2010, fingers crossed!

Using my good friend Antony's post as a muse, I am going to kill some time by jotting down some of the things I hope to achieve or at least advance in before the end of this year. I always leave these lists purposefully short because having a long list of achievements only leads to a long list of failures at the end of the year if things go astray, I also don't use words such as "try", because I've been trying to do these things in the past which is why they are on this list, which will be full of things I will do. I think I'm willing to be adventurous, so here goes;

Health

• Brush my hair more.
• Reach my 'normal' weight bracket (as discussed here.)
• Keep up my exercise

Uni/Career

• Be funnier
• Gig more
• See more live comedy
• Explore the performance industry
• Learn to drive
• Be more productive and industrious with Uni work
• Get more comics done

Well-being

• Keep in touch with friends and family
• Go out more
• More reading, less gaming
• Study more on the area's which interest me (space, history, biology etc.)
• Make the effort to improve/be more adventurous.

I think that's it for my list of goals. You might notice that a few of them are ambiguous, I assure you that this is by design. You see, there are a lot of things in my head, all bumping into each other and flying all around the place, and I kinda like it like that. But every so often there will be something which will sit still at the back of my mind, a concious desire to affect change in the way I think or behave, and it is that which I want to achieve with these goals.

I can think of an incident in Uni not too long ago, I was checking out the unions LGBT group, and there were three people who didn't really pay attention or seem interested in the meeting, two people running it (dominating it, or at least trying to) and two other people slightly wishy washy and embarrassed to be spoken to (if you know the type, they annoy me.) They started trashing Stonewall which I was not happy about (and made myself heard on the subject) and showed support of LFG (who once pulled funding from a local group in Wigan from the NHS, essentially stealing a service) which I also made known to the group. I did the goody goody act all the way though (which is difficult when your refuting a point made by an assertive dominator) when what I really wanted to do was tell them I was disappointed and leave half way through.

So my thinking with the goal 'Make the effort to improve/be more adventurous' is to take the opportunity when my instincts tell me that playing the nice guy isn't in my best interest in this situation, even if it may turn opinion against me; See? purposefully ambiguous.

Review: Saturday Night Peter - memoirs by Peter Kay

The next review another comedian, my my I am beginning to see a pattern here!

Peter Kay, for those who do not know, is a stand-up comedian turn author and comedy writer/actor. His popularity was peaked on the release of his first DVD of the sell-out mini-tour, filmed at Blackpool Tower Circus. Since his initial rise to fame he went on to do another staggering sell-out tour titled the 'Mum wants a bungalow' tour, which was filmed at the Bolton Albert Hall and received massive publicity though an amazing show, each night receiving a standing ovation.

One this that I find so appealing about Peter Kay is that he is northern, further still he is from Bolton, just three stops from Wigan on the train. His material is very familiar to me while at the same time being fantastic observational comedy. Not only this but he is safe, you can watch Peter Kay in stand-up with the whole family and have a wonderful time, which only adds to his versatility in my opinion. I was in hysterics watching his recent faux-reality TV show 'Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice' were he plays a lovable character of Geraldine McQueen.

Now onto the book, which is his second book interestingly enough, his first (the Sound of Laughter) being an autobiography about his life before he entered the world of stand-up comedy and this one being his memoirs reflecting his life as a stand-up comedian. There are very few low points in the book that I noticed, it seems from reading that his life after winning what is now called the City Life Comedian of the Year award.He tells us of the gigs he did before and after having a car which again was affected by winning an award at the Edinburgh festival which paid for the car. It was particularly inspiring to me as he even progressed into comedy after leaving the same course or study that I am now on at Salford Uni, but reading the book gives you a feeling of atmosphere: it literally speaks of a time in itself. Those old enough to be mature in the ninties as Peter was could probably attest to that atmosphere, I can guarantee that the world which developed and supported Kay will have changed rapidly as the role of the comedian has been somewhat glamorised over the years.

Peter goes on to tell of his ups and downs with life as a professional stand-up (having done little open spots before winning the City Life award, he was lucky to almost fall straight into paid work as a stand-up) touring the clubs as was done at the time (and to my knowledge still is.) Progressing to such things as warming up for Parkinson and then onto corporate gigs which are good money, better than that of the clubs (and a concious decision to leave 'clubland' behind, giving preference to the higher paid corporate gigs.)

It does seem like a rollercoaster, very few times in the book does he mention times or perticular anxiety over his career which leads me to believe he is either extremely lucky, or lieing. But I like the book, it seems like how perfect it could be if all the pieces fell into place at the right time. It is a story with a happy ending, with very few emotional twists and turns, and almost constantly on the up and up. Perhaps I am jealous, or maybe too cynical in the idea that the course of true comedy never can run smooth, as we are led to believe if Peter is telling the truth, I really do hope it is, and that the british public can be so embracing to genuine talent. I would recommend this book to any fans of Peter Kay (which is the reason I read it) and especially for anyone who needs an example of how life can go from strength to strength, and sometimes dreams can have a fairy tail ending.

Review: Look Back In Hunger - autobiography by Jo Brand

Let me just start by saying I am not a critic, well I suppose in one way I am, in that I am offering an opinion of something I have experienced. But in that sense anyone who ever offers an opinion is a critic (barring the ones who are offering an opinion on something they haven't experienced at all, they are just idiots.)

Let me start by saying I have not seen much of Jo Brand in her stand-up, and therefore can base my opinion of her only on what I have seen on QI, bits and bobs of television, and of course her wonder work for comic relief (I have a high opinion of any of the stars who appear on comic relief, and hope some day I might get the chance to be a part of it.)

