Today in Yorkshire

(guess what - it isn't my image)

Snow, brill.
I hear we're going to get winter but only for a couple of days.  
Who broke the climate eh?  Wznt me no sirree.  

I remember when we got proper Yorkshire winters 8 feet of snow from September to April and loved it.  

Good laugh yesterday on radio 4 pm prog.  Everybody’s whinging about how 1cm of snow falls and the country grinds to a halt, no like in Sweden.  Then they get a Swede telling them that snow cripples their transport system and how they wished is was like Switzerland where trains always run. 
Well I laughed.   

I've got to blog about blogging, 

I promised I wouldn't but I’m full of promises that aren't worth much.  What about personal stuff that isn't about me?  I've just realised I’ve posted pictures of real people (in the park) and should have asked for permission first.  Also dr thrasher's given me his myspace address and I think I should link to it here.  I guess he shouldn't object coz he'll get more friends, but I need some protocols here.   

No personal stuff unless it's already in the public domain.   

There's a start, it might work.   

The vinyl ripping continues with a new pre-amp.  I decided the old NAD amp was goosed - remember the humming.  So I looked around and found a NAD phono preamp with a USB outlet.  

Seems that modern amps only have line inputs and phono preamps are common coz the real hifi buffs still insist on vinyl.  

Anyway this NAD doodad is in their catalog but nobody lists a price.  Found the local dealer and went to ask them.  They said it’s so new that they didn't know either but they did have similar by some other gang.  

So I bought this. 

Bugger me I connect everything up and the humming is still there. Turns out it's a damaged cable on the turntable all along. 

Whatever, the preamps a good idea coz its got a better analog digital converter than the imac.  Then it does this after 45sec - bolloxx it's gotta go back.   

Excitement - I’ve managed the 33/30 bus combo superfast and at 0700 hardly any traffic.  A nice early start, bastard place is shut, caretaker gone AWOL.  Retreat to local greasy spoon for breakfast and try again later. 

This day aint starting well, I just fired the yolk in my saus & egg w brown into my lap.  Brand new trousers clean on.  Oh yes I finally got some £40 for2 at gap.  

God this is thrilling!
I'll stop b4 I die from my own banality.

The South Has Risen (Again?)

(is this my image?  I pinched the original from Rolling Stone and then tweeked it)

Back to work for real today.
I worked the gap between xmas and new year but that wasn’t real.
I was in a different office just ‘round the corner from my house and I was practically the only one there. 

A very quite new year - seems to me it's just a calendar event.  

I like the astronomical ones better, so must plan some special fun for the vernal equinox. 

This morning's blog is having to compete with James Lee Burke- remember him?  He's my new bestest writer.  

I'm stuck in a dick lit groove   

• James Ellroy 
  
• Conan-Doyle 
  
• Ian Rankin 
  
• Now JLB    
  

So the choice today was 'Purple Cane Road' 

White knight Cajun French detective Dave Robicheux investigates his own past and his mother's life in the underworld of Louisiana.  His books seem to drip atmosphere of the South - lots of trees and water.  

But I decided blog and mp3s instead. 

I'm being haunted by the Confederacy, unconsciously the choices for music turned out to be Johnny Cash or the Kings of Leon - good ol' southern boys all.  

I went for JC the “Essential Sun Collection”.  JC seems to have finally come back in fashion, but I find the later stuff wince making.  

Without the Tennessee Three it sounds empty, that walking bass and ham-fisted twangy guitar can't be bettered.