I like great television shows. I don’t have a TV, but I do really appreciate a really engaging series. In fact, I think television quite regularly trumps cinema for great storytelling these days. One day, when I have nothing else to do, I’m going to sit on a comfy chair and work my way through [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: TV
I’m spending the evening listening to records. I’ve been doing that a fair bit recently. But these records I’m listening to aren’t from my shelves. I can’t hold them in my hands. I’m actually listening to digitised records, which is an interesting thing to do – or rather, I think it’s interesting – and here’s [...]
Categories: Music,Uncategorized
Back to the Hare & Hounds for another Soul Food Sunday roast DJ session. No Spotify playlist this time (feel free to make your own), but here’s what I played this time: Sunflower – Milt Jackson Mercy Mercy Mercy – Cannonball Adderley Home Is Where The Hatred Is – Esther Phillips Understand – Greg Franks [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
I was asked today if I would be able to make up a playlist of songs that are around the tempo of Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by the Beatles – as that was a great song to go walking to. Turns out that’s around 113 beats per minute. So armed with a bit of technology, I went [...]
Categories: Music,Uncategorized
Every now and then, a friend asks me to make up a Sunday Jazz Spotify playlist. This time, it was the turn of Nick in Belfast. Here’s what I came up with: Click here to listen Gary Burton – Boston Marathon Peggy Lee – Black Coffee Gil Scott-Heron – Ain’t No New Thing Jimmy Smith [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
I went for a bike ride today, along with about 200,000 other people. It was for Critical Mass – an international cycling movement who campaign for better cycling conditions in urban centres. This was the biggest celebration ride they’d ever staged. The ride went all over the most scenic places in Budapest – and it [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
Photo by absentmindedprof When you write a personal blog, you tend not to only write about yourself. Well, not always, anyway… My working theory is that personal blogs are at their best when considered as narrative – a story that develops over time. And that story, if it’s any good, is going to have characters. [...]
Categories: 30 Days,Idea,Uncategorized
Tagged: blogging, Facebook, Narrative, Social media
Music as culture as a TV format – and the antidote to X-Factor. Guys in their 40s and 50s who once harboured dreams of rock/pop stardom, but were just a bit rubbish so they gave it up. We assemble a bunch of them together, get a couple of music coaches in to work with them, [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: Idea, Music as Culture, TV
I’ve been travelling a lot in Europe recently, and I’ve come to the conclusion that making a great, vibrant, creative city is really, really simple. What follows is my 5-step plan to better cities. If you get these things right, ALL else will follow.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: Bicycle, Birmingham, How to Fix Cities, Idea, Travel
I’ve been blogging quite a bit recently. Not that you’d know by looking at this site. It’s been quiet as anything here. But I have been doing lots of interesting things and writing about them. All my blog posts have been going here: http://dubber.posterous.com Why? Because I’ve fallen in love with Posterous for one simple [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
