May 11, 2005

Water Balloon Analogy

One of those rare occasions when I say something sensible. This is from an email that I wrote to my guitarist today:

I don’t write enough songs these days. I think it’s because songs are like water balloons. You need two hands to fill a water balloon, so you can’t fill more than one at once. You then have to tie the neck before you can start filling the next one. In my case, the tying of the neck is the bit where we get together and play the song, because at that point it enters the collective consciousness, and it’s like having an externally stored backup. Emailing lyrics or chords or mp3s doesn’t constitute a sufficient backup, as there’s no engagement there.

He agreed that this made sense, then popped off for a wee.

Pete
  • Comments: 4
  • Deep? You mean, like water might be deep? Ah... ahhh... - Pete
  • Now that's deep. More. - robin
  • I like the way the first sentence of this post is just floating there with no explanation.... - Gordon
  • Songs are like water balloons? Are you sure you don't write adverts for Honda? - Dr Sloan
May 9, 2005

Manhattan Skyline

manhattan.jpg

I know, I know, I’m not the first person to post a photo of some skyscrapers.

Pete

Furry Brain

I’m currently everywhere and nowhere. I’m in the process of switching from New York time to UK time, and have got that horrid been-up-for-thirty-hours feeling of head chemical inbalance. My body isn’t sure where it is either, something made worse by the fact that the aspect ratio of my bedroom floor is not entirely dissimilar to that of an average block in midtown Manhattan, so my head has been doing amazing (yet pointless) feats to try and figure out which street my bed is on.
I’ll get photos and suchlike to you in good time. Until then, I’m waiting for the water to warm up. I’m also terrified that in three days’ time the mundanity of “life back home” will have completely erased this frankly life-changing experience from history. Can my newly-acquired brain fit in round here? Or will it be bonsai-kittened back into its original shape?

Pete
  • Comments: 8
  • you're back! i've been enjoying the flickr photos you guys have been putting up. will you ... - estee
  • Yeah, I saw Tux as the screens were scrolling the boot text at us. There were no clues as ... - Pete
  • Apparently they were using Linux. We didn't go into the library, as we didn't have your ca... - Karen
  • And after you wondering what sort of server set-up they would have to have on the way over... - Stuart
  • Yes, the flight back wasn't too bad. There were a couple of small hitches - Grand Central ... - Pete
May 2, 2005

Last Minute Panic

I’ve just endured ten minutes of pure mental torture. For some reason, the word “barcode” was thrown into the whole “machine-readable passport” thing. After a short session of high-octane Googling, I’ve established that there are clearly various definitions of the word “barcode”.
To me, the word barcode conjurs up images of vertical black lines, some thick, some thin, with a row of numbers underneath. You can imagine the terror that was oozing through my veins as I flicked through the pages of my passport looking for a motif that matches this approximate description.
To the various governments of the world, barcode means two lines of chevrons, letters and numbers.
So I do get to go to New York after all. Hurrah. Fucking phew.
You may not hear from me again until next week. Unless you are Stuart or Krissa, in which case I shall see you tomorrow evening, or you are Jodi, in which case I shall see you on Wednesday morning, or you are Kate, in which case I shall see you on Wednesday afternoon.

Pete
  • Comments: 3
  • It doesn't need to travel, Adrian. Smut is everywhere, like air. Mostly because you have i... - Stuart
  • Where as I bet you were hoping for a half-naked Karen eating toast. Well I would be. [Let ... - Adrian
  • And what a sight it was. On a morning when I'd decided against coffee, the equivalent effe... - Stuart
April 30, 2005

Closer

It struck me this morning that an awful lot of bands have written songs called “Closer”. A quick search through my MP3 archive reveals the following examples:
Dido (on Life For Rent)
NIN (on The Downward Spiral)
Lamb (on Lamb)
Lemon Jelly (on Lost Horizons)
Any others? The song title has to be exactly “Closer”. You can’t have “Move Closer” or “One Step Closer” or “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get”.

Pete
  • Comments: 13
  • No Titanic album nestling in your collection. - Adrian
  • I own neither, and nor do I own anything by Mariah or Celine. - Karen
  • You act like you expected more of us. I bet you owned Maria or Celion though. :-0 - Adrian
  • I go away for three days and get accused of owning Dido albums? I've never even listened t... - Karen
  • closer- matt pond closer-nadine - redclay
April 29, 2005

The Complete Life History Of A Chilli: Part 7

Pete Doherty didn’t make it. From the start, I didn’t really think he stood a chance. He was the first to shoot, and throughout childhood he was the lanky one. He never really fully developed, and his two leaves were small and wilty. The curse of the goat’s skull loomed over him throughout his all-too-short life. In later days, the mushrooms started springing up in his pot. It was getting too late to continue denying that it is over for poor Pete Doherty.
This afternoon I buried his corpse. No, I’m not going to provide a photo.
Part One · Part Two · Part Three · Part Four · Part Five · Part Six

Pete

Occupational Hazard

There is a large downside to this website being named what it is.
When I get an email in my inbox from an unknown sender with the subject “The mighty cucumber lives” I don’t instantly twig that it is viagra spam. At least not until after I’ve opened it.
New York in four days. I’m buzzing.

Pete
  • Comments: 4
  • Uh, yeah Jim. O'course, I'd plump for Astoria, which is lucky, considering. - Stuart
  • Well I for one am happy about you rchili situation. I fully respect that you are trying to... - Jim
  • Nope Adrian, I think certain words in that post were used deliberately... - Gordon
  • Giant Cucumber. Buzzing. Hmmmm.... just my mind going there isn't it ...? - Adrian