If you have ignored that video and carried on reading because you've 'seen it before', stop and watch the damn video, I'll wait for you...

Isn't that fab? anyway anyway anyway, having not experienced much of Jo Brand in stand-up which is what she is most well known for, I had the above and her appearances on QI to go by when reading her book. I hate to sound offensive to people of Jo Brands age but I love to hear stories from 'older people', by that I mean, people who were mature or reaching maturity (and I use the term loosely) in the sixties and seventies, so it was a wonderful read for me to see just how a typical or not so typical person lived before my time. Jo starts the book by telling us of her childhood, uninterrupted despite being moved from place to place. Her childhood sounds almost like a fantasy straight from 'Goodnight Mr Tom' about urban south londoners stealing themselves to the countryside and the ups and downs it can have an the familial relationships. She describes a somewhat typical childhood, leading to a typical adolescence until she moved to a grammar school out of town, where she decided to rebel against her parents' decision to move her from one school to another, which sounds pretty reasonable for a teenage girl to do when you think about it. She goes on to describe a number of incidences since she left home following an argument with her parents which somehow lead to her entering university onto a course of study which would ultimately lead her to a position as a psychiatric nurse. This interested me, as I am both in university, and have studies psychology at university level.

Her charming description of what would be considered ordinary to most people are actually a rather sweet read as she builds to the finale of her entering the world of stand-up comedy, it really does highlight the idea that a comedian (or comedienne in this case) can come from just about anywhere. A theme of the book does seem to be feminism, which is also a theme of most of her material, which is another reminder of the time she grew up in and reached maturity. Throughout the book Jo mentions several incidents were she was both affected and disaffected by men, and it was of a time during the seventies and eighties were women were just about reaching equality in the social world, while still being some time off in the world of work.

Today, the world of comedy, stand-up in particular, is still a male dominated world, which is a such a shame because it makes things more intimidating for a lot of talented female artists who might otherwise be discouraged. Having said that, it is no walk in the park no matter what the gender, Jo really brings it home how difficult it can be starting on the road of the stand-up, right when the scene was developing a market for the alternative.

For anyone interested in the subjects mentioned, I would recommend this book (which I am sure will soon hit paper-back, and therefore be cheaper) Fantastic non-fiction about a much loved personality and articulated author.

The storm before the calm?

I have been quite unwell for a few days now. What I thought was a little tickle in my throat on Wednesday turned into a horrendous swelling on Thursday evening, and even had some of the youth workers asking me whether I was alright (at the youth group that I go to, not just in the street.)

I was running a rather high fever and couldn't cool down, then went into cold shivers which almost never happens given the extra layer of fat I have covering every inch of my body. My throat was burning and scratchy but at the same time lined with muscus and swollen to the point where it hurt to talk. Couple this with the aching I get in me teeth and the horrible pounding I get in my ears, and the headache, and I was definitely not feeling top form on Thursday evening.

I felt a little better Friday morning and after getting some good old ibuprofen and paracetamol down me I was right as rain, although the lack of Internet has been a pain. At the moment I am writing from my brothers computer, he has gone to sort something out with his bike. Its been quite bad actually because I haven't been able to occupy my time with my usual non-illegal drug, the World of Warcraft.

Instead I've been playing a game that I reserve for when I do not have access to the net. It used to be that I would play Abe's Exodus (was and is still a fabulous 2D side scrolling game) but I now play Neverwinter Nights when the doors to the internet is closed. Its good because it satifies my need for RPG game play and the need for a good story (as you play through the NWN campaigns its like your character is unraveling a mystery.)

I finnished the biography of Julie Walters; That's Another Story, which is a damn good read not just for people interested in going into performing arts, but also for people who come from working class backgrounds, I could really relate to the kind of life Mrs Walter has had and found her retelling of the parts of her childhood to be very entertaining and endeering. I am now reading the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks which is a jolly interesting read on how to survive the zombie holocaust (for anyone who doesn't know, I love all things to do with zombies; books, games, movies, stories, anything!) although I have to say I am looking forward to check up on his references, as I'm reading it I cant help but feel that hes just telling a story to take advantage of the zombie-ists out there. The next thing I have lined up is An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) by John O'Farrel, which looks to be a good and humerous read into the history of britain and the pomposity of the upper echelon, I will review that book once I have read it!

My Lovely Literature List

Incase you haven't seen (or haven't scrolled down that far) not only is there, ad always has there been a links list (you lazy fool) but you might also notice a new gadget, this is my Reading list. It is just a short list of what I have recently read, and also what I would recommend reading.

Books such as the QI books of numerous facts, and Stephen Fry in America I even read again and again simply because not only could you possibly remember everything in them, but they are full of such interesting information that you get something new out of it every time you read.

I tend to stick to non-fiction, keeping to books with information I can take away and use rather than stories to entertain me (I'm one of those lucky people who actually enjoys seeking knowledge, and gains pleasure merely by learning.) However there are few occasions where someone will recommend a work of fiction (for example, the War of the Ancients) that I will enjoy and you will probably find those on the reading list as well.

I may even find a book that I will want to review in depth if I have been perticularly effected by it, but we shall have to see what the future brings!

PS; I have set some posts to go online at a certain time over the weekend, so while my internet is down, it will look lik I am still posting!

Its a classic!

I've started reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Im using the '100 Classic Books Collection' for the Nintendo DS, and I must say I am very impressed at its convenience!

I have already gone through Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and am halfway through the collected short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, should I havn't quite reached his famed story, 'The Tell-tale Heart' about which I have heard nothing but good things~

Its nice having all this free time at the moment, I am very lucky to be in this position.