Christmas playlist

OK, trying to sort out the Christmas playlist.  Here's what I have so far.  Anything missing?

And is Jesus Christ Superstar a legitimate Christmas tune?

Track	Artist
Stop The Cavalry	Jona Lewie
O Christmas Tree	Glee Cast
Merry Christmas Everyone	Shakin' Stevens
Frosty The Snowman	The Jackson 5
Silver Bells	Jim Reeves
Once Upon A Christmas Song	Geraldine
Is This The Way To Amarillo (Santa's Grotto)	Santa Feat. The Elves & The Children's Choir
Christmas Wrapping	Waitresses
Jingle Bells	Santa Feat. The Elves & The Children's Choir
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)	John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Lonely This Christmas	Mud
Merry Xmas Everybody	Slade
Ring Out Solstice Bells	Jethro Tull
Do They Know It's Christmas?	Band Aid
Christmas Time	Backstreet Boys
It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)	Love Unlimited
Little Saint Nick	The Beach Boys
Santa Baby	Kylie Minogue
I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You	NSYNC
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree	Mel & Kim
Let It Snow!, Let It Snow!, Let It Snow!	Dean Martin
Jingle Bells (Bass)	Basshunter
Baby It's Cold Outside	Tom Jones & Cerys Mathews
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus	The Ronettes
Santa Baby	Kylie Minogue
O Come All Ye Faithful	Stacie Orrico
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town	Jackson 5
In The Bleak Midwinter	Bert Jansch
Jesus Christ Superstar	Johnny Keating
Wonderful Christmas	Paul McCartney
Step Into Christmas	Elton John
Winter Wonderland	Doris Day
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen	Perry Como
Another Rock 'n' Roll Christmas	Gary Glitter
Proper Crimbo	Avid Merrion
Driving Home For Christmas	Chris Rea
Happy Holiday	Andy Williams
A Spaceman Came Travelling	Chris De Burgh
All I Want For Christmas Is You	Mariah Carey
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)	Darlene Love
Pretty Paper	Roy Orbison
Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)	Adam Faith
I Believe In Father Christmas	Greg Lake
Never Gonna Snow	Chris Moyles
Santa's Christmas Wrap	Santa Feat. The Elves & The Children's Choir
The Millennium Prayer	Cliff Richard
Holly Jolly Christmas	Michael Bublé
O Holy Night	Glee Cast
In Dulce Jubilo	Mike Oldfield
Run Rudolph Run	Lulu
The Christmas Song	Nat King Cole
The 12 Days Of Christmas	The Spinners
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town	Jackson 5
We Three Kings Of Orient Are	Miles Davis, Larry Carlton, David Sanborn & Paul Schaffer
The Perfect Year	Dina Carroll
When A Child Is Born	Johhny Mathis
Silent Night	The Osmonds
2000 Miles	Pretenders
Perfect Christmas	S Club 7
Deck The Rooftop	Glee Cast
Mistletoe & Wine	Cliff Richard
Walking In The Air	Aled Jones
Christmas In Heaven	Monty Python
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday	Wizzard
Sleigh Ride	The Ronettes
Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)	The Darkness
Do They Know It's Christmas?	Band Aid 20
White Christmas	Bing Crosby
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)	Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
Santa's List	Cliff Richard
Last Christmas	Wham!
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer	The Crystals
A Fairytale Of New York	The Pogues Feat. Kirsty MacColl
The Most Wonderful Day Of The Year	Glee Cast
Christmas My Arse! (Normal Version)	Ricky Tomlinson
Christmas Is All Around	Billy Mack
Mary's Boy Child	Harry Belafonte
We Wish You A Merry Christmas	The Weavers
It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas	Perry Como & The Fontaine Sisters
Christmas Popstar	Santa Feat. The Elves & The Children's Choir
Peace On Earth	Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Walk This Sleigh	Robbie Williams
Blue Christmas	Elvis Presley

Halloween Playlist

I needed to compile a Halloween-based playlist from my existing music collection.  I wanted the songs to either be scary/creepy or contain a relevant theme or otherwise just fit in and be reasonably easy to listen to - including some memorable tunes from films with ghostly affiliations.  Here are my picks:

