An exercise in willpower

willpower [ˈwɪlˌpaʊə]
n
1. the ability to control oneself and determine one's actions
2. firmness of will

From today, from right now actually, I will be testing the extent of my own willpower. Willpower seems to be a rare commodity these days. It seems that as everyone has gotten used to getting whatever they want, whenever they want and without any repercussions, the need to exercise any level of self control has been eroded in all but the very best of us. Just like patience, willpower is a virtue and as such should be something we nurture and aspire towards improving. It all seems simple enough: Take a situation and balance the temptation or instant gains against the motivation to resist. For example, I want to eat a large chocolate cake (really I do, there's one downstairs calling to me right now) and it will taste good, but I know that if I don't eat the cake I'll not spoil my diet and might just start to lose some weight. The instant gains is a chocolaty sugar high but my motivation is losing my pot belly. As soon as my motivation seems less than the instant gains that's when my willpower kicks in and common sense says, "Leave the cake alone!"
As a Christian I was taught to not give in to temptation and every Lent I would give something up, usually sweets, for 40 days before Easter. While it's been nearly 17 years since I last followed religion that early indoctrination has left me with a will of iron. Or so I thought. I recent times I've noticed just how readily I give in to any urge to spend money, eat junk or otherwise do things I know I'd be better off not doing. So, this week I will not buy anything that is not essential, not eat anything that is not the minimum to not get ill and generally say no to the little version of myself who has red horns and a tail and perches on my shoulder demanding cake. If all goes well I'll brag about it next week.
cheers,
R.

Music Monday - Week 2

Knowing how much I fail at regular updates I'm disproportionately proud that today marks week 2 of Music Monday! Wooo yay! I was a little unsure about this band. I found them in the basement of Rock City supporting Million Dead on their final tour. They were the second best support act I didn't previously know (The Cooper Temple Clause are number 1). They have enjoyed such critical acclaim as Men Only (yes the porn mag) saying, "Well, you could probably not like them if you don't like your bands to scream their heads off and play riotous rock music, and by King Dong's false dick do they scream!" I love them in a far more hetero way than they love Johnny Depp. Enjoy, or be repulsed by, Gay For Johnny Depp.
cheers,
R.
http://www.gayforjohnnydepp.com/

I'm no photographer but...

I used to have a job that provided me with both a lot of down time and free reign to play with my camera phone. There's not a lot to photograph in a shop so I was able to produce the only half decent abstract images I've ever managed. I used a Sony Ericsson phone of some sort, I forget which but it was 4 or more years ago so it was whatever was best at the time. So why am I posting them today? I hear you not asking. Well, I'll tell you, I was spring cleaning the hard drives on my old desktop in a bid to improve it's increasingly piss poor performance and I found these, among others, hiding in a forgotten phone management program for a long forgotten phone. I also found both sides of a text message conversation I had with a girl I was dating back in 2003, strange how sentimentality only lasts so long.
cheers,
R



Oh yeah! England lost 4 -1 to Germany today. Sooo, I have a suggestion for Fabio Capello and the F.A. - Tell those lazy, prima donna, over paid and under skilled shelf stackers but for being able to kick a ball (but not when it matters, they're playing for England on any other time they're not group f*****g slappers) to go and find another job. The fact is Wayne Rooney didn't play well or score a single goal in the dismal performances they put on in South Africa. That makes him distinctly average at best so pull your collective heads out his arse and play someone who might actually play with some pride and more importantly self respect.

Music Monday

In a probably failed attempt to provide at least some regular content to this blog I thought I'd use Monday nights to share some of my recommendations for bands and albums to light up your stereo and excite your ears. First up is cats:for:peru who hail from Sheffield. They recently release their debut album which I thoroughly recommend you pick up if you can. They have some great tracks on myspace my personal favourite being 'Love in a Lift' and they sound like "Perfect avant-pop that John Peel would undoubtedly be championing" according to Sandman Magazine. What more can I say except to suggest you also find out the story behind the name.
cheers,
R.

www.myspace.com/catsforperu

It's not just cinema....

...where it's the experience that counts. Today I had run out of squash. Considering how warm it is the lack of orange flavour beverage is an inconvenience sufficient to make me go and get more. So far so pointless. But in getting ready to go out I realised there's been something missing in my life for more than a year now, something that is most definitely one of the simple pleasures of life. In my usual ritual as I left the house I picked up my wallet and keys and pressed play on my phone's mp3 player. 'To Die For' by Hell is for Heroes started to play and swept me back to a memory of the day I'd bought the album, taken it home and slotted the cd into my stereo.
Now we all know how vinyl sounds better but I found my self missing something more than the crystal clear sounds that cheap headphones and low quality mp3 rips can't provide. I miss the very ritual of selecting a cd, lifting open the jewel case and placing the disc into the waiting mouth of my stereo. Playing music from a physical format, whether cd, vinyl or tape, provides an experience that only enhances the wondrous sounds that emanate from the speakers. Just like going to a cinema, paying ridiculous amounts for stale popcorn and choosing your favourite seat add to watching a movie no amount of clicking play on a mp3 player or on a media player will ever replicate that lovely mini ritual of using a physical cd, lowering the needle onto LP or the satisfying clunk click of pressing play on a tape deck.
cheers,
R.

You know your job? I could do it better!!

I've been telling people I'd do this for a while, ever since I multi-tasked watching Pirates of the Caribbean while playing Red Dead Redemption, and finally got around to it. The following is an electronic communication I sent to Rockstar games via the mouthoff link on their website:

I'm writing for 2 reasons. Firstly to say thank you for making, and congratulations on the success of, the GTA series and Red Dead Redemption. Everytime a new game is released it devours my freetime like Cookie Monster does cookies.
Secondly, I had an idea not so long ago that I hope other people suggest too and you consider making into a game. In a nutshell the game would be similar to GTA or RDR in mechanic but would be set both on land and at sea in the heyday of pirates (the swashbuckling kind not internet thieves). I see a game mixing ship battles, treasure hunting, fighting off the good guys and generally making mischief while also providing a mix of watery shenanigans and the hunting gathering stuff from RDR. So that's my idea, GTA Black Beard! (I wouldn't use that title!)
Thanks again for the awesome games and hours of fun, and for reading this.
cheers,
R.

If I get a reply I will post it here too but I'm pretty sure they pay talented people to come up with ideas rather than listen to self important, deluded crazies like me. And while I'm doing other people's jobs...Oi! Capello play 4-4-1-1 Gerrard behind Rooney, if that doesn't work play Crouch with Defoe and hope for the best!
cheers,
R.

Do you vuvu? Or why the world cup sounds like angry bees

I'm watching Italy play New Zealand in their second group game. The part timers for New Zealand, affectionately known as "the all whites" and sponsored by Michael Barrymore's Strike It Lucky, are currently holding the defending champions to a 1 all draw and the noise of the vuvuzela is as constant and tuneless as ever. By now all that needs to be said about the world's most irritating bit of plastic, [insert Jordan joke here], has been. Unfortunately it seems they are here to stay, for this world cup at least and if nothing else they provide a talking point to distract from the woeful football on display from the seeded teams. Blame the ball, blame the altitude, blame the girlfriend reporting from behind the goal line or the fan looking for a toilet in the dressing room but whatever you do don't blame the players...they might cry.

cheers,
R.


[Edit] FT 1-1 Well done NZ!
[Edit Edit] had to repost due to my own ineptitude which makes this appear a day late