Back in 1998 I had the pleasure of spending a couple of weeks travelling around Lebanon:

I have to say it was one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring and friendly places I've ever been. The scenery can be breath-taking, from sandy beaches to mountains to forests to deserts, it's got the lot. There are ancient ruins built at the height of the Roman empire (which means they're the biggest) including the largest standing columns on earth. My jaw was on the floor looking at some of these monuments in Baalbek. And the people were not what I'd expected at all. After years of war I thought I'd find people with their heads down, battle-hardened and bitter. But I found people young and old with a bright, optimistic outlook on life who were amazingly friendly and more westernised than me! In fact I'd rate the people I met above New Zealanders on the friendliness scale - and that's saying something.

But the one thing I took away from the trip was that the picture I had in my head before going of what Lebanon was going to be like, especially with the friction with Israel over the border (which I went to - quite an intimidating area with all the razor wire and UN troops) from the western media was completely different to what I actually saw. Up until then I assumed that people like the BBC would bring you the truth but there's no such thing as the truth, just someone's opinion on a series of events. And they won't necessarily be your opinions if you're there on the ground. Plus the media have to watch what they say, they can't go taking sides - even if they're right - especially against large, powerful nations, so they take the middle ground. It was eye opening to see things first-hand without the media bias. Don't believe all you hear!

However the fact that Lebanon was no longer a place to be feared and looked to have a bright future with Israel pulling their troops out, peace throughout the country and Beirut being rebuilt made me happy. Lebanon deserved a break from once being the Paris of the Middle East to a war-torn nation. The people deserved it.

So it won't surprise you to learn how sad I was to see it all kicking off again. I'm not going to take sides and say Israel are wrong for bombing Lebanon (which they are - Hezbollah having munitions in civilian areas? ask yourself who's telling you that's the truth and if it's just an excuse), and I'm not going to say it's wrong for Hezbollah to launch rocket attacks at Israel (which they are - what do you expect to happen if you do that?). The time for saying who's to blame is long passed. After decades of terrorism in Northern Ireland it was abundantly clear that at some stage or another people were going to have to just stop fighting and move on. No amount of bombing, military presence, arrests or anything was going to stop it. You can't make one side give up by intimidating them - especially when it's on their home soil.

It doesn't matter who throws the first stone. If someone gets hurt, then retaliates and someone gets hurt on the other side, then it just goes on from there from one side to the other. For every civilian that gets killed in an Israeli bombing raid you're creating more Lebanese who hate Israelis. For every rocket that kills an Israeli you're going to create more Israelis who want blood spilled to even the score. It's human nature. And it's completely self-defeating.

It's disappointing to see the international might of countries like the USA and UK just standing by watching without attempting to intervene. Although to be fair, Israel is a nuclear power who don't have to listen to people like the USA if they don't want to. But if Israel end up occupying Lebanon again then you can expect many more years of war - and it's so obvious that's the outcome it amazes me the Israeli leaders think it's the best approach to meet their goals.

I just feel badly for the people. It's always the innocent civilians that get caught in the crossfire in situations like this. If someone was bombing my town and my family was killed, you can bet I'll pick up arms against them. And I won't care if what they're doing is just in their eyes, my hurt and pain will motivate my revenge plenty. And since violence begets violence, it'll never end. And if I can think that way, then so can anybody, no matter how friendly, positive and hospitable they are. War is easy. Peace is very very hard. Never take the easy option.

I went with my girlfriend and a couple of friends to see Snow Patrol play on Saturday night at the Millenium Square in Leeds. We turned up a bit early so went for something to eat in a nearby Thai restaurant (where I proceeded to eat the finest salad I’ve eaten in my entire life - in fact it may well be the finest dish I’ve eaten in my entire life, but that’s another story). We stuck our heads out the door a couple of times to make sure they weren’t on - although that salad was so good I’d have happily missed the gig to lick the plate clean.

Once the food was eaten we went across the road to the venue. I saw Embrace play there last year and once again was surprised how many people you can fit in the square. It wasn’t too long before they came on and started playing some of their trademark songs.

We weren’t too far away from the stage and were pretty close to one of the speaker towers so it was a good vantage point (and as we were near the edge we managed to avoid most of the glasses of beer being thrown around).

They played a selection of songs mostly drawn from their current and previous albums with one from their second.

Gary, the lead singer, had lost his voice on tour and this was the second gig since they started up again so he apologised for the quality of his singing! To be fair he was a bit croaky to start but within a couple of songs was happily hitting the high notes!

I was really looking forward to seeing them as I’ve listened to Final Straw over and over since it came out - an instant classic. Then their new album Eyes Open came out and it’s even better!

