Tuesday, February 24, 2009

WATCHMEN Movie Review - PonderPop - Blunty3000

I heard a lot of glowing reviews for The Dark Knight. I'm not swayed by these kind of reviews often. When I watched it I was amazed by how much it actually exceeded what the reviews said and I will not forget that season of watching that movie.

In terms of how to do vlogging as personal communication this is a great example of how to do it. I like it. I was going to watch the movie anyway since the buzz of it began since last year, but it will be interesting now to see if it can surpass The Dark Knight. No pressure.

Shalom
dmcd

Monday, February 23, 2009

Christopher Cross Ride Like The Wind Live 1998

To my enduring shame it has taken this long for me to put up here a copy of one of my favourite songs to be working to. The mood catches me, work is to be done and this song hits my head, I put it on and I'm away!! And it's taken so long - what kind of Cross fan am I? A cross one?? Nah, let's move on quickly I think I put my point across well. Actually this isn't my favourite version of the track, but it will do until I get to the better version and it's always better with Cross and MacDonald on the thing. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Monday, February 16, 2009

Get Smart - Jazzed Up

So I was doing some research for the latest contribution to my life's journey note for today and the phrase that struck me was Get Smart. This cgave me the opportunity to take a walk down memory lane and at least remember the theme tune to a comedy that I'm not convinced was all that funny! So as ever the ol' YouTube had some things to contribute and I came across this expecting something and getting something very different. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Eva Cassidy-True Colours

Thanks to the brother again I've been exploring some of the stuff that Eva's done. Some of her Beatles/John Lennon stuff doesn't work, but lyrically she does justice to this song and it's got a good message to start a conversation with. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Kathy's Song(Full Version)-Live by Eva Cassidy

My brother is with me over the weekend. This means I get to appreciate quality music both that's been written by him and things he recommends. He pointed me to this really simple rendition and in his own words its about her 'sweet voice and guitar' and indeed it has a haunting quality that allows you to be captured in the web she weaves vocally. Cracking stuff all thanks to my brother. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

DMCD's Football Special

This is absolutely disgusting. Listening to Tony Adams has only allowed him to grow in my estimation. To give a man three months and then sack him when he’s not even in the relegation zone is nothing short of disgusting. Results have been bad, sure. Relegation form, possibly. Put it this way though – West Brom, Stoke City, Middlesbrough are in a worse position. Blackburn will pull away and Portsmouth have the quality to pull away if they maintained faith in the man. To sack him just absolutely sickens me.

I was reflecting on the similarities between him and Paul Ince and at the end of the day those in charge of these clubs have acted absolutely irresponsibly. It just does not make sense to me how you can hire a guy and the first sign of things getting a bit rocky you sack the brother. If you’re that concerned about getting results then hire men of proven credibility who know the business inside out and give them the assignment. When you hire up and coming dudes like Ince and Adams you are saying to them here is your chance – so give them a chance for crying out loud! If I were an experienced wily manager and a club like Portsmouth came in for me I would stock up the contract in my favour so that if they show a similar gutless ability in management I can walk from there not only with my chin up but with a healthier bank balance as well.

I am still really livid at the treatment of the guy. Here’s the thing for me. This lark football is a learning thing for anyone no matter where you’re coming from. Benitez had to learn. Wenger had to learn. Mourinho should have learnt but he was too good. The obvious exemplar par excellence Ferguson himself was given a good few seasons to learn. Seasons. Not months. Nowadays the thinking has gone totally berserk and these people are running a business! These people are in charge of the business. Dear Lord help them.

It is not too dissimilar to the joke taking place at St. James Park. A team that should be entertaining people and exciting us with their football are failing in every area – their football leaves lots to be desired; their management leaves lots to be desired; their ownership leaves lots to be desired. Now no one worth his salt would be seen dead playing for Newcastle United. In the same way if I were Glen Johnson right now I’d feel a fool for having signed a new contract because the reality is the plummet for Portsmouth begins now. They are not good enough to stay up in and of themselves in this kind of predicament.

