This is a party political broadcast from the Argentinian presidential elections, and it is very cleverly done. Well worth a watch.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Photo of the rubble
I forgot that pictures won't post stright to the blog, I have to do it through flickr
Garage
The two poor sods who've been given the job of demolishing the garage have spent since 8 this morning lugging the rubble from the demolished garage up the drive , and now they're busy drilling out the concrete base. Judging by the amount they've done in the last half an hour, it's going to take them around 4-5 hours of drilling just to get the first layer out. Rather them than me.
Friday, November 03, 2006
It's back!
Proper Bovril is back on the shelves at last. None of that ridiculous veggie nonsense for me thank you.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
What a bunch of wusses.
Animal rights activists in Switzerland who broke into a circus intending to liberate a rare white tiger, quickly changed their minds when they saw the animal up close. After a hurried re-think, they opted for a pet rabbit beloning to the clown's six-year-old daughter!
I saw this in the New Statesman, but couldn't find it on their website to link to.
I saw this in the New Statesman, but couldn't find it on their website to link to.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Time, time, time is on my side.
Freddie is now at school full time until 2020, so I've now got a bit of spare time in the day sometimes. I managed to fill it today by getting very dirty insulating the loft, and finding an excellent way of showing my photos here. The map above comes from www.trippermap.com and it scrapes your flickr account for geotagged photos and displays them very cleverly. I've also started using a firefox plugin for quick geotagging. I can see the next 14 years just whizzing by...
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Radu Lupu looking like a tramp.
Strange but true. Radu Lupu, the world famous pianist, is the spitting image of the tramp who lives in Poole Bus Station. The tramps beard is very slightly longer at the moment, but they both mutter to themselves.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Fox on the run.
Amazingly, Fox News have traced every single instance of the Clinton interview on YouTube, and demanded that they are removed citing copyright infringement. Technically correct, but what income were they being denied by it's viewing on the internet? Why have they not had every other interview or clip removed? Because this was the one that showed them for the weaselly liars that they are.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Fox News getting the slapping they so richly deserve.
This is a clip from Fox News of Bill Clinton giving an interviewer a real going-over about whether or not he was to blame for all the ils of the world as they constantly infer. It's also worth remembering the statistics that show that although 50% of the American still think that Al Quaida was involved in the 9-11 attack, that rises to over 90% amongst people whose primary source of news was Fox. It is a channel created for brainwashing and rightwing propaganda.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Pointing out the wrong side of the tracks.
I've just spent a hideous day trying not to yell at Freddie every time he starts a sentence "Ohhh, why can't I have chocolate/icecream/a new car/everything I want? God, it drives me mad, anyway thankfully there is a light on the horizon, Flickr maps. I've just spent a happy half an hour trying to find exactly where to put my photos in Hong Kong, Bali, Lisbon and Madrid. You can see them here.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Freddie goes to school.
It was Freddies first day at school on Wednesday, and he was very pleased with himself in his new uniform. His teacher seems nice, and although they do use reading scheme books, they also have a fair selection of proper books to read too. He only goes in the mornings until half-term, but as Katherine is also going to pre-school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, there are two and a half hours of utter peace and quiet in the house. Fantastic.
Katherine loves going to pre-school, right up until the point where she actually lets go of our hands and goes into the room, then she screams like a banshee while we turn tail and run. When we pick her up though, she is having a great time.
Only 16 more years of waking them up in time for school to go, and we can have a lie-in again.
Katherine loves going to pre-school, right up until the point where she actually lets go of our hands and goes into the room, then she screams like a banshee while we turn tail and run. When we pick her up though, she is having a great time.
Only 16 more years of waking them up in time for school to go, and we can have a lie-in again.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
A Moment of History
There was a glorious moment for the Pullman family last week, as both sons turned out to play for Bournmouth Symphony Orchestra Cricket Club. Less glorious was the fact that I got out first ball, Tom didn't bat or bowl, and my only over had 3 wides in it. Never mind, there's always next year I suppose.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Cabbage White Blight.
Our cabbages have been covered in caterpillars for a few days now, and just like the way I was always delighted with the caterpillar outbreaks on my parents vegetables, Freddie and Katherine are captivated with the little buggers. One good thing about being infested is that we've got a couple of thrushes starting to visit the garden.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Memories
I put on Don Byron's Bug Music for my children to dance around to, and found myself being roped into dancing around too. The memory it brought back was one of me and the rest of a quartet I was on a cruise ship with, along with the seediest 'violinist' you'll ever meet, Gary Lovini, doing the madness walk around a nightclub in Tahiti. It wasn't Madness playing at the time, but it seemed the thing to do, and we carried on for around 10 minutes I suppose. The Tahitians had no idea what the hell we were doing, but as far as I can remember, when we started up again, in a perilously advanced state of refreshment, quite a lot of them joined in! That's what I call cultural exchange.