They certainly didn’t disappoint - they played really well and the stage banter was entertaining too. Before I knew it they’d played their last song and it was time to go home. On a hair related note I see he decided to cut off his long curly locks in a John Conners way, but I’m sure he wasn’t copying me.

Highlight of the evening? Ben drove us and when he parked outside the venue he said “do you want the bad news or the bad news?”. With little choice I replied “the bad news”. It turned out the bad news was that he’d dropped his car keys down a drain! So in true MacGuyver style we had a look in the back of his car and found the shoulder strap for a bag. We broke the spring clip off the end to leave a small hook-shaped end. While one held the drain cover up Ben reached his arm down into the abyss, hooked the keys and brought them to the surface. Success! And nobody got hurt!

I remember ABBA. Judith Wilson used to live along the road from us when I was a kid and when I was over at hers one day when she brought out an ABBA record. I’d never heard of them at that point and don’t really remember if she played the record or just looked at it (come on, it was 20 years ago!). But they clearly didn’t make an impression as I never made a point of listening to them again.

Sure, they were on the TV loads over the years, at discos, weddings, films and so on - it’s impossible to escape from them even now. I just didn’t pay much attention. So last year when I was doing some redecorating I picked up the ABBA Gold CD from my girlfriend’s collection (it was closest to hand), put it on and was hooked. I never realised what a great band they were! And even more surprising was that I already knew all the words and could sing along immediately. I instantly understood why someone once wrote a PhD on the music of ABBA (I saw a program on the BBC about it years ago).

I’ve been working hard on the next version of John’s Background Switcher (which is in beta, contact me if you want to join in the testing) and fired up Media Player. I wasn’t sure what to listen to so just picked the first on the list - which was 2 Unlimited. Since that was terrible, I chose the next which was of course ABBA - and once again I’m reminded how good they are! Excellent coding music borne out by some of the work I’ve spent the weekend doing - including the much requested anti-pants filter. One of my colleagues was doing a PowerPoint presentation and my background switcher had decided to select a photo of a pair of pants on a moor as his wallpaper, much to his embarrassment! So as of the next version you can put in a list of tags and no photos containing any of those tags will be chosen - so no more photos of random children on your desktop!

Now, if I could just get ABBA to reform and record some new material - I know all their songs already…

As I was filling my car up with petrol I noticed a handy converter to show me how much petrol is per gallon from the price per litre. As you can see it’s a bit out of date, despite looking relatively shiny and new:

Just goes to show how expensive running a car in the UK is getting. Or maybe it’s a marketing ploy to make you think it’s not quite as expensive as it really is relying on the fact that most people need a calculator to add up!

I just had a look in the folder on my laptop that stores all the photos downloaded from Flickr by my Background Switcher and I was really impressed. No, not by my software, but by the sheer high quality of photos its downloaded over the last few months.

There are 466 photos in there taking up 162MB of hard drive and my switcher’s been either looking at specific groups or the most interesting photos of the current day. There really are some amazing photographers out there and without Flickr I’d never get to see their work and be inspired by what you can do with a camera.

Sure, the internet can make the worst parts of human nature accessible to anyone, but it can also showcase what creative things humans can be. Flickr may just be a piece of software but a paintbrush is just a piece of wood and some hairs stuck together and look what you can do with that!

My favourite band is Belle and Sebastian (if you’ve not heard them then go and buy all their albums and EPs now!). I’ve been listening to them for years but over the last couple of albums they seem to have become much more popular (i.e. most people I mention them to know who they are).

Anyway, I’ve wanted to see them live for as long as I’ve known about them but they never seemed to play anywhere near me. Fortunately they played in Manchester last night and I bought tickets the second they were on sale! Of course, instead of bringing one of my perfectly good digital cameras I forgot and only had my phone.

They were fantastic and well worth the wait. I particularly enjoyed their stage banter and the fact that Stuart forgot the words to one of the songs from their new album (which isn’t released yet although thanks to the interweb I’ve had a copy for a while - fear not though, I always buy their CDs when they come out). They didn’t seem to be following a script and it was kind of like having them come round your house and jam away in front of you. Class.

Oh, and as usual my celebrity-spotting brother went to the toilet and when he came back he walked past the band just as they were about to go on. I don’t know how he does it!

As you know I love music and am constantly listening to one album or another. So I thought I’d put together a list of my favourites from last year with a recommendation that if you don’t own them already to go out and buy them! Click on the pictures to go to their pages on Amazon.

