30.6.07
Suspicion
As I sit here tonight, watching a Jeep in the doorway of Glasgow airport burning endlessly on looped mobile phone footage on BBC News 24, one very significant thing occurs to me. Ever since the devastation caused on 07/07/05 in London, the three other attempts at terrorism which have surfaced have all failed spectacularly. A whole bunch of rucksack bombs which didn’t go off, two car bombs which also failed to ignite, despite the best efforts of clampers, and now a suicide car bomb without the suicide. Either Allah has run out of virgins on the other side, or we must face the conclusion that our home-grown terrorists are a bit rubbish. Normally this kind of ineptitude would be celebrated and bemoaned in equal measure by the press. How wonderfully British.
So, who’s training them? They are poorly prepared and when it comes to the big day, they fail spectacularly. I suspect they are being trained by the same people responsible for our tennis players.
Labels: terrorism
· link
29.6.07
Tiger Tiger, burning bright...
About ten years ago, I was out in London with a friend celebrating his birthday. We moved from one pub to the next and gathered on the pavement outside our ultimate destination. Then most of us went past the bouncer check and into the venue, where the punters were packed in like sardines and it was impossible to get to the bar. Those of us who were inside soon realised that birthday boy was still outside. The over-zealous bouncers had decided that he didn't have the right kind of trousers on, so we all squeezed ourselves back outside and went to spend our hard-earned cash in a more welcoming venue instead. The bar that wouldn't let birthday boy in was Tiger Tiger on Haymarket. They've been open for many years, so if the Met are looking for people with a grudge against the venue after today's shocking events, they might have a long list to go through...
Some other theories to give the police a bit of a start:
1) Gordon Brown, setting a test for new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on her first day in the job. She hadn't even been shown her desk and the Home Office fire exits before she was whisked under Whitehall for a Cobra meeting this morning.
2) Jacqui Smith's family. Yesterday morning, no one outside of the Labour Party knew who she was. Today, all over the media. Result.
3) The Poetry Militia. A little-known extremist outfit, dedicated to bringing the works of their spiritual leader, William Blake, to life.
On a serious note, if I were in London for Pride tomorrow, I think I would have changed my mind about going out on the streets. With two car bombs found so far, who knows if there are others? I'm all for 'not letting the terrorists win', but I think I would wait until the police were on top of the situation. Tonight, that doesn't seem to be the case, as it still seems to be unfolding before us.
Labels: Birmingham Pride, bombs, London, Tiger tiger
· link
27.6.07
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Little did Billy Joel know, when he released the above song in 1978, just how appropriate it would be today, as Anthony Blair reads the meter at Number 10 and takes down the curtains.
I have a special request to any despot or terrorist who might be considering declaring war on the UK today: please could you not do so between about 13:00 and 15:00? We won't have a Prime Minister for an hour or so, and I really don't want Liz Windsor having to declare a state of war/emergency on her own. Thanks.
Labels: Billy Joel, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair
· link
22.6.07
Big Brother shocker!
He's out:
This week's eviction choice was a strange one, wasn't it? I didn't really want any of the three nominees to go. I don't dislike any of the three, but none of them are amongst my favourites either. It was also difficult to predict, in that I couldn't decide if it would be mother Carol or Jonathan and his moobs who would go. Seany's eviction is even more shocking than Charley not facing the public vote.
Chig's theory: The housemates are so scared of Charley that they can't face living with the vile, self-obsessed gobshite for the three days between the announcement of the nomination results and her inevitable eviction. Come on housemates, show some spirit! Our phones are poised and ready!
Labels: Big Brother 8
· link
18.6.07
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine...
It's my Mum's birthday today, and also that of the co-writer of a very well-known, specifically appropriate song. I gave my Mum an album, in a basket which also contained a bottle of wine, some electrical fuses, a Valentine's card, a birthday card, pictures of a key and a clock with the hands at quarter to three, some hair restorer, bulbs for the garden and printouts of the Points of View website and some holiday cottages on the Isle of Wight. I'm also still feeding her - I took her out for dinner.
So, what album was it? And how old is my Mum today?
Happy Birthdays to...deep breath...Simon for Saturday, Paul for yesterday, Mum and Neil today and Martin tomorrow. Mid-June is a very crowded page in my birthday book!
· link
8.6.07
Seány & Gerry
Loving them already!
On the evidence of the first three, Big Brother is doing very well with the casting of the men this year. It's just a shame the same can't be said about the women.
Labels: Big Brother 8
· link
5.6.07
Time and date in numerical order.
By the time you read this, you've probably slept through 2:34 05/06/07, but I just thought I'd point it out in time for you to catch the full 12:34 05/06/07 at lunchtime.
