Legoland 2008

Last week I watched the weather report closely and picked the perfect day for our first use of the Annual Pass this year: Saturday started off with heavy rain, clearing to general greyness by breakfast time. We ate our bagels, put our shoes on, and left the house. We are impressively fast at leaving the house these days. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Pete’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.

When Pete said this week’s playlist was Ska, I thought that meant Madness and suchlike cheery kinda stuff. Thus I am not afraid to reveal my ignorance of a genre that could be described as cheerful blues. However, as the whole point of blues is to express misery, there is absolutely no point at all in Ska.

I suppose it has its place; namely, played live in a beer garden by the Danube in the afternoon when you should be working. Not that I ever enjoyed such a thing when in the vicinity of the Danube, because at the time I was usually miserable in the knowledge that a pleasant afternoon was likely to drag on into the night, probably without food, until all the money was gone. So now this music reminds me of a time when I felt obliged to try to match my companion’s drink consumption just to reduce the amount he could have; that is, I was a sour nagging wife who never wanted to have any fun, simply because I didn’t find it fun to drink and drink and drink until I can’t see. Once he took me to a casino with his friends and then demanded the housekeeping money from my purse. When he had lost it all, we didn’t have enough money for a taxi home, and it was 5am. I used to collect small change from where it rolled under the bed when he dropped his clothes on the floor, so I could buy food.

In conclusion, Ska sounds like cheerful blues, but is actually extremely depressing.

Next week, The Tindersticks. The book says they are mournful, or something.

This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Pete’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.

I had a lot of exposure to Fleetwood Mac when I was growing up. My dad has been in love with Stevie Nicks for many years, particularly during her Belladonna period. After my parents split up, Dad, Nick and I lived in a very strange big creaky cold house (see below), and he often did the ironing in the room below my bedroom, listening to Fleetwood Mac (and The Eagles, and other dadrock bands) at night, while drinking quantities of whiskey. Those were not the days.

I knew that there has been much romance and intrigue within the band, and found the wikipedia page interesting. I have to confess to owning two of the albums, and listening to them too. I like their sound, and can always hear something that speaks to me in their bittersweet lyrics.

1. Albatross from English Rose – This gentle song is so evocative of the bird and the sea and the sun and the little fishes glinting in the water. And stuff.

2. Black Magic Woman from English Rose – From the bluesy early Fleetwood Mac; quite a different sound from the later stuff, which I know better.

3. Oh Well from Then Play On – I assume that everyone my age once had an eclectic collection of 45s. This was in mine. I like it up to the point where it turns into a completely different song.

4. Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) from 25 Years: The Chain – A bit of a weird song with lots of ooh.

5. Hypnotized from Mystery To Me – I don’t know this song well and the album is unfamiliar. It’s kind of smooth, hypnotic, as you would expect.

6. Rhiannon from Fleetwood Mac – This, to me, is the Official Fleetwood Mac Song. It features on my Scrapbook album, which doesn’t mean it’s my favourite (that would be Dreams or Oh Daddy, I think), but that it was highly significant at some point in my life. The house I mentioned above was originally called Aysgarth, and we renamed it Rhiannon – a weird but appropriate name for a house that had one room much colder than all the others, and a permanent stink of damp.

7. Go Your Own Way from Rumours – I am just surprised that The Chain is not on the list. Surely the point of Playlists is not to omit songs just because they’re obvious?

8. You Make Loving Fun from Rumours – I find Christine McVie’s voice slightly annoying on some tracks. This song is a very good example of Fleetwood Mac at their most samey.

9. Sisters Of The Moon from Tusk – An NME journalist once described Stevie Nicks as having the voice of a moribund sheep. This song illustrates that characteristic perfectly.

10. Brown Eyes from Tusk – This song is new to me and I really like it. Incidentally, Tusk is referred to a lot on The Mighty Boosh. I think that says it all.

At the time of writing, next week’s playlist has not been chosen. Wish us luck.

Women who breastfeed their babies may be lowering their own risk of a heart attack, heart disease or stroke, research suggests. A US study found women who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the conditions than those who never breastfed.

Just a shame that the article is illustrated by a picture of a poorly-attached baby, which would be causing some discomfort for the mother, and ineffective milk removal by the baby.

Remember these things: Mouth WIDE open Chin tucked into the breast More areola visible above baby’s mouth than below Baby’s head in line with its body (i.e. not turning to the side) Baby’s body tucked close up to mum’s (like a cuddle) And relax.

We were away; you probably didn’t notice. After the disastrous family Christmas of a couple of years ago, my Mum bravely rented a cottage for us all, to celebrate her 60th birthday. It was near Ashbourne, itself a bit of a dump; but located on a small estate with many daffodils and small horses.

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