Order	Track	Artist
1	O Fortuna From Carmina Burana	Carl Orff
2	Ghostbusters	Ray Parker Jr.
3	Clubbed To Death	Rob D
4	Somebody's Watching Me	BeatFreakz
5	Tainted Love	Marilyn Manson
6	A Nightmare On My Street	DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
7	People Are Strange	Echo & The Bunnymen
8	Werewolves Of London	Warren Zevon
9	One Way Ticket	The Darkness
10	The Devil Went Down To Georgia	Charlie Daniels Band
11	Monster Mash	Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers
12	Monster	The Automatic
13	(Don't Fear) The Reaper	Blue Oyster Cult
14	(You're The) Devil In Disguise	Elvis Presley
15	Evil Woman	Electric Light Orchestra
16	Ghost Town	The Specials
17	Bat Out Of Hell	Meat Loaf
18	Thriller	Michael Jackson
19	In The House In A Heartbeat	John Murphy
20	Bad Moon Rising	Creedence Clearwater Revival
21	Cry Wolf	A-Ha
22	Day-O	Harry Belafonte
23	Twisted Nerve	Bernard Herrmann
24	Creep	Radiohead
25	The Twilight Zone	The Twilight Zone
26	I Put A Spell On You	Nina Simone
27	Main Title Theme (from Ghostbusters)	Elmer Bernstein
28	She Wolf	Shakira
29	Firestarter	Prodigy
30	Tubular Bells (Featured In The Exorcist)	Mike Oldfield

 
There is quite a lot of variation in pace and sound so I might spend some further time re-ordering the list to ensure it flows reasonably well.

Thoughts?

He Won't Do That

Ever wondered what it is that Meat Loaf won't do?  You know, he says he'll do anything for love - but he won't do that?  Well just what is it that he won't do?

Without even checking if this question has already been answered (turns out it has), I used it as an excuse to dig out the 12 minute version of I'd Do Anything For Love, as featured on my 1998 album, Meat Loaf's Greatest Hits.  I listened, I typed, I highlighted.

In summary, this is my list of things that Meat Loaf won't do:

• lie to her
• forget the way she feels (right now)
• forgive himself if they don't go all the way
• turn back
• never do it better than he does it with her
• stop dreaming of her every night of his life
• forget everything
• see that it's time to move on
• screw around

Did I miss anything?

I guess he's a really nice guy, a little intense perhaps!

Anyway, here are the full lyrics with the relevant bits highlighted:

And I would do anything for love

I'd run right into hell and back

I would do anything for love

I'd never lie to you and that's a fact

But I'll never forget the way you feel right now

Oh no, no way

And I would do anything for love

But I won't do that

No, I won't do that

Anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

I would do anything for love

But I won't do that

No I won't do that

And some days it don't come easy

And some days it don't come hard

Some days it don't come at all and these are the days that never end

And some nights you're breathing fire

And some nights you're carved in ice

Some nights you're like nothing I've ever seen before or will again

And maybe I'm crazy
Oh it's crazy and it's true

I know you can save me, no-one else can save me now but you

As long as the planets are turning

As long as the stars are burning

As long as your dreams are coming true

You'd better believe it, that I would do anything for love

And I'll be there 'til the final act

And I would do anything for love, and I'll take the vow and seal a pact

But I'll never forgive myself if we don't go all the way, tonight

And I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love but I won't do that

No, I won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

And some days I pray for silence

And some days I pray for soul

Some days I just pray to the god of sex and drums and rock 'n' roll

And some nights I lose the feeling

And some nights I lose control

Some nights I just lose it all when I watch you dance and the thunder rolls

And maybe I'm lonely, that's all I'm qualified to be

There's just one and only, one and only promise I can keep

As long as the wheels are turning

As long as the fires are burning

As long as your prayers are coming true

You'd better believe it, that I would do anything for love

And you know it's true and that's a fact

I would do anything for love, and there'll never be no turning back

But I'll never do it better than I do it with you, so long, so long

And I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

I would do anything for love but I won't do that

No, no, no I won't do...that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of

but I just won't do...

But I'll never stop dreaming of you every night of my life, no way

And I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

But I won't do that

No I won't do that

Female:

Will you raise me up? Will you help me down?

Will you get me right out of this godforsaken town?

Will you make it all a little less cold?

Meat Loaf:

I can do that

Oh I can do that

Female:

Will you hold me sacred? Will you hold me tight?

Can you colourise my life, I'm so sick of black and white?

Can you make it all a little less old?

Meat Loaf: 

I can do that

Oh wow now I can do that

Female: 

Will you make me some magic with your own two hands?

Can you build and emerald city with these grains of sand?

Can you give me something I can take home?

Meat Loaf: 

Now I can do that

Oh wow, now I can do that

Female: 

Will you cater to every fantasy I got?

Will you hose me down with holy water, if I get too hot?

Will you take me places I've never known?

