"I'm Luke, I'm 5 & My Dad's Bruce Lee and He Drives me Around in his JCB"

Well obviously not about me, I'm Kathryn, I'm ancient and my Dad's Mike.

No, this is a line from the truly brilliant "JCB Song" from Nizlopi. For sure fun and enjoyment, click on over to their brill site that hosts not only this really moving father/son bonding type song but the neatest bit of animation I've seen for ages. I've watched it about four times on loop and the cow-arse makes me giggle everytime. The whole website is interactive and the best bit is using the pencil to doodle on their note book. Simple pleasures. The complex pleasures will be a) when I get the cd from them and b) should I get to see them in gig. Edinburgh fringe is looking more and more attractive.

So for all you Luke's out there - this is your song.

and once you hear this track - the chorus sticks!

Vine Breathing Dragon

Just another super snap from the leafy delights that are Dagenham!

Despite not being around much recently due to work, work oh and work, I'd still manage to acquire a few more cds to enjoy when insomina slaps me around again.

Given the week I've had (too much drinking, late nights, early mornings, sore throat, wallows in pity), there are a couple of "soundtrack to your life" tracks that spring to mind:

From the "Damaged Goods Cheap Sampler 3" "Cyberfriends Network" (Honey Rider), "Beer & Fags" (Hard Skin) and finally "No Expectations" (Cogs)

Still, what else are Friday's for if not for slurping cider and listening to weird music.

Working Hard at Fun

Oh joy - the 3rd fledging in the SrokaSounds nest was kicked out over the edge to fly or splat on its own. This mp3 lark is good fun but I still get the giggles at hearing how daft I sound - and where I've done sound links at different times in the day makes it interesting listening. As does the fact that I was fuelled by coffee and enthusiam in the morning and by cider and chocolate by the evening....I don't think I've slurred too much.

Really enjoyed finding the weird stuff and also trying to work out just how much swearing is ok....possibly less than I've got in there!

Oh well, where else would you get Marilyn Manson, Aberfeldy and Hello Saferide in one place...

For Pigeons

Why do we scream at each other? This is what it sounds like when doves cry.
- Prince lives in the city.. this should be when Pigeons cry.

http://www.yetanotherdot.com/asp/80s.html

Wasting time today having a wallow in various websites dedicated to the 70s80s and the above is a comment linked to one of those "complete the lyrics" type questions - any mentions of pigeons tickles me!

One of the other sites has a 70s time line and I trying to see how many of the events I could really remember at a personal level (as opposed to seeing newsclips etc etc).

1977 Silver Jubilee of course - since we had a fantastic street party down our road and my sister was in charge of making the milkshakes using that Crusha syrup stuff.
1978 breadstrikes - my dad used to buy some extra loaves from the local bakers for a couple of the younger teachers who worked with my mum - bizarre sort of present!
1979 Air Crash in New Zealand (Mt Erebus) as my class teacher and friend of my mum, Elaine Trinder, was one of those killed. We were told as part of the school assembly and I can still remember one of the girls in the same row as me, really crying - this was long before the time when it was OK for public outpourings of grief!

Cheering up slightly, they also have a list of "Fads of the 70s80s"

I hold my hand up to remembering a) I-Spy Books, b) Power Cuts (great for someone who loved candles and matches....) c) Tiswas and d) Peanuts & Snoopy. Says a lot about me!

Can remember definitely not having a space hopper and being really envious of cousins and neighbours kids who did - when I finally got to go on one decades later, I miss judged the knack of bouncing and moving at the same time and fell off, landing very solidly on my rear and being unable to sit comfortable for a while....some things are less fun in reality than in envy.

And the top song for July 1970 (35 years ago......faints in shock) - In The Summertime (Mungo Jerry), which I have on music gadget!

Oh how naff it all was!!

Bliss!

No, Not some sunny tropical gettaway - but "tropical" Dagenham on a Sunday. I just needed reminding what calm could look like - and this is pretty much it!

Gave the Townshow a miss and instead went to the cinema to see the forgettable Wedding Crashers and then did the ultimate Simple Pleasure - a walk around the park. Saw an escaped Grey Parrot that was chasing ducks, saw a bullying swan decide that "I hate you Butler" was the type of mood it was in and was making life hell for one Canada goose in particular, who was doing quite a good impression of trying to be nonchalant and just swim a tiny bit faster, and then gave up all pretence of calm and pegged it up the bank. Chav Swan looked for it's next victim.

A neat day after the drama of saturday, and it being Daggers, OH's cut & stitches didn't look odd.