I've also just remembered that we were staying in a hotel that night, as we were going home the next day, and I didn't wake up in time to get dressed properly, and left a shoe in the bedroom somewhere.
I've also just remembered that we were staying in a hotel that night, as we were going home the next day, and I didn't wake up in time to get dressed properly, and left a shoe in the bedroom somewhere.
Friday, July 21, 2006
BEYOND NORTHERN IRAQ: mail2bni@yahoo.co.uk
BEYOND NORTHERN IRAQ: mail2bni@yahoo.co.uk
Never mind Nick Robinson's blog, this is fantastic. A BBC journalists blog from Beirut.
Never mind Nick Robinson's blog, this is fantastic. A BBC journalists blog from Beirut.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Resonance shapes.
I came across this video of the shapes that sounds make, just a few days after reading about them in Fortean Times. It seems that someone reckons that the decoration of some of the sculptures in Rosslyn Chapel are a musical code. He's even tried to match the patterns to the sounds that might have been made by instruments of the day, and from their position, compose a tune. His plan is to play the music in the chapel, and hope that the resonances release a stone that will open some sort of secret chamber holding god knows what inside, the head of John the Baptist or something.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
As good as John Redwood singing.
This is taken from an interview with An American congressman who co-sponsored a bill to force all public buildings and courts to have the ten commandments on display. Towards the end of the interview he is asked to name them, and falls flat on his face. Priceless.
Tour de France LIVE Tracker - Google Maps
Tour de France LIVE Tracker - Google Maps
Now this is a brilliant idea. A google maps page that tracks the Tour de France, and shows you where the riders are in real time. Todays stage starts in 1 hour 45 minutes time, and I can't wait to see how it works.
Now this is a brilliant idea. A google maps page that tracks the Tour de France, and shows you where the riders are in real time. Todays stage starts in 1 hour 45 minutes time, and I can't wait to see how it works.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
A Bournemouth balloon fiesta.
Although moving has deprived us of the annual disappointment of the Cutteslowe Park Balloon Fiesta, thanks to the summer fete at Freddie's school, we had our own version.
There were about 500 balloons in the race, and the idea is, that each one has a ticket on it, with the address of the school, and if the ticket doesn't fall off your balloon, and if it lands where someone finds it, and if they bother to send it back saying where it had landed, then you stand a chance of winning a prize. Probably a balloon.
There were about 500 balloons in the race, and the idea is, that each one has a ticket on it, with the address of the school, and if the ticket doesn't fall off your balloon, and if it lands where someone finds it, and if they bother to send it back saying where it had landed, then you stand a chance of winning a prize. Probably a balloon.
FRONTLINE/WORLD . Iraq - Saddam's Road to Hell - A journey into the killing fields . PBS
FRONTLINE/WORLD . Iraq - Saddam's Road to Hell - A journey into the killing fields . PBS
This is a documentary about Saddam Husseins mass murder of around 8000 Kurds. For some reason Channel 4 have refused to screen the film, but luckily for us, it's been made available by pbs.org.
This is a documentary about Saddam Husseins mass murder of around 8000 Kurds. For some reason Channel 4 have refused to screen the film, but luckily for us, it's been made available by pbs.org.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Bournemouth Symphony Cricket Club versus Broadstone Cricket Club
Yesterday was a momentous day. After the trauma of my last innings, a golden duck in 1987, it was important to get straight back in the middle. As our allotted 20 over against Broastine Cricket Club started to run out, I began to wonder whether I would have a chance to redeem myself, but luckily, a couple of quick wickets fell, leaving me with just the last ball to face. The ball came towards me like a guided missile, only one going at about 30 miles an hour, and I managed to scuff it away to the leg side and scramble a run. 1 not out, a triumph. We scored 125 for 5, and made quick inroads into their batsmen, reducing them to 38 for 4 of 10 overs, but then, in came two heavy hitters, who got a quick 50. I bowled a couple of overs, mostly full tosses, and one delivery that would have got a wicket if it had hit the stumps, ending with figure of 2 overs, no maidens none for 18.In the end, they needed 20 runs from the last 2 overs, and thanks to a couple of wickets from the captain in the penultimate over, and then another couple in the last from Bomber, we won by a comfortable 6 runs.
