26 January 2010

The Sun Lies: Repetitive Sex Injury

Finally got around to putting a new post up on the Sun Lies.

The Sun claims that sex causes RSI. Unlikely.

PS. Does anyone know anything about radio frequencies? I wanna critique this article, but I don't know anything about the effects of radio waves nor their alleged effects on foetuses.

Nothing further to add

You may have heard of MyDavidCameron.com which lets you take the piss out of the latest Tory billboard advert which features Cameron's giant head.

I've not tried to make any, but even if I did I doubt I'd be able to beat this one (which I found near Aldgate East tube station and I stuck on my Twitter feed this morning):

13 January 2010

Stop and search err... stopped

You may have heard that the ECtHR has ruled that the Police's stop-and-search powers under s. 44 Terrorism Act 2000 breach basic rights. Of course, the government is sulking (their response is no more than "Wahh!!! But we're well meaning! The innocent have nothing to hide! We have to stop terrorism at all costs!") and has said it will appeal the ruling.

I was going to write summat more substantial than this, but I feel that Jack of Kent sums up my views perfectly.

All I would like to add is that this is another thing to add to my list of proposals and hopefully this is something else the Pirate Party will campaign against.

UPDATE: See also Heresy Corner ripping into Ian "Not a relative of Tony, but I support him no matter what" Blair's feeble attemopts to justify the police's actions.

12 January 2010

Oyster PAYG on the trains II

Last week I wrote about Oyster Pay As You Go being accepted on the trains.

I then expanded the post into an article for the London Progressive Journal.

PS. I picked up a leaflet from TfL yesterday which confirms that the OEP is only needed if you have a travelcard and want to travel outside the areas covered. However, if you don't you only need to swipe in and out as usual...

on #libelreform

Just noticed that I forgot to mention that I had an article published in the London Progressive Journal over Christmas attempting to give a summary on the libel reform campaign.

3 January 2010

Oyster PAYG on the trains

You may have heard that TfL have announced that you can finally use Oyster Pay-As-You-Go on the trains.

In theory this is a "Yay!", but in practice more of an "Eh? What?!"

Boris Watch have also been doing some investigations into various fare anomalies.

Out of sheer boredom, I've done some too:

Hampton Court (zone 6) - Farringdon (zone 1) : – £3.20 (off peak) £4.90 (peak) which the journey planner shows as 2 buses to get to Hammersmith, then tube.

If you go via the train all the way it’s £4.30 off-peak and £6.00 peak.

However, this is my favourite. I checked the fares from Wimbledon train/tube station to both Victoria tube and London Victoria train station.

Wimbledon - Victoria tube station


The fares finder gives an off-peak price of £2.40 to £3.10 depending on your route, rising to £2.70/£3.70 at peak times:

So, how about if I travel from Wimbledon to London Victoria train station? Well, the the fares finder gives a price of £2.00:


While the journey planner give you the following route:


However, if you look closely, you'll see that in order to get the lower £2.00 price you go via the tube, not the train!

Any suggestions as to how I could claim the lower price given that at Victoria the tube and trains have different ticket barriers?

It also throws up an interesting legal query: TfL tell you which route to go for the £2.00/£2.60 fare, yet there's a good chance you'd charged the higher fare (either £2.40/£3.10 or £2.70/£3.70) for no good reason.

UPDATE: Just checked Wimbledon to London Charing Cross train station: the £2.00 fare also applies (going via the District line to Embankment) but you pay £2.40/£3.10 or £2.70/£3.70 if you go from Wimbledon to either Charing Cross tube or Embankment tube! Eh?!

UPDATE II: Wimbledon to Cannon St tube station also has the £2.40/£3.10 or £2.70/£3.70 if you go on the tube but Wimbledon to Cannon St train station has the £2.00 fare, but again you're told to use the tube!

Wimbledon to Waterloo tube station again gives the £2.40/£3.10 or £2.70/£3.70 fares and Wimbledon to London Waterloo train station again lists the £2.00 fare, but once again says go by tube (Wimbledon-Westminster-Waterloo).

Wimbledon to London Waterloo East train station also has the £2.00 "If-you-go-by-tube" fare (Wimbledon-Westminster-Southwark-walk).

