As my three year darling old woke me today, same as everyday at 6.00am, with her calls of 'Daddy, Dad, DADDY!' increasing in volume - as they did yesterday and the day before that and the day before that; and as I stumbled downstairs bleary eyed from lack of sleep to make our porridge - same as yesterday etc, vowing to myself yet again, that I really should go to bed earlier tonight, I was reminded of this film and the certainty that despite our naive, idealistic intentions we are like hamsters on a wheel.

Anyone succeeded in breaking free from the daily grind and would like to share with us hamsters how to do it?

As £10 Poms this was the Australia that greeted us - sunkissed and innocent (and with proper burgers). Lovely memories.

Probably ... but on the flimsy premise that BBC4 continue to regale us with the wonders of TOTP from 1976, here's a seasonal number from Ian and the boys.

You know you love it!

It's not to be scoffed at, is it. I'm suffering over here! I know that women regard with disdain the inability of men to cope with the common cold, but come on - it's much worse for men isn't it?

When my wife has a cold the only evidence appears to be a slight sniffle and an urge to turn the central heating up. With me, I wake in the morning with the certainty that a small animal has nested in my throat, my eyes are streaming, all cranial tubing is fully blocked and no tissues are man-sized enough to handle the volumes of snot which must be got rid of. (Sorry for that last image).

Any doctors amongst the massive willing to confirm that it's different for girls?

Listening to Serge Gainsbourg's recently remastered Histoire De Melody Nelson, I was struck by the similarities with Beck's Sea Change. I hadn't realised how influenced by the saucy crooner was the 'loser' wunderkind.

Any other little revelations out there which must be shared?

Ryan Adams may have been somewhat erratic during his career .. but, by Jiminy this is lovely ..

From Ashes and Fire:

anyone else caught this surreal TV concoction. Think Terry Gilliam's Brazil, Spike Milligan, The League of Gentlemen, Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh and Father Ted ... it's totally bananas?

It's true that we live in a less poetic age. Rizla of yore carried a more pleasingly alliterative message to alert one to the fact that one's rolling papers of choice were running out. Rizla's poetry of 1969 assumed a more tragic note when Nick Drake died 5 years after releasing his debut album, which borrowed the running out message for its title.

Gary Numan is thinking of leaving Britain as it has become a more drunken, aggressive, violent place. Is he right? He could have gone further - materialistic, preoccupied with brand names, placing more value in the accumulation of things over giving time to our children and caring for our elderly.

You have only to spend some time in Spain or France or ... well, anywhere else really, to see how things could be different.

For me personally, I'm not sure if the truth is that we have become this nasty place or that we have always been a bit this way.

Nigh on a tragedy that arguably the finest British purveyor of traditional folk with a modern twist was not awarded the acclaim of his American contemporary, Bob Dylan in his classic period.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/aug/04/musicians-worst-gigs

An amusing article from the Guardian retells notorious gig disasters from those at the pointy end. I particularly liked Steve Hackett's recollection of Genesis supporting Lou Reed and a punch up between Lou's fans stoned on downers and the Genesis faithful refreshed by Earl Grey.

Is this an ode to Barry's plastic surgeon? Anyone else think he looks a tad weird lately?

Anyone seen them in the same room?

I'm thinking of the performance of the former in BBC's current drama The Shadow Line.

I've just returned from the vet, where I took 'my wife's' cat for it's annual jab. The cat hates me and I hate it. So why I get the job is a mystery. Last year I pre-warned the vet and he attended said cat with armoured gauntlets last seen at the Battle of Agincourt.

This year he recommended a precautionary dose of Diazepam which would calm and sedate. It didn't work. With the vet's assurance ringing in my ears, that the cat would be as docile as a little bunny, I retrieved it from it's travel box - no problem. As the vet approached with the loaded syringe, a transformation took place which fans of The Exorcist would recognise. A shrieking ball of fur, fangs and claws ripped my left hand to shreds in a micro-second. It was if 'The Thing' was alive and well and living in the west Midlands.

Cats are lethal killing machines - they are not of this world. It was suggested I check the date of my last tetanus jab. Are there any medicos amongst the massive who can confirm this is necessary?

Based on my current playlist

Is this a cause for concern?