The next match is in a couple of weeks.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Musicians Wisden
Well, today was supposed to be the first match of the season, and I went
and bought all the equipment. We knocked up a bit, and then decided that
as it was pouring with rain, we couldn't play. Bum.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Sisters lose second coming cover
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Sisters lose second coming cover
This is hilarious, but what I don't understand is, if they did somehow give birth to a living god, surely it would be able to conjure up enough loaves, fishes and nappies to avoid needing a million pound trust fund.
This is hilarious, but what I don't understand is, if they did somehow give birth to a living god, surely it would be able to conjure up enough loaves, fishes and nappies to avoid needing a million pound trust fund.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Live subtitles
They're normally good for a laugh, but whoever is doing them tonight has
just interpreted Dida, the Brazilian goalkeeper as D-Day, and Di-Dare!
BBC Sport Player
Oh the glories of the digital age. While the children waste their lives watching Boogie Beebies in the living room, I'm watching the world cup in the kitchen on the laptop while doing the cooking, with the big speakers plugged in for excellent sound! Happy days.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Vegetable patch and human rights
Our vegetable patch is now fully planted, with 7 cabbages taking up the rest of the space. So far we've had about 15 basil plants eaten by slugs, and the tomatoes have been flattened twice by the wind. Only the rocket has survived from seed, but that is fit and healthy and ready to be eaten.
As for human rights, I saw a piece in the Observer about putting information on your blogs, that other countries are trying to censor, so that's what that box on the left is for. It takes you to the amnesty site, and from there to the site being censored. I suppose it must be a mirror site or something like that, if the government in question hs blocked it.
As for human rights, I saw a piece in the Observer about putting information on your blogs, that other countries are trying to censor, so that's what that box on the left is for. It takes you to the amnesty site, and from there to the site being censored. I suppose it must be a mirror site or something like that, if the government in question hs blocked it.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Detour
Instead of going to Winchester college, the coach driver took us to a
municipal dump, and I didn't have my viola with me. Another opportunity
for a career change gone...
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Carmina Burana with Marin Alsop
Someone sent round a note pointing out that an anagram of Carmina Burana
is 'M. A. can ruin a bra'.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Student conductors
Bramwell Tovey came up with a good line today. He told us about a nasty
conductor who refered to his assistant as a mouse training to be a rat.
Ha ha!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
news@nature.com
It's evolution happening before our very eyes.
news@nature.com
"The journal Nature will be publishing a report on an African catfish that hunts its prey on land. The fish wriggles out of the swamps to catch land-based prey. From the article: 'The eel catfish, Channallabes apus, catches unsuspecting victims by arching upwards and descending upon prey, trapping an insect against the ground before sucking it up. The same trick may have been used by the very first vertebrates to venture onto land, the researchers speculate.' There is a video of the fish in action."
Says Slashdot
news@nature.com
"The journal Nature will be publishing a report on an African catfish that hunts its prey on land. The fish wriggles out of the swamps to catch land-based prey. From the article: 'The eel catfish, Channallabes apus, catches unsuspecting victims by arching upwards and descending upon prey, trapping an insect against the ground before sucking it up. The same trick may have been used by the very first vertebrates to venture onto land, the researchers speculate.' There is a video of the fish in action."
Says Slashdot
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
MoneySavingExpert.com ad-free, free to use, Consumer Revenge!
MoneySavingExpert.com ad-free, free to use, Consumer Revenge!
An excellent site, helping make sure that corporations get as little of your money as possible.
An excellent site, helping make sure that corporations get as little of your money as possible.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
BBC NEWS | Business | Phone firm launches net price war
BBC NEWS | Business | Phone firm launches net price war
Hooray! Now, finally I might be able to ditch the useless NTL forever.
Hooray! Now, finally I might be able to ditch the useless NTL forever.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
The wishing fish clock
The goose at the top lays golden eggs, which get carried down to the
clock, and every hour, the fish spins around, blowing bubbles.
clock, and every hour, the fish spins around, blowing bubbles.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Genetic engineering.
A hybrid pianist has been developed to cope with the opening bars of
Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto.
Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Back to work.
After a couple of weeks with the flu, it was a suprising pleasure to go
back to work, and a double pleasure knowing what a rotten couple of
weeks with Marin I had missed. It's been about 8 years since my last
dose of real flu, and that time I had to drag myself into the BBC
Concert Orchestra, or not get paid. This one was timed to perfection,
and hopefully in 8 years or so, when I get my next dose, we'll have
someone equally grumpy conducting us.
