1960
The sixties was one hell of an era for music. I mean when you think about the music that was made back then it really is mind blowing. Superb groups such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and more were the order of the day.
There were great in-house songwriters/hit makers such as Burt Bacharach and Hal David who wrote many hit songs for people like Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black and many more. Then there was the huge hit making machine known as motown with writers like Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder coming into their own along with the numerous fantastic staff writers that the label possessed. Many avid collectors search for rare records to add to their catalogue.
It seems that so much happened in just a decade. Things were very different in 1960 compared to 1970. At the start of the decade the order of the day was doo wop and rock n roll with albums churned out 3 or 4 times a year in an era when only the single really mattered.
When bands like the Beach Boys and the Beatles started to put out albums that were “all killer, no filler” it completely changed the landscape with consumers now looking at the album as a real piece of art.
The hippie era and all the political unrest at the end of the decade brought about many folk singers following in Dylan’s footsteps as well as the psychedelic era which was fueled by the availability of drugs and so called free love. It was an incredible time for music.
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Red Mist
Christ, some things really annoy me. I suppose I have to admit that Im not at my best on some days and can let the red mist descend all too easily. Going through the city this morning I had to deal with some truly idiotic driving. Im not sure some of these guys have even woke up enough to be capable of getting behind the wheel. Im using a car hire at the moment which is fine but I will still be happy to get my own car back next week.
Skipping ahead in a queue is something that drives me insane. I dunno how many stand up arguments I must have had at this stage with line jumpers. The thing is I just dunno if its any better to just stay quiet because these people are so ignorant that they dont even seem to get that they are doing something wrong.
So I end up feeling even more annoyed that I have not gotten anywhere with them where as If I just stayed quiet I might feel at least slightly less rage. You know all our time is precious. I dont enjoy standing in a queue anymore than anyone else. Your time is not more important than mine or anyone elses.
phew…rant over…feeling a little better.
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oh oh
ooooh no, I’m gonna be in trouble for this, this is not good at all. I was home visiting my mum at the weekend and been royally looked after as usual (I’m her favourite of course 
) only to take my eye off the ball (or not while watching the footy) and drop my glass of red on something new and probably expensive.
You see my mum decided to buy a couple of Italian Leather Sofas to my surprise. This is a women who doesn’t normally go for anything too fancy but when I saw these I taught theyll do nicely for some football time and right before the half time whistle I lost control at a crucial moment and spilled wine all over one of them.
so what to do? run for the hills and leave a note apologising? strategically place a cushion over the mess? blame it on someone else – “ya mum, i dunno if you noticed but someone left a stain on your new sofa” or own up as any self respecting thirty something man should do?
I couldn’t do a runner, I had to own up and plead for mercy from my old mum. She took it easy on me in the end and continued to feed me like a fat king for the rest of my stay and yeah I will get that stain out whatever it takes.
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Letters
When is a good time to have a kid? Its really hard to say for sure I think. A lot depends on the person I suppose and how mature they are. Then of course there are finances. How long do you wait to be in a good financial situation before starting a family. I mean there is a chance that you could continue to put things off for far too long hoping your finances will take a dramatic upturn but lets face it, that may never happen. The expense can certainly pile up as you shopping list may include baby bouncers and different options such as baby sleeping bags and maybe a baby jogger.
These days there is a tendency to leave it later than ever before starting a family. Jobs and just simply making the most of your youth puts starting a family on the back-burner for many people. I guess its all about priorities and getting things setup properly before diving in.
The worry is that it becomes more difficult to conceive for some couples the older they get. Statistically you are taking a chance the older you get. If you reach your thirties and still have not found the right partner then it can be easy to start to worry.
Life can suddenly seem a lot more complicated and very daunting indeed. You may see many of your friends start to settle down into family life and wonder where that leaves you.
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Hands
Hands up! I admit it and I should have known better. I have had some crappy relationships in the past which you would think I might learn something from but thirty something years into my life I continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
I thought things would be different this time but then I always do. Friends and family tell me differently but I choose to ignore them and yep I always ignore them to my detriment. I dunno why this relationship stuff has to be so difficult. I mean it seems like it should be straightforward enough but I always seem to be making the same mistakes.
What these mistakes are exactly I’m really not too sure. I wish someone would tell me exactly but unfortunately I only ever get vague answers. What was that movie called? High Fidelity I think where John Cusack calls all his ex girlfriends to see what might have gone wrong. Maybe that could be an option for me.
I might actually start to get some helpful answers. Sure it would be excruciating stuff but if it helps me understand things better then I think it would be worth it. So where to find those phone numbers as I always delete them from my phone when a relationships ends. sort of a closure thing I guess.
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Art
When travel plans go wrong……..in which they do a lot when I’m involved. I think there should be a TV crew following me around just to report on the alarmingly bad luck I seem to encounter on my routine travels. It could make for a great sketch show, maybe a planned Trumanesque show built around me. Who needs Mr Bean when you can see me getting my foot run over by a taxi, ending up with a suitcase full of shoes or after another risky food choice sitting on the toil……….well maybe not.
My latest adventure involved me missing a flight, losing my hotel booking because they said I never made it in the first place, messing up a one way car hire booking, my phone breaking so I lost the numbers of people I needed to contact and other mishaps all combined for a hell of a trip.
I guess I am just an idiot. There can surely be no other rational explanation. I should just accept my fate and play up to being a Frank Spencer type character who is perpetually in trouble. Actually things seem to go OK when I’m not traveling so I guess I would just be a traveling buffoon type. So watch out for me at the airport Il be the guy who is oblivious to stuff falling out of my suitcase and about to slip on a banana skin.
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