Ev's 'blog

Ah, my new favourite French (albeit rather itinerant) chanteuse, Clémence Freschard. Don't know how it has taken me so long to come across her as I've like her pals in Herman Düne for some time. Anyway, here is the upbeat title track off her new album (which for once is on vinyl and not just a home made CD).

Ricciardo Day two at the Melbourne Grand Prix and we finally got to see the 2014 cars on the tarmac for the first time. The grandstand seats we had for the second day were overlooking the start/finish line on the main straight. Great view, but not so hot for getting photographs as the cars zoomed past at high speed right by the wall at our feet. Still, I managed a few shots and there are more of all the other stuff going on that day. Including upside down flying motorbikes! Click here for the day two photos.

A great little documentary on why vinyl matters, why we love it, why it is better for music (we actually listen to it) and better for us.

Somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because they don't have any surface noise...

I said listen mate, life has surface noise.

John Peel

Day 1It's certainly taking some time for me to go through the many photos I took at my first Grand Prix experience, but I now have a set from day 1, set-up day. No actual F1 action, but plenty of other entertainment and we got to walk the pit-lane and see the garages in action assembling the cars. The trip was a great experience and as I go through the other photos I post them here. So for day 1, click here.

Peanut butterIt is great to be rich, you can throw good food away for the flimsiest of reasons and not even care. Costco, the huge US retailer, is dumping millions of jars of peanut butter, that has been extensively tested and found OK, ratehr than allow it to be donated to food banks. Why? Well you'd have to ask them and they aren't saying, but presumably it is because a) they might, in the long run, lose a few sales and b) there is a chance that if they donate it and there is a problem they will get bad publicity. There is a law specifically protecting them legally if they donate the food, so it isn't legal worries. What a waste: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/28/costco-26m-peanut-butter-new-mexico-landfill

Isolation recordsWhen I was in my teens the two bands I listened to more than any other were probably The Cure and The Smiths. Whilst I still play both occasionally, they aren't top of the rotation these days. I was listening to 'The Queen is Dead' with the kids this morning though and it still sounds so great. Is that just nostalgia though, or do The Smiths still, matter? Well if you Google that particular conundrum, one of the hits you get is a review of a boxset of all of their albums. Perhaps more interesting though is the website it is on, I'd never heard of them, but it appears Isolation Records were a short-lived label of that name in the mid-2000's. Now though they have a website with info on various indie music that matters to people of a certain age, even a complete review of every album released by Creation Records! Anyhow, if you are that way inclined, check out the website at: http://www.isolationrecords.co.uk

Porsche Oops Sm
I'm slowly going through the large number of photos I took at the Melbourne Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago. I'll post a selection here, but as a taster here is an animated gif I've made from shots taken during one of the support races. I was impressed with the amount of air the car got under that back wheel.



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