Deadline Day: Maximum Craziness

There is no other way to describe it. Just mental. Transfer Deadline Day is by a mile the greatest day of the footballing year. And you get two of them.

Forget FA Cup Final. Forget the Champions League. You ask every football fan around the country, and they get excited about Deadline Day. January is usually quieter - not today.

For the record, I've been advised to start writing more sports 'report' style articles and blog posts, in order to further my portfolio. Forget that today - it's a live feed of the Deadline Day madness that we all know and love.

I've been following it since 7 o'clock this morning, and from 4 o'clock this afternoon, will be blogging. Pictures, links and lots of (hopefully) bold deals appearing on here. So, keep your eyes peeled for my opinionated, biased talk, that is effectively a Twitter feed. let's go.

DEADLINE DAY. AND IT'S LIVE (ISH).

16:00 And we're off. Sat at home, with Sky Sports News on, the BBC Sport page wide open, and all the right Twitter followers appearing on my feed. It's a good day. So far, we've had plenty to talk about, but very little in terms of deals. The rumours of Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea for around £50m  look to be on, and off, and on, and off. And back on again. Andy Carroll should be on his way to replace him for upwards of £30m. Charlie Adam could also be going to Anfield from Blackpool. But let's see.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

16:13 Been very quiet, but hopefully this is the start. Obafemi Martins completes a 6-month loan deal from Rubin Kazan to Birmingham City. Was a great player at Newcastle, but left after they were relegated. Hopefully he can replicate that form.

16:19 Suddenly, Tweets pour in that Charlie Adam is likely to be heading towards Man United. As a United fan myself, I see this as very, very poor business. Especially when Blackpool wanted upwards of £10m for him. But no-one doubts Sir Alex Ferguson. Ever.

16:29 SSN say unconfirmed reports of Liverpool and Newcastle agreeing £35m deal for Andy Carroll, with additional payments on top of. Piss poor English, but frankly, I couldn't care lessw right now. That could be a defining moment today.

16:36 That could start it off. Once the Carroll deal goes through, Torres will join Chelsea. Then Liverpool will finalise the Suarez deal, and bid for Charlie Adam. Unless the United rumours are true...

16:42 Well well well. Now turns out that Newcastle rejected that £30m+ bid. Leaving it late now, are Liverpool. That's the second bid to be rejected.

16:45 Tuncay has gone from Stoke to Wolfsburg. Well, there's a big deal.... Hopefully a bit of cash involved for Stoke, and Pulis will go and splash that now.

16:55 It's all gone a little quiet... So what shall I do? Let's send the blog live. More updates and madness every half hour all the way up until the window closes. I don't care how many hits I get today, it's all about the fun. And teh deals, obviously.

Credit where credit's due... All info from teh great work of Sky Sports and the BBC Sport teams, likewise the photos.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

A Blank Page, A Bright Mind

I've been sat in front of this white screen with a blinking cursor for an hour now. Nothing to write, so why blog?

However, as I click the cross, I suddenly hear the radio. I'm absolutely captivated for 5 minutes, as Adele's Live Lounge appearance is played back. In particular, a song called 'Someone Like You'.

Now I adore Adele - her voice is one of the best to have come out of the UK for quite some time. She's about to break America with it too. 2011 is going to be very exciting for her. But this song is just incredible - it's lyrics are so profound and so true, and it's no wonder that the minute I popped it into Google, hundreds of Tweets saying exactly the same came up. This is making waves.

But on my travels into the world of YouTube, I found another video. As many of you will have seen across social networking sites, Chris Medina featured on the new season of American Idol this week. I won't ruin the story, but it is one of the most heart-wrenching, beautiful stories you will see on a programme like this for a very long time.

Sometimes, it's things like these two videos that help put life back into perspective. It's not all about the petty arguments we have, or the abusive emails we send, or even the fact we all make things worse than they seem.

You are alive. Healthy. And msot of all, loved. Enjoy what you have, instead of what you want.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Music Musings - Hurts

There aren't many bands like Hurts. The duo are a cross between rock, pop, electronic and dance music, whilst keeping the BPM high and mixing it all together in a techno style. Confused? Me too.

The album 'Happiness', released last year, was stunning. By a living mile one of the best I heard in 2010. It's not very often you hear an album, and know that every track on it could very well be a single.

They, so far, haven't had the major recognition they truly deserve as a band. They're not regularly at the top of the UK Chart, or always on the radio. But those in the know adore them. As do I - Hurts are going to be big this year.

They were huge last year, but I have a sneaky feeling they'll be even bigger this year. Let's wait and see.

In the meantime, you can follow Theo, one half of the band, on Twitter, or visit the band's official website.

Or, just enjoy 'Sunday', the new single, which is below.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

The BBC Online Cuts: Where, When, Why?

As some of you may have read in the news this morning, the BBC Online budget is being cut by 25% as part of the bigger cuts they are making to the whole of the corporation, to the tune of 20%. Not only that, but 360 jobs will be lost as well. As someone whose dreams and aspirations of becoming a BBC Sport journalist now hang in the balance, I just wanted to write my bit and see who reads it.

With the use of Facebook, Twitter, Google's new Instant Search feature, and social media, the minute I hit 'Publish', my newly-created blog is hammered across 190 different countries, 7 different continents, and ends up on your screen. And it's this social media that has, ultimately, led to many features being involved in the cull at the BBC.

The budget cuts announced in October, affecting the whole country and taking £84b out of the funding available to public bodies, had to affect the BBC in some way at some point. Mark Thompson, the Director-General, chose to accept the suggestions of a 6-year license fee freeze, leaving a 16% gap in real-term funding over that period, and a £34m funding windfall. Which means these cuts were going to have to happen at some stage as it is.

So, the news this morning didn't come as a huge shock, but what the cuts actually are did.