Jamie.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The Great British Seaside.
It's freezing cold and blowing a gale. God knows what it must be like in
the winter.
Jamie.
the winter.
Jamie.
The scaffold.
The interval entertainment seems to consist of a half-time hanging. I
can't wait!
Jamie.
can't wait!
Jamie.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Photo 90.jpg
This is the face of a man who is fed up that he agreed to go back to
work tomorrow. I'm still feeling fairly rubbish, and god knows how Anne
will be able to cope with the children, but hey ho, at least it's only a
crappy date in Bexhill. I can use it as a warm up for the rigours of
next week.
Jamie.
work tomorrow. I'm still feeling fairly rubbish, and god knows how Anne
will be able to cope with the children, but hey ho, at least it's only a
crappy date in Bexhill. I can use it as a warm up for the rigours of
next week.
Jamie.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
I'm always interested in the daily pictures from this site, but on occasion, they just take my breath away. This picture of a star approaching supernova is just amazing. The globular dust and gas clouds around it, look like awful tumours sucking the life from the poor star, although I suppose it's the reverse of that really. The star is pouring its energy into the nebulas, expanding them away from it so they can perhaps form new stars with luck, before the awful certainty of entropy that awaits us all......NURSE, MORE PILLS, MORE VOLTAGE...
I'm always interested in the daily pictures from this site, but on occasion, they just take my breath away. This picture of a star approaching supernova is just amazing. The globular dust and gas clouds around it, look like awful tumours sucking the life from the poor star, although I suppose it's the reverse of that really. The star is pouring its energy into the nebulas, expanding them away from it so they can perhaps form new stars with luck, before the awful certainty of entropy that awaits us all......NURSE, MORE PILLS, MORE VOLTAGE...
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Bandroom banter
There used to be a concert promoter in Newcastle who was very excitable in his descriptions of the orchestras he'd booked. The Concertgebouwe became 'The World Famous Concertgebouwe', the Halle became 'The Mighty Halle', but when it came to the Liverpool Phil, all he could come up with was '50 strings!'. Which reminded me of a poster for Carmen I saw last year which proudly said 'Featuring the horse from Gladiator'.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Rehearsal
I was completely thrown off my stride before the first note had even
been played today. We are doing Rosenkavalier, and not having played it
before, I was determined to at least come in right, however, the
demented twitching that passes for conducting from Kreizberg
discombobulated me to such an extent that I was all over the place for
the first page. He doesn't move like normal conductors do, but flicks
the baton between his fingers and thumb, while the rest of his body
spasms and twitches as though he's got his foot stuck in an electric
socket. And he sweats. A lot. Hey ho, the concert is tomorrow so we
don't have to try and work out what the hell's going on for much longer.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Mid-concert Report
Well more of a pre-concert report really. I didn't do the rehearsal of
the Ravel piano concerto yesterday, because we only needed 8 violas, and
it was my turn for a number off, but as luck would have it, someone is
off, so I have had to do it anyway, except on a run-through rather than
a rehearsal. The bummer is that the symphony is not Schostakovich's
best, but it is his longest. 72 minutes of his finest russian charm and
perkiness. Some lovely bits, but some really dreary 15 minutes'. I
really don't fancy the trip to Leeds on saturday, a 7 hour coach trip, a
long concert, and then back off at 9 the next morning. Roll on easter...
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Tonights concert.
God it's a long one. The Schubert symphony came in at 58 minutes lkast
night, and when you add an uninspiring Beethovens 4th piano concerto
form John Lill and a very sub-standard Mendelssohn overture (Athalia),
and also factor in 2 pints of grolsch, you can imagine the trouble I'm
going to have staying awake for the next few hours.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Looking good.
65 minutes gone, and things are good. Everyone is playing well, even
Gilberto is making a few good tackles. Fabregas has good amazing vision,
and the pass he just made to Reyes, about 60 yards across the pitch was
fantastic.
Big match
Well, 18 minutes in, and things seem ok. Eboue looks like a really good
player, a right footed Ashley Cole.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Setting the stage.
If the photo that I emailed with this had arrived, the eagle-eyed may have noticed the lack of risers for the wind and
brass players. This is the cause of arguements every time we play in
Bournemouth. The trumpets blast away straight into the heads of whoever
is unlucky enough to be at the back of the section that week, and refuse
to have screens put up to protect the string players because they say it
is too loud for them then! Idiots. Really it's the fault of the
management for being too mean to hire risers every now and then. There's
supposed to be a committee working on ways to stop us being deafened,
but as it's run by the management, it's achieved nothing in the two and
a half years of its existence.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Mmm...