What about London Bridge? Well, once more Wimbledon to London Bridge tube station has the £2.40/£3.10 or £2.70/£3.70 fares.

As for Wimbledon to London Bridge train station? Well, here's a fun one for you, there's a variety of different fares depending on which route you go:


Something needs to be done to sort this out. You can't have the situation whereby there are different fares for a journey between the same two stations, especially when the fares apply for going the same route!

UPDATE III: For some reason, TfL have now moved the fares finder to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/faresandtickets/farefinder/current/.

1 January 2010

Best Albums of the 2000s

As you know, at the end of every year I do a round up of the albums that I've bought over the past 12 months and give out the coveted "D-Notice Album of the Year" award.

Seeing that we are at the end of the 2000s, I decided to do a "D-Notice Album of the 2000s" award.

The winners of the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 awards have qualified. Due to the sheer volume of albums I've purchased between 2000 - 2004, I'm just going to give my favourite of each year with a brief decription. I'll also give a "Honourable Mention" award to an album in each year. I'll then name my Best Album of the 2000s.

2000: Primal Scream - XTRMNTR

I've recently come to the view that, intentionally or not, this album predicted the decade: angry, paranoid and anti-governmental. How many other bands would create a song about the bombing of Yugoslavia? About Killing All Hippies?

Honourable mention: Radiohead - Kid A

How many bands would take a successful formula (OK Computer) and instead of doing a sequel, do something completely different? When this album came out I remember all the complaints about it not being OK Computer II and people turning against Radiohead as a result. If you did, you lost out, but hopefully their other 00s albums brought you back. I took the time to get into the album, appreciate it for what it is - a complete change of direction - and realised that there was a lot more to them than just another band. They're willing to challenge their audience and progress their music.

2001: Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World

An album that came out on DVD with numerous bonus tracks with videos for each one. Ignoring the potential novelty aspect of this, it is still a very good album. A mixture of a variety of music styles, all done with SFA's usual excellence.

Honourable mention: The Strokes - Is This It

They came from New York, they saw a music scene in transition, they conquered...

2002: The Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall

A mix of psychedelia, indie-pop and punk-pop. Came out of nowhere - well Brighton - and straight into my heart.  Whatever happened to them?

Honourable mention: Doves - The Last Broadcast

In which Doves move on from their melancholy debut to a more upbeat and in parts dance-y mood. Possibly what would have happened had they stayed as Sub Sub, but who cares?

2003: The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird's Bark

The debut Fiery Furnaces album. A mix of pop, folk and indie. Came out of nowhere - well Chicago - and straight into my heart, where they've remained ever since.

Honourable mention: Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner


... a.k.a. Straight Outta Bow. After listening to this who would have though that at the end of the decade Dizzee would be a pop star? People would have said you were Bonkers...

2004: Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat

An album with a maritime-theme. Possibly a bit of a prog idea, but a lot more poppy, albeit the opening song is more than 10 minutes long. It's very hard to describe this album and would simply encourage people to buy it and experience it.

It was Pitchfork's #4 Album of the Year in 2004, so it must be good. In fact it was so good, it led to them being excluded from the subsequent Album of the Year lists...

Honourable mention: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

They came from Scotland, they saw a music scene in transition, they conquered...

2005: Arcade FireFuneral

Honourable mention: Maximo ParkA Certain Trigger

2006: The Knife - Silent Shout

Honourable mention: Hot Chip - The Warning

2007: BattlesMirrored

Honourable mention: Von SudenfedTromatic Reflexxions

2008: The Bug - London Zoo

Honourable mention: Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair

2009: The Horrors - Primary Colours

Honourable mention: Fever Ray - Fever Ray

... and the winner is: Primal Scream's XTRMNTR. Partly for the music and partly for apparently being able to see what would happen in the decade.

UPDATE (23/03/11): I've finally remembered to do a Spotify playlist for this. However, Arcade Fire are not avilable, so they're missing.

Best Music of 2009

As is tradition, it's that time of year where I go through the CDs I've bought this year and hand the award that everyone looks forward to more than anything: the "D-Notice Album of the Year" award.