As it stands at this very moment, there's around 400 different BBC-affiliated websites - from BBC Sport, BBC News, BBC Bitesize, all the way through to BBC History, BBC Jobs and BBC Religion & Ethics. Oh, and obviously the relevant TV and radio sites.

To cut the wheat from the chaff of all these cuts, the BBC will be removing around half of these websites. 180, to be precise. This includes BBC Blast, BBC RAW, BBC h2g2 and BBC Video Nation too. Video Nation is something I hold very close to my heart - it was my first contact with the BBC. I made a few videos for them, had to sign 25-page contracts - the lot. My 'agent', if you were, was Ian Stringer, who later appeared on the fourth series of the Apprentice. Little fact for you there.

Anyway, alongside these cuts will be the closure of BBC Switch and the 606 messageboards, which have a cult status amongst sports fans. There's been a lot of backlash towards this already, but, as mentioned on other blogs and sites, the up-rise in Twitter, and Facebook (see how this all links?), have killed off these messageboards. The majority of discussion now links through Twitter - all live text commentaries and blogging services now have access to some form of Twitter links.

Even more cuts take place with major radio programming - 1Xtra, 5 Live Sports Extra, 6Music and Radio 7 will all now have automated content filling their sites. All this chopping and changing also means that there will be fewer individual news blogs, the vast majority of forums, messageboards and communities will be replaced by social media feeds, sport coverage will be cut back, as will entertainment news, and there'll be no more non-news coverage for local sites. However, there'll be an increase in culture and arts coverage... Cutting sport - what the Government are trying to increase in this country - for some more coverage on the West End. Now that seems a little strange.

But what does this all actually mean for the sites we love and care about? Well, I can tell you a little more about the BBC Sport website, as Ben Gallop's editorial blog brilliantly explained earlier.

There will be an increase in 'fast, reliable and in-depth sports news, and more dynamic coverage of the biggest sporting events.' Increasing these means a loss of other areas - 5 key areas, in fact. Obviously, the aforementioned 606 will be cut, as will the Sport Academy website and the sports news bulletin that features on the site. Also, there'll be less minor sports coverage, and a re-focus on core coverage, rather than games, which were scrapped last summer.

These changes will start in the spring, and should be in place by the end of the summer. Sad, but a glimpse of what our country is currently suffering.

But that's just BBC Sport. The overall goal, as explained on Erik Huggers' blog earlier, is to 'do fewer things, better'. A brilliant tagline that explains everything so much better than anything anyone can write. The new strategy sets out 10 separate 'products' - different sections of the BBC that will be built upon and around each other. These include News, Sport, Weather, CBeebies, CBBC, Knowledge & Learning, Radio & Music, TV & iPlayer, the homepage, and the recently-updated Search feature. The graphics that feature below explain these changes a lot easier, and are a great resource to demonstrate what the BBC's ultimate goal is.

See the full gallery on posterous

These changes plug the £36m funding gap, and will take place before 2013/14. Over 26m people access the BBC website a week now - it's the 45th most accessed website on the internet. These changes and cuts will affect every one of these users in some way, but fundamentally, the message the BBC is trying to convey throughout these cuts is that although it looks bad, it is for the best, and the BBC will remain as the most-trusted, highest-quality media outlet we all have come to love.

This blog has obviously taken a little while to write, with the masses of coding that has to be put in to get all the right links working. But, if you want some other great articles regarding the cuts, have a look at Jemima Kiss' take on it all on the Guardian website, or just follow Lewis Wiltshire on Twitter - he is the Editor of the BBC Sport website, and always has the relevant articles to hand when it comes to great journalism from the BBC.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Nurse Jackie: Best Thing Since Sliced Bread?

Last night, Nurse Jackie returned to our UK screens after just under a year away. I fell in love with the series when it first aired, and now Season 2 is here, and I adore it even more.

Edie Falco plays Jackie, a drug-addict of a nurse who does the better things in life for her patients, no matter how illegal they are. It's so clever, and well worth a watch if you get the opportunity.

9:40, Saturday nights, BBC Two. Just watch and enjoy.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

London 2013: The Morning After 2012?

As we all know, after a good night out, the morning after is always the worst part of the party. The fun is all over and the headaches begin. Which is exactly what the whole of London could be facing come 13th August 2012.

The 2012 Olympics are beginning to pose a few problems that seemed easy to fix when we bid back in 2005. Back then, the whole country was behind the bid, knowing full well it was cheap, going to bring a lot of publicity and business to the whole of the UK, and going to be the biggest event Britain has ever seen.

Since then though, the budget has nearly quadrupled, from just under £2b to over £9b. No-one could foresee the credit crunch back in 2005, but the jump has had a huge impact on the British public's perception of the Games. We've even seen venue re-designs after the IOC ticked them all off.

See the full gallery on posterous

However, I'm still massively pro-2012. I'll do whatever it takes to be involved in some way with the Games, and make sure that I can be a part of the world's biggest event. I'm unbelievably excited, and cannot wait for it all to be happening on my doorstep.

But the big battle facing LOCOG at this current moment in time is this - who takes over the Olympic Stadium when the ticker tape settles and we've got a lot of clearing up to do?

The two major bids that seem to be the front-runners are West Ham, and Tottenham. Spurs have even put their own stadium build on hold to see whether they can get the Olympic one.

There's plenty of reasons for and against. And I mean plenty. There's lists and lists if you Google either of their bids. West Ham have pulled LiveNation, the concert company on board, and also Essex Cricket Club, in order to ensure a multi-sport, multi-venue arena. Spurs got AEG on their side, who turned the Millennium Dome, the UK's last white elephant, into the O2 Arena, and created one of the highest-grossing music venues in the world.