· link
4.6.07
Superb 2012 Olympics logo unveiled
Sadly (for the whole country), this is just one that was sent in to the BBC website by someone called James Wren. The rubbish that we'll be seeing for the next five years is this piece of 'street art':
Anyone who thinks this is a man (on the left), wanking off another man who is crouching slightly, with a newspaper over his head - think George Michael visits Hampstead Heath - is clearly a sick pervert.
Labels: 2012, logo, London, Olympics
· link
2.6.07
Spot The Difference
Okay, it was a bit too easy. The one on the left speaks more slowly, makes more sense, is more classy and has fewer psychological 'issues'.
Coming soon, more Big Brother puzzles, including...
Which twin would you like to slap first; Sam or Mandy? Does it matter?
and
Who looks more like Victoria Beckham; Chanelle or Chig?
Labels: Big Brother 8
· link
1.6.07
Zig-a-zig aaaaahh
Dateline: 1999.Location: The offices of Global Talent Records.
Northern Line's manager: Okay lads, here's the plan. Three hit singles should do it. Andy, as you're in Birmingham, work on that Chig chappy. He'll probably buy them all, some in both versions, including the ones with the free postcards, which he'll probably scan in 2007...
Then one of you can go out with Kerry Katona...
Dan: Kerry who?Manager: Trust me Dan. You'll get a successful modelling career out of it as well.
Zak: And what will I do boss? Manager: Oh, you'll have a brief fling with Suzanne Shaw and in eight years' time, you'll be the only man in the Big Brother house.
Zak: Big what?
Manager: Trust me Zak. But you'd better change your name. Ziggy should do it.
Northern Line: It'll never work.
Labels: Big Brother 8, Northern Line, Ziggy
· link
It was twenty years ago today...
...that it was another twenty years ago today, that Paul McCartney sang that it was twenty years ago today. Yes, the all-time second best-selling album in the UK, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released forty years ago today. As well as the CD version which I own, we have a vinyl version at my Mum's which still has the bonus sheet of cardboard cut-outs in the sleeve. I wonder how much it's worth?BBC 6 Music is celebrating the fortieth anniversary all day today.
A whole load of artists have covered the album's tracks, on Radio 2 tomorrow at 16:30.
You can even attend an academic conference about the album later this month.
Trivia: The album includes 'When I'm Sixty-Four' sung by Paul McCartney, who currently is 64. My Mum, who was born on McCartney's first birthday, will be 64 on the 18th of this month.
More trivia: The run-out groove at the end of the album includes a whistle which is only audible to dogs.
Opinion: The fantastic film 'Prick Up Your Ears', about Joe Orton, ends with the orchestral cacophony from 'A Day In The Life' from Sgt. Pepper's, in what Chig believes to be one of the best uses of pop music in a film ever, ever, ever.
Labels: Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's
· link
Eurovision 2011
Düsseldorf, Germany
10th, 12th, 14th May
Eurovision 2008
Semi-Final 1 – Tue 20 May
01 Montenegro - Zauvijek volim te – Stefan Filipović
02 Israel – The Fire In Your Eyes (Ke’ilo Kan) – Bo'az Ma'uda
03 Estonia – Leto Svet – Kreisiraadio
04 Moldova – A Century Of Love – Geta Burlacu
05 San Marino - Complice - Miodio
06 Belgium - O Julissi - Ishtar
07 Azerbaijan – Day After Day – Elnur Hüseynov & Samir Javadzadeh
08 Slovenia – Vrag Naj Vzame – Rebeka Dremelj
09 Norway – Hold On, Be Strong – Maria Haukaas Storeng
10 Poland – For Life – Isis Gee
11 Ireland – Irelande, Douze Pointe – Dustin The Turkey
12 Andorra – Casanova – Gisela
13 Bosnia-Herzegovina – Pokušaj – Laka
14 Armenia – Qele Qele – Sirusho
15 Netherlands – Your Heart Belongs To Me – Hind
16 Finland - Missä miehet ratsastaa – Teräsbetoni
17 Romania – Pe-o Margine de Lume – Nico & Vlad Mirita
18 Russia - Dima Bilan - Believe
19 Greece – Secret Combination – Kalomira
Semi-Final 2 – Thu 22 May
01 Iceland – This Is My Life – Eurobandið
02 Sweden - Hero - Charlotte Perrelli
03 Turkey – Deli – Mor ve Ötesi
04 Ukraine – Shady Lady – Ani Lorak
05 Lithuania – Nomads In The Night – Jeronimas Milius