	Warnings and Promises by Idlewild Indie rock at its best and Scottish too! This is Idlewild’s fourth album and one I’ve played constantly since I bought it. Comparisons to REM are a bit unfair if you ask me, but if I was in a band this is the sort of music I’d want to make. And if you’re interested in where I’m going with growing my hair then look no further than Roddy, the lead singer…
	Silent Alarm by Bloc Party I heard ‘So Here We Are’ first which is a pretty mellow almost acoustic song and decided to get their album. I listened to it and found it a bit more heavy than I was expecting so put it away. Luckily I came back to it and realised what an amazing album it is. Every song tells a different story and has its own sound, fantastic.
	Eye To The Telescope by K T Tunstall Much more mellow than my usual stuff but I guess this one balances it all out. I didn’t just buy it because I went to school with her (which I did) but because the songs are from the heart and easy to relate to (I certainly know why she writes about the sea so much, I miss living on the coast too). Quality.
	A Certain Trigger by Maximo Park I saw them play in a small venue in Scarborough and I went from liking them to loving them. Their energy on stage was amazing and a lot of that intensity is to be found on the CD too. A breath of fresh air and it’ll put a smile on your face if you’re having a bad day!
	We Have Sound by Tom Vek Another recommendation from my brother (who pretty much recommends all the music I listen to). I heard the album a couple of times then saw him play in Leeds and he was superb. Very talented and I’m still unable to think of anybody who sounds quite like him - unique and brilliant.
	Funeral by The Arcade Fire I dismissed them at first as my friend hated them so much that I felt compelled to see all their negatives. I thought the singer’s voice was a bit weak and it was heavy weather listening to the album all the way through. But I started listening to them again after hearing them on MTV and liking what I heard and I’m glad I did. I now truly believe that it’s an amazing album and they’re a very talented bunch of people. Well worth persevering with. (Sorry Richard).
	The Back Room by Editors Reminiscent of Interpol - one of my favourite bands - this is Editors debut album and a fantastic one it is too. Dark lyrics, strong guitar work and very catchy, right up there with Bloc Party - another essential album to own!

I’ll add some more if I think of any but these are the ones I’ve been playing the most.

I love music. I go to as many gigs as I can and listen to as much music as I can. And one of the great things about having satellite TV is the huge selection of music channels to watch. As my girlfriend will testify, I spend a lot of time doing “music sweeps” (channel hopping to her). It’s a great way to hear new music and occasionally I’ll hear something that really makes my ears prick up. (And that doesn’t include my girlfriend nagging me to leave one channel on).

A month or two ago I flicked onto one channel about halfway through a song that definitely made me sit up. Some songs just catch me on a level I’m not expecting and “Made Up Love Song #43″ by a band called Guillemots did just that. I made a mental note to check them out on the web and did so later on. I couldn’t find anywhere to get their EP from and was a bit disappointed. Still, I’m patient so I waited…

On a whim I went to their site again and noticed that their EP (called “I Saw Such Things In My Sleep”) was available on the iTunes music store and went there in a flash - I had spotted it going for £20 on Amazon which seemed a little steep to me. Anyway, having listened to it a few times now I’m really impressed. They don’t remind me of any band in particular and I can’t really come up with a way to describe their music other than that I really like it! There’s something raw, emotional and personal about them in a non-manufactured way. Well worth a listen. And the best new band I’ve heard in quite a while.

Now if they could just do a gig in Leeds I’d be the first to buy tickets…

Update (26/10/05): My brother saw them in Edinburgh and was very impressed - the singer has an excellent voice live. Now, where’s that Leeds gig?

I’d never paid much attention to Elvis Presley until I was flying back from New Zealand. I’d watched all the films I wanted to watch so I started flicking through the CDs (Singapore Airlines have an interactive system on board that lets you do that sort of thing) and I came across the Elvis compilation album 2nd To None. I put it on and started to listen.

Up until that point my only contact with Elvis’s music was hearing a thousand bad Elvis impersonators wearing white cat suits, sequins, big hair, big shades, hairy chests, medallions and singing “uh huh huh”. I’d also seen True Romance with frequent references to him. But I had never sat down and listened to his music - until I was on that plane. And I’ll tell you what, I was amazed.

My first thought as I flicked through the tracks was that this boy could sing! As I went from Blue Suede Shoes to Love Me I couldn’t believe they were sung by the same person - the range in his voice, not to mention how smooth his voice was - puts most modern singers to shame. Of course what I never realised is that Elvis impersonators tend to be caricatures and have nothing like the talent of the man himself. So I decided when I got back to learn a little more about the man and get some of his music and become an Elvis fan - albeit a mere 27 years after his apparent death. Better late than never.