But Spurs want to move the whole stadium to Crystal Palace, and rebuild it all there. Then they want to build their own plans on the site. It would also mean moving the whole club from North to East London. Seems a little crazy if you ask me. Especially when Crystal Palace FC themselves want to develop the Crystal Palace site for a new stadium and athletics complex.

Still with me? Or too many Crystal Palaces? Too many choices? Yeah, me too.

West Ham's seems the best and most viable option. They will keep the athletics track, one of the promises made when we bid in the first place to the IOC. That's absolutely key, really, to the whole process. If you can tick off the track, you've got yourself a deal. It's primarily an athletics-based event, so keeping the athletics track needs to be involved. Even Lamine Diack, head of the IAAF, the world athletics body, says that if the track isn't kept, Britain loses 'all credibility in sport'. Fair point.

But with LiveNation involved, it opens so many other doors. Essex CC can play Twenty20 in the summer, and with the NFL interested in setting up a permanent London franchise, it gives them an option to alternate with Wembley for the International Series. You include the concerts, and the revenue for the stadium is huge.

There's a £35m pot there, from LOCOG in order to rejuvenate the stadium after the Games, and keep it in regular use. By the sounds of things, Spurs want to use that to transfer the current stadium to Crystal Palace, but West Ham want to invest it in the Olympic Park. It's all a very intricate, detailed, difficult situation, but from the very few details leaked to the press, it's an easy one for me.

The one thing we don't want is more white elephants just sat in the centre of London. The first decision is made on 28th January, when one bid is recommended to be selected. But it's all getting very tense, and too close to call.

We may not have the money to throw at the Games like Beijing did in 2008, but we can certainly make sure that the legacy of London 2012 will be with our country forever more. And that involves an athletics track.

For those of you who enjoyed this, have a read of Gordon Farquhar's blog on the BBC Sport site - great read. Also, get in touch on the ol' Twitter - I'm @Adam9309. Cheers all.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

The Promised Land

There are so many historical moments I have witnessed thanks to 24-hour news. 9/11. The 7/7 Tube bombings. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony. The 12-hour millennium celebrations in 2000. But there's two I hold close to my heart - more than anything else.

As many of you have been, I was born into a football-mad family, and have, because of this, been brought up with 3PM on Saturdays being a sacred time for any football fan. With Dad's Dad's Dad supporting United, Dad's Dad supporting United, and Dad supporting United, it was only a matter of time till I also became a Manchester United fan.

3 minutes, in fact. Dad had come back from the Man Utd vs. Crystal Palace game when Mum was about to go into hospital to have us, when we won the league for the first time in years. So, as I pop out, I'm in a United hat. Simple.

And I've lived through the glory years. I've been on the planet when United have won 11 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 8 Community Shields, an Intercontinental Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup, have completed four cup Doubles and won The Treble. And did I mention we've won the Champions League twice?

Ah yes, the Champions League wins. Remember these?!

Back in 1999, I was just 6 by the time we were on for an unprecedented Treble. It was the season I attended my first United game too - at the age of 5, I went to see Everton get thrashed 4-1 at OT on 31st October '98. But it was May 26th 1999 that is the greatest day in MUFC history. Fact.

I'd been put to bed after watching the first half of the game - half 8 was a late night back then! But Mum came and got me up at the end of the game, and I watched us lift the trophy. That day has never, ever left me, and never will. It is a special day in every United fan's heart, and we all remember something from it.

I remember the victory parade days after. The replays of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer putting the ball in the net and winning us the match deep into stoppage time. I remember Mum holding the phone against the telly so Uncle Nick could weep as he watched in the States. And I still get goosebumps and tingles when I watch the game back. I've heard stories of fans who physically cry when they watch the game again. It was a magical, magical evening in Barcelona.

So let's relive it. Here's the goals, celebrations and the joy of English football.

But, we can't go through '99, without mentioning 2008! I was 15 this time around, and remember the whole season. A special season for United fans, as it was 50 years after the Munich Air Disaster which wiped out a golden generation of the team. How proud Sir Matt Busby will have been if he'd have seen this season.

It was, potentially, the greatest season in English football of all-time, based on performances. How many other occasions will we see the world's greatest player, Cristiano Ronaldo, score 31 domestic goals, and 42 in all competitions? How many other times will we see three English teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League?

How many other times will we see John Terry show his true colours?

120 minutes of tense, open, equal football between United and Chelsea, and that led to penalties. I had completely gone by this point - every nail was bitten, every hair was standing up, and everything in my stomach was turning round so fast you could wash your clothes in it and they'd still come out clean.

Goal. Goal. Goal. Goal. Boom.

Ronaldo misses, and realises instantly he's just lost United the European Cup. HE trudges back to the touchline, and sits, solemnly, waiting for the cheers, or the boos.

Goal. Goal. Goal. Nani to keep us in it. Goal.

John Terry to win it. Slips, scoops, over the bar. Mr Chelsea himself unveils himself as a closet Red, and we're back in there.

And it's sudden death - Anderson scores. Kalou scores. And on the night Ryan Giggs makes himself the all-time appearances record holder, with 759 games to his name, he steps up and plants it coolly into the net. All down to Anelka, and Van Der Sar makes himself a United hero, and saves it.

United are Champions of Europe for the third time, and my night begins. What a night. What a brilliant night. I'm not afraid to say I cried that night - it meant so much to every United fan, and after 3 hours of torture, it was everything we could have dreamed of.

Here's the whole penalty shoot-out for United fans to reminisce, and Chelsea fans to think what might've been.

Football. Bloody hell.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

You Can't Buy Success In This League

Today, Sunderland Association Football Club were given a cheque for £18,000,000. That's gonna be followed up with a few more, equalling another £6,000,000. That's a total of £24m. Or £24,000,000.

You see, Aston Villa signed Darren Bent earlier this afternoon after 36 hours of negotiating. Bearing in mind Sunderland signed him for £10m, that's a great bit of business. But is there too much money in football?

