mp3 shuffle (five knuckle shuffle)

Ok, I'll play along. Everybody else seems to be doing it. I'll just let random run on my computer (a bit more all over the place than what is on my mp3 player) and see what shows up at http://www.last.fm/user/politemadness after a bit.

The rules: Take your iPod or MP3 player (or launch iTunes or whatever), and put it on shuffle. List the first 25 songs and artists in order (no skipping stuff you find embarrassing!) If I got a second song by an artist who already popped up, I skipped ahead to the next one. Some might regard that as cheating, but it gives a wider idea of your music collection. Once you have made your list, tag 25 of your friends (including me).

1. Standing On The Corner by Dean Martin on the album, The Big Lebowski (Unofficial Soundtrack)
2. Squeeze Box by The Who on the album, Greatest Hits & More
3. William It Was Really Nothing by The Smiths on the album, Asleep
4. So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star by Byrds on the album, 3 Byrds In London Live at the BBC
5. Up for Sale by The (International) Noise Conspiracy on the album, Punk-O-Rama, Volume 7
6. 72 (This Highway's Mean) by Drive-By Truckers on the album, Southern Rock Opera
7. Fever Island by Naked Raygun on the album, Raygun...Naked Raygun
8. Another the Letter by Wire on the album, Chairs Missing
9. The Second Line (live @ WFMU 2001) by Clinic on the album, Live at WFMU on Scott's Show on 10/5/2001
10. Cartes postales d'Alabama by Johnny Hallyday on the album, Collection, Volume 23 : Je suis victime de l'amour : 1982 - 1983
11. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Stereo) by Rolling Stones on the album, The Early Stereo Recordings
12. Punk's Not Dead by The Exploited on the album, The Punk Set
13. Revolution by Spacemen 3 on the album, Play With Fire
14. Crying, Waiting, Hoping by Marty Stuart and Steve Earle on the album, Not Fade Away (Remembering Buddy Holly)
15. Dona Girafa by Xuxa on the album, 4deg Xou da Xuxa
16. Disgusted by Lucinda Williams on the album, Ramblin'
17. Refugee by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers on the album, Damn the Torpedoes
18. Boys Don't Cry by Cure on the album, Alternative Eighties CD 2
19. The Inner Light by The Beatles on the album, Mono Masters (Disc 2) [2009 Mono Remaster]
20. You Just May Be The One by Michael Nesmith on the album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings
21. Boing Boom Tschak by Kraftwerk on the album, Electric Cafe
22. What I Need by Steel Pole Bath Tub on the album, Unlistenable
23. Veronikukvaedi by trad (Iceland) arr Jakob Hallgrimsson on the album, I begin my journey: 1000 years of Icelandic Church Music
24. God Bows to Math by Minutemen on the album, 112985 WREK Atlanta GA
25. The Vipers by The Streamline Train on the album, 1957: When Skiffle Was King

Here comes the ocean and the waves

Outdoor swims 2009 and more

Ok, so I didn't grow up near the ocean. Outdoor swimming (outside of swimming pools) isn't something that was such a big thing in my life, but after some time in the UK and finding how much fun it was to swim in all sorts of places (lakes, rivers, oceans) in all sorts of conditions (hot, cold, calm, rough), well, it become more of a quest. I still don't live conveniently close to any sort of wild swim place, but whenever I travel, I still try to find places. So, my list of 2009 and going back a few years.

2010

• Half Moon Bay, Black Rock Beach, Port Phillip Bay, VIC, Australia - 10 January 2010
• Apollo Bay, Apollo Bay, Bass Strait, VIC, Australia - 2 January 2010
• Aire River, Hordern Vale, VIC, Australia - 1 January 2010

2009

• St George River/Cape Otway, Lorne, Bass Strait VIC, Australia - 31 December 2009
• Torquay Beach (wading only), Zeally Bay, Bass Strait, VIC, Australia - 31 December 2009
• Henley Beach, Gulf St Vincent, Adelaide, SA, Australia - 5 Nov 2009
• Gemstone Bay, South Pacific, Hahei, New Zealand - 22 April 2009 (snorkeling)
• Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand - 21 April 2009
• Cottesloe Beach, Indian Ocean, WA, Australia - 19 March 2009
• South Beach, Indian Ocean, Fremantle, WA, Australia - 15 March 2009
• Frenchman's Bay, Southern Ocean, WA, Australia - 8 March 2009
• Two Peoples Bay, Southern Ocean, WA, Australia - 6 March 2009
• Southern Ocean 2 hours walk east of Pallinup, WA, Australia - 25 February 2009 (skinny dip!)
• Southern Ocean at Beaufort inlet at Pallinup River, WA, Australia - 20-25 February 2009
• Frankland River, Nornalup, WA, Australia - 13 February 2009
• Greens Pool, William Bay, Southern Ocean, near Denmark, WA, Australia - 8 February 2009
• Mistaken Island, Frenchman's Bay, Southern Ocean, Albany, WA, Australia - 22 January 2009 (also snorkeling)
• South Beach, Indian Ocean, Fremantle, WA, Australia - 17 January 2009
• Catherine Point, Indian Ocean, Fremantle, WA, Australia - 16 January 2009 (bonus dolphin sighting)
• Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, Thailand - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 January 2009