If I was a Stoke City fan I would rejoice because that’s made things a lot easier for them in their struggle. Don’t get me wrong, I still think they’re going down, but it will be a lot closer than previously scheduled. The greatest irony in all this is that the real outstanding chairman of a football team remains Steve Gibson who continues to back Middlesbrough despite the fact that the team are awful and would deserve to be relegated. I applaud the support Gibson is evidently giving to Southgate and I would hope that would continue at least for a season in the Championship to give the manager a chance to redeem himself – that to me is what good supportive encouraging developing club stewardship should really be about especially if you’re giving a young buck the chance to give the management thing a go. I so wish Portsmouth and Blackburn would take note.

The latest happenings at Fratton Park fulfil
this prophecy of the full backing of the Portsmouth board.

So there I am writing about how ridiculous it is that Adams leaves the club and then I
read this! I exclaimed a distinct ‘what!’ in horror when I read it. This football thing has gone crazy now, big time crazy. I tell you something in these actions what it sows the seeds of is its own downfall. The best years of the Premiership are over and a new era is about to begin where a number of clubs will have to take a more pragmatic perspective on their football. As I live and breathe trust me it will be so. Chelsea as a force in football again? In these conditions? Do me a favour. As well as that who in their right mind is going to accept the poisoned chalice that is moving into Britain’s own answer to Jesus Gil in Roman Abramovic?

Despite their accusations I have never had a problem with Chelsea especially seeing as though they were the nearest to toppling Manchester United. Now though I find it really hard to sympathise with their position. I find it hard to stick up for a club that has now treated three managers really shabbily. I don’t for one minute accept the reasons for the sacking. They do not make sense, even if in this silly world you sack a manager after a season at least you have a proper track record on which to base your ludicrous decision. What’s been won to date? It’s only February for crying out loud. You’ve only just shut the window. There’s a full third of the season left, you still have a potential treble on your hands, but everyone knows that you make things worse by sacking the guy in charge than by any other decision because whoever takes over will be looking after someone else’s team. In this case they are still really managing Mourinho’s side!! Grant and Scolari have never had the chance to make their own side in their own image playing their own way. They have not had the chance to do that because that does not happen overnight, it happens over the course of an entire season at the very least.

That’s what makes Mourinho’s achievements in England in his first season that bit more outstanding and it has also put pressure on everything that has been done since at the club. Someone somewhere has unrealistic expectations of the side and that is putting an unnecessary burden on whichever mug takes the job on. That’s why when people crack on about money and buying the Premiership I know that is a load of cobblers and not good ones at that. It is a man who makes a team that is why he is referred to as a manager. For all the players you have, the manager is the one who makes them gel together and brings out the best in them to perform in the unit to their maximum ability and get the results on a consistent basis. That is why to an extent the manager is held responsible when the players do not do that. It is not the players that are held responsible – however liable they are – the buck stops at the door of the manager. That is why it is ridiculous the amount of attention players get because they are only there through the grace of the manager.

Such is the stream of disgust I have over the latest developments that I am reminded of the sketch on the Catherine Tate show which depicts a couple outlining their disgust at some expression of nouveau riche that they come across and such is their level of disgust that they refer to the instigators of such cultural blasphemy as dirty, dirty father-less figures if you know what I’m typing. Just hearing about the decision making process at Blackburn and now Portsmouth and Chelsea leads me to a similar conclusion that people in these positions are devoid of sense that may have been received from a father figure.

I’ve read this article on the
reaction to the sacking and the following is clear. Chelsea fans and ex-personnel on the whole are deluded. Deluded in the sense that having seen the Miracle Man Mourinho win six trophies in three seasons they expect every coach to be able to give them what they’re looking for and the quickest sign of failure you’re out. That is absolutely barmy. No football team will ever be truly successful on that kind of thinking and indeed no football team has ever been successful with that kind of thinking.