Look at some of the other deals that have taken place or been rumoured today. We've had the £3m deal taking Steven Pienaar from Everton to Tottenham, so that Everton didn't lose the player for free in the summer. Ryan Babel is on his way from Liverpool to Hoffenheim for a reported £7m, which will help fund a deal for Stewart Downing to move from Villa to Liverpool for around the same as they paid initially - £12m.

That's on top of the deals we've already seen this January. Jean II Makoun has moved from Lyon to Villa for around £6m, and Edin Dzeko has moved from Wolfsburg to Man City for a staggering £27m, plus add-ons. So far, up to this point, £63,325,000 has been spent by Premier League clubs alone. And we're only halfway through this window.

But what about those bad investments? Clubs try to cover them up by bringing in better players, but the fans know that it was a lot of money wasted. This window alone, we've seen David Bentley, who only two years ago was the story of a £15m transfer deal taking him to Spurs from Blackburn, join Birmingham on loan in the hope of reviving his career. Wayne Bridge joined Man City two years ago for a rumoured £10m, but has gone on loan to West Ham because the constant investment in the team has left him without even a squad place. Another City reject, Roque Santa Cruz, who joined for £18m only 18 months ago from Blackburn, has rejoined his former club after a torrid time at Eastlands.

And there's still plenty more to come too. We've already seen Birmingham pull out of a £6m deal to take Robbie Keane from Spurs, and there's growing speculation that Liverpool, Spurs or Man United are readying a £20m bid for Ajax's Luis Suarez. Bolton may eventually bid for City's Shaun Wright-Phillips, and despite the constant denials from Harry Redknapp, rumours of Spurs bidding upwards of £15m for Newcastle's Andy Carroll are still spinning around in the big wide world.

We have seen this season that money and investment can take you places. Man City are currently sat 2nd in the Premier League, and Chelsea won the championship in 2005, 2006 and 2010. But this investment is nearly half a billion pounds. Surely football is not a business where that is feasible?

It is no wonder Manchester United are in £1.2b worth of debt, and in danger of not existing come 2017. The Glazers have come in, given the club a lot of debt, put their own business careers at risk, but kept investing in the club. Silly money is leaving the club, but not coming back in. UEFA have taken steps to ensure that any club who spends more than their turnover is banned from European competition. This is vital for the future of football as we know it.

Yes, we all want to see the best players in the world in the Premier League, and in particular, wearing our club's colours. But do we want to see them here, knowing that the extra £10 a ticket is to fill the hole that that player left in the club's loans and their overdraft?

Money usually leads to success in business terminology. And the constant investment in our country's teams has led to us becoming world-beaters in terms of club competition. But the money involved in some of these deals, and the implications it could have on the clubs is just pure stupidity.

All links and lovely pictures taken very kindly from the BBC Sport and Sky Sports sites.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Jobs Swaps Jobs? Eh...?

From 13:37 this afternoon, all the way till 15:07, I was sat in a bright room, scribbling and analysing plays and transcripts in utter silence. For I was in an AS English retake, hoping to better my U from last year. Not that difficult, surely?!

Anyway, I digress. I got home to have a quick flick through the old Twitter, and found that Steve Jobs is to take medical leave to 'focus on his health'. Not what I was expecting to find on a Monday afternoon.

Jobs is a legend, not just of the technology world, but of the 21st century. This is the man who is the mastermind behind Apple - the iPod you own, the iPhone you call on, the iPad you tap away at, the recent iMacs and MacBooks you read this on - all his thinking. His health has been the feature of headlines before - back in 2008 he took a step back from the media and the company to recover from a liver transplant, to aid his recovery from pancreatic cancer.

It is definitely sad news - it clearly means something else is up. He'd never walk away with the upcoming iPad 2.0 launch. We're gonna miss that black turtle-neck jumper, the jeans and the trainers we see as he launches another product.

So, Steve, if something is up, everyone in the Mac community, and all those who have ever used your products and are in awe of what you do, we wish you a really, really speedy recovery. Bring on the next Steve Jobs Keynote.

Picture taken from the very lovely BBC News page.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Do You Care?

I sat down tonight to write something, but couldn't think of anything to write. Nothing - my mind was just blank.

Until it hit me.

Last night, we were out and stayed the night in Harpenden. It was late, but we started watching 'A Single Man', the film directed by Tom Ford, with Colin Firth, that was up for a lot of awards last year. I'd seen it before, and really enjoyed it, but everyone else thought it was a bit odd.

For those of you who don't know what it's about, it's the love story of a gay man and how he handles the death of his long-term boyfriend. Bearing in mind it is set in 1962, there were no gay slurs, which in some ways, shocked me. The whole film shows homosexuality in such a good light, and it was warming.

But this is where my lightbulb turned itself on above my head. What can I write about?!

Last October, I was touched enough by an organisation in the States called The Trevor Project to write a blog all about the wonderful work they do. They campaign for LGBT rights - or equality for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals, and campaigning to stop the homophobic bullying.

'A Single Man' is only the second film I've seen that shows gay people in a good light - that they're not filthy, dirty or wrong to society. That's not the attitude the majority of the world's population take, but it is the one the media portrays.

The Trevor Project have the backing of major celebrities - both straight and gay - and this is why it's really taken off the last year or so. With the abolition of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the States, President Obama showed that there was hope.

Along the way, we've all used language that we only mean in a humorous way, in a way that allows for people to express themselves and for others to take the mick. It's how the world works - I take the piss out of you, so you have the right to take the piss out of me. As long as it's not personal, or hurtful, I couldn't care less! But words like 'gay', 'poof', 'dyke' - they're very sensitive words. Everyone uses them now in this society in a derogatory manner, which is helping bring the youth of today up in a world filled with homosexual hatred. You see people sue and take action when someone uses the N-word, so why not any of these? Yes, use them if you are taking the mick, and you know what you're saying around whom, but don't mean them.

