Rusholme and Victoria Park Archive

Images from across the decades… for a fascinating insight into the history of Rusholme and Victoria Park visit rusholmearchive.org. More:

The Madoc Vanguard – Rise

The Madoc Vanguard’s latest track, ‘Rise’, is now available at YouTube – check out their new-look website at themadocvanguard.co.uk too.

Sticking with it

The writing process can be long and tough. Often, results don’t come easy – if at all. But it’s important to keep going, all the same. Some time ago I blogged on the purpose of keeping a blog. I see it as something to help keep ideas flowing and to keep my writing sharp. As with any skill, what is often described as talent is more often than not simply a great deal of effort and practice, practice, practice. So much effort and practice, in fact, that what is produced appears to have been done so effortlessly.

And it’s important to practise in just such a way. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you and only you need see the first draft of anything you might happen to begin. This is particularly important when you are struggling to write in the first place. Blogging can help to ensure that ideas are at least leaving your brain and taking written form, if only as first drafts to be revised at a later time. But the simple act of making notes as and when interesting ideas spring up can be just as useful.

Sticking with it. Sticking with it. Sticking!

Ólöf Arnalds – Sudden Elevation

Sudden Elevation may be Icelander Ólöf Arnalds’ third album, but it remains a landmark, being her first sung wholly in English. More:

Human era

The Mayan Long Count calendar has reached its end… perhaps the time has come to make the switch to the Holocene calendar?

Sonic 2sday

Twenty years ago today, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in Europe. It’s still my favourite video game, and though the Mega Drive is long gone, I still have the original Solid Gold walkthrough… Viva 1992!

Catching the ‘Tube

Earlier tonight I made the mistake of sitting down on my bed to read. It was a mundane, but inevitable error of judgement; one with ‘wake up two hours later’ as the only possible outcome. And, sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.

The main problem with dozing during this awkward point in the early evening is that it throws you so thoroughly off-kilter. On waking, your freshly reset brain is ready to do things that your body remains tired from, having already spent the day doing them. Walking around, for example. Or typing…

And so, you wind up wasting time on YouTube – where else? – conscious yet unthinking, clicking through video after video.

There is certainly something remarkable about this process. You view a clip at random, then a playlist will suggest something equally – annoyingly! – intriguing. Then something else. And something else… and then you’re lost.

Curiosity may grow where that strange euphoria which comes with tiredness persists. But all in all, it’s much better to get a proper night’s sleep at a proper time of night.

Another life lesson, then: once the sun goes down, sit at a table to read!