06 Albania – Zemrën e lamë peng – Olta Boka
07 Switzerland – Era Stupendo – Paolo Meneguzzi
08 Czech Republic – Have Some Fun – Tereza Kerndlová
09 Belarus – Hasta La Vista – Ruslan Alekhno
10 Latvia – Wolves Of The Sea – Pirates Of The Sea
11 Croatia – Romanca – Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents
12 Bulgaria – DJ, Take Me Away – Deep Zone & Balthazar
13 Denmark – All Night Long – Simon Mathew
14 Georgia – Peace Will Come – Diana Gurtskaya
15 Hungary – Candlelight – Csézy
16 Malta – Vodka - Morena
17 Cyprus – Femme Fatale – Evdokia Kadi
18 FYR Macedonia – Let Me Love You – Tamara, Vrčak & Adrian
19 Portugal - Senhora do Mar (Negras Águas) - Vânia Fernandes
Final – Sat 24 May
02 United Kingdom – Even If – Andy Abraham
04 Germany – Disappear – No Angels
19 France – Divine – Sébastien Tellier
22 Spain - Baila el Chiki Chiki - Rodolfo Chikilicuatre
23 Serbia - Oro - Jelena Tomašević ft. Bora Dugić
Chig's Gigs & stuff 2007-2008
Coming Up:
11/12 Steel City Tour: ABC, Heaven 17, The Human League - Wolves Civic
Gone Down:
21/01 Sing Live! - B'ham Symphony Hall
05/02 Mika - Berkeley Square, London
13/02 Shayne Ward - Nott'm Arena
21/02 X Factor - Nott'm Arena
04/05 Scooch-Nightingale, B'ham
12/05 Hosting Eurovision night @ The Nightingale
17/05 Jason Donovan-Nott'm Royal Concert Hall
25/05 Pet Shop Boys - Wolves Civic
26/05 Liberty X - Nightingale, B'ham
27/05 Scooch & Björn Again - B'ham Pride
16/06 Muse, The Streets, Dirty Pretty Things, Rodrigo y Gabriela & Zane Lowe - Wembley Stadium
28/06 Brotherhood of Man & Buck's Fizz - Nott'm Royal Concert Hall
14/07 Sing Live! - Summer in the '60s & '70s - Royal Leamington Spa Centre
14/09 Rise - Leek Wootton Village Hall
16/09 Erasure & Onetwo - Wolves Civic
17/09 The Twang & The Priory - B'ham Carling Academy 2 (private gig - Janice Long's Radio2 show)
20/09 Turisas & Abgott - B'ham Carling Academy 2
27/09 McFly - Wolves Civic
10/11 Buck's Fizz & Futureproof (The X Factor), Nightingale, B'ham
17/11 Vengaboys & Andy Williams (The X Factor) - Nightingale, B'ham
01/12 The Human League plays Dare! - Hammersmith Apollo
10/03 Gary Numan Replicas Tour & Daggers - Wolves Wulfrun
15/03 David Gray - Symphony Hall, Brum
18/03 Russell Howard, Alexandra, Brum
20+22+24/05 Eurovision Song Contest, Beograd, Srbija
10/06 Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision, B'ham Hippodrome
12/06 Yazoo - Wolves Civic
14/06-16/06 Bingham Cup, DCU, Dublin
24/06 Westlife & Hope - Nottingham Arena
07/07 Duran Duran & The Duke Spirit - NIA, B'ham
01/08 kd lang - Symphony Hall, B'ham
Coming Up:
11/12 Steel City Tour: ABC, Heaven 17, The Human League - Wolves Civic
Gone Down:
21/01 Sing Live! - B'ham Symphony Hall
05/02 Mika - Berkeley Square, London
13/02 Shayne Ward - Nott'm Arena
21/02 X Factor - Nott'm Arena
04/05 Scooch-Nightingale, B'ham
12/05 Hosting Eurovision night @ The Nightingale
17/05 Jason Donovan-Nott'm Royal Concert Hall
25/05 Pet Shop Boys - Wolves Civic
26/05 Liberty X - Nightingale, B'ham
27/05 Scooch & Björn Again - B'ham Pride
16/06 Muse, The Streets, Dirty Pretty Things, Rodrigo y Gabriela & Zane Lowe - Wembley Stadium
28/06 Brotherhood of Man & Buck's Fizz - Nott'm Royal Concert Hall
14/07 Sing Live! - Summer in the '60s & '70s - Royal Leamington Spa Centre
14/09 Rise - Leek Wootton Village Hall
16/09 Erasure & Onetwo - Wolves Civic
17/09 The Twang & The Priory - B'ham Carling Academy 2 (private gig - Janice Long's Radio2 show)
20/09 Turisas & Abgott - B'ham Carling Academy 2
27/09 McFly - Wolves Civic
10/11 Buck's Fizz & Futureproof (The X Factor), Nightingale, B'ham
17/11 Vengaboys & Andy Williams (The X Factor) - Nightingale, B'ham
01/12 The Human League plays Dare! - Hammersmith Apollo
10/03 Gary Numan Replicas Tour & Daggers - Wolves Wulfrun
18/03 Russell Howard, Alexandra, Brum
20+22+24/05 Eurovision Song Contest, Beograd, Srbija
10/06 Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision, B'ham Hippodrome
12/06 Yazoo - Wolves Civic
14/06-16/06 Bingham Cup, DCU, Dublin
24/06 Westlife & Hope - Nottingham Arena
07/07 Duran Duran & The Duke Spirit - NIA, B'ham
01/08 kd lang - Symphony Hall, B'ham
Who is Chig?
