Continuing my tributes to dead people I thought I would say a few words about Alan Carr. In the UK, Alan is credited with helping millions of people to stop smoking with his small book ‘Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking’. I borrowed it once and it made for a good read over a pint and a Marlborough Light. I gave up the evil weed a few years later but some of Allen’s words stuck in my mind. His mantra was a simple but effective one; it’s a mind game and you can just stop as soon as you want. Simple. Just stop. And I did. The physical addiction of nicotine leaves the body after 3 days it’s only then that the mental game comes into play. That’s the hard part and that’s the part where Allen grabs you by the scruff of the neck, slaps you around a bit and screams “get a grip” in your face
Archive for February, 2007
Allen Carr is my homeboy
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007The Real Day The Music Died
Monday, February 12th, 2007Where were you when you heard the news? I heard from friend on Christmas day afternoon via SMS whilst I was in Thailand. James Brown dead. The day one icon kicked the bucket was now to be the date when two of the most important figures in world history slipped off this mortal coil. I was in Bangkok when the news broke and I went straight to the internet and lo, it was almost front page news on the BBC and CNN websites and I was relieved for once that this wasn’t going to be another brother passing away without acknowledgement. I have mixed feeling about James Brown in has latter years. Of course I wanted to see the man in the flesh but a while ago I saw him on TV at a festival, Reading I think, performing his many ‘hits’ with a live band. To say it was cabaret was an understatement. Brown was giving it up of course but his backing band were fat white guys attempting to ape Maceo, Bootsy etc and his back-up singers would have been rejected in round one of American Idol. It was painful and there in the middle of this car crash was Soul Brother Number One giving everything he had but hamstrung by these inferior journeymen. This was James Brown circa mid 2000 and I was torn between witnessing the world’s greatest entertainer in the flesh but knowing he was past his prime and was only on the road for the cheddar. The only positive seeing him live in the latter years of his career would of being able to have some bragging rights but at what price? Locked in the same airspace as photocopier salesmen moving awkwardly to Sex Machine? When I heard he was dead a part of me was relieved.
Canon E18 conspiracy-Why you should not buy a Canon and why it will break after a year
Sunday, February 11th, 2007Why will it break? E18. Error Code 18. Chances are that if you have a Canon camera you should expect a E18 message any day now you lucky thing you. I’ve had my Canon Ixus for 18 months now which is a minor miracle considering how I can lose anything at the drop of a dime. I carry my camera everywhere I go but that’s what these things are for right? Did they say on the box that they should only be used once a year on your holidays? You would therefore assume that Canon cameras are built to last but alas, like my PSP, modern technology is still promising the earth but only able to deliver a quick fumble in the back seat of a car. All fur coat and no knickers. The general rule is that if it has moving parts then sooner of later it will break down. This is why the DS wins over the PSP every time and anything that has a laser or a drive or moving part and is tiny and portable will break. Alas, The Man doesn’t want us to know that but thems the facts. So unless your portable device is solid state then you are just winding down time until it breaks. Hooray!