As a recap, there are also lists for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Before we get started, it's only right to state that there are two albums which I have had to exclude due to personal bias: The Fiery Furnaces' I'm Going Away and Sonic Youth's The Eternal. As usual I've had to exclude Sonic Youth's album because they're my favourite band and the Fiery Furnaces are also removed from my consideration because they're my favourite band which no-one has heard of.*

Anyway, here are the nominees:

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

"An album of two halves", to misquote the famous football phrase. Ms Khan's work this time round consists of her usual folky stuff in one bit with more electronic-based stuff in another bit.

The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love

I first saw this band at an NME awards show at the Islington Academy earlier this year. I was impressed ten and I'm impressed now. This is what happens when you mix electronic music and tons of feedback.

Doves - Kingdom of Rust

It's a Doves album: epic-style indie with shoegazing aspects.

Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

With an album cover that looks like some 80s fantasy film... and sound like one too!


Fever Ray - Fever Ray

The woman from the Knife (winners of 2006's award) makes a solo album. It sounds similar to the Knife's last album only more sparce. Like listening to the Artic.


Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

In which FF move on from spike-y indie guitars to a more keyboard-y sound. Still recognisable as them though.

Health - Get Color

As my dad would say "That's not music, it's noise". However, in my view metallic-sounding dancey-noise is a good thing.

The Horrors - Primary Colours

The more I listen to this album, the more it reminds me of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, which is a good thing.

Maps - Turning the Mind

Moving on from their folk-gazing debut into a more electronic sound [which I've just noticed is a theme from 09's choices]. It still has the fay vocals though.

Mew - No More Stories...

[There's an ellipse because the full title is four lines long]

Denmark's finest indie-prog band get upbeat with this album.

The Mummers - Tale to Tell

Lush, orchestral music from a woman with an Earth Kitt-esque voice.

Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

Is this their "Sell out" album? If so, then I feel they deserve it. A progression from their scratchy-punky debut. Now embracing folk and dance and Shingai's voice is as good as ever.

Oneida - Rated O

A triple-CD prog rock/psychadelic epic. It's a lot better than what the description makes it out to be.

Pet Shop Boys - Yes

The duo go back to their 80s sound with impressive results.

Portico Quartet - Isla

This is the first time I've ever bought a jazz album and I like what I hear from them. It's also a rarity for me in that it's an instrumental album which I enjoy.

School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms and The Secret Machines - Secret Machines

I've grouped these two together because they are linked together: the Secret Machines used to have Ben Curtis who left to form SoSB with two sisters.  The Secret Machines album is similar to their other ones: prog-rock meets shoegazing. SoSB's one is more folk-y, but still has obvious shoegazing leanings. Out of the two, I favour SoSB's album, but would recommend this or any other Secret Machines one too.

Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure

Is it too much of a pun to say that they had the audacity to go huge in their music? Yes, I think it is...

Teeth of the Sea - Orphaned by the Ocean

Saw this lot supporting Oneida and was very impressed by them. in fact I was so impressed, I bought the album from the merchandise stall.

The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa

What happens when you mix two Londoners with some Malawian guy? This. I really like this album, even though I have never previously shown an interest in "world music".  This album is best described as the 00s version of Graceland, only without the cultural-tourism aspect.

Vitalic - Flashmob

Sounding like a soundtrack to an 80s-sci-fi film,comes this. Probably the only album which I have from this year which would be classed as "Club music".

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

I have tried to get into this album, but I cannot get past the singer's falsetto. Therefore, I am unable to give a view on whether or not this album is not or not as a result. In a way I'm disappointed in myself, because I try to make sure the vocals don't affect my judgement, but on this occasion, I was unable to do so.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

As with Franz Ferdinand, in this album they have gone from making art-punk music to getting a keyboard-based overhaul.  In my view it is a resounding success.

... and the winner is: The Horrors.

* Over Christmas I also obtained the following: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion; Annie - Don't Stop; Editors - In this Light and on this Evening; Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest; Juan MacLean - The Future Will Come; Little Boots - Hands and Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Men, but due to time limits, it would be unfair to try and judge them in time for this article!

UPDATE 27/12/10): I've belatedly done a Spotify playlist. It features most of the albums, but some do not appear to be on Spotify.