Dull dull dull but I need some Windows/PC based fax software to be able to scan documents and send to fax machine. Any recommendations?

To avoid Turgid Post Of the Week Award here are the Beat Farmers doing "Powderfinger".

Ta all!

I love Martina. One super perfect new country weepy, and one left field performance with the Chieftans which, I venture, shows she actually means it. Both highly recommended after a few drops of the good stuff, for maximum Kleenex effect. Finally, for fun, a duet with her hero, Pat Benetar. And not an autotune in sight.

The second and third videos are in the comments.

Never really bothered with it, but sort of wish I had. Is it too late?

Can anyone place these lyrics:

"Maybe love grows in the heat of the summertime,
Maybe it dies when the weather gets cold,
That's what you get girl,
I've fallen in love for the very last time"

Gracias amigos

Just discovered a load of interesting looking podcasts in a series called Voiceprint Web Radio. Oddly you have to subscribe to them individually, but still. Mostly 70s proggy/folk people such as Man, Deke Leonard, Keith Christmas, Bill Bruford, Trevor Rabin, Anthony Phillips, Martin Stephenson, Gong, Francis Dunnery etc tec. There is even Hawkwind and Gong! Pass the teapot, I'm going in.

Just updating my podcasts and I discover the History of the world in 100 objects is available. Splendid! Missed them all so far but apparently excellent. I am also downloading all the BBC History 'casts.

Best discovery which is no bleedin' use to me award (but sign up Heppo) is that there is a free iPhone app for FIP so you can listen to it on your phone anywhere - the Radio France channel which is officially the best radio station in the world. Sadly I don't have an iPhone.

I am looking for an advanced French language 'cast if anyone knows of a good one.

Discovered any other new goodies lately?

Mike harding played a track by Hedgehog Pie - part of the North East folk scene which gave us Lindisfarne - which was really good. Anyone happen to have any of their stuff, ahem, as a CD backup? I don't think they're available on official CD, more's the pity.

p.s. - not expecting a 200 post response to this one. ;-)

Today is Janis Joplin's birthday. Wow, what a singer...

Lead guitarist is a bit dodgy - mind you, he was her current squeeze...

Some pals and I always do a "what I listened to last year" email in January. Here's mine. What's yours?
===========================================
I have been listening to mostly old stuff - I realised I really don't invest enough time in music I already own in the scramble to acquire new, so I stopped buying CDs except by exception about a year ago.

Faves of the year:

Dexter Gorden - the later Blue Note stuff, especially "Gettin' around" and "Go!"

Karen Matheson - "Time to fall" - a new acquisition, wonderful singing with songs largely written by James Grant

Stacy Kent - "Breakfast on the morning tram" - her take on Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" literally had me in floods when I first listened to it - in vino veritas as they say. Some songs in French which are super.

A compilation which had lots of airtime was "Putumayo presents Women of the World" - from the local ethnic stuff shop - in a bewildering range of languages, basically folk jazz singers from around the world with great songs and playing - a standout being the opener by Sandrine Kiberlain - "Je m'envoyer des fleurs" which celebrates, err, a day of (ahem) self love. Those French eh!

As ever, lots of Little Feat, especially the "Electrif Lycanthrope" bootleg which was a live radio concert just after "Dixie Chicken" and mixed by Lowell - surely the finest band, bar none.

More old but new to me - Durutti Column - "The return of the Durutti Column" - great name for a debut album and splendid pointless noodling wandering about on an electric guitar.

I'm having a southern rock phase - Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Gov't Mule. Marvellous. Git down and boogie.

I also acquired, via a pal, a quantity of Jefferson Airplane - groovy, man - especially "Surrealistic pillow" and "Volunteers" - the version of "Wooden ships" beats CSN's hands down - I see the hand of Crosby in there.

"Only by the night" - Kings of Leon - good chunky rock album

More new - "A victory for common sense" - Stackridge - really very good album for a comeback - well, by any standards really - great songs, great playing, clear evidence of brain activity in the arrangements. Class.

Following some recreational blogging I bought the first Roxy Music album and "Station to station" by David Bowie for a reappraise. Roxy has worn very well - I liked it then and still do - as someone said, it sounds like 5 different bands all playing at the same time. STS on the other hand leaves me cold - why do the faithful love it so? Beats me.

Lots of folky stuff - Dougie Maclean (after seeing him at Hitchin Folk Club), Nic Jones (one of our finest), Bert Jansch, Sweeney's Men, Anne Briggs and of course our finest songwriter, Richard Thompson, who is so good it seems totally unfair really.

Someone mentioned Shakespeare in another thread - I have to say I am partial to a spot of Shakey (as my brother in law calls him, who isn't). I am happy with either trad costume or modernised. On film the Ian Mckellen "Richard the third" is a masterpiece, as is Polanski's "Macbeth". I saw Daniel Day Lewis do "Hamlet" at the RFH and he was staggering - shortly before he had a minor breakdown and quit the show. One of the most harrowing I saw was "Titus Andronicus" at the Bolton Octagon where half of the cast were profoundly deaf....a real Elizabethan video nasty. I thought Dr Who did a good job on "Hamlet" at Christmas, and Sat night Mrs T and I were plunged into depression by Ian Holm's "King Lear". What could be nicer than a country house garden on a summers eve with picnic, champers and "Midsummer night's dream" on the lawn?

Any other fans out there? Your favourites? I haven't seen them all - which ones should I look out for?

Anyone know of a good DVD audio to MP3 ripper? I have loads of concerts on DVD which I'd like tobe able to listen to sans telly. There are loads of ones out there - I treid a few free ones that don't work - any recommendations welcome! BTW - I use a PC.

Over Christmas on impulse I played "K" by Kula Shaker - which I bought on impulse years ago....guess what, it's great! Played it quite a bit. All that bollocksy chanting etc, perfect for a pagan festival.

Thorts?

The recent discussion reminded me of how good they are, so I had a dip into my small selection of Genesis albums - "Then there were 3", the Singles comp and "Foxtrot". I fancy more - what do the Massive suggest I try? I am not wedded to Gabriel or Collins - both excellent. I do like a long prog number, the more convoluted and multi tempo the better. Solos - bring 'em on (bring 'em on again). Over to you.

Which browsers are we using? I'm on a PC using Firefox but it is driving me mildly bonkers with the way it intermittently stops scrolling down, remembering paswords etc - any enthusiasts for Chrome etc?

A dry subject, it is true, but this is good fun for those of a vaguely IT/techy bent. I'm surprised at the times people in Bakersfield appear to be enjoying Katy Perry for example...

http://demo.qlikview.com/QvAJAXZfc/AccessPoint.aspx?open=&id=Demo|MusiqTracker.qvw&client=Ajax