Collapse into Now, Mrs Browns Boys and pointless HD

Collapse into Now... what a stupid name for an album. No doubt it's clever on a level that I don't get, but to
be, it sounds a bit stupid. But a stupid name does not a bad album make.

Of what I heard prior to the release of new the REM album I wasn't overly excited, but they are my favourite band by a distance ,so I clicked buy on iTunes (no CD sniff sniff) and got ready. I had an approx 45 min car journey out of Cardiff back home so it seemed destiny.

It began, with discoverer, which I'd heard before and didn't overly like. Nothing really changed there, I still don't really like it, maybe it's a grower. But it gets better, much better! By the 3rd song, Uberlin it's going well, the acoustic guitar on this riff is excellent, Oh My Heart lacks a little in the chorus but nips along nice and generally the same can be said for the whole album. There's allot of repeated simple chorus' but.. it's REM. That Someone is You and Blue are outstanding.

Thinking about it a few of the songs have... expressive titles, but they hold together well enough.

I'd heartily recommend the album to anyone, it's not their best, it's maybe not as good as accelerate, but good. Though I am a little biased.

I also quite fancy Elbows album, also out today, but funds say no I'm afraid. If anyone from the band reads this (what??) and wants to send me a copy I'd happily take it! Oh and 2 tickets for the CIA gig would be cool. But this is a blog not a review centre, so other things:

On an unrelated topic, I just saw Mrs Browns Boys on BBC HD on my sisters recommendation. Well I can say, 100% honestly, what a piece of shit. That's among the worst programs I've had the misfortune to sit through in a while, and I've seen Dancing on Ice.

Some Irish bloke dressed as an old woman, reeling off predictable one liners and witty responses to a cast of stereotypes. I felt like it'd feel dated on Dave. I watched it in HD as mentioned above, but it's one of the vast majority of programs that gains absolutely nothing from the upgrade. It feels quite heavily that HD is quite gimmicky at the moment, yes the potential is there and I may as well use it, but I can't say it's 'redefining television' or any of that kind of crap that PR people spout to make themselves sound more interesting.

No doubt programs will adapt and grow into new technology, but at the moment I don't feel I'm gaining an awful lot by watching Richard Hammond grin and present awfully on total wipeout in HD.

A golf tournament in October? In Wales? Nice thinking...

Welcome to October! Shockingly the South Wales weather has chosen this moment for the sky to open and deposit as much good old precipitation as possible onto the land below. Not an unusual thing for Wales or indeed for the UK as a whole to experience. Then why choose this moment to hold the biggest outdoor sports event Newport has ever seen in what is essentially a field, actually lets be exact, in essentially what is rapidly turning into a bog? Even as I type play has been suspended for hours!!

Did someone say 'first Monday finish ever??'

Overall I'm seeing the Ryder Cup as a good thing for the area, yes most of the money is kept by the Ryder Cup association or whatever the frig it's called, but it's still brought people to the area, and taking the prices at Celtic Manor as a guide, the type of people it brings have considerably more money than me. I may be wrong, but that kind of generalisation fits well with Golf's image as a whole, seen as an expensive sport for a privileged few who also hand round in the clubhouse in plusfors sipping pimms. Now I'm sure this isn't true, I used to play myself only under less glamorous surroundings (Caerphilly generally, if you know it, you'll know what I mean), but its an image.

The elite/rich nature of at least this particular golf event has however sent people into hyperactive "OhmygodIthinkIjustsaw" mode. Storys coming from Cardiff city centre yesterday included, Will Smith and Michael Jordan shopping for a basketball in JD sports (do you think they were going to shoot some b-ball outside of the school??), David Beckham in some 'exclusive' clothes shop on Churchill Way (I forget the name, but I can't afford to shop there anyway), maybe even Samuel L Jackson getting a chicken bake and a bottle of Dr Pepper in Greggs, St Davids arcade. Do date I have seen nothing in the way of evidence that any of these people have graced Cardiff in the slightest (Apart from Mickey Jordan who was posing for pics in Revolution) but I suppose they have to be staying somewhere.

The truth is, to make the most money you need to attarct the people with most disposal income, which lets face it these people are. But I digress, a month or 6 weeks ago it would have been an event bathed in sunshine, but now? Washout? 2 years ago Nick Faldo made a joke about bring waterproofs to Wales, and by all accounts people laid into him, I think all thouse people owe him an apology. The writing was on teh wall at the Wales Open last year which was delayed by rain.

but oh well, people not outside may spend more in the gift shop. £40k watch anyone?

Also, this is an experiment, I'm submitting this via email written on my lunch break, let's see if it works. But of course if it doesn't work, you won't see it, but you know what I mean. I think. Do you?

PS It didn't work, my email added a huuuuuuuge disclaimer to the end so I'm doing this normally!!