Its something I feel very strongly about - I agree to equal rights to all. Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, male or female - we're all human beings, at the end of the day. If we weren't all unique, what's the point in the world?

We all know that the only way forward is to give everyone the rights they deserve. I dunno, maybe 2011 is the year this is all put into action, but the world needs to change to accept those most in need.

We raise money for the third-world countries in Africa and Asia, because we care. We help countries around the world in need, because we care. We give to charity, because we care. We protest for things we think are right, because we care. We want a better world, because we care.

We want equal rights for all, because we care. We want to live in a society where we can walk down the street with a group of friends - one Muslim, one gay, one poor and on benefits, and we want to be able to smile, and know that no matter who we are, or what we look like, or what the colour of our skin, or our race, or our religion is, we can make a difference.

So here is your opportunity to make a difference. I'm not telling you to go to a protest, or to join a Facebook group, but I'm asking you to do one very simple thing.

Care. Because if you don't help make the difference now, the world will remain open to some, but not all.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Music Musings - Jamie Woon

I really hope you've heard of Jamie Woon. Cos this fella is going to absolutely huge this coming year.

I discovered him (I say discovered, as in I found him on t'internet, not as in I found him in a bar and gave his demo to a record company...) on the radio about 6 months ago, and thought he was brilliant. I waited for the Night Air EP to be released, and then the minute I could, pre-ordered his album. There's not many people I do that with based on one single, so trust me, he's good.

He's a graduate of the BRIT School, has supported Amy Winehouse on live gigs, and was 4th on the BBC Sound of 2011 poll, which ranks who lots of media analysts and critics believe will be the biggest artists of the year. So it's quite a good indication that a lot will be coming from Jamie this year.

Below is a video of the song 'Spirals', which is one of the most beautiful things I've heard this year. Listen to it, and just go into a trance. Stunning.

You can find out more on his official website, his Facebook page, or have a word on Twitter. Simple as that.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Life's Loss, Life's Gain

If you think about it, life is just a big story of loss. The day you lose your first tooth. You lose something trusted upon you. The day you lose the Big V to someone. The day you lose a loved one for the first time.

Every one of these has an opposite too. That first adult tooth. The trust you regain is always stronger. The feeling of love afterwards. And the memories flooding through, pulling your family and friends closer together.

You may be wondering what the hell I'm on about. Sometimes, I wonder the same. But tonight, I gained someone we thought we'd lost.

As you may be aware, Nana Ruth, Dad's mum (we had two Nana's - adding the 'Ruth' on the end made it easier for Christmas cards...), was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year. It was quite far down the line, but the chemo helped and last week, she had an operation which was successful.

Today, she could go home. Last week, she didn't think that would happen - she left the house for the last time, in her head. And I hate myself for it, but the feeling I had was she had as well.

Apparently, she walked back in, crept silently to her chair, and wept. Just cried. She's lived there for over 40 years. To think that's that must be agony. She went round every photo and remembered. Gaining back the happiness we all love about NR.

I'm so happy she's going to be around for a while now. Christmas wasn't the same. I thought I had lost someone. The feeling of gaining them back is the best in the world.

Now I could finish with some anecdote, or some funny one-liner, but instead I'm going to leave you with this.

Be thankful for what you have in life, not ungrateful for what you don't. What you'll gain from it is pure happiness.

And there's nothing better than that

http://gmoai.posterous.com/lifes-loss-lifes-gain email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Life's Loss, Life's Gain

If you think about it, life is just a big story of loss. The day you lose your first tooth. You lose something trusted upon you. The day you lose the Big V to someone. The day you lose a loved one for the first time.

Every one of these has an opposite too. That first adult tooth. The trust you regain is always stronger. The feeling of love afterwards. And the memories flooding through, pulling your family and friends closer together.

You may be wondering what the hell I'm on about. Sometimes, I wonder the same. But tonight, I gained someone we thought we'd lost.

As you may be aware, Nana Ruth, Dad's mum (we had two Nana's - adding the 'Ruth' on the end made it easier for Christmas cards...), was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year. It was quite far down the line, but the chemo helped and last week, she had an operation which was successful.

Today, she could go home. Last week, she didn't think that would happen - she left the house for the last time, in her head. And I hate myself for it, but the feeling I had was she had as well.

Apparently, she walked back in, crept silently to her chair, and wept. Just cried. She's lived there for over 40 years. To think that's that must be agony. She went round every photo and remembered. Gaining back the happiness we all love about NR.

I'm so happy she's going to be around for a while now. Christmas wasn't the same. I thought I had lost someone. The feeling of gaining them back is the best in the world.

Now I could finish with some anecdote, or some funny one-liner, but instead I'm going to leave you with this.

Be thankful for what you have in life, not ungrateful for what you don't. What you'll gain from it is pure happiness.

And there's nothing better than that.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/lifes-loss-lifes-gain-0 email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Life's Loss, Life's Gain

If you think about it, life is just a big story of loss. The day you lose your first tooth. You lose something trusted upon you. The day you lose the Big V to someone. The day you lose a loved one for the first time.

Every one of these has an opposite too. That first adult tooth. The trust you regain is always stronger. The feeling of love afterwards. And the memories flooding through, pulling your family and friends closer together.

You may be wondering what the hell I'm on about. Sometimes, I wonder the same. But tonight, I gained someone we thought we'd lost.

As you may be aware, Nana Ruth, Dad's mum (we had two Nana's - adding the 'Ruth' on the end made it easier for Christmas cards...), was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year. It was quite far down the line, but the chemo helped and last week, she had an operation which was successful.

Today, she could go home. Last week, she didn't think that would happen - she left the house for the last time, in her head. And I hate myself for it, but the feeling I had was she had as well.