Man alive I really will be praying for the mug who takes over the team full time because the first t will need to do is get rid of the dead-wood and most importantly have the strength of character to shape a side who are hungry for success on his terms and conditions and not theirs and most certainly not on Mourinho’s or even Abramovich. That will take some manager and no such mug exists. Not a former Blue that’s for sure. Not even Ferguson could succeed under the conditions at Stamford Bridge. It is ludicrous. It will come to a head. As the money runs dry and the players get old and star players are not attracted to playing for the club they will regret their fickle nature and have to get a more realistic set of aspirations.

This is completely unlike a club like Aston Villa who in Randy Lerner and Martin O’Neill have a match made in heaven where the owner leaves it to the manager and the manager leaves things to the owner and they work in their area of expertise. Time is given, support is given where necessary but it is all done slowly and discreetly without being suckered into any media hype. Building proper foundations for success Villa show the way to a more stable approach to success than either Chelsea or Manchester City.

That’s why a club like Liverpool if they can get their own ownership business sorted could be a legitimate player in the race for the title with Manchester United. We can definitely steal a march on decrepit and dysfunctional Chelsea and as for Arsenal, unless Wenger takes drastic action his young pups will just wilt under the pressure as the stars desert. This leaves Villa, United and ourselves as the only serious title contenders. That’s a better place to be than struggling to make fourth. The joke is that this will be the case and we will STILL be underachieving!

Shalom
dmcd

Monday, February 09, 2009

In The Stone - Earth Wind And Fire(1979)

You see it's one thing having the live version and a decent cover by a decent brass band, but the original is often where the true beauty lies and this does not disappoint in this regard. Just the time they take in the intro to establish the feel of the song is so sweet. I was thinking to myself that if I was ever to host my own show or whatever I'd want the music to be my theme - it is right on, man! Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Monday, February 02, 2009

Old Game of Life Advert

Errrr ... we're getting closer to what we're looking for. IT's the right phase of life, but not quite the message I was looking for. Good voiceover work though - nice sinister edge to allow us to know some of the harsh realities behind the game of life. Endure rather than enjoy I say.

Shalom
dmcd

Parker Brothers Game of Life Commercial 1960's

Welcome to my search for the 1980's/90's commercial for the board game Game of Life. As you'll notice, this is not the advert that I seek, but it is a good reason why I'm so glad I'm a child of the 80's/90's as opposed to the 60's. Talk about cheesy. But worth enjoying all the same.

Shalom
dmcd

Doobie Brothers - Jesus Is Just Alright

I love seeing those gospel connections cropping up in the most unlikely places. I say that even though the likelihood is that when I investigate the issue actually the source is likely as they come.

I haven't done that much homework on this tune other than apparently The Byrds also did this tune. In any case it's one thing to have an attention grabbing song title it's another to have a good tune behind it, and I enjoyed this one as I hope you will too.

Shalom
dmcd

Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets (High Quality)

To my enduring shame the last time you've enjoyed the great voice of Mike Mac was all the way back in September. Accept my humble apologies.

I love this track and it gives a good example of why people are big fans of Mike Mac's work. Solid stuff with great support from the Doobie Brothers. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd

Sunday, February 01, 2009

MARVEL/DC Season 2: Happy Hour #1 (1 of 2)

I'm not sure if you're up on your term definitions but here's my entry to the definition of the term 'criminal activity'. That the latest series of Happy Hour has been going since last April featuring episodes periodically over the year and this coming Saturday It'sJustSomeRandomGuy is going to post the fifth and final part of the current series and I've not blogged on it once in all that time! For a series so creative, fresh and funny I deserve to have the proverbial book thrown at me for not alerting you to this. Obviously it has not yet been entered into the legal statutes so I can get by with a mere apology and this post to strongly urge you to check this and the other four posts in the series to catch up on what's been going on - this be good story-telling and you can't get enough good story-telling. Enjoy.

Shalom
dmcd