2008

• Laem Thian, Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, Thailand - 28, 29, 30, 31 December 2008, 1 January 2009
• Cua Dai Beach, South China Sea, Hoi An, Vietnam - 4 December 2008
• Lake Baikal, Sakhurta, Siberia, Russia - 26 September 2008 (ok, only dipped hand in)
• Finnhamn, Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, 3 September 2008
• Kalgardson, Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, 2 September 2008
• Aurlandsfjorden, Norway, 17 August 2008
• Liverpool Bay/River Mersey, Wirral, Irish Sea, UK, 27 July 2008
• Brockwell Lido, London, UK, 23 July 2008
• West Mersea, Essex, Thames Estuary, UK, 20 July 2008 (ok, only waded)
• Grange Chine, Brightstone Bay, Isle of Wight, English Channel, UK, 15 July 2008
• Whitecliff Bay, Isle of Wight, English Channel, UK, 14 July 2008
• Hampstead Heath, mixed pond, London, UK, 6 July 2008
• Fraserburgh Bay, Fraserburgh, North Sea, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 7 June 2008
• Boulmer Haven, Boulmer, North Sea, Northumberland, UK, 20 May 2008
• Loch Tay, Fearnan by Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland - 13 May 2008
• The West Sands, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Firth of Forth, Scotland - 1 January 2008

2007

• London Fields Lido, Hackney, London, UK - Sept 2007
• Lake Bala, Bala, Wales - Aug 2007
• River Usk (Afon Wysg), Crickhowell, Wales - Aug 2007
• Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex, English Channel, UK - Aug 2007
• Hampstead Heath, mixed pond, London, UK - Aug 2007
• Dunwich, Suffolk, North Sea, UK - July 2007
• Westcliff-on-sea, Essex, Thames Estuary, UK - July 2007
• Druridge Bay, Northumberland, North Sea, UK - June 2007
• St Bees, Cumbria, Irish Sea, UK - June 2007
• River Cocker, Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK - June 2007

2006

• Lake Bala, Wales - Aug 2006
• Pett Level, East Sussex, English Channel, UK - Aug 2006
• Winchelsea, East Sussex, English Channel, UK - Aug 2006
• Hastings, East Sussex, English Channel, UK - July 2006
• Dunwich, Suffolk, North Sea, UK - July 2006
• Naples, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, USA - June 2006

The show must go on

Concerts 2009 - Not my best year but certainly better than I've been doing over the past few years. Melbourne has a pretty good music scene and I've been working to improve my going out skills. Lots of these were bands I wanted to see years ago, old favourites from the 80s and then also a few newer ones to try and keep up with some more current music. So, 2009 then. Here's hoping that 2010 will be even better.

Red Brigades / Sophisticants / Jonathans - 2 May 2009 - Revolver Upstairs
Angie Hart / Guy Blackman - 5 May 2009 - Toff
New Estate / Elizabeth Pistol Club / Midnight Caller - 9 May 2009 - The Old Bar
Flipper / Nation Blue - 6 June 2009 - the Espy
The Band Who Knew Too Much / Dobe and the Veterans (Big Bush Dance) - 13 June 2009 - Northcote Town Hall
Victoria Williams / Vic Chesnutt / Natalie D-Napoleon and Andre Hook - 9 July 2009 - East Brunswick Club
The Bats / The Crayon Fields / The Twerps - 7 August 2009 - Northcote Social Club
New Christs / Bowerbirds / Lindsay Low Hand - 8 August 2009 - The Tote
Chapterfest - Tenniscoats / Pikelet / Minimum Chips / Hit The Jackpot / Jeremy Dower Y Las Palmeras de plástico / Primitive Calculators / Dick Diver / Bum Creek - 19 September 2009 - The Tote
Shonen Knife / I Heart Hiroshima -24 September 2009 - The Corner Hotel
Stems / Even / Huxton Creepers / Dolly Rocker Movement -9 October 2009 - Corner Hotel
Hard-Ons / Useless Children / Dr El Suavo / Killer Birds - 10 October 2009 - Corner Hotel
Buzzcocks / Spazzys / Royal Headache - 21 November 2009 - Corner Hotel
The Church / Astreetlightsong / The Kicks - 5 December 2009 - Corner Hotel
Akron/Family / Fabulous Diamonds - 10 December 2009 - Corner Hotel
Kitty, Daisy and Lewis /Dan Kelly - 11 December 2009 - Corner Hotel
Lime Spiders / Devilrock Four / Screwtop Detonators - 19 December 2009 - Northcote Social Club