Apparently, she walked back in, crept silently to her chair, and wept. Just cried. She's lived there for over 40 years. To think that's that must be agony. She went round every photo and remembered. Gaining back the happiness we all love about NR.

I'm so happy she's going to be around for a while now. Christmas wasn't the same. I thought I had lost someone. The feeling of gaining them back is the best in the world.

Now I could finish with some anecdote, or some funny one-liner, but instead I'm going to leave you with this.

Be thankful for what you have in life, not ungrateful for what you don't. What you'll gain from it is pure happiness.

And there's nothing better than that

http://gmoai.posterous.com/lifes-loss-lifes-gain email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

I'm Not Going As Will

So it's got to that point in your school career, as it does, that you've started applying to uni. You're sitting exams. And you're about to book that final farewell of a holiday.

So this morning's free periods were spent flicking through travel brochures, Googling different places, and working out where different, odd-placed names were. Thank God for the internet.

But we've sorta decided on a place, and it's beautiful. We want a 'quiet' week away, rather than a pound a pint night - pubs and clubs down the road, but a beach half a mile away. It's perfect for what we want.

But we're about to become the Inbetweeners. Come on, we're all an Inbetweener if you think about it. You've got the four of them that all relate to your friendship group, in some way. I'm Will - the posh boy who tries to lead everyone in the right direction, that could be the wrong one. Even my form tutor calls me Briefcase Wanker.

But I'm going on holiday to have fun, and enjoy the company of my best friends. I will definitely not be wearing a blazer to the pub.

However, I may shit myself in my exams.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/im-not-going-as-will email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Music Musings - Julia Nunes

This lady is like heaven, with a ukulele.

I first found her on YouTube about three years ago now - she did a beautiful Beatles cover, and it was just so heart-warming, and was like sunshine in a video. She just has a brilliant personality that makes you smile, and her voice is just incredible.

I just wish she'd be given a big, big break. It's something that everyone would love - it's not a kinda music that just relates to one age group. Even my Grandad likes her. And he's 75 in May.

I've had a bit of a poor day, it's not been the greatest. I've had to sit in front of a computer screen recording myself for 5 hours discussing how great me and my work are. And that's difficult, even for me.

So being able to log to to 'jaaaaaa' (that's her YouTube name) for a couple hours tonight was the best thing possible. Thank God for iTunes having her albums.

So you wanna hear her, but can't be bothered to click anything? Well, if you can, here's her Facebook page, the official website, and you can always have a word with her on Twitter.

Otherwise, click play on this, and fall in love.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/music-musings-julia-nunes email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

And The Journey Begins

That place, above what you're looking at right now, is where I see my future. Providing I pull my finger out.

That beautiful building is City University London, and that's where I would love to study Journalism for the next three years. I went round last October, and absolutely fell in love with it. I have my heart set on it - I either go to city, or I don't go to uni. Simple as that.

But why is that relevant to today? Well, today I decided to withdraw one of my choices from UCAS, the place you apply for university. And by withdrawing my decision, I was left with four offers, and so I could accept, and reject.

And so today, everything begins to go forward. I have an exam for the next two Mondays, and then it's prep for the summer. I've got coursework due for Friday as well, so I pretty much know exactly what I need to do to get the AAB I need to get in.

Bearing in mind I was originally predicted BBB, and then requested a change to ABB, getting in to City is going to be a near-on impossible task. But I will work 24/7 to make sure my dreams can come true.

7 months, 9 days to go till Results Day. 221 sleeps. Operation University is under way.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/and-the-journey-begins email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

The Tucson Shooting Tragedy

I feel compelled to write about the tragic events of the last 48 hours in Tucson, Arizona. 20 people were shot at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, of which 6 were fatal. One of those was a 9 year-old girl.

Giffords was shot in the head - the bullet went in one side, and out the other, but miraculously, she survived. She is said to be a rising star of the Democratic party, who could eventually run for Senator of Arizona. It's just such a tragic event.

The FBI believe they have the man who is the primary suspect, Jared Loughner, who seems a very twisted individual if the media is to be believed.

I stayed up late last night to watch Sheriff Clarence Dupnik's press conference, which was very interesting - and the obvious questions were asked after it. Why are guns still legal in the US?

I did a bit of research, and it turns out that Congresswoman Giffords is in fact pro-guns. She voted to scrap the anti-gun legislation. But surely this tragedy happens far too often now in the US to not be noticed? I know it will take years of work, but the work put in will save countless lives in the future.

Below is a video of Keith Olbermann, on his show 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' on MSNBC in the States, discussing the tragedy last night. He may not be correct in every sense, but if you have a spare 10 minutes, watch it. Because it will change your mind in an instant.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the events of yesterday, and I hope the Government take notice and make the changes they need to.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/the-tucson-shooting-tragedy email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

The Way The World Works, Woy...

Poor old Roy.

For those of you who aren't really into your football, Roy Hodgson, manager of Liverpool, left the club by mutual consent yesterday afternoon after months of speculation over his job. Personally, I think it's totally unfair and downright stupid.

And not only have they not given their manager a chance, but they've re-instated Kenny Dalglish as interim manager until the end of the season. Which is exactly what he's been trying to manipulate to happen.

Ever since Rafa left the club in June last year, Dalglish has been linked with the post. He helped choose the new boss, despite admitting he'd love another go. He even put his name forward for the post. Yes, maybe he was being a little ironic, but he couldn't help himself...

He helped choose Hodgson to lead the club forward, and everyone thought they'd made a great decision. Every Liverpool fan believed it to be a dream appointment. Now, as a Man United fan, I was a little sceptical anyway, but I did think that his lack of decent European football for the last 10 years, and having gained a new-found reputation based on turning a relegation-faced team, Fulham, into Europe-heavyweight beaters, and not based on being a Top 4, world-class manager, that it could have been a dangerous appointment. I know that sounds very long-winded and confusing, but it just seemed a little rushed.

