Elmo Wants to Experience Weightlessness

Elmo doing his impression of weightlessness at 58secs. I very much doubt it gets better than this? Surely amongst the cutest things on planet Earth?

Alive and Drumming

The rush of playing live in a band.....

Alive and drumming

Stepping forth into the arena,
A band of merry gladiators appear,

Brandishing our weapons and ready to fight,
A vibrate sound we shall play here tonight,

Swords of different shape and size
Cheers from the crowds making our prize,

Oozing blood sweat and tears,
The reggae and funk fill our ears,

Chemicals rush into our bloodstream,
Charging with weapons at fullsteam,

Smiles and happiness fill the air around me
Did I just hear "have another cup of tea"?

Dear E.T., Beat This...

I like living here. Planet Earth that is.....

Here is why....



(recommend you view this in full screen)

This beautiful time-lapse movie was created by "TSO Photography" during a visit to the Teide National Park, Tenerife.


View Larger Map

Also, I really like the music which accompanies this. I knew I recognised the tone from somewhere, so using the Shazam app, I discovered the song is Nuvole Bianche by the amazing Ludovico Einaudi (who I also discovered using Shazam!)

Catherine Middleton

One photo from Friday after standing for a long time on the Mall.

What a wonderful atmosphere! Summed up perfectly by the one and only Boris here.

View full size.

Bringing Rio to the Runners

Last Sunday, 17th April 2011, a bright shining light sat high above London embracing it in a warm glow. This fireball of heat provided the backdrop for an energetic display of human endurance; The London Marathon.

Some 35,000+ passionate and dedicated individuals from all walks of life descended upon London to cover the 26 miles and 385 yards, running their socks off to raise millions of pounds for charity. I hold each runner in an extremely high regard and their commitment should be an inspiration to us all.

Lining the route, amongst the thousands of cheering supporters were numerous music bands, churning out the notes of many disparate styles of music. One of these bands, and one I was playing in, was the London School of Samba.



Setting myself up along with around forty other drumming amigos from the LSS in Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, lots and lots of fast and funky samba music was played for some five hours -- often finding ourselves getting carried away and literally jumping for joy!...



Taking many of the breaks (different rhythms/bits of trickery) from the practice sessions (see this YouTube video), there was somewhat of a personal mini battle of endurance going on in myself and my fellow drummers to play both quality and quantity for this duration of time -- but nothing that compared to the monstrous battles being endured by all the runners.



However, any aching of arms soon disappeared once the electric atmosphere ignited the event. An astoundment at both the physical and mental strength of all the athletes filling my vista drove up my own energy levels, spurring on the desire to give the motivation to the runners who needed all the support they could get! Playing a part in this was a real honour.



For the last hour, another samba group, Rhythms of the City joined in. At this point, there were around eighty of us thrashing out a rapid, vibrant sound for the growing numbers of spectators and exhausted runners.


(video taken by Mestre Fred, director of music for the London School of Samba and all round jolly nice chap!)
So, all in all, a wonderful, music-filled sambtastic (don't worry, it's a word!) day with a lovely bunch of drummers and some truly inspirational members of the public engaged in efforts for the greater good!

All of this got you tempted to come along and play some samba? Good! I thought it would! Your informational needs will be met here.

The Awkwardness of Dates

With some adult content (nothing dodgy though), this short film, "Blind Date" starring Sophie Anderson; latest hit at the British Film Institute, shows the awkwardness of a first (in this case a blind) date. How people misinterpret meanings, appear too keen, appear too weird and when the mind decides to have a bit of fun with its owner are all explored through this short snippet of comedic motion picture.

I encourage you to give up 10 minutes of your time to watch this. I'm sure there will be something in this that will take you back to an experience you have had.



Want to help encourage young British acting talent? Follow @sophieanderson_ on twitter!

Sunday Lovers

Kept meaning to do this one for some time since I saw a couple walking past a few Sundays ago, having a lovely romantic moment to themselves (yeah guys can be suckers for romance too you know folks!). Today (although a Saturday), I saw another couple together holding hands, so with that inspiration engaged :).......

Well with spring firmly on its way, the Sunday lovers shall soon be out in force! Yes, that secret (and envied amongst singletons) club of couples who dominate the paths of towns, cities and parks across the country. Sharing their love for one another as they stroll innocently along the streets in their own little bubble of love.

Sunday Lovers

Together in this moment,
Serenity exists,
I have everything I want
When I feel your soft sweet kiss

This moment is ours,
The world stands still,
Gazing into your eyes,
This feels such a thrill,

Loyal by your side, holding your hand,
For this special moment, admiration demands,
On these shared paths both the new and the old,
I have just to smile, your beauty I behold,

The sun on our backs, the wind in your hair
I know that I want not to be elsewhere,
Matters not do the sights, smells and sounds,
For you my sweetheart my love knows no bounds.