…but these things don’t.
1. Recycling, South Australia style.
2. History podcasts. Two of my favorites are Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History” and Mike Duncan’s “The History of Rome”. The latter is up and running again after a hiatus that went on far too long. Check out my interview with Duncan from a few months ago and look forward, hopefully, to one with Carlin in the not to distant future. These guys tell history the way it should be told.
3. This weekend, while driving through the beige plains of South Australia, I had an epiphany: the music that I enjoy the most, the stuff that always turns my crank when it pops up on the iPod, is Americana. Call it Country & Western, alt*country, hick licks, whatever – if it’s got a bit of twang, strong songwriting and a loping beat, I dig it the most. Runaway Dorothy is a Tarheel quartet that ticks all the right boxes for A Free Man. They were kind enough to send me their debut LP, “The Arc”, a while back and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. They’re unsigned and blogger friendly, so check out the track below and if you like what you hear buy the record!
4. Saxondale. A new Free Man commenter (and old friend) introduced me to this BBC comedy starring the incomparable Steve Coogan a couple of years ago. Watching Season 1 again on my iPod has been making my commute shorter for the last couple of weeks. Got Season 2 Captain Sensible?
5. To rip off Time Magazine – you. For inexplicable reasons, your underwhelming correspondent has been the recipient of a flurry of blog awards lately. Thanks to Father Muskrat, Strange Scottish Girl, My Boyfriend Is A Pirate, Mongolian Girl, and Trooper Thorn (though his was misguided). Thanks a lot to these guys and all of you that take some time out of your day to waste it with me.
6. A day off with this monkey.
That’s not Timmins, Boy Z.
Back with you properly soon, I’ve got all sorts of good things planned for you. Why, oh why, did I give them essay questions on their exam?
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by SSG
02 Dec 2008 at 22:02
that’ll learn ya. Sweet photo of the boyZ. Will check out history podcasts.
by JChevais
02 Dec 2008 at 23:59
oooooohh…… I likes me some Dan Carlin…. I does indeed.
by father muskrat
03 Dec 2008 at 00:18
Good luck with reading essays, and you’re welcome!
I love the pic of the boy who cried “wolf.”
by tysdaddy
03 Dec 2008 at 00:29
I hate essay questions. I’ve done more than my fair share of Blue Book exams . . . you are so mean!
by mickey
03 Dec 2008 at 02:10
Are you trying to give that kid nightmares?! I take it he will be supporting the removal of the wolf from the endangered species list.
by mongoliangirl
03 Dec 2008 at 02:39
Poor Boy Z! If he was a 42-year-old woman making that face while sitting on a toilet he would be me. Every morning. Realizing there are three 80 pound dogs, 2 cats and a Chihuahua staring at me.
I LOVED getting essay questions from professors. Does that make me strange or just someone who relished the idea of professors sitting around at home wishing they had more time to blog while thinking, “Why, oh why, did I give them essay questions on their exam?”
Your award was well deserved ’cause I truly dig ‘wasting’ time over here.
by Florida Girl In Sydney
03 Dec 2008 at 02:46
I love the can airplane!
by People in the Sun
03 Dec 2008 at 03:24
Steve Coogan is an evil Wayne Coyne? I never heard about this show, but I loved Alan Partridge. I’ll try it (once it gets to Netflix).
I hope Z is not crying Wolf. (although as Ricky Gervais said in the stand up show I saw last night on TV, the moral of that story is that it’s okay to lie, just don’t lie twice).
by Jason O.
03 Dec 2008 at 03:24
History of Rome, nice work. Just finished renting (and rewatching) the second season of HBO/BBC’s “Rome.”
The greatest series ever. Not saying the Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood were bad, just that Rome was the best.
by Noble Savage
03 Dec 2008 at 03:26
I always loved essay questions. I did wonder if my profs ever regretted it though, especially when I wrote a couple extra pages because I just had so much to say on the matter.
by courtney
03 Dec 2008 at 03:48
I will have to check out those podcasts.
Is Z scared of Timmins now?
by Gypsy
03 Dec 2008 at 04:02
Oh fantastic!! Another britcom for me to watch. And it has Ruth Jones, who is a favorite of mine. Have you seen her in Gavin & Stacey?
by Katie80
03 Dec 2008 at 04:33
I kept hearing people mention that band Runaway Dorothy and thought I should check them out. I am so glad I did and I am glad you are encouraging others to do the same.
by Andrew
03 Dec 2008 at 04:57
Poor Z! He looks scared out of his mind. I don’t think he’ll try to stab that dog with the fork!
by flutter
03 Dec 2008 at 05:35
That model airplane is pretty impressive, I must say
by Coal Miner's Granddaughter
03 Dec 2008 at 06:12
Essay questions on exams? You are a masochist. And I’m with you on the Americana twang. Excellent traveling music!
by arizaphale
03 Dec 2008 at 07:20
On first glance I thought that Timmins didn’t look particularly friendly in that shot! Great capture
Essay questions. Ah yes. So glad I switched to teaching Maths. Oh wait, I also teach history and yes, I have set them an essay question. Now you may think, at least at year 10 their essays won’t be very long, but on the flip side they are usually complete DRIVEL which renders the reader somnolent at best and hysterically looking for another career at worst. I will be in your boat next Monday as results are due in Tues 9am.
Looking forward to having some time off to follow up some of your recommendations when holidays commence.
by admin
03 Dec 2008 at 08:25
SSG – Yep. Next year multiple choice.
JChev – He’s good isn’t he? His political podcast is pretty good as well.
Muskrat – Most of the essays are crap, which makes it that much more painful.
Tys – I love being mean. I want to be that professor that everyone hates, but then ultimately respects years later. So far, I reckon it’s just the former.
Mickey – The funny thing is, that he wasn’t actually scared – just caught him making a weird face. Every time we go to the museum now he heads straight for that wolf and bangs on the glass.
Mongola – Definitely strange. I liked them too, so you’re in strange company as well.
FGIS – Cool isn’t it, we should have bought one. I didn’t fancy the advertising for sugary soda though.
PIS – If you liked Partridge you’ll love it. Frickin’ hilarious and a must for men of, ahem, a certain age.
Jason – Was that Rome series good? I watched one of it and it just seemed like a bit if soft core porn.
NS – I told them that I would only read one page, so they needed to get what they wanted to say in a single page. Thank god for that!
Courtney – No, but Timmins is a little scared of Zach.
Gypsy – Yep and she’s great in this one.
Katie – Glad you like them.
Andrew – Too late, that wolf’s done.
Flutter, working propellers and everything. Really should have bought it and left my anti-consumerist morals behind for a minute.
CMGD – Or a sadist.
Ariza – Enjoy. And I know what you mean about drivel. If it’s obviously crap I just stop reading and give them a 0. But I’m nasty that way.
by Hezamarie
03 Dec 2008 at 23:57
“Look scared for the photo, son.” What a classic. You guys make a good monkey team.
by Jill/Twipply Skwood
05 Dec 2008 at 10:20
And Americana. I love Americana!
Dag nab it! All I ever have to say on People in the Sun’s blog is, “That baby is SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ok, every now and again I come up with something actually related to the post. But here I go again – THAT BABY IS SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And cute photo too!