Now Roy wasn't given any financial backing during the summer - he could spend, but only if he sold. Yeah, he managed to bring Joe Cole to the club, and Raul Meireles, but he wasn't able to sign anyone that would turn Liverpool back into a championship-winning side. He was left with a defunct squad that Rafa had built over the previous six years, and not one he could leave his stamp on. The new owners of the club promised him money, but Roy's statement yesterday clearly showed that he wasn't given the money for the targets he needed, and that's what makes him more annoyed.

Having only been in the job for days, Dalglish was already saying that he made the 'right decision', and that all the backroom team were working tirelessly to ensure top stars like Gerrard and Torres stayed at the club. It all looked great, providing you were wearing those infamous rose-tinted glasses. Even before Hodgson had joined the club, Dalglish was being seen as 'the key to the top stars staying'. It all looked a little staged, to be honest.

Hodgson signed a three-year contract back at the start of July, and immediately jumped straight in. Now the poor results were a sign of a change, but it was also a sign that the egos in the club weren't being managed correctly - some of the players began to think they were bigger than the team itself. Fergie has always said that when a player thinks he's bigger than the club, he has to move on. And that didn't happen at Liverpool.

Dalglish has been turning the screw in terms of pushing himself forward for the job - why else would he have come back if he didn't want to return to the manager's office? Through all the speculation and poor results over Hodgson's job, Kenny has always been there as a potential replacement.

I think what makes it even more unfair is the fact that Hodgson left the club yesterday afternoon, and within the same statement that it was all announced, Dalglish was announced as caretaker boss. So the owners have obviously been speaking to him whilst everything was kicking off with Hodgson.

And he's already started trying to make his mark. Already, Dalglish has made comments regarding Man United, and started attempting mind games before the big FA Cup 3rd round game between the two teams. And it's just been announced that he's made five changes to the starting 11 for the big game. All seems very strange.

As a United fan, I hate Liverpool, and I hate everything about the club. But I feel so sorry for Roy Hodgson, and for the Liverpool fans as well. The fans have been campaigning for 'Hodgson Out', and then when it happens, Dalglish returns. He may be a legend of the club, and he may be someone who can make a difference in morale, but can King Kenny rule supreme in his second spell at the club? I wouldn't be so sure...

And all pictures were courtesy of the lovely BBC Sport website.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/the-way-the-world-works-woy email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Music Musings - Born This Way

May 23rd. The day the music world gains another masterpiece. Lady Gaga releases 'Born This Way'.

Now in the three very short years since Gaga really hit the big time with first album 'The Fame', she's sold over 20 million albums and become one of the most recognised and sought-after people on the planet. She's an icon, an idol, and in 2011, could very well become the biggest artist the world has, and will ever see.

The only thing stopping her is herself. The third album, 'Born This Way' is released in May, but the single, titled, geniusly, 'Born This Way', will be released on February 11th. That's the day it all starts again, and the circus is back under way.

The video at the top is a segment from The Today Show, in the USA, with Gaga performing 'You & I', one of the best things I've heard so far this year.

If the album is anywhere near a s good as that, then it will be one of the greatest records ever released.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/music-musings-born-this-way email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

A Whole New Way of Working...

As I'm sure most of you are aware, there's this company called Apple, who have a lot of technological devices, and they have something called the App Store. And today, they launched the App Store for Mac.

Now, seeing as I'm a glass half-empty kinda person, I thought it would flop, and go horrifically wrong. Already, within a day, I know that this is gonna be big. It's the new way of gaining software and applications for a computer.

Now we've seen this before, with Steam for PC and Mac. But not on a scale of what we're about to see unfold. Yes, it's a little bare at the minute, and not everything is particularly cheap - Aperture 3 retails at nearly 50 quid. But the ease of being able to download things, and use them within seconds, rather than waiting for that disc to arrive from Amazon, is going to be what makes this a world beater.

It's available in more than 90 countries, with over 1,000 apps available from launch earlier this afternoon. Obviously, this will grow, and Apple will hope it will in such a way that it has taken off with the iPhone and iPod App Stores, with now over 300,000 apps available to download after just under 2 years. Phenomenal.

And having gained a massive increase in market share in 2010, Apple will be hoping 2011 can be the year of the Mac, year of the iPhone, iPad and iPod, and another year of Apple. With 3.84m Macs bought in Q4 of 2010, something is really about to become even bigger than before. Keep your eye on this one, because Steve Jobs is about to get everywhere all over again.

I love Steve Jobs. And Apple, for that matter.

And yes, today was a good day. A very good day.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/a-whole-new-way-of-working email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

All Set for A Change?

A big change is hitting a street corner near you in the spring. For the first time since 1992, Starbucks, the wonderful, warm coffee house chain, will be updating their logo and branding across the globe. To that. That's right. That green thing above what you're reading now.

A monstrosity? A very clever move? You see, they've taken the Starbucks branding away. It no longer reads 'Starbucks Coffee'. Instead we have some form of woman with fins for arms with a crown. She's called 'The Siren', apparently. News to me.

Personally, I think it's an expense Starbucks didn't really have to make. They have an iconic brand built upon that logo. Suddenly, by taking away what makes them the best coffee house in the world, they've destroyed it all. I'm sure a logo change isn't exactly going to stop all their favourite coffee drinkers from going in - I'll still be making my daily visit, that's for sure. But there's just a feeling of anxiety. Why change the logo if it's all going so well? What aren't they telling us? We'll find out when the end of Q1 data hits, I guess.

However, all those at the Hitchin store - make sure my tall filter coffee remains the same. And my caramel mocha. And my tall skinny hazelnut lattes. Please.

