boring).

I was not impressed by Emeli Sandé, Russell Brand is not a singer, Jessie J should definitely NOT have attempted We Will Rock You. Brian May, brilliant as he is, cannot resurrect the dynamism of Queen without Freddy. Can't comment on Madness, Muse, Blur and some others as I missed those bits. Eric Idle - well, not really music but good fun.

The Absent

Freddy Mercury and John Lennon for obvious reasons but ... David Bowie?! Wasn't he invited or was he washing his hair?

Personally, I was pleased that Elton John and Cliff Richard were rested. I expect they would have been very competent though not very exciting.

And did I miss it or was there no inclusion of Lily Allen's LDN?

No Weddings & Three Funerals

I went to see a kids' drama club's annual showcase. The senior group wrote and performed a modern snippet of a Shakespeare play.

Juliet, an actor, is betrothed to Paris, a director, but tells him that she wants to call off the wedding because she and the light-and-sound technician, Romeo, have fallen in love.

Romeo is responsible for an accidental death and runs off. Meanwhile, Juliet plots to escape from clingy Paris by pretending to be dead. Paris is angry and, blaming Romeo for Juliet's death, Paris shoots and kills Romeo. Juliet, not really dead, awakes to discover the murder weapon next to Romeo's body and uses it to kill herself.

New setting, same tragic result. Adapted and performed by Brodie (Romeo), Chris (Paris), Katy (Juliet) and support cast from Market Theatre, Hitchin. Performed at the Queen Mother Theatre,  Summer 2012.

 

This balcony in Verona, Italy, is known as Juliet's balcony.

♫ Born to Run / Born to be Wild / Born Free / Born too late

Hard to believe that there is only a year between Born Free and Born to be Wild but this was the nineteen-sixties when there was a distinct line between middle-aged convention and an acceptance of youth culture, starting in the '50s with Teddy-boys and Rock-and-Roll and, by the mid-'60s, Mods, Rockers and Flower-Power!

Born to Run Bruce Springsteen 1975

Born to be Wild Steppenwolf 1967/68 (Easy Rider 1969)

Born Free (award winning soundtrack 1966) covers with lyrics

Born too late 1958

Personally, I can't decide whether my favourite is Born to Run or Born to be Wild. Both So Good!

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

beebopalula

Remembering Every Other Word

I was travelling into London, following verbal instructions. I'm not very good at remembering things I hear so I should have written them down...

(something) Line (something) Circus (something) Street

From Kings Cross I got on the Piccadilly Line (should have been the Victoria Line) to Piccadilly Circus (should have been Oxford Circus); I began walking along Regent Street (should have been Oxford Street) until I realised that Hamleys hadn't moved, to my knowledge, so I was in the wrong place yet again.

Arrived at my destination one hour late.