It's been a good couple of weeks, concert-wise. I've just come off stage
after spending a very happy 40 minutes or so listening to an Argentinian
pianist called Nelson Goerner playing Chopin 1, and although it is a
very tedious part for the viola, and the rest of the orchestra too
really, I loved every moment of it. In a few minutes I'm back on to play
Brahms 4 which I love too. Happy days. Next week it's Schubert 9 which I
can't stand, so I'm busy gathering rosebuds.
Jamie.
Just my luck.
Well, I woke up this morning to the sound of screeching children, and
despite Anne fielding them in the hope that I could get back to sleep, no such luck. Anyway, I could breath without my teeth hurting, so I
knew I'd have to go to work. Honestly, I drag myself into work feeling
rubbish for days, decide to take the day off and I'm well again. Hmpf.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Ugh.
Oh god, even a cocktail of sudafed sinex and halls menthol sweets have
failed to clear my sinuses. Any luck I'll still feel like this tomorrow
and I can call in sick for the first time ever. On a lighter note,
Freddie is trampolining as I write, and I'll post a picture tomorrow.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Still at it.
Not content with being fed grapes, Anne is now lying on the slob slab being fed popcorn, and seing how high into the air she can blow it, to shrieks of laughter from Freddie. Just wait till he tries that with his sausages tonight.... 
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Getting there
The undercoat is finished, and Anne has started on the red for the end
walls. It's going to look bloody marvellous. I'd better get started on
the side walls I suppose...
--jamiepullman
What a great picture. This came from the nasa site that gives a different astronomy picture 
every day. I haven't seen a picture as dramatic as this since the black clouds from the fuel depot fire. 
every day. I haven't seen a picture as dramatic as this since the black clouds from the fuel depot fire.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Dull dull dull
Flute and harp, tuna and sweetcorn: Combinations that are guaranteed to
flatten the happiest of moods. The flute and harp concerto tonight was
livened only by the fistfuls of wrong notes from the harp.
--jamiepullman
Friday, January 20, 2006
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
I know it's late but I found this funny.
Multibabel translated 'My living room will look better once it is painted, I presume.' as 'My alive section looks like that it improves a time, of that one the one that it estimates paints him.'
We should all talk like this.
We should all talk like this.
Bush is a moron
Well, it's not news, but it's true. Here's a great article about Bush attempting to defy the facts and generally being a moron.
http://tinyurl.com/dbghz
And here is a brilliant spoof new years message to the nation.
http://weeklyradioaddress.com/WRA20051231.htm
http://tinyurl.com/dbghz
And here is a brilliant spoof new years message to the nation.
http://weeklyradioaddress.com/WRA20051231.htm
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Round the corner, not far away, Jamie's had a lovely day.
Blimey! The day I have been dreading for a couple of months turned out to be one of the most enjoyable for ages. Two days of potential hell recording Elgar's Music Makers and Sea Pictures has turned out to be one of the few recordings that I am proud to have been part of, and will certainly buy when it comes out. The soloist, Sarah Connelly has got a fantastic voice and was amazingly easy going for a singer. She had the obligatory scarf and bottle of water, but lacked the traditional superior attitude that singers generally have.
I've also managed to bunk off the last two New Years concerts so I can go to Lisbon to have a coporate jolly with the Opera Babes. Marvellous.
I've also managed to bunk off the last two New Years concerts so I can go to Lisbon to have a coporate jolly with the Opera Babes. Marvellous.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Busted.
It turns out that I'm not allowed to click on my own ads, so I've been banned from having them. Fair enough, but my dreams of Barbados have been cruelly snatched from me.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Beaches and Ice-cream
The ship in the background is a dredger, which is widening the beach. Because there is a promenade along the beach, there is no natural cliff erosion, so the beach is getting very narrow. The dredger is pumping loads of sand onto the shore, and further along, where it's been at it for a little while, the beach is about 100 feet wider. Excellent, I'll need lots of room for my barbeque and sausages this summer!
Holiday money
The little ads down the side are going to pay for a holiday I reckon. After 4 days of intermittant clicking, I've made about £15 from them, and over the course of the year, this should get us all somewhere sunny. Interestingly, the type of ad has changed over the last day or so, lots more music ones since I mentioned the word opera. I wonder what will come up now I've said holiday?
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