Danny says Hi

ERECT

This is the name of the first album of Sweeney Straddles the Sun. Hooray! Jason's new project. I just LOVE the album. Despite having to listen to each and every component on many, many, many different occasions, I still love hearing every track when it comes on the stereo. In other words, I'm not sick of it and I should be. Is that not the best review of an album you've ever heard?

My favourite tracks are Castlemilk Town Hall Disco, Superheroes Fight the Cause for Me & You and Stories.

The whole album is wholly listenable and I can't wait to have it blaring out up at the studio.

All this rain.....

Whenever it rains endlessly for days, the Armageddon side of my brain comes to the fore and I wonder if there will be a time in the not-too-distant future when the sunshine will be a distant memory and a generation of people will be born that know nothing but rain. While in this mood, I'm always minded of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QWmahMdeGU Those readers of a certain age may remember it. The film and the images have stuck with me since I saw it once as a child but it wasn't until I did some investigating the other night that I found out what it was called (God Bless Youtube). Apparently, the poignancy stuck with many other kids who saw it in the 80's as it is one of the most requested film-related questions on Metafilter. It must resonate with computer-literate nostalgic people in their mid-30's: who are scared of all this rain..... If you have a spare 25 minutes, watch the film and remember that the rest of us who are nostalgic about it saw it but once, maybe at school, about 25 years ago yet it stuck with us despite the dark setting and lack of special effects. Here's the short story it's based on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Summer_in_a_Day There's a word version of it at the bottom of the wikipedia page, it's only 2 & a half pages long. Ray Bradbury also wrote this story - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sound_of_Thunder - which has the accolade of being the most reprinted science fiction story of all time. I read it as a youngster at primary school and remembered loving the story. It was made into an unsuccessful movie in 2005 that I haven't seen yet.

Singing along with Jason

Here we have Danny on the barrel. I don't know whether he's being complimentary about Jason or whether he's asking me to shut him up. Without facial expressions, it's hard to say....

Daylight robbery from Quickquid

Check out these cowboys...www.quickquid.co.uk...I saw their television advert the other day and couldn't believe my eyes. This is the small print at the bottom of their website...

"Terms and Conditions apply. Finance charge will be between £10 and £14.75 per £50 borrowed. Typical 2356% APR. Loan amounts are based on consumer's credit history and ability to repay loan. Not everyone may qualify for £1000. QuickQuid performs traditional credit checks, while still accepting those with less-than-perfect credit. QuickQuid verifies applicant information via various national databases. Funds will be deposited the same working day, if approved by 14:30. Approval may take up to 30 minutes in most cases. Payday advances should be used for short-term financial needs only, not as a long-term financial solution. Customers with credit difficulties should seek credit counselling."

2356% APR. Two thousand, three hundred and fifty six percent APR!!!! Let me put that in perspective. Your bank account currently pays at the most, about 2% APR into your bank account. The most generous mortgage at the minute is probably about 4% APR. These guys are charging 2-3-5-6% APR. £14 for every £50 borrowed. So if you borrow £500 from them, and you pay it back the next day, you have to give them £640. And that doesn't count how much it would cost to pay it back over several weeks. Oh sweet be-jesus, there will be poor poor souls out there doing this. They have the cheek to suggest credit counselling. It's daylight robbery and it shouldn't be allowed. Grrr.

Water obsessed!

Danny is obsessed with water. It's origin, it's wetness, where it goes when it drains away. He just loves all things H2O. Unusual for a cat. Hilarious to watch. He's so curious about it!

Dressmaking wih Danny

Dressmaking with Danny. He just loves to be doing what I'm doing, no matter what it is. He follows you from room to room. I remember young Scooby doing this too. This week I was dressmaking and trying to do so sans interruption. Aye right.