Is it reasonable or acceptable to;
A - Want to have a quiet word outside with people who utter the following words in the queue in front of me;
"can I get a skinny latte/regular cappucino" (Why is this most prevalent in coffee shops)?
B - Assume people who've bought drab, dun-coloured anoraks with the utterly incongruous and awful "The North Face" logo stuck on the back think they are adding some odd frisson of cool to their dun-coloured lives when they are probably just keeping dry?
C - Note anyone seen in a floor-length Dryzabone mac and accompanying floppy hat and give them 100 points on the Prat-o-meter?

From the BBC website;

"Singer Amy Winehouse is expected to return home after being taken to hospital for tests after fainting at her London home on Monday afternoon.

She had been "doing admin" when she had become unwell, her spokeswoman said, adding she had "quickly recovered".

Expect 'doing admin' to enter London argot by Friday latest.

Is it biting? For the second weekend in a row, Kingston town centre seemed remarkably uncluttered. Car parks were queue free. Can't be the weather.
Went to Borders music dept. It was a little depressing. Alerted by a table full of £3.99 cds by the door, I went downstairs to find racks of them. Usual stuff, nearly all name act back catalogue. Even at £3.99 I don't need another copy of 'Blue'. No punters around, either, apart from a young girl looking for a late Fathers Day present. Who buys a full price CD anymore, apart from as a present, where a download just doesn't cut it because you can't wrap it?
Still, I did find the Garden of Delights folk compilation at £3.99. Money well spent there. Because of the blog comments, I kept fingering John Martyns' 'One World' re-issue at £4.99. In the end, figuring it was only the cost of two coffees, I bought it. Knew I shouldn't have. There's always a reason why you haven't previously bought an album that old. It's the same as the other three John Martyn albums I've got. I know I should like them, and they're in no way poor records, but I only like about four tracks on each, so this one won't get played again. Same principle applies to Pet Sounds & Dusty In Memphis etc. If I'd have liked them that much at the time, I'd have bought them. Instead, I buy them years later because I think I should have them in case I invite any completists around for dinner and then just don't play them, apart from cherry picking tracks for playlists.
Don't mean to infer that those that love John Martyn's music have anything less than great taste, but he just doesn't cut it for a full album with me, despite trying my hardest.
Follow your heart when it comes to music. This can save up to £4.99.
However, the shock of seeing John on the cover may have diverted any comments on the Sigur Ros ad on the back. Four lots of naked buttocks. Any problems on the train for readers? Somebody here got worried about a Bettie Page ad last year and that was only suspenders.

Just had a look at the local papers' website and saw that drummer Micky Waller died recently, aged 66. I hadn't seen it reported anywhere else. Micky famously drummed on Maggie May, You Wear It Well and was in The Jeff Beck Group, playing on most of Truth. The obit mentions he played with the Jo Meek-produced Fleerekkers, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Cyril Davies, Long John Baldry and Georgie Fame. Go and read the incredible list of musicians in his career on Wikipedia.
I was once amazed to see him in the hallway at my girlfriends' large Richmond shared house at the turn of the 80's. He was waiting to be interviewed for suitability for a vacant room.
I was agape, but no-one else knew him. He didn't pass that audition. Someone else got the room.
The footsoldiers of rock often pass unnoticed and Micky deserves a mention with honours.
Guardian obituary.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2282435,00.html#article_...
Shapes Of Things, with Jeff Beck, Rod & Ron:

You may not have noticed, but on the home page podcast thread, Fraser notes that Cecil (pron.Seeesal) & Linda Womack now live in Essex under their new names of...Zek and Zeriiya Zekkariyas. This is too good a chance to miss.
Who else, with already established careers in the world of music have also had to buy new Cash's nametapes for their stageclothes after a similar identity crisis?
I'll start with Carlos 'Devadip' Santana.

Just been on Ticketmaster and a little surprised to see you can book tickets for Dusty Springfield in Concert at Felixstowe's Spa Pavilion.
Sadly, it's an impersonator. (no, not Duffy or Shelby etc, she's called Katy Setterfield). Trades descriptions, anyone?

Read the Billy Bragg interview this morning.
Whilst discussing his thoughts on ID cards the following phrase (quoted from memory) appears in the context of a comparison of WW2 and today's threats;
"just because four blokes blow themselves up, they want to bring in draconian measures"
That'll be the four 'blokes' who killed 52 Londoners underground and on that bus in summer 2005 then, Billy?
(Just thought you needed a reminder in case the Dorset papers reported it differently. Tea Rooms are not yet a known terrorist target).
I don't believe in ID cards, either. But I'd think twice before making a comment as glib as that one.

I hope David won't mind, but I've taken the liberty of pulling this subject from his Dec 30th blog after reading it just now. It's the latest in a series of a mind-boggling actions from the RIAA which now makes all of us petty criminals.
It needs some exposure.
What do you reckon?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR200712...

Walking past the local Oxfam yesterday, I noticed that they've had a go at a rock-based window display. In amongst the second hand copies of Rossi & Parfitt's Status Quo memoirs, some Beatles books and various duff 70's records, I noticed the rather hopeful inclusion of Michael Jackson's Thriller vinyl album at £14.99 and the even more optimistic vinyl copy of Springsteen's Born In The USA at £19.99.
Perhaps they know something I don't?

Have you all seen the article about the chap who had a third ear grafted onto his arm?
Just in time to get the most out of the new Radiohead.

Whilst looking for the inevitable Third Ear Band gag that ought to follow this, I found a page dedicated to The Sam Cutler Stage Show festival in Rugby 1969, with a rather good Saturday line-up. Thought you may like a look at it. Any news on Fagin's Quill?

Just been out for coffee and see that yesterday's midday Standard placards are still in place, bearing the message;

DEADLY SKUNK FLOODS LONDON

Am I not alone in thinking that there may be a number of old people possibly fearing a Goodies-style animal attack on the capital?

In the papers yesterday, Naomi Klein had a pop at Saints Bono and Bob. Read it for yourself here
and form your own opinion. I have none either way. However, do note this reply from Bono's spokesman;
"....It's not cool to meet President Bush. It would be a much better look for Bono to be wearing a balaclava and lobbing Molotov cocktails...."
Couldn't see any decent knitted headwear for sale at the hotel gift shop.