What will worry those involved in the high street chains, however, will be the news that hit the Stock Exchange this morning, and would send a lot of people into a flurry of panic. The news of sales being down 10% at HMV will lead to 60 stores being shut across the country. Seeing as they also own Waterstone's, that's not great news. I worked for Christmas at Waterstone's, and the people I worked with were like my little Crimbo family, so it's awful for all of them. But, they did want to leave anyway... That's the last major record shop, and also the last major bookshop in the UK in trouble, so what is left of our wonderful, old-world living styles?

Yeah, everything is now on the internet, but surely there's nothing like flicking through the sleevenotes of a new CD? Reading those final chapters of that new book? It just seems crazy to me - soon the high street will be a thing of the past. Thanks, Amazon.

Not only that with business news, though. Next, the large UK clothing store, announced that they have lost around £22m because of the snow. Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up. We get a foot or so of snow in London and the surrounding areas, where the majority of stores are. Compared to last year, Britain coped extremely well, but seriously? £22,000,000?! I don't think so.

What do I think? Bull. They've made less money than expected, so they'll shift the blame onto an external influence to their stores. Share prices dropped a fair bit, and rightfully so. They've lost money. But if other shops can make a lot of money, like John Lewis and Waitrose announced they did today, then why can't Next? I mean, the John Lewis Partnership have agreed to open 39 new stores around the UK. That's crazy shit.

Marks & Spencer will announce their figures in the coming weeks, and that'll tell us where we are in terms of the market - it always does. It's scary times for the UK high street, but the financial might of our great nation will help pull us through.

That, and a few Starbucks-branded cappuccinos.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/all-set-for-a-change email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

A Post A Day...

So, it's January 4th, and today was the big day of 'Back to School'. Marked on the calendar in a big red pen every year as the day of Satan. The day we all know will arrive at some stage, but the one every single person dreads.

Even parents.

But it was deadline after deadline today. Business essays are due in Thursday. Media coursework is due in Friday. Questionnaires are due in tomorrow. Exam revision before 17th January. English essay for tomorrow. University decisions by the end of the month. It's all beginning to kick off.

And that's only school. I've decided to try and post once a day on here, or thereabouts. So that has to fit in. I've got a camera to buy before the 19th January to make sure I get a decent deal. Not gonna happen unless work provide me with a P45 so I can be paid last month's wages. So that's got to be sorted. I've got to think about my 18th in April to get things booked, and now got to start my budgeting, because I spend far too much.

Is £600 in 3 months a little excessive when you earn just over £100 a month?

So yes, my head has been swimming with dates and things to remember to plonk in the diary by the time I get home.

That failed. It's still empty.

So that has to be done as well. But the one thing I've been looking forward to all day? Posting on here. I don't care how sad that is, I finally feel happy to blog again. And that's taken some time.

Yeah, I may spout more shit than 'Dr' Gillian McKeith, and I may be more aggravating than Louie Spence, but at least I'm actually happy inside.

I'm still frowning outside. I'm not THAT excited.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/a-post-a-day email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Music Musings - Clare Maguire

Big, big stuff is expected of Clare Maguire this year. She was announced as 5th of the BBC Sound of 2011 poll this morning, much to my delight. I think she's utterly genius - what she's done is taken her big voice, and made, effectively, top notch electro pop. And it's worked. So well.

I stumbled across this version of 'Hope There's Somebody' a little earlier today, a cover of a track by Antony and the Johnsons. The most beautiful thing I've heard in a while. Enjoy.

http://gmoai.posterous.com/music-musings-clare-maguire email Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

2011

So we're now into the second year of the decade. 2011. Big year.

I turn 18 this year. I potentially go to uni this year. I get a new job this year. I start paying tax this year. I gain a vote at the next election this year. It's that big a year, I may as well be sent a telegram from the Queen while we're at it.

This year will shape who I will become for the rest of my life. It's the same for everyone who will turn 18 this year. I know I'm not the only one, but it's one of those situations where you feel isolated and you are the only one who can sort it. And I'm a twin.

But I guess it is the one thing that I can be thankful for - I only get half the moaning from my parents, because Katie gets the rest. Well, I say half. It's more like 75%, but we'll gloss over that one...

So as the fireworks were going off at midnight yesterday, and the whole world woke up to a new year, I decided to reflect. Instead of doing our normal run down the road waving at every bloody car that drives past and swearing at the ones who don't honk their horns, I watched the telly. I watched the display on the Thames in London, and smiled to myself.

If this year is gonna go well, it had best start with a bang. It did in London, so it can for me. A lot of work, a lot of coffee and probably a lot of drunken nights too, but bloody hell, I'm gonna have fun this year.

Hello?

Erm, hello.

For all those who are from Day Dedication, welcome back. All those that survived the car crash that was Ever The Optimist, congratulations and hello again. And for all those of you who are new to the wacky world of Adam's obsessive blogging, welcome. This is General Musings of an Idiot.

I've wanted to write a blog without a theme for a while now. It started with a bit of a hashed attempt with Ever The Optimist, which, quite frankly, was one of the worst things I could do at the worst possible time. But we all have shite ideas sometimes...

Likewise, everyone can be a bit of an idiot as well. And that's me in a word - idiot. Yes, I may know every random fact under the universe, and name me a song from the last 15 years and I will tell you as much as I can about it, but that doesn't stop me being an absolute fool sometimes.

Oh, and just for the record, this is an automated post. It's not actually midnight on Friday 1st January 2011. It's quarter past 11 on December 30th, and I'm clutching some very strong coffee to prep this. Sad, I know, but better than spending my New Year tapping away at a keyboard waiting for the world to wake up.

So, you can comment each post, you can Tweet me (I'm @Adam9309) or you can message me using the facilities on each blog post. Simple as that.

It may be a mish mash of ideas, goings-on and wondrous thoughts that pop into my head, but you'll get the idea at some stage...

Hopefully.