Monday 6 July 2015

Random Thoughts From A Random Idiot

Quotation Of The Day ~ Clive James: Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.

Skeeters.

No doubt because we had such a damp spring, the mosquitoes are out there in abundance these days. I slip out to the back of the restaurant for a smoke three or four times a day and am eaten alive. They must like the taste of my blood. All the alcohol that's in it, probably. So beware, visitors to Splatford: there are hordes of crazed, alcoholic mosquitoes out there.

Debit / Credit Card Anxiety.

Surely i'm not the only one. When i pay for something using my debit or credit card, have my accounts been hacked? Has all of my money been siphoned off to North Korea? I feel a definite sense of relief when i see "Approved." Every single time.

KSHE95, The Rock Of St Louis.

This is the radio station that kickstarted my interest in / fascination with St Louis when i first started listening to it (online, obviously) nearly three years ago. Not only did they play some great music, but just hearing about what was going on in the area -- and even listening to the local ads -- made me feel a definite sense of affinity for the region. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, KSHE changed the outfit that streams their audio, to listenlive.co. I didn't like them from the start -- they replaced the local ads with songs of their own (and it was usually something either incongruous or awful or both). But worse was to follow: they blocked Canada, and i can now no longer listen at all. Another of life's little pleasures i no longer have.

St Louis Classic Rock

One door closes, another opens. I discovered this, Internet-only station: http://www.stlouisclassicrock.com/ The music is great. Unfortunately it lacks the local colour that i enjoyed so much with KSHE. It's ad-free, and i have yet to hear an actual human dee-jay, but i've been listening almost every morning.

Playlist.

That's all for now. Have a playlist:

Richard Thompson -- Daring Adventures
Steve Rothery -- The Ghosts Of Pripyat
Peter Hammill -- And Close As This
Van der Graaf Generator -- Merlin Atmos
Fairport Convention -- Myths And Heroes
James Taylor -- Before This World
The Cars -- Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan -- The Times They Are A-Changin'
Roxy Music -- The High Road
Fairport Convention -- The Festival Bell
Melissa Etheridge -- Yes I Am
Marillion -- Sounds That Can't Be Made
Peter Hammill -- The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
King Crimson -- Starless And Bible Black
Ten Years After -- Live At Reading 1983
Tangerine Dream -- The Essential Tangerine Dream
Steeleye Span -- Rocket Cottage
Chris Squire -- Fish Out Of Water
Max Webster -- High Class In Borrowed Shoes
Donald Fagen -- The Nightfly
Fairport Convention -- Angel Delight
Kathy Mattea -- Coal