Contact me: chig at cmdh dot freeserve dot co dot uk
My Wish List
Front page
Archive
RSS feed
Chig is Nicki French's official stalker...but she doesn't seem to mind.
Chig's life can sometimes be a right pain in the balls...
Chig watches...
Dogtown, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, Robin Hood, The X Factor, Spooks, Extras, Mock The Week, Popworld, Ideal, Deal Or No Deal, Eggheads, Hollyoaks, Never Mind The Full Stops, Doctor Who series 2 repeats on BBC3, The Bill, Match Of The Day, Ant'n'Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
Chig has failed at two attempts to watch the whole series of Invasion, so if you have it on DVD...
Chig still fancies Jesse Metcalfe...
...and Brandon Flowers, Roman Sebrle, Jonas Armstrong, Matthew Fox, Stefan Booth, Stuart Manning, Gary Lucy...
49= 49= 48 46= 46= 45 44 43 40= 40= 40= 39 38 37 36 35 33= 33= 31= 31= 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Where I live:
Birmingham: It's Not Shit
icBirmingham
BBC Birmingham
The Nightingale
Club DV8
Interests:
Flickr
gaytimes
Popjustice
The Official Charts Co.
Launch (UK charts)
British Hit Singles
Aston Villa FC
GFSN
Eurovision 2006
Eurovision 2005 in Kyiv
Popjustice Eurovision
Friends Reunited
Mr Gay UK
Eurovision 2007:
Official EBU Eurovision
Helsinki 2007 Official
DotEurovision (News)
ESC Today (News)
Eurovision Songs
OGAE Malta
Norway: Melodi Grand Prix
AsianMissionToEurovision(Blog)
Eurovision 2007 acts:
Qualifier:
Albania: Aida & Frederik Ndoci
Andorra: Anonymous
Austria: Eric Papilaya
Belarus: Dima Koldun
Belgium: The KMGs
Bulgaria: Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankulov
Croatia: Dragonfly ft. Dado Topić
Czech Republic: Kabát
Cyprus: Evridiki
Denmark: DQ
Estonia: Gerli Padar
Georgia: Sopho Khalvashi
Hungary: Magdi Rúzsa
Iceland: Eiríkur Hauksson
Israel: Teapacks
Latvia: bonaparti.lv
FYR Macedonia: Karolina Gočeva
Malta: Olivia Lewis
Moldova: Natalia Barbu
Montenegro: Stevan Faddy
Netherlands: Edsilia Rombley
Norway: Guri Schanke
Poland: The Jet Set
Portugal: Sabrina
Serbia: Marija Šerifović
Slovenia: Alenka Gotar
Switzerland: DJ Bobo
Turkey: Kenan Doğulu
Final:
Armenia: Hayko
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Marija Šestić
Finland: Hanna Pakarinen
France: Les Fatals Picards
Germany: Roger Cicero
Greece: Sarbel
Ireland: Dervish
Lithuania: 4Fun
Romania: Todomondo
Russia: Serebro
Spain: NASH
Sweden: The Ark
Ukraine: Verka Serduchka
UK MYMU entrants
Big Brovaz
Brian Harvey
Cyndi
Hawkins & Brown
Liz McClarnon
Scooch(!)
Artists:
Prata Vetra (Brainstorm)
Marc Almond
Pet Shop Boys
Scissor Sisters
Family history:
Chig is directly descended from the following families. If you have one of these surnames, we're possibly related, so feel free to get in touch: Crowe, Harborne/Harbourne, Higgins, Hutchins, O'Sullivan/Sullivan, Talliss/Tallis.
Above: My Gran with her Gran. Snitterfield, Warwickshire, c.1930.
Shameless exhibitionism:
Chig's January 1999 Gay Times article, behind the scenes filming 'Queer As Folk'
People we know:
After The Boyf
B-Boy Blues
Bitful
Daren & Justin
David Belbin
Glenn Ball
I'm Hip To You
Loobynet
Melodimen
Over Your Head
Poplicious
Quarter Hours
Reluctant Nomad
Schlagerboys
Simon & The City
Thoughts From Fish Island
Troubled Diva
Other people we like:
AceDiscoVery
Come Into My World
Club Contact
Following Adam
Diamond Geezer
My Ace Life
Naked Blog
TheSnowInTheSummerOrSo-So
Welshcake
Zbornak
Archives:
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
December 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
November 2001
![[Powered by Blogger]](http://buttons.blogger.com/bloggerbutton1.gif){kind=small}
