Come on boys, pull your fingers out....

Had a brief twitter exchange with the great man yesterday evening and it transpires that the Word "keep rumbling about inviting me in, but never have".

I think there's a lot of us here are fans of XTC and Mr Partridge who would love to hear his thoughts on the band, his solo stuff, the music industry, anything else.

So come on then team, he's only a call away and a day return to that London from Swindon can't be all that expensive if you buy in advance. Maybe he'd even bring an acoustic for a quick strum too?

Following on from the thread about free NPR dpwnloads, I've been looking at some of their other lists and came across this guy.

This track is awesome - at first listen theres a bit of Paul Young and Cee Lo Green in there. Have a listen.

Orthodox or Armenian clerics..............only one way to find out!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16346002

Spent a fortune at mflow last Christmas and signed up for their beta test of their impending new service ages ago.

If you go to the website now, this is the message you get:

"Over the past few months we've been working on a top-secret new project. There's still a lot of work to do though - we can't share this grown-up mflow with you until we're confident it's better than anything you've used before. This is why we've decided to shut down the current site and focus our attention on mflow's next evolution."

So is that arse-covering corporate marketing speak for "we're buggered" or are they really beavering away in a darkened attic somewhere?

Do any of the well connected Massive know anything?

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......Holly Valance out of Strictly and now this........

Apologies if I've missed this somewhere, but in a fit of organisation I'm going to try and look at this early and hoping that I make it to the evening.

Was a theme discussed last time out? If not, are we going to have one or shall I just make something esoteric up?

Wandered past Swordfish Records in Brum a few minutes ago and saw some of these in the window.

No self-respecting Massive member should be drinking his tea or coffee out of anything else.

http://www.rockpotsonline.co.uk/index.html

Came across these guys a few days ago, if you'll pardon the pun....

Puerile schoolboy humour - check
Non-PC make-up - check
Earworm - check

Here Come the Mummies performing Pants

Emjoy the rest of your weekends.

Cameron has launched this array of posters

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15019587

can't disagree with most of them but......shopping?

Are we really saying to people "come to our country and spend all your money buying stuff that was probably made in your own country anyway?" What is it with our bloody obsession with retail?

What do the Massive think should be added to the list?

Actually, that's not true but made you look anyway!

I've been clearing my desk in advance of an office move and have unearthed the following gems on DVD from some work we did a few years ago with the DVD producers.

I'll get rid free gratis to the first gullible fool/prog rocker (delete as applicable) to put his hand up. Happy to send them all to one glutton for punishment or to spread the love around. Descriptions to get the juices flowing below:

1. Focus Live in America. A 2003 release, not sure when the gig was filmed but refers to Thijs Van Leer reforming the band. Also includes some 1973 footage previously unseen.

2. Keyboard Wizards - The Ultimate Anthology. A 2003 release. Includes Emerson, Lord, Wakeman, Downes, Van Leer etc.

3. Progressive Rock Anthology. Another 2003 release, featuring ELP, Caravan, Curved Air, Family, Focus, BJH etc.

4. The Guitar Wizards – a personal selection presented by Mick Box of Uriah Heep, including Howe, Akkerman, Iommi, Brock, Montrose, Blackmore etc.

5. Dr Feelgood Live – originally appeared as part of the central Music series “Bedrock”.

If anyone is interested form an ordely queue here. Judges decision is final, no cash alternative etc.

Don't know if the small but perfectly formed Matthew Sweet Appreciation Society (Word Massive Branch) have seen this, but....look at this....

http://www.noisetrade.com/matthewsweet

Out seeing Duke Special last night at the Glee Club in Birmingham.

Excellent performance, as usual and an appreciative and respectful audience, apart from a couple of examples of the species "Gigitus Fuckwitus".

Yes I know we've done Fuckwits before (courtesy of Captain Underpants) but these two deserve special mention as being particularly annoying mutants.

The first was a woman with an infuriatingly loud laugh who found the smallest witty comment from on stage absolutely hilarious (HA HA HA on a depressingly regular and loud basis). Vaguely amusing comment from the stage (HA HA HA), Chip hits his dinky little bell (HA HA HA). It was deeply wearing by the end of the night. She clearly believed that as she was in a comedy club then she was going to fucking well guffaw her way through the evening.

The second was a guy sat right behind us who was clearly a fan which he proved by singing along to ALL the songs. The main problem was that he had a very deep sonorous voice and appeared unable of anything quieter than a stage whisper. All night this was rumbling away behind us, like a distant busy motorway. Early on his basso profundo chuckles of delight led me to believe that Frank Bruno was in the house. Most startling was when Mr Duke asked for some audience participation, at which point our chap would come over all Pavarotti giving it the full amateur operatics at the top of his voice. I don't know if he was taking the piss or just completely lost in music but it was intensely fucking irritating. he actually had a pretty good voice, was in tune etc etc........but I'd not paid to hear him. Sadly, I'm a wimp at heart who will sit there chuntering away to myself rather than turning round and asking the perpetrator to shut the fuck up.

Any other cases of recent fuckwittery the massive would like to share?

Well, back in old Blighty after 3 weeks away on holiday in Spain and look what a mess this place is.......

Economy screwed, markets down

Looting, rioting, burning - it didn't look any better in Spanish, especially the reporters standing on my route to work where the three guys in Brum were murdered

Massive members seem as touchy as ever

So what I want to know is, did I miss anything important?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14184720

Got a lump in my throat and some grit in the eye just from reading this. The programme might be too much.

Following on from the thread about our little bastard furry arsonists friends as reported in the local press, I got to think about how wonderful our local papers are. Reporting the stuff that's important in the town as well as big national events but sometimes with an interesting slant or interpretation.

My local paper is the Wolverhampton Express and Star (Dudley Edition) which has had a few interesting local stories over the years. However, this caught my eye from last Friday. Anyone unfamiliar with the bull running at Pamplona could well have a very strange mental picture of what goes on after reading this:

"An Australian man was gored in the leg and three other people were injured today when daredevils ran with fighting bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

The second of eight runs at Spain's most famous summer festival featured bulls known for poking people with their horns.

Navarra Hospital reported four people taken to hospital."

Well, it amused me anyway. Anyone got any other examples of local news re-writing of facts into something both sensational and gobbledegook at the same time?