Meat Loaf: 

Now I can do that

Oh no, I can do that

Female: 

After a while you'll forget everything

It was a brief interlude and a midsummer night's fling

And you'll see that it's time to move on

Meat Loaf: 

I won't do that

I won't do that

Female: 

I know the territory, I've been around

It'll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down

Sooner or later you'll be screwing around

Meat Loaf: 

I won't do that

No I won't do that

Anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

I would do anything for love

But I won't do that

No I won't do that

You're welcome!

Temporary Fringe

I don't have a fringe.  I couldn't manage one if I tried. But this post isn't about Androgenic alopecia (also know as male pattern baldness, affecting most men at some point - thanks Wikipedia), it's about the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

I have wanted to visit the Fringe Festival for years.  I finally got the chance courtesy of a surprise anniversary gift, I finally got my fringe - but it was only temporary, consisting of just two nights.

Over the course of August there has been literally thousands of events taking place, all squeezed into a range of categories including theatre, cabaret and comedy, and also theatrical comedic cabaret.  In fact, the EdFringe website listed 3424 events!  Just about every type of genre was catered for, even zombies!  But I wasn't there for the zombies, or the deep-fried Mars Bars, I was there for the comedy (and the haggis).

Fringe 2014 - The Agenda

In amongst the required elements of drinking, eating and walking, I think we experienced some of the best and the worst of what the Fringe had to offer.  The agenda looked like this:

• 23rd @ 17:15, Andrew O'Neill - Mindspiders, FREE, 1hr, Whistlebinkies
• 23rd @ 19:55, Jerry Sadowitz - Card Tricks and Close-up Magic, £17.50, 1hr, The Assembly Rooms
• 23rd @ 22:30, Chelsea Manders - Don't Tell My Dad, £9.00, Assembly George Square Studios
• 24th @ 13:10, Derek Johnston's A Day Oot!, £8, 1hr, The Stand Comedy Club III & IV
• 24th @ 15:00, Mitch Benn: Don't Believe A Word, £10, 1hr, The Stand Comedy Club III & IV
• 24th @ 18:45, Tommy Rowson - Down and Out In Powys and London, £10, 1hr, Underbelly Bistro Square
• 24th @ 21;15, Jim Davidson: No Further Action, £15, 1hr, Assembly Hall
• 24th @ 23:00, Hate 'n' Live, FREE, 1hr, Laughing Horse @ Espionage

Andrew O'Neill - Mindspiders

This show wasn't actually on our agenda.  We just happened to be drinking in a pub where some guy's voice, who it turned out was Andrew O'Neill, replaced the music and some of the babble from around the bar. We never actually saw the stage (assuming there was one).  I can only confirm he had a voice and it was English. We had just finished our drinks and was hoping to find some food before our first actual agenda item.  And it was very clear that Whistlebinkies is not the kind of place you eat anything other than nuts, crisps and maybe some pork scratchings.  That place was primarily for drinking.

Review: Speaks good English.

Jerry Sadowitz - Card Tricks and Close-up Magic

A bit of magic and a bit of stand-up was what we were expecting - and to be fair, there was a bit of both.  There were lots of card tricks with impressive sleight of hand, all of which required immense talent and years of practice.  A few gags were thrown in to satisfy the comedy aspect - but what I will remember most is not Jerry's 'Alice Cooper-esque' trademark look, not the most offensive and racist language, insults and persecution of everyone on the planet - including most notably - people dying of cancer, it was that we literally bumped into to Rory McGrath in the bar on the way in.  And in person, he reminds me a bit of my dad.

Review: Shocking card tricks and some sleight of the mouth.

Chelsea Manders - Don't Tell My Dad

This was an excellent surprise.  We had no idea what to expect but the confidant and exuberant performance really helped us to get into the swing of things, just in time to help finish off our first day.  Chelsea played the guitar (and a tiny drum) and sang to great effect, a number of witty tunes.  It was a very personal and funny performance. I only wish I'd shouted "wobbly heads" as a suggestion for decidedly Canadian things, instead of someone else's suggestion of 'moose', which was too easy - but probably less offensive to be fair.

Review: Excellent. I can see big things in front of her (boob joke?).

Derek Johnston's A Day Oot!

We were scared when we took our seats in the venue - you never know at the Fringe what the venue will be like if you haven't been there before.  The venues ranged from the tiniest of rooms to large theatres and halls.  This room was very small and so it was very intimate, and the opening scenes - an argument simulating a real family road trip, was actually slightly terrifying.  However, things soon calmed down and through the power of honest, comedic narrative and cutting edge multimedia, we all managed to relate to the experiences and memories Derek was sharing with us.

Review: If you loved playing Red Lorry Yellow Lorry you will love this.

