Fluteboy

Tomorrow I have a counselling session. The last time I went for counselling was in 2006, and it was not a great experience at the time. I only hope I will be a slight more receptive now than I was back then.

Here are a couple of audio oddities for you to consider. There is a Japanese band called Box who perform music in the style of the Beatles. Their 2008 album Box Pops is a delight, featuring songs such as Life Is Like a Cornflake - which demonstrates the difficulty that Japanese people have with the English language. Note that panning vocal singing: "Cornfrake! Cornfrake!"

Box - Life Is Like a Cornflake

Radio presenter Iain Lee introduced us to this album when he presented on Absolute Radio, and the song he plugged the most was this one entitled Temptation Girl. a slew of Japanese lyrics with the occasional English word or phrase sticking out like a sore thumb!

Box - Temptation Girl

I have started my mobile disco outfit once again, following an absence of near five years. In fact, the last gig I did was a 40th birthday in November of 2010. Too long has passed. Modern music has evolved once again, and I am having to reacquaint myself with it. My business cards do emphasise my specialising in older music, though it would make sense to cater for the various mutant strains that pass for entertainment in this day and age. Some people just so happen to like that wub-wub-wub thing that gets called dubstep!

Do you suffer from hayfever? I do, and it is no fun. And it seems to be getting worse with each year. I spent the first 30 years of my life being immune to hayfever, with my mum, dad and poor, long-suffering asthmatic sister having to deal with it. At 31 however, it was presented to me on a platter whether I wanted it or not.

The one-a-day tablets do nowt for me. The one-every-four-hour ones are only marginally better. Sadly I have been resorting to phenergan, which just so happens to double up as a sleeping tablet. It is the only thing that helps me. Unfortunately the purchase of said tablet is a little controlled over here. I remember doing a two week stint on the pharmacy counter at Sainsbury's, and being shown where this tablet was kept, and given a list of customers that I was forbidden from selling it to. This included that mad bat Maureen who came in three times a day. She was truly the Agnes Brown of the store! "Fokkin Jasus! Would you look at that!"

So there are today's topics - spinning, sneezing and sleeping. What a wonderful combination!

Last night we said a sad goodbye to Chris and Marisa, who are emigrating back to the USA. They were regular attendees at our local pub quiz nights and karaoke shows. Chris himself relished performing some of the more obscure songs, and appreciated my similar efforts.

It was due to his work that they came over here from Kirtland Ohio a few years ago, and now that work sees them having to go back. Sometimes work stinks! What's more, their son will not be able to have another beer for a good two years now. Here we allow folk to drink from the age of 18, yet the USA expects you to wait another 3 years. Work that one out - you are old enough to kill but not to drink. Their Government has really got its finger on the pulse!

Now who is going to appreciate my attempts to mimic Paul Carrack and Albert Hammond?!

Today I attended the cardiac department at Peterborough City Hospital. This is all the result of an angina attack that dealt me a blow back in April. This test had me on a treadmill while wired up to an ECG machine and having my blood pressure taken numerous times.

Years ago I used to take about two hours walk a day, which sadly does not seem to happen these days. Being on that treadmill was rather decent. Every five minutes they increased the incline and the speed, and monitored its effect on me. I managed to achieve a good speed. The only issue for me was having to have parts of my chest hair shaved off in order to accommodate the sticky tags. This thing took years of growing! It is only thanks to my Mum's Spanish origin that I have this luxuriant chest-wig, and then they go and cut a couple of holes in it. Now I have got Hannah agitating to wax the rest of it off!

Let's round off with a video, shall us? A couple of weeks ago, Killers frontman Brandon Flowers performed in session for Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2. In the session he performed the Killers' song Jenny Was a Friend of Mine in an acoustic manner.

Brandon Flowers - Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - BBC Radio 2