GOT MY MOJO WORKING

Monday 4 February 2008

WMESB™: No problems and I even managed to catch the 55, which I usually just miss.

I’m back in my normal office this week after spending a week in Recruitment. We’re up to date and there’s bugger all to do so we’re being loaned out to Training and Recruitment to give them a hand.

Watched “Later” over the weekend and was impressed enough with Radiohead to want their new album. Cat Power and Mary J Blige left me rather cold though.

Crossword Watch: The Scotsman has the Sports Crossbar and the Express has two crosswords on a Monday. I’ll have them knocked out and in the post by lunchtime. Winning the crossword prize in the local papers is one thing but it’d be nice to win a “biggie”. Anything over £500 would be welcome. That reminds me, I really must do a blog about all the competition prizes I’ve won and the game shows I’ve done. The only problem with the latter is that the information is then out in the open and any production assistant worth their salt can find it and then, almost certainly, rule me out for being some sort of “professional”. I’m by no means a quizzing pro, I just love doing quiz and game shows. I get a kick out of it. Any prize, whether big or small, is a bonus. I think I make a good contestant because I enjoy myself, am not bothered by the cameras and I help to lighten the mood for more nervous contestants.

I see that the Scottish Government are investing money in teaching newcomers how to speak English. I do hope Charlie Nicholas takes up the offer.

Today’s Top 10 doing the e-mail rounds was Top 10 Favourite Albums EVER. My list, in no particular order, went as follows:

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Marc and the Mambas – Torment and Toreros
Radiohead – OK Computer
Ella Washington – He Called Me Baby
The Smiths – The Smiths
Aztec Camera – High Land, Hard Rain
Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix
Nirvana – Unplugged
Belle and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
Scott Walker – Scott 4

Of course, the list would be different tomorrow but off the top of my head I'll stick with those.

A nice surprise when I got home was the arrival of the new Mojo magazine. The covermount CD, "a treasury of British indie rock", is called "Beloved" and features a picture of Diana Dors. This ties in with the cover stars, The Smiths. You may have heard of them. The magazine runs down their 50 Greatest UK Indie Records (singles or albums) of All-Time. While every issue of Q his dominated by lists, Mojo only does them now and again and are, as a result, more interesting. I read the list to the GLW and it was like we were swapping football cardsat school...got..got..got on tape, got, why haven't we got that?... (note to self: really must get "Pillows and Prayers")

I won't spoil the Top 50 but the tracklist for the CD is as follows:

1. The House of Love - Real Animal
2. Felt - Penelope Tree
3. The Las - Son of a Gun (Liz Kershaw session 31/5/88)
4. The Monochrome Set - He's Frank (Slight Return)
5. The Loft - Up The Hill and Down The Slope
6. The Blue Aeroplanes - Jacket Hangs
7. The Sound - Total Recall
8. Orange Juice- Simple Thrilled Honey
9. McCarthy - Keep An Open Mind, Or Else
10. Jane - It's A Fine Day
11. The Wild Swans - The Revolutionary Spirit
12. The Teardrop Explodes - Reward (Mike Read session 16/10/80)
13. The Gist - Love At First Sight
14. Wah! Heat - 7 Minutes To Midnight
15. Half Man Half Biscuit - God Gave Us Life

A girl/lady/what you will on "Mastermind" did the "Life and Music of Kurt Cobain2 and I surprised myself by getting about 8, which isn't bad for someone else's specialist subject. She was leading at half way but her bottle crashed during the General Knowledge round and she lost out by a couple of points.

Why the Beeb have put "Watchdog" up against "Mastermind" is beyond me but the BBC iPlayer has resolved that problem, thankfully. I really must investigate Sky+

I'm going through an Icicle Works-Wah-Care-Wild Swans phase just now. If that doesn't cheer me up then nothing will.

Right, I'm off to watch "Watchdog" on iPlayer, finish off the Herculis crossword from the Telegraph, watch "Damages" (I'm hooked) and make a start, without reference to the internet, on the Mojo crossword. I might even get my last prize before I win it again. I say, might!