Mitch Benn: Don't Believe A Word

I have seen Mitch Benn before so knew exactly what to expect - not obviously in terms of what he would say, I don't know him that well! But I know his style and I'm aware of the kind of things he tweets and writes about - plus I read the description of the show.  It was quite accurate.

It was Mitch's usual mixture of great stand-up material fused inextricably to various songs which actually got some of the best laughs.  The highlight for me was his Logical Fallacy song.  When he takes this on the road is he really going to use the same material - and the same props?  I could imagine some people might be offended if they hold strong beliefs about religion.  But if you live in that world then I guess those same people would be offended on a daily basis by most things.

Review: No Star Wars sound effects but otherwise excellent.

Tommy Rowson - Down and Out in Powys and London

You can't help but find the Welsh funny.  Especially in Scotland.  They are hated less than the English by the Scots so perhaps they feel exalted there?

Anyway, this was another small venue but I felt, despite the very funny nature of the material, had it been a larger crowd, it would have worked better - it deserved a bigger audience.  I can't understand why more people weren't there.  It was great.  Perhaps the Scots don't like the Welsh after all?

He was a cross between Rhod Gilbert and Rob Brydon which is a very good thing.  Wales isn't that big a place - perhaps they are all related?  Great stories and even poetry.

Review: Probably Uncle Bryn's favourite comedian.

Jim Davidson: No Further Action

I probably have the least to say about the Jim Davidson show.  I don't know why, it was by far the best thing we saw.  Jim was an absolute professional and had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand (not literally).  His was the kind of performance only years of experiencing highs and lows (mainly highs), could bring.  I got the feeling not everything was new, but it was all craftily incorporated in to the performance.  Winning Big Brother saved him on a number of levels.

Review: Jim Davidson at his best.

Hate 'n' Live

A free show held in the second sub-basement of the Espionage club.  This should have helped us to manage our expectations or maybe even steer us away from the gig altogether - but I thought 'let's give it a go'...

The format was 'comedy improv', provided by comments from the audience about things they hate.  The comedians tried their best to hate these things and there was, at times, some good improvisation.  But I felt the whole show was undermined by the 'host', Darius, who was, of course, trying to be shocking.  He was interrupting the comedians, he was shouting a lot into the mic.  He was way OTT.  He criticised an audience member who left half way through.  He asked her why she was leaving and she had the balls to say "because this is shit".  He then proceeded to call her a string of entirely non-funny expletives followed by wishes that she was raped on the way home and eventually dies of HIV.  Nice guy.  At the end of the show, whereas some free gigs ask for donations, Darius demanded them and again kicked off on anyone who would dare consider not to.  Bullying your audience should not be necessary.

Review: An OK show (it was free) but ruined by the awful host.

Why don't you just walk?

I have nothing against walking.  Walking is good. I walk a lot. I even like the Walking Dead.

Generally speaking, walking is highly convenient.  Some people find it relaxing or maybe even refreshing.

'Why don't you just walk'

This is probably the most common question I get asked when riding around on some form of transport that doesn't require pedalling or driving, e.g., on a Segway Personal Transporter or electric unicycle... closely followed by comments such as "you're cheating" or the highly original "lazy bastard" - I've never heard that one before!

It seems strange to me that I never hear these comments, or get asked 'why don't you just walk', whilst riding my bicycle or when driving my car - or when sitting inside a bus.   And for the latter, there is plenty of opportunity to ask when I am stuck in traffic, travelling at an average of only 8MPH.

Let's be clear - not everyone can walk.  Not everyone can walk as far as they would like and not everyone who can walk has the time or inclination to travel to their intended destination by walking.  Sometimes walking just won't do.

I can walk.  I walk when I have to and walk when I want to.  But for me, walking is just one of many options available to help me get around.

'How far am I going?'

and

'How fast do I want to get there?'

These questions, often posed subconsciously, usually help people determine an appropriate mode of transport, whether it be walking, cycling, driving a car or using public transport - or a combination of these transportation staples.

When I ride my Segway PT or unicycle, I am typically replacing a journey I would make in my car.  Sometimes I choose these forms of transport purely for the fun factor, enjoying the journey more than the final destination; nipping to the shop never seemed so much fun.

It boils down to choice: I like to choose how I travel and I like to choose when, where and how I exercise.  I don't want to be constrained by somebody else's idea of how I should get about and how I should exercise.  If they would rather get their exercise by walking everywhere - that is fine.  Each to their own!  I exercise on my terms and as long as I can choose how I travel, I will continue to do so.

So if you ask me 'why don't you just walk', I might refer you to this blog or ask:

'Why don't you just think?'

141 characters

With this blog I feel like I have immeasurable potential to share unique insights that some other social media platforms just cannot compute.