All I can say is that I’ve been missing out all these years. He could act convincingly, he was a top live performer, he served his country like a man (no draft dodging for Elvis) and he must have blown people away when he appeared on the scene in the 50’s with his dashing good looks and completely different brand of music. What a guy. No wonder he’s managed to stay popular into the 21st century. Anyway, I must go, I’ve got more Presley lyrics to learn…

Update: Well if I’d known it was 50 years since Elvis recorded his first record, I’d have put more effort into this article. Ah well, too late for maybe’s and what-if’s.

I could write about how my mother died two years ago today. I could explain how shit it is and how it doesn’t get any easier. But instead I’ve decided to write about Steven Seagal and why I love his films so much.

Now I like a good film. I like nothing more than a complex, multi-plot yarn that keeps you guessing up until the end. I like to have to think about what’s going on, try to guess the outcome. Or in films like Mulholland Drive - try and figure out just what the hell is going on. I appreciate intelligent film-making, cunning and sharp dialog, good acting and original directing. Oh, how I love films. But as I just said, I still love Steven Seagal films. Why?

For those of you (surely there can’t be many) who’ve never seen a Steven Seagal film, I’ll describe the storyline to the one that really made him famous - Under Siege. In this film he’s a cook on a US Navy battleship. It’s the captain’s birthday party and spirits are high. Entertainment has been flown aboard in the form of a band, caterers and a stripper. But all is not as it seems. The entertainment turn out to be a highly trained bunch of ex-CIA bad guys and they take control of the ship, kill the captain and imprison the crew. They want to steal the nukes on board. Seagal’s character (who has been locked up in the walk-in fridge in the galley by the XO who turns out to be a bad guy too) just happens to be an ex-Navy SEAL who manages to kill the bad guys, free the crew and rescues the day (oh, and also rescues the stripper). It’s an entertaining film with a good bit of violence, a little bit of character development (we’re back to the stripper again I’m afraid), and a whole lot more violence.

Now you’ve probably seen a hundred action films with similar plots but Seagal does things in a unique and - if I may say - audaciously cheesy way. First, he inevitably plays an ex-Special Forces guy who’s in a tame environment. Say, he’s on a train with his niece, or he’s an oil worker who used to be in the CIA, or he’s an ex-FBI agent (probably the counter-terrorist team) who is tracking down toxic waste dumping, or he’s a super-tough plays-by-his-own-rules cop combating crime. The list goes on. You get the picture. Less of a fish out of water - more of a tiger in the sea.

Next, he speaks through the entire film in a low, almost whispering voice. I suppose the intention is you think he’s really tough and tough guys don’t need to shout. Instead it makes him seem like he’s trying to appear like a tough guy who doesn’t need to shout - just not very well.

Then there’s always a scene when he’s in a bar, or a kitchen, or an oil pumping station where a room full of guys decided to engage in hand-to-hand combat with him. Big mistake. He beats them all up in such a mockingly superior way that it looks as though somebody’s pressing fast forward for Seagal but super slow-mo for the bad guys.

And then there’s my absolute favourite scene - the real reason I love Seagal’s movies. Picture this: Seagal’s making a bomb out of some items lying around (in true A-Team style) but while he’s doing this the scene cuts to the bad guys. They tend to be a bunch of mercenaries: crew cuts, square jaws and roll-neck sweaters. Anyway, they’ve just found out from their contact at Langley who Seagal’s character is. Then it cuts back to Seagal concentrating on his bomb. Then it cuts back to the bad guys and the leader will say something like: “Do you know who this guy is? He’s an ex-SEAL/Green Beret/CIA operator/Ninja/Special Forces Major/Instructor of Counter-Terrorism at Fort Bragg*”. The bad guys all look scared. There’s a quick cut back to Seagal doing some more bomb making. Back to the bad guys, one of whom says “Oh no, we’re all dead, that’s it, I’m out of here boss”, the boss then stabs him or cuts his throat and says ”Anybody else want to leave? Good”. But you can see that the boss is terrified too. Brilliant. And it must feed Seagal’s ego no end!

[* - Delete where applicable.]

Obviously, towards the end of the film there’s a knife fight with the bad guy boss (oh, forgot to mention that Seagal’s already dispatched with all the henchmen in a variety of violent ways). Seagal toys with the boss for a while before taking him out.

Then it’s cut to the final scene where he’s getting all the plaudits for his bravery, standing in the pose you see at the top of this article. Fantastic.

You see the thing is that all Steven Seagal films are the same. No, I mean exactly the same. You can watch them and each one of the scenes I’ve described above will come up. And that’s what I love about his films. They’re all ego trips for the man himself and the cheesiness he expertly manages to convey makes it all the more entertaining. They’re more formulaic than a book of advanced calculus. You can just sit down, disengage your brain and let Seagal do the talking.

And you know what? My mother liked Steven Seagal films too, much for the same reasons I do. And so should you.