Backlash

I'd been discussing whether there would be any backlash by ignorant scum on both "sides" concerning the London bombings with a colleague at work and we'd both agreed it would be bound to happen. What I didn't expect was that it would be personal to me.

My other half is currently on his way back from casualty at Whipps Cross after being "bottled". He's apparently got stitches in his scalp and as he put it when he rang me at 4am "a splitting headache" oh the irony. The reason for this unexpected hospital highlight? He defended a Muslim who was being racially abused by some ignorant bitch who was loudly accusing this bloke of being "one of them bastards who bombed London". When OH made the comment that this type of talk sickened him, he was attacked by a man who was with the girl. This wasn't in some hot bed of religious oratory, it was in a takeway in Walthamstow.

OH is apparently OK, I haven't actually seen him yet. I am glad that there are people prepared to challenge the bigotry on a local level, even at a personal risk to themselves. Why? Because it proves that decency does still exist and the scum won't win at any level.

OH probably doesn't look the type of person that most people would think as being the sort to defend someone being racially abused. He is one of those wiry, skinny blokes with shaved head (due to going bald) and generally is described as being "moody looking". When we went to vote locally and he'd trudged along to the polling station clad in England rugby shirt, the BNP candidate positively beamed at the sight of him and said on the way out "Count on your vote then sir?" I'm sure the BNP would have welcomed the fact that his reply was very much fluent anglo saxon. Just goes to show how deceptive appearances can be all round. Actions are what count, not the way things look or are spun by the media.

I see the dawn is breaking - I've been up for 24hrs now without sleep - I'm going to savour the sunrise.

Emotional Leaking & A Plug

Another of those "soundtrack of your life" type moments today. Got a new cd through (via ebay of course.....) from those good people who brought you Lido, Clearlake. This is the Cedars promo album and it's fantastic. Really moving. Get it, borrow it, purloin it, listen to it. But oh man, did it make me cry. As you may have realised, I'm at a slightly frayed point emotionally and am steadfastly ignoring all the signs that might mean I'm heading for depression again but this album has slapped me in the face with how much it reflects how I'm feeling.

Tracks entitled "Can't Feel A Thing", "I'd Like To Hurt You" "It's All Too Much" and the real killer, "Treat Yourself With Kindness" - well, it's really close to home and almost painful to a point. Some fantastic lines (for when you are ready for a bit of a wallow in self pity) including:

"So much to live up to, you've been punishing yourself far so long, I've seen you treat yourself in ways you'd never treat another"

and

"Frankly I'm amazed you find so many different ways to take away from who you are and it it reminds me of myself a little"

Actually, the next time some misguided idiot asks me "so how are you", I think I'm just going to hand them the cd and just say listen!

Every review I seem to come across relating to Clearview and Cedars in particular raves over them and I'm joining the Clearview appreciation society right now.

Clearlake - they are fantastic, even if they make me cry!

Remembering What Fun Is.....

After the events on Thursday, fun and happiness was probably not the expected emotions I thought I'd be going though but meeting up with my friend changed all that. She was telling me about someone she had recently become involved with and that they had realised that if something had happened to them on Thursday (they were caught up in it all), nobody in their life knew about my friend to be let her know and she meant enough to them to change that. If that isn't a positive, powerful thing to have come from all this, I don't know what is. Everyone is important to someone, let them know it now.

So being able to catch up with her and her happiness whilst walking across from Embankment with the stunning views of the river, The City and London being London - well good for the soul. Add to that a fantastic lunch, a bit of wine and then a matinee performance of the Aristocrats at the National (OK - dealt with some issues that are a bit too close to home at times) and then waving goodbye after making plans to meet again (and deciding to definitely stick to it this time) - well it all seemed very dignified and decent and made me realise that it's not the quantity of your friends, but the quality that counts.

Then getting a call from a friend on Sunday to confirm plans for a bit of future fun to come in October and remembering that I'd got a gig ticket for October also sent through, well things should be looking up if I can continue to cope the dragging feeling of impending depression at bay.

I want to have more fun, I don't want to have to be responsible and grown up all the time and I don't want to carry on feeling as though it's all resting on my shoulders. I don't want it to go wrong again, I haven't the strength to get better again this time.

Currently listening to another of the brilliant podcasts hosted by as part of the BonfireRadio bit of Pete Ashton's website - being a bit of an emotional wreck at the minute meant that some of the tracks on the various casts really got to me. Go listen, go and be inspired to do your own as well.

Doing What Exactly?

Doing what I do most Fridays after usually leaving work far too late....listen to music! Currently wowing me is the latest ebay acquisition the most excellent "Lido" by Clearlake. Blur Meets Suggs type outfit with witty lyrics and a knack of making you hear as well as listen. Brill article on them from Drownedinsound. Favourite tracks on Lido have got to be "I Want To Live In A Dream" - just because it has a such simplicity about it that leaks out honesty. Second to that "Jumble Saleing" great lyrics and the most tranquil I've felt for ages listening to this.

The other two new latest additions to the fast running out of room in the drawer cd collection is Rasmus Dead Letters and Geffen Rarities. Definitely something for the weekend there.

And just as "A Little Something To Look Forward To" cues itself up, I'm proud that I went all spontaneous today and agreed to go away for a very lively weekend with a mate to celebrate his birthday in October. Brighton here we come!

Why?

Today should have been a joyous occasion after the jublilation of the Olympic decision, instead we are in shock at the awful events. As someone who travelled into London for 16 years, this seemed very close to home for me. As the wonders of technology gave us blanket coverage with no respite, I felt more and more distressed at the pointlessness of it all. The fact that the people hurt, killed, traumatised, maimed are people just like me, people just going to work, or going home, or having a well earned day out. Just ordinary people who will have been important to someone for some reason. How an evil a place the world can be at times, the stories of heroics will doubtlessly follow but this can't erase the evil. It just makes it more shamefull.

Thoughts out to everyone involved and also to those whose happy days (the weddings, the new births, the engagements, the new jobs, the good news stories) are now feeling muted. Celebrate what needs to be celebrated, mourn what needs to be mourned and treasure what matters.

And now one for the ladeez....

SrokaSounds flys!

I've done something I really didn't think I'd actually do but spurred on by the excellent podcasts from the likes of NYUB & of course Bonfire Radio with it's latest trendy additions, I've actually managed to cobble together a sort of internet show. OK it's only in downloadable MP3 but for all you fans of the Rubber Rollercoaster, head over to The Gothiron Guide and check out SrokaSounds (aka DagFm - cheers for inspiration for that one). I need to do the track listing and add in some commentary (and possibly actually redo the file..) because there was loads of stuff I learnt whilst doing this. It was almost like doing homework (but fun).

I never realised how much my voice varies when I start to feel confident, plus my lisp isn't quite as bad as I was led to believe for all these years and if I'd have kept the "outtakes", then I'd have had enough effing to have replaced the famous opening lines from Four Weddings & A Funeral (which is on tonight - must watch). But this was fun but did take all day. Lucky I was abandoned today! I do sound like Jo Brand though.

Live8 was fab, Mariah Carey was a troll, Robbie Williams a true gem, I wished I looked (and sounded) like Joss Stone, Travis was ace and it made me think of what I was doing 20 years ago and what I've done to make a difference....hmmm, more for another blog methinks.

But 3rd July is SrokaSounds go live day and I'm well chuffed!

Help Just How It Should Be......

I'm currently trying to pluck up courage to do some sort of mp3cast type gubbins - courage required since I have a voice that is a cross between a gravelly type squeak and some sort of Joyce Grenfell Public announcement system - so was recommended to have a look at acoustica MP3 audio mixer to get started. Well, even if you never intend to utter a glottalstop on the net, whip over there just to download the excellent help file that goes with mp3 audio mixer. This is how all help should be - eat your heart out Microsoft!

=========
1. Start MP3 Audio Mixer
SoundWarrior double clicks the MP3 Audio Mixer icon on his desktop. Okay, we could have left this step out.

2. Drag in some sounds.
SoundWarrior has a good sound of a cave-woman scream called arghhh1.wav. The sound is located in "c:\cavescreams\", which he finds, and then drags the sound’s icon onto the MP3 Audio Mixer window.

3. Drag in some more sounds.
SoundWarrior also drags in stampede.wav, the sound of a herd of Mastodons stampeding by his cave. Finally, he drags in an MP3 called "rockrolls.mp3", some of the latest music from "The Stoners"

4. Make a recording if you want.
SoundWarrior hits the record button and the record dialog comes up. He punches the record button on the dialog and screams into his microphone "You make fire now! I make fire yesterday!"

6. Export As an MP3 file..
He wants to put it on cavenet.com so others can be jealous of his work of art.

7. Find a Mastodon to chase? J
With all the time he saved, he can take the rest of the day off. Maybe he’ll draw some paintings or even sharpen a stick.
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I can't promise that Sroka Sounds (for the musical magpies) will be half as entertaining but I've never laughed at a help file before!